After Joanna Sherman finished her fashion show, the four of them went out to eat.

Cedric Grant looked at Joanna Sherman with adoration. "Auntie Joanna, how can you be so amazing? You can do everything!"

Joanna Sherman smiled and patted his head. "Because your auntie has a wide range of hobbies and loves to learn, so of course I know how to do everything."

"Really?"

’Auntie Joanna is so different from Mom.’

’Mom always says you have to be focused when you do things, that you should pick what you love most and concentrate all your attention on it.’

’She also says that dabbling in this and that will only scatter your focus, and you’ll never master any one thing.’

’But Auntie Joanna’s accomplishments are clearly greater than Mom’s.’

’I can’t go wrong believing in Auntie Joanna.’

As usual, Cedric Grant quickly finished his meal and had Vincent Grant put Stella Grant in her stroller so he could go soothe her.

Only then did Joanna Sherman turn back, speaking to Vincent Grant as if she had made up her mind. "Old Master Sloan won’t take me on, the collaboration with Lead Aerospace fell through, the losses on the J Family’s order are huge... the rocket project is getting harder and harder."

"Vincent, if there’s no improvement within three months, just... don’t worry about me anymore."

The rocket project burned through money on a whole other level. In just over a year, Vincent Grant had already burned through tens of billions.

A clear anxiety showed beneath Joanna Sherman’s brows, but her voice was incomparably cold. "I’d rather fend for myself, come what may, than drag you down with me any further."

Justin Hughes had also come along to support Joanna Sherman.

He happened to overhear Joanna Sherman’s words and spoke up angrily, "When you get down to it, it’s all because some people at Lead Aerospace are playing dirty tricks. Joanna is exceptionally talented and spends almost all her time on her work. Vincent, you’re not really going to abandon her, are you?"

Justin Hughes didn’t name names, but everyone present could tell he was blaming Sophia Shaw.

"Don’t worry, I won’t," Vincent Grant said.

In the car, Sophia Shaw’s gaze lifted from her phone, her lips pressed into a thin line.

A friend of Levin Sawyer’s had recorded the conversation between Vincent Grant, Joanna Sherman, and Justin Hughes at the Lanthian restaurant last night and sent it to him.

Levin, in turn, had forwarded it to her.

"These people are so shameless!" Levin Sawyer said, glancing over with a sneer as he drove. "If that Joanna Sherman were really so exceptionally talented, would she have lost to you in several competitions? Would she have made such a huge blunder on the J Family’s order? She’s just not capable, so why blame others!"

"And Justin Hughes saying Joanna spends all her time on work is complete nonsense. She’s horse racing one day, walking a fashion show the next... she’s got a pile of miscellaneous things going on. I bet the time she actually spends on rocket research isn’t even half of what a normal person would!"

Levin Sawyer didn’t know about other things, but building rockets absolutely required one hundred percent focus.

Even a naturally gifted person like Sophia had to work day and night to achieve results at a young age.

"With that lack of focus, why wait three months? They should just cut the project now."

Sophia Shaw listened quietly, seeing right through Joanna Sherman’s little tricks.

’She clearly wishes Vincent Grant would dote on her every day and pour all his resources into helping her, yet she insists on putting on such a high-and-mighty act.’

’But who could blame her, when Vincent falls for it every time?’

In the past, she might have felt a pang of pity for Vincent, but today, after he had humiliated Bun in such a way, Sophia’s heart had grown completely cold.

She quietly turned off her phone, unwilling to waste even another second on this stupid mess.

Levin Sawyer parked the car in front of a large house with a certain historic charm. When Sophia came back to her senses, she was taken aback. "Is this the place?"

Last night, he had said an important person wanted to see her.

Sophia only ever focused on the technical side of her work and hadn’t paid much mind to whether the person was important or not, so she hadn’t asked.

She never expected...

She hadn’t been to this building many times, but she had a deep connection with the person who lived inside.

Levin Sawyer walked over and stood beside her, looking at the imposing gate. He nodded. "Yes."

"He wants to see you alone."

A middle-aged secretary led Sophia Shaw into an antique-filled room. "Elder Grant, she’s here."

Inside, an old man stood with his back to them. Though his hair was entirely white, his posture was as straight as a pine. He turned around.

Upon seeing Sophia, his long eyebrows raised.

The secretary thoughtfully closed the door for them and left.

Only then did Elder Grant speak. "So you’re the incredible chief engineer that Lead Aerospace’s young Sawyer is always talking about?"

"Yes."

The old man’s presence had always been powerful. Even though Sophia paid no mind to the outside world, she still found herself standing ramrod straight before him.

Elder Grant looked down at her.

The young woman’s long hair was tied back, and her features held a gentle grace.

Though she stood perfectly straight, her expression was neither servile nor overbearing.

Elder Grant sighed deeply. "I never would have thought."

He gestured for Sophia to sit, his gaze growing much heavier.

Sophia sat quietly, looking at the simple, antique teacup before her, her mind drifting back six years.

After the affair between her and Vincent Grant was exposed, it had been in this very room, with this very same old man.

He had said, "Marry Vincent. It’s the only way to minimize the impact of this incident so his company can go public smoothly."

"But the price is: you have to leave Lead Aerospace."

Back then, he represented the Grant Family’s ultimate decision-maker—Vincent’s grandfather.

Elder Grant hadn’t forced her. He had let her make the decision herself.

At that time, Lead Aerospace had already begun taking on military contracts.

If she married Vincent and remained at Lead Aerospace, it would only make people suspect that the company was getting contracts through nepotism.

It would have been detrimental to Levin Sawyer, to Lead Aerospace, and to the Grant Family.

She had chosen Vincent.

Perhaps the boy’s righteous rescue of her from the depths of despair had left too deep an imprint on her heart. Or perhaps the guilt from walking into the wrong room made her want to compensate.

But all those excuses couldn’t stand up against a simple phrase: I love you.

Sophia had wondered countless times: ’Just how much did I love Vincent to be willing to give up my rocketry career, something I valued more than my own life?’

Just as he had back then, Elder Grant poured her a cup of tea, remaining silent for a long time.

He let out a soft sigh.

"Do you regret that decision you made back then?"

Sophia looked down at her teacup.

’Do I regret it?’

’Perhaps.’

’But if time could turn back, I would still make the same choice.’

Finally, she just said, "Grandpa, Vincent and I are getting a divorce."

Elder Grant froze.

Today, Lead Aerospace had become a true star enterprise in Cathan, an indispensable partner to the military. There was no longer any reason for people to be suspicious.

There was absolutely no need to use divorce to avoid suspicion anymore.

Elder Grant picked up his teacup and drank in silence.

Because Vincent was in business, he was forbidden from operating in the province where the Grant Family was based.

Even on major holidays, Vincent had to do his best to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Over the years, the Grant Family had had very little contact with Vincent and Sophia.

Even so, it was impossible for Elder Grant to be completely unaware of his grandson’s life. On the contrary, he paid constant attention to his grandson’s actions, terrified he would take a single misstep.

Naturally, he also knew of Joanna Sherman’s existence.

"Did Vincent do something wrong?"

Sophia shook her head with a faint smile.

But a tear splashed onto her wrist.

She could endure whatever Vincent did to her, but when it came to Bun, it was just too painful.

Sophia secretly wiped away the tear and shook her head. "I’m the one who wants the divorce."

’Six years of marriage in exchange for the stability of Vincent’s career. The mistake from back then is wiped clean.’

’Now, I don’t owe Vincent anything.’

"Grandpa, can I ask you for something?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Elder Grant nodded silently.

"After the divorce, I want to take our daughter with me."

Although Vincent had already made his position clear, Sophia still hoped to get the Grant Family’s consent.

A divorce was a matter between two people, but a child involved the entire Grant Family.