Buying the dark chocolate was just to coax him.

But the investigation report on the next page made Joanna’s eyes turn blood-red instantly.

The report clearly stated that Lucas had indeed retrieved Julian’s works, only for Julian to kick them back in!

He had been unconscious in the sewer until midnight!

Joanna’s fists clenched tightly.

In places she didn't know about, how much suffering had Lucas endured?!

That scoundrel Julian actually dared to hurt Lucas like this!

She suddenly remembered her mother's words.

Had the Landon matriarch really come to beg her?

She thought about how Julian had been living in her home while she was away in Japan.

Could all of this be Julian’s doing behind the scenes?

Joanna flipped to the last page.

Attached was a roadside video surveillance clip.

Her heart tightened, and she hesitated for a few seconds before playing it on the computer.

In the video, one could clearly see Lucas’s mother kneeling before Julian, kowtowing while saying "I'm sorry."

Julian stood nearby, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up.

"Bang!"

She slammed the desk, anger rising in her heart.

Immediately after, Lucas appeared.

As if toying with him, Julian demanded he slap himself 999 times and shout that deeply humiliating phrase 999 times.

Joanna’s heart leaped into her throat.

Lucas had always been proud; how could he possibly bow his head to Julian?

Yet, in the next second, she watched as Lucas actually did it!

For the Landon Group, for his mother, he had trampled his own dignity beneath his feet!

And in return, he received nothing but Julian’s complete and utter mockery!

Joanna’s knuckles turned white, her lips devoid of all color.

Most desperately, Julian, relying on his relationship with her, had issued orders on her behalf, forbidding any hospital under the Jiang Group from admitting the unconscious woman!

She struck the desk with her palm, her skin turning bruised.

She, the noble eldest daughter of the Jiang family, who prided herself on being smart and sharp, capable of handling even the most treacherous business deals.

Now, she had been deceived by such a vicious man, played for a fool, and had even driven Lucas away.

She had hurt Lucas countless times for the sake of such a man; no wonder he wanted to cancel the engagement, no wonder he chose to leave her so decisively, no wonder he chose to marry another woman!

Joanna took out her phone and dialed a number, her voice sounding like an evil spirit:

"Bring Julian to me!"

When Julian was brought before Joanna, he didn't yet know what had happened.

But when he saw the cold look in her eyes, his heart couldn't help but leap into his throat.

"Joanna, did you... need something from me?"

Joanna rose from the sofa, took the burning cigarette from her mouth, slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, and walked step by step toward him.

"Julian."

Her voice was bone-chillingly cold, carrying boundless malice.

"You must have been very proud of yourself, keeping me wrapped around your finger, right?"

14

Joanna spoke, grabbing Julian’s chin with one hand while using the other to press the burning cigarette butt directly onto his collarbone.

"Ahhh!"

Julian let out a shrill scream, his body scrambling wildly backward.

The cigarette butt left a burn mark on his collarbone before rolling to the floor.

He curled up on the ground in a wretched state, looking at her helplessly:

"Joanna, what are you saying? I don't understand!"

"You don't understand?"

Joanna looked down at him from her height, her eyes filled with coldness.

"You are so smart; how could you not understand?"

She squatted down, grabbed his hair to force him to look up, and traced her finger along his jawline as if affectionately.

"It must have felt great to bully Lucas relentlessly while I was away."

"Watching the once high-and-mighty Mrs. Landon and Lucas kneel before you, kowtowing and slapping themselves in apology, you must have been very happy, right?"

Her voice was low, like the whisper of a demon from hell.

Julian trembled all over in fear.

His voice shook:

"Joanna, let me explain... I, I just love you too much... I thought you wanted to teach the young master a lesson, and if the Landon family went bankrupt, he wouldn't dare oppose you and would only do whatever you said!"

Joanna’s hand slid down and clamped onto Julian’s throat:

"Oh? And I should thank you for thinking only of me?"

As she spoke, she tightened her grip on his neck.

Julian looked at her in horror, his face turning increasingly pale, his hands patting at hers incessantly.

Just as he felt he was about to suffocate, Joanna suddenly exerted force and flung him away.

His head slammed against the wall, and blood began to seep from the back of his skull.

"Joanna, I just didn't want to lose you, that’s why I—"

Her forceful slap cut him off.

He groaned, his face burning with pain.

"Enough! You are no different from any other man who tries to get close to me! In fact, you’re even more disgusting!"

With that, she called her assistant.

"Throw him into the sewer and lock him up for a few days."

Julian trembled violently, desperately grabbing at Joanna’s pant leg.

"Joanna, how can you do this to me? You clearly love me..."

"Take him out. Make him kneel in the sewer and kowtow and slap himself in apology."

Her icy voice drained the very strength from Julian’s body.

"Joanna! You bastard!"

"No wonder Lucas wanted to cancel the engagement and marry another woman!"

"Xu Shaoting was right; you are nothing but a piece of trash!"

Joanna didn't even grant the screaming Julian a glance, watching coldly as he was dragged away.

She didn't care about his fate; she immediately ordered her men to track down Lucas.

She had to find him.

She had to tell him she had finally realized where her heart truly lay.

Her feelings for Julian were just a remnant of past unresolved yearnings; Lucas was her future.

......

Meanwhile, Lucas was gently helped into a car by Clara.

His mother had also been sent by helicopter to receive the best treatment in a neighboring city, as arranged by Clara's people.

The car’s heater was set high.

Lucas’s frozen body temperature gradually returned to normal.

He belatedly thanked Clara.

"Thank you."

Clara closed the laptop in front of her and answered softly:

"You're welcome."

No one knew that after Lucas got in the car, although her gaze remained on the laptop screen, she hadn't read a single word.

She had been secretly watching him with her peripheral vision the whole time.

Only when he calmed down did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"I’ve arranged for the world’s top doctors and equipment; your mother will be just fine."

Lucas nodded blankly.

"By the way, how did you know I was Clara?"

Her sudden change of topic startled him.

His face slowly turned pale.

Recognizing Clara was a memory from his previous life; at the time, his mother was in critical condition and his mental defenses had collapsed. The second he saw her, he only wanted to grab the last straw of hope and hadn't thought about anything else.

He opened his mouth, and it took a long time before he could stammer out a few words:

"I... my mother showed me a photo of you before..."

A lie.

Clara whispered to herself in her heart, but on the surface, she nodded obediently.

"Hmm."

15

After that, the two didn't speak again.

That evening, they bought tickets to the neighboring city of Haicheng.

When they arrived at the Haicheng hospital, his mother had already been moved out of surgery.

The doctor told Lucas that his mother’s condition was stable and that she would wake up in a while.

Lucas nodded gratefully and kept watch in his mother’s room.

Clara was incredibly thoughtful.

She had prepared all the daily necessities needed for the hospital stay in advance and delivered them to him.

He lost count of how many times he had said thank you.

The next afternoon, his mother finally regained consciousness.

Lucas wept with joy, holding her and refusing to let go.

Although she was still weak upon waking, his mother’s first concern was the status of the Landon Group.

"Lucas, how is the company? Did the Jiang Group help?"

Lucas was at a loss, not knowing how to answer.

He hadn't paid any attention to the company’s situation; all he wanted was for his mother to be well.

Seeing his expression, his mother’s face grew even paler, and she sighed softly.

"I understand."

"It doesn't matter, we—"

"Mrs. Landon, you’re awake."

Clara walked in, interrupting their conversation.

His mother was slightly startled as Clara continued:

"Please don't worry, the Landon Group is still standing."

"I have already announced the news of the alliance between the Clara family and the Landon Group. The broken cash flow has been restored, and as for the international luxury giants—"