Ch. 1931..1940
“Looking great today, Ms. Ward,” one of the boys commented.
Gabriella turned and shot the man a look, which shut him right up.
“It’s such a wonderful coincidence for us to run into each other today. Why don’t we go grab a bite
together?” she said as she rested her right hand on Larry’s shoulders.
He shrugged her off rather strongly, which left the woman feeling a little awkward.
“Is he bothering you, Ms. Ward?” The men left their positions at the door behind and approached.
Gabriella forced out a smile and waved them off.
“It’s fine. I’m just joking around with my friend here,” she said.
“I’ve other things to attend to, so I should get going.” With that, Larry turned to leave.
Gabriella watched the silhouette of the departing man fade before she hurled the thermal insulated
container in her hand onto the floor. That shocked the men.
Just you wait, Larry Norton. One day, I’ll have you begging!
The woman’s gaze was scorching.
Ding, ding, ding…
Larry answered phone quickly after one quick glance at the incoming caller ID.
“Hey Larry, when will you be coming back? Ms. Young and I have prepared the dumplings. We’re just
waiting to put them to pot,” Joan said.
“I miss you so much, Daddy!” Another energetic voice came through the other end of the phone.
That put a smile of gratification on Larry’s face.
He loved his life. His wife and kid would wait at home in the evenings for him to come back from work.
That felt more like home.
“Hey, look what you’ve done, Lucius. You’ve gotten flour all over my face,” Joan groaned.
“He did it on purpose.” Delilah chuckled.
A warm and fuzzy feeling crept into Larry hearing their voices from the other end of the phone. All his
troubles seemed to have evaporated there and then.
“You must come back quickly, Daddy,” the cheeky boy said.
“Okay, I will be right back.”
It was already dark by the time he returned home. Larry thought they would be done with dinner, but to
his surprise, everyone was waiting for him in the living room.
“Oh good. I’ll go put them to boil now.” Delilah yawned.
“You’re finally back, Daddy.” Lucius stretched himself, as though he had just woke up.
Larry had to make a detour to his office when he was halfway home. He received a call pertaining to a
matter that required his immediate attention. He had expressly informed Joan of this over the phone
and asked them not to wait.
“Why haven’t all of you eaten yet?” Larry looked at Joan in astonishment.
“We were waiting for you. Ms. Young said the dumplings taste better when we have them together as a
family,” she replied with a slight smile.
“Ms. Young.” Larry walked steadily toward Delilah, feeling profoundly moved.
“Alright. Save your mushiness for your Joan!” she quipped with a laugh.
“No, save them for me! I want to eat more today!” Lucius abruptly chimed in.
That had the entire family in stitches.
…“I’ve found him, Larry,” Caspian said.
Larry jumped to his feet. “Where is he?”
“Already here.”
Larry smirked.
Finally! The man ecstatically pumped his fists.
Bang! The door was kicked wide open.
Larry stared murderously at the disheveled man who lay unconscious on the floor.
“He’s an addict,” Caspian stated plainly.
No wonder he asked for so much money! Larry regarded the man frostily.
Splash!
The man finally came to after a bucket of cold water was poured unreservedly on him. “Who are you
people?” he asked as he slowly stirred.
Suddenly, his eyes widened upon recognizing Larry.
“Why am I here, Mr. Norton?” the man asked in feigned ignorance.
Larry sneered and snuffed out the cigarette between his own fingers. He had stopped smoking for a
long time. However, after what befell Joan, he kept up the habit every night until her reemergence.
Chapter 1932
“What’s going on now? Don’t you know the rules of the trade? What are you trying to prove by
disappearing on me?” Larry glared at the man on the floor.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Norton. I’ve my reasons, so please let me off.” The addict abruptly got on his knees
and begged, appearing quite aggrieved.
Larry walked steadily and squatted down in front of the man.
“What reasons could you possibly have?” He lifted the latter’s chin and asked expectantly in a low
voice.
“Whatever it is, you should not have played me out!” With a powerful strike, he sent the man hurtling
towards the side of the room.
The man touched his bloodied lips and evoked a look of piteousness.
“Mr. Norton, I told you everything about the traffic accident. I was just passing through by chance that
day. I really know nothing about the driver who was responsible.”
Larry snorted at his hasty explanation and said, “Hand him over to the cops and let them deal with
him.”
“No, please don’t do this, Mr. Norton!” The man panicked.
Larry walked off without looking back. He was not in the habit of giving second chances.
Twice! Gabriella, oh Gabriella. Who the h*ll embolden you?
Thump!
Larry furiously drove a fist into the wall.
“How’s the search going?”
“We’ve looked everywhere, but there’s no sign of that white USB drive he mentioned. Could someone
else have taken it, or did Lonnie remember it wrong?” Caspian asked, quite concerned.
“I don’t believe so,” Larry replied.
He knew that Gabriella, too, was on the lookout for the USB drive. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so
many people actively searching for it apart from Caspian.
“Why don’t we take him along?” the bodyguard asked.
It is not a bad idea, but…
Larry furrowed, somewhat hesitant. I can’t risk his life for the evidence!
“In that case, increase the manpower. You’ve to ensure his safety.” He regarded Caspian intently.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Mr. Norton.”
For some reason, Larry felt uneasy when he saw Lonnie.
When his intention was explained to him, Lonnie readily agreed.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Norton. Rest assured that I’ll do my best.”
“Remember. Your safety is the most important thing, no matter what happens. Even if the evidence is
lost, we’re good, so long as you are safe. Do you understand?”
Lonnie was touched.
Apart from Hubert, Larry was the only other person who cared about him.
The very next day, Caspian escorted Lonnie to the house as planned.
“We should be good. I’ve brought along more men this time,” the bodyguard said as he placed a
comforting hand on the latter’s shoulders.
Lonnie merely smiled.
“There’s a vehicle on our tail,” a middle-aged man suddenly said.
Caspian turned and saw that they were indeed being followed. He was curious to see what would
happen next.
“In that case, we shan’t go there. Circle the area.”
“Here they come,” Lonnie said grimly with his head lowered.
“Who are these people?”
“Some boys who served under me.”
Caspian was astounded.
Are they going to kill their own second-in-command?
“Why?” he regarded Lonnie quizzically.
“They’re manipulated into believing that I’m after Mr. Newman’s position. But I’m not.”
That woman must be responsible for this!How many more people does she want to ruin before she’ll
stop?
“Gabriella’s behind this,” Lonnie continued.
Gabriella again!
There was a murderous glint in Caspian’s eyes.
Chapter 1933
“You’re right, Caspian. They’re still onto us,” the middle-aged man said.
Caspian quickly pulled out his phone and made a call. “Hey, pull over and stop the vehicle behind us!
Make it fast!”
A third car then abruptly put itself between the two vehicles. From it, a couple of men alighted and went
straight for that vehicle on their tail.
Ring, ring, ring…
Caspian glanced at the display and picked up promptly.
“Pull out and return immediately. You must ensure his safety!” Larry said.
“Understood!” Caspian ended the call and instructed, “Back the way we came.”
“Aren’t we headed there?” Lonnie asked.
“Larry wants to prioritize your safety,” Caspian replied as he monitored the rear in vigilance.
Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by more than just the one car.
“Mr. Norton’s a good man,” Lonnie said with relief.
“I wouldn’t have served him for so many years if he wasn’t,” Caspian mumbled under his breath. Then
he asked, “Are we in the clear yet?”
“So far, so good,” replied the middle-aged man at the wheel.
Caspian was especially meticulous in this aspect. He avoided sending Lonnie directly to the clinic,
choosing to continue circling the roundabout.
“That should be enough, Caspian,” the driver said.
Caspian remained unsure as he checked the rear to his left and right.
“No. Tell you what. Swap your clothes, the both of you,” he said as he nudged Lonnie and regarded the
man in the front.
“Thank you, Caspian,” said Lonnie, deeply moved.
“No need for that. You can thank me by staying alive.”
“What’s the situation?” Larry asked, concerned.
“We’re safe and on the way back,” came Caspian’s quick reply.
Larry let out a sigh of relief before he looked out of the window, but little did he know that some visitors
had amassed all around the clinic in the village.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The pounding on the door grew more threatening. Lonnie looked at the doctor. The fear that gnawed at
him from the inside was surfacing, and it showed on his face.
“This is no courtesy call,” he whispered.
“Hide yourself, and quickly!” The doctor then led the man to a concealed basement.
“Don’t come out without my say-so!” With that, she shut the door after him.
The village had been the setting for many skirmishes in the past, so the fact that the clinic had a
basement was nothing out of the ordinary.
Back in the day, this basement had saved countless lives in the entire village. Since the descendants
rebuilt the village after the war, very few were aware of its existence.
“You… Who are you looking for?” the doctor asked.
“Out of my way!” One man shoved the doctor aside and went straight inside.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing. This is a private property and you’re trespassing!” the doctor
shouted in protest.
Bang!
Thud!
The house was turned inside-out; medication, drips, and test tubes were left strewn across the floor.
“No one’s inside, Boss.”
“I’ve got nothing here either!”
A few men ran back and reported to their boss.
Damn it! He got away!
The leader of the pack grabbed the doctor and pinned her down on the rickety couch to the side.
“Where is he?” he demanded.
“W-Who a-are you talking about?” she stuttered because her body was trembling so badly.
“We… are talking… about the man with green hair.” The head of the thugs mimicked her in mockery.
What a positively rude man!
A cold glint flashed across the doctor’s eyes.
“I’m the only one in the clinic,” she replied resolutely as she faced away.
Chapter 1934
“Are you sure?” The man looked at her questioningly.
“I am.” She raised her chin and challenged him with a firm stare.
With her clinic messed up like this, she had to stand her ground! The doctor’s hands balled into two
tight fists.
“Let me warn you, old hag. Come clean, and save yourself a world of pain,” the man said as he lashed
his whip menacingly.
What a joke! Does he think I’m afraid of him?
The woman pursed her lips in contempt.
“Let me say that apart from you lot, I’ve never had animals in here. Besides, I’m a doctor, not a vet!”
The man regarded her with suspicion.
Was she not fearful before? How is she so calm now?
“Aren’t you afraid?” he asked.
She rolled her eye at him and smirked.
“What’s there to fear about you? Do you think you can get away with killing me? Hilarious.” The doctor
shook her head and taunted, “For all you know, we might be on a live stream right now,”.
The man immediately relinquished his grip on her and checked his own attire.
“Search the place for surveillance equipment. Now!” he barked.
What a bunch of fools!
The doctor rubbed her hands and regarded the men with displeasure. She was curious to see what
they could find.
“Nothing, Boss!”
“I’ve nothing here either.”
When the leader made a beeline for the doctor, she panicked.
She thought that her little lie would scare them off. Never did she expect them to be this thorough.
Larry, oh Larry. When are you going to show up?
The doctor shrunk and retreated.
“You’ve some guts trying to play punk with me!” The leader seized the woman by her shoulders and
glared at her.
“Don’t test my patience. Tell me where he is, or you’ll die in his place!” The man then drove a fist into
the wall behind her, staining both it and his own knuckles in fresh crimson.
“Ah, you’re bleeding!” the doctor said in an attempt at a diversion.
“Where is he? Out with it!” he bellowed.
She shuddered, and her eyes evoked a hint of distress.
“I won’t be able to tell you even if you beat me to death because I don’t even know who you’re looking
for. I’m the only one in the clinic all this time,” she said as she tried to collect herself.
“You asked for it…”
Thump!
Just as the man was about to lay his hands on the doctor, the door burst open with a kick.
“What do you think you’re doing on my turf?” Larry said as he stared at the leading thug.
“What an honor this is, Mr. Norton. May I know to what do we owe the pleasure of your presence.” The
thug let go of the doctor and strutted toward Larry.
“Should I not show up when there’s trouble at my clinic?” Larry asked.
The leader was taken aback momentarily, but recovered just as quickly.
“To the best of my knowledge, this is the village’s public clinic,” he said as he twitched his nose.
Larry sneered. Although he knew the men would come, their arrival was sooner than he had expected.
“I’ve already bought over the clinic. It now belongs to me,” he replied.
The air became stilled in an instant.
“Look at what they’ve done, Mr. Norton. The medicine is no longer usable.” The doctor purposefully ran
up and complained to Larry.
Damned hag!
The leading thug glared at her with fists clenched.
F*ck it. I’ll just take you down with me!
“We’re just looking for one of our guys, Larry. I saw him come in here myself,” the leader whispered as
he looked at his whip.
“What’s that you say? Looking for someone? Surely this is not the way to go about with it?” Larry
pointed at the mess on the floor.
“Let’s get out of here, Boss. We can’t afford to offend Mr. Norton.” A young man said as he nudged at
the arm of his own leader.
Chapter 1935
Larry smirked, but said nothing.
“Shut up! What are you so scared of? He’s just the one man!” the leading thug shouted.
Then he glared at Larry.
“Larry!” Suddenly, Caspian arrived with a few dozen men.
That prompted the thug leader to take a few steps back. He had seen Caspian and knew how
formidable he was.
“We must be mistaken. Sorry for disturbing you at this hour, Mr. Norton,” the man hastened to
apologize.
“Are you going to keep looking?” Larry asked cordially.
“No, not anymore. It’s late already so we’ll be going.” The man waved it off and motioned for his entire
crew to leave.
“Are you alright?” Caspian looked to Larry in concern.
The latter dismissed him and approached the doctor.
“Where is he?”
“Inside. I’ll go fetch him,” she said as she left the room.
“Mr. Norton!” Very soon, Lonnie reemerged.
Seeing that the man was in one piece, Larry finally felt relieved.
If the doctor had not dialed his number secretly with the phone hidden in her sleeve, Larry reckoned
that it would have been a long night and the doctor herself might have lost her life.
“Thank you, Madam.” Larry went up and gave the woman a hug.
“Silly boy. It was the right thing to do.” She patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.
“Why has this happened, Caspian?” Larry suddenly turned to regard Caspian with severity.
“It’s all my fault!” the bodyguard replied with his head lowered in self-reproach.
“Don’t blame him. Maybe those people were already prepared for this,” Lonnie interjected.
Now that the clinic was compromised, Larry had Caspian arrange another hideout for Lonnie until the
danger passed.
Ring, ring, ring…
Joan picked it up quickly.
“Hello, where are you, Joan? I haven’t seen you in a while. Let’s meet up for some grub,” Nancy said.
Women behaved differently when they were pregnant. Even their tone changed.
“Sure.”
The two women rattled on for a while more before they ended the call.
“I’m headed out for a few hours, Ms. Young,” Joan said to Delilah.
“Joan, be careful out there,” the latter said with a smile.
Everyone in the village was feeling a little uptight recently because of that incident at the clinic.
The restaurant had great ambience; the lighting was subtle, the music mellow, and a pleasant floral
scent lingered in the air.
Nancy was early, so she waited for Joan at a corner table.
“Over here, Joan!” she hailed excitedly.
Joan smiled and headed for the table.
“How have you been?” Joan asked.
“Hmm, I can’t complain,” Nancy replied sheepishly as she rubbed her own belly.
Joan’s lips curled into a gratified smile upon seeing the blissful look on her friend’s face.
“How are things going for y’all? I heard that trouble was abound at Norton Corporation,” Nancy said as
she took a sip of coffee.
Joan was a little stumped. Larry never discussed his work with her, and her own focus had primarily
been on the family.
“What have you heard, Nancy?”
“It seems that Dustin has bought up quite a bit of stocks in Norton Corporation. That currently makes
Larry and him the two biggest shareholders in the company,” Nancy replied unhurriedly.
Joan was dumbstruck. She suddenly felt a throbbing headache and started massaging her temples.
“What’s wrong, Joan? Are you not feeling well?” Nancy quickly clasped her own hands around Joan’s.
“I’m okay. Probably slept too late last night.”
Why would Dustin want to buy up stock in Norton Corporation? Joan contemplated this with her eyes
closed.
Chapter 1936
“Wow. What a coincidence!” A familiar voice rang out.
“Well, join us,” Nancy said aloud.
While Dustin made his way over, there was a twinkle of delight in his eyes when he glanced at Joan.
“Joan’s here too,” the man said.
“Yeah. I came to catch up with Nancy,” she replied.
Ring, ring, ring…
Nancy answered her phone promptly.
“What? Today? Alright, got it. I’ll be right over.” She appeared quite anxious when she hung up.
“I’ve got something to attend to. If you don’t mind, Dustin, keep Joan company on my behalf. And don’t
you pick on her!” With that, Nancy picked up her bag and dashed for the exit.
The mood suddenly turned stifling.
A slightly self-conscious Dustin sat across Joan while she kept her head down and pretended to be
focused on working her knife into her steak.
“Joan, what’s gotten into you today?” He finally broke the silence.
She paused, laid down her cutlery, and regarded the man earnestly.
“Why are you making moves on Norton Corporation?” she asked.
So, it’s about this.
Dustin smirked when he wiped at his own mouth.
“I could withdraw myself if my entrance into Norton Corporation makes you uncomfortable. I don’t wish
to see you unhappy,” he said.
That made her feel a little discomfited.
Forget it. The affairs of men was not something she should interfere in. Joan sipped at her coffee.
“No. It’s just business, but I hope that you and Larry can work together.”
That’s how much she loves that man!
Dustin’s fingers wound tightly fists. His initial plan was to buy the shares from some existing
shareholders and become Norton Corporation’s largest shareholder. Who would have expected a few
of them had a change of heart and sold them to Larry instead!
Is he dependent on a woman now?
“Of course we will.” Dustin snorted and stared at his cup of coffee.
Boom!
Lightning and thunder accompanied the sudden downpour as it beat down on the windows. Joan
shuddered.
For some reason, she felt strange.
“What’s wrong, Joan?” Dustin asked with concern.
The woman shook her head and implied that she was okay.
The growing intensity of the downpour as the sky darkened only added to her burgeoning sense of
unease.
“It’s getting late. Let me send you back,” Dustin said.
“I…” Joan then turned to see the foul weather outside.
“I’ll be fine. You should go ahead. Larry will come pick me up later,” she replied.
Out of fear, she had sent Larry a text to pick her up when she visited the bathroom earlier.
“Are you sure?” Dustin regarded the unsettled woman with skepticism.
“Yes. You should go. Larry will be here soon,” Joan said.
Larry again!
Dustin sighed.
Perhaps she does not want him to see her with me!So be it!
Dustin left her with a few words and departed from the restaurant.
By this time, Joan was the only customer left inside. The woman clutched her cellphone tightly and
looked anxiously at the sky outside.
The raging storm, the thunder and lightning… everything looked so mortifying. A young tree and the
road markers uprooted by the wind were nowhere to be found.
“Why isn’t he here yet…” she muttered.
“Who are you waiting for? Larry?” The familiar voice of a woman reached Joan’s ears.
“Gabriella?” Her appearance piqued Joan’s interest even as she regarded the former with suspicion.
What is she doing here?
“Are you waiting for Larry?” Gabriella sat herself opposite Joan and regarded her frostily.
“Yes.” The latter turned away to look out in the direction of the window.
Chapter 1937
Gabriella snapped her fingers to get the attention of a server who conscientiously brought her a cup of
coffee.
It seemed that she was a regular here. Joan remained guarded as she looked at the woman before her.
“Let me send you back. Larry won’t be showing up even if you stay the night here,” Gabriella said
purposefully.
Joan sneered. Why would she be so kind as to send me home? And how did she know Larry won’t be
coming?
Joan regarded Gabriella with misgiving but held her own tongue.
She thought it would be better if they spoke less. Joan looked idly outside the window.
“I’m talking to you here, Joan Watts. Are you deaf or dumb?” Gabriella glared at the woman across
from her.
“What exactly do you wish to say?” Joan went straight to the point without establishing eye contact.
The women were best friends once, but Gabriella had hurt her repeatedly.
What caused two kindred spirits who withheld nothing from each other to become so distant?
It was the heinousness of human nature!
“I said that I’ll send you back. Why? Are you afraid or something?” Gabriella said.
“There’s no need for that. I’ll just wait for Larry,” Joan replied resolutely and answered an incoming call.
“I’m a little busy on my end, Joan, so I don’t think I’ll be able to come fetch you. Could you hire a ride
home?” Larry sounded a little harried.
Joan’s eyes dimmed in that instant.
They continued talking briefly before the woman hung up.
Gabriella was practically gloating as she regarded her. A cold glint flashed across her eyes.
“I’ll make a move first.” Joan suddenly got up to leave.
“Joan Watts!” Gabriella howled.
Joan turned to regard the intimidating woman. “What?”
She knew Gabriella would not let her walk away like this, especially since this chance encounter itself
presented the latter with an unmissable opportunity. Joan smirked.
“What’s the rush? It’s not like I’ll eat you up. Besides, the two of us haven’t really been in touch for a
while.” Gabriella’s tone was peculiar.
Is that what she wants?To catch up?
Ridiculous!
“So?” Joan asked.
“Let’s have dinner together. Surely you haven’t forgotten that it’s the fifth anniversary of our friendship,”
Gabriella replied softly.
Joan was stunned that she actually remembered.
That somehow made her feel a little embarrassed. Perhaps Gabriella was not such a bad person.
Maybe she just loved Larry too much. Joan was processing these thoughts for herself.
“Come. Let’s celebrate!” Gabriella said.
If that was what she sincerely wanted, perhaps she should not be so petty.
Joan straightened her own attire and returned to her seat.
“Do you remember how we used to eat, sleep, go to class, and play together when we were schooling?
How happy and blessed we felt back then. But one day, everything changed. I never understood why.”
Gabriella’s voice was permeated with sentimentality.
That profoundly moved Joan.
How could she forget those good old days?
It was so nice to have someone stand shoulder to shoulder with oneself through those tough times.
“Yeah. I remember on one occasion when I’ve forgotten to complete my assignment, and the professor
wanted to perform a spot check. I would have been penalized had you not lent me yours…” Joan said
with a laugh.
Very soon, another round of orders was tabled.
“Hey, another two bottles of reds for us!” Gabriella yelled.
“No going back sober!” Joan chorused.
It had been a while since she last dined with Gabriella. That made her nostalgic for the days past quite
out of the blue.
“You know, Gabriella, I really had no idea you fancied Larry back then. Had I known, I wouldn’t have
dated him…” Joan was red to the ears at this moment, and a little tipsy.
Chapter 1938
Gabriella’s brows furrowed hard against the woman opposite her, and the corner of her lips curled as
though she had her opposite number exactly where she wanted.
“I don’t believe that with us being so close and having known each other for so long, you couldn’t sense
that I liked him?” Gabriella held nothing back.
Since the other woman was drunk anyway, she found no further need to continue masking her own
motives.
“No really, Gabriella. You know what? I’ve always thought of you as my best friend. But you kidnapped
me. Did you know how much that hurt? We’re best friends…” Joan lifted her own glass and emptied it.
Best friends? Was that why she poached my man?
Gabriella glared at Joan with one fist clenched tight inside of her other hand.
“Come on. Bottoms up!” she declared.
Very soon, Joan was slumped over the table.
“Joan! Joan!” Gabriella prodded at the unconscious woman with her foot.
But Joan was totally out of it.
She really thought I was making peace with her. The foolish woman!
Gabriella then pulled out her own cellphone.
“Get yourselves over here, pronto!” she bellowed into the phone before she hung up.
Joan, oh Joan. Don’t blame me for being heartless. I’m doing this today because you stole my man!
Gabriella’s demeanor had only gotten more chilling since.
“Ms. Ward!” A few men came bursting into the scene.
“Take her away and deal with her as you deem fit. And remember. Stay off Larry Norton’s radar.”
The men gazed at Gabriella and then regarded the unconscious woman. Each and everyone of them
smiled slyly.
“Thank you, Ms. Ward!” And off they went with Joan.
This is payback, Joan!
Gabriella narrowed her malicious eyes as she watched the silhouettes of the men fade into the
distance.
“Hello, Ms. Young. Is Joan home yet?” Larry’s voice was mired in anxiety and dread.
“No. Where did she go? I’ve tried calling too, but no one picked up.” Delilah asked in return.
Sh*t!
Larry promptly hung up and dialed Caspian’s number.
“Round up all your men to find Joan, and hurry!” Larry barked.
Caspian was taken aback momentarily, but recovered just as quickly.
“Understood!”
“Dismissed!” Larry grabbed his coat and dashed out of the meeting room.
“What’s up with Mr. Norton? Why is he in such a rush?”
“Beats me. Look like something major is up…” Two managers discussed between themselves when
they witnessed Larry’s consternation.
When Joan came to, she found herself locked in a small, dark room.
“What shall we do with the chick inside?” A man’s voice was heard saying.
“Don’t you remember what Ms. Ward said? It’s up to our own discretion,” another sneered.
The voices outside sounded muffled to Joan’s ears.
Who are they about? Who are these men outside?
“Ah…” The only thing that was obvious to Joan was the throbbing in her head.
The woman shut her eyes and attempted to recollect what had transpired prior. She was having dinner
with Nancy and Dustin came along, then she ran into Gabriella…
Gabriella Ward! Suddenly, it all came back to Joan.
She must be out of her mind to dine in that woman’s company. Joan thumped her fist against her own
head, quite upset with herself.
Thud! The door was kicked wide open.
She promptly shut her eyes and pretended that she was still out.
“Hey, get up!” One of the men booted Joan.
That yielded no response from her.
“That’s not right. The effects of the drug should have worn off by now,” another commented as he
regarded the woman on the floor with suspicion.
“Someone get a bucket!” the man hollered.
Splash! Joan was completely drenched to the skin.
“Mm…” she slowly got to her feet and rubbed her eyes.
“Finally awake, huh?” The man looked as though he meant to kill her.
Chapter 1939
“Where am I?” Joan asked, in feigned ignorance.
The corner of the man’s lips curled up wryly as he sneered.
“Don’t blame us for this, miss. Just doing our job!” With that, he threw Joan into the corner of the room.
“What do you want with me?” She shrunk and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Sorry to say that you just pissed off the wrong person. We have to answer to her too,” he said in a low
voice before he approached and squatted down in front of her.
A pair of grubby hands reached out.
“Get away from me!” Joan screamed in horror.
The man’s eyes darkened at her resistance.
“The rest of you, out! And close the door!”
His posse of followers promptly made themselves scarce.
“Please let me go. I can give you money. Lots of it!” Joan was terrified.
The man sneered as he lifted the woman’s chin. He looked straight into her eyes as he stroked her
face with his right hand.
“I don’t care about money. It’s you I’m interested in!” He proceeded to pry at the buttons on her blouse.
“Help!” Joan screeched at the top of her lungs.
The man dragged her over to him. He slid a seeking hand underneath her top and fondled her thigh
relentlessly with the other.
The tears burned as they streaked down her cheeks.
“No, please! Stop!” Joan cried as she struggled.
“Quit your f*cking whining. You should be flattered that I’m showering you with all this attention!” The
man then sent a stinging swipe across the left of her face and then the right.
Blood trickled down the ends of her lips.
“Ah!”
The man flung her to the other corner of the room before he pulled out his whip and lashed it
mercilessly in her direction.
“How dare you bite me, you stupid b*tch. I guess you’re tired of living. Fine. In that case, I’ll kill you
when I’m finished!” With that, the man tore off his own clothes and threw his entire weight upon her.
Joan no longer had the strength to resist. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow at will. She had
completely given up hope.
Boom! The door was kicked open forcefully.
“What the hell, I’m not done yet!” the man riding on top of Joan roared while his lips still nibbled away at
her collarbones.
With a resounding thump, the thug was sent sprawling to the side.
“Joan. Joan!” Dustin shook at the woman on the floor.
But she was unresponsive.
“Who are you? How dare you interrupt me!” The man who was struck retaliated with his whip in hand.
Dustin pivoted on one foot before delivering a spinning kick, which laid his attacker low and left the man
writhing in pain.
“Joan!” Dustin yelled. He then put a finger under her nostrils.
Okay, she’s alright! Dustin removed his own coat and wrapped it around her.
“Someone, get him!” The man waved his finger at the target that he wanted his men to sort out on his
behalf.
But there was no movement beyond the door.
“Are all of you deaf! Did you not hear me…” He was stunned when he looked outside.
Past the door, his boys were on their backs, clutching at various parts of their limbs in agony.
“How about it? Would you like to join them too?” Dustin snorted.
The man responded by scrambling out of the room.
After ensuring that they were in the clear, Dustin immediately picked Joan up in his arms and sped to
the hospital.
“Hurry, doctor. Disinfect her wounds!” he shouted.
That got the doctor quizzical.
How did he know that was the first step?
“I used to be a doctor myself, so please hurry. I can assist,” Dustin explained.
“Okay, get me a pair of scissors,” the doctor replied staidly.
Chapter 1940
The duo worked in tandem and had the wounds on Joan properly cleaned and dressed in short order.
Dustin felt a restlessness and an ache in his heart when he looked at the woman lying in the hospital
bed.
Damn that Larry. Damn fine job he’s doing, taking care of Joan!
Dustin drove a fist into the wall. Blood oozed out between his fingers.
“No, don’t touch me. Please…” Joan muttered. Her brows frowned in deep distress.
“Joan, wake up. No one’s touching you,” Dustin said.
She quietened down very quickly.
“Here’s some saline. After the drip has emptied, swap these up for her,” the nurse approached and
said.
Dustin looked over and saw four of them. His eyes dimmed in an instant.
Ring, ring, ring…
A look on the display showed that the call came from Jory.
“Hello Dustin. I heard Joan disappeared…”
“Don’t tell anyone that she’s right here with me.” Dustin hung up immediately.
Jory stared at the phone, a little perplexed.
“How is it? Did Dustin see Joan?” Nancy inquired desperately.
Jory paused and decided to go along with Dustin.
“No, but don’t worry. I’ll go look for her. Stay put, and don’t go anywhere,” he replied solemnly.
Nancy was fretting and was in no mood to sit still. The minute Jory stepped away, she too left the
house.
“Larry…” muttered Joan as she laid in bed.
Hearing what she said in her unconscious state drew a rueful smile from Dustin.
When would there be a place for him in her heart if that scumbag Larry was all she cared about? There
was a glint of despondence in the man’s eyes.
“Wake up, Joan.” He rocked at the woman’s shoulders.
She slowly opened her eyes to a familiar shade of white.
Is this… the hospital?
Joan surveyed her surroundings warily. When she turned to the side to face Dustin, a light lit up in her
eyes momentarily before it faded away.
“How are you feeling?” The look in Dustin’s eyes mirrored the anguish he felt for her plight.
“I’m okay,” she shook her head and replied weakly.
“The doctor said that you may need to have your brain examined. Shall… shall we head overseas for
that?” Dustin asked cautiously.
He knew that the chances of her agreeing to this were next to zero. How could she possibly bear to
leave Larry behind here by himself?
Joan rubbed her own head. Indeed, she had been knocked around quite a bit when she was
kidnapped.
“Okay,” she replied in a low voice.
A rush of delight ran through Dustin.
“I’ll go book the air tickets right away, but…” Dustin intentionally pretended to be in a dilemma.
Joan knew what he wanted to ask and waved him off.
She needed to have her head injuries attended to and thought it better not to inform Larry for the time
being. If everything went well, she would return and live out the rest of her days alongside Larry.
Otherwise, she would stay away overseas for good.
Rather than endure the pain of death and separation, it might be better if she quietly vanished.
The sheets twisted inside Joan’s grip as she wrestled with her own crushing emotions.
She had suffered the infrequent bouts of pain for the longest time without anyone knowing. She feared
that uncovering the truth of her condition might mean that Larry and she would ultimately be torn apart.
“Alright. Let’s finish up this round of drip. I’ll start packing up,” Dustin said.
“Alright.” The tears ran hot from her eyes as she looked outside.
Don’t blame me for this, Larry. You know I love you!
Joan’s eyes were filled with despair.
Fate had a twisted way of toying with kindhearted people. Those who took it seriously missed out on
what was meant for them, and those who waited foolishly would see their destiny return to them.