The crowd frantically snapped photos of the banners hanging everywhere.

Brian Sherman and Selina Zelia were shouting in fury, while Sharon Sherman cursed nonstop.

A microphone was suddenly thrust in front of the three. "I’m a reporter from the TV station. May I ask..."

By the time Yancy Shaw got home, news that the Shermans were hanging banners and setting off firecrackers to celebrate Joanna Sherman trending online had already spread across the entire internet.

Thanks to the Shermans’ "help," Joanna Sherman hit the trending topics for the third time in a single day.

Footage of the Shermans scrambling to stop reporters from filming was also posted online, allowing the whole internet to witness their vulgar, disgraceful, and uncultured behavior!

Joanna Sherman’s fall from grace took only a matter of hours.

"Faye, you’re really something else!"

Learning that the radio reporter and Bartholomew Chamberlain were both arranged by Sophia Shaw, June Evans felt both vindicated and excited.

Leah Evans gave her a thumbs-up. "You truly are Lead Aerospace’s goddess! You’re amazing at everything you do!"

Yancy Shaw also looked at Sophia Shaw with relief and pride.

"Faye is more capable than her uncle!"

Her grandmother stroked Sophia’s hand again and again. "Thank goodness our family has you, Faye. You may seem gentle on the surface, but deep down, you’re just as fierce as your mother..."

At the mention of her daughter, the old woman’s tears fell like rain.

She had been such a capable and dutiful daughter. It was a tragedy she married the wrong man and ruined her life.

Yancy Shaw thought of his sister, too. A heavy boulder seemed to lodge in his chest, and with no outlet for the overwhelming hatred and heartache he felt for her, he could only clench his fists.

Sophia Shaw hugged her grandmother, then looked at Yancy Shaw with a determined gaze. "Uncle, we’ll get our chance."

The scandal surrounding the Sherman Family was still escalating.

When Yvonne Sherman learned of the stupid things Brian Sherman and the others had done, she chewed them out over the phone.

But what good did it do?

It was now an undeniable fact that Joanna Sherman had such a group of classless relatives.

Bartholomew Chamberlain’s statement, Yuval’s proof, and the Sherman family’s stupidity once again pushed Joanna Sherman into the eye of the storm.

Someone even dug up that Jenna Judd’s selection as the company’s "Most Valuable Employee" was connected to Joanna Sherman.

What was more troublesome was that traces of Jenna Judd allegedly tampering with Vincent Grant’s digital avatar had been exposed, the records laid bare for all to see!

This, then, explained why Jenna Judd had interrupted Sophia Shaw: she was afraid Sophia’s excellent performance would expose her own past misdeeds!

And an employee with such a stained record wasn’t fired, but was instead promoted and given an award? Whose fault was that?

Sophia Shaw had known things would come to this the moment she dropped those two bombshells.

Not a single step had deviated from her plan.

However, just as everyone was about to dig deeper, Vincent Grant personally stepped forward and took all the blame.

He publicly stated that when he saw his digital avatar spouting nonsense, he believed that Sophia Shaw, as its administrator, bore inescapable responsibility, and that he was the one who had pushed for her dismissal.

The incident concluded with Vincent Grant admitting fault and firing Jenna Judd.

Joanna Sherman suffered no losses whatsoever, remaining perfectly protected.

Sophia Shaw calmly watched the Grant Group’s press conference to the end before turning off the television.

She had long predicted that Vincent Grant would help Joanna Sherman.

When it came to protecting Joanna Sherman, Vincent Grant never surprised her, nor did he ever distinguish between right and wrong.

His love knew no bounds.

Yancy Shaw watched her with heartache, the anger surging in his chest making him clench his fists.

But in the end, because Vincent Grant was Sophia’s husband, he refrained from saying anything harsh.

Sophia was his sister’s only remaining bloodline, and he couldn’t bear to see her caught in the middle, torn between two sides.

「The next day.」

Sophia Shaw had just arrived at Lead Aerospace when a Maybach pulled up beside her. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Vincent Grant stepped out of the car.

The man, as aristocratic as ever, blocked her path.

"Sophia, regarding the digital avatar incident, I didn’t investigate thoroughly. The fault is all mine."

"I’m sorry."

He gave a slight bow, without any hesitation.

’That was Vincent Grant for you.’

’His character was forged by a strict upbringing—proud and upright, yet able to yield when necessary.’

Sophia Shaw watched quietly as he bowed his head and admitted his mistake, the teardrop-shaped mole, like a drop of blood, shimmering faintly in the morning light.

She slowly curled her fingers. "I don’t accept."

Her gaze was still soft, but it held no warmth when she looked at Vincent Grant.

She turned and walked away.

Watching Sophia Shaw walk away, Jack Holloway’s stomach churned. He felt extremely uncomfortable.

"I’m sorry, President Grant." He quickly bowed his head, admitting his mistake in a low voice before Vincent. "Miss Shaw gave me the evidence, but I... I didn’t give it to you."

Vincent Grant’s eyes followed Sophia’s retreating figure until she had completely disappeared. Only then did he turn back and give Jack Holloway a deep look.

Though he didn’t say a word, Jack Holloway already understood what it meant.

...

"You useless bastard!"

"You’re good for nothing but messing things up!"

Sophia Shaw had just stepped into the company when she was startled by someone stumbling out.

If she hadn’t dodged in time, the person would have fallen on top of her.

Before Sophia could see who it was, a middle-aged man rushed out of the room and kicked him again.

"I would’ve been better off giving birth to a ball than a moron like you!"

Behind the middle-aged man, Levin Sawyer stood with his arms crossed, enjoying the show with no intention of intervening.

Sophia Shaw looked at him. "This is..."

"Young lady!"

The man who had been doing the hitting saw Sophia and quickly turned around.

"It’s me, Caleb Croft. Do you remember me, young lady?"

"The test, the one with the test."

Sophia Shaw’s memory was good; she quickly placed Caleb Croft.

"Hello, Mr. Croft."

Caleb Croft was anything but "hello" right now.

He grabbed Sophia’s arm, on the verge of tears. "Young lady, it’s all my fault for having such a stupid son. I was dead set on working with you, but this moron went to Grant Interstellar and found some third-rate hack to launch my rocket!"

"The rocket is riddled with malfunctions! It’s completely useless! Young lady, this is a matter of great importance. Please, you have to help."

Caleb Croft had been through the thick of it in his life, but he had never begged anyone so humbly.

But he had no choice.

He was using the nation’s money; he couldn’t just produce a pile of junk.

Frustrated and furious, Caleb Croft went and kicked his son several more times.

Young Master Croft was kicked so hard he rolled several times down the hallway.

Levin Sawyer, fearing Caleb Croft might actually kick the man to death, finally stepped in to pull him away. "President Croft, please calm down."

Young Master Croft scrambled to his feet, but when he saw Caleb Croft raise his hand again, he yelped and covered his head in fear.

Seeing his cowardly display, Levin Sawyer couldn’t help but cover his mouth to hide a smile.

But his words were anything but polite. "On this matter, we at Lead Aerospace have gone above and beyond. We kindly reminded Young Master Croft before he even signed the contract that he should absolutely work with Lead Aerospace."

"I have no idea what he was thinking, choosing to go with Stellaron in the end."

"We really..."

Levin Sawyer gave a "helpless" shrug.

When Caleb Croft heard there was more to the story, he grabbed Young Master Croft and gave him another sound beating.

He beat him until Young Master Croft was screaming bloody murder.

Since it wasn’t going to kill him, Levin Sawyer couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

Watching from the side as Caleb Croft twisted Young Master Croft’s flesh like a pretzel, Sophia Shaw winced in vicarious pain.

"President Croft hopes we can step in and help solve the problem with the rocket launch," Levin Sawyer said.

"What do you think?"

Caleb Croft’s J Family had taken on a project for the military family, and the standards were exceptionally high.

Levin Sawyer was leaving the decision entirely up to Sophia. If she said no, he wouldn’t give Caleb Croft any face, regardless of who he was.

Sophia Shaw pressed her lips together. "Let’s go."

She wasn’t doing it to give anyone face; she just didn’t want to see the nation’s money go to waste like this.

Levin Sawyer wasn’t surprised. "I knew you’d agree. The car is ready. Let’s go."

The car drove straight to the Stellaron Base.

Sophia Shaw gazed at the steel skeletons outside the window. ’I never thought I’d see the inside of this place again.’

A month ago, she had tried everything and still wasn’t qualified to enter. Even for an interview, she had to be completely covered up, like a rat scurrying in the shadows.

Now, she was being begged to come.

’Fate is a strange thing indeed.’

The failed rocket had been brought back and was now in a massive repair workshop.

Caleb Croft bowed slightly as he ushered Sophia Shaw and Levin Sawyer inside.

He impatiently shoved away an engineer who was still working on it. "Get out of the way!"

He turned to the workshop director and announced, "Tell your boss that Lead Aerospace is taking full responsibility here. I want everyone from Stellaron out immediately! Not a single one left behind!"

This was Levin Sawyer’s condition.

Caleb Croft was in a dire situation. Never mind Levin Sawyer just asking for the personnel to be removed; he would have agreed even if Levin had demanded they transport the rocket to Lead Aerospace.

Vincent Grant and Joanna Sherman hurried out from an inner room.

Both were wearing hard hats and work clothes, their expressions grim.

"Mr. Croft," Vincent Grant called out, his gaze falling on Levin Sawyer and Sophia Shaw. "Mr. Croft, what is the meaning of this...?"