Ch. 1941..1950
Chapter 1941
The duo soon checked out of the hospital and were swiftly on their way to the airport.
A dead silence filled the car. Joan looked out of the windows, trying to take in as much of this city as
she could etch into her memory.
Ring, ring, ring… She cast a glance at the display but did not pick up.
Beside her, Dustin’s lips curled up in satisfaction. In his opinion, leaving quietly this way was not
necessarily a bad thing.
“Where’s she?” Larry howled when he arrived in the room where Joan was held captive.
Caspian approached the men lying on the floor and regarded them coldly.
“Start talking. Where is the woman?” He grabbed one of the big boys and asked.
“I don’t know. Our boss was in there, then some random guy showed up and gave us all a good
whopping. He then stormed inside and took the woman away…” that boy hastily explained.
Larry’s eyes brightened up. Had Joan been rescued?
“Who took her?” Larry hurried over and pressed him.
“I’ve no idea. Anyway, he’s the one who has her,” the big boy explained.
Larry narrowed his eyes in the window’s direction as though deep in thought.
“Why weren’t we informed when Joan was rescued?” Caspian looked doubtfully at Larry.
The latter motioned with his hand, and his bodyguard immediately held his own tongue.
More importantly, who was it? A cold glint flashed across the man’s eyes.
He was concerned that the other party was no friend of his.
Larry rubbed his hands as anger mounted inside him.
“Lock down all the major hospitals, Caspian. We’ve to locate Joan!” Larry bellowed.
At the same time, he pulled out his phone and made a call.
“We’re sorry. The number you’ve just dialed cannot be reached…” Larry’s eyes darkened in the same
instant.
“Come, Caspian. Let’s go find Joan!” he said as he hopped into the car.
Caspian was stunned momentarily before he recollected himself.
He knew that Larry never did anything without rhyme or reason. The worst case scenario was Dustin
had abducted Joan. Caspian gnashed his teeth as he stared into the distance.
Ring, ring, ring…
“Hello, Lars. Have you found Joan?” Nancy’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
“Not yet.”
Had she not pestered Joan to meet up for a meal, her friend wouldn’t be missing till now?
“What shall we do…” Nancy started crying.
Unwilling to hear any more from her, Larry hung up outright.
They had checked the café, the restaurant, the mall and all the places that the women frequented, but
there was no sign of Joan. Nancy sat slumped on the floor and bawled her eyes out.
“Where are you, Joan? Could you please stop scaring me?”
Since her pregnancy, Nancy had lost her usual haughtiness and aloofness, and became more timid
than she was before.
“Get up, Nancy. The floor is cold.” Jory went over quickly and helped her onto her feet.
“What should I do, Jory? It’s all my fault that Joan’s missing…” The woman was inconsolable as she
embraced him.
Jory was heartbroken at the sight of this.
“Go on back to the car first. I’ll keep looking, alright?” he said to her.
“No, I must find Joan!” Nancy shoved him away and made straight for the car.
Less than a few steps in, she lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor in a heap.
“Nancy!” Jory ran over and picked up the woman. He then sent her to the hospital.
“What the f*ck are you doing, Dustin? Nancy’s been hospitalized because of Joan!” Jory was heard
yelling into the phone along the hospital corridor.
On the other end of the line, Dustin reacted in astonishment. One look at Joan enabled him to recover
his composure.
“I’d explain it to you in due time, but right now, I’ve got a plane to catch.” He ended the call.
Chapter 1942
“Hey! Dustin!”
Thud! A nurse who walked past Jory was taken aback when the man smashed the phone on the floor
in exasperation.
Damn it! Jory gritted and punched the wall with his clenched fist.
Between his wife and buddy, he had ended up opting for the latter again, and just like the previous
time, there was a price to pay for his option. Gosh! Dustin, you’d better pray nothing happens to Nancy!
“Doctor, how’s my wife’s current condition?” he asked apprehensively, grabbing hold of the doctor’s
arm tightly.
“Her emotions are still not very stable at the moment. If this condition persists, it might lead to
miscarriage. Thus, you’d better try to console and calm her down,” the doctor advised him patiently
before he headed toward the ward.
“Joan, you’re not planning to give Larry a call?” Dustin looked at the woman in front of him with his
eyes full of doubt.
Joan hesitated. Should I call him?
“I think you’d better give him a call. They’ve all gotten into a bunch of nerves looking for you. If I’m not
mistaken, Nancy passed out due to extreme anxiety while in search of you. She’s currently pregnant,
isn’t she?” Dustin stole a glance at her and added deliberately.
At that reminder, Joan’s eyes widened in an instant. Oh, no! Please don’t let anything happen to Nancy!
“How’s she now?” she asked anxiously.
“I heard from Jory that she’s in the hospital at the moment…” Dustin lowered his voice as he replied
tactfully.
Nancy will be considered the last person who saw me since the both of us were having a meal together
at that time. In this case, Larry will surely blame her. Poor Nancy! She must be feeling really guilty and
upset now! In a split second, Joan’s eyes darkened, her heart filling up with complex emotions. I guess
I’d better give Larry a call so he won’t misunderstand Nancy.
When Larry’s phone buzzed, he reached to take it out immediately. He caught a glimpse of the caller’s
name blinking on the screen and answered the call at once.
“Joan, where are you now?” he asked nervously, trying to keep the quiver out of his voice.
Mustering up her courage, Joan tried to speak up for Nancy. “Larry, I’m fine. It’s nothing serious, but I
just can’t go back yet. It has nothing to do with Nancy. Don’t blame her for anything…”
This silly woman! Why can’t she answer my question directly?
“Joan Watts!” Larry raised his voice and cut her off impatiently.
In an instant, the woman on the other side of the line fell silent.
“Joan, where are you now? Please tell me!” Larry repeated his question, trying hard to appease his
frustration.
He had never been a patient man, yet he had been treating her with utter patience all this while.
“Larry, can you please just give me some time? If possible, I will go back a few days later,” Joan
requested warily.
If possible? What does she mean? Taking a deep breath, Larry tried to cool his head off.
“Joan, what’s the matter with you? Is anything troubling you at the moment? Don’t worry about it… You
can pour out everything to me. I love you so much! No matter what, I’ll be by your side forever and
overcome whatever obstacles that you’re facing together with you,” he pleaded, trying to coax the
woman by lowering his voice.
Joan was so touched by his genuine words that tears started to well up in her eyes.
She loved him very much too, yet she could not resist doubting whether she still had the chance to
spend the rest of her life with him.
“Larry, no matter what, bear in mind that I loved you in this lifetime!” Joan ended the call at that.
Larry was dumbfounded and at a loss for words. What on earth was she talking about? She sounded
weird… It was as if she was emphasizing something. She’s loved me before? Wait a minute! Was she
hinting that she has fallen for another man? No way! I can’t accept that! I won’t!
Thud! He threw his phone out of the door, venting his anger.
“Larry!” Caspian, who was outside the door, cried out, startled. When he saw Larry’s grim face, a
feeling of intimidation crept up to him. The temperature around the man had dropped significantly as
well.
“Larry, we couldn’t manage to locate Joan’s whereabouts,” Caspian lowered his head and said timidly.
“Don’t waste any more time looking for her anymore!” Larry bellowed as he slammed his fist onto the
table, a glint of ferocity in his eyes.
Caspian shuddered and moved backward instinctively. He had never seen Larry as hot-tempered as
how he was at the moment. My goodness! He looks exactly like an erupting volcano!
In the meantime, Nancy’s phone buzzed. Her heart leaped with joy the moment she saw the name
blinking on the screen.
“Joan, where did you go? I really had a scare! I thought something terrible had befallen you!” Nancy
burst into tears of relief.
“Nancy, calm down. I’ve already called Larry and explained everything to him. I’m fine, so neither of you
should worry so much. Don’t strain yourself now since you’re pregnant. You must take care of yourself
and your baby…” Joan advised sincerely.
Upon hearing those words, an inexplicable sorrow started to well up in Nancy’s heart.
“Joan, have you encountered anything dangerous? What’s the matter with you? No matter what
happens, remember you’re not alone. We’re with you all the time and will overcome any hardships
together with you…” Nancy asked with great concern as she wiped her tears away.
Somehow, her instinct told her that Joan seemed weird. The woman seemed to be keeping mum about
something and acting as if they would not have the opportunity to meet each other again.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just need to settle some personal matters these few days. I’ll inform you about
everything once the matters are resolved.” Joan pressed her lips together to form a tight smile and tried
to sound casual.
If I don’t manage to resolve the matters, I’ll make myself disappear. I won’t appear in front of you
anymore! Nancy, I’m sorry I can’t tell you everything now.
When she was on the brink of tears, Joan sniffled, trying to hold the tears back.
The moment Nancy’s ear caught that faint sound, she was momentarily stunned. Sensing that Joan
seemed to be trying to hold back her tears, the woman’s heart flinched.
Chapter 1943
“Joan, you must come back at once after you’ve settled your things. You promised to be my baby’s
godmother, didn’t you? You must keep your promise!” Nancy said softly as she stroked her belly gently.
Do I still have the chance to be her baby’s godmother? Joan pondered and decided to avoid giving
Nancy any response on that matter.
“Nancy, I’m sorry, but I need to hang up now to settle something!” Joan hung up at once before Nancy
could react.
In the office, Larry instructed coldly, “Caspian, try to trace the addresses for all the other residences
owned by Dustin!”
The moment he knew that someone had rescued Joan, Dustin’s figure flashed across his mind in an
instant. Nevertheless, when Larry reached Dustin’s residence with Caspian, his neighbor informed
them that the man had moved away long ago.
“Larry, do you think Jory will have any idea about the matter?” Caspian asked Larry warily, fearful of
intensifying his frustration.
“Let’s go and ask him!” Larry picked up his phone and strode out of his office without hesitation.
“Get out of my way!” Larry growled at the receptionist, who was blocking his path.
“I’m sorry, Sir. You can’t enter without an appointment!” the receptionist tried to stop both of them.
“I don’t need an appointment!” Larry grimaced as he enunciated every word loudly.
“I’m sorry, but it’s our policy here. Whoever wishes to see Mr. Synder must make an appointment in
advance…” Caspian straight away dragged the receptionist aside to let Larry get through.
Bang! The door of Jory’s office flew open.
Jory raised his head and gazed at Larry placidly.
Ah! He’s finally here as expected! Jory seemed to have foreseen that Larry would come and question
him about Dustin’s whereabouts.
“Where’s Dustin Silverman?” Larry looked at Jory sternly and asked coldly.
Jory put down the document and snickered.
“Mr. Norton, are you joking? Dustin is one of the main shareholders of Norton Corporation. As the
president of the company, you don’t even know about his whereabouts. If so, how do you expect me to
have a clue? How ridiculous!” Jory replied mockingly at him.
Larry glared at Jory with blazing eyes as he approached him slowly.
“Stop wasting my time by beating around the bush! Just tell me where he is!”
Jory stood up and looked into Larry’s eyes with a snort.
“I have no idea,” he replied casually.
In an instant, Larry’s fury rose once again.
“You’d better be frank and tell me where he is now. If he’s really the one who abducted Joan and hid
her somewhere, he could be charged with his heinous deed,” he said coolly, warning lacing his tone.
Dustin will be charged with abducting Joan?
Jory glanced at Larry disdainfully and sat down again.
“That’s none of my business,” the former replied with a glint of coldness in his eyes.
Larry immediately boiled with rage upon seeing Jory’s nonchalance. What a cunning fellow… He sure
is good at lying!
Clenching his fists, the man continued to glare at Jory with his eyes that were becoming vicious at the
moment. Instantaneously, Jory could feel the drastic drop in the temperature around them as he stared
into Larry’s eyes which were as cold as the abyss.
“Tell Dustin Silverman, if he doesn’t send Joan back soon, I won’t let him off easily!” Larry warned in an
icy-cold tone and stormed out of the room.
Jory heaved a sigh of relief when the man’s figure was out of his sight.
I really wonder what’s going in Dustin’s mind! He sure is a troublemaker! If not because of him, I would
not have to face Larry!
“Dustin, Larry was here a while ago. He’s highly suspicious of you now. You’d better bring Joan back
immediately. If not, you might meet your end at any time for infuriating him,” Jory warned him coldly.
“Ah! I was kind enough to bring Joan here for a checkup. Yet he’s even thinking of striking me? Don’t
you think he has overreacted?” Dustin laughed scornfully.
“How do you expect him to stay calm? After all, his wife is in your hands at the moment,” Jory lowered
his voice and replied sarcastically.
Dustin sneered. He had been scheming on all these to spur Larry’s anxiety, drive him crazy and strain
his relationship with Joan! Larry Norton, do you like the surprise I’ve prepared for you? Are you having
a great time at the moment?
“Dustin, you promised to bring me for a body checkup today, didn’t you?” Joan looked at the man in
front of him quizzically.
Dustin was seated idly on the sofa, flipping through a magazine leisurely when she popped her
question.
“The director of the hospital called me a while ago to inform me that there’s been a blackout in the
hospital. Thus, it’s closed temporarily as they’re in the midst of fixing the problem. It will most probably
only be reopened in two days.” He tried to convince Nancy by explaining the situation solemnly.
What nonsense! It doesn’t make sense for a blackout to occur in the hospital all of a sudden till it has to
be closed for up to two days!
“A blackout? How can the hospital be closed temporarily all of a sudden? How about the other patients
there…” she asked suspiciously.
“Joan, don’t you trust me? After all, don’t forget we are overseas now. Hence, it’s normal for them to
have different methods of implementation and problem solving,” Dustin explained patiently with a smile.
He knew well that there was nothing awry about Joan’s brain. To spend some time solely with her, he
had actually lied to her and intentionally brought her overseas.
Chapter 1944
Seated on the sofa next to him, a sense of disappointment flashed across Joan’s eyes.
Now that her checkup had been postponed due to the temporary closure of the hospital, it also
indirectly meant that she would need to stay overseas longer. Larry will surely be more worried!
Rubbing her hands nervously, she was in a daze.
“Joan, let’s go out for some fun. We haven’t had fun together for quite a long time,” Dustin’s voice cut
into her thoughts abruptly.
Joan looked at the man in embarrassment and rejected him nicely.
At that moment, Larry’s good-looking face kept floating in her mind. She was not in the mood to
entertain Dustin at the moment.
Dustin’s heart throbbed with pain at the sight of the helpless look on her face.
Maybe I shouldn’t have lied to her… His face darkened at once when he found himself in a dilemma.
After a while, pin-drop silence ensued in the place. Dustin continued to flip through the magazine
casually, whereas Joan was seated on the sofa, staring off into the distance out of the window. The
man looked for a chance to start a conversation with her once more, but he changed his mind as soon
as the thought of interrupting her came to mind.
The atmosphere became awkward as both of them were in utter silence.
Dustin was in bewilderment. What’s the point of me planning everything and bringing her all the way
here if we just end up doing nothing? What a waste!
At that moment, Joan was gazing sorrowfully at the cloud in the sky with a glint of sadness in her eyes.
What’s Larry doing now? Is he also staring at the same cloud in the sky?
She clenched her fists, lost in her own world. At that very moment, she really missed the man who had
promised to protect her for the rest of her lifetime.
Dustin patted her shoulder and called her over, “Joan.”
“Ah?” The woman was stupefied.
“Let’s go out for a meal,” he suggested gently.
“Alright,” Joan agreed and rose immediately.
The two of them went to have a meal in a grand restaurant. The background music there was soothing
and melodious, and the scent of roses hung in the air. However, Joan seemed oblivious to everything
around them as her mind was occupied.
She cut the steak with her head lowered, her mind not focused on the task she had at hand.
“Ouch!” Suddenly, the woman felt a slight pain in her finger and gasped aloud.
“What happened?” Dustin raised his head to look at her the moment he heard it.
The blood oozing out of Joan’s finger caught his sight at once.
He quickly rose and moved swiftly to sit next to her. The next moment, he sucked her finger to stop the
bleeding.
Joan was flabbergasted by his sudden action.
“I’m fine. It’s just a tiny wound,” she uttered, intending to pull out her finger hastily.
Nonetheless, her strength was far too small compared to the man. He tightened his grip on her hand as
he stared at her sternly, hinting her not to move an inch.
After quite a while, he finally let go of her finger.
“Is it painful?” he asked gently. His heart ached at the sight of the tiny cut on her finger.
Joan turned away to avoid having eye contact with him, pretending to be unaware of the profound
affection pouring out of his eyes.
“It’s not really painful now. I’m fine,” she replied casually.
“Miss, here’s a plaster.” A waitress approached them at that moment and handed her a band aid
courteously.
“Thank…” Before Joan could finish her words, Dustin took the plaster from the waitress and stuck it
cautiously on her injury.
“Miss, your boyfriend is so caring,” the waitress commented with a smile.
The moment the stunned Joan was just about to clarify that Dustin was not her boyfriend, the
waitresses had turned and walked away. On the other hand, Dustin was on cloud nine; his mouth
curved into a big smile as he recalled that comment over and over in his head.
“Alright, the wound is covered properly.” He inspected her finger once more before he placed it down
on the table.
Thank you,” Joan replied awkwardly, flitting her eyes anywhere but the man in front of her.
Dustin looked at her with a smile and returned to his seat.
He teased. “You’re still as reckless as usual.” He tapped on her forehead lightly, a sense of affection in
his eyes.
“I was just thinking about something,” Joan refuted.
Was she thinking about Larry? A glisten of coldness flashed across his eyes without the woman’s
knowledge.
“Take this.” Dustin cut the steak on his plate into even slices and placed them onto Joan’s plate.
Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and she quickly said, “Oh! I can cut it myself.”
“Don’t worry. I haven’t taken any mouthful of my steak yet, so don’t be worried about swallowing my
saliva,” he said jokingly, hoping to calm her down.
Despite his efforts to make her comfortable, Joan couldn’t help but still feel a little awkward.
“Ah! I’m so envious of that woman for having such a caring boyfriend.”
“Yeah, he’s really good looking too!”
Chapter 1945
“They’re really a perfect match for each other. What a stunning couple!”
A few waitresses were whispering excitedly among themselves, apparently mesmerized by Dustin’s
stunning looks.
Joan turned even more embarrassed when she overheard the waitresses gossiping about them.
“Joan, what’s the matter? Are you not feeling well? You look pale,” Dustin asked with great concern and
touched her forehead to check her temperature.
“Nothing, I’m just a bit tired.” Joan forced her lips into a tight smile.
I’m actually emotionally exhausted! Can you stop treating me affectionately as if you are my boyfriend?
This is so awkward! She let out a silent sigh, not knowing what she was supposed to do.
“How about we go back for a rest after this?” the man asked gently.
At that, Joan nodded in agreement silently.
If Larry happens to see how caring Dustin is being toward me, I’m sure he will burst a blood vessel… A
sense of guilt started to creep into her heart at that thought. Her main intention had been to go
overseas for a thorough checkup of her brain. She planned to make a further decision after the root
cause was detected. Nevertheless, it seemed as if she was on a vacation with Dustin at that moment.
Once they reached back at the hotel, Joan flung herself directly on the bed. Staring off into the distance
out of the window, she gradually sank into contemplation.
I wonder what Larry is doing now. What about Lucius? What’s he doing now? Is Ms. Young busy with
anything right now?
Joan’s eyes were welled up with tears as she thought of her loved ones. Oh! I really miss all of them so
much!
Holding her phone, Joan looked at Delilah’s phone number hesitantly. In the end, she could not hold
herself back any longer. Her finger clicked the particular button to make a call.
“Hello, Joan! Where are you now? We’re all worried about you… Especially Mr. Norton. He’s looking for
you so frantically!” Delilah sounded a bit incoherent; she was too anxious.
“Ms. Young!” Unable to suppress the suffocating sorrow any longer, Joan broke down and cried.
When Joan had lost her memories previously, she had treated Delilah as her own mother. Whenever
she felt depressed, the woman had always embraced her affectionately. Her grief would be soothed
after crying her heart out in Delilah’s arms. Joan was now so far away from her motherly embrace
when she needed to seek solace desperately.
Delilah remained silent as Joan wept.
She could only console her in this way since they were currently apart from each other.
After quite a while, Joan finally stopped crying and wiped away her tears.
“What’s the matter? Are you feeling troubled by anything?” Delilah asked worriedly.
“Ms. Young, I’m really scared. If I die now, I will not be able to meet all of you anymore…” Joan
mumbled out, a sense of utter bitterness in her tone.
What on earth is she talking about? It sounds as if she thinks she will be gone at any moment! A glint of
coldness flashed across Delilah’s eyes instantly.
“Joan, what do you mean? Explain yourself!” Delilah requested sternly.
“Ms. Young, would you mind doing me a favor?” Joan asked sadly with a sense of weariness in her
voice.
“Larry hasn’t found out that I’m having a checkup on my brain overseas. Please keep it a secret from
him. I don’t want him to be upset and troubled, so I’m waiting for the result of the checkup before telling
him. I’ll be able to make a decision then,” she explained, her tone silently pleading with Delilah to not
tell Larry anything.
Even though Delilah truly felt for her, she still hesitated for quite a while before agreeing with her
reluctantly.
Time flew by as Joan and Dustin waited for the date of the checkup to be finalized. Meanwhile, Larry
never stopped trying to track down Joan’s whereabouts by all means.
Joan held herself back by not giving the man any calls all this while. She only occasionally sent Delilah
messages, updating the woman on her condition. She also asked about how things were going on with
Larry and Lucius from time to time.
In the nightclub, beams of colorful lights were emanating from the twirling disco light ball above the
dance floor. The people on the dance floor were moving around excitedly alongside others to the
deafening beat of the pop music being played.
Scantily dressed dancers were swaying and twisting their bodies seductively, matching the tempo of
the pop songs on the dance floor. Meanwhile, the men were either fixing their blazing gazes on the
alluring women or indulged themselves in the passionate flirting session with other flirtatious women
who approached them.
A man was seated alone in one corner of the pub, drinking strong liquor continuously in despair. A
reflection of the lostness and sorrow in his eyes could be seen under the dim lights.
He did not have the courage to overcome the suffocating guiltiness growing within him. The intense
desire to see his beloved woman was driving him crazy. At the same time, he could not forgive himself
for not being able to shield her perfectly against any risk.
“Joan Watts, where on earth did you go? Why don’t you give me a call? Are you hiding somewhere
with Dustin Silverman? Did you elope with him?” he snarled out, frustration evident on his face.
Smash! He smashed a wineglass in desperation, shattering it into tiny pieces.
A waiter approached him at once and cleared the mess on the floor in silence. He had gotten used to
the scene all this while.
Larry had been patronizing the pub lately and was drunk all the time. He was apparently in a bad mood
and not his usual self lately. Even though they were all curious about what had happened to him, none
of them had the guts to approach him to show their concern. They were fearful of infuriating the man
who was a fabled public figure in the business sector.
Meanwhile, a woman dressed in a revealing dress was gazing meaningfully at the lonely man. Her lips
curved into a wry smile as something played in her mind.
Chapter 1946
He looks really cool! Twisting her waist seductively, the woman slowly made her way toward Larry.
She leaned closer to the man and flipped her hair alluringly. “Hello, handsome! Are you all by yourself?”
Larry lifted his head slowly and tried to focus his gaze on the woman with squinted eyes.
“Joan Watts, is that you? You’ve finally come back to me?” Larry rubbed his eyes and asked excitedly.
The woman’s face fell within seconds.
Who the hell Joan Watts? Looks like he’s badly hurt from a relationship. Joan must be his girlfriend.
“You look so lonely. Do you need a companion?” the woman asked languorously as she took the
wineglass and finished the wine in one gulp.
Larry pulled her into his arms with a sudden yank.
“Joan, I missed you so much!” He nuzzled his nose into the woman’s collarbone, mumbling Joan’s
name non-stop as he did so.
“I’m not Joan watts!” the woman yelled in anger.
Even though she was keen on flirting with Larry, she was reluctant to be a substitute for his woman.
“Joan!” Larry continued to mumble that name as he tightened his arms around the woman.
“Let me go! I’m not Joan! This is nonsense!” The woman struggled and slapped on Larry’s chest
constantly, anger and irritation rising within her.
The strong fragrance from her body caused Larry to come to his senses out of a sudden. He realized at
once that it was not Joan who was in his arms at the moment and pushed the woman away
instinctively.
“You’re not Joan Watts! You’re a woman without any sense of shame!” Larry pointed at her and
snapped.
The woman’s face turned grim. Fury burned in her eyes, and she had to resist the urge to pick up a
wine bottle and smash it on the man’s head!
“Have you gone nuts? You know what? Continue dreaming of your Joan! I’m not interested in a crazy
man like you!” She then scoffed and strutted off in her platform heels, her hips swaying from side to
side as she did so.
The liveliness of the nightclub was not the least bit affected by the dramatic moments between Larry
and the woman a while ago.
At the same time, another woman dashed into the nightclub hastily. She grabbed hold of a waiter’s arm
and asked anxiously, “Where’s Larry?”
The waiter shook his head, saying, “I haven’t seen him.”
Gabriella’s eyes hardened upon hearing that.
Tonight’s indeed a golden opportunity for me! I mustn’t let other women latch their claws onto him
before I can!
After scanning every corner in the nightclub, she finally spotted a familiar figure in one of the corners.
“Lars, why are you here? You’ve already drunk so much!” she asked coyly.
Gabriella tactfully worded her question, wanting to double-check if the man was really drunk.
Intoxicated by the alcohol, Larry’s mind had drifted into dizziness. He continued to take mouthfuls of
wine without sparing any glance at her.
She snatched the wineglass from Larry coquettishly. “Lars, you’re drunk. You can’t drink anymore.”
He finally looked up at her with a slight frown on her face.
“What are you doing here?” Larry’s frown deepened into a scowl as he raised his voice.
Huh? He can recognize me? Is he not drunk enough yet?
“Lars, it’s a bit late now. Don’t drink anymore. Let me send you home,” she probed gently and reached
her arms out toward him, intending to help the man up from his seat.
“Get out of my way!” Larry scowled, inflamed as he forcefully pushed her away.
“Gabriella Ward, you must think I’m drunk enough to not be able to recognize you, right? Let me tell
you this! I’m repulsed by your disgusting body odor! It stinks!” Larry growled after taking another sip of
the wine.
Gabriella immediately felt overwhelmed. She sniffed hard at a few spots on her body with a puzzled
look on her face. Body odor? I can’t smell anything except my perfume!
Fine, since you’re making a fuss that I have got a disgusting body odor, I’ll go for a change in perfume
to suit your taste.
“Waiter!” she called out loudly.
“Get me this a bottle of perfume. I only want this brand.” After jotting down the brand on a piece of
paper, she handed it to the waiter.
That is the exact brand of the perfume Joan uses. Larry Norton, I’m sure you won’t be able to
differentiate between her and I later.
Clenching her fists, a sense of maliciousness flickered in her eyes.
I don’t believe you can escape from me this round.
“Joan, please come back to me. Oh! How I miss you! Lucius misses you, and Ms. Young misses you as
well,” Larry murmured as he put his head on his hands on the table.
Gabriella leaned closer to him and listened attentively.
Where did Joan Watts go?
She gazed at the man with a quizzical look on her face.
“Lars, where did Joan go? Why’s she not back yet?” she asked tactfully.
“I’ve no idea. I’ve spent so much time looking for her, yet she has been hiding from me…” Larry
continued to grumble.
Upon hearing his words, the woman’s lips twitched into a smirk.
Here comes my chance! The lucky star is obviously shining on me! Larry Norton, I finally have you in
my hands tonight! Her sly smile widened, and she ended up laughing cunningly at the thought
Chapter 1947
“Miss, here’s your perfume.” The salesperson hurriedly passed the bottle over.
Gabriella looked at the bottle in her hand before glancing at the man in front of her with a sinister smile.
Poof!
Instantly, the air was permeated with Joan’s scent.
Larry seemed to wake up at the smell of Joan’s familiar warmth, but his cloudy gaze betrayed his true
state.
“Joan, is that you?” His deep voice was almost painfully hopeful.
“Yes, Lars. It’s me.” Gabriella wrapped her arms around Larry’s neck.
Larry suddenly frowned.
“Since when did you call me ‘Lars’?” He asked as he looked at the woman in front of him suspiciously.
He started blinking frantically in an attempt to get a closer look at the woman in his arms.
“Just trying to spice up our relationship,” Gabriella said coquettishly as she patted his chest.
“Let’s have some drinks!” Gabriella suddenly said in an attempt to change the conversation.
“We’re almost there, Lars. Try to stay awake, okay?” she said as she tried her best to help the man
walk.
Larry’s eyes were almost completely closed at this point. He had to lean against Gabriella heavily so he
could actually walk into the room.
“I’m so happy, Joan,” he murmured in a daze.
Happy? You can’t even tell who I am, Gabriella thought with a cold glare at the man in front of her.
Looks like you’ll finally be the hero for once, Joan.
Smack!
Larry collapsed onto the large bed. Gabriella quickly turned on the lights and closed the door and
windows before walking toward the bed.
Finally! I’ve waited for you all this while and now you’re finally mine.
Gabriella stroked Larry’s hair gently while the corner of her mouth quirked up in a sly smile.
Who would ever call a man loyal when they were still willing to cheat while drunk?
Suddenly, Larry pulled Gabriella into his arms and breathed her scent in deeply.
“I missed you so much,” Larry murmured as he nuzzled his nose into Gabriella’s collarbone.
She stroked his face gently. In that very moment, everything that Larry had ever done to her
disappeared into nothingness.
“I missed you too, Lars,” she replied softly.
“I’m going to go shower.” Gabriella walked toward the bathroom with her pajamas in hand.
Larry continued to lie on the bed with his eyes closed, looking completely worn out.
Ring! Ring!
His phone kept ringing, but no one picked up.
“Ms. Young, do you know where Larry is?” Caspian’s gaze was riddled with anxiety.
“No, he hasn’t picked up any of my calls,” Ms. Young answered hurriedly.
Caspian’s gaze darkened immediately.
Goddamn it!
He slammed his fist onto the wall next to them, sending Ms. Young stumbling back in surprise.
“Has he been to the bar?” Ms. Young asked.
Caspian’s dark gaze suddenly brightened.
Larry had mentioned that he would almost always go to the bar and get drunk after an argument with
Joan.
The bar was almost empty. Caspian wormed in and out of all the booths without a single glimpse of
Larry.
“Was Larry here just now?” he asked a passing waiter fiercely.
“He left with a woman just now,” the waiter answered frantically.
Caspian’s gaze darkened coldly once again.
“Let me check your security cameras.”
He wanted to get a good look at the woman who dared to seduce Larry.
Soon enough, the waiter showed him their security footage. Caspian’s glare was darker than a black
hole.
This b*tch again?
He slammed a hand on the table, scaring the waiters next to him.
“You can see that they went upstairs in the footage,” one of the waiters suddenly said.
“Shut up!” Caspian barked.
“All of you better keep your mouths shut about this. None of you saw anything, hear me?” he hissed
toward all the waiters.
Chapter 1948
He didn’t believe for even a second that Larry would ever cheat on Joan. He left the security control
room and went upstairs.
Knock knock!
“Lars?” Gabriella started shaking Larry.
However, he was already fast asleep.
Whoever was outside the door continued to knock relentlessly, and Gabriella started to smirk devilishly.
Oh, Larry. Since you’re dead asleep, I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.
She picked up a towel and wrapped it around herself, making sure to reveal her alluring décolletage
and smooth legs before going to open the door.
The moment the door opened, Caspian almost couldn’t believe his eyes.
“What’s up? Are you looking for your brother in arms?” Gabriella asked seductively.
Caspian’s gaze sharpened at the sight of the shameless woman in front of him.
“Screw off!” he barged his way into the room and slammed the door shut, shoving Gabriella aside.
“Larry!” Caspian called anxiously as he shook Larry back and forth.
Perhaps due to Caspian’s intense shaking, Larry finally started to come to.
“What are you doing here so early, Caspian?” Larry yawned.
“Early? Why don’t you take a look at what you’ve done?” Caspian’s tone was laced with both
helplessness and frustration.
Larry looked around him and sat up in a flash.
His clothes were strewn all over the floor and were tangled up with some woman’s clothes too. He
hurriedly threw the comforter away only to realize that he was naked.
With a glance at Gabriella, who was still clad in just a towel, Larry started to feel like something was
wrong.
“What are you doing here?” he asked fiercely as he jabbed a finger in Gabriella’s direction.
“Did you forget, Lars? You brought me here last night,” Gabriella said in a deliberately bashful tone.
Larry felt like he had been struck by lightning.
He had simply been drinking his stress away at the bar when some woman had approached him. He
remembered shoving that woman away, but when did Gabriella come into the picture?
He looked at Gabriella suspiciously, but his gaze betrayed his confusion.
“Put on your clothes.” Caspian nudged Larry’s arm.
Larry finally remembered his situation and quickly put his clothes back on.
“Gabriella, what the hell did you do to me last night?” Larry asked the evil woman in front of him
urgently.
She scoffed and looked at Larry in disdain.
“Lars, why would you say that? To be fair, you’re the one who was doing stuff to me last night,”
Gabriella said mockingly.
Slam! Larry slammed his fist into the wall.
Gabriella stumbled back in sudden fear.
What’s he going to do to me? He’s not going to kill me, is he?
She finally started feeling afraid.
“I’ll ask you one last time: What happened last night?”
Larry’s eyes glinted dangerously.
He knew there was no way he would have done anything out of line to such a devious woman.
Gabriella tried her best to calm down and put on a nonchalant front, looking at the man in front of her
solemnly.
“Exactly what you’re thinking of,” she responded.
She wanted to find out once and for all what Larry would do. Is he finally going to divorce Joan or will
he find a way to hide it from her?
“What do you want from me?” Larry asked straightforwardly.
“Larry!” Caspian shouted in dismay.
Gabriella finally opened her mouth after some thinking.
“Lars, have you forgotten? You’ve always been the only person I’ve ever wanted,” she said as she
looked at Larry pitifully.
How disgustingly fake can she be? Larry thought as he clenched his fists.
What does she mean? Does she want to marry me?
Larry looked at the woman in front of him, his glare was both cold and suspicious.
He knew someone as calculative as Gabriella would definitely find a way to harm him. His gaze
darkened considerably.
Chapter 1949
“All I want is to become your wife, Lars. I know Joan is the woman you love, but I won’t hold that
against you. I’ll respect your decision no matter what it is,” Gabriella said, still looking at Larry pitifully.
Caspian’s glare immediately brightened.
“Let’s go, Larry.” Caspian nudged Larry again.
Gabriella’s gaze clouded over momentarily with panic.
He’s not going to actually leave just like that, is he? What kind of man would do that? That’s not the
Larry I know! Gabriella dug her nails into the flesh of her palm.
“Gabriella, if I truly did anything to you, then I will take full responsibility. However, if I never did
anything, then I hope you’re ready for the consequences of lying to me.” Larry approached Gabriella,
his glare as sharp as daggers.
Is that so? It’s not like he would ever know what actually happened. He was blackout drunk. Gabriella
raised her chin and met his gaze with a haughty stare.
Joan, oh, Joan. You’ll know what it feels like to be left behind soon.
“You better think it through. Don’t think for a second that you can fool me like that. When you have your
answer, let me know. Let’s go,” Larry said with a glance at Caspian.
Gabriella was left alone in the room. Her gaze became frosty.
My answer won’t change, not even if you give me a century to think about it. Don’t you dare think of
ever getting rid of me, Larry!
Gabriella walked toward the window and looked down at the parking lot.
Larry happened to enter his car right then.
“Ms. Ward?” a man’s voice suddenly called out.
She turned back and smiled at him. He shut the door and approached Gabriella before pulling her
toward him by her waist and kissing her.
“Let’s have a baby,” Gabriella whispered into the man’s ear.
The man’s body immediately heated up in lust and he picked Gabriella up bridal-style before walking to
the bathroom.
Back in the car, Caspian turned to look at Larry in the backseat. “How should we deal with her?” he
asked.
Larry’s gaze was dark as he looked out of the window. With a troubled expression, he thought to
himself, As expected, what you’re worried about will really happen to you.
If anything actually happened between him and Gabriella, it would end up hurting three people.
But why can’t I remember going up to the room with Gabriella? Larry held his head with both hands, his
expression twisted with stress.
“The security footage only showed you and Gabriella going into the room together,” Caspian said in a
low voice.
That meant that no one could prove what happened in the room last night because there were no
security cameras in the room.
“You’re both finally back. What happened? Is everything okay?” Ms. Young asked the men in front of
her worriedly.
“What’s wrong, Dad? Why do you look so mad?” Lucius rushed into Larry’s embrace, looking at him
with an innocent expression.
“Sorry, Lucius. I’m a little tired.” After that, Larry walked straight into his room.
Delilah looked at Larry’s retreating figure slightly worriedly.
She had never seen Larry so down in the dumps before. He was always the one who suffered the most
whenever something happened to Joan.
“Uncle Caspian, is my dad not feeling well?” Lucius tugged on Caspian’s shirt.
Caspian knelt down and stroked Lucius’ head gently.
“Don’t worry, Lucius. He’ll be fine very soon,” Caspian assured him.
After explaining everything to Delilah, all she could do was sigh.
If only Joan had told Larry everything from the very start, maybe none of this would have happened.
Her eyes dulled with that thought in mind.
“Joan, when are you going to come back?” Delilah asked worriedly.
“I still need some time away. Things are getting kind of busy here,” Joan answered.
Chapter 1950
“How’s Larry? Is he doing alright?” Joan continued asking.
Delilah hesitated before deciding against telling Joan about what just happened.
After some more small talk, they hung up. Larry was tossing and turning in his bed, unable to fall
asleep. He felt like something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
He turned on his phone and called Joan, but it went straight to voicemail.
When it came to relationships, betrayal was something that truly couldn’t be forgotten. Usually, it was
already too late to fix things at that point.
–
Dustin glanced at his phone. Some stranger had texted him.
He opened the message only to see a video clip and some pictures attached.
“What a scoop!” Dustin smacked his own thigh in excitement.
Damn, Larry, I didn’t know you were such a guy!
Dustin smirked devilishly.
So much for your ‘forever’ and ‘one and only’. You’re still just a cheater!
Dustin looked at Joan, who wasn’t far off.
“Joan!” he suddenly called out.
She turned back and looked at Dustin curiously.
“Let’s go to the hospital.” Dustin grabbed Joan’s arm and started pulling her away.
She immediately shook his grip off and looked at him awkwardly.
“I-I’ll go grab my jacket.” She ran toward her room.
Joan, you will be mine one day.
Dustin’s eyes glinted coldly and he dialed someone’s number.
“Hey, Jory, I need a favor.”
“No can do. I’m busy taking care of my wife,” Jory turned him down heartlessly.
Nancy had collapsed and almost gotten a miscarriage because he had taken Joan away at that time.
Jory hadn’t even brought that up with Dustin yet.
“I really need your help. I need you to keep an eye on Larry for me, and let me know the minute he
does anything suspicious,” Dustin said coldly.
What’s he up to? First Joan, and now Larry. Will he ever stop?
“I already told you, I’m busy. There’s a bunch of company stuff that I’m still waiting for you to deal with.
Get someone else to track him. I’m done with whatever this mess is about.” After that, Jory hung up.
Dustin smirked at his phone.
He knew Jory would definitely help him out.
“Hey. I need you to track someone down for me.” At that very moment, Jory was placing his own call.
“How is it, Dustin?” Joan looked at Dustin anxiously, waiting for his reply.
He glanced at Joan and back at the report when his gaze darkened.
“Joan, I think you need to stay here to get proper treatment for a while. There are some issues with
your report, but they’re small fry. Still, we still need to go for another checkup later on to confirm your
overall condition.”
Truthfully, there was nothing wrong with her brain. All she had to do was rest more often. Dustin was
the one who was purposely dragging the time.
He wanted to see what Larry could get up to while Joan wasn’t there.
With that in mind, Dustin clenched his fists tightly.
Joan’s expression changed to one of slight sorrow. She wasn’t sure if she should feel good or bad
about the news.
“Dustin, tell me honestly. Is it serious?” Her voice trembled slightly with fear.
How much gentler and more loveable can she get? Dustin’s eyes glinted with pity for Joan.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here with you no matter what. As long as we try to get everything back on track,
you’ll be fine.” Dustin approached Joan and wrapped her in a tight hug.
She didn’t push him away. Perhaps Joan really did need a warm hug right now.