Joanna's heart clenched. "Just some irregular periods. I went in for a checkup."

Paddy's expression relaxed. He carefully helped her to her feet. "Why were you sitting on the floor? What if you catch a cold?"

His phone chimed.

He glanced down at the screen, then hesitated before speaking. "Lola threw a fit and ran away from home. How about she stays here tonight?"

When Joanna said nothing, Paddy's tone turned helpless.

"It's just for a little while, Joanna..."

"Let her come."

Joanna cut him off, her voice flat.

It didn't matter whether she refused. The outcome would be the same.

Paddy blinked, caught off guard. Before he could dwell on how unusually calm she was today, he grabbed his coat and walked out.

That evening, he brought Lola home.

Joanna had just picked up a glass to take it to the kitchen when Lola hurried over.

"Let me do it!"

She snatched the glass and ducked into the kitchen. A second later, a sharp crack echoed through the room.

Paddy rushed over immediately. "Lola!"

The moment he saw the cut on her hand, he grabbed her fingers and pressed them to his lips.

Joanna stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the scene before her. A dull, spreading ache bloomed behind her ribs.

She thought of a few days ago, when she'd sliced her hand while chopping vegetables. The cut had been deep, blood pooling across the cutting board.

She'd asked Paddy for help. He'd barely looked up.

"I'm busy right now, Joanna. Handle it yourself."

She'd paused, then gone to the bathroom to stop the bleeding. But the blood only came faster.

She had no choice but to call out again. "Paddy, take me to the hospital. It's bad this time."

His voice drifted back through the door, laced with impatience. "How bad can it be? You're the one who hates spending money on hospital visits."

Joanna had stood there, stunned. The words landed like a slap.

In the end, she'd called a cab herself. Checked in alone. Paid the bill alone. And came home alone.

Paddy noticed Joanna watching them now. He pulled away from Lola's hand, flustered, but the worry in his eyes didn't fade.

"Lola, let me take you to the hospital."

Lola didn't answer him. Instead, she turned to Joanna.

"Joanna, I'll pay you back for the glass. How much was it?"

Paddy frowned. "You don't need to pay for a couple of glasses."

Lola pressed her lips together.

"But Joanna's famous for being frugal. She probably spent days hunting for a sale on these."

The moment the words left her mouth, Paddy's expression darkened.

Joanna's hand tightened at her side, fingers curling into her palm.

The meaning was clear enough. She was the cheapskate everyone in their circle talked about.

Paddy sighed and pulled Lola toward the door. "Your hand matters more. I'm taking you to the hospital first."

"As for the glasses..."

He looked back at Joanna, irritation plain on his face.

"If she can't let it go, take it out of the savings in my account."

Joanna had never cared about other people's jabs before. She could keep her head down and live her own life.

People who didn't matter to her couldn't hurt her.

But hearing those words from Paddy's mouth felt like being slapped across the face in public.

The door closed softly behind him, but the sound reverberated through Joanna's chest until her whole body felt numb.

It wasn't until the small hours of the morning that Paddy came back with Lola.

He walked into the bedroom, shrugged off his jacket, and climbed into bed. His arm slid around Joanna from behind.

Her body went rigid. She tried instinctively to pull away, but he tightened his grip and pressed her closer.

"Come on, don't be upset."

"Lola grew up wealthy. She's not cut out for housework. I transferred a hundred thousand to your account. Just let her stay for a few days and stop asking her to do chores."

The words hit Joanna like a fist to the sternum. She wrenched free of his arms and sat up.

"You think I made her wash that glass because I didn't want to spend the extra money on another person in this house?"

Paddy frowned but said nothing.

Silence was answer enough.

The bridge of Joanna's nose burned. She bit down hard, forcing the tears back.

A knock came at the bedroom door. Lola's voice floated through.

"Paddy, I can't sleep in a strange bed. It's dark and I'm scared. Could you come keep me company?"

Before Joanna could even react, Paddy was already out the door.

She stared at the empty space where he'd been.

The tears finally fell.

The next morning, Joanna was jolted awake by the sound of something shattering.

She pushed open her door, and the scene before her sent the blood rushing to her head.

Lola stood in the center of the living room. At her feet lay a broken jewelry box.

And her mother's necklace was dangling from Lola's fingers, being toyed with like a trinket.

"What are you doing?! Give that back!"

Joanna lunged forward, reaching for the necklace.

Lola watched her. A slow, deliberate smile curved across her lips.

Then she opened her hand.

Joanna's fingers grazed the edge of the necklace. She couldn't catch it.

The imperial jade struck the floor and split into pieces, shards scattering in every direction.

Joanna froze where she stood, staring at the fragments on the ground.

That was her mother's.

All those years, when she'd been too poor to afford a meal, she hadn't sold it. When she'd been too sick to see a doctor, she'd never once considered parting with it.

Now it was gone.

Joanna crouched down, her hands trembling as she gathered the broken pieces.

Lola withdrew her hand at a leisurely pace, leaning against the back of the sofa, watching her with a look that hovered between amusement and contempt.

"Oops. Butterfingers."

She lifted her foot and nudged one of the shards with the toe of her slipper.

"Joanna, I'm not trying to be mean, but you pinch every penny like your life depends on it. How nice could anything you own really be? Cheap knockoff stuff like this falls apart if you breathe on it. How is that my fault?"

Joanna's fist tightened around the shards. The jagged edges bit into her palm.

"Say that again."

Lola straightened up and looked down at her.

"I said, everything you own is cheap garbage. It was bound to break sooner or later. You got what you dese—"

Crack.

A slap rang through the room.

Lola's voice cut off mid-word.

She clutched her cheek, staring at Joanna in disbelief.

"You hit me?"

Joanna's gaze was cold and razor-sharp. She didn't answer. Instead, she pulled out her phone.

"Hello, I'd like to report a crime. Someone deliberately destroyed another person's property. The item is of significant value."

Twenty minutes later.

The police station.

The two women sat in a mediation room. Paddy arrived in a rush after getting the call.

The moment he walked through the door, Lola threw herself into his arms.

"Paddy, I didn't mean to! I thought it was just a necklace. I figured if I accidentally broke it, I could just pay for it. But Joanna wouldn't let it go. She insisted on dragging this all the way to the police station..."

Paddy murmured reassurances to Lola, his gaze drifting to Joanna, who sat off to the side in composed silence.

The officer looked at the jade fragments laid out on the table. "You said this necklace is of significant value. Do you have anything to back that up?"

Joanna took out her phone and opened a folder.

"This is the appraisal certificate."

She handed the phone to the officer.

He took it. The instant his eyes registered the words on the screen, they went wide.

"Imperial jade. Appraised value... twenty-eight million dollars?"

The officer's words made Lola whip her head around.

"That's impossible!"

"How could she possibly own a necklace of that quality? She's nothing but a—"

Lola caught herself, softening her tone.

"Joanna has always been so frugal. She pinches pennies on her own daily expenses. How could she afford a necklace like that?"

Paddy frowned and walked over to Joanna's side, glancing at the shattered jade fragments on the table.

The jade was dull and lusterless, cheap-looking in every way.

Paddy sighed. "Joanna, that's enough."

He pulled out a card and held it in front of her.

"There's a million dollars on this. Is that enough?"

Joanna stared at the card, and all she felt was the absurdity of it.

Paddy actually thought she was using this as an excuse to shake him down for money.

The officer looked at her. "Ma'am, the other party is willing to compensate. Do you accept the settlement?"

Joanna lifted her eyes. Her voice was soft, but unwavering.

"This was a keepsake from my mother."

Paddy froze for a moment when he heard that.

"I won't settle. I want to go through the proper legal channels."

Lola's voice cracked with a sob. "Paddy, I really didn't mean to... It's just a necklace. I can have someone buy Joanna an even nicer one..."

"But twenty-eight million dollars... There's no way that necklace was worth that much."

Paddy's frown deepened. The flicker of unease he'd felt a moment ago vanished entirely beneath Lola's crying, and his voice turned hard.

"If you insist on pressing charges, I'll hire the best lawyers for her. You won't see a single cent in damages, and you'll be on the hook for legal fees on top of it. Think carefully."

His words cut like a knife, driving straight into her chest.

Joanna drew a long breath. Her gaze swept over the two of them, cold as winter.

"I've thought very carefully."

"No matter what it costs, I will pursue this case."

Paddy watched Joanna's retreating figure, and the restlessness churning inside him refused to settle.

He had never seen her like this.

The way she'd looked at him just now. Like he was a stranger.

A sudden pang of regret hit him over what he'd said.

That night.

Joanna stood outside the door of her rental apartment, suitcase in tow.

Her phone rang.

It was the director's number.

She answered, but the voice on the other end belonged to a young girl, choked with tears.

"Joanna! Something terrible happened at the orphanage! Someone filed an anonymous report claiming we've been abusing the children... They're going to shut us down, and the land is being reclaimed..."

A sharp ringing filled Joanna's head.

"What happened?"

The girl only cried harder.

"Mrs. James hit her head during the confrontation. She's in the ER now, and the blood bank is running low... Joanna, please, you have to do something."

Joanna gripped the phone until her knuckles went white.

She'd crossed Lola today. And that very evening, the orphanage was under attack.

Only one person had the power to make that happen. Paddy.

Years ago, after Paddy was welcomed back into the Floyd family, he had voluntarily given up two percent of his shares in exchange for permanent land-use rights for the orphanage.

That day, he'd held her and said, "Your family is my family. I'll never let anyone drive them out."

He had genuinely cared for those children.

He had genuinely respected the director.

And now?

To vent Lola's frustrations, he'd torn it all down without a second thought.

A sting hit the bridge of her nose. Joanna forced herself to stay composed, but her voice still trembled.

"My blood type matches the director's. I'm going to the hospital. She's going to be fine."