Joanna’s brows knitted tightly.

"Which brand?"

The assistant hesitated for a long time, so long that Joanna gave an impatient glare.

"Speak!"

"Miss, it’s the brand designed by Mr. Julian."

The air instantly fell into a heavy silence.

Joanna’s lack of response made Julian panic.

He stammered an explanation:

"Joanna, I admit, I did use some major brands as reference, but it was absolutely not plagiarism, I—"

"I know."

Joanna comforted him with a faint smile:

"Don't worry, I will protect you."

Her words set Julian’s mind at ease.

Joanna sat with her legs crossed, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest:

"What’s the reaction from the Landon side?"

The assistant paused for a second before replying quickly:

"The Landon side has taken some actions; it seems they are trying to rely on loans to survive this crisis. Only—"

Her eyes were filled with clarity.

"The only one who can provide enough cash flow to help the Landon Group through this is the Jiang Group, right?"

The assistant nodded.

"But strangely enough, the Landon Group hasn't come to the Jiang Group."

Julian’s heart leaped into his throat.

Hearing the assistant’s words, Joanna’s gaze grew dark:

"Is Lucas still acting out?"

The assistant didn't answer, keeping her mouth shut.

Joanna’s fingers drummed more and more rapidly.

A moment later, she let out a cold snort from her nose.

"Then let’s honor Lucas’s wishes."

"Since he doesn't even care about the Landon Group himself, I certainly won't either."

However, as she said this, the irritation between her brows seemed to increase.

The car stopped outside her private fashion boutique.

Seeing the curiosity in Julian’s eyes, Joanna explained with a smile:

"There’s a banquet tonight. Would you like to accompany me?"

He nodded vigorously in excitement.

Although he still minded Joanna’s concern for Lucas, he believed that as long as the Landon Group went bankrupt and Lucas fell from his pedestal, then—

The most suitable candidate to stand by her side as her husband would be none other than him!

The two soon changed into their evening wear.

Joanna picked out a lake-blue gown, which made her look serene and gentle.

When she pulled back the curtain, she saw Julian sitting on the sofa in a moon-white suit, waiting in utter boredom, and her eyes brightened slightly.

Unlike the black that Lucas favored, Julian was very well-suited to white.

He looked as calm as still water.

Joanna was very satisfied.

When they arrived at the banquet hall, everyone’s gaze focused on the two of them.

She paid it no mind, taking Julian’s hand and walking in with composure.

Throughout the banquet, she chatted and toasted with other business figures.

Julian stayed quietly by her side.

Until he heard the crisp sound of shattering glass.

8

Hearing the commotion, Joanna looked around and finally spotted Julian, disheveled and in a mess, right in the center of the noise.

His hair was soaked with champagne, clinging limply to his scalp.

The champagne streamed down the tips of his hair, drenching his moon-white suit.

Joanna frowned involuntarily and walked quickly to Julian’s side.

"What happened?"

She asked in a soft voice.

Julian leaned into her arms subconsciously, dragging his champagne-soaked hair against her skin.

This made her brow furrow even deeper.

"Joanna, this gentleman suddenly splashed me with champagne..."

As he spoke, he pointed his finger at a man standing nearby.

Joanna recognized the man.

It was Xu Shaoting, the eldest son of the Xu family, who had always been at odds with Lucas.

He was also one of her admirers.

However, Lucas had a volatile temper and a heavy hand.

Whenever Xu Shaoting tried to trip him up, Lucas would inevitably retaliate in an even more vicious manner.

Over time, Xu Shaoting had learned to give Lucas a wide berth whenever they crossed paths.

In the past, whenever Joanna took Lucas to a banquet, he would handle everything on his own.

She never even needed to intervene.

Joanna found herself lost in thought as she remembered Lucas.

So much so that while she was distracted, Xu Shaoting stepped forward again and dealt Julian a heavy punch.

The crisp sound of the strike rang out, snapping her back to reality.

"Xu Shaoting, what do you think you’re doing?!"

Xu Shaoting picked up a hot towel from a waiter’s tray to wipe his hands, speaking unhurriedly:

"Can’t you tell? Disciplining someone with no manners."

He pointed to a wine stain on his own suit, raising his eyebrows at Joanna.

Joanna was stunned.

Julian had already spoken up, sounding aggrieved:

"Joanna, I only accidentally bumped into this Mr. Xu, I didn't expect him to..."

Xu Shaoting sneered a few times.

"Accidentally?"

"How pretentious can you be?"

He looked Julian up and down with an expression of extreme disdain, then turned his gaze to Joanna, filled with disappointment.

"Joanna, I never expected you to have a taste for such vulgar, affected lowlifes."

"It seems both Lucas and I were blind. We thought you were such an exceptional woman, fighting over you like fools."

"If I had known you liked this kind of trash, why would I have ever bothered competing with him?!"

"You!"

Julian felt as if he had been slapped hard in the face; he was incredibly humiliated.

Joanna’s face turned livid. She hadn't expected a man who had always chased after her to speak such harsh words.

"Xu Shaoting, I thought you hated Lucas."

"Were you just putting on an act all this time, just to show me?"

Thinking of this possibility, her face darkened to an alarming degree.

"An act?"

Xu Shaoting’s eyes were filled with contempt and exasperation.

"No wonder Lucas said he wanted to cancel the engagement with you. It turns out that not only is your judgment poor, but your brain is as well."

"Although I don't like Lucas, that doesn't mean I don't admire him."

"Being able to chase after a cold-hearted woman like you for three years... he’s truly had it rough."

"It’s fortunate he ran fast enough; otherwise, marrying you would probably have been the death of him."

His words were like arrows, piercing Joanna’s heart.

There was no longer a hint of a smile on her face, and her tone was terrifyingly grave:

"Xu Shaoting, the engagement between the Jiang and Landon families still stands. It’s not up to Lucas to cancel it just because he wants to."

Xu Shaoting let out a cold scoff, his eyes full of scorn:

"The engagement still stands? Then why is the Jiang family just watching the Landon family go bankrupt without offering help?"

"I heard it’s because the brand that entered the Landon malls committed infringement—apparently by a designer named Julian."

He locked his gaze onto Julian,

"It’s because of him, isn't it?"

"Joanna, I really didn't expect that for the sake of this man, you would not only ruin the Landon Group that Madam Landon built from the ground up, but also watch coldly as the Landon family dies."

"Lucas choosing to leave you was absolutely the right decision!"

Upon hearing the word "leave," Joanna’s pupils contracted violently.

An uncontrollable feeling rose from the bottom of her heart, making her feel extremely uneasy.

"Lucas doesn't want to leave me."

"This incident is just a lesson I’m giving him, to make him understand not to target Julian in the future."

As she spoke, she grabbed Xu Shaoting’s wrist, her tone forceful,

"And you, apologize to Julian."

"Apologize? You want me to apologize to this moron?"

Xu Shaoting was full of sarcasm, refusing to bow his head.

"Not a chance!"

"I may not be as capable as Lucas, but I’m certainly better than the likes of him!"

He shook off her grip and flexed his wrist,

"Joanna, let me tell you, I have no interest in you anymore, either!"

He turned to walk away, muttering to himself:

"And I thought Lucas was foolish to cancel his engagement with you and choose to marry that true heiress the Clara family just found."

"Now it seems his choice might have been the right one after all."

He spoke softly, but each word was like a hammer blow to Joanna’s heart.

"Stop!"

She roared, a flash of barely perceptible panic in her eyes,

"What did you say?"

Xu Shaoting raised his brows:

"You didn't know? Lucas and the Clara family are getting married."

9

The surrounding environment suddenly fell into a dead silence.

Joanna’s expression was as cold as ice; she was truly infuriated.

"Xu Shaoting, there’s a limit to lying."

"The engagement between the Jiang and Landon families is no small matter; it cannot just be canceled on a whim!"

"Let alone Lucas choosing to marry the true heiress the Clara family just found! Was it Lucas who put you up to this, hoping I would step in to help?"

Her eyes held a look of perceived understanding,

"From the fake amnesia to the engagement cancellation... hasn't he caused enough trouble already?!"

"Tell him, if he doesn't stop this, don't blame me for truly—canceling the engagement!"