Ch. 2411..2420

Chapter 2411

“I’m sorry, but Joan still has a lot of things to do. Why don’t you make it some other day? It’s already

nighttime now,” Delilah gave them an awkward smile as she suggested at the side.

“No way. Our chairman has to see her today!” the man bellowed.

That’s a little too much. They’re foisting it upon me! Joan took a few steps back and shuddered in fear.

It’s late at night. Going out on my own isn’t really safe.

“Tomorrow. I’ll see your chairman tomorrow,” she answered in a low voice.

“Our chairman isn’t free tomorrow!” Finally, their negotiation ended to no avail, and Joan was taken

away by the two men.

“What are you trying to do? Let go of me!” she screamed and struggled.

“Joan…” Delilah was shouting from behind them.

The car was started and driven away from the garden. Delilah was stranded in the garden, alone.

“Hello, Larry, quick, Joan has been taken away. Hurry up and save her!” Delilah cried in desperation.

At that juncture, Larry lost his cool. “Where is she?” he asked in a somber manner.

How am I supposed to know where they are right now? I have no idea either! Delilah felt like she had

been struck by lightning and was at a loss.

“Tell me the car registration number!” Larry asked directly.

He then hung up the call immediately and called Caspian.

“I need you to check a car registration number for me and track it down…” Very soon, all his men were

brought into action.

“Do you know who I am? Larry will never let you off the hook!” In the car, Joan warned them.

“Yes, we do. You’re Larry, Dustin, and Caiden’s beloved woman!” the man answered.

At that moment, Joan was taken aback. Turns out they know all these so well!

Very soon, the car came to a stop at the entrance of a café. The few men yanked Joan off the car

forcefully and pushed her into the café.

“Let go of me!” she cried out aloud deliberately, trying to attract others’ attention.

Unfortunately, the entire café had been booked.

“Ms. Watts, what are you yelling about?” Out of the blue, the voice of a male stranger came from

somewhere ahead of her.

She paced forward slowly, trying to take a closer look at the man in front of her, but she still couldn’t

figure out where she had met him before.

“You are?” Joan looked at the man standing across from her suspiciously. She was a little curious

within herself.

“I’m Caiden’s father, Keith Owens,” the man answered.

So the ‘chairman’ they mentioned is actually Caiden’s father, Keith!

He must be here to question me about the marriage proposal his son made to me in public.

“Hello, Mr. Owens, I didn’t expect that we’ll meet in such a way,” Joan said that on purpose in a tone full

of displeasure.

“Ms. Watts, I hope you understand that I’m left with only this option as I’m very occupied with my

company’s affairs, and I’m only available tonight,” the man answered.

“Mr. Owens, how may I help you?” Joan asked in return.

“To be frank, I’ve seen the pictures and video clip of Caiden proposing to you. As you know, the Owens

family is a prominent family…” He was very tactful with his words, and his tone was solemn.

Of course, Joan understood the meaning between his lines clearly. As a result, she was very

composed within.

“Mr. Owens, Caiden, and I are just friends,” Joan replied.

Very well, this woman is quite smart! The man took a sip of coffee, and a content curve crept up on the

corner of his mouth.

“Also, Mr. Owens, I hope you can look after your son and make sure he never comes to bother me

again,” she continued. All of a sudden, the man was stunned.

“You can keep this check yourself. I don’t need it.” With that, Joan got up and left.

It turned out that Keith was using the check as an incentive to make her leave his son. Joan knew very

well that he did that because he loved his son, but in the meantime, it was also an insult to her!

“Ms. Watts!” Behind her, the man asked aloud, “What’s wrong? Do you think it’s too little?”

How ironic and cruel is that! Joan sneered, and her mood took a turn for the worse.

“Mr. Owens, I think you’ve mistaken. I’m not the kind of person you presumed. You should consider

donating that check of yours for some charity!” Joan turned around and answered softly.

Chapter 2412

“Then tell me, what kind of a person you are?” the man pressed.

Birds of a feather flock together. I guess that rings true. Caiden and his family are really a bunch of

weirdos!

“I don’t think I need to answer that.”

This woman is certainly not what meets the eye. The man sized Joan up with an irritated look.

“Then, please don’t disturb my son ever again in the future. You’re just an ordinary woman, and Caiden

is definitely out of your league.”

“Mr. Owens, I’ve never disturbed Caiden right from the beginning! I’m sorry, but I still have things to

attend to, so I have to leave now.”

This time, Joan left without turning back.

“Mr. Owens, how should we settle this matter?” Keith’s assistant at the side asked anxiously.

None of them had expected Joan to be so bull-headed and intransigent. They all thought that the

reason she didn’t accept the money was that it was too little, but the truth was she didn’t love Caiden at

all.

“Let’s go back first. We’ll talk about that later.”

“Joan!” Here comes another familiar yet detached voice! Why am I meeting all kinds of freaks today?

“Hello there, what is it?” she turned around and asked directly.

She was certain that it must be related to Caiden as well. “I need to talk to you,” Yelena stepped

forward and said.

“If you’re going to talk about Caiden, I’m sorry. I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” Joan replied.

What a rash woman. Doesn’t she have any idea who she has offended by now? Yelena’s eyes

gleamed with disdain.

“Caiden was admitted to the hospital. Don’t you need to give me an explanation?” Yelena asked.

“Well, I’m indeed partly the cause of Caiden illness. I’m truly sorry about that. But none of you actually

wants me to look after him, do you?”

She’s right. No matter what, it’s always a nightmare that this woman exists in Caiden’s life. It’s best that

she makes a clean break and stop being in contact with him from now on!

“Then, what do you plan to do? Can you tell me what you have in mind?” Yelena asked again.

“I don’t have any plan. I’ll keep a certain distance with Caiden or cut ties with him altogether. But I hope

he too, can cooperate and don’t pester me anymore. I’m really tired of this. I want a quiet life as well,”

answered Joan.

Looks like she is getting really upset.

Despite knowing Joan’s stance, Yelena couldn’t help but still feel a little worried. She wasn’t unnerved

by the possibility of Joan changing her mind and accepting Caiden. Instead, she was concerned with

the likelihood that Caiden wouldn’t stop going after this woman and failed to notice the other women

around him.

“Joan!” Finally, it was the voice of someone Joan longed to hear.

Smiling slightly, she turned around at once and threw herself into Larry’s embrace.

“What happened? Did she give you any trouble?” Larry stroke her hair slowly and asked.

“No, you’ve come just in time. Let’s go home,” Joan answered, fawning.

“Hold on,” Larry walked straight over to Yelena as he said that.

“I don’t care what’s in Caiden’s mind, but please help send him my message—Joan is my woman!”

Larry declared assertively.

What a domineering man! For some reason, Yelena was shaken by Larry’s demeanor.

“What did you say to her?” Joan asked.

“Nothing much. Let’s go home and have dinner,” he answered as he pinched her cheek softly.

Mmm, that’s strange. He should be very mad about the whole incident! Why is he so composed

instead? Joan studied Larry carefully and was baffled. The reason Joan couldn’t understand why Larry

wasn’t angry was because Jessica had told her over the phone that Larry was aware of everything that

had happened at the mall. Hence, she had expected Larry to be outraged with her, or even gave her

the cold shoulder. But, everything seemed to be just fine.

“Larry,” Joan was hesitant to speak her mind.

“What is it?” He turned around at her with an earnest look on his face.

“What happened with Caiden was just an unexpected twist of fate,” she spoke very slowly.

Chapter 2413

“Silly girl, I know that,” replied Larry as he held her tightly in his arms.

He was indeed exasperated when he found out about it. Nevertheless, he had faith in her and was

confident that her heart only belonged with him.

“Do you trust me?” she looked up and asked softly.

Of course, I do! Cupping her cheeks, Larry’s face drew closer, and his lips brushed hers. All he could

feel was how soft her thin and sexy lips were against his.

They shared a kiss so deep that all they could feel was each other’s breath and sensation as though

they had formed a union with one another. Both of them were so passionately engrossed in that

moment that they failed to even notice when Delilah returned home.

Seeing as such, Delilah slowly retreated and left the house.

They’ve come such a long way! Delilah heaved a sigh.

“Larry, hold on, isn’t Ms. Young coming home soon?” Joan asked breathlessly. There was a dash of

faint scarlet on her face.

“Don’t worry, she has left,” unbuttoning her clothes, Larry answered.

All at once, the woman was manifestly nonplussed.

She couldn’t help but blush at the thought that Delilah must have witnessed them making out in the

living room.

“Enough, stop doing that,” she struggled a little and mumbled.

“Tell me then, what do you want?” The man dug his head into her collarbone and asked in a hoarse

voice.

“Larry, no.” That was her response, but the man knew all too well that women’s words could be against

their hearts under such a circumstance.

“You like it, don’t you?” Larry reached out into her clothes as he bent down, planting numerous soft

kisses on her neck.

Eventually, Joan yielded and went along with Larry.

“Grandma, what are you doing? Why are we having dinner outside? What about Mom and Dad?”

Lucius bombarded Delilah with questions with a plainly disgruntled look on his face.

Where do all these questions come from? Why does this kid have so many questions?

“Your mom and dad have some other thing to do, and I forgot the keys, so we can’t go home at the

moment,” Delilah answered.

“But I have the keys,” the little boy retorted.

“Lucius, I’m craving for pizzas. Why don’t you accompany me to have some pizzas for dinner?” Delilah

deliberately asked.

“Sure!” The little boy nodded his head decidedly and agreed with excitement.

No one can ever say no to good food.

“Enough, Lucius will be back any minute now. Let go of me,” Joan mumbled in bed.

“They’re eating outside,” Larry responded.

“Come, let’s continue,” Larry turned in bed, pinning Joan underneath his body.

“Larry, we have a problem. The foreign manufacturer seems to have been involved in an incident,”

Caspian exclaimed as he rushed in.

“Slow down and start from the beginning,” Larry responded.

“There’s a news article that states that the products manufactured by the foreign company which we’re

cooperating failed to meet the quality specifications, so its operation has been suspended,” Caspian

explained.

Larry was in complete denial about it. He trusted the owner of the manufacturing company and it was

also operating legally. Therefore, he was confident that the company wouldn’t be involved in anything

against the law.

“Have you investigated thoroughly?” He looked up and asked in a solemn tone.

“Well, if you don’t believe me, you can read the news article yourself,” Caspian pointed at the laptop

and raised his voice.

Looking at how anxious he was behaving, Larry felt that it was very likely the case.

No way. This matter would hazard the reputation of Norton Corporation. I have to get to the bottom of it.

There must be someone messing with us behind this!

“Alright, I understood,” he replied.

“Larry, aren’t we supposed to terminate our cooperation with them? If this goes on, it will surely hamper

the development of our company,” Caspian warned him.

Larry was certainly clear about the severity and jeopardy depicted by the event. Nonetheless, he was

of the opinion that the matter was still far from getting out of hand. Not to mention that he was willing to

stick together with the foreign manufacturer even in such calamity.

“Well, you don’t need to worry about this. Instead, you should focus your attention on Joan and protect

her well for the moment,” Larry returned placidly.

His words left Caspian utterly baffled. I’m talking to you about the company’s affairs and you’re

speaking about your personal matters with me! The sudden change in topic set Caspian in a sudden

bewilderment.

Chapter 2414

“What’s the matter with Joan lately?” He asked.

“Keith met her once and gave her a check but she rejected it. I have a feeling that man wouldn’t let her

go so easily,” Larry returned.

Oh, so he knew it already. Caspian scratched the back of his head and was a little abashed.

“Why? Do you think I won’t know if you just keep quiet about it?” Larry continued.

Previously, Caspian had discussed with Jessica, and they came to an agreement that if Larry didn’t

know about the marriage proposal of Caiden to Joan, then they should never reveal it to him ever.

“I’ll have to go abroad in a few days, and I’ll count on you to look after the company and my family,”

Larry added.

In that instance, Caspian came to understand what he meant.

For some people, once they’ve put their mind to something or someone they trust, they’ll stand by it

unswervingly till the end! And Larry is one of those people.

He was particularly serious and meticulous in the selection of Norton’s collaboration partner, and once

he decided upon it, he would never yield. It was just like how he would never give up on Joan ever

since he fell in love with her.

Joan was informed about Larry’s decision to go on a business trip abroad, and not only did she

understand his concerns, but she also fully supported his decision.

“What do you think I should do?” Larry held Joan in his arms and peck lightly on her forehead as he

asked her in a soft voice.

“Just go with what your mind tells you. I believe in you, and I’ll have your back, always,” Joan answered

as she wrapped her right arm around the man’s waist.

“I might be staying overseas for a long time this round.” He nibbled her earlobe gently with his lips and

let his hot breath brush against it.

“That’s fine. I’ll wait for you.” The exchanges between them were simple yet compelling.

“Caiden, tell me now. What do you really want?” In the ward, Keith asked aloud with a stern expression

on his face.

All these years, he had never really disciplined his son. And Caiden had been very obedient and

sensible all along and knew the limit. Nevertheless, he slipped when it came to establishing a romantic

relationship.

“To live my life the way I desire. But it seems to me that this has nothing to do with you,” Caiden looked

outside the window and answered in a very cold tone.

To him, the man standing across from him was more of an elderly stranger who happened to be

biologically related to him rather than a father.

“What’s with that Joan Watts? How are you going to settle your relationship with her?” the man asked.

Affection is the most wonderful yet vulnerable and helpless feeling in this world. Caiden heaved a deep

sigh and was at a loss.

“I know that Joan is not an avaricious woman, nor is she indecorous, but you have to understand the

issue here—she doesn’t like you!” the man reminded him.

Caiden didn’t really get what he meant at first, but then his father was being outright frank.

“That’s my problem, and it’s none of your business. You don’t need to worry about it,” Caiden replied.

This boy is too obsessed with her! Keith turned around, closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and

tried to stay calm.

“You’re the heir of the Owens family, and you’ll be the future president of the company. Your marriage is

not a child’s play. It concerns the reputation of the entire family!” Keith roared.

Caiden snickered on the hospital bed.

The Owens family? What a joke. What does that have to do with me?

“I can’t care less about your company, not to mention your family!”

Such vile remark gave the man in front of him a shake. In a flash, a ferocious glint glowed in his eyes.

Slap!

A tight slap landed on Caiden’s face all at once.

“You are such an ungrateful brat, aren’t you? You’d better get it straight that everything you own today

comes from the Owens family!”

His words rendered Caiden speechless right away.

He’s right. Although Mom and Dad gave me neither a happy childhood nor enough love and care,

everything that I attain and own today does come from their financial support.

Chapter 2415

“Why? Are you reluctant now? You think I’m an ingrate, don’t you? Fine, don’t worry. It wouldn’t take

me two years to pay you back every single cent of allowance that you have given me!”

Keith winced at his cruel words and without a warning, he started coughing intensely. He was suffering

a relapse.

“What’s wrong with you?” Caiden looked at his father anxiously as he asked. There was a trace of

concern in his expression.

The man waved his hand and covered his chest, still coughing incessantly. It appeared that his

breathing was also getting more difficult.

Finally, Caiden got anxious.

“Doctor, nurse, over here, hurry! There’s a patient here!” he cried out loud.

Very soon, his mother, Olivia also arrived at the hospital.

“Your dad has asthma, and he forgot to bring along his medication today,” Olivia explained.

Since when did he have asthma? Isn’t he always in the pink of health? Caiden looked at the man lying

on the hospital bed with an evidently distressed expression.

“Caiden, why don’t you just listen to your dad? His health has deteriorated in recent years, and he can’t

go on like this anymore. Eventually, the future development of the company will depend on you.” There

was a pleading note in Olivia’s tone.

Gradually, Caiden’s heart softened as he listened to Olivia’s words.

All those years, he had been punishing his parents with his indifferent ways, but never even once had

he considered the sweat and tears behind their efforts.

Have I been wrong all this while? Noticing the few grey strands of hair on his father’s scalp, Caiden’s

heart shriveled. How rashly have I been all these years!

“Mrs. Owens, how is Mr. Owens now? Is he alright?” Jaden rushed toward them and asked.

“He’s okay, don’t worry. Thank you so much for what you’ve done these few years,” Olivia patted Jaden

on his shoulder and replied. There was a trace of gratification on her face as she said that.

Looking at the man in front of him, Caiden felt nothing but a heavy guilt in his heart.

It was Jaden who had been looking after his parents when he wasn’t around, including the time when

Olivia was admitted to the hospital. At that moment, he felt really remorseful.

“Hey, Caiden, it’s time you hold your temper a little,” said Jaden as he walked over to him.

Caiden lowered his head with a repentant look in his eyes.

“It’s okay, Caiden. As long as you’re willing to come home, we’ll wait for you no matter how long it

takes.”

Caiden was deeply touched by Olivia’s words. It’s time that I return to the Owens family.

“Caiden…” All of a sudden, the man on the bed shook his head and called out.

“Keith, he’s here. Caiden is right here, don’t worry,” Olivia responded immediately.

Slowly, the man opened his eyes and looked around him. Finally, he stopped, fixating his gaze on

Caiden.

“Dad,” after a while, Caiden walked over to his bedside and sat down. Tears welled up in his eyes.

The single utterance of ‘Dad’ shook the man in bed. His lips twitched but no words came out. Instead,

tears streamed down from the corner of his eyes. Witnessing what happened before her eyes, Olivia

couldn’t hold it any longer and started weeping as she laid her head on Jaden’s shoulder.

“What did you call me?” Keith’s eyes widened in surprise as he asked.

“Dad, you should take a good rest and don’t talk for too long. I’ll get to it if anything arises,” Caiden tried

to calm himself down as he answered.

This rascal finally gets his head around it! A pleasant smile crept up on Keith’s face.

It was smile of contentment and delight.

“Caiden, you’re finally returning to us,” Olivia muttered in tears.

“Mom,” he held Olivia’s hand tightly and greeted her while trembling.

Everything seemed to have happened in the twinkling of an eye, but it also made perfect sense!

“Not bad, Caiden. You’re finally returning to the Owens family,” Jaden gave Caiden a forceful pat on his

shoulder as he said aloud at the entrance of the hospital.

He is after all a member of the Owens family!

“What are you babbling about?” Caiden glared at him and was ready to leave.

“What about Joan? What are you going to do with her?” Jaden asked.

I’m prepared to give up on that. I’ve tried to pursue her for such a long time now, and that woman just

doesn’t have any feelings for me. She gives me no chance at all. Why should I continue to keep her in

my thoughts and spend all my efforts on her knowing that all these would go to waste?

Chapter 2416

“Forget it. I should start working at the company. There’s nothing more reliable than wealth in this

world,” Caiden sighed as he returned.

He was right indeed. Other than feelings and affection, there were still many other important things that

mattered in life such as career and family. Caiden was fortunate to have realized that.

Besides, it wasn’t true love and affection between him and Joan. It was merely his one-sided and

sickening possessiveness that was driving him to such a state.

“Alright, I understood. I’ll make the necessary arrangements, and you can return to the company

directly tomorrow,” Jaden responded.

What arrangements are there to make? Piqued, Caiden gazed at him with a bewildered look.

“I’ve been working in your father’s company,” Jaden clarified.

It was just that he had never told Caiden about it. The two of them chatted for a little longer at the

roadside before getting straight home.

At that moment, Joan was lying in the bedroom with her eyes widened, thinking about the man she

loved.

When is he coming back? Does he eat well over there? What if he gets sick?

In that instance, Larry’s face was all that was in her mind.

“Joan, do you want some fruits?” Delilah was shouting outside her door.

“No!” She responded immediately.

“What’s happening? Why are you so moody?” Delilah opened the door and asked softly as she

munched on another slice of apple.

“Nothing, it’s just a sleepless night for me. I couldn’t sleep,” answered Joan wearily.

“What time is it? It’s not even nine yet. What sleepless night are you talking about? You’re missing

somebody, aren’t you?” Delilah asked nosily on purpose.

“Ms. Young, since when did you turn so whimsical?”

“Fine, don’t think too much about it, alright? He’s just on a business trip. What are you doing thinking so

much? You’re making yourself sound like an old bat.”

Out of the blue, her phone on the table started ringing. Looking at the caller ID, Joan answered it

immediately as she turned on the speaker mode.

Seeing as such, Delilah knew who was on the phone at once, so she left the room in silence.

“Are you at home?” Larry asked.

“I’m lying in bed. It’s too cold outside; I don’t feel like going out,” Joan answered.

“Everything’s good at home, right? How are Ms. Young and the child doing? Are they well?” Larry

asked.

Why is he so concerned about the family all of a sudden?

Joan frowned slightly and a faint premonition crept within herself.

“Everything’s fine and as usual. Is everything okay with you?” Joan asked in return.

Every time Larry went on a business trip, she would get agitated at the chances of accidents happening

to the man on his journey.

“I’m doing okay. Wait for me to return home, alright? Try not to go out and stay at home as much as

possible these days,” Larry added.

“Mom!”

All of a sudden, Lucius barged into the room, giving Joan a shock.

“What is it?” Joan asked.

“I saw a man wandering around outside our house just now,” the child answered.

Over the phone, Larry’s guard was instantly up after he heard what the child said.

“Lucius, tell me, have you locked the door?” Larry asked aloud.

“Dad, don’t worry, I’ve locked it,” Lucius answered excitedly.

Nevertheless, Joan was still in a daze.

“Dad, when are you coming home?”

“There are still a lot of things that I’m occupied with over here. I can only return in a few more days. You

have to protect Mom and Grandma, understand?”

“Alright, Dad. Rest assured, I’m a brave boy…”

The two guys chatted heartily and totally ignored Joan who was at the side. At that point, she was a

little jealous looking at the scene before her.

“Alright, Lucius, you should go to bed now.” As she said that, she reached out to grab the phone in the

child’s hand.

“Just a minute, Mom. I haven’t finished talking to Dad yet,” Lucius retorted.

What is there to talk about? What is Larry running on about with a child?

Chapter 2417

“Mom, are you jealous?”

How come this child knows everything! Without a word, Joan shrugged and gave Lucius a helpless

smile.

As though he could sense it, Larry knew that the former had gotten angry. Hence, he kept urging

Lucius to go to sleep. After that, Joan got back on the phone.

“What’s wrong? Are you mad?” asked Larry in a low voice.

Isn’t it obvious? It took us a long time to finally get a chance to chat, but he spent most of the time with

Lucius.

“Next time, if you miss Lucius, just give Ms. Young a call,” Joan said with a pout.

“Why can’t I call you?” Larry deliberately inquired.

He’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he? There’s no way he doesn’t know the reason… Joan gripped the

blanket and remained silent.

“Joan, do you want to come here so we can spend some time together?” Larry broke the silence.

Upon hearing that, Joan instantly blushed. He knows what I’m thinking!

Ugh… Forget it. We can spend our time together anywhere. There is no need for me to leave Ms.

Young and Lucius at home and go all the way to meet him.

“No, I’ll wait for you at home,” replied Joan.

After conversing for a while more, they ended the call. Larry knew it was already past midnight there,

so he couldn’t bear to disturb Joan.

“Caspian, are you asleep?” Larry queried.

“What can I do for you, Larry?” The former immediately inquired.

“I need you to assign more people to protect Joan, Lucius, and Ms. Young. Someone had made their

move,” Larry instructed.

“Got it. Don’t worry, Larry. I’ve already ordered my people to pay attention to this matter. Oh, by the

way, I have an update on that thing you had me look into. I’ve found that person,” answered Caspian.

Caspian is as reliable as always, huh. He had arranged everything before I even give him the

instruction, thought Larry.

The next morning, sunlight poured in through the gaps between the curtains and filled the room with

warmth. Lying on the bed, Joan was still sleeping soundly.

Maybe because she had chatted with Larry until too late the night before, she was still asleep even

though the sun was already high up in the sky. Delilah could see that Joan had been very tired recently.

Thus, she didn’t knock on the latter’s door to wake her up.

“Mmm…” Joan extended her arms into a stretch and let out a big yawn before gradually opening her

eyes.

That was the most satisfying sleep she had since recently. There were no nightmares nor any

disturbances when she was sleeping. Instead, there was only Larry’s sexy voice and intoxicating scent

accompanying her in her dreams.

“You’re awake? Come and have some food,” said Delilah while ironing the clothes in the living room.

“Oh my gosh! It’s nearly noon!” Joan blurted in surprise as she walked to the balcony.

This foolish girl… Did she just realize that she had slept for more than ten hours?

“Yep. So you’re having lunch now,” Delilah said.

“Ms. Young, why didn’t you wake me up?” Joan asked in a low voice.

“Why should I? Besides, I thought that it’s better for you to wake up naturally. So, how is it? Do you feel

refreshed now?” Delilah asked with a smile on her face.

Since everything in the garden was settled, Delilah and Joan could rest for a few days.

“Joan, do you think that there’s something fishy going around recently?” Delilah threw her a question

out of the blue.

Hearing that, Joan turned around and looked at the older woman in front of her, feeling slightly

unsettled.

Is she referring to the thing that Lucius said last night?

“What’s wrong, Ms. Young? Did anything happened?”

At that, Delilah stopped ironing, and she walked toward Joan with a worried look on her face.

“I keep feeling like there’s someone following me recently. Do you feel the same? Or am I just being

paranoid?” Delilah tilted her head thoughtfully and plunged into deep contemplation.

It seemed like something was amiss, but Joan didn’t notice it.

“Ms. Young, can you tell me everything that has happened in detail?” Joan queried.

Chapter 2418

Joan wanted to make aware of what happened so that she could tackle the matter at its roots. Since

Larry was not with her now, she had to take preventative measures herself.

“I don’t have any solid evidence to back my suspicion. Let’s just say it’s my gut instinct,” Delilah

answered.

She didn’t explain the situation clearly. Thus, Joan was left utterly baffled and confused. However, she

still believed that woman’s intuition was accurate, especially Delilah’s.

“It’s fine, maybe I’m just overthinking it.” With that, Delilah walked toward the living room and continued

to iron the clothes.

No. I must get to the bottom of this. Without any hesitation, Joan took out her phone and made a call.

“Hello, Caspian? I need a favor…”

“Don’t worry, Joan. Larry had told us about this before he left. We are actually protecting you in secret,”

said Caspian determinedly.

Hearing that, Joan could feel a weight being lifted off her chest.

So he was already prepared for this. At that thought, the grin on Joan’s face grew wider.

No wonder he chatted with Lucius for so long last night!

“Okay, I got it. I’m counting on you, then,” she replied politely.

“No problem, Joan. And uh… I wanted to say sorry for the time I insulted you in the past. I hope you

don’t mind. I only did what I did because I was hoping that you could rekindle with Larry. Please forgive

me if I have offended you in any way,” said Caspian.

He remembered clearly that he looked for Joan back then because he hoped that the latter could

understand Larry. However, their communication went awry, making Caspian angry and resulted in him

insulting her.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. I understand. And, I’m happy for Larry. He is lucky to have a great friend like

you.”

Hearing her words, Caspian felt much more at ease.

In actuality, Joan had forgotten about this. After all, she wasn’t a petty person, so she wouldn’t care

about such a trivial matter.

“Alright, Ms. Young. There’s no need for you to worry. Turns out, Larry had already made the necessary

arrangements,” said Joan to offer Delilah some comfort.

Despite that, Delilah still felt that something was off, but she couldn’t tell exactly what was wrong.

Perhaps I’m thinking too much…

“Okay,” Delilah replied.

Little did they know, a catastrophe would soon befall them.

“Hey kid, stop right there!” In an alley, a man shouted at Lucius, who was on the way home from

school.

Looking at the fierce-looking men in front of him, Lucius felt terrified.

“Who are you? What do you guys want?” He hugged his bag tightly and inquired in fear.

“Don’t be afraid. We just want to play a game with you,” one of the men answered.

“Let go of me! Help!” Lucius screamed loudly and pinched the man’s thigh.

“You brat! How dare you pinch me!” The man landed a slap on Lucius’s face.

Lucius went silent, and his eyes closed.

Meanwhile, Joan was waiting for Lucius anxiously in the living room because it was getting late, and he

was nowhere to be seen.

“Ms. Young, why hasn’t Lucius returned?” Joan ran toward the kitchen and asked Delilah.

“Maybe he stayed back at school to do his homework,” Delilah replied calmly.

This wasn’t the first time Lucius reached home late. Sometimes, the teachers would overrun the

lesson, and some would even keep the students after the bell and ask them to complete their

homework before going back. But usually, the teachers would only do this when the examination was

around the corner.

“Joan, why don’t you give the homeroom teacher a call to ask about the situation?” Delilah reminded.

Joan immediately whipped out her phone and made a call, looking panicked.

Chapter 2419

“Hello, Ms. Lee? Is Lucius still in the school?” Joan asked anxiously.

“No. The class had ended long ago,” came Ms. Lee’s hurried reply.

“He didn’t stay at school to do his homework?”

“Mrs. Norton, please try not to mention this anymore. It was our fault to keep students after class

previously. The principal has already warned us not to do so. Rest assured that we won’t keep students

in school to have cram sessions anymore,” Ms. Lee explained.

This is bad…

“Ms. Young, something’s off. Lucius is not at school,” said Joan with a trembling voice.

Thud! The spatula in Delilah’s hand fell to the ground.

Could this be why I have been feeling so unsettled recently? At that, she immediately left the kitchen,

took her jacket, and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Joan immediately ran past her to block her way.

“Don’t try to stop me. I’m going to look for Lucius,” said Delilah as she flung Joan’s arm to the side,

striding past her.

“Ms. Young, please calm down. Listen to me first, okay? Let’s just wait here and let Caspian go and find

Lucius. I’m afraid you might get caught again if you go out,” said Joan with fear in her voice.

I still have no idea who the mastermind is, what their goal is, or what would happen should we get

caught…

“Then, what do you suggest we should do?” Delilah growled at Joan.

She was full blown panicking by then. She had taken care of Lucius since young. As such, the boy was

the apple of her eye. Now that he had gone missing, it was only natural that she would be anxious.

“Hello? Caspian, quick, find… L-Lucius… H-He’s missing…”

At that moment, Joan was so frightened that she failed to speak well.

“Joan, calm down and tell me what happened,” Caspian consoled.

“What? Lucius has gone missing? When did this happen?” He sprung to his feet immediately upon

hearing that and darted out of the office.

“Okay, I got it. Don’t worry, Joan. I’ll head over right away!”

After hanging up the phone, Caspian scrolled through his contact list, found another person’s number,

and made a call.

“Hello, Jessica. Come over quickly. Larry’s child is missing. Yes, come here, right now!”

He chose to keep this matter from Larry for the time being and decided to settle it by himself because

he knew that Larry was extremely busy with the matter overseas recently.

“What happened? How can Lucius just disappear? Joan, are you okay?” Jessica rushed over to

console Joan.

“I’m fine. Please hurry and look for Lucius. My dear boy…” said Joan as her body shivered.

Like her, Delilah was also dismayed at that moment.

Jessica knew how important Lucius was to them, so she didn’t dare to make any jokes.

“Don’t worry, Joan. Caspian has sent his men to look for Lucius. They’ll find him soon. Besides, maybe

Lucius is just playing around somewhere and got lost…” Jessica muttered.

“That’s impossible. Lucius has never been a playful boy. Even if he wants to go and play, he’ll come

home and inform us first,” Delilah yelled suddenly.

It was obvious that this incident was related to Joan.

“Ms. Young, don’t worry. Caspian will find Lucius soon,” said Jessica.

“How can I not worry? Lucius is not your child, so of course you’re not worried about him! Joan Watts,

this is all your fault! Why can’t you just live your own life? Ever since you came into our life, your

presence has brought a lot of problems to us. Now that we can finally have a peaceful life, you still

can’t let things be. I really don’t understand why you’re so stubborn!”

That was the first time Delilah had threw a tantrum at Joan and also the first time she couldn’t control

her anger.

patted Joan on the shoulder softly, hoping it could give her some comfort.

Nonetheless, she knew that there was no way she could ease Joan’s anxiety. After all, Lucius was the

latter’s child.

Meanwhile, in a room, Lucius was struggling to break free as he shouted, “Who are you!”

“Stop your screaming and just stay here!” a man yelled. What a bunch of devils! After a long while,

Lucius finally calmed down.

He suddenly remembered what Larry told him back then. “No matter what happened, you have to stay

calm. Otherwise, things will only get worse. You can only rely on yourself because no one will care for

how you feel nor sympathize with your situation.”

Having thought that, he asked politely, “Uncle, can you tell me why you kidnapped me?”

The man was shocked upon seeing the change in the boy’s attitude.

Wasn’t he screaming hysterically and struggling just now? What’s with the sudden politeness?

“You don’t need to know. Just play your role obediently,” The man answered.

“What do you mean by that?”

“All you need to know is that your role is to stay here!”

After a thoughtful ponder, Lucius came to the conclusion that this wasn’t a normal kidnapping case.

“Uncle, do you want to meet my dad or my mom?”

Hearing that, the man thought, What a meaningless question. He’s saying that as if anyone could meet

Larry as they wanted. The person we want to meet is his troublemaker of a mom!

“Shut up! If you want to know, your mother is the one to blame for you being in our hands now!” At last,

the man told him the truth.

Their end goal was to lure Joan by kidnapping Lucius.

“But, uncle, do you know that I’m not my mom’s biological son? I’m actually her adopted son. So, I

doubt that she’ll worry about me. In fact, she’s probably glad to see me gone,” said Lucius.

His words drew the man’s attention. But, our chairman said that this kid is Joan’s beloved child.

“My mom hates me. She always says that I’m too much trouble and that she’s planning to send me to

the orphanage. I mean, I’ve been gone for a while now, and she still hasn’t come looking for me.”

After pondering for a while, the man realized that what Lucius said might be true. This child has been

with me for a long time, and yet, that woman still hasn’t taken any action.

 

Chapter 2420

Tears started streaming down Joan’s cheeks upon hearing the words.

Ms. Young is right. I had caused a lot of trouble for her and Lucius… But I didn’t do it on purpose! I also

want to live like an ordinary person and spend more time with my family, but the reality is often cruel

and it always stops me from doing so.

“Sorry, Ms. Young. It’s all my fault,” said Joan weakly.

She knew that there was no use in asking for forgiveness. After all, Lucius had gone missing, and no

amount of apologies could change that fact. Delilah turned around, walked toward the windows, and

closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself down.

“Ms. Young, I know you are very agitated and angry now, but this is an unexpected incident. It is not

something we can control. Besides, it may not be related to Joan. Calm down. We will have an answer

soon,” said Jessica.

“Easy for you to say. Do tell me then, what’s the answer? What if something happened to Lucius? What

if Lucius died?” snapped Delilah.

“I…”

Before Jessica could continue, Joan grabbed onto the former’s arm, signaling her not to say anything.

Joan knew that Delilah didn’t mean it. That the latter only said those harsh words because she was

worried about Lucius.

“Hello, Caspian. How did it go? Have you found Lucius yet?” Jessica asked softly via her phone.

“Not yet. The village doesn’t have any surveillance cameras, so it’s hard for us to find Lucius,” said

Caspian.

Joan felt increasingly guilty when she heard that the situation was getting more and more complicated.

“Joan, don’t worry. Caspian is still looking for Lucius. For now, no news is good news, right?” Jessica

patted Joan on the shoulder softly, hoping it could give her some comfort.

Nonetheless, she knew that there was no way she could ease Joan’s anxiety. After all, Lucius was the

latter’s child.

Meanwhile, in a room, Lucius was struggling to break free as he shouted, “Who are you!”

“Stop your screaming and just stay here!” a man yelled. What a bunch of devils! After a long while,

Lucius finally calmed down.

He suddenly remembered what Larry told him back then. “No matter what happened, you have to stay

calm. Otherwise, things will only get worse. You can only rely on yourself because no one will care for

how you feel nor sympathize with your situation.”

Having thought that, he asked politely, “Uncle, can you tell me why you kidnapped me?”

The man was shocked upon seeing the change in the boy’s attitude.

Wasn’t he screaming hysterically and struggling just now? What’s with the sudden politeness?

“You don’t need to know. Just play your role obediently,” The man answered.

“What do you mean by that?”

“All you need to know is that your role is to stay here!”

After a thoughtful ponder, Lucius came to the conclusion that this wasn’t a normal kidnapping case.

“Uncle, do you want to meet my dad or my mom?”

Hearing that, the man thought, What a meaningless question. He’s saying that as if anyone could meet

Larry as they wanted. The person we want to meet is his troublemaker of a mom!

“Shut up! If you want to know, your mother is the one to blame for you being in our hands now!” At last,

the man told him the truth.

Their end goal was to lure Joan by kidnapping Lucius.

“But, uncle, do you know that I’m not my mom’s biological son? I’m actually her adopted son. So, I

doubt that she’ll worry about me. In fact, she’s probably glad to see me gone,” said Lucius.

His words drew the man’s attention. But, our chairman said that this kid is Joan’s beloved child.

“My mom hates me. She always says that I’m too much trouble and that she’s planning to send me to

the orphanage. I mean, I’ve been gone for a while now, and she still hasn’t come looking for me.”

After pondering for a while, the man realized that what Lucius said might be true. This child has been

with me for a long time, and yet, that woman still hasn’t taken any action.