Ch. 1841..1850
Chapter 1841
Chapter 1841 Dustin Joins The Shopping Spree
Joan’s body stiffened, and she couldn’t move an inch upon hearing it.
“Hey, Joan, why are you standing still? Come on!” Nancy urged her to move quickly.
“Ah? Okay.” Joan immediately hung up the phone and sent a message to Dustin.
“Joan, did something happen?” Nancy hoped that she wouldn’t be leaving so soon.
Given that Joan seldom went shopping with her, she was excited to have Joan’s company now.
“Nothing. Dustin will be here soon,” Joan said softly.
“Why is he coming here?” Nancy asked disgruntledly.
Considering the close friendship between Dustin and Jory, she certainly didn’t have a good impression
of Dustin.
“Well, he’s here to help you carry the bags.” Joan patted Nancy’s shoulder gently.
As Nancy glanced at the bags, her lips curled into a wry smile.
Soon, Dustin appeared before the two women.
“Hey, Dustin, carry these for me,” Nancy deliberately said.
Dustin gazed at Nancy and pursed his lips in dissatisfaction.
How could Nancy ask me to carry the bags for her the moment I arrived? She’s too snobbish.
Besides, does she want the two credit cards?
“Ahem. Before I came here, Jory gave me two credit cards. He told me that you can swipe the cards
whenever you want,” Dustin purposely said loudly so that Nancy could hear it.
“Dustin, thank you for coming. Please take some rest,” Nancy replied smilingly.
Dustin couldn’t help but chuckle quietly upon hearing it As expected, money comes first.
Shortly afterward, Nancy came up to Dustin and acted cutely.
“Dustin, I’ve maxed out my card. Please give me the two cards,” Nancy said gently.
Good god, now she thinks I’m important and didn’t ask me to carry her bags anymore?
“Hey, Nancy, do you think you should thank me for bringing the two cards for you?” Dustin said.
What is the jerk thinking?
Nancy held in her emotions and pretended to act like a simple-minded girl.
“Of course, Dustin. Buy anything you want, and I’ll pay for it!” Nancy announced loudly.
Humph! I’m sure he’s trying to take advantage of me! Well, I’ll let him buy using the cards! After all, he
has to be responsible for it if the two cards max out!
This is the best way.
“Well, you said it, not me. Let’s go and swipe the cards!” The next moment, Dustin walked into a luxury
goods store without hesitation.
“Boss, I want this and this.”
“Oh, I want that too!”
As the two began their spending spree, Joan doubted if Dustin was here to keep Nancy company or
the other way round. Besides, Dustin didn’t seem to be worried about using Jory’s credit cards!
“Hey, don’t go too far,” Joan reminded them and pointed at the bags behind them.
“Hey, Joan, get some credit cards from Larry if you envy us. Don’t worry about Nancy because Jory is
damn rich. Am I right, Nancy?” Dustin said while patting Nancy’s shoulder.
“Indeed. It’s fine, Joan. He is wealthy and doesn’t need the money anyway.” After that, she continued to
shop with Dustin.
Joan suddenly felt like escape.
Actually, Larry did give some credit cards to Joan as well. Nonetheless, Joan rarely used the cards, for
she thought she didn’t lack anything so far.
“Joan, where are you? Come here quickly!” Nancy yelled.
“Joan, come and carry the bags for me!” Dustin also screamed at her.
At this moment, Joan suddenly felt that she wanted to strangle Dustin to death. How dare he instructs
me to carry his bags? ”Joan, be quick. Why are you dilly dallying?”
The shopping spree finally ended after they shopped for almost a day. Joan felt exhausted, while
Nancy and Dustin looked satisfied and delighted.
Ding, ding, ding…
Joan heaved a sigh of relief after gazing at the words on her screen.
“What happened? Why are you panting?” Larry asked worriedly over the phone.
Chapter 1842
Chapter 1842 It Felt Great To Be Loved
Larry felt a strong urge to get in touch with Joan because it had been a day since he last heard from
her. Little did he know the things she had to go through when that particular thought crossed his mind.
If it was possible, she would rather spend a life without having encountered Dustin and Nancy, ever.
Joan, who was relatively exhausted, replied in a hushed voice, “I’m still shopping.”
Larry was thrilled because he thought she had learned to indulge and started utilizing the wealth he
had bestowed upon her.
“What have you bought? Do you have enough quota?” Larry asked.
“Huh? I’m just here to carry the things they have bought.”
After a short while, Larry hung up the call the moment he figured out the truth.
He called Dustin and yelled the moment the phone got through, “Dustin, do you consider yourself a
man? How dare you ask a woman to carry your things on your behalf?”
Although they were friends, Larry couldn’t hold back his frustration anymore because the woman he
loved wholeheartedly had to serve someone else.
On the other hand, Dustin, who was reprimanded out of the blue, noticed there was another woman
behind them.
“O-Oh! I-I’m so sorry!”
Although Dustin had apologized, Larry went on and yelled at him to vent his frustration before hanging
up the call.
Oh, God! I’m doomed!
Staring at Joan with an awkward expression, Dustin was utterly speechless because he had offended
Larry when he planned to get the better of him.
“Ms. Watts, allow me to carry those myself! Thank you so much for taking care of these on our behalf!”
Dustin tried to flatter Joan.
On the other hand, Joan was on her guard against the suspicious man. She felt as though he was up to
no good because his attitude drastically changed within a few seconds. What does he want from me?
I’m pretty sure something’s going on behind the scenes! Joan continued sizing Dustin up with a
suspicious look in silence.
He nudged her and said, “I have something to tell you!”
“What is it?” Joan asked and took a peek at him.
“When you’re home, can you please tell Larry we never meant to mistreat you? I mean, some of the
things I have bought are for him as well.” Dustin stared at the things he bought, behaving as though he
couldn’t bear to send them away.
Some of these belong to Larry? Are you sure you’re not lying just because you want to flatter him? I’m
pretty sure you have bought these for yourself!
Staring at the things he had bought, Joan responded with a vicious smirk and assured, “No problem!”
Since they are gifts, why not?
As she thought to herself, she continued smirking because a call from Larry was all it would take to do
the trick. She knew Larry would call Dustin, yet it was beyond her expectation for Dustin to behave like
a different person within a few seconds.
Since Dustin had learned his lesson, Joan honored her promise and refrained from bringing the
incident up in front of Larry once she was home.
Larry sized Joan up and asked concernedly, “How are you? Are you tired?”
“Don’t worry. Apart from having a pair of sore legs, everything else is fine.”
Joan reassured him with a bright grin because she was overwhelmed by the feelings of being loved.
“You’re such a fool!” Larry wrapped his arms around her waist.
Meanwhile, Nancy, who had fully utilized the limits of Jory’s credit cards, showed no signs of guilt at all.
Dustin announced, “Alright, you’re home.”
“Thanks!” Once Nancy expressed her gratitude, she alighted from the car.
She pointed at the back of the car and instructed, “Hey, Dustin! The trunk please!”
Staring at the woman in front of him with a confused look, he couldn’t comprehend her words because
there was nothing else apart from his clothes in the trunk.
Nancy kicked the door and repeated herself, “I need to get my clothes! Hurry up!”
Since Dustin couldn’t afford to offend the woman, he immediately did as instructed and opened his
trunk.
The moment he did, he started regretting his decision.
“H-Hey! Nancy, what are you doing? Those belong to me!” Dustin raised his volume and directed his
query at her.
“What do you mean those are yours? I have bought all of these for Jory using his card! You’re allowed
to tag along because I needed someone to try out the outfits.” Once Nancy made herself clear, she
brought everything away with her.
Has she always been such a domineering woman?
Chapter 1843
It was undeniable Dustin and Jory had one thing in mutual—their figure.
Although Jory and Nancy were in the middle of a fight, they still held their better half dear in their mind.
Jory, who was on the couch, was heartbroken because Nancy seemed to be completely worn out,
throwing everything to the ground the moment she entered the house.
“Why have you bought so many things? Aren’t you tired?” Jory asked.
Is he upset when it has barely caused any dent in his account?
“Am I not allowed to buy the things I like?” Nancy asked rhetorically with her lips pursed.
Glancing at the woman in front of him, he stated, “You can get everything you desire without holding
back, okay? If these aren’t enough, feel free to go for another round of shopping spree tomorrow.”
“Stop being such a busybody!” Nancy brought herself into her room once she answered him in a
petulant manner.
Jory responded with a self-deprecating smirk because he might have to spend a fortune to please her
whenever she was irked in the future.
Nonetheless, he was determined to do whatever it would take to please her.
When Jory caught his phone buzzing, he noticed it was a call from Dustin.
“What’s wrong?” He picked up the call immediately he had been anticipating it.
“Don’t you think it’s too much? Your woman had bought all my favorite shirts for you when I was the
one keeping her company throughout the entire day! I deserve some credit as well, okay?” Dustin
complained.
When Jory heard him, he was thrilled and offered, “All right, all right. I’ll get you something to
compensate you for the time you have spent in the near future.”
“No! I want you to get it for me tomorrow! Otherwise, return everything she has purchased to me!”
Dustin named his condition because he couldn’t wait to figure out Jory’s next best course of action.
Should Jory return the clothes to him, Nancy would be irked. On the other hand, should he refuse to
return it, it would make him seem like a stingy man.
“Alright, I’ll get you whatever you want tomorrow.” Jory hung up the call after he answered Dustin’s
query.
Meanwhile, Nancy, who had shut herself in her room, has no intention to go back downstairs. Neither
does she have any intention of telling Jory that those clothes are the ones she brought for him.
After some time, Nancy fell into a deep slumber because the pent-up fatigue had caught up to her.
“Nancy, it’s time for dinner.”
When Jory knocked on the door, no one answered him because she was in the middle of a sweet
dream.
Jory knocked on the door and instructed, “Nancy, it’s time to wake up. Hurry up and get yourself ready.”
On top of that, he needed her to deal with the piled-up things in the living room because she had
bought those.
Nancy, who was relatively haggard, opened her eyes after she was roused from her sleep.
Yawning, she walked in the direction of the living room and said, “Jory, I have bought those for you.”
I think she’s still half asleep. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have initiated a conversation with me.
He felt a heartwarming sensation deep down when he figured out she had bought those for him.
When he wrapped his arm around her from behind, Nancy returned to her senses and became wide
awake.
Jory placed his head on her shoulder and said, “Nancy, thanks!”
“Why don’t you explain the things going on between you and Gabriella before expressing your
gratitude?” Nancy deadpan said a rhetorical question in return.
Jory was conscious the woman in between his arm was jealous. He had always wanted to explain the
things going on between them, yet he was frustrated and refused to explain it because she had spent a
night elsewhere.
He carried on with the conversation, holding her face in an intimate manner. “Actually, nothing’s going
on between us. I merely gave her a hand to help her up.”
Halfway through his speech, he paused and added in an aggrieved front, “Can you promise to refrain
from spending the night away from home? I searched everywhere for you when you weren’t home!”
Nancy chuckled because of the man’s serious look.
She finally got over her nightmare because they had patched things up and sorted out the
misunderstanding.
After things returned to the way they were supposed to be, everyone moved on with their respective
life.
Larry and Joan were as lovey dovey as always. Occasionally, they would show the affection they had
for one another through their social media accounts. Dustin would roll his eyes because he was the
only single man amongst his peers.
Chapter 1844
Chapter 1844 You Are Unreliable
Upon a simple glance at her phone, Joan noticed she had received a call from Larry.
“Joan, can you head into the room and see if there’s a document on the table?” Larry asked.
She rushed into the room without further ado and saw a document on the table.
Joan asked, “Yes! Do you need me to bring it over to you?”
“Yes! Please send it over as soon as possible!” Larry answered in a hurry.
Hearing his reply, she dare not delay because the man seemed to be in a desperate need of the
document.
“Alright, I’m on my way!” Joan assured him once she made her way out.
Unfortunately, she was caught in traffic when she was on her way there.
Larry made another call and asked, “Hello? Joan? Where are you? Are you reaching yet? What’s your
estimated time of arrival?”
“Calm down, Larry. I’m caught in traffic.”
“Hurry up! I need it for an important conference!” He hung up the call after he delivered his instruction.
Perhaps he was in a hurry—he couldn’t be bothered to mind his choices of words at all.
“Sir, please hurry up! I’m in the middle of something!” Joan requested in a quivering voice because she
was afraid the board of directors would give Larry a hard time.
The driver answered, “Miss, I’m afraid that’s impossible because of the current situation.”
They were caught in heavy congestion when it was just another weekday. In fact, it wasn’t even the
peak hours of the day.
Staring at her watch as time went by, Joan got increasingly anxious.
As she was about to cry, she asked, “Sir, do you know any nearby shortcut? I’m really in a hurry!”
The driver glanced at Joan with an innocent look and answered, “Miss, you need to stop yelling at me
because there’s nothing I can do.”
Soon, she received another call.
Larry could barely suppress his frustration. He asked, “Joan, what on earth is wrong with you? It has
been half an hour! Have you made your way over with a bike? Even if it’s a bike, you should have long
reached! Where the heck are you?”
“Larry, I’m still on my way! I’m just a few corners away! Please calm down and wait for me!” Joan
explained.
Suddenly, the driver announced, “Miss, I’m afraid it’s going to take at least another twenty minutes
before we can get out of this heavily congested road.”
She glared at the driver and wondered if he had deliberately announced it to irk her when it was evident
she was in a hurry.
“What? Twenty minutes? Joan, are you sure you’re not messing around with me? If you can’t reach
here in time, just be frank and stop wasting my time! The shareholders are going to pick on me for
being unreliable again! You don’t have to bring those over anymore! I should have dealt with it because
you’re not reliable at all.” Larry hung up the call immediately after he finished his orated speech.
Joan was stupefied because Larry had never been so harsh with his words.
She knew it must be an important conference. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so harsh with his
words and raised his volume against her.
When the driver saw Joan’s disappointed look, he asked, “Miss, are we still heading over or not?”
He asked in a hushed voice because he had heard the content of the duo’s conversation since Larry
was at the top of his lungs.
“Yes!” She looked out the window in an attempt to divert her attention from the harsh remarks.
In the end, a single drop of tear streamed down her cheek.
The driver tried to console the dejected woman. “Miss, are you okay? You shouldn’t take his words
personally because he seemed to be in a hurry.”
He started being a nice guy when he was the one behind the duo’s conflict a few minutes ago.
Joan enunciated her reply, “I’m fine.”
As the congested traffic finally cleared up, the driver added, “Miss, it’s perfectly fine for a man to be
ambitious. In fact, you should consider yourself lucky because of his ambition. Otherwise, he couldn’t
support the family. On top of that—”
Chapter 1845
Chapter 1845 A Bad Feeling About It
“Sir, why don’t you focus on driving? I’m well aware of the things you have in mind,” Joan muttered her
reply.
“I consider myself an ambitious man as well. In fact, I—”
“Hey, Sir! Hit the brakes!” Joan yelled because a truck was about to bump into them.
Unfortunately, the driver failed to respond in time because he had his focus on something else.
Bam! As a result, the car was sent flying.
The driver ended up on the pole that was a few feet away, whereas Joan ended up in the river that was
next to the bridge. Since it was a river with strong currents and a seemingly bottomless pit, the
onlookers deemed it impossible for Joan to be alive.
After the onlookers surrounded the scene, the police officers and the paramedics showed up at the
scene.
Meanwhile, the driver of the truck had disappeared into thin air.
In the meantime, Larry was in the meeting room, sharing his tentative plan for the upcoming quarter
with the shareholders.
One of the shareholders said, “Mr. Norton, I think it’s better to put the plan on hold for the time being.”
Someone added, “He’s right because we can’t pinpoint the strength of your proposal. Although we’re
not against the idea of implementing changes, it’s different from the way things have worked over the
years. I’m afraid only a mere few can adapt accordingly if we implement such a drastic change over
such a short time.”
Larry glanced at the shareholders in the meeting room. He knew they wouldn’t take his proposal into
consideration, let alone executing it.
“Mr. Norton, don’t you think it’s too much of a risk?”
Larry sneered because of the cunning bunch’s response. He announced, “Since everyone has a
different opinion, let’s keep the rest of the discussion for another day.”
He needed the document Joan had with her to prove himself. Unfortunately, he had left both copies at
home.
“Dustin? Why are you here?” Nancy asked the moment she saw him.
Although she was on good terms with him, ever since he spent a night with Larry and started
scamming him, she was constantly on her guard against this suspicious man. She couldn’t help but
wonder if he had a different sexual orientation in spite of the fact he used to be head over heels with
Joan.
“What? Am I not allowed to be here?” Dustin glanced at her in return.
He knew he wasn’t supposed to offend the wealthy heiress in front of him. Nonetheless, after the last
two trips they had made together, their relationship had drastically improved. Thus, he stopped holding
back his words.
“Why don’t you head over and pay Larry a visit?” Nancy brought up the suggestion in an attempt to
chase him away.
Unfortunately, it would take something more than that to send him away.
“Why would I want to pay him a visit when I’m here for Mr. Synder?” Dustin wrapped his arm around
Jory’s neck and announced while staring at Nancy in the eyes.
“Dustin, stop being such a shameless man! I’ll get Joan over to teach you a lesson!” Immediately after
she warned him, she reached for her phone and made a call.
She frowned because no one picked up the call in spite of the numerous attempts made.
Usually, Joan would pick up the phone within a few seconds after the call was made. However, it had
already been a few minutes since Nancy’s first attempt to reach her, yet no one picked up the call.
Nancy had a bad feeling about it, but she couldn’t be sure if it was just her gut feeling messing with her
brain.
After a short while, she asked, “Hey, why isn’t Joan picking up the phone? She might be in the middle
of something, but it has been such a long time since my last attempt to reach her. Why hasn’t she
returned the call?”
Previously, Joan would revert back to Nancy’s call as soon as possible should she notice she had
missed a few incoming calls.
Dustin reprimanded, “Nancy, what sort of nonsense are you talking about? You need to stop
overthinking things.”
She shook her head in an attempt to get a grip on herself because nothing could possibly go wrong
since she had Larry with her.
Mmm! I must be overthinking things again!
When Jory opened the television, the news anchor announced, “A serious accident has occurred at the
construction site of the bridge. The driver of the cab was rushed to the hospital, yet the passenger was
nowhere to be found. On the other hand, the driver behind the accident had fled the scene. According
to the police, the passenger was a female, her current identity unknown.”
Chapter 1846
Chapter 1846 Where Is She
Dustin exclaimed, “Oh, God! It’s such a serious accident!”
“The driver had fled the scene, and it occurred at the construction site of the bridge? It feels like
something fishy is going on behind the seemingly coincidental accident,” Jory added.
Nancy had no idea what was wrong with her—her eyes started brimming with tears as she listened to
the news.
“Nancy, what’s wrong with you? Why are you weeping when the accident has nothing to do with you?”
Dustin tried to pull the woman’s leg once again.
She couldn’t comprehend the rationale behind her seemingly absurd response either. All along, she
deemed those involved the ones at fault. Whenever she came across such news in the past, she would
consider it just another one of the news. She thought it was karma because no one would be run over
by a truck for no apparent reason. The accidents were nothing more than the consequences of their
own actions.
In contrast, she stopped having such irresponsible thoughts when she heard the particular news—she
found the victim pitiable for passing on at such a young age.
Nancy sniffled and said, “Don’t you guys find the victim pitiable? She’s so young, yet she ends up in
such a serious accident. They can’t even locate her.”
Indeed, no one could make it through such a serious accident unscathed.
Jory wrapped his arms around the woman’s waist and consoled, “It’s fine as long as we’re fine. You
need to stop overthinking things, okay?”
Meanwhile, Larry, who had returned home, noticed Joan was nowhere to be seen.
When he got overly worked up and said she wouldn’t have to bring the document over anymore, it was
an instruction to get her to return home.
Similarly, Joan was conscious of the meaning behind the infuriated man’s double innuendo, yet she
insisted on bringing the document over.
“Joan?” Larry was at the top of his lungs, yet he failed to acquire any response.
He repeated himself for one more time, “Joan?”
Since he failed to acquire any response, he reached for his phone and made a call, yet his effort was to
no avail.
Where could she be? Larry’s face puckered in confusion because he had a bad feeling about it.
It felt as though something serious was about to occur soon, but he couldn’t be sure if it was a mere
feeling.
Larry tried to reach Joan through the phone over and over again, yet no one picked up the call.
Anxious, he called Dustin and asked, “Is Joan with you?”
Dustin answered Larry’s query, “Huh? No? It has been a day since our last encounter.”
Yelling, he asked, “Are you sure you’re not lying? Tell me the truth, Dustin!”
On the other end of the call, Dustin was utterly dumbfounded because Larry had gotten worked up out
of the blue.
Dustin asked in return, “No! I have never seen her! Why? What’s wrong?”
Judging by Larry’s question and anxious tone, Dustin knew something was wrong and thought Joan
had gone missing again.
“Larry, have you gotten into another fight with Joan? Can’t you tolerate her as a fellow man?”
“Shut up and get going to locate her already!” Larry wrapped up their conversation and hung up the
call.
Dustin was dumbfounded by Larry’s yelling.
Has something happened to Joan? ”What’s wrong?” Jory asked.
“Joan has gone missing,” Dustin gasped out his reply with his eyes glinting.
“Has she headed somewhere else without informing us?” Jory asked.
Is that possible? It’s perfectly fine for her to keep us in the dark, but it’s odd for Larry to be unaware of
his agenda!
“Larry can’t get his hands on her whereabouts either,” Dustin added.
Nancy jolted up from her seat and yelled, “See! I knew something was wrong! Hurry up and dispatch
our men to locate her!”
As a result, everyone went berserk and started searching high and low for the missing Joan.
“Hey, Larry! Do you remember the time of your last conversation with Joan?” Dustin asked.
That might serve as a clue for them to get their hands on Joan’s whereabouts.
Larry shared everything with Dustin. “I asked her to bring my document to my office because I needed
it for something urgent. In anticipation of her arrival, I was on pins and needles and made a few calls.
She told me she was caught in heavily congested traffic…”
Chapter 1847
Chapter 1847 I Need Your Help
“It has been such a long time! Where could she be?” Jory looked at Dustin in the eyes with a serious
expression.
Nancy broke the silence, asking in a quivering voice, “Jory, could something bad happen to Joan?”
He asserted, “Joan has always been a kindhearted woman. I’m sure she’s fine.”
All of a sudden, Dustin yelled, “Larry, you’re such a jerk! What the heck is wrong with you? How could
you take things out on her when it was your fault for leaving the document behind?”
When everyone heard the conversation, they figured out the timeline of the entire incident.
With that being said, they knew it would take more than such a trivial thing to get Joan to run away from
home. She had always been an understanding woman. On top of that, Larry was the man she loved
wholeheartedly. As he had always been an ambitious man, she would understand he was merely
overwhelmed by emotions.
Jory reminded the frustrated man, “Dustin, it’s not time for us to blame one another. We need to get our
hands on Joan’s whereabouts as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, Nancy was taken aback because it was the first time Dustin lost his cool in front of her. She
was surprised to find out the man she had always considered a gentleman could morph into such an
intimidating figure.
Dustin screamed, “Stop standing around and get going already!”
When they were about to leave, a police officer approached them and asked, “Hello, are you guys
acquainted with Ms. Watts?”
The bunch simultaneously answered, “Yes!”
The police officer carried on in a hushed voice, “She was involved in a major accident when she was in
a cab. Up until now, we still couldn’t locate her.”
Suddenly, Larry’s mind went completely blank as fear took him by surprise.
No! It can’t be! How could Joan be involved in an accident when she was merely on her way to deliver
the document? He took a few steps back and supported himself against the wall to prevent himself
from collapsing.
“Sir, are you sure you have the right person? It couldn’t be Joan. She’s still—” Dustin couldn’t finish his
sentence because his voice started quivering unwittingly.
“I’m here to verify if she’s the victim because the passenger goes by the name of Joan. I need your
help because I can’t be certain if we’re talking about the same person.”
“Here’s the photo of the victim.”
When the police officer handed over a photo to Dustin, Larry looked elsewhere because he dared not
look at the photo.
The moment Dustin took over the photo, he was petrified because they had been talking about the
same woman all along.
“Where is she? Have you guys found her? Please bring us to her at once!” Dustin begged. Judging by
his response, the rest of the party knew the one involved in the accident was none other than the Joan
they knew.
Suddenly, Larry sprinted out while yelling, “J-Joan! Joan!”
“Jory, please go after Larry and stop him from trying anything silly!” Nancy begged Jory to do her a
favor because she was afraid Larry couldn’t handle the truth.
Jory went after Larry and yelled, “Larry, we’ll head over to the scene together.”
Immediately, Larry brought himself to a halt and looked at the police officer, hoping it wouldn’t be as
bad as he thought.
The police officer replied, “Alright, I’ll bring you over, but please refrain from damaging the scene.”
The police officer was aware the party might have a hard time embracing the truth. Thus, he offered to
drive them to the scene.
After the police officer pulled over in front of a severely ruined guardrail, he announced, “We have
reached the scene of the accident.”
When they saw the puddle of blood that was nearby, the police officer explained, “That belongs to the
driver. As for Joan, she’s nowhere to be seen, but there’s a huge probability she has ended up in the
river. According to the gathered data, no one has ever made it out unscathed.”
Staring at the strong current of the bottomless pit, Nancy was overwhelmed by a retching urge.
Not even a veteran swimmer could swim his way back to the shore under such circumstances, let
alone Joan who couldn’t swim.
Chapter 1848
Chapter 1848 She Will Return To Us
“Arghh!” Suddenly, Larry got down on his knees and started wailing hysterically, “Joan, where are you?”
Dustin rushed over and threw a punch at Larry in the face.
“It’s all because of you, Larry! If it weren’t because of you and your document, she wouldn’t have to
make the trip! You have brought upon her demise!” He yelled and threw another few punches at him to
vent his anger.
Larry, who was down on his knees, couldn’t be bothered at all. He allowed Dustin to punch him in the
face without defending himself.
“Dustin, calm down! No one wants any of this!” Jory rushed over and held Dustin in between his arms
to stop his friend from going berserk.
“What kind of a joke is this? He’s the almighty Larry! As Joan’s man, he’s supposed to take good care
of her, yet he has taken things out on her! Joan is dead because of him!” Dustin tried to kick Larry who
was on the ground.
Nancy sprinted over to Larry’s side and tried to help the dejected man up. However, he refused to bring
himself up and insisted on kneeling.
Sniffling, Nancy urged, “Larry, stop behaving as such when we have yet to find Joan! You can’t give up
just yet! What if she’s really fine? Pull yourself together and start searching for her already!”
Holding Nancy’s arms, Larry asked with his eyes flickering in fear, “Nancy, can you please be frank with
me? Do you think Joan is dead as well?”
Nancy asserted with a determined look, “No! She’s going to be just fine since she has always been
such a kindhearted woman! I’m sure she’ll return to us!”
“If that’s the case, why are you crying? Joan is fine! She will be fine and return to us! Soon, we’ll start a
family together!” Larry buried his face in his hands and muttered to himself.
Pointing at Larry in the face, Dustin warned the dejected man, “Family? To hell you go! Stop behaving
like you’re the victim when she’s not around! Larry, you better pray Joan is safe and sound! Otherwise,
I won’t forgive you!”
Jory wasn’t about to give up just yet. He asked, “Sir, have you guys searched the river?”
“We had dispatched a search and rescue team, yet luck wasn’t on our side. With that being said, we’re
going to continue with the search and rescue mission tomorrow.”
Larry, who started groveling himself at the mercy of God, clasped his fingers together and prayed while
Dustin surveyed the surroundings in an attempt to get his hands on the things that could lead them to
her.
Suddenly, Larry opened his eyes because he knew it was about time for him to stop sulking and start
getting to the bottom of the accident.
He brought himself up all of a sudden and asked, “Sir, where’s the driver behind the accident?”
“The driver had fled the scene immediately after the accident. However, we’re currently on a mission to
track him down and take him into custody.”
Does that mean this is a part of a bigger plan?
“Is this a mere accident?” Larry queried with his brows furrowed in confusion because he deemed it
more than just an accident when he heard the police officer’s reply.
“According to the evidence we have gathered, it’s safe to assume everything has been plotted
beforehand.”
Apart from Larry, that took the rest of the party by surprise because they couldn’t recall Joan offending
anyone before.
…
A mysterious man announced in a callous tone, “Hello? Everything’s done.”
A woman in a deadpan tone replied, “Alright, I’ll transfer the balance to your account immediately.”
Joan, you should have seen this coming! Please don’t blame me for bringing your demise upon you!
Gabriella’s eyes gleamed in excitement because she was the mastermind behind Joan’s demise.
Larry’s eyes started brimming with tears as he stared at the starry sky because he recalled the myth of
a person’s loved one morphing into the brightest star after deceased.
He raised his head in an attempt to stop the torrents of grief from streaming down his cheeks because
Joan might still be alive.
Larry tried to convince himself Joan might still be alive. Perhaps she had merely disappeared for the
time being.
Suddenly, Caspian took a seat by his side and greeted, “Larry.”
Larry resisted the prickling sensation behind his eyes and denoted, “Caspian, you know what? Joan
once told me she would morph into the brightest start to keep an eye on me through the rest of my life
should she leave the world ahead of me.”
Chapter 1849
Chapter 1849 A Challenging Situation
Caspian looked up, yet he couldn’t see anything shining stars at all.
Larry explained, “See? There isn’t any particularly bright star! Perhaps Joan isn’t dead yet.”
Aware of the things his friend had to go through, Caspian knew it might be one of Larry’s attempts to
deceive himself.
After all, it was a bottomless pit with such a strong current. The chances of Joan making her way out of
it unscathed were close to none.
Since Joan was the only woman Larry had in mind, her sudden disappearance was a fatal blow
capable of turning his life upside down. As a man of few words, Caspian was at a loss for better words
to console the dejected man. He was merely there to prevent him from trying anything silly.
He tapped on his friend’s shoulder and urged, “Larry, since the police officers are still working on it, you
need to stop overthinking things until the results state otherwise.”
When Larry received a call, he picked it up without looking at the screen.
Dustin yelled at him the moment the call got through, “Larry, you’re a jerk who has brought upon Joan’s
demise! If it weren’t because of you, others wouldn’t have picked on her! Most importantly, she wouldn’t
have been involved in the accident!”
Although his relationship with Larry had improved over time, Dustin was frustrated for real because
Joan had always been the one he had in mind.
Occasionally, he would pretend to be a goofy man to please the woman. To be precise, she had always
been the sole reason behind his goofiness.
Lowering his gaze, Larry stuttered, “D-Dustin, it’s my fault for not protecting her and taking good care of
her! I have failed her!”
Caspian had never seen such an emotional Larry before. Perhaps Joan was the only weakness of his.
Actually, Larry thought of searching for Joan as well. However, when he saw the strong current, his
heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. He was conscious no one who had drowned could possibly
make it out alive, yet he refused to accept the truth just yet.
As a result, he spent the entire night in the courtyard, having his eyes glued to the sky until dawn
break.
“Larry!”
When Caspian nudged the man next to him, he returned to his senses and rushed into the washroom
to wash his face before rushing out.
…
Larry grasped the police officer’s arm and begged, “Sir, you have to find her!”
The police officer tapped on the dejected man’s shoulder. “We’re trying our best as we speak. You don’t
have to worry.”
Truth be told, the police officer couldn’t do much. He was equally helpless as well.
When Dustin rushed over, he queried, “How’s everything going? Have you found her?”
“You need to stay calm because the police officers have just commenced their operation,” Nancy
answered on the police officer’s behalf.
Dustin, who was on the verge of losing his mind, growled, “Please do your best to find her!”
Soon, the police officers got themselves ready and jumped into the river with a strong current.
The yacht and the boat, that were involved in the search and rescue mission, wouldn’t stop swaying
due to the strong current.
It had been a long time, yet there wasn’t any positive feedback from the search and rescue team.
Staring at the police in the river, Larry’s mind was all over the place. For the first time in his life, he felt
as though he was about to pass out due to suffocation.
Out of the blue, a police officer in the river yelled, “We found something!”
If Jory hadn’t got in Dustin’s way, he would have rushed over to the police officer because he couldn’t
contain his emotions anymore.
“Dustin, calm down! How are you supposed to reach her?” Jory yelled at his friend to snap him out of
confusion.
Larry yelled and inquired, “Have you guys found Joan?”
“No! We couldn’t find her, but we found a shoe!”
After a few minutes, they returned and showed Larry the retrieved shoe.
“Mr. Norton, can you verify if this belongs to Ms. Watts?”
When Larry heard the police officer’s question, he went dead silent because it belonged to the woman
he loved wholeheartedly.
That was none other than Joan’s shoes.
When everyone fell silent, Nancy yelled, “Yes! It’s Joan’s shoe! We bought this together!”
“No!” Larry started wailing hysterically because he could no longer deny the fact Joan had drowned.
Since they had retrieved the shoes, there was a huge probability Joan had passed on.
Chapter 1850
Chapter 1850 Brace Yourself For The Harsh Truth
“Sir, can you please head out and bring her back to us?” Jory muttered his request.
Dustin yelled at his friend, “What are you talking about, Jory? Joan isn’t dead!”
None of them could embrace the fact the stubborn woman they had known was dead.
“Joan can’t be dead! She’s a strong woman! I’m sure she’s going to make it through by hook or by
crook!”
Dustin insisted Joan was still alive.
Jory rebuked, “Dustin, you’re a man. No matter what happens, please stop lying to yourself because
there’s no use trying to run away from the truth. I’m sure Joan doesn’t want you to live a life full of
despair.”
Dustin fell into silence because the affection he had for Joan had always been his one and only soft
spot.
The police officer asked in a serious tone, “Mr. Norton, are you sure this belongs to Ms. Watts?”
Larry stuttered his reply with his eyes glued to the shoe, “Y-Yes, it belongs to her.”
He was afraid of embracing the cruel and harsh truth awaiting him.
“Mr. Norton, I believe you’re well aware that it’s impossible for someone to make it out of the river alive.
Perhaps it’s time to carry on with the next agenda and bid farewell to Ms. Watts.”
Larry rebuked and insisted, “No! She’s not dead! I can’t see the brightest star even after staring at the
sky throughout the entire night!”
The police officer stared at him with his brows arched in confusion. He couldn’t comprehend Larry’s
words and thought the man had lost his mind after losing his beloved woman.
“Mr. Norton, don’t you think it’s about time for you to return home and take a break?”
The wrathful Larry yelled, “Nonsense! How am I supposed to leave when she needs me? Continue
searching for her until she’s found!”
In spite of the police officers spending another few hours searching for Joan in the river, she was
nowhere to be seen.
Larry was left with Joan’s bag and shoe in front of him.
Nancy couldn’t stop herself from weeping because she refused to believe the kindhearted and strong
Joan would disappear overnight.
In the meantime, Gabriella had the best time of her life in a restaurant, enjoying the steak she had
ordered after achieving her goal.
Pleased, Gabriella’s lips curved upwards because she knew Joan couldn’t possibly make it out alive.
Therefore, it was only a matter of time before Larry would return to her.
It had always been part of her goal to get rid of Joan once and for all. Hence, nothing could bring joy to
her more than the news of Joan being dead and missing.
Out of nowhere, Larry showed up in front of her with an intimidating presence and yelled, “Gabriella!”
She had long gotten herself ready for any potential confrontation that might be in store for her.
“Larry, why are you here? Do you want to join me for a meal?” Gabriella asked in a pretentious manner.
Glaring at the woman in front of him, Larry could barely suppress the urge to kill her.
“Gabriella, it’s you, isn’t it? You’re the mastermind behind the accident!” he repeated himself in a stern
manner.
Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the fact he could get to me that soon. After all, he has always
been the capable and almighty Larry I know.
Smirking, Gabriella’s eyes gleamed because the man in front of her would soon become hers.
Gabriella put on an innocent front and rebuked, “Larry, what are you talking about? What sort of
accident is it? I have not done anything!”
Larry sneered because he knew Gabriella better than others—she would destroy the things she
couldn’t get her hands on to prevent others from owning them. In other words, she had been picking on
Joan and trying to bring upon her demise for the same reason.
Gritting his teeth, Larry asked, “Don’t you even have the guts to admit the things you have done when
Joan is no longer around?”
Gabriella couldn’t take it anymore because Larry had rarely lost his cool in front of others. Ironically, he
had gotten overly worked up countless times because of Joan.
She continued playing the role of an innocent woman and asked, “Larry, what’s going on? Why are you
infuriated?”
Larry took a deep breath because he was conscious she was never an easy target—it would be
challenging to get her to admit the things she had done.