Ch. 2121..2130
Chapter 2121
Larry didn’t want to waste time going to and fro his office. Staying put to settle everything at one go was
a much more efficient method.
But because of that, Caiden saw the opportunity to barge into Joan’s life.
Delilah’s recovery was going very well, to the point where she could now move around freely, much to
Joan’s relief. It was Larry she was worried about now.
Delilah realized how increasingly worried Joan had become and tried to comfort her. “Joan, I know
Larry has been busy these few days. After all, Norton Corporation isn’t a small company. There’s
bound to be a lot more work to do.”
Of course, Joan knew this better than anyone else. What she couldn’t understand was what had
brought about the drastic change in Larry’s attitude. In the past, no matter how busy he was, he would
always call her to let her know about anything he was being troubled with.
“Why don’t you buy some new clothes for Lucius? It’s about time he got something new to wear,”
Delilah suddenly suggested.
Her suggestion was birthed from the concern she had for Joan. The woman didn’t want Joan getting
sick with worry. Delilah needed an excuse to get her out of the house for some much-needed fresh air.
Besides, with Gabriella out of the country, it should be safer for the woman to be out and about.
Joan agreed without any hesitation and soon left for the mall.
The mall was bustling with activity, yet Joan felt so lonely amongst the crowd.
She used to have Larry or Nancy accompany her on her shopping sprees, but since they couldn’t be
with her now, she had to do it all by her lonesome self.
“Mommy, I want to eat that marshmallow!” a little girl exclaimed while tugging at the shirt of the woman
beside her.
“Be good, darling. You’ve already had a sweet, haven’t you? Too many sweets aren’t good for you,” the
woman replied as she planted a kiss on the girl’s forehead.
“Daddy, I want to eat a marshmallow!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll get it for you,” the man said with a smile as he ruffled his daughter’s hair.
Before the mother could protest, the father had returned with two marshmallows in hand.
“Here. This one is for my darling daughter. And the other one’s for my darling wife.”
The family of three was aglow with happiness as they laughed and ate the sweet treat with a huge grin
on their faces. They weren’t dressed to the nines, but the smiles on their faces were warm and
genuine.
Joan observed them silently from the side, a twinge of envy creeping over her.
Now that she thought about it, it had been quite some time since she last shopped or went out on a
date with Larry. The only times they had together were spent at home with Lucius.
She was still in a daze when she suddenly heard someone call out her name.
“Caiden? What are you doing here?” she asked, clearly taken aback by his sudden appearance.
“I’m here to shop for a tie. Are you here to buy clothes too?” Caiden asked as he looked intently at her.
“Oh, yes. I’m here to get Lucius some new clothes.”
Joan wondered if her loneliness had gotten the better of her. In the past, she would be reluctant to
interact with Caiden. But today, even she was shocked at how friendly she was toward him. She knew
she was probably looking for someone to fill the emptiness that Larry had given her. Caiden just
happened to appear in her time of need.
“Did Larry not come with you? Don’t the two of you usually go shopping together? What a rare chance
to see you being out alone,” Caiden probed.
What she didn’t know was that he was well aware of Larry’s situation. He had already heard about what
happened to Norton Corporation. Even though he didn’t know who was behind it, Caiden wanted to
thank the mastermind for providing him with such a perfect opportunity to get closer to Joan.
“Well, Larry has been very busy recently, so… “ Joan’s voice trailed off as she lowered her head in
embarrassment.
Seeing her being this helpless and lonely brought a glint to Caiden’s eye.
“That’s alright. I’ll accompany you! I don’t have anything on today anyway. Let’s go! Let’s get Lucius
some new clothes,” he said, pulling her along with him.
Before Joan could protest, he had already brought her into a fashion boutique.
He began browsing the clothes in the boutique and pointed at a pair of overalls. “Look at this, Joan.
Doesn’t it suit Lucius? I think it’s pretty good.”
Chapter 2123
“Larry, you should have some breakfast. Otherwise, your body won’t be able to function at its best,”
Caspian reminded as he placed the food in front of him.
It had been a few days since Larry had slept at home. He had resorted to taking naps in his office
before waking up to continue with work.
The issue at hand was far too tricky, and he barely had time for meals. If it weren’t for the reminders
from Caspian and his assistant, he would have forgotten when to eat or when to knock off.
“Take it away. I don’t have any appetite,” Larry muttered while rubbing his temples in a bid to make
himself more awake.
“Hey, you’ve been like this for days now. I’m worried about you.” Caspian looked at the other man in
concern.
“I’m fine. How’s the manufacturer’s daughter? Has she come back?” Larry asked. He had a plan in
mind and was counting on the woman to return to get it started.
“No. But I heard her flight’s tomorrow.”
Upon hearing that, relief washed over Larry. He was going to do everything within his power to get his
biggest manufacturer back. After exchanging a few more words and again reminding Larry to take care
of himself, Caspian left the office.
Larry turned his gaze to his phone lying silently on the table. He picked it up and scrolled through, only
to realize there were countless missed calls from Joan.
An instant wave of guilt came over him as he thought about his family. He hadn’t been back in a while
now, and he wondered how they were coping in his absence.
After much hesitation, he finally decided to head home to check on them. It was the only way to put his
mind at ease.
“Good morning, Mr. Norton!”
“Morning! Mr. Norton!”
He had only just stepped out of the building when the employees of Norton Corporation started filing in
one by one and greeting him enthusiastically.
“Have you heard? Mrs. Norton was seen shopping with another man. I think they were shopping for
children’s’ clothes… “
“Seriously? I hope not. Mr. Norton has been toiling at work for his family. How could Mrs. Norton do
something like this?”
“Who knows. Sometimes when women get too lonely, they throw caution to the wind and… “
Larry immediately stopped in his tracks when he heard his employees gossip among themselves.
Joan, what have you done now? He raised his head to the sky, closed his eyes, and took in a deep
breath.
With everything happening at work and home, it was no surprise that Larry’s anxiety had gone through
the roof. All he could do now was try to calm his nerves as he headed home to see his wife.
Meanwhile, Joan was also tossing and turning in bed, too high-strung to fall asleep.
Why hasn’t he come home? Why isn’t he picking up my calls? The more she thought, the more worried
she grew. Is there so much to do at work that he just couldn’t come home, not even for one night? But
he has been busy before, and he still made it home, didn’t he?
Or maybe…
Joan’s eyes darkened as she thought of the worst-case scenario. Larry, if this is because there’s
another woman, I’m not going to let you off! Rage boiled inside her as she clenched her fists tight.
All of a sudden, she heard the door to their room open, causing her to sit up immediately.
“You’re awake?” Larry asked after a simple greeting.
He was so exhausted; all he wanted was to have a good sleep.
“Why haven’t you been back in so many days? I’ve missed you to death,” Joan asked, her voice a little
upset and whiny.
Oh, she missed me? Is that why she went shopping with another man? Larry looked at his wife, his
gaze a mix of sadness and exhaustion.
“Larry, what’s wrong? Are you too tired?” Joan asked as she massaged his shoulders.
“Yes, a little. I’m going to sleep for a bit.” With that, he got into bed and fell asleep.
Seeing him in such an exhausted state broke Joan’s heart.
What has happened to the company? What could be so serious that he couldn’t come home for days?
If he wasn’t going to tell her, she was going to have to find out herself. With her mind made up, she
took her phone and left the room to make a call.
“Hello, Dustin? Has the company run into some problems?” she asked anxiously.
“Yes. A few manufacturers recently called it quits with Norton Corporation, including the biggest one
that had the longest working relationship with them. But don’t worry. Larry’s handling it. I’m sure he’ll
resolve it soon.”
Chapter 2124
Now that she had gotten the whole story, Joan was at a loss for words.
A sense of guilt washed over her almost immediately. It had been so many days, but instead of finding
out what had happened with the company, she still flooded him with daily calls. She felt as if she had
only been adding to his burden.
After exchanging some pleasantries, the two of them ended the call.
Dustin stood at the window as he looked at the cars go by downstairs, his eyes blazed with menace.
He was the mastermind behind it all, determined to bring down Larry and the entire Norton Corporation.
It was the next best option since Dustin couldn’t become the largest shareholder and have Larry at his
beck and call.
Larry, get ready to kiss your precious company goodbye!
His thoughts were disturbed when Jory suddenly entered the room. “You were looking for me?”
“Oh, you’re here early. It’s nothing much. I just wanted to have a little chat with you.” Dustin smiled.
At that, Jory eyed the man in front of him suspiciously. He knew Dustin wanted to talk to him for a
reason, and with every passing minute, the man got even more intrigued.
He was fairly certain Dustin was up to no good again.
“Out with it. What do you want from me?” Jory asked.
Dustin raised his eyebrows, impressed. Only someone like Jory would be able to discern his motive
right away.
“I’ve got the contacts of a few manufacturers. They’ve just quit working with Norton Corporation, so I
was thinking of recommending them to you… “
After some time, Larry finally opened his eyes. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed until he
realized it was already dark out.
After a full day of much-needed sleep, the man had finally regained his vigor.
“Are you up? Come have some food,” Joan urged while still being busy in the kitchen.
“Something smells so good, Mom! I love your cooking!” Lucius exclaimed as he ran out of his room
excitedly.
Larry looked at the enthusiastic little boy and was a little surprised.
“Lucius, have you bought new clothes?”
He seethed as he thought back to the employees gossiping earlier that morning.
“Yes, Dad. Caiden bought these just for me!”
A kid’s world was always so much simpler. Lucius had no idea about the repercussions of his words,
but Joan trembled upon hearing it.
She knew Larry wouldn’t be happy about it, so she hurriedly explained, “About that, I was shopping
when I bumped into Caiden. He was also there to buy stuff, so we ended up shopping together… “
And then she let Caiden buy clothes for Lucius? Larry eyed his wife suspiciously, feeling a little upset.
In the past, she never accepted anyone’s gifts, especially if they were from other men. So… Why did
she make an exception for Caiden now?
The tension would have gotten worse if not for Delilah suddenly walking in. “Larry? When did you get
back? I haven’t seen you in days.”
Delilah’s recovery was well on track, and she could even leave the house now. She had been spending
most of her time outside in the garden tending to her plants, so she hadn’t paid much attention to Larry
and Joan. However, she did know that Larry hadn’t been home in a long while now.
“Work has been pretty hectic these days, Ms. Young.”
Delilah looked at both Larry and Joan, the air around them dripping with awkwardness and tension.
She could more or less guess what was happening between the two of them.
“You should have said so earlier! I’d have gotten Joan to bring you clean clothes. You haven’t been
home for so many days. I’m sure you must stink by now,” she joked, trying to break the tension.
Joan was overcome with embarrassment upon hearing her words.
Larry hadn’t been home in so many days, yet she had never once gone to the office to check on him.
There was no denying that she hadn’t done her part as a wife.
“No need for that. I’m sure Joan has been busy too,” Larry replied in a low voice.
“I’m hungry, Mom. Can you hurry?” Lucius whispered, interrupting the conversation.
“Yes, of course. This is your rice, Lucius. Be good and finish all your food, so you’ll have the energy to
finish your homework,” Joan instructed gently as she patted her son’s head.
Chapter 2125
“I will! Caiden said the same thing too! I’m going to grow up big and strong to protect Mom and
Grandma!” the young boy exclaimed, enthusiasm lacing his voice.
A cold glint flashed in Larry’s eyes.
Even Lucius had been bringing up Caiden more and more often.
Sensing the mood around them going from bad to worse, Delilah hurriedly shushed the child. “Alright,
that’s enough, Lucius. Hurry up and finish your food. You’ve still got homework to do.”
Even though she was having dinner with her own family, Joan felt inexplicable anxiety growing inside
her.
Is he angry? Did he misunderstand my relationship with Caiden? Is he going to leave again soon? Joan
picked at her food, lost in her thoughts.
“What’s wrong, Mom? Are you unhappy? Did somebody bully you? Don’t worry. Dad and I will protect
you!” Lucius exclaimed.
Larry looked up and held Joan’s gaze, but his eyes didn’t hold their usual spark.
“It’s nothing. I think Mom is just tired today. Here, Lucius, eat more of this meat. You want to grow up
big and strong, don’t you?” Joan glanced at Larry and smiled, but the man just ignored her.
Delilah, having witnessed everything, felt her own cheeks flush in embarrassment for Joan. She
couldn’t take it anymore and lightly kicked Larry under the table.
The man looked at Delilah in confusion, wondering why she was behaving as such.
Without saying anything, she coughed and tilted her head toward Joan.
“Ms. Young, are you okay?” Larry asked out of concern.
Delilah was stunned by his nonchalant response. What? What the hell is this? Was I not obvious
enough? Larry, you dummy. I wanted you to say something nice to Joan!
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m full now, so I shall go back to my room to rest,” Delilah muttered as she got up to
leave the dining room.
She never used to see her dining room as small, but now, it was starting to feel like so.
“Dad, I’ve missed you so much when you weren’t home. Luckily Caiden was around. Otherwise, I
wouldn’t have anyone to take me to my school’s tree planting event,” Lucius said as he wolfed down
big mouthfuls of food.
Caiden this, Caiden that! I’ve had enough! Larry placed his cutlery down, his fists clenching tightly as
anger and jealousy flashed in his eyes.
Joan grew even more flustered when Lucius uttered those words.
“I called you many times, but you didn’t pick up. Caiden happened to be around, so he took Lucius to
the tree planting event. The school only allowed fathers to go. That’s why I couldn’t go,” Joan carefully
explained as she looked at her husband.
So? Has she, Lucius, and Caiden gotten even closer? Larry scoffed at the thought.
His wife had been out shopping with another man who had bought clothes for his son. His son let
another man take him to school events in his place. The more he thought about the entire situation, the
more laughable it was to him.
I didn’t pick up the phone? Couldn’t she have gone straight to the office? No matter how busy work is
or how bad things are, I’ve never let my child down!
Excuses! Everything is just a whole load of excuses! The longer he stayed in the room, the more he felt
his blood boil.
“I’m done eating. I’m going back to the office tonight and won’t be coming back.” With that, Larry stood
up and left the dining room without looking back.
With Delilah and Larry gone, Joan and Lucius were the only ones left at the dining table. The young
boy remained blissfully unaware of the storm that had just come through. Joan, on the other hand, was
devastated.
“Mom, is Dad unhappy?” Lucius suddenly asked.
Yes, Lucius. Very much so.
“No. Of course he isn’t. Your father just has a lot to deal with these days. Come on, try the food I made.
Let me know if you like them.”
Lucius looked in the direction that his father had left in, his eyes filled with disappointment.
He had wanted to play games with his father, but it was too late to let him know now.
Chapter 2126
“Everything’s ready, Larry. Shall we set off now?” Caspian asked softly.
Larry cracked his neck, his eyes once again filled with tiredness. He walked to the window and
surveyed his surroundings before letting out a deep breath.
Without any hesitation, he grabbed his phone and strode out of his office. “Let’s go!”
The airport seemed busier than usual. Thanks to the glorious weather, everyone seemed to be in a
cheerier mood. There were many heartwarming sights of people hugging and kissing.
And then there was Larry, looking stoic and cold.
“Larry, shall we go over to the waiting area?” Caspian suggested.
“There’ll be no need for that. She’ll be out soon.”
Caspian felt mildly embarrassed as he looked at the many couples behaving intimately in front of them.
But since Larry didn’t want to move, he had no choice but to stay rooted in his spot.
At long last, the woman in the photo finally showed up. Larry looked a little domineering as he marched
up to her with his hands in his pockets. He stood there, blocking her way.
The woman took off her shades slowly and eyed Larry curiously.
Wow, this man sure is good looking! He’s got high cheekbones and a strong jawline. And despite
looking cool and distant, he still radiates a gentlemanly charm.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jessica Zimmer. And you are?” She held her hand out as she introduced herself.
Caspian was taken aback by her reaction. He had expected her to kick up a fuss and run. Never had
he expected her to take the initiative to greet Larry.
Larry went straight to the point, his tone polite. “Nice to meet you too, Ms. Zimmer. I’m Larry Norton.
Are you free today? I’d like to buy you a meal if you are.”
Jessica remembered her father instructing her not to come back for the time being. Apparently,
something had happened in the company, and he wanted her to stay overseas until things blew over.
Alas, she had to come back to attend her friend’s wedding. She just never expected Larry to show up
this soon at the airport.
“Mr. Norton? Sure, it’d be my pleasure to have a meal with you,” Jessica replied, her platform heels
clicking against the floor tiles as she moved to walk out.
“Before that, however, I’ll have to make a trip home first to put my luggage.”
Larry found her requests reasonable and had no problem acceding to them.
Silence filled the car as Jessica looked out of the window, pretending to be deep in thought.
She was curious to find out what kind of a character Larry was, who had frightened her father so much
that he had to leave the country.
“Ms. Zimmer, what would you like to eat? I’ll get them prepared for you,” Larry said.
He never liked wasting time and would prefer to have everything prepared beforehand. Besides, he
didn’t even like this woman. So all the more, he wouldn’t want to waste any more time on her.
“Well, I don’t know yet. We’ll see when we get there. I feel like sleeping now. I’m a little tired,” Jessica
remarked, faking a yawn.
This woman is no fool. She’s playing games with us! Caspian looked straight ahead with a scowl.
Forget it. I will Larry handle this.
“No worries. I’ll wait for you. You can catch up on some sleep first,” Larry replied slowly.
“That’s good. But I wonder where you’d like to wait for me, Mr. Norton? Would it be at my house, or…”
Jessica’s voice trailed off as she turned to look at Larry suggestively.
“I’ll send you home so you can rest. You can give me a call when you wake up. We’ll then have that
meal I promised you.”
Is that how it’ll be? What a dull man! Jessica intentionally let out a sigh, a hint of disappointment in her
eyes.
“I thought you’d want to wait at my house,” she whined.
Caspian immediately knew what she was trying to get at, and a fresh swell of rage rose in him.
Clearing his throat, Caspian cut in, “Oh yeah, Larry, Joan called earlier to remind you about Lucius’s
parent-teacher conference.”
Larry was stunned for a split second but quickly recovered.
“Drive!” he bellowed. Even though she was in the backseat, Jessica had heard their conversation
clearly and was a little upset by it.
Before long, the car pulled up in front of a luxurious villa.
“That will be all for today. Thank you, Mr. Norton.” With that, Jessica got out of the car and turned to
walk away.
Chapter 2127
“Ms. Zimmer, hold on. This is my name card. Call me after you wake up. I’m sure you know very well
that there’s no one I can’t find in this world,” Larry said in an icy voice.
Of course the woman grasped the meaning behind his words, but the dominance in his tone only
served to further pique her interest in him.
“Alright. I’ll call you immediately after I wake up.” She gently patted Larry’s back and left.
Staring at the woman as she made her way into the villa, a hint of disdain flickered across Caspian’s
features.
“Larry, I don’t think that woman is as simple as she looks,” he warned.
Indeed. It’s only our first meeting, but the way she carried herself in conversation makes her seem like
a woman who has seen a lot in life.
After barely a few minutes on the road, Larry’s ringtone blared through the car.
Glancing at the unknown number flashing across his phone screen, the man furrowed his brows and
immediately declined the call.
However, the caller was persistent. Larry felt like his phone would ring forever if he didn’t pick it up.
“Hello?” A hint of impatience laced Larry’s voice.
“Oh my, Mr. Norton. What’s the matter with you? You were the one who gave me your name card. Why
didn’t you answer my calls earlier?” Jessica drawled in a lazy tone.
It’s her.
“My apologies, Ms. Zimmer. I thought you were asleep,” Larry explained in a low voice.
In fact, he had already guessed that Jessica was the one calling. He simply hadn’t felt like answering it.
“Now, now. Are you saying I can only call you after I wake up? That won’t do. I’ll miss you.” Larry felt
nauseated by her suggestive words.
Here we go again. Caspian sighed next to him while shaking his head.
What’s wrong with women nowadays? Why do they keep pestering a man who clearly has a wife and
child? First, it was Gabriella. Now, it’s Jessica Zimmer! It never ends, does it? Worried, Caspian
drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove.
“Alright, Ms. Zimmer. You should get some rest now. I have some matters to attend to, so it’s not a very
good time for us to talk,” Larry hinted.
Jessica was no fool. Of course she could hear the underlying meaning in his words, so she ended the
call after conversing with him for a while.
This man is really interesting. Jessica stared at the ceiling as she lay in bed, a sly smile forming on her
lips.
“Where are we headed to, Larry?” Caspian queried.
“Back to the company. We’ll look for other potential manufacturers,” Larry replied curtly.
“But, Larry. I thought we already…”
“Keep looking. I want to find an even more suitable one!” he commanded with a frown. If possible, he
wanted to refrain from interacting with other women.
Truth be told, he had two strings to his bow. However, he couldn’t recklessly give up either party before
everything was confirmed.
“How’s it going?” he asked Caspian with a serious expression.
“I’ve found one, but the boss is a very difficult man. He isn’t all that interested in collaborating with
domestic companies, so I think it might be a long shot,” Caspian swiftly replied.
Larry had heard about a foreign manufacturer with strict requirements for its partner companies. It was
precisely because of the company’s failure to reach an agreement with them that prompted the
shareholders to relentlessly search for domestic manufacturers to partner up with instead. At that time,
Larry hadn’t taken over Norton Corporation yet.
Larry’s eyes shone with resolution. “We must seal the deal with them. Him alone as our partner will be
more than enough.”
“Then what about Jessica Zimmer? Should we stop following up with her?” Caspian asked curiously.
“No. We should still establish a good relationship with her. Before we can collaborate with a foreign
manufacturer, we should first have a good relationship with the local people in this business.” Larry sat
down on the sofa beside him and lit a cigarette as he spoke.
Surprise flashed across Caspian’s face when he saw this. In the past – unless he was really worried –
Larry seldom smoked. Seeing how he just expertly lit the cigarette, he probably smokes every day now,
doesn’t he?
Chapter 2128
“Larry, don’t smoke so often. It’s bad for your body,” Caspian advised out of goodwill.
“It’s fine. Don’t think about such petty things and just focus on your work. I want all the information
there is on that manufacturer. Find out every single detail,” Larry ordered.
Meanwhile, Jessica was tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep. All she could think about was
Larry.
What is he doing now? I acted frivolously on purpose during our first meeting. Would he
misunderstand? She frowned, a thoughtful look taking residence on her face.
You know what? I’ll just give him a call now.
In the office, Larry was sitting at his desk, busy looking through some documents. Although his phone
had been ringing on the sofa for quite some time, he didn’t look up once.
In the entire company building, his office was the only one with the lights still on. The security
personnel by the entrance yawned sleepily, eyes struggling to stay on guard.
“Hey, isn’t Mr. Norton leaving yet?” one of them asked in a hushed voice.
“Don’t you know? Mr. Norton has been working overtime every day recently. He sleeps in the office
every night,” another security guard answered.
“It must be hard on him. Here he is, working so tirelessly, yet his wife had the audacity to go out with
another man. I can only imagine how he feels.”
“Watch what you say. Mrs. Norton loves Mr. Norton very much, and vice versa. Don’t listen to all those
baseless rumors.”
Both security guards began gossiping by the company entrance.
Ever since news of Joan and Caiden shopping together spread in Norton Corporation, it had become a
hot topic the employees discussed in their free time. Of course, they made sure to do it when Larry
wasn’t around.
A short distance away, Joan was carrying a paper bag in her hand. When she heard the two security
guards’ discussion, her expression turned slightly awkward.
Even the security guards know about this. How could he not misunderstand the situation?
He’s probably too busy. That’s why he hasn’t had the time to confront me about it.
Or does he trust me that much? Joan bowed her head, her eyes gleaming with conflict.
After straightening her clothes, she resumed her stride.
“Mrs. Norton.”
The security guards gave her a small bow in greeting.
“Thank you for your hard work.” With that, Joan walked past them.
In the office, Larry kept massaging his temples, trying to keep himself awake, but he still ended up
sprawled on the desk.
Joan entered his office without knocking and noticed that he had fallen asleep on his desk.
Look at how tired this man is. She picked up the blanket from the sofa and gently draped it over him.
Ding!
When Joan heard his phone ring on the sofa, she immediately went over, thinking of bringing it to Larry,
but right before the screen went dark again, she saw something she shouldn’t have.
It was a message from Jessica, and its content was thought-provoking.
I must’ve gotten it wrong. Larry would never betray me! Joan mentally reassured herself.
After placing the paper bag on the table, she glanced longingly at Larry but eventually turned to leave
in the end.
Well before Larry woke up the next morning, there was already another person in his office.
No wonder he didn’t answer any of my calls or reply to my messages. How could he have heard his
phone ring from so far away? Jessica slowly picked up the phone from the sofa to look at it. I knew it.
He didn’t read any of my messages.
Right then, Larry pried his eyes open and grunted as he thumped his fist against his stiff shoulder.
“Oh, you’re awake, Mr. Norton,” Jessica teased.
Larry was completely caught off guard, but he immediately schooled his features into neutrality.
“Why are you here?” he questioned in a calm voice.
Why? To see you, of course. I’ve never fallen in love at first sight, but there’s always a first for
everything.
You should feel honored, Mr. Norton. Jessica smirked at the thought.
“Is there something you need from me?” Larry raised his head to level their gazes.
“Can’t I come just because I want to? You seem to find me annoying, Mr. Norton.” Jessica sounded him
out purposely, trying to push his buttons to get a reaction out of him.
Rather than finding her annoying, Larry merely didn’t wish to see her. To be more precise, he didn’t
wish to see her so regularly.
Larry didn’t mince his words. “If it’s a work-related issue, we can sit down and have a proper
discussion. If it’s a private matter, however, I’m afraid I can’t entertain you. I’m very busy right now.”
Chapter 2129
Does he have to be so serious? Jessica’s initial good mood was immediately ruined, and she pouted
unhappily.
Sure enough, Larry threw himself back to work soon after. Jessica sat on the sofa and stared straight at
the man not far away from her, feeling dissatisfied.
“Hey, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let’s go for breakfast together then,” she tried again.
“No, thank you. I’m not hungry,” he flatly refused.
Jessica suddenly noticed the paper bag on the table.
“What’s this?” She brought the paper bag over. Larry glanced at it and came to a sudden realization.
Joan came here last night? He peered into the paper bag to see all of his favorite food.
Snatching up his phone, he immediately dialed her number but hung up after merely two seconds.
It’s too early. She’s probably not awake yet, right? Forget it. I’ll call her a little later. Larry dropped his
phone back on the desk.
“Can I try some?” Jessica asked in a small voice.
“Sure,” Larry replied succinctly, then brought some over to her before returning to his desk and
continue flipping through some documents.
“Mm, it’s quite delicious. Who made these for you?” she prodded.
In truth, she already had her suspicions. She could practically taste the love in the food. Who else
could have cooked this besides his wife?
“My wife.” Larry’s response came immediately, a smile playing on his lips.
So what if he’s married? That puny fact is not going to stop me! Jessica’s eyes gleamed with
determination.
“Ms. Zimmer, if you’re free tonight, I’m not against having a meal together,” Larry suggested out of the
blue.
Since he couldn’t escape this, he thought he might as well take the initiative and settle his business
matters first.
Jessica smiled imperceptibly while seated on the sofa. It’s about time.
“Sure, no problem. In that case, I’ll take my leave first. Call me once you’re done with work.” With that,
she left his office.
Finally, she’s gone! Larry breathed a sigh of relief. He could clearly tell that this woman’s motives
towards him weren’t pure.
“Larry, what was she doing here?” Caspian grumbled as soon as he pushed open the door.
Larry wore a bored expression as he flatly replied, “She has too much free time on her hands.”
Is that really it? She came to Norton Corporation so early in the morning just because she had some
free time on her hands?
“Larry, you seriously need to be on your guard. Gabriella may be gone, but here comes another one. I
just have a bad feeling about Jessica,” Caspian warned.
At the mention of Gabriella, Larry wondered as to how she had been able to register a company
abroad. He found it hard to believe that a woman who had been kicked out of the family could achieve
such success in a foreign country.
Dismissing those thoughts, he announced casually, “I’ll be going out for dinner tonight.”
With that Jessica woman? Larry’s statement made Caspian’s hackles rise, and a frown formed
between the latter’s brows.
“Yes, it’s with Jessica, so focus all your energy on looking into that foreign manufacturer. This way, we
won’t have to communicate with that woman unless completely necessary,” Larry explained before
Caspian could speak.
Caspian understood his intention. Hence, he didn’t dare to let down his guard either.
Larry hadn’t eaten a proper meal for the entire day, so he finished every last bit of the food Joan had
brought over the previous night.
The sky gradually darkened. If it weren’t for Caspian’s timely reminder, Larry would still be buried in his
work.
“Larry, please be careful tonight,” Caspian said in a solemn tone, glancing at the man beside him with a
gaze that matched.
Larry released a chuckle. Why does he make it sound so serious? Jessica did seem like an open-
minded person, but she was quite the opposite on the inside. Although she had portrayed herself as a
charming woman during their first meeting, Larry couldn’t brush off the feeling that she was hiding
something behind that facade.
As for why she would do that, only Jessica herself could answer that question.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” Larry straightened his clothes before getting down from the car.
The lights were dim in the restaurant, with the smell of roses permeating the air. Besides the mellow
music playing in the background, it was otherwise quiet. Larry strode in at a languid pace, causing the
waitress to squeal inwardly as she drank in the sight of him. Upon spotting him, Jessica stood up to
wave at him.
Chapter 2130
Larry nodded brusquely at her. “You’re early.”
“I just arrived as well,” she claimed, then added, “I ordered spaghetti for you. I hope that’s fine with
you? You can order something else if you want.”
She had already found out everything there was to know about him.
Larry liked to eat spaghetti but rarely ate steak. Jessica already knew all of his preferences well before
coming to this restaurant.
Larry raised his head to look at her, his eyes gleaming with an unreadable expression. “That’s very
thoughtful of you.”
How could I not be? You’re the man I’ve set my sights on, after all.
“Ms. Zimmer, I think you should know why I called you out and what I’m here to talk about, so I won’t
beat around the bush. Your father and I used to work together, and for a very long time, if I might add.
But for some reason, he recently terminated our contract and has since vanished into thin air. I’d like to
know why…” Larry started.
He had a steely look on his face, and his tone was stern, but to Jessica, he still looked as charming as
ever. She stared blankly at him and gradually fell into a daze.
A heartbeat later, Larry waved his hand in front of her face. “Ms. Zimmer? Are you listening to me?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. I spaced out for a while. You were saying something about my father terminating the
contract with Norton Corporation? Well, I don’t know much about company matters. My father was
always the one who handled everything. Besides, I’ve been studying abroad all these years. I’m sure
you know this too, Mr. Norton.” Jessica blinked innocently.
Of course, he knew all of this, but what he needed to know right then was her father’s whereabouts.
“Do you know where your father is now? I need to speak with him. Even if we can’t continue working
together, he should at least give me an explanation, don’t you agree?” Larry stated, reining in his
temper as much as he could.
When he phrased it like that, there was no way to refute it, but Jessica genuinely didn’t know why her
father had suddenly terminated their contract.
After all, Norton Corporation was a large company in this city. Moreover, it possessed great potential
and was currently showing promising results. Hence, she, too, was surprised that her father would pull
out of their collaboration out of the blue.
“Mr. Norton, to be honest, I don’t know where he is either. I called him before returning to the country,
but he told me not to come back. As for the reason, he didn’t say. You saw it the other day yourself.
Other than me, there was no one else at home. Even the housemaids weren’t around,” Jessica
remarked rather pitifully.
How’s that possible? She’s his own daughter. Larry eyed the woman in front of him skeptically as doubt
filled him.
Jessica wore a serious expression as she said, “I understand why you might find it hard to believe me,
but I’m telling you the truth. My dad never really talked about these things with my mom and I…”
Larry still found it hard to believe everything the woman had said.
He could understand if she didn’t know the reason he stopped working with Norton Corporation. She
was still a student after all, and not to mention, a girl. However, he didn’t believe for a second that she
didn’t know where her own father was.
What father would abandon his own daughter like that? It’s simply absurd.
“Ms. Zimmer, think about it carefully. Do you really not know where your father is? If that’s the case, I’ll
have to think of some other ways,” Larry scowled coldly.
He had more than a few ways to effectively find a person who didn’t want to be found, but they had
worked together for so many years after all. Hence, if possible, he didn’t want to use those methods
which seemed dangerous but were, in fact, very common in this line of business.
Jessica visibly trembled in her seat. What’s he planning? A kidnapping?
“Mr. Norton, I’m telling you the truth. I really don’t know.” A trace of panic peeked out of Jessica’s eyes.
Afraid that Larry would hurt her father, worry began to gnaw at her chest. She wasn’t all that concerned
about herself because she believed that Larry wasn’t a man who would resort to bullying a woman.
Indeed, she was spot-on about this.