Chapter 224

Chapter 224“It’s none of your damn business!” Jasmine hollered.
Just at this moment, the elevator door opened. Jasmine put a foot forward and prepared to enter.
Joyce’s face darkened as she halted Jasmine. “Hold it right there!”
The other woman instinctively stopped and turned around. “What do you want?”
Th€ connection to th€ §ource of thïš dat@ r€§t$ in n0v3lebook“What do I want? To settle the score, that’s what!” Joyce sneered while she helped Natalie to the side.
“Stay here, Nat.”
Natalie understood her friend’s intent. She grunted and put a hand to the wall to support herself.
After ensuring Natalie was comfortable, Joyce let go and advanced towards Jasmine before sending a
backhand across the latter’s cheek.
The resounding smack had Jasmine momentarily stunned before she brought up a hand to cradle her
own face. She then stared with her eyes wide open. “You dare hit me?”
Natalie did not expect Joyce to go in so strongly. The crispness of the resultant sound was telling of
how much force she put behind it.
“You betcha. If you dared to grease the floor outside the restroom to trip up Nat, why wouldn’t I dare to
hit you.” Joyce snarled. She shook off her own hand as she felt the sting of that blow herself as well.
A hint of alarm flashed across Jasmine’s eyes but it settled just as quickly. “What proof do you have of
this accusation?”
“The evidence is in her bag!” Natalie exclaimed as she fingered at the clutch Jasmine was holding.Joyce was spurred into action. She snatched the bag from Jasmine’s hands before the unsuspecting
woman could react.
“What do you think you are doing? Give it back!” Jasmine’s expression changed as she screeched.
Joyce ignored her as she unzipped the clutch and emptied out its contents.
“This is it.” Joyce bent over to retrieve a small bottle from the floor and dangled it in front of Jasmine.
“This is the evidence. What have you got to say for yourself?”
Jasmine’s pupils dilated as her face turned pallid. She then reached out to try and grab the bottle.
Joyce spun and deftly avoided her charge. “You want this? Not a chance!”
“Curse you!” Jasmine’s face flushed at being toyed with. She gritted her teeth as she lunged herself at
Joyce’s face.
“Watch out, Joyce!” Natalie shouted to warn her friend as she could tell that Jasmine was enraged and
on the attack.
“Relax. She can’t beat me!” Joyce smiled confidently as she tossed the bottle of essential oil towards
Natalie before rolling up her sleeves to engage Jasmine.
The two women became tangled in a heap as they scratched at each other’s faces and pulled at the
other’s hair. Natalie watched on with breath abated.
When she saw the bloodied streaks left behind on Joyce’s face by Jasmine’s sharp claws, she
panicked. “Joyce, stop fighting with her!”
“Uh, uh. If I don’t floor this b*tch today, I’ll stop calling myself Joyce Rivers!” Joyce replied as she fought
on doggedly with bloodshot eyes.Natalie was worried Joyce would get seriously hurt so she moved away from the wall in an attempt to
break up the two brawling women.
“What do you think you are doing? Give it back!” Jasmine’s expression changed as she screeched.
She lost her balance and fell forward the moment she lifted a foot.
As the ground rushed up forebodingly towards her, an arm reached around and caught her by the waist
before bringing her back to safety.
Natalie felt a sturdy chest against her back and recognized the familiar scent of peppermint on it. She
did not have to look around to know who it belonged to.
Shane!
Shane furrowed as he regarded Natalie’s shell-shocked face. He then asked in a low voice, “Are you
alright?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for saving me.” She shook off the urge to ask him why he was here as she looked
anxiously towards the other two women in front of her. “Please make them stop, Mr. Shane!”
Shane acknowledged her and narrowed his eyes at Joyce and Jasmine. “Stop!”
When Jasmine heard him, she immediately put her hands down.
Seeing that her opponent had ceased her offensive, Joyce also followed suit. Nevertheless, she
continued to jaw at her. “What now. Are you quitting on me? Conceding?”
Jasmine said nothing when she eyeballed her back. She then turned her attention towards Shane.She was visibly upset to see Shane standing with Natalie, and even more furious to see his arm around
her half-sister’s waist. “What are you doing, Shane? Why are you holding her like that?”
Jasmine eyed Natalie with resentment.