Ch. 2111..2120

Chapter 2111

“Where were you?” Larry stared at her sternly, repressing his emotions and forcing his voice to sound

calm.

“Um, I went for lunch with a friend,” she slowly answered.

Oh, so a junior from school is a friend now? Is that friend going to turn into a boyfriend at some point,

too? A gloomy expression on his face, Larry gradually neared Joan, who hung her head and looked at

everywhere but him as she fiddled with her fingers.

“Which friend was it? Do I know him? How long did you eat for? Where did you eat?”

The sudden barrage of questions irritated Joan.

What is this, an interrogation? Why should I tell him? He didn’t tell me in advance when he left the

country for work, either!

“A meal is just a meal. What’s up with all the questions?” Joan picked up her purse and made to leave

the ward. “Ms. Young, I’m heading out to buy some fruits for you.”

Maybe it was guilt that was causing her to act out like this, but she had no idea why she was feeling

guilty in the first place. There was nothing between her and Caiden, yet she’d made it seem as if she’d

done something wrong.

Sighing heavily, she exited the room and hit her own head with a fist.

What are you doing, Joan? Why didn’t you just tell him the truth? What’s the use of getting angry at

him? Why did I think that was a better option than letting him find out about Caiden?

Whatever. I’ll explain to him when I get back.

The supermarket was full of people who had just gotten off of work and were doing their grocery runs.

Taking a look at her surroundings, Joan ended up picking out a lot of things that Delilah, Larry, and

Lucius liked. There wasn’t much in the shopping cart for herself, probably because she hadn’t had

much of a good appetite recently.

“The cookies that Lucius likes to eat…” Joan mumbled to herself under her breath, scanning the aisles

carefully.

Got it!

She rushed towards that particular aisle, but the cookies were placed on a shelf too high for her to

reach. She was wearing sports sneakers instead of heels, so there was no way that she’d be able to

reach it. Placing everything down, she jumped over and over, stretching her arm out as much as she

could to no avail.

“Did you want this?” A large hand suddenly appeared above hers.

“Yes, it’s that box!” she excitedly replied.

She hadn’t thought to take a look back at the kind stranger, nor did she recognize his voice.

“How many do you want?” The man’s voice was low, and there was the faint scent of his cologne mixed

in with his pheromones.

“Two should be enough,” she said, a fond smile growing on her face.

“Here. Is there anything else you need help with?”

“Nope. Thank you…” She turned her head to look at him, her jaw dropping when she realized that it

was Caiden.

“Caiden? Didn’t you go home?”

“Yup,” he grinned at her again. “I was just dropping by to buy something before I headed home.” Why

do I keep bumping into him everywhere I go? Is this some sort of black magic?

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” insisted Caiden.

“No, thank you. Goodbye,” Joan told him curtly, hurriedly leaving.

What a weird guy. How does he always end up sticking to me in one way or another? This won’t do.

I’ve been around him too much lately. I need to stay away from him.

Back in the hospital ward, Larry was sitting on the couch flipping through a magazine absentmindedly,

his chest still heavy with a tangle of emotions.

“What are you being so down for?” sighed Delilah. “Just say what’s on your mind. Who knows what

might happen if you don’t. Besides, communication is key in a relationship.”

She had a point. He needed to have a good talk with Joan.

But how do I start the conversation? And what do we talk about? If she doesn’t take the initiative to tell

me herself and I have to ask the first question, wouldn’t she accuse me of being suspicious of her

again? Larry hung his head, his shoulders slumped.

“Oh, it’ll all be fine. I’ll make sure to talk with Joan when she returns, so don’t look so down,” reassured

Delilah. “Relax. Nothing is going to happen between Caiden and her. It’s just that things have been

really chaotic recently.”

 

 

Chapter 2112

What kind of “thing” would cause them to interact with each other daily? Even Lucius would

occasionally bring Caiden’s name up when he was with Larry. It would seem that Caiden had done his

homework.

“I’m back, Ms. Young,” Joan called out, pushing the door open and heading straight for the kitchen.

“You bought so much! How did you carry it all?” fretted Delilah.

“A handsome young man helped deliver the items,” one of the nurses behind Joan unhelpfully supplied.

Larry instantly turned his sharp gaze towards her. Was it Caiden again?

Noticing Larry’s change in mood, Delilah quickly changed the topic by loudly saying, “Thank you so

much, Joan. What do you plan on cooking?”

“Let’s see. I might make a few regular dishes, and then fry some fish…”

Larry didn’t have the appetite to listen any further.

“Oh, Larry! Lucius is going to come back from school soon. You should spend some more time with

him. He seems a little stressed lately, apparently because of a competition he’s joining,” Delilah pointed

out purposefully.

“Alright.” Larry got to his feet and walked over to the window, staring sadly at the scenery outside.

Joan, busying herself in the kitchen, completely failed to notice his behavior.

“Don’t worry, Grandma,” Lucius later told Delilah comfortingly. “You’ll definitely get better!”

“That’s right, Ms. Young! You’re a good person, and you deserve good things. We’re all cheering you

on!”

“We’ll always be here for you, Ms. Young!”

A small group of people from the village had gathered in the hospital ward. When they’d all caught wind

that Delilah was about to undergo surgery today, they’d immediately paused what they were doing and

rushed to the hospital to visit her.

Everyone in the village had formed a connection with Delilah over the years. She’d received a high

level of education, yet was very humble and lowkey in personality. Even though she used to be rich,

she never looked down on them and lived her daily life with them like an ordinary person. Her kindness

and selflessness had also moved their hearts on more than one occasion.

“Oh, stop it. It’s just a small surgery, there was no need for all of this,” Delilah smiled gratefully,

although she did think that this reaction was a little too over-the-top. “Thank you all for coming.”

“No problem, Ms. Young! You’re one of the most important figures in our little village; we’d all be lost

without you! Just take your time to recover. We’re all looking forward to eating your buffalo wings

again!” The group erupted in joyful laughter.

Delilah’s cooking skills had become sort of a legend within the village, especially her buffalo wings.

Although she had passed on her skills to Joan as well, no one else had ever eaten any of Joan’s

cooking before.

“You’re all mere foodies, aren’t you? I’ll host a small get-together at my place after I get better and treat

you to my cooking then,” Delilah chuckled.

The atmosphere appeared cheerful and bright, but each of them was secretly suppressing their true

emotions of uneasiness and concern. After all, who wouldn’t be worried about surgery? No one said it

aloud, but they were all afraid that Delilah wouldn’t come out of the operating theater after going in.

Joan stood off to one side, hiding in a corner as she watched everything in silence. She was stubbornly

trying to prevent herself from bursting into tears, and everyone understandingly gave her own space.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough. Ms. Young’s surgery will definitely go well,” a nurse walked over and told

them. “The professionals that Dr. Silverman has invited are the best in their fields. There’s no need to

worry so much.”

Dustin slowly walked over to the bed, and the small crowd parted to make way for him.

“It’ll be alright, Ms. Young,” Dustin reassured Delilah, gripping her hand in his. “It’s just a simple

procedure. Just grit your teeth and get it over with.”

 

Chapter 2113

“I believe you,” Delilah smiled kindly up at him. “Um, if you all wouldn’t mind, I’d like to talk alone with

Joan for a bit.”

Everyone nodded, slowly filing out of the ward. Joan padded over to the bed and ended up falling to

her knees by Delilah’s bedside, her eyes reddening with tears.

“Oh, Joan. I’ve never had a proper chance to chat with you, and now that I finally do, it’s under these

circumstances,” Delilah swallowed the lump in her throat, sounding a little choked up as she continued,

“I’ve always been afraid of viewing you as my own daughter, but meeting you and Lucius is the best

thing that has ever happened to me. So, I sincerely ask you to please take good care of Lucius. Who

knows if I will really survive this surgery…”

“No! The operation will be a success and you will get better, Ms. Young!” Joan cried out, hiccupping.

“I’ve checked before, and all the surgeons are all the best money can get.”

“I know, I know. Dustin is a reliable person when it comes to these sort of life-or-death situations. But

just in case, I want to tell you something: Larry is a good man, and now that you’re married to each

other, you should treasure the time you have with each other. I know Dustin and that Caiden boy both

like you, but you have to protect your family. Please don’t go down the wrong path…” Delilah’s eyes

softened.

So she knows everything.

“Ms. Young, Larry is my husband, while Dustin and Caiden are just my friends. I know the difference,

and I won’t abandon Larry and Lucius,” Joan mumbled, scared that the older woman would notice the

abnormality in her behavior.

Although, to be honest, she had realized this abnormality a long time ago since she first started hiding

in the corner of the hospital ward.

“Okay, you can leave the room now. Ask Larry to come in; I’d like to talk with him as well.” Delilah

reached out, gently stroking Joan’s hair.

Slowly rising from the floor, Joan walked over to the door and quietly called for Larry as she left the

room.

The next moment, tears blurred her vision as the women around her gathered to hug her.

“It’s okay, Joan. Don’t be like that. Ms. Young will be okay.”

“That’s right! What about the child? Go on, wipe your tears. Lucius just went to the washroom and is

coming right back.”

That successfully got Joan to stop crying.

“Everything’s going to be fine.” Dustin came over and patted her back lightly.

She trusted Dustin, but she couldn’t shake the irrational worry that an accident might occur during the

surgery.

“Larry…” Delilah waved at him from inside the ward.

The man swiftly made his way to her. “Yes, Ms. Young.”

“There are some things I need to tell you. If the surgery fails, I won’t get another chance to otherwise,”

Delilah coughed out.

“I will admit that you’re a good man. When I first met you, I did have some misunderstandings towards

you…”

Delilah struggled to get the words out, every sentence stealing a part of her energy away from her. The

sight tugged at Larry’s heartstrings.

“I promise you that I will take good care of Joan and Lucius and you, Ms. Young. Your surgery will go

smoothly without a hitch. Have some confidence in yourself, exactly like how the surgeon is confident

in this operation.”

They chatted for a while, both ignoring the fact that these might be Delilah’s dying words.

This was a dangerous operation, with its own share of risks and hopes. Dustin had been telling

everyone over and over that the surgery would definitely succeed because he’d merely wanted to let

Delilah have hope.

In reality, Delilah understood her own condition very well. If she survived this surgery, she would have a

few extra years left to live; if she didn’t, then her life would end here.

And even if it did, she would be leaving no regrets behind.

In the operating theater, Delilah had long since closed her eyes and entrusted everything to fate and

luck. Outside, everyone waited restlessly. Joan paced up and down the corridor as she hugged herself,

her eyes red and swollen and a permanent frown on her face.

 

Chapter 2114

“Grandma will be okay, right, Mommy?” Lucius asked in a small voice, hugging Joan’s legs.

“She’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

The women from the village sighed, giving the mother and son pitiful sidelong glances.

“He’s so young, he wouldn’t be able to bear the thought of parting with Ms. Young…”

“Of course, he’s been with her since he was little…”

As their conversation grew louder and louder, Joan pulled her son away so that he wouldn’t be able to

overhear it.

“What were they talking about, Mommy?”

“Nothing, Lucius. Wait for me here, okay? I’ll go buy you breakfast,” Joan told him, patting his head

lightly.

“I’m not hungry,” he shook his head. “We can eat after Grandma comes out.”

Click!

The lit-up sign above the operating theater finally switched off as everyone held their breaths. Her eyes

widening as she saw the doctor exit the theatre and pull off his mask, Joan instantly rushed over to

clutch his arm.

She wanted to ask about Delilah’s condition, and about whether or not the surgery was a success. But

for some reason, she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth.

“What’s wrong, Joan?” Some of the other women tapped her shoulder. “Joan?”

A wave of dizziness suddenly overcame her, and she fell to the floor.

“Joan!”

The last thing she heard before blacking out completely was Larry calling out her name.

In another ward, Larry sat by the bedside, patiently waiting for Joan to regain consciousness while

everyone else gathered in Delilah’s room. Fortunately, the surgery had gone well, and she would not

suffer from any lingering side effects. All she needed now was to be monitored throughout her recovery

process.

“Where’s Joan?” The old woman rasped out, glancing around.

“She went out to buy food for you and Lucius.”

“Lucius has been waiting for you to wake up so he could eat with you.”

The women all chuckled carefreely, a heavy burden lifted off of their shoulders now that they knew

Delilah was alright.

“This happened because she’s been overworking herself and suffering from large amounts of

psychological stress,” the doctor clarified, gesturing to a still unconscious Joan. “She’ll be fine. She just

needs to take care of her own health more.”

Nodding numbly, Larry stared at Joan with pained eyes. Recent events regarding Delilah and Lucius

had to have been hard on her. Poor thing. He took her hand in his, gripping it tightly.

“Ugh… Ms. Young…” Joan muttered with much difficulty, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Wake up, Joan,” Larry whispered, gently shaking her. “Ms. Young’s surgery was a success.”

“No, Ms. Young… You can’t leave, what am I supposed to do if you leave? And what about Lucius…

Ms. Young…” A tear escaped Joan’s closed eyelids, slowly trickling down her face.

Even in her sleep, she was worried over Delilah.

“No!” She cried out, coming to and sitting up abruptly.

“Joan, it’s me. You’re okay.” Larry instantly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close in an

attempt to soothe her.

“Larry? Where’s Ms. Young? Is she alright?” Completely oblivious to her own condition, she couldn’t

think about anything else other than Delilah.

“Yes, she is. Don’t worry.” He brushed her hair aside, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Do you

want to go see her? I think she’s already awake.”

Without a second word, Joan climbed off of the bed and ran all the way to Delilah’s ward, not caring

that she was barefoot.

“Ms. Young!” she yelled out, slamming the door open.

Everyone in the ward immediately swiveled their heads to look at her, the atmosphere growing tense.

“Is that Joan?” Delilah asked weakly.

Upon hearing her voice, Joan burst out sobbing once more. Pushing past the small crowd surrounding

Delilah, she stared at the frail, old woman laying on the hospital bed.

 

 

Chapter 2115

It really is her! She’s alive! The surgery was a success!

Joan threw herself onto Delilah and cried her eyes out.

Everyone around was deeply touched by the scene and was on the verge of tearing.

“Ms. Young, I missed you terribly,” Joan sniveled.

Delilah hadn’t gotten back to her senses yet, so she couldn’t quite figure out what was going on.

Someone had told her Joan had gone out to get food.

“Alright now, everything’s fine. You went out to get breakfast, didn’t you? Lucius and I are starving.”

Delilah softly patted the crying woman’s shoulder and swiftly changed the topic.

Hm? Since when did I say I was getting breakfast? Joan lifted her chin and looked perplexedly at the

lady beside her. Her coworkers immediately sank their heads onto their shoulders.

“Please excuse me, Ms. Young. I’m afraid I still have some work to do.”

“I almost forgot. My son asked me to head home now.”

“Same here, Ms. Young. We’ll visit you again soon.”

In less than two minutes, those from the village had all exited the ward.

“Mom, those ladies told us you went out to get us breakfast. I’m hungry.” Lucius rubbed his growling

tummy as he whiningly grunted.

“Breakfast right here. Your mom got you these!” Larry appeared at the door out of nowhere at that

moment, and in his hands were a few bags of food.

“Where did they all go? I got them some too.” Larry looked for the ladies who were in the room just a

minute ago.

Delilah looked at Joan and then at Larry. Something puzzling her brain.

“Thank you so much, Doctor. We’re really grateful to have you.” Dustin held the hands of the surgeon in

much gratitude.

“That’s what I’m here for. A doctor’s job is to save lives.” The surgeon’s voice suddenly turned solemn.

“By the way, are you really planning to stay here for good and not return to Wildefield?”

Dustin had been back in the country for quite some time, and he’d shown no interest in going back to

Bainewich college to continue his studies. The surgeon wanted to pass Dustin all the knowledge and

techniques he had acquired, but the current situation left him hanging.

“I really appreciate your kind thoughts, but it’s not the right time for me to leave yet.” Dustin pinched his

neck with his palm awkwardly as he explained himself.

Sigh. Well, the young ones have their ways of thinking, and I should, by all means, respect them.

The two men chatted for a bit before the surgeon left.

Looking at the fading silhouette, Dustin started feeling apologetic for disappointing the other man.

Joan, I’m doing this for you. If I really go back one day, will you miss me? Dustin’s current state of mind

was in a daze.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to him. “Dustin?”

“What brings you guys here?”

“Oh, I came as heard that Ms. Young had an operation today. How was the operation? All good?”

Nancy probed for a quick answer.

The tone in Dustin’s voice spelled relief as he replied, “Yes, it was very successful.”

“Ms. Young, how are you feeling?” Nancy looked worrisome as she turned her head to face the lady on

the bed.

“So far, so good. I feel bad that you came all the way to see me, though.” Delilah ended her words with

a cough.

Joan was surprised to see Nancy and Jory as she hadn’t told them about the operation.

“Joan, you should’ve told me about this. I wouldn’t have known anything about this if I hadn’t asked

around,” Nancy grumbled.

“I hope you didn’t take this the wrong way. I mean, you’re pregnant, and that baby bump is pretty big

now. I didn’t want to trouble you,” Joan swiftly explained.

They then chatted on, seeming quite merry with each other’s company.

As days passed, Delilah slowly recovered and got stronger.

“I’d like to be discharged.” Her utterance caught everyone aback.

Joan, who was sitting on the couch, felt stumped. It was true that Delilah had been hospitalized for

quite a period of time. What concerned her was the health problems that might arise after she’d been

discharged.

“Ms. Young, let’s stay for another few more days, okay?” Joan suggested, tucking Delilah’s blanket as

she spoke.

Delilah picked her words strategically. in an attempt to persuade Joan. “Enough. I’ve asked the doctor

about this matter, and he told me that I’m good to go. Let’s go home. I don’t really like the atmosphere

here. It makes me feel as if I’m going to die soon.”

 

Chapter 2116

Delilah didn’t want Joan and Larry to travel back and forth to visit her at the hospital; she found it too

tiresome for them.

Since Joan didn’t have any other reasons to keep the woman hospitalized, she gave Larry a call,

explained the situation, and started packing up.

“Joan.”

A bassy voice caught the attention of both Joan and Delilah. Caiden? What is he doing here? And are

those health supplements he’s carrying?

Delilah froze at the sound of the man’s voice. “Caiden? Y-you—”

Caiden cut in before she could finish her sentence, “I haven’t been in town for a while, and that’s why I

couldn’t come to see you, Ms. Young. I just got back today, so…”

Hang on. That’s not the point! The point is, why would he visit her with all these health supplements all

of a sudden? They aren’t that close. Joan couldn’t wrap her head around what she was witnessing with

her own eyes.

“Erm… But…” She didn’t know what to say.

“Come on in, young man. Joan, don’t keep my guest standing. Bring him in already.” Delilah tried to

smooth things out.

Joan stood still in discomfiture while Caiden scratched the bottom of his skull as he walked into the

ward. He himself knew that this would appear abrupt, but he still made the decision to come after some

contemplation.

“Ms. Young, have you been discharged?” Caiden asked as he looked at Delilah earnestly.

“Yes. I’ve already regained enough strength in my body,” the latter answered clumsily.

Her eyes carefully scanned the man in front of her and concluded that this person by the name of

Caiden wasn’t up to any good. What bemused her the most was how Joan had gotten herself

entangled with this man. Maybe it was to repay his kindness?

“So you’re Joan’s junior, yeah?”

“Yes. She’s my senior.” Caiden felt his muscles tensing up at the question, his entire body standing on

guard.

They talked for a bit, and Joan soon had had everything packed up.

“Joan, why don’t you let me send you home. I’m free today, anyways.” Caiden got on his feet in a flash

when he saw the woman done packing up.

Hmm… Delilah didn’t seem happy with that suggestion, and Joan racked her brain to find a reasonable

excuse to turn him down.

Why would we need him to send us home? Larry’s going to be here any minute.

“Well, that won’t be necessary. Larry’s already on his way here,” Joan declined his offer forthrightly.

She sometimes wondered how this man managed to appear in front of her again and again, despite all

her efforts in evading him.

“Hey, Joan. Your phone’s ringing.” Delilah pointed at a table not too far away.

It was Larry. “Hey, Joan. Sorry, but I can’t make it today. Some issues are requiring my immediate

attention in the company.”

Not again… I thought we talked about this. Why does he always stand me up and break his promises?

To say Joan was downright disappointed would be an understatement.

“What? Seriously, again? It’s not the first time you’re doing this.” Beep— She hung up before he could

say anything to defend himself. She was as crossed as two sticks and turned narky in seconds.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Larry?” Delilah asked, anxious.

“What could possibly happen to him? Anyway, he can’t make it today.” Joan’s usually gentle voice was

strung with dissatisfaction.

Caiden was singing hymns of joy inside as he ensconced cozily on the couch.

Aren’t you my lucky star, Larry! He managed to suppress his exhilaration into a mildly curved smile.

Joan sighed, turning to face the man in the room. “Caiden, I guess we need your help after all.”

“Don’t mention it, Joan. The pleasure is all mine.”

Caiden was always more than willing to lend a helping hand. Being asked by Joan couldn’t have made

him happier.

Neither Joan and Delilah like owing favors to people, and thus, they had Caiden stay over at their place

for dinner as a token of appreciation for his help.

“Mom!” Lucius launched into Joan’s arms the moment he saw her.

“Grandma, are you feeling better?” He looked at Delilah with his droopy brows.

“No worries. I’m very strong now.” Delilah smiled as she patted him on the back reassuringly.

“That man over there…” Lucius pointed towards Caiden, who had his back towards him.

 

Chapter 2117

“Hi, Lucius! How are you? Do you miss me?” Caiden got up and lowered himself to Lucius’ eye level.

“Caiden! I missed you so much!” The young boy was full of beans and wrapped his hands around

Caiden’s neck.

Delilah couldn’t believe her eyes.

Lucius has always found it hard to mingle with people he wasn’t familiar with. Why is he so natural

around Caiden?

“Lucius didn’t dare to go rock climbing until Caiden helped with his character building. It’s interesting

how he’s not afraid of heights anymore after that,” Joan explained upon seeing the look of confusion on

Delilah’s face.

“I’m home!” Larry announced his arrival in the yard.

In the living room sat Caiden. He heard that cry, and a scheming thought came to him. How will Larry

react when he sees me? Will he be shocked, or will he give me the cold shoulder? Maybe he’ll look at

me in contempt? Or perhaps he’ll go panicky and react in fear?

“Dad’s home.” Lucius pulled Caiden by the hand and walked over to Larry.

Larry was stupefied when the other man entered his line of sight. What’s he doing here? And why does

Lucius seem so close to him? Larry’s eyes scanned around the house, and he soon saw Joan making

dinner, whereas Delilah was trimming some branches in the yard. It was hard for him to act naturally.

“Hi,” Larry greeted Caiden stoically.

“Am I not welcome?”

Duh! Isn’t that obvious? Larry hurled his briefcase onto the couch in a huff, not bothering to

immediately respond to that sarcastic question.

“Dad, it was Caiden who went to the field trip with us when you couldn’t go,” Lucius whispered.

Larry had already been aware of the incident, and that was the reason his guard was up.

He had already had a feeling that the man standing in front of him had some hidden agendas ever

since their first meeting. Little did he expect Caiden to make his move so soon.

Larry got cozy on the couch as he forced a smile, saying in reply, “No, not at all! I’d firstly like to thank

you for going on the field trip in my stead.”

Pretty sure he didn’t mean that. Caiden twitched his lips, holding back a smirk.

“I know you’re a busy man, Mr. Norton. I get it. How important could a field trip be compared to your

company matters?”

Ooh, that sarcasm. He’s declaring war so soon, eh? Larry took a good look at the man and smiled.

“Oh, that’s not the case. Lucius will always come first and—”

“Dinner’s ready!” Joan’s summon for dinner broke off the conversation.

“Come on. Stop dilly-dallying.” Delilah hastened them to the dining area.

Joan had cooked up a feast as a token of appreciation to Caiden.

“Wow. This blows me away, Joan! Everything looks absolutely scrumptious! I mean, you only made

some simple dishes at my place a few days ago, and I thought you only knew how to—” At his

comments, Larry turned sullen and Joan uncomfortable.

What’s wrong with this guy? Did he just slap himself in the face?

Joan tried to divert the topic, sensing the tension growing in the air. “Have some of this, Caiden. You

must’ve been exhausted.”

Delilah knew very well at that moment that this unscrupulous rat wasn’t there to visit her.

The air around the dining table wasn’t at all pleasant. The way Lucius interacted with Lucius was a red

flag for Larry.

“Have more of these, Joan. It’s your favorite. You’ve been up and about taking care of Lucius and Ms.

Young, and occasionally an outsider like me.” Caiden gave Larry a victorious sidelong glance after

saying so.

Joan’s face was seething in mortification as she racked her brain for a reasonable explanation for the

man’s behavior.

Delilah spoke up in an attempt to try to maintain the merriment, “Dig in, everyone. None of Joan’s effort

should go to waste.”

 

 

Chapter 2118

“Lucius, here are your favorite buffalo wings. Your mom made them just for you.” Delilah placed a piece

of buffalo wings on Lucius’ plate.

“Thanks for the wonderful meal, Mom!” The young boy praised his mom and flashed her a blinding

smile before digging in happily.

The atmospherically awkward dinner soon came to an end. However, Caiden showed no signs of

taking his leave, much to Larry’s dismay.

“Lucius, shall we play a game together?” Caiden swept his hands around Lucius and had him sit on his

lap.

“I’m down for it! But it’s late now. Don’t you have to go home?” Lucius curiously looked at Caiden.

The moon had long settled snugly in the dark sky. It was indeed late.

“I see. You don’t like me anymore. Guess I’ll just go then.” Caiden loosened his grip, acting as if he was

upset.

“No, no, no, Caiden! I like you, but I’m just worried.”

The two then started their own little game on the couch. Delilah witnessed the whole exchange

between the boy and the man.

Caiden has declared war. How will Larry defend his territory?

While watching TV, Joan couldn’t stop swishing her eyes onto her watch.

“Lucius, it’s time for bed. You still have school tomorrow.” She yawned.

“Mom, let me play for a little while more, please? We aren’t sleepy at all,” Lucius pleaded, going against

her request.

What’s Caiden trying to do here? It’s already late. Why is he still hanging around the house? Joan

slowly walked towards Caiden and tossed him a polite smile.

“Caiden, as you can see, it’s pretty late now. I think it’d be better if you head home now.” Her request

was nothing but impolite.

That would be her first time asking a guest to leave.

Caiden instantly stood up, his face flushed with embarrassment.

He patted Lucius on the head, saying, “Right, Lucius. I’m going home now. Time to hit the sack.”

“Got it, Caiden. Goodbye.” Lucius ran into his room after saying his goodbyes.

Meanwhile, Larry stayed cooped up in his bedroom, working. After attending to some urgent matters

earlier in the day, he had left the company early, hoping to have dinner with his family. That was why he

was trying to finish up his work at such a late hour.

Creak… The door opened slowly.

Larry didn’t notice it and went on pitter-pattering on the keyboard.

“Are you not going to sleep yet?” Joan whispered.

There was a brief pause before the sound of the keyboard resumed.

Larry’s reply came short and crisp. “Yeah. You can go ahead. I still have work to do.”

What he really wanted to know was, what brought Caiden here, and why she’d cooked for him. But he

eventually chose to drop the burning question.

“Larry, I—”

He interjected before she could say anything further, “Let’s talk tomorrow. It’s pretty late now.”

“Okay.” Joan walked to their bed and lay down.

The man affixed in front of the window was flicking through documents; the woman in bed was tossing

and turning, trying to fall asleep; and the new moon hanging in the night sky was steadily shifting its

position bit by bit.

At this moment, even the bugs had mellowed down their chirping and laid themselves to rest. The air

was clouded by silence.

As the sun rose high, rays of sunshine filled the room with light and warmth. A new day had arrived.

Joan stretched out like a cat and turned over to hug the person next to her, but all she could feel were

sheets.

Larry had dozed off at his desk after he was done with work the night before. Prickly feelings consumed

her heart as she looked at his worn-out figure.

I wonder if he’s angry about what happened last night. It must’ve drove him up the wall. She quickly

walked out to put a blanket over Larry.

At the sight of Joan, Delilah greeted, “Good morning, aren’t you early.”

After a short pause, the woman added, “Oh, by the way, Caiden was here the whole night.”

 

Chapter 2119

“No, he left. It was late when he left, but he did,” Joan retorted immediately.

Delilah shook her head, appalled at Joan’s cluelessness about his whereabouts. “You’re mistaken. He

spent the night in his car parked right outside our house.”

Joan dashed out of the house upon hearing that, and true enough, Caiden was there in his car.

“Caiden!” she shouted as she rapped at the window, trying to wake him. It took a while, but Caiden

finally stirred from his sleep.

“Hey, Joan. Why are you up so early?” the man muttered as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Joan looked incredulously at the man in front of her. “Why are you sleeping here, Caiden?”

“Oh, about that… “ Caiden replied sheepishly. “My car stalled last night.”

Unbeknownst to Joan, he had planned for such an occurrence to happen. He had even checked his car

before going to the hospital.

Larry walked out in a huff after having heard the commotion. “What’s the matter?” he asked coldly.

“Good morning, Mr. Norton. My car engine stalled last night, so I’d need to ask you for a ride.”

Knowing how scheming Caiden was, Larry suspected it was all just an elaborate set up on the other

man’s part. And from the looks of it, Caiden must have put in a lot of effort to pull it off so well.

“Alright, get in then. I’m about to leave,” Larry stated while trying to hide the displeasure on his face.

Joan, who had been quietly observing the two men, felt there was something off about Larry, even

though she couldn’t describe what it was.

“Larry! You haven’t taken your breakfast!” Delilah shouted from inside the house.

“I’m not eating. I have to go to work. There are some pressing matters to attend to.”

Joan stayed rooted in her spot as she watched Larry drive off with Caiden in tow and soon found

herself getting lost in her thoughts.

Larry sped down the road, and Caiden wondered if the man was doing it on purpose or if he was really

in a hurry to get to work. Regardless of his intention, Caiden was annoyed at him.

“What’s the matter? Are you angry, Mr. Norton?” he piped up, a steely glint in his eyes.

Larry was impressed that Caiden could pick up on the tell-tale signs that he was in a bad mood. What

he couldn’t understand was how someone as smart as Caiden could be so devious and untrustworthy.

Larry had had a burning question for the other man for a while now, so he decided not to beat around

the bush anymore. “Caiden, what on earth are you trying to do?”

Caiden turned and fixed him with a stare. “I like Joan,” he stated matter-of-factly.

It was just three simple words, yet they made Larry’s blood boil.

He braked the car and glowered at Caiden. “Let’s get this clear. Joan is married. She’s my wife and

Lucius’s mother.”

Upon hearing that, Caiden let out a conceited sneer.

Of course, he knew Joan was married, but that wasn’t going to stop him. He believed that as long as he

loved her and was willing to do anything for her, she would one day choose to be with him.

“Listen carefully, Larry. I don’t care if she’s married or not. I want to fight for her!”

Larry was both annoyed and amused by Caiden’s declaration. What a joke! Has he gone mad, or has

he not woken up from his dream to face reality? Why would he openly challenge me instead of keeping

his desire to himself?

“She won’t accept you, and neither will she leave me,” Larry replied resolutely.

It was true that Joan wouldn’t accept Caiden for the time being. But who was to say what might happen

in the future? Nobody could guarantee that things would always maintain the status quo, especially

when the future held so many uncertainties and unknowns.

“Larry, I’m only telling you this out of courtesy. What you choose to do after this is up to you. Anyways,

I’ve reached my destination. Thanks for the ride.”

As soon as Caiden got out of the car, Larry sped off, not wanting to see him for another second. What a

total narcissist!

Back at Norton Corporation, everyone was busy with work. They were either pounding away at their

keyboards or going through the many documents strewn all over the tables. They looked frantic and

worried, and it made it seem as if the company was fighting a crisis. And unfortunately for Larry, that

was indeed the case.

“Larry! You’re finally here,” Caspian shouted as he ran over.

 

 

Chapter 2120

“How are things looking now?” Larry asked as he hurriedly made his way into his office.

“Things aren’t looking good… It’s as if they’ve all conspired against us. We’re now only left with a

handful of small companies,” Caspian said gloomily.

Never in his life had Larry ever expected the manufacturers to end their many years of working

relationship with Norton Corporation. To make matters worse, it all happened so suddenly that he didn’t

even see it coming.

A company’s survival relied heavily on the support of its manufacturers. With Norton Corporation facing

such a big crisis, it was no wonder the employees were all panic-stricken and miserable. Even though

everyone seemed to be hard at work, many of them had already begun to look for other job options.

“Have you found out why they have all stopped working with us?”

Caspian lowered his head in silence, embarrassed that he hadn’t even been able to find anything about

the matter after investigating it.

“Whatever it is, spit it out now. Don’t stand there wasting time,” Larry chided while flipping through the

many documents on his desk.

“Larry, the manufacturing leaders have all disappeared all of a sudden. We’ve been looking for them

since the day they stopped working with us, but… “ Caspian replied apologetically.

Larry looked up immediately, his expression grim and solemn.

He wondered what games the manufacturing company was trying to play. Was it not enough for them

to end their working relationship that they even had to go missing? The more he thought about it, the

more he suspected there was more to it than met the eye. These manufacturers wouldn’t have the guts

to quit working with Norton Corporation. There was definitely a mastermind behind this matter.

Someone was pulling the strings in the dark.

“What about the biggest manufacturer? You can’t find anyone to speak to?”

“They’ve all left, unfortunately. I heard that their boss’s daughter will be coming back from abroad soon,

though,” Caspian continued.

Larry knew an opportunity when he saw one. And this was one he definitely had to grab.

“Okay, I got it. I want you to track his daughter’s every move. Once you have any new information, let

me know immediately.” With that, Larry gestured for Caspian to leave the room.

The immense amount of stress had finally taken its toll on Larry as he felt a splitting headache coming

on. He had just settled matters overseas, but now there were even more problems to tackle. He was so

exhausted from it all that he no longer cared about the conversation he had previously had with

Caiden.

Caiden was, at that time, seated on his sofa and scrolling through his tablet. Every so often, his lips

would curl into a smile.

“Oh my, what is this? Why are you smiling to yourself there?” Jaden asked. “And why didn’t you come

home last night? Were you with Joan? But wait… Isn’t she already married?”

Caiden ignored his friend as he continued to play on his tablet.

Even though he had previously gone overboard with his words, they had been friends for so long, and

Caiden’s parents had even entrusted their son to Jaden. There was no way Jaden would leave him that

easily.

He threw a pillow at Caiden to get his attention. “Hey! I asked you a question. What are you thinking

about?”

“I helped her with a small favor, and she got me to stay for dinner. Unfortunately, my car stalled when I

was about to leave,” Caiden explained nonchalantly.

Tsk! That was all? Jaden shot him a dirty look.

He had expected juicier and more exciting news, yet it turned out to be as boring as watching paint dry.

“Have you eaten anything? If not, what would you like?”

Before Caiden could answer, Noelle’s voice rang out from out of the blue and interrupted their

conversation. “Caiden! Open the door!”

Because of his company’s crisis, Larry had been cooped up in his office recently. There was so much

he had to handle that he couldn’t even find time to head home. Even though Joan and Delilah had

called him several times, he rejected their calls again and again.

Larry had a lot of pride in himself and didn’t want to burden anyone else with his problems. More

importantly, he didn’t want his family to see him in such a pathetic state.

Caspian knew Larry was tired and frustrated and could also imagine how worried his family must be for

him. “You should head home, Larry. Joan was so worried about you not being home for a week that she

called me yesterday.”

“It’s okay. Let me finish up things here first,” Larry replied without even looking up at him.