Bye-bye Trash! Hello Queen! novel Chapter 1209

Natalie observed the ballroom, taking in the elite executives and power players engaging in their endless dance of networking. Clinking glasses and polished laughter filled the air.

After navigating these high-stakes social circles a few times, she realized she was finally getting used to the rhythm of it all.

She glanced down at her injured knee. It throbbed with a dull ache. She was stuck in this wheelchair for another agonizing month, and she had to endure it perfectly to ensure there was no permanent damage.

Deep down, Natalie felt Marshall's grand banquet was a bit theatrical. Petty public humiliation wouldn't be enough to truly dismantle someone as entrenched as Joanna.

What Natalie wanted was concrete, undeniable criminal evidence—the kind that would put Joanna behind bars and ensure she never saw the light of day again.

"Well, well, if it isn't CEO Sanders. Sitting at the VIP table all by yourself? It seems you're really pushing to become the matriarch of the Spencer family."

The venomous, mocking tone belonged to Joanna. Natalie hadn't even noticed her approach.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Marshall adored Natalie.

Natalie looked up at Joanna, who was glaring at her with a twisted, chilling smile. "So what if I am? If you want to sit here, go ahead. That is, if you actually have the clearance to do so."

Joanna sneered, completely unfazed by the jab.

She gracefully took the seat right next to Natalie, leaning in close. "I'm sitting. What are you going to do about it, Natalie?"

Natalie gave her a dismissive side-eye. "Did I say I was going to do anything? What makes you think you're important enough for me to care?"

"Did I force you into the Scott family? Did I ruin your reputation? Or did you meticulously orchestrate your own destruction with your own two hands?"

"You never take accountability. You always point the finger at everyone else while refusing to look in the mirror."

"You're completely delusional. You feed off validation and worship just to feel superior to everyone else. Honestly, your existence is just pathetic."

Joanna froze. Natalie's calm, piercing words struck a devastating nerve. Her breath hitched, and the ice in her eyes shattered into something much darker. "You're right. It's all my fault. I was handed a royal flush, and I played it straight into the ground."

She lowered her gaze, a bitter, hollow look crossing her face. "But I lost because of my biological parents. They are the ones who dragged me down."

"No, you dragged yourself down," Natalie shot back mercilessly. "You knew exactly who they were. You knew your father was a selfish coward who abandoned his wife and children without a second thought, completely disregarding the lives of his four sons. You knew exactly what kind of monster he was, yet you gambled your entire future on them just so you could parade around as the legitimate heiress."