Chapter 813

Before Joanna Sterling could finish speaking, Natalie Castillo's voice cut in sharply.

"What good is your promise? If you can't get the company back, you'll still end up relying on us in the end."

She tossed a peanut into her mouth, chewing as she sauntered over.

"Evelyn hates being threatened the most. Would you call what you just did a threat?"

Joanna's brow furrowed tightly.

"Why are you everywhere? I wasn't threatening her."

"Sounded like it to me," Natalie drawled, turning to Evelyn.

"See, Bunny? I'm the only one who genuinely wants you on our side. Everyone else has ulterior motives."

Joanna fell silent.

Joanna wanted to argue further, but Evelyn raised a hand to stop them.

"Enough. Stop arguing. You're giving me a headache."

Both women instantly quieted down.

Evelyn looked at Joanna.

"I'll find a way to deal with Montgomery. Not to help you, but to pave my own way. As for Clownfish—she either submits, or she becomes an enemy."

Joanna paused, then nodded.

"If you can really subdue Clownfish, get her to stop targeting me and let me return to my company... I miss my place."

"Understood."

Evelyn thought to herself: I've never seen such a down-and-out lion.

Before she could voice it, Natalie, a woman who never internalized anything, beat her to it.

"Really, I've never seen a lion as pathetic as you. Your codename shouldn't be Lion. It should be Drowned Rat."

Joanna clenched her fist.

"Keep talking like that, and I'll punch you."

Natalie scoffed.

"Could you even beat me?"

She lifted her chin haughtily and turned to walk away.

Joanna was left speechless.

In the distance, Spencer and Preston Valentine exchanged a glance after watching the two women bicker, then quickly looked away.

Spencer cleared his throat.

"Fifth Brother, where do you plan to live after you get married?"

Preston immediately chimed in.

"Even though the family doesn't split households, it's fine if a young couple wants to live separately. I have a villa in the south of the city."

Spencer nodded.

"Then I'll renovate the one I have in the north. After graduation, I'll take Natalie there to live."

"Sure, sure."

Preston agreed repeatedly.

Live together? Those two would probably fight every single day.

Preston felt he had misjudged her before—he used to think Joanna was a gentle, sensible, quiet girl. Now...

Well, she's still pretty cute. Ahem.

...

Three days passed in a flash.

The Valentine family was bustling with activity early in the morning.

Joanna and Natalie were definitely going to Elian Cross's banquet—both needed to get close to Montgomery.

Natalie was also thinking of trying again to see if she could cure Montgomery's illness.

Mr. Valentine, holding Chloe, also got into the car.

They took a van today that could seat seven or eight people.

Chloe was especially happy.

The weather had turned cold. She wore a pink padded jacket with a white tulle skirt. Her skin was snow-white, and she looked like a delicate doll.

Seeing her smiling with crescent-shaped eyes, Evelyn asked, "You're that happy?"

Chloe nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Happy!"

"You really like Montgomery?"

Evelyn asked again.

Chloe's eyes instantly lit up.

Mentioning Montgomery made her whole being light up. He had been on TV a lot these past few days, and she kept calling him Daddy.

But no one believed her.

Even Mommy didn't remember...

Chloe felt so sad.

It was Mommy who had taught her over and over before, afraid she'd forget, showing her photos and often letting her watch videos of Daddy...

Saying this was her real daddy...

Why had Mommy forgotten now?

Chloe couldn't understand, but she decided that when she saw Montgomery Daddy today, she would definitely ask him properly!

That was happily decided.

Thinking this, Chloe smiled even sweeter.

Seeing her little expression, so much like she was going to meet an idol, Evelyn couldn't help but rub her temples.

No wonder Father, Mr. Valentine, kept saying her little look was enough to make even Evelyn jealous.

Having raised Chloe for several months, Evelyn had long grown attached to her.

She pulled Chloe onto her lap and instructed, "Remember to be polite when you see him later, okay?"

Chloe answered crisply, "Okay!"

Then she immediately turned to look out the window.

"Mommy, are we not at Daddy's house yet?"

Evelyn was speechless.

"Don't call him Daddy!"

"Okay, Mommy."

"Remember that?"

"Remember!"

Little Chloe nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

But in her heart, she was quite determined—Mommy's memory had been bad lately. She couldn't listen to Mommy. Because Mommy had said before that once she saw Daddy, she must rush up and recognize him!