Ch. 1911..1920

Chapter 1911 The Gift

The women exchanged glances and smiled smugly.

“Don’t worry. Ms. Brooks has gone on a work trip. She’s not here,” one of them explained cheerfully.

No wonder everyone is ecstatic. But then again, I thought Ms. Brooks hates going outstation. That’s

strange.

After Joan spent some time with the girls in the supermarket, she came home to find a nervous Delilah

who was hastily getting ready to head out the door.

“Ms. Young, what’s going on?” Joan hurried over to her side.

“It’s Freya. She’s in the hospital,” Delilah replied and sighed in exasperation.

Joan was startled. I thought she was on a work trip?

“Ms. Young, I’ll go with you,” Joan said before she hurriedly followed suit.

In the hospital, Freya’s parents were wailing and crying at the top of their lungs. After squeezing

through the grief-stricken parents, Joan finally saw the woman lying on a hospital bed.

That’s Ms. Brooks, for sure.

A glint of sorrow flashed under her eyes as she looked at the unconscious woman.

“Freya!” the manager called out her name while rushing frantically into the ward.

“What are you doing here? This is all your fault!” Freya’s mother charged forward and grabbed onto the

manager’s arm. A commotion broke out in the ward as they tried to calm the parents down.

“Doctor, how’s she doing?” Joan found the doctor outside the ward.

Shaking his head, the doctor replied, “I’ve watched her grow up since she was a little kid. And now,

she’s fallen into a coma state.”

As though she was hit on the head, Joan collapsed onto the floor with a blank look on her face.

“Joan, are you alright?” Delilah quickly helped her up and patted her shoulder gently. “Why don’t you

head home first? I’m their long-time family friend, so I’m going to stay back for a while.”

Joan slowly got on her feet; her eyes were still filled with disbelief at the rapid unfolding of events. Even

though Freya did give her a hard time at work, most of them were of juvenile mischief than life-

threatening harms, and her heart sank at the sight of Freya lying motionless on the hospital bed.

This is all too sudden. How did this happen?

Something struck Joan as she recalled their last conversation two weeks ago.

The gift! At that thought, Joan hastened her strides.

There was no one around back home. Without further ado, Joan took out the box Freya gave her and

from which she retrieved a pen. She studied the pen as an unsettling feeling overtook her.

Click! Her hand accidentally pressed on a button, and a voice recording started to play from the pen.

It quickly dawned on Joan as she started to piece together what might have happened to Freya.

The voice recording was of a conversation between Freya and another woman. Her voice is rather

familiar. Oh my goodness! It’s Gabriella’s voice!

Joan shuddered as she listened to the content of the recording.

If Ms. Brooks’ hospitalization was not an accident, then Gabriella may be the person behind it.

Joan began to panic.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Just then, someone was pounding on her door.

Sensing that something was off, Joan quickly hid the pen recorder.

However, before she could reach the door, it had burst open. Following that, a few intruders entered the

house.

“Hey, who are you guys? And what are you doing here?” Joan yelled at them.

But the few burly men couldn’t be bothered with the woman’s shouting. Instead, they went straight into

the bedroom and started smashing things around. Joan was in utter shock at what was happening

before her.

She tried but failed to think of anyone who would do such a thing to her or Delilah.

“Hand it over!” Hubert, who was the leader of the gang, barked at Joan.

Joan was befuddled.

Is he talking about the recorder?

“I don’t understand what you’re saying…” Joan took a few steps back instinctively.

“Give it to me, and I’ll ensure your safety. Otherwise…” The man gestured at his fist and let out a

wicked smile.

“Mr. Newman, we didn’t find anything.”

“Me neither,” another man added. The men stopped and waited for their leader’s instruction.”

Without any warning, Hubert grabbed onto Joan’s arm and flung her toward the wall. The man’s eyes

shone with a menacing glint that would send chills down one’s spine.

 

Chapter 1912 A Silly Woman

“Listen, if you don’t want to die, hand me that thing!” The man clutched Joan’s chin forcefully.

Tears started welling up in Joan’s eyes as she sensed great pain building.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied in a low voice.

Slap! Joan’s face reddened in a heartbeat as the man’s palm made contact with her face forcefully.

“Don’t try to feign ignorance in front of me. What did Freya give you?” The man demanded fiercely as

he pulled Joan’s hair.

It’s that recorder! Joan sneered.

Freya just became comatose, and there are already people coming after the recorder!

“Ouch…”

Upon hearing her cry, the man immediately loosened his grip and looked at Joan furiously.

“You better do yourself a favor and hand it over now! You won’t be able to get away with it.”

Joan knew that the person behind this must have known that she had met with Freya. Otherwise, the

man standing in front of her right then wouldn’t be so certain and dead set.

“Let me go and take it for you.” Joan pretended to limp as she went to search for the gift that Freya had

given her.

“Let’s see… Where have I put it?” Joan muttered to herself, flipping all over the place.

“No, it’s not here,” she continued mumbling.

After looking at Joan rummaging around for a long time, Hubert could no longer stand it.

“Don’t try to play your tricks here. I’ll give you another ten minutes, and if you still can’t find it, I’ll kill

you!” the man yelled.

Who on earth is behind this? How dare he or she take someone’s life!

Joan was undoubtedly astounded by the situation.

“I found it!” Out of the blue, she shouted.

“Here, that’s the gift she gave me.” Joan handed the box over to Hubert.

“Open it!” the man roared dispassionately.

Immediately, a man behind him pushed Joan away and opened the box quickly.

“Mr. Newman, it’s a pen.”

Right away, Hubert rushed over to take a look.

“I haven’t opened this gift box since I got it. She said to open it after six months, so I didn’t open it,”

Joan clarified at once.

Hubert looked at her with a dubious expression, a ferocious glint in his eyes.

“Why did she give you a present?” the man asked in a deep voice.

Joan tried her best to think of a valid reason. “Err… This actually came alongside an apology. Freya

used to give me a hard time when I was working at the supermarket. I resigned after that, and I

suppose she felt guilty, so she presented me with this gift as a gesture of apology.”

It is actually more of evidence than a gift.

“Take it away!” Huber instructed aloud.

At that, Joan allowed herself to let out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t try to deceive me. If I ever find out that you’re lying, I can assure you that you’ll never have a day

of peace in the future.” Hubert patted hard on Joan’s shoulder.

Very soon, the few men disappeared, and Joan was left at home. Looking at the mess in front of her,

the woman slumped to the ground with a little apprehension in her heart.

“What on earth happened!” As soon as Larry reached home, he saw Joan, who was busy cleaning up

the room.

“Umm, I’ll tell you everything after I get this done,” she replied in a placid tone.

Hurriedly, Larry went over to help. Watching the composed and silent woman in front of him, a trace of

uneasiness crept up on Larry’s face.

“Alright, tell me now.” Larry took a sip of tea.

“Something happened to Freya, and she’s now comatose,” Joan panted out.

In that instance, Larry was dumbfounded.

Who is this Freya? What does she have to do with me?

“Joan, I’m asking about this mess at home!” The man started to get agitated.

Seeing their house turning into such a mess all of a sudden, who in his right mind would believe that

nothing had happened?

“Calm down and let me finish…” Joan tried to explain.

Eventually, Larry had a rough idea of what had happened.

“It’s evident that someone’s trying to frame you,” Larry replied in a hushed tone.

Sitting at the side, the glint in Joan’s eyes dimmed upon hearing that. If it’s really Gabriella who’s

behind this, she’ll go to jail because of what she’s done!

“Was Gabriella here?” the man asked hesitantly.

“No. It was a few men who came by. Perhaps, she’s not the mastermind behind this?” Joan was still

keeping the last ray of hope within her heart.

This silly woman! She’s still trying to say something good about her at this point!

In Larry’s eyes, there was a fleeting glint of wretchedness.

 

Chapter 1913 Something Is Off

“Hello, Caspian? Go inspect Gabriella’s recent actions,” Larry instructed in a furious tone.

Looking at the man in front of her, Joan found a sense of peace. With Larry around, she didn’t need to

worry too much. She knew he would take care of her.

Thump!

Gabriella tossed the box forcefully to the ground.

“What a bunch of imbeciles! All you found is a pen? Do any of you have a usable brain?” the woman

spat out as she glared at the few men in front of her.

The bunch of men turned to each other as they didn’t quite understand the situation.

“Ms. Ward, you were the one who asked us to search for the gift and bring it to you. Now that we’ve

handed it over to you, you’re tossing it to the ground. Why is that?” Hubert asked softly.

Gabriella shook her head, and suddenly, an overwhelming aura emanated from her.

Damn! What a bunch of scumbags!

“Will you get someone a regular pen as a gift?” Gabriella glared at them.

In a jiffy, Hubert ran up to the woman’s side after he figured out what she was suggesting.

“Ms. Ward, rest assured. I’ll certainly not disappoint you!” With that, he gestured his men to leave

together.

“Mr. Newman, what does that mean?” one of his men asked.

Thump!

Hubert landed his fist forcibly against the wall, and soon, blood trickled down his fingers. Seeing as

such, his men quickly backed away and waited for his instructions with their heads lowered.

Nonchalantly, Hubert barked, “Capture that woman!”

Upon hearing his order, his group of men left to carry it out.

“Joan, those men you’ve lied to won’t let you off the hook easily. Why don’t you stay by my side from

now on?” Larry patted her shoulder softly.

The woman wavered for a brief second. Indeed, they won’t let me go easily. Nevertheless, if I insist that

it was in fact a pen that Freya gave me, I don’t think anything will go wrong…

“It’s okay, don’t worry. Besides, the gift Freya gave me is indeed a pen. It simply came with a recorder.”

Joan smiled and passed Larry the recorder.

“Help me keep it safe for now,” she uttered.

Looking at the woman standing across from him, Larry pecked on Joan’s forehead softly. His eyes

were filled with affection.

“Let me keep it then. Otherwise, you’d be in danger as well if you take it with you,” Larry replied softly.

The two came to an agreement after discussing the best course of action for a while.

Every morning, Joan needed to spend some time with Delilah to take care of the plants in a nearby

garden. Hence, Larry decided to wait until she finished with those chores before asking Caspian to

send her to Norton Corporation.

However, little did they know that a plot was being hatched against them very swiftly in that instance.

Early the next morning, after having breakfast, Larry headed to the company while Lucius went to

school. Soon after that, Joan and Delilah entered the garden.

Perhaps it was because they hadn’t had much time to take care of the plants, causing some flowers in

the garden to wilt. Seeing as such, Joan hurriedly got down to work on the small pots of plants, trying to

revitalize them.

After a long period of hard work, she took a gander at her watch and realized it was already ten o’clock.

She had to get going.

“Ms. Young, I have to leave now. Caspian will reach here any minute now!” Joan called out loudly.

“Alright, be careful on your way!” Delilah replied.

Straightening her clothes, Joan left the garden in a joyful manner.

The garden was not very far away from Delilah’s abode. Usually, the two of them often traveled to and

fro on foot.

“Ah!” Out of the blue, Joan let out a sharp cry, and immediately after that, silence ensued.

Delilah seemed to have heard something, so she looked up but found nothing unusual, so she

resumed working on the wilted plants again.

Having waited for an extended period of time in front of Delilah’s house, Caspian started to get anxious

when there was still no sign of Joan.

“Hello? Larry, are you sure you have told Joan about this? Why hasn’t she showed up yet? She isn’t

answering my calls either,” Caspian uttered in an agitated tone.

“Yes, we’ve talked about it. Maybe she’s still busy in the garden. Why don’t you wait a little longer?”

Larry replied thoughtfully.

“Achoo!” Suddenly, Larry sneezed.

“Have you caught a cold?” Caspian was a little worried.

“It’s not a big deal.” With that, the man hung up the call.

For some reason, Larry was a little irritated all of a sudden. He felt that something was off, but he

couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

 

Chapter 1914 Beat Her Up

Time passed in each tick of the clock. It was half-past ten, then eleven, and then half-past eleven…

Throughout his wait, Joan did not appear even once in Caspian’s sight.

Agitated, Caspian could feel that something ominous was about to unfold.

“Is Ms. Young here?” Pushing open the door to the garden, Caspian inquired loudly.

“Coming!” Delilah answered almost immediately.

“Oh, it’s Caspian. Why are you here?” the woman cleaned the dirt on her hands and asked.

“Ms. Young, where’s Joan? Larry asked me to pick her up,” Caspian asked in a hurry.

For a moment, Delilah was baffled.

“Joan? Didn’t she already go home? She said you were reaching soon, so she hurriedly went back

home to change,” she answered.

Damn!

Caspian’s eyes dimmed in a flash.

He knew that by asking him to pick Joan up, Larry was trying to prevent something from happening.

And now, what the man had been trying to stop from happening had already taken place!

“I waited for a long time, but she was nowhere to be seen. Ms. Young, do you know the direction as to

where Joan usually goes?” Caspian asked anxiously.

At that moment, Delilah was hesitant.

Normally, no matter where Joan goes, she’ll never disappear without leaving any message and let

Caspian wait for such a long time…

Delilah had a faint premonition and was feeling doom within.

“Let’s go take a look around.” Taking off her apron, Delilah led Caspian out of the garden.

“What? Joan is missing? Didn’t I tell you to wait for her at the door?” Larry bellowed over the phone.

For a moment, a piercing glint flashed across Larry’s eyes.

It has finally come to this point. Is it finally time for me to take action?

“Alright, seal off the entire village until Joan is found.” Larry hung up after that.

Gabriella, when will you stop playing your sick game?

Slap!

Joan was awakened by the noise. In front of her stood a few familiar faces, and she found herself in an

equally familiar place.

“What… What do you want?” Joan asked in a weary voice.

Hubert walked over to her and lifted her face.

Slap! Slap! Slap…

After a few repeated slaps on her face, Joan could feel the blistering heat on her cheeks.

“You wench, how dare you lie to me!” Hubert kicked her forcefully as he bellowed out his anger.

“Ouch…”

Joan knew that they might have possibly found out that the pen she handed over to them wasn’t the

real gift Freya gave her.

She let out a cold chuckle.

Such intelligence can never be found in men like these. Otherwise, they would have figured it out at the

house that day. It must be the mastermind behind this who called my bluff!

As the thought of Gabriella crossed her mind, an icy glint flashed across Joan’s eyes.

“Spit it out. Where is it?” Hubert roared like a beast as he stared coldly at the woman in front of him

whose blood was dripping down the corner of her mouth.

Joan shook her head vigorously several times to keep herself clear-headed. All of a sudden, she was

relieved that she had passed the recorder to Larry.

“The gift she gave was that box. It was just that box alone, and I have never even opened it before

handing it to you,” Joan answered in a hushed voice.

“What a damned woman. You’re still stubborn, huh? Come, give her a good hiding!” Hubert bellowed.

“Wait a minute.” Suddenly, Lonnie ran up to Hubert.

“Mr. Newman, you should think carefully about this. Even though the sum offered by Ms. Ward is

important to us, we must keep in mind that she is Larry’s woman,” Lonnie reminded him.

Hubert hesitated for a while, and then he strode over behind Joan, pondering.

What trick is he trying to pull?

Taking a gaze at him, Joan remained silent, her body stiff.

Suddenly, Hubert howled, “Beat her up. Don’t pull your punches!”

For a moment, Lonnie was confounded.

“No matter who she is, we’ll just pretend that we don’t know. Let that woman bear all the responsibilities

and consequences!” Hubert added in a ferocious manner.

Old age and treachery will always beat youth and skill.

Lonnie’s lips curled up in satisfaction.

“What are you doing?” Joan cried in horror.

Bang! The door flew open all of a sudden.

It wasn’t Larry, nor was it Dustin. Instead, it was the man who had kidnapped Joan before. He had

come together with another few men.

“Who is it?” Hubert asked.

“Come on, get them!”

 

Chapter 1915 Do Not Blame Me

A few roughnecks ran over at the bald man’s order.

Joan was dumbfounded in that instance.

“Mrs. Norton, are you alright?” Out of the blue, the man ran up to Joan and helped untie her.

“Larry…” She fainted even before she could finish her words.

At the hospital.

Joan was lying in bed with her eyes closed. The back of her hand was attached to a saline bag. Larry

held her tightly by the hand, his face full of remorse.

“Larry, don’t worry. She only suffered some minor physical wounds,” said Caspian to comfort Larry.

“Shut up!” The latter lashed out directly.

The other man grew silent in an instant.

“Joan!” Out of nowhere, Delilah barged into the room.

“How is she? Is Joan alright?” Delilah’s voice seemed to be trembling.

Awakened by the noise, the woman lying on the hospital bed opened her eyes slowly and looked

around her.

White walls, white ceiling, white bedsheets, and a white blanket. It looks like the hospital…

Sitting up slowly, it was at that moment that Joan realized she was drained of all energy.

“Joan, don’t move. Tell me what you want. Let me help you with it,” Larry hurriedly stated.

“Err… It’s alright. I only want to drink some water,” Joan replied in a weary voice.

Upon hearing that, Larry quickly poured a glass of water and handed it to her.

It looks like I haven’t died yet!

A smile crept up on Joan’s face.

Being able to see Larry is such a wonderful thing. Joan slowly ran her fingers across the man’s cheek.

“Mr. Norton, Mrs. Norton, since you’re both well, we shall leave first,” the bald man suddenly spoke.

“Hold on!” Joan called out weakly.

The bald man turned around swiftly when he heard her cry. He looked at Joan attentively.

“Thank you. Thank you for saving my life…” The woman enunciated each word with her last ounce of

strength.

The bald man smiled and waved his hand, and he then left directly.

Larry turned to look at Caspian suspiciously, which prompted the latter to run over to Larry’s side.

“When they went to the village to settle something, they passed by an abandoned garage and heard

Joan’s voice,” Caspian explained.

How lucky was I!

Joan grinned.

“Ms. Ward, shouldn’t you pay for the medical fees? Mr. Newman was beaten in such a horrible way!”

Gabriella smirked as she looked at the man standing across from her.

They haven’t even got the things I require done, and yet they’re looking for me as soon as they suffer a

little loss.

“I think you don’t quite understand the situation here. I’ve paid you to work for me. Now, not only have

you failed to accomplish it, but I’m also not being refunded. Despite that, you’re accusing me?”

Gabriella asked vilely.

Upon hearing her harsh and sharp words, Lonnie was a little embarrassed.

She was right. They had agreed earlier that the payment was to be made before they took action.

Nevertheless, it was out of their expectations that Joan would be such a difficult target to deal with.

Now that many of their men were badly injured, they were in a dire need of funds to pay the medical

fees. The previous sum given by Gabriella was far from enough.

Lonnie was at a loss.

“I don’t want my money back. Just treat that as I’ve paid for your medical fees.” With that, Gabriella got

ready to turn around and leave.

“Hold on, Ms. Ward, can you transfer another sum of money to us for the sake of Mr. Newman? He has

always been fond of you…” Lonnie looked at the woman in front of him very carefully.

Gabriella let out a snort at that stupid request.

Men are all jerks!

“Let’s get clear on one thing—personal feelings shouldn’t be confused and mixed with business. I’m

only involved in business with your boss, nothing else.” Gabriella spurted her words and left in a huff.

Lonnie remained rooted to the ground as a piercing cold glint flashed across his eyes.

Out of the blue, his phone started chiming.

“Hello, Lonnie, the doctor said Mr. Newman needs to undergo an operation… We need to make the

payment instantly!”

At once, Lonnie’s eyes dimmed in despair.

Well, don’t blame me for what will happen next then!

“Hello, is this Larry Norton? I have something to discuss with you…” Lonnie spoke in an extremely icy

tone.

“Alright, send me the address, and I’ll be there in a minute!” Larry hung up the call at that.

He made another call right after. “Hello, Caspian, prepare a sum of money right away. I need it!” Larry

instructed with a grim note in his voice.

 

Chapter 1916 A Filthy Woman

“No, wait, Larry, why do you need so much money all of a sudden? Did something happen?” Caspian

asked in concern.

“Let’s not waste time talking about this for now. I’ll explain it to you later. Just prepare it for me!”

The truth will come out. Gabriella, Gabriella, you’re leaving yourself with no way out by taking it to such

an extent.

Larry clenched his fingers tightly in a fist, a livid glint in his eyes.

“Stop right there! Why are you calling Larry? What’s happening? What’s with our previous agreement?

Are there no more rules?” Gabriella chided aloud.

Lonnie sniggered.

Rules? Money is the only rule!

“Are rules more important than Mr. Newman’s life?” Lonnie looked at the brutal woman with a wrathful

expression.

Never would he have expected that this woman had been actually spying on him!

“I can give you the sum of money you need. I’ll save your boss’ life!” Gabriella answered coldly.

It’s too late!

I’ll never trust what this woman says anymore. When she previously talked Mr. Newman off the roof, I

had thought she was a good woman. But now, I see that she had only done so because she needed

his help. Now, when he’s in great danger, she gives no damn at all, and even refuses to lend us money

to pay for the medical expenses! What a wrench! And now, when she realizes I’ve contacted Larry, she

reneges on her words and says she’ll save Mr. Newman!

How can I ever believe such a woman!

“There’s no need,” Lonnie replied dispassionately.

All at once, an irate glint glowed in Gabriella’s eyes, and she clenched her fists tightly.

You’re making me do it the hard way!

Gabriella asked in a low voice, “Don’t you want to become the boss instead?”

Lonnie widened his eyes in shock.

“Are you satisfied with being just the second in line?” she continued.

Lonnie snickered. What an atrocious woman. How dare she try to sow discord between Mr. Newman

and I!

“Yes. I like to be the second in line.” With that, the man turned and left.

Gabriella was left alone on the spot with a steely glint in her eyes, so incensed.

Looks like I’m left with no other option!

She retrieved her phone and made a call.

“Hubert, Lonnie bullied me…” Gabriella wracked out some sobs.

“Wha—What did you just say?” Hubert responded weakly.

“Hubert, what happened to you? Where are you now?” Deliberately, Gabriella pretended to be anxious.

“I’m… at the hospital.”

Thirty minutes later, Gabriella appeared in Hubert’s ward.

“Hubert, what’s Lonnie trying to do? Even if our negotiation didn’t turn out well, you can’t burn your

bridges. Look at what he’s doing now. He’s straight away selling me out!” Gabriella purposefully added

that seemingly innocent piece of information.

Hubert had admired the woman for a long time. Naturally, he wouldn’t want to see her aggrieved, not

even when the other person involved was his own man.

“Alright, alright, don’t be angry anymore. I’ll talk to him,” Hubert replied in a low voice.

“Mr. Newman!” Out of nowhere, Lonnie barged into the ward with some supplements in his hands.

When he saw Gabriella, he froze on the spot, manifestly astounded. However, he regained his

composure soon and put on his usual expression.

“Lonnie,” Hubert called out to him.

“Mr. Newman, if there’s anything you want to tell me, let’s wait until you recover, alright?” Lonnie looked

at the bedridden man, deep concern in his eyes.

On the side, Gabriella was evidently agitated, which prompted her to grab the man by the shoulder.

She started shaking it.

“Hubert,” she fawned.

At the sight of that, Lonnie understood the situation at once.

This Gabriella is such a filthy woman!

She won’t stop using others even when she clearly doesn’t like them!

Lonnie clenched his fist tightly, trying his best to contain his anger.

Hubert spoke with some difficulty. “Lonnie, I don’t know how much time I have left to live, so I want to

ask you for a favor. Please protect Gabriella well. She is the woman I love most in this world.”

Tears started welling up in Lonnie’s eyes, and his heart ached in sorrow.

“Mr. Newman, stop it. You’ll get better!” Lonnie’s voice was trembling by then.

For a moment, Gabriella was moved by Hubert’s words, but the look on her face was soon replaced

with her usual cruel and harsh expression.

Only Larry is worthy of my love. No one else can be the exception!

 

Chapter 1917 Stay Away From Him

Gabriella turned to the side and acted as though she hadn’t heard anything.

Looking at the cold-hearted way the woman behaved, Lonnie fumed.

“What’s wrong, Lonnie? Aren’t you supposed to listen to what Hubert says to you?” Gabriella looked at

Lonnie arrogantly with a frosty glint glowing in her eyes.

Lonnie turned around right away and ignored the ruthless woman.

“Stand right there. Aren’t you afraid that those will be the last words of your boss?” Gabriella glared at

Lonnie coldly.

Listening to that, Lonnie’s heart sank, and his face turned extremely grim.

What? Is this woman about to start another scheme?

Turning around, Lonnie walked slowly toward Gabriella. The look on his face was brutal and

remorseless. A piercing cold glint emanated from his eyes; it looked like he was about to murder the

woman. Gabriella shuddered a little, but she quickly straightened her back and raised her chin to show

her supremacy.

“Ms. Ward, please get your facts right. We are the hooligans here, and you are the heiress of a well-off

family.” Lonnie placed his hand on Gabriella’s face and put on a playful grin.

What is he trying to do?

Gabriella glared at him fiercely, but in her eyes, there was a glint of fear.

Damn it! He’s only working under Hubert. How dare he treat me in such a way!

“If you don’t listen to your boss’ orders, it means you’re going against him. Perhaps you’re trying to

replace his position, but do you think the other men would agree to that?” Gabriella feigned composure

as she said that.

“Such a clever woman!” Lonnie lifted her face, and both their faces were so close that the space

between them was almost non-existent.

“Let go of me!” Gabriella struggled.

Lonnie sneered. So even this woman can be afraid, too!

“Ms. Ward, please stay away from Mr. Newman in the future. He’s not feeling so well. He shouldn’t be

seeing some filthy and cruel being when he’s sick. If you don’t leave on your own accord, I don’t mind

helping him get rid of stumbling blocks!” With a sudden jerk, Gabriella was sent over to a corner by

Lonnie.

Looking at the figure of the man leaving, Gabriella touched the corner of her mouth with a trace of fear

on her face, where, in fact, ferocity and savagery were much more evident.

After hesitating for a while, she made a call.

“Standby and listen to my instructions!” She ended the call right after.

Perhaps, there’s no longer any reason to waste more energy and time!

Gabriella squeezed her fists tightly at that thought.

The next morning, the sun rose as usual. Everything seemed normal; there wasn’t anything that looked

different or out of place.

It was all good until the tranquility was broken by a phone that started ringing out of the blue.

“Lonnie, quick! Come to the hospital now. Mr. Newman is dying!”

Upon hearing that, Lonnie got up in an instant and rushed to the hospital at once.

“What happened!” he yelled at the nurse the moment he reached the ward.

The nurse lowered her head with her eyebrows furrowed.

“I… I don’t know. I… I was on duty for the entire night, and he was alright last night, but this morning…”

The nurse looked hesitant and frightened.

“Has anyone come to the ward?” Lonnie asked furiously.

“N—No.”

Looking around, Lonnie suddenly noticed that the large window in the ward was open. He remembered

that he had closed the window when he left yesterday as he had been worried that Mr. Newman would

catch a cold.

Damn it!

Lonnie clenched his fist and landed it against the wall forcefully.

“Arrange a surgery for him immediately!” Abruptly, Larry appeared at the hospital.

Looking at Larry, who had suddenly shown up, Lonnie was pleasantly surprised.

“Mr. Norton, I’m sorry to trouble you.” Lonnie rushed over to Larry hurriedly.

Larry waved his hand. “Saving his life is of utmost importance now. Let’s not talk about other things

first.”

“Doctor, how’s Mr. Newman doing?” Lonnie quickly asked.

“Fortunately, he was rushed to operation timely. Otherwise, he would have died.” The doctor let out a

sigh.

Lonnie’s eyes dimmed in a second.

“Are you alright?” Larry asked him in a low voice.

Lonnie shook his head and didn’t say anything. He might have been greatly affected by Hubert’s

condition, so much so that he was in a daze for a very long time.

 

Chapter 1918 The Fight

Larry had already taken his leave when Lonnie turned around.

The latter immediately dialed a number on his phone.

“Gabriella, are you crazy?” he bellowed.

Gabriella had already known this was coming. Hence, she had already mentally prepared herself for

this moment.

“Ah, Lonnie. It’s not fair of you to take it out on me this early in the morning,” she said in a low voice.

Her blatant ignorance of the situation caused Lonnie to explode with fury.

He threw his phone on the ground.

“Get me Gabriella’s location right this instance!” he bellowed to his group of men.

“Larry, where have you been?” Joan was snuggling up with Larry as she spoke.

“Oh, I had some urgent matters to attend to. Why?” Larry stroked her hair lovingly.

“Nothing, I just miss you,” Joan said softly.

She had been out of it ever since she had gotten kidnapped. Hence, Larry had instructed Caspian to

keep a look out for her to make her feel safe.

Ring… Ring…

Joan picked up the phone and saw that it was Lucius’ homeroom teacher calling.

“Hello, is this Lucius’ mother? Your son got into a fight in school. Please hurry over right now.” The

homeroom teacher sounded displeased.

Joan bolted up at that piece of news.

“What happened?” Larry looked at her anxiously.

“Lucius got into a fight,” Joan explained incredulously.

Larry was stunned, but he quickly regained his composure.

They both knew Lucius was a gentle boy. He would never get into a fight under normal circumstances.

“I’ll go with you.” Larry patted Joan’s shoulder.

In the office, Lucius stood in a corner, glaring at a boy who was crying beside him.

“This is not over. My son has never been beaten up before. It’s all his fault!” a woman dressed in

elegant clothes shouted.

“Calm down. His parents will be here soon,” the homeroom teacher hurriedly replied.

The woman bent down and patted her son’s back. “Don’t worry, son. Mommy has got your back!”

The crying boy only cried even harder at that.

“Lucius!” Joan shouted the moment she stepped foot into the office.

“Oh, so you’re Lucius’s mother. What a big shot. Your son beat my son up! What are you going to do

about it?” The woman raised her chin and glared at Joan fiercely.

It was obvious that she wasn’t about to let Lucius off easily. The woman looked like a tigress with her

hands on her hips, afro hair, and piercing eyes. Joan walked over to Lucius slowly, totally ignoring the

other woman.

“Lucius, are you okay?” she scrutinized the young boy from head to toe.

“Mom, I’m fine,” Lucius replied in a low voice.

“He may be fine, but my son’s not. Look at what he did to my son!” the woman yelled.

“I didn’t do it!” Lucius looked at the woman coldly.

“You brat! How dare you talk back at me? And that glare of yours! I will teach you a lesson in your

mother’s place today!” With that, the woman rolled up her sleeves and rushed up to Lucius.

Joan immediately stood in front of the boy protectively with her arms outstretched.

“Oh, how protective. Why? Are you going to teach your son a lesson yourself?” the woman sneered

coldly.

Joan smirked, turned around, and cleaned Lucius’ face.

“Lucius, did you get into a fight? Tell me honestly,” Joan asked softly.

“Mom, he constantly badmouths you! He even soiled your reputation. I only pushed him lightly to get

him to stop. I didn’t beat him up,” Lucius said with a serious look on his face.

Joan patted his shoulder gently, her actions contradicting the cold glint that flashed in her eyes.

“You heard him. My son didn’t beat your son up. On the contrary, I’m pretty curious to know what your

son said about me.” Joan walked up to the crying child slowly and gave him a stern look.

 

Chapter 1919 Jealous Joan

The child stopped crying immediately.

“Hey kid, what did you say about me?” Joan smiled lightly and asked.

The boy quickly ran behind his mother and began to cry again.

“Hey, what on earth are you doing? How can you bully my son as well?” The woman pushed Joan to

the floor.

“Mom!” Lucius ran up to Joan and helped her up.

Joan stood up, dusted her clothes, and smiled at Lucius to show that she’s fine.

“Miss, she didn’t bully your son…”

“Shut up!” The woman cut the homeroom teacher off.

The boy behind her cried even more fiercely at that. It was open to debate whether he was doing it on

purpose.

“What do you want?” Joan asked coldly.

The woman harrumphed.

They’re probably just ordinary citizens if what they’re wearing is any indication…

She lifted the corner of her lips.

“I want some money to make up for my son’s mental distress, medical fees, and his time.”

The homeroom teacher’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as she listened in on their conversation.

This woman is just making things difficult.

“What about the money to make up for our family’s mental distress and loss of reputation?” Larry

suddenly walked into the office, his presence enveloping the room.

The homeroom teacher’s eyes lit up as she covered her mouth incredulously.

The homeroom teacher ran up to Larry. “Mister, you’re…”

“I’m Lucius’ father,” Larry replied nonchalantly.

He had only been gone to pump gas, he wasn’t expecting to be met with such a tense atmosphere the

moment he entered.

“Dad!” Lucius threw himself into Larry’s arms.

The homeroom teacher’s face fell at once.

So this is Lucius’ dad. With that thought in mind, she took a few steps back.

“So you’re Lucius’s father. Great, now that his entire family’s here, what are you guys going to do about

this?” The woman peered haughtily at Larry and sneered.

Larry hadn’t even settled the old scores yet. How dare she get a one-up on him?

“What do you think I should do?” The man stared daggers at the woman.

The woman was stunned by his imposing manner but quickly regained her composure.

“We only want to be compensated for our mental distress. I’ll let the rest slide,” she demanded.

Larry shook his head. This wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

The woman felt a little lost. She didn’t know why the man standing before her looked so intimidating.

“Your son is an uncultured swine!” she snapped.

Larry walked up to the child hiding behind the woman and glared at him.

“So you’re saying your child’s upbringing is better than mine when he badmouths others behind their

back?” he retorted fiercely, leaving the woman tongue-tied.

“Mr. Norton, you should have told me you were coming. I would have sent someone to pick you up.”

Suddenly, a man, who was sweating profusely, burst into the room.

“Honey!” The woman threw herself into the man’s arms and whined coquettishly.

The man immediately ordered, “Get off me!” The woman immediately moved away from him when she

saw the look of contempt on her husband’s face.

Larry looked at the couple in front of him and sneered.

No wonder the kid’s uncultured.

“Mr. Norton, to what do I owe this pleasure?” The man bowed deeply.

“Oh, I heard my son beat your son up,” Larry said slowly.

The man was stunned. He shot Lucius and his son a look before he tried to pacify Larry.

“Oh, Mr. Norton. What are you saying? Your son is simply teaching my son a lesson for bad behavior.”

Larry gave the rude woman a look and sneered.

“Honey! What are you saying? His son beat our son up!” she shouted.

 

Chapter 1920

The man ignored his wife and walked up to the homeroom teacher.

“Ms. Lee, why don’t you tell us the details?”

“Well, your son was indeed bad-mouthing Lucius’ mother in front of the other students. Lucius lost his

cool and pushed him lightly. They didn’t get into a fight…”

The crying boy’s mother stared daggers at the homeroom teacher. She badly wanted to give the

educator a tight slap.

“Ms. Lee, you mustn’t lie as an educator!” the woman threatened.

Larry immediately walked up to the homeroom teacher and patted her shoulders lightly to calm her

nerves.

It was easy to tell who was having the upper hand here. She gave Larry a smile.

“So that’s what happened. Mr. Norton, I apologize on behalf of my son.” The man bowed once more in

apology.

His wife was stunned.

Who the hell is this man? Why is my husband sucking up to him? She glared at Larry fiercely.

Larry trailed on, “But your wife wants us to compensate her for mental distress, medical fees, and…”

“No, no, no, you should be the one to receive compensation from us.” The man went flush in the face.

Larry smiled with satisfaction and nodded. “If you insist.”

After that, the two children apologized to one another and returned to class.

However, Joan was displeased with the outcome. It was uneventful inside the car en route. Larry

looked at her curiously.

“Joan?” he called out tentatively.

She ignored him as she stared out of the window.

The car suddenly stopped by the roadside.

Larry couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere anymore. “Joan, what happened? Talk to me!”

The woman turned to look at him with a steely glint in her eyes.

Does he really not realize what he has done?

She kept quiet.

Larry slowly crept up to Joan and leaned in toward her. They were so close they could hear each

other’s heartbeats, making Joan stunned by their proximity.

“Larry, what are you doing?” she asked in a low voice.

He gripped her chin and kissed her on the lips, leaving her completely stupefied.

“Larry!” She pushed him away.

“Calm down!” she panted.

Her reaction made Larry smile.

“Tell me why you’re mad then.” He held on to her hand and gave her a serious look.

“Why did you touch that woman just now?” Joan lifted her chin up.

Larry was confused. Who did I touch?

“I mean Lucius’ homeroom teacher. Is she prettier than me?” Joan tugged on his tie.

All at once, Larry recalled what he had done at the school.

“Oh, no, of course not. The woman was threatening her just now. I was trying to comfort her and calm

the teacher’s nerves,” he explained.

“She can tell right from wrong. She’s a teacher. You didn’t need to do that.” Joan glared at Larry.

Larry suddenly burst into laughter.

Joan looked at him, feeling bewildered.

“Just say you’re jealous. Let’s go. I’ll take you out for a nice dinner!” Larry started the engine and sped

off.

Eventually, Joan let the matter slide.

It had been a long while since they had spent time together. Larry felt a little guilty about it.

“I’ll spend the rest of today with you.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

His actions warmed Joan’s heart.

Inside the restaurant, soft music coupled with dim lighting made up a romantic atmosphere.

Suddenly, the lights went out.

Joan was so taken aback that she bolted up from her seat.

Whoosh! Their table lit up.

Larry had prepared a romantic candlelit dinner.

“Joan, this is for you.” The man said, gifting her a bouquet of roses.