Mokuba's phone buzzed urgently as he chatted with Joanne and Kisara. He excused himself to answer it, stepping away with a slight frown.

"Mokuba, it's me. We need to talk now," Kaiba's voice was harsh and clipped.

"What's wrong, big brother?" Mokuba asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"I just found out about a suspicious transfer of shares. Get to my office immediately," Kaiba demanded.

Kaiba paced furiously in his office, his anger barely contained. Mokuba arrived, looking confused and concerned.

"What's going on, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

Kaiba spun to face him, eyes blazing. "Explain to me how a significant number of Kaiba Corp shares have been transferred without my authorization."

Mokuba's eyes widened in shock. "Without your authorization? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! And I want to know who you've been talking to. Who has access to your accounts?" Kaiba demanded.

Mokuba stammered, "I've only been with Joanne... but she wouldn't..."

"Joanne? Joanne Black? What is she still doing here? I refused her terms days ago!"

Mokuba's fists clenched at his sides. He couldn't bring himself up to tell him that she stayed because Mokuba wanted her to. "Seto, listen to me! Joanne convinced me it was a strategic move. She believed that a partnership with her father's company could benefit Kaiba Corp, so the board members were in check."

"And you believed her? Do you know how much damage you've caused?"

"Seto, I trusted her!" Mokuba's voice cracked, a mix of desperation and defiance. "She was always around, always helping. I thought she cared about the company and about us."

"Always around? Helping?" Kaiba's anger flared. "She was manipulating you, Mokuba! She used your trust to get what she wanted. You should have known better."

Mokuba took a step forward, his eyes pleading. "I thought she was different, Seto. I thought she was someone we could trust. I didn't mean to jeopardize everything."

Kaiba's expression hardened, his disappointment palpable. "Your naivety could have cost us everything we've built. Did you think for one second about the consequences? About how this would affect us?"

"I did think about it," Mokuba shot back, his voice rising. "But I also thought we needed to take risks, to find new allies. I thought I was doing the right thing."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Risks are one thing, Mokuba, but blind trust is another. You handed over shares of our company to someone you barely knew. How could you be so careless?"

Mokuba's shoulders slumped, the weight of his mistake pressing down on him. "I just wanted to help, Seto. I wanted to show you that I could make good decisions, and that I could be trusted with more responsibility. Look, I think that there is a logical explanation to all of this, I'll call her…"

"Oh yes there is logic to it - she and her father want to take over the company, don't you see?" Kaiba roared in frustration.

Mokuba's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. "No, she's not like that! You're being paranoid, Seto!"

"Paranoid?" Kaiba snapped. "I have every reason to be suspicious when my own brother is so easily deceived!"

Mokuba glared at Kaiba, his loyalty to Joanne unwavering. "I trust her, Seto. You're just angry because you can't control everything!"

Kaiba's fists clenched in frustration. "You're a fool, Mokuba. If you won't see reason, then get out of my sight."

Mokuba stormed out of Kaiba Corp, anger and hurt evident on his face. He got into his car, emotions roiling. He dialed Joanne's number, needing to hear her side.

"Joanne, it's Mokuba. Seto's accusing you of manipulating me. What's going on?" he asked, voice shaking.

Joanne's voice was sweet and mocking. "Oh, Mokuba, didn't you realize? Your brother's right. I did manipulate you. It was so easy, too. Poor, naive Mokuba."

Mokuba's heart sank. "What? Why would you do this?"

"Daddy's orders. We needed to destabilize Kaiba Corp, and you were the perfect pawn," she said, her tone dripping with satisfaction.

Mokuba was stunned, tears of betrayal filling his eyes. "You... you used me."

"Yes, I did. And you fell for it completely," Joanne laughed.

Overwhelmed with despair and anger, Mokuba's vision blurred. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. Suddenly, he lost control and crashed into another car.

The impact was jarring, metal crunching against metal. Mokuba's head hit the steering wheel, and the world around him dimmed as he lost consciousness, Joanne's mocking laughter echoing in his ears.