Ch. 1901..1910
Chapter 1901 They Left
Lucius’ condition got both Delilah and Joan so worried that they hadn’t been eating and sleeping well.
As a result, they both looked haggard.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Young. I’ve already gotten in touch with a doctor from another country. We can leave
tonight,” informed Dustin while checking on the kid.
Delilah was a little surprised as she didn’t expect the man in front of her to work that efficiently.
“Joan, do you want to leave tonight or tomorrow?” asked Dustin softly.
Joan immediately turned her attention to the boy on the bed. He might have a better chance of
recovering if we head over earlier.
“Let’s go today!” replied Joan firmly.
With that, Dustin immediately bought a few air tickets.
When Larry went to the hospital, he realized that the place was empty, and no one was around.
“Hello, may I know where the patient staying in the room on the top floor has gone to?” asked Larry in a
worried tone.
“Oh, you mean the patient in the VIP room?” said the nurse calmly. “They got the paperwork done and
left this morning. But they seemed to be in a hurry and left a lot of things behind.”
Larry was instantly stunned.
Why didn’t anyone tell me that they were leaving the hospital?
Larry quickly got his phone out and made a call.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is unreachable…”
Both Joan’s and Delilah’s phones were turned off.
“Hey Caspian, have you seen Joan? Or Ms. Young and Lucius?” asked Larry as soon as a connection
was established.
“Aren’t they in the hospital?” blurted Caspian.
Immediately, Larry became panic-stricken.
Slam! Someone kicked down the door to the doctor’s office.
“Where are they? Where did they go?” demanded Larry as he clutched the doctor’s arm.
“Wow, calm down. They went overseas to get treatment for the kid. Didn’t Ms. Watts tell you about it?”
asked the doctor curiously.
Larry finally understood what happened. Dustin dropped by.
“Did a man stop by today?” interrogated Larry while glaring at the doctor.
“Yeah. Isn’t that your friend? He seems like a professional in the medical field,” replied the doctor
nonchalantly.
Larry left the doctor’s office right away.
Bang! He landed a blow on the wall, and blood dripped down from his fist.
Why didn’t they tell me? Larry’s gaze instantly turned cold.
He stayed up all night for the child. He found the best doctor and the best hospital, then made all the
necessary arrangements. Yet, they left without saying a word!
“Larry!” Caspian ran over while panting for breath.
“We just got news from the airport. Someone saw Joan, Ms. Young, Lucius, and…” Caspian trailed off.
A glint of hesitation flashed past his eyes.
“And Dustin,” said Larry through gritted teeth.
Caspian was momentarily stunned, but he soon regained his composure.
“I will buy the air ticket for you right away,” replied Caspian, who was fishing his phone out of his
pocket.
“There’s no need for that,” said Larry nonchalantly. There wasn’t even a hint of emotion in his voice at
that moment.
Yet, Caspian felt that Larry seemed even scarier that way.
He knew that his boss was truly infuriated.
“How did the investigation on the man go?” asked Larry to change the topic.
They made a deal last night, and he agreed to pay the witness of the accident on that day. Yet, the
witness suddenly ignored all of his calls and deliberately went into hiding. All that got Larry a little
confused.
“There’s no progress at the moment. We tracked his phone down, but it was in a trash can,” replied
Caspian.
Looks like he was offered a better deal.
Larry’s eyes instantly turned dimmer.
“Focus on this guy for now. I’ve already sent his photo to you, and if I’m right, the mastermind must’ve
paid him off again,” replied Larry as he narrowed his eyes and stared out the window.
“Understood!” replied Caspian before he turned around and left.
Joan, why didn’t you wait for me? Do you trust Dustin more than me?
Chapter 1902 On Foreign Soil
Larry clenched his fists tightly. His blood oozed out of his fingers and fell onto the floor.
“Joan, have you called Mr. Norton and told him about this?” asked Delilah when they were already on
the plane.
Joan was petrified. It turned out that she had forgotten all about it because they left in such a hurry.
“It’s fine. I’ll let him know after we touch down,” replied Joan with a smile.
Meanwhile, Dustin sat beside her with his eyes closed as if he was deep in thought.
The plane landed soon after, and they got out of the plane together. Joan quickly got her phone out to
call Larry. That was when she realized that her phone had been switched off.
“Hey Joan, hurry over,” called out Dustin.
“Coming!” replied Joan. She then quickly tossed her phone into her bag and ran over to join the rest.
Dustin had always been efficient, and they saw the ambulance waiting by the airport’s entrance as
soon as they got off the plane.
“Dustin, it’s been a while,” said a doctor.
“Yeah, you annoying a**hole. How dare you toss a challenge this big to us as soon as we meet again?”
teased another doctor.
Dustin exchanged some pleasantries with the other doctors before saying, “Alright, alright. Drinks are
on me once this is settled. Joan, Ms. Young, come on. Let’s get into the car.”
“So, how are things?” asked Dustin. He seemed worried when he spoke to the other doctors.
The doctors all looked troubled and exasperated.
“We’ll be honest with you, Dustin. The kid…” One of the doctors paused mid-sentence.
Delilah fainted instantly.
“Ms. Young, Ms. Young!” shouted Joan.
“Ah, no! I haven’t finished speaking. The kid’s condition is treatable. It’s treatable!”
However, Joan and Dustin were busy helping Delilah into an empty room, so they weren’t paying
attention to the doctor.
The unconscious elderly woman was put on a saline drip as she rested on the hospital bed, and Joan
couldn’t help but feel worried for her.
“Seriously, what is wrong with you? Can’t you talk a little faster?” complained Dustin while shoving the
doctor next to him.
“I was just kidding to make the atmosphere seem less tense,” replied the doctor awkwardly as he
scratched the back of his head. “Oh, come on. Fine. You don’t need to buy anything. Drinks are on me
later, okay?”
Dustin shook his head and sighed deeply.
The medical field of the foreign country that they were in was a lot more advanced. The hospital they
were staying in also had top-notch medical equipment. Moreover, Dustin’s mentor happened to be
there too. He was the best doctor in the hospital, and coincidentally, he had returned a day earlier from
his trip.
“What? Did you just say that my mentor is back?” blurted Dustin excitedly.
“Hey, calm down. Why are you so excited? He said to let him take care of the kid,” whispered another
doctor.
Dustin’s lips instantly curved into a satisfied grin as he knew just how skilled his mentor was and that
his mentor usually did not help just anyone.
“I should visit him when I’m free,” said Dustin as he tapped on his colleague’s shoulder.
The two doctors chatted away happily.
Dustin believed that the child would recover soon with his mentor’s help.
What they didn’t know, however, was that Larry was the one who requested Dustin’s mentor to treat
Lucius.
“Lucius, Lucius…” murmured Delilah on the bed. Her eyes remained closed.
“Wake up, Ms. Young. Lucius is fine now,” Joan comforted Delilah, helping the latter wipe away the
sweat on her forehead.
Tears suddenly flowed out of the corners of Delilah’s eyes.
Joan’s heart wrenched in pain at that sight.
“Lucius!” blurted Delilah, who sprang up all of a sudden. She then stared at Joan in horror and shared,
“Joan, I had a nightmare, and Lucius was missing.”
Joan helped Delilah wipe her tears and sweat away.
Suppressing her emotions, the former gently stroked Delilah’s back to make her feel more comfortable.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Young. Lucius is fine,” informed Joan.
“Is that true? Where is Lucius? I want to go see him,” said Delilah as she got out of the bed.
She then walked to Lucius’ room, steadying herself against the wall. Sorrow donned Delilah’s face
when she saw Lucius lying on the hospital bed.
Chapter 1903 Murmurs At Night
“The child has such a terrible fate. First, his parents abandoned him, and he was bullied by the other
kids in the village. Now…” said Delilah between sobs.
Joan understood how Delilah felt, so she held the latter’s hand to try to make her feel better.
“Dustin said that his mentor is back, Ms. Young. He will treat Lucius in person, so you don’t need to
worry. Lucius will be fine because Dustin’s mentor is the best doctor in this hospital,” shared Joan
confidently.
Delilah wiped her tears away immediately, and hope gleamed in her eyes.
“Mom….”
Joan hurried over to the bed to see how Lucius was doing.
“Mom, where is Dad?” asked Lucius. He had forced his eyes open, but when he checked his
surroundings, he saw that only his mom and grandma were with him.
“Be good, Lucius. We’ll video call your dad right now, okay?” suggested Joan while gently stroking
Lucius’ hair.
The child seemed exhausted and could only nod.
Joan quickly fished her phone out and opened WhatsApp to make the call.
“Hey, Larry!” greeted Joan.
Larry, however, had a grouchy expression when he picked up the call.
“What?” asked Larry coldly.
Joan was a little surprised when she saw how distant Larry reacted. What happened to him? Is he
angry because I went overseas without telling him beforehand?
“Mom, are you in a fight with Dad?” asked Lucius suddenly.
Upon hearing Lucius’ voice, Larry looked into the camera.
“Lucius, it’s all good. I’m just a little busy. Why would we be in a fight?” replied Larry with a smile.
He thought that he was having a private call with Joan, so his tone was off earlier. This is all her fault
for not calling before she left the country.
Gah! And she left with Dustin, of all people!
“Dad, how are you doing? We were especially busy on the day we flew overseas, so Mom didn’t have
the time to call you. Also, her phone battery went dead when we got off the plane,” Lucius explained
the situation.
He might be a kid, but he was more intuitive than others and could see through certain things, even
when the adults tried to hide them from him.
Larry grinned when he saw how understanding the kid was.
“Good boy. I will go visit you as soon as my work is done,” Larry quickly coaxed him, his tender gaze
filled with affection.
“It’s fine, Dad. Mom and Grandma are here, so you don’t need to hurry over,” replied Lucius. He didn’t
mention Dustin at all, and that got Larry delighted.
“Mr. Dustin is here with you too,” reminded Joan all of a sudden.
At that, Larry turned a little grouchy again.
Lucius was sitting beside Joan, and even he was exasperated with Joan at that moment.
“We miss you so much, Dad. Mom even called out your name last night in her dreams,” teased Lucius.
“Uh… I have to go to the washroom,” said Joan before she quickly left.
That was so embarrassing. I had a dream last night, and all I saw was Larry’s face. I didn’t even know
that I had been calling out for him the entire night until Lucius told him.
At first, Larry assumed that Lucius was lying to make him happy, but Joan’s reaction proved that he
was telling the truth. A warm and fuzzy feeling rose in his heart.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I will keep an eye on Mom for you,” said Lucius mischievously.
Larry was stunned, but he was quick to regain his composure.
This little punk sure grows up fast…
After exchanging some pleasantries, the duo ended the call.
“Hey Mom, you can come out now. We ended the call,” announced Lucius loudly.
Only then did Joan get out of the washroom.
She was worried that something would happen to Lucius while he was sleeping, so she stayed
overnight in the hospital room and slept on the sofa. However, she had never expected that Lucius
would use a phone to record her murmurs in the middle of the night.
Joan’s face was burning red at that moment.
“Have you deleted that recording?” asked Joan cautiously.
“Nope. I forwarded it to Dad,” answered the kid calmly.
Chapter 1904 Larry Showed Up
“Mom, Dad is here,” informed Lucius suddenly.
Joan was slightly stunned, but she recomposed herself soon.
“What are you talking about? Here. Eat your breakfast,” instructed Joan while putting some bread and
milk in front of the child.
All of a sudden, Larry’s voice sounded from the door. “I’m here!”
Joan was taken aback instantly.
Why didn’t he call ahead?
“Dad!” greeted Lucius excitedly.
Joan was dumbstruck for a moment there. His arrival was too sudden, so she didn’t get any breakfast
for him.
“I, uh, I’ll go buy you some breakfast now,” said Joan, who was about to leave the room.
But Larry was quick to stop the woman and lock her in place.
“It’s fine. We can have breakfast together. Do you mind that, Lucius?” asked Larry as he turned to look
at the boy.
“Not at all. Good luck, Dad,” replied Lucius while giving his dad a thumbs up.
With that, they left the hospital holding hands.
“What just happened?” asked Delilah as she rubbed her eyes.
“Nothing, Grandma. Go back to sleep,” replied Lucius softly with a grin.
Meanwhile, in a café with dim lighting, soft music and the pleasant scent of rose filled the place.
Joan and Larry were drinking coffee in the corner, but neither spoke.
Joan suddenly got anxious.
“Larry, it was a spontaneous decision to leave the country that day. Things were a little hectic, and…”
explained Joan.
Larry sipped some coffee and studied the woman in front of him carefully. It has only been a few days,
but she looks like she has gone through a lot.
“I understand,” replied Larry. His rage had dissipated by then.
Right then, the familiar voice of a man sounded. “Joan!”
Larry didn’t turn around because he didn’t want to see that man.
“Morning, Dustin. Are you here to have breakfast as well? Come join us,” invited Joan with a smile.
Dustin slowly walked to the woman’s side. Only then did he realize that Larry was there too. Instantly,
his face fell.
What is he doing here? A glint of disdain flashed past Dustin’s eyes.
“Dustin’s mentor is Lucius’ doctor,” Joan explained to Larry, who scoffed upon hearing that.
Does this woman actually think that his mentor was there coincidentally when they arrived at the
hospital?
“Don’t worry, Joan. My mentor has already learned all about Lucius’ condition, and he will definitely
cure the boy,” said Dustin while gently tapping her shoulder.
Larry was displeased to see that. She is my wife. How dare that filthy man touch her shoulders!
“I know, and I trust both you and your mentor,” replied Joan, quickly offering a piece of bread to Dustin.
Grinning, he accepted the bread and started chomping on it as if bragging to Larry. Nevertheless, Larry
did not utter a single word and merely drank his coffee.
“Here, Larry. This is for you. I’ve already spread the butter for you,” offered Joan before handing Larry a
piece of bread.
Disappointment instantly flashed past Dustin’s eyes.
Larry is still the man she loves, and she knows him in and out. Dustin acted like he didn’t notice
anything and continued eating his breakfast.
After their meal, they headed over to the hospital.
“Mr. Norton, you’re here,” greeted Dustin’s mentor before hurrying over to shake the man’s hand.
“Thank you for your hard work,” replied Larry with a smile.
Joan was surprised to see how close the two of them seemed. Do they know each other?
“Don’t worry, Mr. Norton. The child will be fine. I will do everything I can to treat him, and I won’t
disappoint you,” said the doctor while smiling.
“Then I shall thank you in advance for that,” said Larry politely.
Dustin, who was standing at the side, was confused as well.
On the other hand, Delilah was the only one who realized what was happening right away. Larry is the
dependable one at crucial moments like these. At that thought, a grin showed up on Delilah’s lips. I
don’t need to worry anymore, now that Lucius is with them.
“What is going on?” Joan murmured.
“Silly girl. Larry was the one who got the doctor to treat Lucius,” answered Delilah, gently tapping the
young lady’s head.
Jealousy flashed past Dustin’s eyes upon hearing that. So my mentor only showed up because Larry
asked him to treat Lucius? Dustin clenched his fists tightly.
Chapter 1905 Tumor
The doctor exchanged some pleasantries with Larry before he walked to Lucius’ bedside. Joan got a
little worried when she saw how nervous Lucius looked.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine,” said Larry while holding her waist.
Everyone was waiting anxiously by the door. Joan and Delilah were especially anxious, and the pin-
drop silence in the room made the situation even more nerve-racking.
It took some time before the doctor left the room with Lucius. Immediately, everyone gathered around
the doctor and asked him endless questions.
“Calm down. The boy has just finished undergoing all the tests, so you should take him back first so
that he can rest. Can one of you come to my office with me? I’d like to discuss this in detail,” informed
the doctor grimly.
“Me. I’ll go,” said Joan right away.
After that, Delilah and Dustin brought Lucius to his room, while Larry and Joan followed the good
doctor to his office.
Uncertainty welled up in Joan’s heart when she saw how troubled the doctor looked.
“Has that kid been hit in the past?” asked the doctor solemnly.
Joan was stunned. The fact was, she knew nothing about the kid’s life before she showed up in the
village, and Delilah never told her about his past either. All Joan knew was that Lucius’ parents
abandoned him.
“The thing is, doctor, the kid was abandoned by his biological parents,” replied Joan.
The doctor lowered his head with a grim expression. It seemed like he was deep in thought.
“I suspect that he has a tumor in his brain, and it is likely that it has been there for quite some time now.
Don’t worry, though. We can definitely remove it with surgery. Naturally, all this is just my speculation.
We’ll need to conduct more tests to confirm it,” informed the doctor.
Joan almost lost it when she heard the doctor say the word “tumor.” She stumbled backward and
leaned against the wall, her eyes reddened with tears.
“Please save him. We will cooperate however we can to get him cured,” Joan pleaded tearfully.
Larry hurried over and pulled Joan into his arms, caressing her hair gently to comfort her.
“Please treat him however you deem fit. I really hope that you can help him. We will be eternally
thankful for it,” said Larry before he bowed to the doctor.
“Ah, Mr. Norton, don’t do that. It is my duty as a doctor to save my patient. Moreover, even if there
really is a tumor in his brain, all we have to do is perform a small surgery. You don’t need to be so
worried, Mrs. Norton,” said the doctor to offer some comfort.
Larry helped Joan out of the office, wiping her tears away gently.
“He will be fine, Joan,” promised Larry before kissing Joan’s forehead.
But the woman in his arms couldn’t stop sobbing.
“Larry, if anything happens to Lucius…” said Joan hesitantly.
Larry covered her mouth right away.
“As long as I’m here, I will not let that happen.”
Dustin was in a far corner when he saw the two of them together, and rage burned in his eyes.
So it’s confirmed. There is actually a small tumor in Lucius’ brain.
Meanwhile, Delilah’s eyes clouded over when she leaned against the wall in the washroom in a trance.
“Ms. Young,” said Joan hurriedly.
“Huh? Ah, Joan,” said Delilah, wiping her tears away as soon as she came to her senses.
Joan knew that Delilah must feel terrible, so she held her hand tightly while putting on a brave face in
an attempt to comfort her.
“Lucius will be fine,” Joan reassured.
Delilah nodded at the woman standing in front of her.
The most important task at the moment was to figure out how they would tell Lucius about the surgery.
At that moment, Larry was playing a game with Lucius in the room, and they seemed happy.
“Dad, when will I grow up to be as strong as you?” asked Lucius. His big, round eyes shone with
anticipation when he said those words.
Larry stroked the kid’s hair and grinned.
“Actually, Lucius, I was sick when I was a kid. I even underwent surgery back then, and that surgery
was what made me so strong now,” shared Larry to mentally prepare the kid for the surgery.
Chapter 1906 Successful Operation
Lucius listened with great interest as Larry told the story in an animated manner as though he was
living out the character in the latter’s story.
“Dad, why are you different before and after the operation?” Lucius asked curiously.
Larry hesitated for a moment and then tapped his son’s forehead playfully. “I will tell you all about it
after you’re fully recovered.”
Lucius’ eyes dimmed in the next instance.
This was actually Larry’s way of leaving suspense in his story; a hope for Lucius to hold on and look
forward to.
“Dad, when will I undergo my operation?” Lucius asked out of the blue.
Larry was momentarily stunned but soon resumed his composure. I just wanted to paint a less scary
picture for the surgical operation. I didn’t expect him to…
“Lucius, why are you suddenly asking me this?” Larry asked while stroking his son’s hair lovingly.
“You said you’ve become stronger after your surgery, so I want to be like you too,” Lucius answered
matter-of-factly.
Lucius’ response caught Larry by surprise.
“So, you want to go ahead with your operation? Sure, buddy. Why don’t I arrange with the doctor?”
Larry said with a wistful smile and pulled Lucius closer to him.
He is just a kid. Why does he have to suffer so much?
At that thought, Larry’s expression grew grim.
“Alright, Dad. I’ll go with your arrangement,” Lucius said with a bright smile.
Lucius was not unaware of what was happening around him for the past few days. In fact, he knew
precisely that his parents and grandmother were troubled by his upcoming operation.
He had overheard a conversation between Delilah and the doctor about tumor and surgery the other
day and managed to put two and two together. Instead of watching the adults trying hard to tiptoe
around him, Lucius decided to save them the hardship of breaking the difficult news to him by
proposing to undergo surgery himself.
“What? Lucius said that he wanted to go through the operation?” Joan looked at Larry in disbelief.
The man shifted his gaze from Joan to Delilah and nodded resolutely.
“That’s because he was aware of it,” Delilah said weakly.
After all, she knew Lucius’ personality well. He was someone who always put others before himself,
and Delilah had always thought that the child was too mature for his age.
A glint of sorrow flashed past Joan’s eyes upon hearing that.
Soon after that, they started making arrangements for the operation.
“You’re going to be okay, Lucius. Try to relax,” Joan comforted her child who was lying on the hospital
bed before being pushed into the operating theater.
Delilah, on the other hand, was all teary-eyed and dared not look directly at Lucius.
“Mom, please tell Grandma that I’ll be okay and ask her not to worry,” Lucius muttered to Joan in a
lowered voice.
“Mrs. Norton, we have to go into the operating theater now,” the doctor said while trying to pry away
Joan’s grip on the bed railing.
Finally, Lucius was sent into the operating theater.
Delilah sat on the bench and buried her head in her palms, overwhelmed by anxiety and agitation.
While Joan was pacing nervously up and down the corridor, Larry’s eyes were glued to the operating
theater as though he might miss something important if he blinked.
The only other adult on the scene was Dustin, whose inexplicable gaze had been studying Joan with
his brows slightly furrowed.
After what seemed like forever, the light above the operating theater was still shining bright. Delilah
asked anxiously, “Joan, why is this taking so long?”
“Soon, Ms. Young. It’ll be done soon,” Joan tried to reassure both herself and the elderly woman in a
shaky voice.
Thud!
Finally, the light was turned off as the surgeon came out of the operating theater while wiping beads of
sweat off his forehead.
“Doctor, how’s my son?” Joan asked while holding tight onto the surgeon’s arm.
The doctor closed his eyes and took a deep breath before announcing calmly, “Don’t worry, the surgery
was successful. But he will need some time to recuperate.”
Joan and Delilah brightened up instantly at the good news.
“Thank you so much, doctor,” Delilah exclaimed excitedly.
“He’s here,” Larry said when Lucius’ bed was pushed through the operating theater doors.
The sight of her son lying on a hospital bed with his face as pale as a sheet was agonizing for Joan.
Chapter 1907 You Have Always Been Strong
“Let’s not disturb him. He needs to rest now,” the doctor reminded the adults and left.
In the ward, Lucius was still unconscious with an IV drip attached to his arm. Everyone was holding
their breath while waiting for him to regain consciousness.
“Ugh…” Lucius finally made a sound.
“What is it, Lucius?” Delilah asked.
“Water…” Lucius muttered weakly.
Joan fetched the water and darted to Lucius’ bedside.
“Here, have some water.”
Lucius slowly opened his eyes and tried to find his bearings.
“Dad, have I become stronger now?” Lucius uttered the words in a barely audible voice.
Tears welled up in Larry’s eyes as he replied, “Son, you’ve always been very strong.”
As days passed and Lucius started to restore his strength, the adults began planning their trip back
home.
“What are you doing here?” Larry scowled at Dustin when they met each other at the airport.
Dustin’s fists balled up as he shot a cold glance at Larry. “It’s none of your business where I’m going.”
The friendship between Dustin and Larry had shattered since Joan’s car accident. It was solely
because of her that they were able to stand being in each other’s presence right now.
“Haven’t you always been residing overseas?” Larry snarled.
“I don’t think I owe you any explanation,” Dustin retorted while shooting the other man another cold
glare.
“Can you two please stop bickering? Today is supposed to be a special day, right?” Joan said while
looking at Lucius.
“That’s right, Mom. Dinner is on you!” Lucius said excitedly.
Joan fell silent at her son’s suggestion.
It was the meal I treated last time that resulted in him getting hurt.
“Uh… I mean, you have to prepare dinner tonight!” Lucius quickly corrected himself.
Joan and Larry decided to take Lucius back to the village so that they could look after him properly.
The village had remained the same since before they left, still filled with mountainous clean air and
friendly villagers.
“Ms. Young, we haven’t seen you in a while. Where have you been?” one of the villagers asked.
“That’s right. We’ve been missing you around here,” another added as a few other women started to
chime in.
“Oh, It’s nothing. I had to run some errands, that’s all,” Delilah replied with a forced smile.
Seeing the friendly faces made Joan feel at home again as she let out a contented smile.
Ring!
Larry’s phone rang, and the caller ID showed Caspian’s name.
“Boss, are you back?” Caspian asked anxiously.
“Yes.” Larry stole a side glance at Joan and spoke carefully into the phone, “What have you got for
me?”
“The man is at large at the moment. But I’ve looked into his bank statement. Someone had transferred
a sum of money into his bank account,” Caspian reported dutifully.
Larry’s expression darkened upon hearing the latest updates. Then, the men brought each other up to
speed on a few other things before Larry ended the call.
Seeing Larry’s gloomy face after speaking on the phone, Joan hurried over. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” Larry assured Joan while wrapping his hand around her shoulder.
Everyone was thrilled to be back home after being away for quite some time, especially for Lucius, who
loved spending time with Larry and Joan. Hence, he grabbed the opportunity and got them to play with
him. Seeing the delighted child, Delilah let out a contented smile and walked into the kitchen.
Meanwhile, in Gabriella’s office, she tried to ascertain with Freya, “Do you know that she’s back?”
Freya was mildly startled but soon gathered herself together. She replied calmly while sipping on her
tea, “I just did.”
“I suppose you haven’t forgotten our deal? Just name your price,” Gabriella said with her chill-inducing
eyes.
Freya studied the woman for a long while as fear filled her heart.
What a vicious woman! Will she come after me once I help her finish off her business?
“What is it? Are you having second thoughts about this?” Gabriella asked with unblinking eyes.
She’d better not thinking about chickening out. If so, she’ll only have herself to blame when I teach her
a lesson about keeping a deal. What a useless wuss!
Chapter 1908 What A Vicious Woman
Gabriella continued to fix her gaze steadily on Freya.
“No, I’m not having any second thoughts,” Freya replied carefully.
Heaven knows what this woman will do to me if I tell her I’m harboring thoughts about backing out of
our deal. It’s better to just drag my feet for now.
Although there had been some acrimonious exchanges between Freya and Joan, they were mostly
trivial collegial rivalries and jealousy on Freya’s part. Therefore, she had not considered Joan as her
mortal enemy, much less wanted her dead. But all that did not apply to Gabriella as she was adamant
about making Joan disappear from the face of the earth for good.
After a moment of hesitation, Freya finally decided against accepting the deadly deal.
It’s common for women to get bitter over jealousy, but to go to such length to eliminate your rival is just
bat-crap crazy.
“Ms. Ward, I’ve been assigned to go on a work trip by the manager, so…” Freya appeared to be
hesitant.
Gabriella looked at Freya’s guilty expression and promptly understood.
This woman is trying to get away from me!
Balling up her fists, Gabriella’s vision turned deadly. Feeling chills down her spine, Freya staggered a
little and tried to calm her nerves by taking a sip of water.
“We’ve been swamped lately. Take a walk at the supermarket and see for yourself if you don’t believe
me,” Freya explained frantically.
Gabriella stood up and walked slowly to Freya’s desk before stopping inches away from her face.
“You should know that nothing can stop me when I want to get something done. And if I want someone
dead, she won’t live to see tomorrow’s sun,” Gabriella spoke eerily into Freya’s ear while stroking her
hair softly.
Freya shuddered as her eyes widened in intense fear.
What’s she going to do? Is she going to kill me?
Panic-stricken, she kept tugging at her own shirt while floundering for the right words to say.
“Ms. Ward, you see, you’re meant to do something great, whereas I’m only a lowly villager. I may not
even be capable enough to carry out your order. Can you please just let me go?” Freya pleaded with
Gabriella.
Before this, Freya was under the impression that, like her, Gabriella just wanted to teach Joan a lesson.
Hence, she saw Gabriella as a potential ally. However, when she realized that Gabriella had something
a lot more malicious planned, Freya naturally got cold feet. After all, Gabriella was talking about taking
someone’s life.
“What? Are you scared?” Gabriella said while holding Freya’s chin.
How can she speak so calmly about killing off someone?
“Ms. Ward, I really have to get going. Maybe we can talk about this when I’m back from my work trip?”
Freya bargained weakly.
Gabriella was no idiot, so she knew Freya’s real intention all too well.
Well, I’m afraid you won’t last that long.
With that thought, Gabriella turned around and returned to her desk.
“Fine. Let’s talk after you come back from your trip,” the woman said flatly.
Not long after that, Freya excused herself from the office and darted out with her handbag.
A glint of malevolence flashed under Gabriella’s eyes as Freya disappeared out of sight.
The nerve she has for messing with me. She must have a death wish!
Gabriella put down her glass of water with such force that the water spilled onto her desk.
Ring!
Joan looked at the caller ID on her phone and frowned before she answered the call.
“Hey, Joan, can you come over to the supermarket now?” Freya urged in a low voice.
Joan was puzzled by this sudden urgency, given that she had already resigned.
“Hi, Ms. Brooks, can’t you just tell me over the phone? I’m kind of occupied here,” Joan tried to reject
her.
Freya grew agitated on the other end of the line.
“You don’t understand. This is a matter of life and death. I’ll explain to you when you get here later.”
Freya hung up the call before Joan could respond.
Freya’s eyes swept her surroundings nervously after hanging up her phone.
Following a few encounters with Gabriella, Freya had become paranoid; she had a feeling that she was
constantly being watched.
In the meantime, Joan looked at her phone, trying to decide if she should go to the supermarket.
“Joan, what’s the matter?” Delilah asked.
“It’s the supervisor from the supermarket. She asked me to meet her over there right now. She
sounded quite urgent on the phone,” Joan replied.
Chapter 1909 Freya Is Not Inherently Evil
Delilah pondered over the matter briefly and then patted Joan on the shoulder.
“Freya is still young, so sometimes she might act recklessly. But the bottom line is she’s not inherently
evil.” Delilah chuckled.
Joan was convinced by Delilah and changed her clothes before heading to the supermarket.
“You’re finally here!” Freya exclaimed while checking over her shoulder discreetly.
“Ms. Brooks, what’s going on?” Joan was completely befuddled.
Instead of replying, Freya pulled Joan into her office.
“Joan, there’s something I need to tell you. Someone is hatching a plan against you. You need to watch
out,” Freya warned.
Joan smirked coldly.
Aren’t you the one who is always out to get me?
“I’m serious. Someone wants you dead. I admit that I used to give you a hard time at work, but that was
all due to jealousy…”
Freya’s confession only served to confuse Joan even more, as she could not recall stepping on
anyone’s toes.
“Ms. Brooks, is this some kind of joke?” Joan carefully studied the neurotic woman.
Freya’s expression turned solemn. I really want to slap some senses into this woman with a thick skull.
“Didn’t you have a friend called Gabriella Ward?” Freya looked at Joan expectedly.
Instantly, Joan finally understood what Freya was trying to convey.
Gabriella did hurt me a lot in the past. But I haven’t seen her since I regained my memories.
Joan’s silence made Freya realize that Gabriella was telling the truth. Oh my, this woman is so
doomed. That Gabriella woman is definitely not someone I will mess around with. For some reason,
Freya started to feel sorry for Joan.
Freya tightened her grip on Joan’s hands and looked directly into her eyes.
“Joan, listen to me. Gabriella is dead set on coming after you. Here, this is for you. Open this if you
don’t hear from me in half a month,” Freya said while handing a box to Joan.
Joan looked at the box, then back at the woman, feeling bewildered.
“Ms. Brooks, why are you giving me this?” Freya asked.
This generous gesture is so unlike the supervisor I used to know.
“Look, now that you’re no longer working here, take this as a parting gift for all the grievances that I’ve
caused you. But remember, don’t open this until half a month later,” Freya reminded once again.
Joan continued to look at the box, still feeling perplexed.
What kind of present cannot be opened for two weeks?
Unbeknownst to the two women, their encounter was being watched by Gabriella through the security
camera installed in the office.
Gabriella stared at the monitor screen with intense rage blazing from her eyes. Her fists were balled up
so tightly that blood was oozing from her clenched fingers.
Damn it!
Her fist landed on her desk in a loud thump.
“Hey, I need you to do something for me,” Gabriella spoke into her phone.
Meanwhile, Joan returned home not long after bidding goodbye to Freya.
“What is it that you’re holding?” Delilah asked.
“Oh, it’s a gift from Ms. Brooks,” Joan answered.
Delilah returned her a faint smile before walking into the kitchen.
Ms. Young was right; Ms. Brooks isn’t an inherently malicious person. She is just young and impulsive.
Just then, her phone rang.
“Hey, Joan, just wanted to let you know that I won’t be going back today. I’m still buried in all the
paperwork in the office,” Larry explained on the phone.
He had been neglecting his work to focus on Lucius’ treatment before this. Now that Lucius was getting
better, Larry was back at the helm in the office.
The couple spoke for a few more minutes on the phone before ending the call.
Right after she hung up the phone, Joan’s phone rang again. ”Hello, Joan, where are you? I think I’m
lost.” Dustin’s voice rang from the other end of the line.
Chapter 1910 Dustin Has To Back Off
“What are you talking about?” Joan frowned a little while holding onto her phone.
“I mean, I’m in the village at the moment. But I’m not sure which one is your house,” Dustin explained.
Joan was stunned.
He has come all the way here to this rural village?
“Oh, hang on. I’ll come to get you,” Joan said while darting out.
After a long search, Joan finally found Dustin’s car in one of the small alleyways. The man was huffing
and puffing right then.
“Your place is not easy to find, to say the least,” Dustin complained.
Well, nobody invited you here. Joan shot him a disinterested glance but made no comment.
“Hold on, wait for me.” Dustin was panting heavily behind her.
“Mr. Dustin!” Lucius’ voice rang abruptly.
“Hey, Lucius.”
“Mr. Dustin, what are you doing here?” Lucius asked, looking innocent.
Dustin paused briefly before he let out a smile.
“Because I’ve missed you,” the man said while pinching playfully at Lucius’ cheek.
“Hi, Ms. Young,” Dustin greeted Delilah.
Delilah responded by eking out a faint smile, which made Joan wonder if she was unhappy about
Dustin’s unannounced visit.
“Here, have some water,” Delilah said while handing him a glass of water.
Dustin’s eyes swept one round skeptically before it landed on Joan.
“So, you’ve decided to live here?” Dustin asked, pursing his lips slightly.
Joan knew what the man was implying, and she nodded resolutely at him.
“Alright, then,” the man said while resuming a neutral expression.
“By the way, I’ve bought some supplements for Lucius. They will help speed up his recovery.”
Joan looked at the shopping bags and nodded absent-mindedly.
I should have faith in the supplements he chose. After all, he is a doctor.
“That’s very kind of you.” Delilah walked slowly toward Dustin.
“Don’t mention it.” Dustin waved his hand.
Nevertheless, Joan was still puzzled by the man’s sudden visit.
“You should have called first,” Joan remarked.
“No, I don’t think so. Would Larry have let me come if I had called first? He may literally block every
road into the village just so I can’t get through,” the man replied tartly.
I still don’t understand why they are always at each other’s throat nowadays. I wonder if something
terrible happened between the two of them during the few years when I wasn’t around. But Larry has
never mentioned anything to me.
“Lucius, how have you been doing? Are you feeling any better?” Dustin asked, stroking the kid’s hair.
“I’m much better, thanks. Dad says that I’ve become a lot stronger after my surgery,” Lucius answered
loudly.
Dustin’s eyes dimmed instantly.
Must he mention Larry at every turn?
“Mr. Dustin, when are you leaving?” Lucius’ question stunned everyone, especially Delilah and Joan.
Dustin has just gotten here, and Lucius is already asking when he is leaving? That’s rude.
Joan quickly shot a glance at her son.
Meanwhile, Dustin’s smile froze awkwardly on his face.
“Oh, it’s just that it’s getting darker, and I’m worried about Mr. Dustin’s safety on the way back to the
city,” Lucius was quick to explain.
Dad is not around, so I have to be vigilant about other men lurking around Mom.
“Oh, I see. Well, it is indeed getting late. I suppose I’ll get going and come back another day,” Dustin
said while scratching the back of his head embarrassedly.
Joan could not help but feel bad for the man.
“Um, maybe you could—”
“Yeah, Mr. Dustin. You should come back again in the morning.” Joan was cut off mid-sentence as
Lucius decided to chime in.
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Two weeks later, Joan was in the supermarket and bumped into her ex-colleagues. “Hey, it’s Joan,”
one of them greeted.
“You must be feeling free like a bird after leaving this job.”
Conversations erupted as the few of them gathered around her.
“Aren’t you guys afraid of being caught abandoning your posts by the supervisor?” Joan said in a low
voice.