Chapter 102 Rolling Up the Money and Running Away
This sentence made Joanna's heart race for a long time, even after they said goodnight and she got home.
Her conversation with Angelo tonight was partly spontaneous, partly a gentle rejection.
It wasn't that Angelo wasn't good enough—it was just that she felt like a stranger to herself when in love. She would put a filter on a man's normal behavior and then get lost in it.
She was a bit scared of who she'd been those past three years, and actually treasured her current peaceful life.
Besides, Angelo was too outstanding. Joanna felt like she was always looking up to him and in his debt.
She'd originally thought tonight was about gently turning down Angelo's feelings, but unexpectedly, Angelo seemed to have turned it into a confession instead.
He'd even expressed his feelings more naturally.
Joanna's face was hot and flushed. She tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.
Hillside Villa.
Chris came home looking lost, his suit jacket carelessly draped over his arm, tossed aside as soon as he walked in.
Looking at the home with no trace of Joanna, Chris opened a bottle of alcohol and drank himself into oblivion through the night.
For three days straight, he didn't go to the office.
Nicole had no choice but to call Cynthia, and before long, Cynthia arrived at Hillside Villa.
As soon as she opened the door, the smell of alcohol made her gag. When she finally found him, she frowned with disgust on her face.
She did like Chris, but she'd never seen him this disheveled and filthy.
Cynthia convinced herself for a long time before crouching down to speak gently: "Chris, are you having some kind of trouble? I'm sorry, I've been busy with the charity design competition these past few days and haven't been paying enough attention to you. Our wedding is coming up soon—if you're tired, take this chance to rest properly. Please don't hurt yourself like this anymore, okay?"
But in Chris's ears, it was Joanna's voice he heard.
Gentle, sweet.
Similar words, but because it was Joanna's voice, he reached out directly, grabbed Cynthia's neck, and kissed her.
The taste of alcohol made Cynthia want to push him away, but she was afraid of upsetting Chris, so she could only endure it.
As soon as their lips touched, Chris frowned again, muttering: "No, it's not her."
Cynthia's expression changed: "Not who? Chris, who do you think I am?"
Had she not been watching closely enough, letting another woman get close to Chris?
Chris just shook his head, lying back on the sofa, still drunk: "Joanna, not Joanna."
Cynthia was so angry she threw her purse, her face twisted with rage!
Joanna again! When did Chris fall for this woman? Of all people, why did it have to be Joanna!
She'd thought their divorce would be enough, but recent events made Cynthia realize that Joanna shouldn't continue to exist!
And she absolutely refused to admit she could lose to Joanna!
After her brief loss of control, Cynthia smoothed her hair and stood a few steps away from Chris, calling a housekeeping company.
She arranged for cleaners and a caretaker, leaving Chris and everything in the villa to the professionals. After a few glances, she turned and left.
After leaving, Cynthia made a phone call: "Get me a certain drug. You know I can't hide this much longer. Make it quick."
In the car's tinted glass reflection, her eyes were cold and crazed.
After waking up, Joanna went to the nursing home.
Since starting the new medication, Sandra's condition had been effectively controlled, and her complexion was getting better.
After a morning of examinations, Dr. Bruce scheduled surgery.
"Brain cancer treatment is always long-term. Sandra's condition might seem okay now, but the risk of episodes is always there. We've assessed her physical condition—as long as three surgeries can reduce the cancer rate to the minimum, Sandra can be discharged."
Joanna strongly supported Sandra making a complete emotional break from Henry, so she had all the nursing home medical staff call her that.
The first surgery was the most important, so Joanna was very nervous, constantly comforting her mother before entering the operating room.
"You're just going in for a nap, Mom. Don't feel any pressure, just relax and work with Dr. Bruce."
Sandra teased her: "I'm not sure who's actually going into surgery here. I don't have any regrets, I just hope my health won't be a burden to you all."
"How could you be a burden?" Joanna said with red eyes: "Mom, you're the most important person in my world. You'll definitely get better. You haven't even seen Chad get married or take over the company yet."
Sandra smiled and reached out to wipe away her tears: "You've already been married once, why are you still such a crybaby?"
Joanna protested: "In front of Mom, I have the right to be a child."
They didn't talk much longer before Dr. Bruce was ready.
Soon, Sandra was wheeled into the operating room.
The surgery would take six hours. Given Joanna's schedule, she would normally continue working on her charity design.
But when she picked up her pencil, she couldn't find any inner peace.
This anxiety gradually turned into a bad feeling.
Until she got a call from Lyle: "Miss Jones, Chad took the compensation money for the victims and ran away from the company!"
Joanna's face became anxious. She glanced at the surgery light and bit her lip: "I can't come over right now, Lyle. Call the police! Find him first, and mobilize whatever liquid funds the company has available to keep the victims' families calm. Don't let this spread!"
The peace that had just settled was disturbed again.
After hanging up, Joanna angrily punched the wall.
She tried hard to regain her composure, and the first thing she thought of when she calmed down was that Chad wasn't someone with brains.
This idea was most likely someone else's!
And whoever was behind this idea must be trying to get revenge on her or the Jones company!
Joanna immediately thought of Chris and Cynthia.
But at a time like this, shouldn't they be busy with their wedding? Why would they come after her?
Joanna anxiously waited for the surgery results while keeping her eyes on her phone messages.
She also contacted Peter, explained the situation, and asked about the possibility of Henry being behind it.
Peter pointed out an issue: "If Henry had contacts at the company, then both his fake drug manufacturing partners and buyers could be seeking revenge. There's a good chance your brother was manipulated by one of these parties into taking the compensation money."
Joanna had only been focused on catching Henry before and overlooked this!
Buying and selling was never something one party could do alone.
And the Jones company wasn't primarily in drug manufacturing, so Henry must have ordered drugs from elsewhere or hidden a private factory to make fake drugs.
The people profiting from this might not be just Henry alone.