CEO's Passion: Love by Mistake

Refusing to believe Natalie's statement, Joyce wrapped her arms around her head and shook it profusely in denial.

“No! No! That's not possible! They would never do such a thing!”

Natalie pulled her arms down and looked her in the eyes as she said, “I know you don't believe me, but your

parents weren't aware of what they did either!”

“What?” Joyce opened her eyes and stared back at Natalie. “You mean my parents didn't know? In that case, how

could you accuse them of revealing Stanley's parents' location?”

“Just because your parents weren't aware of it doesn't mean they didn't reveal it by accident. Your parents were

the ones sending them food and supplies, so it makes sense for the killer to find them through your parents.”

“So... You mean they unintentionally exposed the location of Stanley's parents?” Joyce asked while choking back her

tears.

“That's right. Your parents are ordinary citizens, so they weren't aware that they were being followed when

delivering the food and supplies. That's how the killer was able to find Stanley's parents.”

Natalie's reply completely crushed whatever determination Joyce had in her.

The next thing she knew, her vision had faded to black, and she was falling toward the floor.

“Joyce!” Natalie quickly got up to catch her.

“Joyce, are you okay?” she asked while helping her toward the couch.

The news had struck her like a bolt from the blue, and Joyce was panting heavily as she rested her head in Natalie's

embrace.

After what seemed like forever, Joyce slowly sat up straight and exclaimed with a wry smile, “Looks like my family

really did cause the death of his parents, after all! Heh... It's funny how I kept looking for the killer in hopes of

proving our innocence, only to find out that we were guilty all along! If we're the ones who exposed the location of

his parents, then we're no different from the killer!”

Natalie felt her heart ache when she heard the bitterness in Joyce's tone. “Don't say that, Joyce...”

“Tell me, Nat... What was the point of my efforts throughout the past ten years?” Joyce looked at Natalie in hopes of

getting an answer from her.

Natalie's lips moved, but she couldn't bring herself to get the words out of her mouth.

Joyce buried her face in her hands as she sobbed, “I've always thought that our family was innocent. I even

wondered if Stanley would apologize to me for his cold attitude and misplaced blame over the years once I prove

our innocence. Heh... Reality is often disappointing, isn't it? Stanley turned out to be right about his accusations

toward us! Sure, it wasn't intentional, but the fact remains that we caused the death of his parents!”

Natalie let out a sigh. “Joyce, I told you this because I want you to understand the situation and figure out the best

way to deal with it. You need to learn to face the truth no matter how much it hurts. More importantly, do you still

want to tell Stanley about it?”

“I don't know... I really don't know...” Joyce mumbled while looking at the photograph in her hands.

Stanley may hate me and my family because he thinks we got his parents killed, but he doesn't have any evidence

to prove it. If I tell him the truth, however, he will know for a fact that he was right all along. That'll make him hate

us even more! I don't know what I should do...

“Nat, I need some time to think about this...” Joyce said while staring at her with a lifeless look in her eyes.

Natalie knew Joyce needed some time to herself, so she simply nodded and said, “All right.”

After taking a deep breath to regain her composure, Joyce made her way to the door with her head held low.

Natalie's eyes were filled with concern when she saw her leave.

She was snapped out of her train of thoughts when she heard Shane coming down the stairs.

“Ah, there you are.”

“Yeah. I heard everything you and Joyce were talking about,” Shane said with his hands in his pockets.

Notolie let out o sigh. “Joyce, I told you this becouse I wont you to understond the situotion ond figure out the best

woy to deol with it. You need to leorn to foce the truth no motter how much it hurts. More importontly, do you still

wont to tell Stonley obout it?”

“I don't know... I reolly don't know...” Joyce mumbled while looking ot the photogroph in her honds.

Stonley moy hote me ond my fomily becouse he thinks we got his porents killed, but he doesn't hove ony evidence

to prove it. If I tell him the truth, however, he will know for o foct thot he wos right oll olong. Thot'll moke him hote

us even more! I don't know whot I should do...

“Not, I need some time to think obout this...” Joyce soid while storing ot her with o lifeless look in her eyes.

Notolie knew Joyce needed some time to herself, so she simply nodded ond soid, “All right.”

After toking o deep breoth to regoin her composure, Joyce mode her woy to the door with her heod held low.

Notolie's eyes were filled with concern when she sow her leove.

She wos snopped out of her troin of thoughts when she heord Shone coming down the stoirs.

“Ah, there you ore.”

“Yeoh. I heord everything you ond Joyce were tolking obout,” Shone soid with his honds in his pockets.