Ch. 1461..1470

Chapter 1461

“Oh, I see. By the way, this is my boyfriend, Joan. Larry is very amiable, so there’s no need to be shy

with him.” Gabriella took Larry’s hand with a warm smile on her face.

She’s his girlfriend? Ah well, that makes sense. Only a beautiful and kind woman with a good family

background like Gabriella is worthy of an outstanding man like him, Joan mused. At that thought, a

bitter smile tugged at her lips.

“Thank you, Gabriella. But I’m about done discussing business with Mr. Norton, so I won’t disturb the

two of you. We’ll talk another day. Please excuse me.” Instead of feeling thrilled to bump into her best

friend during college, she was driven by guilt to leave as soon as possible.

“Mr. Norton, this document contains the specifics of our collaboration this time, so I’ll leave it here for

your perusal. If you have any opinions or suggestions, feel to voice them out. Someone from our

company will contact you further.” Her sense of responsibility to the company overshadowed her

conflicted emotions at present, so Joan steeled herself and extended the contract in her hand to Larry.

However, Larry didn’t move to take the contract. He merely stared at her coldly. As he looked at the

woman who had once left him ruthlessly despite his fervent pleas, the emotions brewing within him

were no less complicated than hers.

I should hate her, so why do I feel inexplicably distressed at the sight of her vulnerable expression? No!

Why should I help her when she was the one who abandoned me? As that thought occurred to him, a

white-hot rush of fury abruptly surged within him.

Snatching the contract from her, he threw it onto the table without even sparing it a single glance.

“I never expected you to be the person in charge of the project this time. It seems that your company’s

credibility and integrity are questionable, so I still need to look into it further.” Sneering, he declared,

“You may leave now.”

His rejection was clear as day, making it known in uncertain terms that he didn’t want to discuss

business with her. Joan wanted to leave posthaste, so she nodded and replied, “Sure. Someone else

will contact you soon, so please excuse me.”

Then, she glanced at Gabriella at the side before spinning on her heels and left.

Gabriella was just about to say something when she glimpsed Larry’s forbidding expression. All at

once, she tactfully zipped her mouth.

Meanwhile, Larry’s hands clenched and loosened intermittently as he stared at Joan’s forlorn back. As

a wave of irritation assailed him, he slammed his fist against the table hard before he stalked out of the

office.

Gabriella, on the other hand, took note of it all.

“Joan Watts, I wonder what’s your story with Larry Norton,” she muttered with a contemplative gleam in

her eyes.

After leaving Norton Corporation, desolation engulfed Joan. She had never expected to meet Larry

again and had buried her abiding love for him in the deepest depths of her memories. Nevertheless,

fate was a fickle b*tch. They met each other once again in an unexpected manner, and he already had

a girlfriend of his own.

Her mind brought her back to the past, and she recalled the days when they got acquainted, fell in love,

and dated. However much we loved each other, the depth of their love determined the severity of their

hurt.

Back when they were both madly in love to the point of no return, she was informed during a medical

checkup that she had a tumor in her brain, and it was already at the advanced stage.

That news was undoubtedly a severe blow to Joan who was in the prime of her life. The doctor told her

that she needed to go abroad for treatment immediately, and the possibility of recovery was less than

ten percent. Worse still, she might go blind anytime because the tumor was putting pressure on her

central nervous system.

That very same day, her parents helped her to defer her studies. But the most agonizing aspect for her

was having to face Larry who loved her deeply.

To save him the anguish if anything happened to her, she chose to break up with him. And for that, she

made up an excuse that she no longer loved him and had fallen in love with someone else instead.

Larry begged her fervently, hoping that she would change her mind. Despite that, Joan didn’t tell him

the truth although she was grief-stricken herself. On the contrary, she further provoked him with words

in hopes that he would forget about her sooner.

 

Chapter 1462

The next day, Joan left without leaving a single word to Larry. And from then on, there was no news of

her. Heartbroken, Larry’s personality underwent a drastic change. He then went abroad to study. When

he returned to the country, he inherited Norton Corporation and became the company’s president.

Initially, they thought that their lives would be like two parallel lines without ever intersecting again after

breaking up, but destiny had brought them together once more.

When Joan subsequently returned to the office in a daze, she notified another staff member to contact

Norton Corporation. She then tried her best to forget everything that had happened that day, but his

image and the wonderful memories of the past kept playing in her mind on a loop no matter how much

she tried shaking them off.

At the end of the day, I still can’t forget him. But alas, he’s no longer mine.

Meanwhile, Larry sat in the chair in his office with his hands clasped against his forehead as he thought

about everything that had happened earlier.

Similarly, his emotions were a chaotic mess. After that woman left me, I once spent my days in a

drunken stupor and led a licentious life. I thought I’d forgotten about her entirely, but I only realize that I

merely buried her in the deepest part of my heart. Once I came into contact with her, our memories

burst forth like water rushing out of a dam, rendering me unable to resent her or be angry at her

anymore.

Having struggled for a long while, he picked up his phone and rang up Opulent Designs.

“Hello, this is Larry Norton here. Tell Joan Watts to come to my office tomorrow. Otherwise, don’t even

dream of getting the contract from me.” After hanging up the phone, the corners of his mouth lifted a

fraction. “Hmph! I’ll make your life a living hell, Joan Watts!”

“What? Larry… no, I mean, Mr. Norton asked me to go to his office to collect the contract? W-Why

me?” Joan’s eyes almost popped out of the sockets when she learned of that. After confirming it with

the other person multiple times, she finally accepted it as the truth.

She had no desire to face Larry, but she was left with no other choice since it was the first huge project

for the company and would yield long-term benefits to the development in the future. As one of the

staff, she had no reason to decline.

“I’m just going over to discuss the collaboration, so don’t think about anything else, much less mention

anything irrelevant!” After convincing herself for a long time, she finally mustered up her courage to go

over to Norton Corporation once more.

When she again returned to Norton Corporation, she felt as though she was standing at the gates of

hell.

Well, there’s no other choice but to face it head-on! Firming her resolve, she strode in as though she

was going to her death.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Joan’s heart jolted, but it was already too late to make an escape when she was standing right outside

his door. At that thought, she pushed open the door and walked in.

“M-Mr. Norton, I’m here to collect the contract,” Joan murmured with her head hung low.

“Come closer. Are you going to collect the contract from the door?” Larry’s voice was as chilly as ever.

Upon hearing that, Joan gingerly moved forward.

“Speak!” Larry’s voice that brooked no argument rang out.

At that, Joan swallowed as his oppressive aura struck fear into her. “I’m here to collect the contract

from you. If you have any suggestions, feel to voice them out to me.”

“Hmph! Here’s the contract. I’ve included my suggestions for your proposal and the aspects that have

to be further improved.” Pausing for a moment, Larry then continued, “And most importantly, everything

I mentioned there is to be completed by you alone. Remember, you’re to do everything by yourself.”

Joan nodded dazedly in response. But after glancing through the contents of the contract, she

questioned skeptically, “Did you mean that I’m to complete all the work here by myself?”

“Is there a problem?” Larry’s voice was threaded with an obvious hint of impatience.

“No.” How would I dare to say otherwise when the entire company’s fate is resting my shoulders alone?

“You must complete everything in a week. Any problems with that?”

“No problem.” Joan was on the verge of tears, but still, she gritted her teeth and agreed to his demand.

“You may leave now,” Larry sneered after casting her a glance.

“That’s all?” Joan was a tad surprised since she felt that he would never let her off easily. Yet, I can

now leave after just a few words?

 

Chapter 1463

“Are you deaf? If you have a problem with it, put down the contract and get lost!” Larry roared, livid.

Hah! This woman is still as stupid as ever!

“Yes, yes, I understood. Goodbye, Mr. Norton,” Joan hastily replied as she trembled in terror. “Please

excuse me, Mr. Norton. I look forward to working with you.”

Without waiting for him to answer, she bolted out of the office like the hounds of hell were nipping at her

heels.

“This is just the first step. I want to get back everything you owe me. I look forward to working with you

as well,” Larry mumbled as he watched her leave. Nevertheless, even he himself didn’t realize that his

attitude had long since changed.

“Phew! I’m finally out of there!” Joan breathed in deeply, for every single second she was in his office

was torture to her.

But at the thought of her conversation with him earlier, her lips that had just curved upward turned

down again.

Such a massive amount of work will require at least two people to complete in a week, so if I’m doing it

alone…

Despite her misgivings, she could only suffer in silence. Without fretting over it anymore, she instantly

went back to the office and started on her insane workload.

Every day, she worked overtime until late at night. Then, she woke up early the next morning and

rushed back to the office. Without her having realized it, three days had passed.

Throughout the three days, she merely buried herself in work. While it was tiring, it was a blessing for

her since she could temporarily put the matter of Larry at the back of her mind.

While Joan was swamped with work, Larry was conversely very much agitated. Not all company

matters required his personal attention, and he could also easily resolve matters involving major

decision-making with his outstanding capabilities, so he had quite some time on his hands.

Whenever he was , Joan’s image always appeared in his mind. Ever since she left, he decided to close

his heart off to everyone. After all, it was only when one felt nothing that one wouldn’t get hurt.

Tons of beautiful women flocked to him due to his imminent background and handsome outlook, yet he

wasn’t at all interested in any of them. Even when it came to Gabriella, it was only because of his

business dealings with the Ward family and her insistent demand to work at Norton Corporation did he

agree to take her in.

He tried his best to regard Joan as a mere business partner, but even after giving it his all, he

discovered that he was merely lying to himself. The truth was, he still loved her despite hating her.

Joan Watts, you still owe me an explanation! At that thought occurred to him, he no longer hesitated

but instantly drove over to Joan’s company.

When the limited-edition Lamborghini gradually came to a stop in front of Opulent Designs, it attracted

the attention of some passersby and staff members. All of them were curious to know which tycoon

was the owner of the car.

As the car door swung open, a shining leather shoe extended out of the car, followed by a tall man in a

suit. He had a handsome and captivating countenance, coupled with a pair of intelligent and profound-

looking eyes. It was none other than Larry.

“Wow! He’s so handsome!” Some ladies had long since started gawking by the roadside.

“And he’s driving such a luxurious car despite his young age! Who is he?”

“Don’t you know him? That’s Larry Norton, the new president of Norton Corporation!”

Larry was very much accustomed to the commotion he had created, so he didn’t tarry at all. Instead, he

strode into the building.

His arrival had the entire company descending into chaos. In no time, Joan’s cousin, who was also the

owner of the company, personally came over to greet him.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Larry asked for directions to Joan’s office and headed there right

away.

At that exact moment, Joan was taking a nap.

Exhausted physically and mentally from the deluge of work for several days in succession, she was so

tired that she dozed off. Larry sauntered in without knocking on the door. When he spotted Joan who

had fallen asleep while sprawled over the table, his heart clenched abruptly. Unbidden, he stretched

out a hand to touch her face.

Coincidentally, Joan jolted awake at that precise moment. As their gazes locked, she jumped to her

feet.

“Why are you here, Mr. Norton? I wasn’t sleeping!” In the next moment, she hurriedly clapped a hand

over her mouth upon realizing that she had misspoken.

Surprisingly, Larry didn’t sink his teeth into her remark. Instead, he slowly retracted his hand that was

suspended in midair and awkwardly rubbed his nose. “I just want to take a look at your revised

proposal.”

 

Chapter 1464

Larry feigned calmness.

“Sure. Here you go.” Joan swiftly handed him the proposal.

“What’s with this crappy proposal? This won’t do! Draw up a new one!” Larry naturally didn’t forget his

intention in coming to her office.

“But why? I think it’s pretty good.” Bafflement inundated Joan.

“Is the decision in your hands or mine? Of course, you can opt not to change it…”

“I’ll do it, I’ll change it,” Joan interrupted him, knowing that the matter was in her control.

“There’s no need to do it now. I’m thirsty, so get me a cup of coffee,” Larry ordered.

“I’ll have someone make a cup of coffee for you.”

“You do it!”

Joan could tell that Larry was deliberately making things difficult for her, but she didn’t mind it. I owe

him too much, so it’ll assuage my guilt if I even get to repay him the slightest bit.

“Here’s your coffee, Mr. Norton.” Lacking the guts to look at him, she dipped her head.

Larry took the coffee and placed it on the table. Then, he stared at her. At that moment, it was as

though time had come to a standstill.

After a long moment, he demanded, “Lift your head up, Joan Watts. I’ve got a question for you.”

Upon hearing that, Joan shook slightly. Has this moment finally arrived despite me hoping otherwise?

But what should I do?

She raised her head and met his deep and conflicted gaze.

“You still owe me an explanation. Why did you leave me back then?” Larry’s voice carried a weight that

overwhelmed her.

However, Joan remained silent.

“Why? Why did you leave? Do you know how much your actions hurt me?” Larry’s voice was no longer

calm. “Do you have any idea how I suffered back then?”

Gradually, Joan’s eyes turned red-rimmed, and tears shimmered within them. “I know I have wronged

you, but we can never go back to how things once were.”

She tried her utmost best to suppress the urge to wail aloud. I love him! I love him so much, but he

already has a girlfriend of his own now, and she’s my best friend to boot! In that case, how could I tell

him the truth and make us both miserable?

At the sight of the tears swimming in her eyes, Larry felt as though someone had stabbed him in the

heart. “So, you’re still unwilling to tell me the truth? Or was it truly because you had fallen in love with

someone else back then?”

In the end, Joan’s tears still escaped her eyes and streamed down her face like a faucet. “If you think

so, then just continue to believe in that. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

At the end of the day, she still chose to sacrifice the love she could have attained. Even now, she was

still willing to do anything for him.

Seemingly grasping the sorrow and despair in her eyes, Larry felt that he shouldn’t continue coercing

her. Perhaps she truly had her own reasons in doing that.

“You don’t need to apologize. Neither of us owes the other anything, for I did everything for you

willingly.”

He reverted to his calm and unruffled state once again. He couldn’t bear to see her in distress even if

they could no longer go back to how things once were.

“There’s no need to change the proposal anymore. You may continue your work. I’ll leave now.” After

saying that, he left without a backward glance. He didn’t dare tarry for even a single second, afraid that

he would relent and hug her tightly upon seeing her sad and helpless expression.

He has left, so he has probably given up on me, huh? I’ve pushed him away again, just like how I

ruthlessly left him back then!

Joan’s love for him remained in her blood, and the vivid memories consumed her time and again. As

she crouched on the ground in agony, tears flowed soundlessly.

Since I’ve made my choice, I shouldn’t regret it anymore!

She chose to forget the past. Her present self merely wanted to complete the business deal smoothly

and she would sever all ties with him after that.

I don’t want to be hounded by the past anymore. I only want to live my life peacefully, and at the same

time, wish him happiness!

It was good to have a resolution, but Larry didn’t give her such an opportunity.

Presently, it was already the fourth time he came to Opulent Designs, and the staff members had

already gotten used to his presence from their initial surprise and awe.

Starting from his third visit, the owner of Opulent Designs no longer came out to greet him personally.

Good Lord, his visits are so frequent that I truly can’t be bothered to welcome him every single day!

 

Chapter 1465

He made his way to Joan’s office casually, Larry pushed opened the door and parked his butt on a

chair before staring at the woman who had her head buried in her work.

“You’re here, Mr. Norton?” Joan greeted without even lifting her head as though she had known about

his arrival in advance.

“Yeah. Anyhow, just carry on with your work. I’m just here to check on your progress,” Larry answered.

He was still a tad perturbed by her addressing him as Mr. Norton, but he couldn’t do anything about

that.

“Okay, please make yourself at home, then. I’ll entertain you in a moment.” Joan maintained a

businesslike attitude.

Sensing the distance in her tone, a wave of irritation assailed Larry. He took out a cigarette from his

pocket and lit it. That was a bad habit he had developed after she left, and it had now become an

addiction.

At the sight of him smoking, a flash of desolation flittered across Joan’s eyes. He never smoked in the

past, so it might be because of me as well. At the thought of that, her guilt multiplied.

Larry was sitting very close to her, so Joan inevitably inhaled the lingering cigarette smoke. She had an

inherent dislike of cigarette smoke, so despite having tried her best to suppress her distaste, a few light

coughs still escaped her in the end.

Upon hearing her coughing, Larry’s brows furrowed. All of a sudden, he remembered that she loathed

the reek of cigarette smoke in the past. After hesitating for a long while, he snubbed out the cigarette in

his hand and threw it into the trash can at the side.

“I’m hungry, Joan Watts. Accompany me to lunch.” Larry sounded as though he was issuing an order,

his tone brooking no argument.

“Thanks, Mr. Norton. I’m not hungry at the moment, so I’d like to continue with my work for a while,”

Joan declined tactfully. She had been doing her best to avoid having too much interaction with him

although her efforts had been futile.

“This is just business, what with me having a meal with a collaborator. So, don’t read too much into it.

Also, I’ve got some business matters to discuss with you.” Larry gave her no room to turn him down.

“Let’s go.”

At that, Joan inwardly heaved a sigh. Good grief, why am I still so obedient to him, just like I did in the

past?

Subsequently, the two of them went to a western restaurant and took their seats at the table.

“Just order whatever you want to eat.” Larry handed the menu to Joan.

“Thank you.” After thanking him politely, Joan ordered a steak. Likewise, Larry also ordered something

at random.

Thereafter, a long silence reigned. Larry was waiting for Joan to speak, but the latter still seemed

exceedingly reluctant to do so.

In the end, he broke the silence himself. “The proposal is almost done, right?”

“Yes,” Joan replied softly. “It should be ready by tomorrow.”

“What’s your plan after that?” An unprecedented bolt of apprehension shot through Larry at the thought

that he would no longer have an excuse to seek her out in the future.

“My plan? I don’t have any plans. I just want to focus on my job and live a simple life. That’s enough for

me,” Joan answered calmly.

Also, to stay away from you. She added inwardly after she finished saying that.

“I see.” Words eluded Larry for a moment, so he buried his head in his food.

Unbeknownst to them, it so happened that Gabriella’s best friend, Lynette, witnessed the lunch date

and even secretly took a video clip of it.

After the two of them had finished eating, Larry drove Joan back to the office before speeding off.

When Joan had returned to the office, she continued working on the proposal.

Lynette then sent the video clip to Gabriella. After watching it, Gabriella blew a fuse.

Ever since she met Joan the previous time, she had sensed that her relationship with Larry wasn’t as

simple as they claimed. Thus, she had someone investigated the matter, only to discover that they

actually dated during college.

She went abroad to Beskary then, so she didn’t know about their relationship before that.

“You’re such a vixen, Joan Watts! How dare you attempt to seduce Larry again when I treated you so

well in the past? What an ungrateful wretch!” Gabriella hissed through gritted teeth.

She had been regarding Larry as her prospective boyfriend, so she felt as though someone had stolen

something off hers upon seeing that Joan and Larry could possibly rekindle their relationship.

That feeling was particularly acute when she could distinctly sense that Larry still loved Joan. While she

had no evidence of that, her womanly intuition told her otherwise. As that thought occurred to her, the

unease within her snowballed.

 

Chapter 1466

“Well, well… I’ve got to teach you a lesson since you don’t know your place,” Gabriella snarled

resentfully. Then, she made a phone call.

“Quincy, it’s me, Gabriella Ward. I need a favor. Don’t worry, I’ll reward you accordingly.” Shortly after,

she hung up the phone with her lips curved into a contemptuous smile.

“You want to go up against me, Joan Watts? I’m afraid you’re still far from being my match!”

Joan glanced at her cell phone, only to realize that it was already past midnight. “Let’s call it a day now.

I’ll work overtime again tomorrow, and I’ll be able to wrap it up,” she muttered to herself.

After mumbling that, she stretched before packing up. Then, she shouldered her handbag and left the

office.

She had to go through a relatively short alley on her way back to her rented house. Nonetheless, she

didn’t really pay it much heed since she was used to taking that alley.

As it was the middle of the night, the alley was devoid of any life. When a gust of wind swept past, she

suddenly shivered and pulled her clothes tighter against herself even as she instinctively quickened her

steps.

The moment she reached the corner of the alley, however, she was abruptly startled. Three men were

standing around the corner while puffing away, and their gazes were pinned intently on her.

All of a sudden, a sense of panic seized her. Oh God, I’d better not provoke these ruffians in the dead

of the night! She hastily lowered her head and quickly walked away.

As soon as she had walked past those three ruffians, she wanted to breathe a long sigh of relief.

“Why are you in such a hurry, missy?” But alas, one of the ruffians spoke in a heavy accent. “Where

are you headed to?”

“Missy, you’re Joan Watts, yes?” the man who was obviously the leader of the ruffians drawled. He was

none other than the person whom Gabriella phoned, Quincy.

“I-I’m not Joan Watts. You’ve got the wrong person,” Joan hurriedly denied as she glanced at Quincy,

who was as thin as a stick and had a vertical scar bisecting his face. Naturally, she could tell that these

people were here to target her specifically.

“Regardless, you’re still a pretty good choice to satisfy our desires first.”

“Haha, that’s right, Quincy. She must be pretty fun to fu*k since she’s so beautiful.”

Giving Joan no chance to escape, the three of them surrounded her.

Terrified by the situation that was unfolding before her, Joan could no longer think of any good method

to deflect their attention.

Desperate, she started yelling at the top of her lungs, “Someone, please help me! Help!”

As she shouted relentlessly, she attempted to break out of the three men’s confined circle.

However, she failed to do so with the puny strength she had. Instead, Quincy grabbed her shoulders.

“Haha, do you think all those scenes in TV series actually work? Go on and shout. We’ll just see

whether anyone will come to your rescue,” Quincy drawled with a leering smile as he caressed her

face.

“This is a really great job. Not only do we get to make a few quick bucks, but we’re also getting to enjoy

such a beautiful girl!”

By then, the ruffian on the left had already started tearing at Joan’s clothes.

“No! Let go of me!” Joan wailed in despair.

“Actually, this isn’t such a great job.”

A cold, hard voice split the air just when the three ruffians were just about to make their move on Joan,

and it was none other than Larry, who had just rushed over.

“Who are you?”

The sudden voice startled all three of them.

“The person who’ll be putting you in the hospital!”

At the sight of Joan in tears, stark fury gripped Larry, and he sounded just like a devil who had come

from hell.

“You? What a joke! Buddies, beat him up!”

Infuriated by his words, Quincy teamed up with the other ruffians to teach him a lesson since he was so

impudent.

But just as Quincy’s words fell, Larry had already shot out like a cheetah and streaked over to him,

grabbing his fist that was headed at his face.

Crack!

After the crisp sound of bone cracking, Quincy’s agonized scream pierced through the air. His arm was

already bent at a ninety-degree angle before he had even realized it.

Having snapped his arm, Larry then bent forward without a moment’s delay to dodge the knife

someone swung at his back even as he kicked out his leg with the momentum. In the next instance,

another crack rang out, and the ruffian collapsed to the ground, howling and hugging his leg.

In just a few seconds, two ruffians were already defeated. Upon seeing the abysmal state of affairs, the

other ruffian wanted to take off, but he was then sent sprawling to the ground with a kick from Larry.

 

Chapter 1467

“Well? Spit it out! Who sent you? Otherwise, you’ll end up like the two of them!”

Larry’s voice was dripping with a bone-deep chill as he placed his leg on the ruffian’s body.

“I-I don’t know anything! I only know that it was a woman! I don’t know anything else!” the ruffian

blurted without even thinking about it.

After all, the sight of his two buddies howling on the ground struck such terror into him that his heart

was about to pound out of his chest.

A woman?

After pondering for a moment, the answer came to Larry.

Disregarding the ruffians, he then rushed over to Joan. When he saw her shaken state, his heart

shattered, and he pulled her into his arms lovingly.

“You’re fine now. I’m here, so everything is going to be okay.”

Larry stroked her back gently, and his voice was a soothing tenor.

Hugging him tightly, Joan sobbed softly. A sense of security engulfed her at his solid and warm

embrace.

“Let’s go. I’ll walk you home,” Larry murmured.

Only then did Joan realize that she had been hugging him for some time, and she swiftly released her

hold on him. When her hands were empty, she instinctively clutched the hem of her clothes with

embarrassment written all over her face.

“Thank you.”

She didn’t quite know what to say, so in the end, the many things she wanted to say all condensed into

a succinct expression of thanks.

“Nah,” Larry grunted in response. “Let’s go.”

Then, he took the lead and walked ahead of her.

When they arrived at Joan’s house, he stayed for a while. After ascertaining that she was fine, he told

her to rest well before leaving.

As his car sped off, his face was blanketed with a layer of frost.

The entire night passed in silence. When Larry went to work the next morning, he headed straight for

Gabriella’s office.

At that moment, Gabriella was spacing out as she contemplated how she should handle Larry’s

confrontation. In fact, she had already known about everything that had happened last night itself.

Besides panic, she also felt a hint of regret.

Damn it all to hell! It was such a great opportunity to teach Joan Watts a lesson, but alas, my plan was

ruined by Larry’s appearance!

“Gabriella Ward.”

Gabriella jumped at the sudden voice. When she saw who it was, she forced a smile.

“Oh, it’s you, Larry?”

She then promptly got up to entertain him.

“Last night, your best friend, Joan Watts, was ambushed by three ruffians in an alley.”

Larry cut straight to the chase without wasting any time.

“What? How did that happen?” Gabriella’s face paled upon hearing that. Then, she queried, “Is she

okay?”

“You should know the answer to that better than anyone else, no?” Larry retorted in a terse voice.

“What are you saying? How would I know about that?” Gabriella put up a calm front as she said that.

“You’ve got to believe me, Larry!”

“I’ve already gotten the answer to the entire matter. Are you still planning on lying to my face? Gabriella

Ward, if you’ve got the guts to do something, you should also have the guts to admit to it! Don’t make

me hate you.”

Gabriella’s pretentious expression repulsed Larry, so he didn’t give her any quarter.

Upon seeing that the matter was already out in the open and feigning innocence would only make him

despise her all the more, Gabriella bit the bullet. “Yes, it was indeed my doing! I’ve investigated your

past with her thoroughly, and it was she who ruthlessly left you back then. In that case, what right does

she have to seek you out again now? She’s nothing more than a b*tch! I’m the one who truly loves

you!”

“Shut up!”

It was glaringly obvious that Gabriella’s play to his emotions had zero effect on him.

“That is not a reason to hurt someone else. If it happens again, my company will have no use of you!”

After saying that, Larry left without a backward glance.

“This is all on you, Joan Watts! I’ll definitely get back at you for this!”

Intense hatred gleamed in Gabriella’s eyes when she saw him whirling around and leaving so

resolutely.

Thereafter, Larry went to Opulent Designs. Despite having suffered a severe blow from the incident

yesterday, Joan was adamant about coming to work.

She was working on the proposal when Larry arrived, and she hastily stood up at the sight of him

entering her office.

“Y-You’re here,” Joan stammered.

“Yeah. How’s the proposal coming?”

Larry didn’t mention a single word about the incident last night as though nothing had ever happened.

 

Chapter 1468

“It’ll be ready to be handed over to Norton Corporation tomorrow after a bit of overtime tonight.”

Joan’s eyes were fixed on Larry. Everything that had happened last night was still vivid in her mind, and

she remembered all that he had done for her.

“Submit the proposal to me the day after tomorrow. In the future, try not to work overtime anymore. It’s

bad for health.”

Larry’s voice was a tad cold and stiff, but Joan could still discern the smidgen of concern in it.

A burst of warmth instantly infused her, and she replied with a smile, “Thank you.”

At the thought that the day after tomorrow would be the last time they were seeing each, a wealth of

anguish weighed upon her.

It was only when she was swamped with work could she control herself from thinking about him.

Whenever she had a little time on her hands, his image and every single detail about him would flood

into her mind and occupy every inch of it.

I can’t deny that I still love him deeply, but he already has a girlfriend, and she’s my best friend during

college. How could I be the third party who destroys their relationship? After having concluded this

business deal, I’ll leave.

In the end, she chose to run away from him.

However, no one knew whether leaving would actually be a relief or an agonizing torture.

Meanwhile, in the residence of the Ward family…

“Dad, is our family the biggest business partner of Norton Corporation?” Gabriella inquired sweetly as

she massaged her father, Landon Ward.

“Yup. At present, the Ward family’s biggest business partner is indeed Norton Corporation. But as

Norton Corporation is the biggest company in Marsingfill, we’re not their most important collaborator.

Rather, we are the one depending on them in many aspects.”

Landon had his eyes closed as he luxuriated in his daughter’s rare show of filial piety.

“What’s wrong, Gabriella? Why did you suddenly ask about business?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s just that I really like Larry, and he has feelings for me as well. Will it be beneficial to

our family and mutually benefit both parties if the two families join in marriage?”

Finally, Gabriella revealed her ultimate goal—to bind herself with Larry by making use of the excuse of

uniting with Norton Corporation via marriage. In that case, no matter how much Larry Norton loves

Joan Watts, he can’t possibly go against his family’s wishes!

“Hmm? You mean, Larry Norton is also enamored of you?”

As Landon looked at his fair and beautiful daughter, he felt that she wasn’t lying to him.

“Yes, Dad. That day, Larry even kissed me.” Shyness was written all over Gabriella’s face.

“Haha, this is indeed a good choice since you’re both in love with each other, and joining in marriage is

beneficial to us!” Landon exclaimed cheerfully. “I’ll phone Finnick in a while and feel him out.”

“Thank you, Dad! You’re the best!”

Over the moon, Gabriella planted a hard kiss on Landon’s cheek.

Shortly after, Landon made a call to Norton Residence.

“Hello, Finnick! It’s me, Landon.”

“Oh, it’s you! Why did you suddenly ring me up, old boy?”

Larry’s father, Finnick, and Landon were old friends, so they weren’t all that restrained with each other.

“Finnick, there’s a fantastic matter I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Hmm? What fantastic matter are you speaking of?” Finnick asked.

“I heard that my daughter and Larry’s relationship is really good, so I’d like to ask whether you’re

interested in joining in marriage.”

Finnick was taken aback for a moment before he replied with a chuckle, “This is indeed a fantastic

matter. You know what? Larry hasn’t mentioned a single word to me! But Landon, Larry’s mother and I

don’t really interfere in Larry’s marriage. Why should we trouble ourselves with our children’s affairs?

Just let them be.”

Hearing that, a bitter smile bloomed on Landon’s face. “You’re right. I was just eager to have even

closer ties with you that I didn’t consider that. In that case, I’ll just let them be.”

“Haha…”

At the side, Gabriella heard the conversation loud and clear. While resentment blazed within her, she

herself knew that an arranged marriage was likely out of the question.

It was the day Joan was going to Norton Corporation to submit the proposal, and she had made all the

preparations early in the morning.

This was her third time standing at the entrance of Norton Corporation, and each time, her emotions

were vastly different.

 

Chapter 1469

Joan hesitated for a moment before she took a deep breath and entered.

Larry’s office was open. Joan stood at the side of the door and stared at him, who was working away at

his desk.

He is just as he has always been. Chiseled jawline, clear gaze, and a small frown as he worked

intently…

Everything seems familiar, but…

Larry looked up when he sensed that someone was looking at him. That was when he caught Joan

staring.

“You’re here,” commented Larry calmly. His voice carried a hint of excitement, but it was virtually

undetectable.

“Yeah, I’m here to hand the report in,” replied Joan softly.

“Oh, okay. Just place it on the table,” replied Larry after being momentarily stunned.

Joan put the report on the table. She then stood there without saying a word. Larry remained quiet as

he sat in his chair as well. The atmosphere in the room instantly turned slightly tense.

“Mr. Norton, it was a pleasure to collaborate with your company. We wish that we can collaborate again

in the future,” said Joan.

She grinned. I have to let go, regardless of how unwilling I am.

She then extended her hand politely. It seemed that she wanted to feel the warmth of Larry’s hand one

last time.

The ridiculously polite tone and gesture that Joan made got Larry a little speechless. After some time,

he stood up and shook Joan’s hand.

“Sure. I hope we’ll get the opportunity to work together again.”

Will that really happen? thought Joan with a bitter smile on her face.

“Well, I better not take up any more of your time, Mr. Norton. Goodbye,” said Joan.

She took one last look at Larry and smiled at him before she turned around and left the office.

Larry didn’t say anything. He simply watched as she left.

Joan’s life reverted to its calm and uneventful style over the next few days. She went to work like she

had always done so, but her heart simply couldn’t stop yearning for him.

Someone dropped by her workplace on a random day. He wore a casual outfit and had a baseball cap

on. He was handsome, and his smile seemed especially cheery.

He walked right up to the receptionist and smiled before asking, “Hello. May I know how to get to Ms.

Joan Watts’ office?”

The receptionist answered the man politely.

“Thank you,” said the guy before he left.

“What is up lately? Why do handsome dudes keep dropping by to look for Joan? How I wish someone

that good-looking would come look for me too…” mumbled the receptionist.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Someone knocked on the door to Joan’s office.

“Come in.”

Joan looked up. Her nonchalant expression instantly turned gleeful as she did so.

“Dustin! What brought you here? Come in,” invited Joan excitedly as she stood up.

Dustin Silverman was Joan’s doctor while she was getting treatment for her illness. They spent a lot of

time together as they battled her illness, and Dustin eventually fell for Joan. He found her to be a

sweet, kind, but sometimes clueless woman. Joan, on the other hand, regarded him as a great friend

because he took good care of her.

The reason why Dustin came all the way to Marsingfill was to court Joan and get her to be his

girlfriend.

For that, he specifically put in a request to be transferred to the place where Joan was staying. He did

all that just to be close to her.

“Joan, how have you been?” asked Dustin as he sat down. He had a smile on his face the entire time,

and it seemed like he was delighted.

“I was transferred to the city for work. Looks like we’ll be seeing each other a lot again,” said Dustin.

The two of them exchanged some pleasantries and chatted away happily. They were old friends who

were catching up, so before they knew it, they had already spent a lot of time together.

“You’re working now, so I better not disturb you. Let’s hang out again once you’re .”

Dustin’s objective for visiting was to see how Joan was doing. He didn’t want to overstay his welcome

after seeing her, so he stood up to leave.

“How about I treat you to dinner after I clock off? Let an old friend treat you for traveling all the way over

to her humble city,” suggested Joan.

Dustin grinned brightly after receiving that invitation.

“Deal, but I have to warn you, I will be asking for an expensive meal,” joked Dustin.

“No problem. It’s settled, then,” replied Joan.

The two of them smiled as they looked into each other’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Larry was troubled over the past few days.

 

Chapter 1470

Larry’s mind warned him against looking for Joan again. She hurt me and heartlessly abandoned me. I

have no reason whatsoever to go to her.

Anyone who had been hurt would not do the same thing that hurt them in the first place.

However, his heart kept yearning for her. It told him that he loved her so, so much. It didn’t matter what

Joan did to him in the past. He was convinced that she didn’t have a choice.

Larry had been troubled by that issue for days, but he decided to follow his heart after debating

endlessly with himself.

Since I’m still in love with her, I should just go all out.

With that thought in mind, Larry drove his car and hurried over to the office where Joan worked. She

should be clocking off any minute now. Larry wanted to treat her to a meal and take the opportunity to

talk to her. Maybe we can clear out all the misunderstandings or something.

Larry lit up a cigarette as he waited in his car. He was bored because Joan hadn’t shown up yet.

When he finally saw Joan’s figure, energy surged through his body, and he jumped a little. He

extinguished the cigarette and was ready to head over right away.

However, before he could, he paused. Wait, Joan’s not alone. She’s walking with another man!

“Dustin, what cuisine would you like to have?” asked Joan as she swiped on her phone.

“You decide. I’m good with anything,” replied Dustin with a grin.

“It’s not safe to walk while checking your phone. Let me guide you,” offered Dustin.

After saying that, he held Joan’s arm to guide her. Joan wasn’t bothered by his gesture. She even

smiled sweetly at him.

The two of them chatted happily as they walked down the street. Larry, on the other hand, was burning

with fury as he sat in his car.

The way Joan interacts with that man makes them seem like a couple!

Larry almost lost control of himself upon coming to that conclusion. He was so angry that it felt like his

rage would soon burn away all of his sanity.

He didn’t spare any time to consider the situation. Stepping on the gas, Larry zipped his car toward the

two adults immediately after.

Joan and Dustin were discussing where they might eat when they heard a noise behind them and

instinctively turned around only to see a car speeding toward them.

“Dustin, watch out!”

Joan shrieked to warn Dustin.

The Lamborghini was practically touching Dustin’s body when it screeched to a halt.

Larry hopped out of the car and walked to Joan. He interrogated angrily, “Joan Watts, who is this? Why

are you hanging out with him?”

Joan slowly recovered from the shock. When she saw that the driver was Larry, she huffed in an

annoyed tone, “Larry, what kind of a driver are you? You almost hit my friend!”

“Friend? He’s not your boyfriend, is he?” growled Larry icily.

“What does that have anything to do with you?” refuted Joan loudly, “Mr. Norton, our business deal has

concluded, and that last bit of connection between us has been severed. What right do you have to butt

into my private life?”

“Who is he?” demanded Larry once more.

He ignored Joan’s words and insisted on getting an answer out of her.

“You don’t get to care. So what if he is my boyfriend?” challenged Joan.

She was losing her temper as well, and she refused to back down.

Just then, Dustin wrapped his arm around Joan’s waist gently and glared tauntingly at Larry. It was as if

the former was declaring his territory.

“Please stop bothering Joan. She is not interested in you, and bothering her won’t help your cause

whatsoever!”

Larry saw how Dustin was holding Joan, and how she didn’t seem to mind at all. That got Larry to give

up interrogating her about the matter.

She has someone else with her now, and it no longer matters to her if I am here for her or not.

“Oh, so that’s how it is… right, Joan? This is your boyfriend. You left me all those years ago because

you fell for someone else too! Am I right?” demanded Larry. His eyes were burning with immense fury

when he growled, “And to think that I assumed your hands were tied when you left. You truly

disappointed me!”

Larry tried his best to control himself, but he still couldn’t calm down.

After howling and spewing insults, Larry got into his car and left, looking like a lone wolf with a broken

heart.

Joan’s heart felt like it was being shredded. She had repeatedly hurt him, so it no longer mattered if her

hands were tied. I am not worthy of his love.

“Joan, are you alright?” asked Dustin in a concerned tone. “I held you because the circumstances

forced me to do so. You’re not mad about it, are you?”

Joan quickly wiped her tears away before she grinned and replied, “No, I’m not mad. Thank you,

Dustin.”