Chapter 2 The Return of Joanna Haynes

Four years later.

In the intensive–care unit of a hospital.

“I’m sorry, we tried everything we could, but Raymond isn’t getting any better. You should go inside and bid

farewell to him!”

Shaun Haynes frowned worriedly and said, “Doc, will you please try something else? If my father can’t make it, all the properties of the Haynes family will be bequeathed to the government… oh, what to do… none of us have even seen Joanna over the years. Damn it, and my father, too. We don’t know what he was thinking. How could he ignore his grandsons who keep him accompanied every day while only caring for that wretched daughter of mine!”

Everyone in the Haynes family was miserable these days.

Raymond, Shaun’s father, drafted an odd will on his deathbed.

He left 51% of the Haynes Group to his eldest granddaughter, Joanna. As for the other members of the Haynes family, they would inherit only 10%.

In other words, Joanna would become the largest shareholder of the Haynes Group.

Yet, according to the additional condition to the will, if Joanna did not show up before Raymond’s death, all the properties of the Haynes family would go straight to the government.

So, the Haynes family had been looking for Joanna desperately for these days.

However, it was like Joanna had disappeared from the world!

No one ever heard from her and saw her even once since she and Bruce got divorced.

“The way I see it, that girl is simply going against us on purpose! No one knows where the hell she has been for all those years!”

Shaun’s second wife, Ingrid Haynes, was cursing furiously, and her face twisted a little..

Back then, she, with the twins in her belly, kicked Joanna and Joanna’s mother out of the family. Then Ingrid gave birth to her third son, thinking that her position in the family was absolutely secured.

She had never expected that she would have nothing in the end.

Of all three children of hers, the old man still favored that Joanna girl.

“Dad, Mom, Grandpa’s awake!”

“Joann… my Joanna…” Raymond had been in a coma for more than a dozen days. His hours were numbered.

And before his death, his only concern was for his eldest granddaughter, Joanna.

Joanna had been missing for four years, and that worried Raymond so much. He even suspected that Ingrid might have somehow murdered his beloved granddaughter.

“Dad, aren’t Rick, Ryan and Roxy all your grandchildren? Your will is not fair! You basically leave nothing to them! They might as well just go out on the street and beg for a living if you insist on donating everything to the government!”

“Joann… Let me see Joann. You won’t get a penny before that…”

Ingrid shouted in a low voice, “It’s been four years, Raymond! Who knows where she’s gone? Plus, if she really cares for you, how can she not show up to see you for the last time?”

A hint of impatience crossed Roxanne’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Bruce, do you know where my sister has been?”

Bruce froze because he did not know the answer to this question.

Four years ago, after their divorce, Bruce thought Joanna was going to keep harassing him or at least make a scene!

Unexpectedly, the next day, Joanna moved out. She took nothing with her but her IDs, not even the bank card that had 100 million dollars in it.

And in these four years, there had been no news of her at all. Of course, as proud as Bruce was, he never contacted her either.

It had been four years!

Still, Bruce didn’t believe she would let go so easily! He had prepared so many plans to get rid of her as long as she showed up. Yet it turned out that he didn’t need any of them!

She just disappeared from his world completely.

“Joann… Joann!”

“Oh, come on, Grandpa’s dying! Go get the doctors…”

The ECG monitor told everyone that Raymond’s heartbeat was stopping. In tears, his family members all gathered around the bed!

They were crying, not for Raymond’s approaching death, but for the properties that were about to be donated!

Tap, tap, tap…

From the hospital corridor came the sound of high heels!

Creak.

The door of the ward was pushed open.

The one who came in was wearing a custom–made white suit! A limited–edition bag was in her hands, and the oversized sunglasses covered most of her face. Her slender legs were long enough, but the high–heeled shoes. brought them out even more.

She walked in with the ice–cold–beauty sort of vibe, seeming to cause the temperature in the ward to drop a few.

“Who is this woman? Did we know her? Who allowed her to be here?”

“It’s me. I’m here to see my grandpa!” Joanna took off her sunglasses slowly and walked towards the bed.

“Joanna!” The others all gasped.

She had changed so much.

Her long dark hair that she used to keep straight had become curly brown. It used to reach her waist, but now the end of it was dancing around her shoulder. She had changed completely from the next–door sweet girl to a mature, sexy career lady!

What was even more remarkable was that Joanna appeared to be much fitter than before. Meanwhile, the innocence in that pair of eyes had also been emptied. By simply looking into her eyes, one could tell that she must have experienced a lot in the past years!

“Joanna? Oh, finally, Joanna! The Haynes family will be ruined if you don’t show up…”

For the first time ever, all the members of the Haynes family were so glad to see Joanna.

“I’m sorry, grandpa. I’m sorry I’m late!”

“Joann,” Raymond called out and hardly opened his eyes, “I’m glad that you are safe and alive. Oh, I can finally be relieved…”

With that, Raymond reached out, but the next second, his hand fell back on the bed weakly, his head tilted, and his eyes shut!

Beep!

The ECG was beeping, declaring Raymond’s death!

“Grandpa? Grandpa!” Joanna called out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She knew that her grandpa was the only Haynes that ever cared about her!

“Ah, come on, stop those fake tears! You would have been here long ago if you ever cared about grandpa! Now that it’s time to talk about inheritance, you came?” said Shaun’s eldest son, Derick. The sarcasm in his tone was obvious.

He had never taken Joanna as his elder sister, and now that she was the biggest beneficiary of Raymond’s legacy, Derick hated Joanna even more!

“Enough of that. Call someone and get the funeral arranged first!” said Shaun. Reasonably grieving as he patted Joanna on the shoulder. “Joann, now that you’re back, move back home!”

Ingrid’s lips curled in disdain, but she was saying merrily, “That’s right, come and live with us! Also, your grandfather made a will on his deathbed. He wants you to inherit 51% of the Haynes Group. The illness must have confused his brain. How could he leave such a large enterprise to a girl who knows nothing about it? Joann, you’re still young and dumb. Just let your father continue to run the business.”

Ingrid said it as if Joanna was meant to follow her instructions. Deep down, Ingrid was convinced that Joanna was just as stupid as her mother!

By the time Joanna moved back to their house, she would be in Ingrid’s full control.

Joanna was expressionless. She said coldly, “I don’t want to think about that right now. I just want to take care of grandpa first.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right on this. Raymond’s funeral is the most important thing now. Everything else can be postponed.”