"Is that Young Master Croft out of his mind? Wasn’t he supposed to be chasing you for his dad? Why is he over there fawning all over Joanna Sherman?"

Sophia Shaw: "..."

’I really don’t need Young Master Croft chasing me.’

Leah Evans, on a whim, grabbed Sophia Shaw and hurried over.

The table they chose was right by an open window, so Leah only had to lean over to talk to the other two.

Seeing Young Master Croft meticulously arranging Joanna Sherman’s cup and plate for her, Leah called out, "Young Master Croft, what’s all this?"

Young Master Croft was about to greet Leah, but when he saw Sophia Shaw standing behind her, his face instantly turned to ice.

His voice was stiff. "Joanna, don’t you worry. If no one has your back, I do! If anyone ever tries to frame you again, I’ll make them pay!"

He then glared at Sophia Shaw. "Miss Shaw, I know you’re waiting for me to confess my feelings, but I don’t like you. So, stop dreaming!"

Sophia Shaw: "..."

’When did I ever wait for his confession?’

"And another thing, I’m warning you, don’t you dare bully Joanna again! If there’s a next time, don’t blame the Croft Family for turning on you!"

Young Master Croft’s expression was cold and stony, his bravado on full display.

"It’s a good thing I got back in time, or Joanna would have been ruined by you! How could a woman be as vicious as you!"

’My dad must have something wrong with his eyes, otherwise why would he tell me to marry such a vicious woman!’

Hearing this, Sophia Shaw suddenly understood.

"So, you were the one who got Joanna Sherman out?"

Joanna Sherman shot Young Master Croft a slightly displeased look, annoyed at his big mouth.

Still, the corners of her lips curled up, her face a mask of high-and-mighty superiority.

Young Master Croft’s eyebrows shot up. "It’s my honor to be able to save Joanna!"

He was so proud he was practically floating.

He placed a piece of fish in Joanna Sherman’s bowl. "Joanna, eat up. You must have lost weight in there these past few days."

He finished, then shot a sideways glance at Sophia Shaw. "If it weren’t for a certain narrow-minded woman framing you, a big shot like you would never have ended up in a place like prison!"

’When I get back, I’m definitely going to tell my old man all about what Sophia Shaw did.’

’She’s good for nothing, yet so insidious and cunning.’

Leah Evans was not pleased to hear this. "Young Master Croft, who are you calling narrow-minded? The truly narrow-minded woman is right in front of you. Are you blind and deaf? Or is that mouth of yours just for decoration? Why don’t you ask her why she was sent there in the first place?"

Leah Evans had always been hot-tempered, and she didn’t hold back at all when confronting people.

"Is there even a need to ask?" Young Master Croft’s face was filled with indignation. "Joanna is completely dedicated to her career. She has no time for such petty, underhanded things!"

"It was you!" Young Master Croft pointed at Sophia Shaw with his chopsticks. "You can’t stand that Joanna is more outstanding than you, so you deliberately go against her!"

Young Master Croft had one-thousand-percent trust in Joanna Sherman.

In his heart, Joanna Sherman was the moon in the sky, a reflection in the water—pure, kind, and utterly flawless.

Sophia Shaw, on the other hand, was the very definition of treacherous and hypocritical.

Even his own father, a man more cunning than any fox, had been deceived by her!

Young Master Croft swore a secret oath.

Sooner or later, he would rip off Sophia Shaw’s foxy mask and let the whole world see her for who she truly was!

"What are you still standing here for? You’re getting in the way of my meal with Joanna."

"Get lost, get lost, get lost, get lost, get lost."

Young Master Croft spat out the words in a stream, treating Sophia Shaw as if she weren’t even human.

Leah Evans was so furious she looked ready to fight.

Sophia Shaw pulled her back.

"Young Master Croft, does your father know what you’re doing?"

At the mention of Caleb Croft, Young Master Croft’s face stiffened, and he fumbled with his chopsticks.

The back of his ears flushed red, as if he had just been slapped.

Everyone knew his father arranged every aspect of his life, leaving him with no freedom whatsoever!

Leah Evans laughed with undisguised glee. "So, Young Master Croft is only throwing his weight around because he’s hiding from his own father. Ah, some people just can’t stand their own incompetence."

"You!"

Humiliated, Young Master Croft flew into a rage. He slammed his chopsticks down with a CLAP, ready to argue with Leah.

"Young Master Croft!" Joanna Sherman called out, stopping him. "This is a high-end restaurant. Making a scene will ruin our image."

Only then did Young Master Croft, red-faced and fuming, withdraw his hand from his chopsticks.

’It was hard enough getting a dinner date with my goddess, and now I’ve gone and embarrassed myself in public.’

’So embarrassing!’

Young Master Croft fell into a sullen silence.

Joanna Sherman rose gracefully and walked over to Sophia Shaw.

She leaned in close and spoke in a very low voice. "Sophia Shaw, so what if you got the Grants to stop Vincent Grant from saving me? Plenty of other people are willing to help."

"But now your savior is trapped in the desert. How are you going to solve your little problem now?"

Her eyes were filled with a high-and-mighty smugness and blatant gloating.

’See? When I, Joanna Sherman, go to jail, countless people fight over the chance to get me out.’

’And I can trap Levin Sawyer in the desert with ease!’

Joanna Sherman patted Sophia Shaw’s shoulder contemptuously. "Even if you got on your knees and begged me now, I wouldn’t rejoin the project team. I’m going to watch with my own two eyes as your... satellite launch fails!"

"BOOM!" She mimicked the sound of an exploding satellite, her laughter wild and sinister.

"That’s the fate you deserve!"

Sophia Shaw raised her hand, grabbed the wrist that was on her shoulder, and squeezed.

Her gaze was placid and clear.

"How utterly shameless!" Leah Evans was close enough to hear every single word.

’Sophia’s skills are leagues beyond hers, yet she has the gall to show off her meager talents in front of a true master.’

’I really don’t know what Joanna Sherman’s skin is made of.’

Leah Evans had originally planned to reveal Sophia Shaw’s true status and hit her with a scathing retort, but then she realized a much more cutting insult would be to let the facts slap her in the face.

’Let her keep puffing herself up. The bigger her ego gets, the better!’

She quickly clamped her mouth shut, a cunning glint in her eyes.

Joanna Sherman, accustomed to her own pride and used to looking down on everyone, naturally didn’t notice the cunning in Leah Evans’s eyes. The corners of her own mouth remained hooked high.

"Sophia Shaw, you can’t compare to my abilities."

"And you’re destined to lose the man, too. So what if you’ve got Vincent Grant tied down? His heart is with me, and with his capabilities, he’ll be back by my side soon enough!"

"You’re nothing but an abandoned woman!"

With that, she shook off Sophia Shaw’s hand and CLICK-CLACKED back to her seat in her high heels.

"Waiter, someone is disturbing our meal. Please escort them out!"

Leah Evans gave her one last, deep look.

’To be that stupid and not even realize it... I’m speechless.’

Before the waiter could approach, she grabbed Sophia Shaw and walked out.

Seeing them leave, Joanna Sherman gave an arrogant flutter of her eyelids.

Just then, Yvonne Sherman called. "Joanna, now that you’re out, why didn’t you come home? You didn’t even let us pick you up. Where have you been all day?"

Joanna Sherman replied nonchalantly, "I changed my clothes, went to see George Griffin from Swift to discuss a project, and now I’m having dinner with Young Master Croft."

A smile of appreciation immediately appeared on Yvonne Sherman’s face. "Good, very good."

’As expected of the daughter I raised. She won’t be defeated by a few difficulties.’

Yvonne Sherman was extremely pleased with her daughter, Joanna Sherman.

"Enjoy your meal with Young Master Croft. It would be best if you could win over Caleb Croft as well."

Caleb Croft held a large number of military contracts. Cooperating with him was equivalent to getting a foot in the door with the military family.

This would be very helpful for Joanna Sherman’s future marriage into the Grant Family.

"I know."

Joanna Sherman didn’t say more and hung up the phone.

Young Master Croft admired Joanna Sherman’s every move.

In his eyes, even just making a phone call, Joanna Sherman was breathtakingly beautiful.

’A goddess is a goddess. Truly in a class of her own!’

In the end, Sophia Shaw never got to eat her meal. A call came from the Grant Family.

After hastily parting ways with Leah Evans, Sophia Shaw arrived at Grant Manor as dusk was falling.

She was led to the small courtyard where Skye Sutton lived.

Old Mrs. Grant, Miles Grant, Eleanor Crawford, and the rest of the Grant siblings were all waiting downstairs.

Vincent Grant was there, too.