’Levin Sawyer doesn’t count.’

’Vincent Grant was her most loyal supporter. How could he abandon her when she was sick to go look after Sophia Shaw?’

’And Jenson Forrest—had he forgotten who rescued his sister?’

’If she hadn’t followed Yasmine Reed and shown up in the nick of time to chase him away, Lillian Forrest would have lost her innocence long ago!’

’How could these people be so ungrateful?’

’How could they!’

The confidence Joanna Sherman had just managed to rebuild was brutally shattered by the video. Tears welled in her eyes, a mixture of hatred and grievance.

Someone posted another video in the group chat.

The star of this video was, shockingly, her.

She was sitting on the hospital bed with an overbed table, her hands flying furiously across the keyboard.

She had felt great about herself while she was working, but seeing it recorded by someone else, it was a completely different picture.

In the video, her hair was a mess, her eyes were bloodshot, and her jaw was clenched. She looked like a complete lunatic!

Beneath the video, a flood of question marks appeared.

"What’s she trying to pull now?"

"Hasn’t she made enough of a fool of herself for one day? Is she looking for an encore?"

"Why doesn’t she just become a comedian?"

...

"AHHH!"

Joanna Sherman frantically swept the laptop off her table, grabbing her hair and letting out a hysterical scream.

She only started to regain her senses when her phone began to ring. She snatched it up and answered immediately. "Vincent?"

"Vincent who? It’s your father!" Chad Jennings wailed on the other end. "Joanna, the Grant Group’s stock has completely tanked again! You have to think of something!"

Chad’s words, "completely tanked," instantly brought to mind the cruel online pun about her having "two lost dads," and her anger surged.

"What does it have to do with me that it tanked! I’m not the one selling the shares. Go find the people who are! What’s the use of coming to me and making a scene!"

Chad Jennings was already in a panic, and Joanna’s shouting only made him more frantic. "You may not be selling the shares, but you’re the one who caused the price to drop! Both times, it was you!"

"I’m not asking you to compensate me, just to think of a solution. Why are you being so aggressive?"

"If only Sophia..."

’If only he had valued Sophia more, stayed closer to her, he wouldn’t be in such a pathetic situation.’

A wave of regret suddenly washed over Chad Jennings.

Joanna couldn’t bear to hear the name "Sophia Shaw." Those two words were more humiliating than a slap to the face.

"If you like Sophia so much, then go to her! Ask her to acknowledge you as her father and fill your financial hole! Why are you coming to me!"

Chad Jennings felt his heart clench. "How could Sophia possibly pay any attention to me? She probably wishes I’d lose everything and die."

"You’re her father, she has an obligation to you! Figure it out yourself. You can kill yourself or take her to court for all I care, just stop bothering me!"

Joanna slammed the phone down.

Her already terrible mood just went from bad to worse.

—

「Meanwhile.」

Jenson Forrest was wheeled in for an examination.

Levin Sawyer’s punch had been thrown with full force. It wasn’t a light blow; a fractured bone was the very least to be expected.

Just as Sophia Shaw arrived with Lillian Forrest, Rhea Dunn showed up as well.

Knowing the two young women had things to discuss, Sophia temporarily entrusted Lillian to Rhea before going to find Levin Sawyer.

"Alright, talk. Why did you get into a fight?"

Levin Sawyer was Sophia’s senior, a few years older than her, and had always been the one to protect her. Now, faced with this situation, Levin felt it was rather embarrassing.

He scratched his scalp awkwardly. "I just... I just couldn’t stand the sight of him and wanted to teach him a lesson."

Sophia looked at him, speechless. "You hit someone just because you couldn’t stand him? Senior, when did you become so childish?"

’He wasn’t usually childish, but whenever it came to matters involving Sophia, his brain seemed to regress automatically.’

’He’d lose control and do things that didn’t fit his age or status.’

’Levin Sawyer was too embarrassed to tell Sophia that he and Vincent Grant had fought over her.’

’That shameless bastard Grant, divorced for ages, still had the nerve to warn him to stay away from Sophia.’

’He’d shamelessly declared that Sophia was his wife, the mother of his two children, and would forever be branded with his, Vincent Grant’s, mark—that she would be Mrs. Grant for life.’

’Mrs. Grant my ass!’

’A wave of fury had washed over him, and he didn’t even bother to state the fact that they were already divorced. He just threw a punch.’

’He had to beat this scum to death!’

’Levin Sawyer knew in his heart that he hadn’t punched Vincent because of all that bullshit he’d spouted, but because his heart ached for all the neglect, pain, and hurt Sophia had suffered.’

’Did Vincent think he could cover all that up with a single "Mrs. Grant for life"?’

’He wouldn’t accept it!’

’And he wouldn’t stand for it!’

’If Vincent were here right now, he’d want to punch the bastard again!’

In front of Sophia, however, Levin Sawyer didn’t dare act so aggressive. He was like a docile cat, letting Sophia scold him without talking back once.

Sophia saw him with his head hanging low, looking uncharacteristically obedient, and sighed in exasperation.

"Senior, I know you did it for my sake, but what if you’d seriously hurt him? How would you answer to Mrs. Sawyer?"

’And of course, how would he explain this to his future significant other?’

’Sophia herself had painful, first-hand experience with relationships and knew that a woman couldn’t accept her man’s divided affections.’

"No more randomly throwing punches from now on, you hear?"

Levin Sawyer didn’t know what Sophia was thinking and just nodded repeatedly. "Okay."

’Whatever Sophia said, goes.’

’If she doesn’t want me throwing punches, fine. Next time I see Vincent, I’ll just have to find another way to get him!’

Vincent Grant appeared from the other end of the hallway, and this was the scene that greeted him.

The tall, imposing man was willingly bowing his head in apology to the much shorter woman before him, a woman without an ounce of strength in her hands, looking both obedient and soft.

Although Levin Sawyer didn’t move in his circles, Vincent Grant knew a great deal about him.

His methods were in no way softer than Vincent’s own; in fact, they were often even more ruthless.

He had once barged into a savage tribe overseas that was blocking Lead Aerospace from building a base and, bare-handed, beaten them into submission. He had also once stepped on the back of some underworld boss, pointed at his nose, and told him to get the hell off his turf.

The Levin Sawyer before him now suddenly reminded Vincent of a book he’d once read to Cedric Grant called *The Mightiest Warrior*. In the book, a tall, strong giant who feared neither lion, nor tiger, nor elephant—beating them all into submission—had bowed his head before a small, frail woman, becoming docile and harmless...

Levin Sawyer was that giant, and only Sophia Shaw could tame his rebellious spirit.

Vincent felt as though countless claws were scratching at his chest—itchy, painful, and drawing blood.

He strode forward, inserting himself between the two and shattering the atmosphere.

"How is Jenson’s examination going?"

Levin Sawyer’s face darkened the moment he saw him, and his fists began to itch again. But then he remembered Sophia’s warning, so he stubbornly turned his head away. ’Out of sight, out of mind.’

Sophia said flatly, "He’s still being examined."

Vincent stood before Sophia, his head lowered.

He waited for a long time, but she didn’t say anything else.

Vincent looked up at her, confused. "You... don’t you have anything to say?"

Sophia was slightly puzzled.

’What was there for her to say to him?’

"No," Sophia said politely.

’In her mind, Vincent Grant was President Grant.’

’What was she supposed to say to the president of a partner company? What *could* she say?’

Sophia proactively stepped aside.

Vincent: "..."

Beneath his cuffs, his hanging fingers curled silently into a fist.

’He had thought Sophia would at least scold him the way she had scolded Levin Sawyer, but she hadn’t...’

Leaning against the wall nearby, Levin Sawyer saw Vincent’s disappointment and let out a snort of laughter.

’He wanted to give Sophia a round of applause.’

’Brilliantly done!’

’The greatest revenge against a villain isn’t hatred, but indifference.’

’It was saying: You’re less than nothing!’

’It was saying: Scolding you would be a waste of my breath!’

Levin Sawyer lowered his head and texted his mother: Got chewed out by my future wife today. She was really fierce.

Mrs. Sawyer: ?

Levin Sawyer: But I have good news—she didn’t chew out that Grant fellow!

Mrs. Sawyer: ?

’You got chewed out, but he didn’t, and you’re gloating about it?’

’Is there something wrong with my son’s head?’