Ch. 1491..1500
Chapter 1491
“Ms. Watts, will you accept our interview?”
The reporters somehow knew she was inside and kept insisting on questioning her.
“Ms. Watts, do you have any comment about Mr. Norton and Ms. Ward’s marriage problems?”
“Someone alleged that you came in between their relationship, can you tell us if that’s true?”
Joan stood behind the door, covering her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.
She could hear everything being said outside clearly. Face with the damaging accusations, she couldn’t
think of a single reason to defend herself with.
Unfortunately, Larry had no idea what was going on. When Joan sent him a message telling him that
she wasn’t coming home the night before, he didn’t think too much of it.
At that moment, he was busy working at Norton Corporation.
Ring… Ring… His private line suddenly rang. When he saw that it was his father calling, Larry quickly
answered.
“Dad, why are you calling me so early in the morning?” Larry asked.
“Why? Where are you now?”
The voice over the line sounded exasperated.
“I’m at the office, working. What happened?” Larry asked when he senses the concern in his dad’s
voice.
“Something has happened to Joan and yet you don’t know a thing? How irresponsible can you get?”
Finnick barked in rage.
“What? Joan is in trouble?”
Larry sprang to his feet as his tone darkened.
“Turn on the television and see for yourself,” Finnick replied.
“Also, what is this about Gabriella? I’m warning you, Larry, you’d better clean up your mess and not
hurt Joan’s feelings!”
Doo… Doo…. Doo…
The call ended abruptly. It was obvious that Finnick thought Larry was somehow involved with
Gabriella. Therefore, he was furious at his son’s actions.
As for Larry, he quickly found out about everything that had happened.
This is all my fault!
Larry blamed himself. Ever since Joan moved in with him, he reassigned Caspian from his duty of
protecting her.
Furthermore, he didn’t suspect anything when Joan didn’t come home the night before.
If he had known about this in advance, he could have prevented Joan from getting hurt.
But now, Joan must have found out about everything.
With that thought in mind, he had the urge to rush toward Joan’s home.
When his car stopped in front of her house, Larry saw a huge group of reporters.
Worried that Joan would be in danger, he rushed toward her house.
When they saw that Larry was approaching, the reporters turned their attention and swarmed toward
him.
“Mr. Norton, are you here to see Ms. Watts? May I know what your relationship with her is?”
“Mr. Norton, is it true that you and Ms. Ward are engaged? How do you plan to deal with this matter?”
Surrounded by reporters, Larry had no choice but to reply, “Please let me pass. This is all just a
misunderstanding. In a short while, the Norton Corporation will organize a press conference and the
truth will be revealed.”
With that, Larry pushed his way through the crowd. Arriving at her front door, he called out, “Joan, open
the door, it’s me.”
The door opened quickly, and Larry slid in before closing the door behind him.
“Joan, are you alright?” Larry asked with concern.
“Why don’t you ask your fiancée? Why are you even here?” Joan replied coldly without even making
eye contact.
Realizing that she must have misunderstood the whole situation, Larry quickly explained, “Joan, listen
to me. This is just a misunderstanding. Gabriella and I are not engaged. Furthermore, she has never
ever been my girlfriend.”
“Why are you still lying to me? If she isn’t, why has the matter blown up to this extent? I’m just an
ordinary girl and not worthy of the president of Norton Corporation. Stop tormenting me and go away!”
Joan yelled with tears glistening in her eyes.
When he saw how devastated she was, Larry was heartbroken as he gave her a hug.
Chapter 1492
“Let go of me! Let me go!”
Joan pounded her fist on him forcefully to keep him away.
However, Larry refused to let go as he held onto her tightly.
After struggling for a while, she stopped moving when she realized it was futile. Allowing Larry to hug
her, she continued sobbing in his arms.
“Joan, please believe me. I love you for who you are and I don’t care about your background. In fact,
my parents feel the same way too. Have you forgotten that they told us to take care of each other?”
Holding Joan in his arms, the sound of her sobs broke his heart.
Nevertheless, Larry’s embrace managed to give Joan strength. The images of his parents advising
them to stay strong together and handing her the bracelet began to emerge in her mind.
Once she began to calm down, Joan considered the matter thoroughly.
She had initially found the matter to be strange, but it was what happened later that caused her to lose
her rationality.
After giving it some thought, Joan felt that she had reacted childishly.
“Do your parents really not care about my background?” Joan asked skeptically as she buried her head
in his chest.
“Of course, you silly gal. Isn’t that obvious to you too?”
Larry’s voice was gentle like the breeze.
“What about Gabriella? What is your relationship with her?”
At the mention of Gabriella, Joan couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“There is nothing going on between Gabriella and me. The Nortons and the Wards have always been
business partners. Therefore, when Gabriella insisted on working at Norton Corporation, I had no
reason to refuse. She had tried to ask her dad, Landon, to arrange a marriage of convenience but my
parents never agreed.”
He continued, “Ever since what happened last time, I kicked her out of Norton Corporation. I didn’t
expect her to cook up such a drama now. This time, I’m not going to let her off!” Larry’s gaze darkened.
Gabriella, after challenging my threshold repeatedly, don’t blame me now for being merciless.
“Last time? What do you mean?”
Joan chose to believe Larry but her curiosity was piqued when she heard him mention what Gabriella
did last time.
This gal is simply too naive to see Gabriella as nothing but a good friend. It’s time I break the news to
her.
After pondering a moment, Larry asked, “Do you remember when you were kidnapped, brought to the
outskirts, and drugged?”
Obviously, she would never forget such a traumatic experience. One of the reasons she left for A
Nation was because she couldn’t put the incident behind her.
“I’ll never forget it,” Joan replied as she could feel the lingering trauma.
If it wasn’t for Larry arriving in the nick of time, I would have been…
In the event the worst happened then, she would likely have committed suicide.
“What does that have anything to do with Gabriella?” Joan inquired.
“It has everything to do with her because she was the one behind it,” Larry asserted with conviction.
“What?”
Joan widened her eyes in shock, “That’s impossible! We are best friends.”
Never in her wildest dreams did Joan think that Gabriella would do such a thing to her.
“Larry, did you make a mistake? Gabriella is a good friend of mine! This isn’t something to joke about.”
Joan felt that Larry had got it wrong.
“Joan, don’t judge a book by its cover. Gabriella may be nice to you on the surface but you will never
know what she is thinking. If she really sees you as a good friend, how do you explain everything that
has happened today?”
Larry’s voice was solemn as he hoped Joan would be able to see the truth after this incident.
“But, why is she doing all this?”
Joan was devastated upon the realization that her best friend had been scheming against her.
“Because she thinks that you have taken something that was rightfully hers. That you have stolen the
position of Mrs. Norton, wife to the president of Norton Corporation. But it was never hers to begin with.
It was her narcissism that convinced her otherwise, and then you coincidentally appeared,” Larry
explained patiently.
Chapter 1493
Although Joan might feel disturbed by it, he still had to tell the truth to prevent her from being hurt
again.
Joan fell into silence after having heard Larry’s words.
Even though she refused to believe it, the facts spoke for themselves.
She realized the friendship that she treasured was easily cast aside in the face of a conflict of interest.
She couldn’t help but sneer at herself in a self-deprecating manner.
When he saw how disappointed Joan was, Larry gently kissed her on her cheeks and comforted, “Don’t
be sad, you still have me. I’ll always be by your side.”
When she heard Larry’s affectionate words, Joan’s nose twitched as she tried to hold back her tears
desperately. She leaned into Larry’s chest. “Larry, thank you. Thank you for always staying by my side.”
“Silly gal, why are you even thanking me?”
Both of them hugged each other tightly and immersed themselves in the rare emotional moment.
“Larry, what do we do now?” Joan couldn’t help but ask when she thought about the swarm of reporters
outside.
“Don’t worry, just leave it to me.”
Larry knew it was time for him to take charge of resolving the matter.
On the same day afternoon, he organized a press conference at Norton Corporation.
The office entrance was swarmed with people. Other than a huge legion of reporters, there were also
hordes of curious onlookers. They were all interested to know the latest developments of the scandal.
Larry brought Joan to the press conference. After all, she was the scandal’s biggest victim as her
reputation was ruined by it.
To redeem her name, Larry had to clarify the truth and announce something at the press conference.
Therefore, he forced Joan to come along with him.
The moment both of them appeared at the press conference holding hands, it caused a stir among the
reporters present.
After taking their seats, the reporters scrambled to asked questions.
“Mr. Norton, can you tell us the real reason for holding this press conference?”
“Mr. Norton, why are you here together with Ms. Watts? Is it true what they have alleged on the internet
about your relationship?”
“Ms. Watts, many people accuse you of being the third party. Do you have any comments on that?”
When the reporters had fired away most of their questions, Larry began to speak.
After he answered most of the key questions, he began to clarify the matter to everyone present.
“Gabriella isn’t my girlfriend, and we have never been engaged. As for her desperate attempt at
spreading such rumors, I have hired a lawyer and will be taking legal action against her for slandering
both myself and Joan.”
He continued, “At the same time, I hope everyone can see this matter rationally and not spread further
lies about us. Or else, I will not tolerate any of it.”
Larry’s voice was firm and emitted a domineering aura that cowed all the reporters into silence.
Larry’s parents were also present at the press conference. After Larry had finished, Finnick began to
speak.
“I would like to reiterate that the Norton family never agreed to a marriage of convenience with the
Wards. I can guarantee this upon my honor. Please do not dwell on this matter any further and more
importantly, do not trouble the victim, Ms. Watts, anymore.”
With the honorable Finnick, who was the previous chairman of Norton Corporation, clarifying the
matter, everyone was convinced that Gabriella was the one who fabricated the whole incident.
Now that the truth was revealed and having recovered her reputation, Joan smiled in relief as she
thought that the matter had been resolved.
However, Larry still had something important to announce. “There’s one more thing I would like to
share with everyone. I, Larry Norton, would like to officially ask Ms. Watts for her hand in marriage.
Joan, will you marry me?”
The moment Larry popped the question, he caused an uproar at the press conference.
The reporters had planned to rush back to their respective publishers to publish the contents of the
press conference. However, they didn’t expect the momentous surprise at the end.
Chapter 1494
The next moment, cheers erupted everywhere.
Just like an elegant prince, Larry walked up to Joan and brought out the ring he prepared. Kneeling
with one knee on the ground, he gazed longingly into Joan’s eyes.
“I love you Joan, marry me!”
“Marry him! Marry him…”
With everyone immersing themselves in the romantic moment, loud cheers rang out through the crowd.
Face with Larry’s affectionate gaze, Joan couldn’t help but cover her mouth in shock.
Everything before her felt so much like a fantasy that she couldn’t believe it herself.
She was already thankful that she could redeem her reputation at the press conference. Hence, she
didn’t expect Larry to come up with such a surprise at all.
“Joan, will you marry me?”
When he saw how emotional she was, Larry popped the question again.
“I will love you for the rest of my life and I will not allow you to come to any harm. I…”
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Joan’s sobbing voice.
“I will! I most definitely will!” Joan replied aloud as tears streamed down her cheeks.
After having gone through so much, nothing was more important than staying by each other’s side.
As she had never been this happy before, Joan looked at Larry and felt that he was the world to her.
“That’s wonderful!”
The moment was so beautiful that even the reporters were touched by it. Cameras began to flash
incessantly as they recorded the romantic moment.
Larry slowly stood up and lifted Joan’s right hand. He then helped her put on the ring while gazing
passionately into her eyes.
Joan, from now on, you will be known as Mrs. Norton.
Surrounded by anticipative stares, Larry kissed her on her tender lips.
The raging passion within his kiss spilled onto her endlessly, as if to show how strong his feelings for
her were.
Larry, from now till the end of time, till death do us part.
Showered with thunderous applause, Larry and Joan hugged each other affectionately.
Just when both of them were relishing the beautiful moment, something unexpected occurred.
Gabriella had just arrived at the press conference.
She was feeling guilty as she didn’t expect the matter to have escalated to that extent.
When she heard that Larry had organized a press conference, she began to panic and rushed to the
scene to see what was going to happen.
She had regretted her actions as the moment she was exposed, she would be spurned by the public.
Now, the only thing that gave her courage was the business relationship the Wards shared with the
Nortons.
She felt that Larry would restrain himself in order to preserve their partnership.
Obviously, Gabriella had overestimated the importance of her own family. Larry exposed her with total
disregard for the business relationship both families shared.
The moment she arrived at the press conference, she coincidentally saw Larry helping Joan put on the
ring followed by their affectionate hug.
At that moment, Gabriella charged forward hysterically as she couldn’t tolerate how happy Joan and
Larry were in front of her.
Larry is mine and can only be mine!
Just when she was making a commotion, her mouth was suddenly covered by someone.
Mmm… Mmm… Mmm…
Despite struggling vehemently and trying to shout, all Gabriella could manage was muffled screams.
The person who had caught her was none other than Caspian.
Evidently, Larry had expected Gabriella to cause trouble at the press conference. Just as a precaution,
he had arranged for Caspian to monitor the event so that Gabriella could be stopped the moment she
appeared.
Naturally, his fears turned out to be true. When Caspian noticed the maniacal Gabriella, he covered her
mouth and dragged her away.
Despite her desperate attempts to herself from Caspian, her struggles were futile as the difference in
strength was just too big.
Chapter 1495
Caspian easily dragged her to the entrance of Norton Corporation and threw her out of the building.
Gabriella almost fell to the ground from the shove. After regaining her balance, she became hysterical
as she had never suffered such humiliation before, especially as a daughter of the prominent Ward
family.
“You dog of the Nortons, do you know who I am? How dare you touch me!”
Gabriella continued to roar at Caspian, “Let me in, or else I will get Larry to fire you!”
Staring at Gabriella who had lost all senses, Caspian remained expressionless and replied calmly, “I’m
sorry Ms. Ward, my boss has told me that everyone is allowed to enter except for you.”
“That’s impossible! Larry would never treat me that way. How dare you keep me out?”
Caspian’s words had only served to infuriated Gabriella further.
“You must have decided to not let me in on your own accord!”
Gabriella refused to give up as she charged forward again, screaming.
“Let me in! Let me in!”
Standing in front of her, Caspian’s body was like an immovable mountain.
“You’re just a dog of the Nortons!” Gabriella was so outraged that she hurled a slap at Caspian’s face.
However, Caspian managed to catch her hand and glared coldly back at her.
You crazy woman. I had wanted to show you mercy but it seems that you are not appreciative of it.
Don’t blame me for being rough, then.
“You deserve this!” Just as he spoke, Caspian returned her slap.
Slap! As the crisp sound rang out, a palm print appeared on Gabriella’s face.
“You… you dare hit me?”
Gabriella looked at Caspian in disbelief. A mere bodyguard dared to slap me!
“My boss had ordered me to teach you a lesson if you continue to cause trouble. He said that he will
shoulder the responsibility of whatever happens.”
After slapping Gabriella, Caspian was filled with a sense of gratification. However, he dared not push
his luck. After all, she was a daughter of the Wards.
“Ms. Wards, my boss would like to warn you that if you continue to be difficult, he will expose you as
the mastermind of the kidnapping incident. When that happens, I’m afraid you will have to go to prison.”
Running thin on patience, Caspian issued her an ultimatum.
Evidently, Caspian’s threat of sending her to prison shook her back to her senses.
However, unwilling to leave quietly, she glared at Caspian and scowled, “Just you wait, I’ll get back at
you one day!”
Not wanting to be humiliated further, Gabriella quickly got into her car and drove away.
When she arrived home fuming and wanted to return to her room, she coincidentally ran into Landon.
She didn’t feel like talking to him, so she turned in another direction to avoid him.
“Stop where you are.”
Noticing that she was trying to hide, Landon called out to her. “Now that you’re back, I have something
to ask you.”
Realizing that there was no avoiding it, she turned around and replied with her head lowered, “What is
it, Dad?”
“Gabriella, I heard that the Norton Corporation has organized a press conference. Does it have
anything to do with you?”
Landon was just informed that his daughter was now in an awkward position for fabricating lies.
Storming downstairs in rage, he had wanted to find out the truth and didn’t expect to run into Gabriella.
“Dad, it’s nothing. Don’t worry.”
Unwilling to tell him, Gabriella planned to hide the truth from her father.
“Gabriella, I have heard some rumors. You must tell me everything truthfully. If you have gotten yourself
into any trouble, I will definitely help you.”
Landon looked affectionately at Gabriella. Given that she was the only child, he couldn’t tolerate her
being hurt in any way.
Chapter 1496
Landon’s words moved Gabriella, causing her to realize that only her own family would truly care about
her.
Holding that thought, her expression drastically changed when she recalled how caring Larry was
toward Joan.
However, she recovered her composure quickly as she didn’t want to lose her temper in front of
Landon.
When she saw that her father was waiting for her response, she gathered her thoughts and explained
to him what happened without any hesitation.
However, she left out one key detail. She only declared that she was in love with Larry but didn’t
mention Larry was in love with Joan.
Out of jealousy, she accused Joan of coming in between her relationship with Larry, and that Joan was
the third party. Furthermore, Gabriella also claimed she was manipulated by someone else into causing
the whole drama to unfold.
Throughout her explanation, she never admitted her role in the matter. All she did was blame her own
impulse.
“Tell me, were you the one who went to the press about the matter?” Landon asked skeptically once
Gabriella had finished.
“No, it wasn’t me. All I did was scold Joan out of anger. I didn’t expect the matter to escalate to such an
extent.”
Gabriella pretended to be in agony. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t made the wild accusations, this wouldn’t
have happened. I wouldn’t have ruined our family’s reputation and caused my good friend, Joan,
grievous hurt. Dad, you should punish me for what I have done.”
When he saw how repentant Gabriella was and the tears that welled up in her eyes, Landon’s heart
ached for his daughter. He consoled her, “Gabriella, although you acted on impulse this time, it isn’t
entirely your fault. It’s obvious someone has been using this episode to do harm to our family. Going
forward, you have to remember to keep your calm and think before you act.”
Evidently, Landon loved his daughter greatly. Not only did he believe Gabriella’s words entirely, he even
saw her as the victim and comforted her.
“I’ll keep that in mind and won’t repeat my mistake again, Dad,” Gabriella promised as she smiled
sweetly at her dad.
As long as my dad supports me, there’s nothing for me to worry about, Gabriella thought smugly to
herself.
“Gabriella, what happened to your face?”
When she looked up, Landon noticed the red print on her cheeks.
As she had returned home hastily, she forgot the mark that was left on her face. Now that Landon had
noticed it, she was stumped by his question.
“Tell me the truth, who hit you?”
Landon was obviously angered. “Who dared to hit my daughter? Do they have a death wish?”
Despite feeling encouraged by her dad’s support, she still pretended to be pitiful. “It was Larry’s
bodyguard that hit me. I wanted to apologize to Joan at the press conference but he didn’t allow to me
enter. Instead, he ridiculed me and even gave me a slap.”
Tears streamed down Gabriella’s cheeks as she related what happened to her father.
Regardless of whether it was done on purpose, her tears caused Landon to be outraged. “How dare a
lowly bodyguard hit you. I will call Larry to complain right away!”
Just as Landon picked up the phone angrily, Gabriella quickly stopped him.
“Dad, don’t. If you get into a quarrel with him, our family will be the ones to suffer. For the sake of our
business interest, let’s just endure it for the time being.”
Although Gabriella made it seem like she was concerned about her family, she was actually worried
that Larry would expose her lies once both men started arguing.
If that happened, the trust that she painstakingly gained from Landon would disappear, and she would
fall into dire circumstances.
For the sake of her long-term interests, Gabriella decided to bear with her grudge for the time being.
When Landon saw how sensible his daughter was for prioritizing the interests of the family, he couldn’t
help but smile in contentment.
Chapter 1497
Landon clenched his jaw. ”I’m proud that you’ve grown into such a fine and considerate young woman.
Alright, we’ll tolerate the matter for now. Don’t worry, even if we don’t start a feud against Norton
Corporation, I’ll still make them pay for harming my daughter!”
He then phoned someone and said, “This is Landon. Have we started our business collaboration with
Norton Corporation? No? Good. I want you to cancel the collaboration immediately because I’m no
longer interested in doing business with them. Compensation for breach of contract? Just pay it, then! I
want them to know what happens when they upset us Wards!”
What Landon canceled was a long-awaited business collaboration with Norton Corporation. Ward
Group’s sudden withdrawal was definitely going to cause Norton Corporation massive losses, but that
was nothing compared to the severe damages that Ward Group would face.
However, Landon was so consumed with avenging his daughter that he forgot to consider the
consequences of his actions.
A second passed when he finally realized how grave a mistake he had made. His thoughts scrambled
for a way to reverse his actions, but it was far too late now.
Damn it. My blind rage has single-handedly shoved our family company into a deep grave.
Unfortunately, this came as an afterthought.
Standing next to him, Gabriella was extremely touched by his father’s decision to defend her honor.
Her arms coiled around his neck as she placed a grateful kiss on his cheek.
“You’re the best, Dad!” Gabriella sang in a honeyed voice.
“Anything for my daughter.” Landon’s lips curled into an affectionate smile.
Unbeknownst to them, this incident would later become the catalyst for causing a major rift in their
relationship.
Meanwhile, Joan had officially become Larry’s fiancée now that she had accepted his marriage
proposal.
She terminated her lease and moved into Larry’s villa. This way, it was easier for them to share
romantic and intimate moments in their own private little bubble.
Joan’s eyes cracked open from sleep. She reached an arm over to Larry’s spot but realized that he had
already gotten out of bed.
She yawned and peeled her back off the bed, getting up to see what Larry was up to.
Soon enough, she saw Larry standing near the bedroom window. He stared blankly at the view outside
with a half-burnt cigarette between his fingers, unaware that Joan had approached him.
Back when Joan had left him, he picked up smoking as a way of relieving stress.
This developed into a habit over the years.
It was normally manageable when Joan was beside him. However, there were still times when he
would gravitate towards a cigarette naturally, especially when he felt troubled or when Joan wasn’t
around.
“Larry,” Joan called out softly from behind.
Once Larry heard her voice, he immediately put out his cigarette and turned to face Joan with a smile.
“You’re up early, why didn’t you sleep in a bit?”
“I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.” Joan paused and scrunched her brows into a frown. “Larry,
why are you smoking again? You know that it’s bad for you.”
“Force of habit.” Larry’s gentle gaze met hers as he apologized, “Sorry. I know how much you hate the
stale smell of cigarettes.”
Joan was well aware of Larry’s smoking habits. She knew that he picked it up because of how she
suddenly disappeared from his life back then, and the thought of this made her chest tighten with guilt.
She placed a hand on her belly and continued distressedly, “Larry, I know you started smoking because
of me. Now that we’re together again, will you please quit smoking? It’ll be best for you, me, and our
baby.”
Obviously, there was no way Larry would refuse after seeing Joan’s bright and hopeful eyes. Besides,
Joan was pregnant with his child now. He felt a sense of dread as he looked at her swollen belly,
feeling terrified of how smoking would negatively affect his child.
“Don’t worry, I promise I’ll stop from now onwards,” Larry spoke with an iron-like determination as he
wrapped his arms around Joan.
Laying against his chest cozily, Joan felt all fluttery inside. ”Good, now you have to keep your word! So
what happens if you don’t?”
“Then you can punish me however you see fit,” Larry chuckled at her adorable, cat-like smile.
Chapter 1498
“I trust that you won’t break your promise. After all, you have to set a good example for our children.”
Joan’s eyes squinted and her smile curved deeper as she teased Larry.
“An outstanding man like myself would never break promises,” Larry complimented himself, to which
Joan rolled her eyes.
Realizing that neither of them had breakfast yet, she asked thoughtfully, “What do you feel like having
for breakfast? I’ll make it for you.”
“Hmm… anything?” Larry grinned slyly.
“Of course, I’m sure I can whip anything up.”
Joan puffed her chest confidently, oblivious to the fact that she had fallen into Larry’s trap.
“How about… you!” Larry’s voice boomed while he scooped Joan up and carried her back to the bed.
Joan gasped. Her face burned a tomato-red once she realized his intentions. “Put me down, it’s too
early for this!”
“It’s never too early to stretch your muscles. Don’t you agree, Mrs. Norton?”
Playful laughter rumbled from Larry as he gently laid her onto the bed.
Desire clouded his eyes as he stared intensely at Joan.
Seeing this, Joan’s heart thumped louder and wilder in her chest. She felt dizzy with shyness, but more
so with anticipation.
Larry crawled toward her slowly, towering over Joan as their eyes met. Their faces were so close that
they could hear each other’s heavy breathing.
Joan exhaled. Her warm breath tingled the fine hairs on Larry’s face, driving him wild with lust.
He gazed affectionately at Joan before kissing her with an uninhibited passion. Soon, the temperature
in the room rose as romance filled the air.
An hour later, Joan lay on Larry’s chest panting while he stroked the strands of her pitch-black hair in
contentment.
“Larry, what should we name our baby?” Joan’s eyes rounded hopefully as she thought of the exciting
years to come.
He was still combing his fingers through her hair but paused to respond, ”Come now, silly. It’s still too
early to settle on a name. We should take our time to find the right one.”
“Then, do you prefer a boy or a girl?” Joan asked him seriously.
“Either is fine, as long as they’re our kids.”
Neither Larry nor his parents were biased toward having sons over daughters. Hence, Larry would love
his baby dearly, regardless of its gender.
“If it’s a boy, he has to be as exceptional as his daddy; if it’s a girl—” Joan trailed off as she fantasized
about their future.
“If it’s a girl, then she’ll be as beautiful and as kind as her mother. However, she has to inherit her
father’s intelligence, that’s not an option,” Larry finished her sentence.
Joan smiled giddily at his compliment, but that smile dropped as soon as she heard that last bit he said.
“Hey! Are you calling me dumb?” Joan huffed at him.
“Well, if the shoe fits.” Larry stuck his tongue out at her.
“I’m gonna get you for this!” Joan said through gritted teeth as she pounced onto Larry.
As soon as she did, he grinned dangerously at her. She knew what was coming from the way he
wriggled his fingers.
“N-no! Don’t tickle me, don’t you dare!” Joan roared once his fingers reached the sides of her waist.
“You meanie!”
“H-hahaha, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please stop!” Joan begged as she squirmed around.
Helplessness filled Joan’s exhausted body. If I knew it would end like this, I wouldn’t have tried to tackle
him.
After their tickle fight, Larry tensed as he brought up a serious matter.
“Joan, I need you to pack some clothes. We’re going to visit your parents and tell them about our
marriage, as well as ask for their approval.”
Although Joan accepted my proposal, I still haven’t gotten her parents’ approval yet.
“Okay, let’s go after breakfast then.”
Joan instantly agreed because she had hoped to tell her parents about the good news as soon as she
could.
“Aren’t you worried that your parents won’t approve of me or our marriage?” Larry questioned curiously
after seeing how eager Joan was.
Chapter 1499
“Why would I be worried?” Joan’s eyes sparkled with adoration at him. “I have the utmost faith that you,
my boyfriend, is not some ordinary guy that they’ll reject so easily.”
Despite her confidence in him, she still felt the need to warn him to be on his best behavior.
So she added, “But don’t be too arrogant! My mom’s not too fussy, but getting my dad’s approval won’t
be an easy task.”
Larry’s confidence soared as he bragged, “Relax. It’s like you said, I’m not some ordinary guy. I’m sure
Mr. and Mrs. Watts will love me.”
“Wow.” Joan rolled her eyes as she pouted, “I compliment you once, and now you’re getting big-
headed.”
Larry chuckled softly at her.
When Joan first met Larry’s parents, he insisted that Joan didn’t need to show up with a visiting gift.
However, now that it was Larry’s turn to meet her parents, he prowled at every shop in the mall for gifts.
Even Joan couldn’t stop him.
“Okay, that’s more than enough. You need to stop!” Joan ushered, but to no avail.
Larry’s bodyguard, Caspian, had already made two trips to pack away the gifts into the car. Yet, he
currently had various bags looped around his arms as he carried tall stacks of gift boxes.
“Just a little more.” Larry was unswayed by Joan. He continued to sift through gifts while ordering,
“Caspian, take these back to the car. We’ll be done soon.”
Caspian couldn’t help but slump at this. “Sir, we should stop now since this seems plentiful enough.”
“Oh? Caspian, are you incapable of transporting the gifts? or is it because you think you know better?”
Larry then shot a cold glare at Caspian, “Are you doubting my orders?”
“Never, Sir. Your word is the law.” Caspian forced a smile. You’re the boss.
Larry scoffed before his focus begrudgingly returned to the infinite display of gifts before him.
“This seems like a good amount, right?” Larry eventually mumbled.
“Yes!” Joan hurriedly linked her arm around his. “That’s more than enough. Let’s go, dear.”
Dissatisfaction lurked in Larry’s voice as he replied, “I guess this is it for now then. Caspian, make the
payment with my card.”
“Right away, Sir.”
Despite carrying many bags and boxes, Caspian dashed without dropping a single item. He moved
with haste, relieved that he was finally released from his shopping duties.
Larry realized just how much he had bought once all the gifts were piled into the car. It was as if brightly
colored bags and boxes had exploded in the entirety of the car’s trunk.
“Caspian, you’ll have to take a cab back on your own.”
It just wouldn’t be right to bring my bodyguard along to visit my parents-in-law.
“Sure thing, Sir. I’ll be off then.” Caspian nodded politely.
He then turned and nodded with an equal amount of respect for Joan. “I’ll take my leave, Ma’am.”
Caspian definitely felt like Joan was equally, if not more formidable than Larry. Hence, it was better to
tread carefully than to cross her.
Joan was stunned for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter.
“Ma’am” was definitely an interesting title that she had never expected to be called.
Larry chuckled along, feeling pleased with her new title before waving for her to get moving. “Let’s head
back.”
On the drive there, Joan snuck multiple glances at Larry to see if he was nervous. To her
disappointment, Larry’s face remained gravely calm.
Larry caught onto her suspicious behavior and teased, “Are you staring at me because of my dashing
looks?”
“Aren’t you nervous?” Joan blurted. I was such a nervous wreck when I first met his parents, so how is
he not freaking out right now?
“What is there to be nervous about? I’m simply meeting your parents,” Larry hummed complacently.
“Not everyone wets themselves as you did.”
At this, Joan pouted and focused on the passing scenery outside the window.
Once she wasn’t looking, the corner of Larry’s lips twitched subtly. Silly girl, there’s no way that I’m not
nervous!
Chapter 1500
Although Larry felt confident, there was still no saying if Joan’s parents would approve of him.
Nevertheless, he plastered on a calm and collected expression, lest Joan mocks him.
The rest of the two-hour drive went by swiftly. Larry had been to her parent’s place before, so he
navigated the road well.
“Mom, Dad, I’m home!” Joan announced out of habit.
“Joan! You’re back.” Mrs. Watts came to greet her.
Seconds after, Mr. Watts paced out of his study and approached them too.
Mrs. Watts beamed brightly, but her smile faltered when she saw Larry standing next to Joan.
“Joan! Why didn’t you tell me that you would be bringing a guest?” Mrs. Watts’ panicked gaze darted
back to her daughter. “I didn’t prepare any refreshments or snacks!”
“Mom, it’s fine. He’s not some outsider,” Joan giggled.
Not some outsider? Mrs. Watts stilled. Does that mean… he’s her boyfriend?
The thought of this straightened Mrs. Watts’ back. She then eyed Larry from top to bottom.
Not bad. Not bad at all. An approving smile grew on Mrs. Watts’ face as she scanned every inch of
Larry’s appearance. He was tall and handsome, yet elegant and well-composed at the same time. All of
this won Mrs. Watts over.
Once both her parents had gathered before them, Joan announced proudly, “Mom, Dad. This is my
boyfriend—Larry Norton.”
Larry took the chance to step forward and give a slight bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs.
Watts.”
We’ve met before, Mr. Watts. Larry couldn’t help but wonder if the man remembered him as well.
Mr. Watts briefly smiled in acknowledgment of Larry’s greeting. Unbeknownst to Larry, Mr. Watts did
remember him.
Joan’s boyfriend, huh? I’ll be the judge of whether he’s worthy enough to be with my daughter.
It wasn’t a lie when people say that fathers are their daughters’ first love. Mr. Watts had always spoiled
Joan, and even to this point, he wanted the very best man for his daughter. So he examined Larry’s
every move and every breath with extreme prejudice.
“Alright now,” Mrs. Watts said. She wasn’t as fussy as her husband when it comes to Larry’s worth. All
she knew was that she really liked this well-behaved young man and approved him as her future son-
in-law.
“Come in, Larry. You guys have a seat while I make you some tea.”
“Please don’t trouble yourself, Mrs. Watts.” Larry smiled before turning to Joan and said, “You go on in.
I’ll bring over the gifts from the trunk.”
“Mm-hmm. You go ahead,” Joan replied in a singsong voice.
“Oh my! You didn’t have to bring gifts. Your presence is more than enough.”
Mrs. Watts’ lips parted into a wide grin.
She had hoped that her daughter would find a good man and settle down happily.
Now that Joan had formally introduced such an exceptional man as her boyfriend, Mrs. Watts’ face lit
up with glee. She couldn’t contain the joy that warmed in her chest.
In the following ten minutes, the Watts watched as Larry carried boxes and bags of gifts from his trunk
over to the living room. They initially didn’t think much of it, but as the minutes went by, Mr. and Mrs.
Watts’ jaws gradually dropped in shock.
“Joan, what’s all this?” Mrs. Watts asked.
Joan shrugged helplessly. “I told him not to get so many gifts, but he kept insisting.”
“Do you think that’s the last of it?”
“Hmm, seems like it.”
“Why is he still going, then?”
“Give him a minute. I’m sure he’s almost done.”
“Is that it?”
“I-I’m not so sure anymore.”
The Watts’ eyes widened in disbelief once Larry was done moving the gifts.
There was now a mountain-like pile of gifts that almost reached the ceiling in the living room. At this,
Mrs. Watts twiddled her thumbs. “Did you guys buy everything in the mall?”
Larry chuckled before calmly explaining, “I wanted to get you guys gifts since it’s our first time meeting.
However, I didn’t know what you guys liked, so I got a bit of everything. Once we get to know each
other better, I’ll bring over gifts that you prefer the next time I visit.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Larry.” Mrs. Watts grinned from ear to ear, feeling more and more
satisfied with her daughter’s choice in men.
“But really, there’s no need for gifts in the future. I’ll be more than happy if you two visit us often. Don’t
you agree, darling?”