Ch. 2431..2440
Chapter 2431
“I understand, Ms. Young,” replied Joan softly.
They had known each other for a while now, and they had always interacted well together. The only
conflict they ever had stemmed from an issue caused by Joan herself.
Still, nothing mattered as long as Lucius was safe.
“How are you now? I heard from Larry that you are injured. Since he’s busy, I’ll go take care of you.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. Please take care of Lucius at home. I have someone here with me in the
hospital, so you don’t need to worry,” said Joan immediately.
She didn’t want to put more burden on the elderly lady. In fact, she had been thinking about whether
she should move out of the house recently and had been struggling with her decisions.
She knew that she would miss Lucius and Delilah if she moved out, but if she stayed, she would just be
a burden.
“Joan, I got you your lunch,” said Jessica suddenly as she entered the room.
“Thank you,” replied Joan with a troubled look.
Seeing that, Jessica got curious.
“What’s wrong, Joan? Is something up?” asked Jessica.
“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing. Have you had lunch? What about Caspian? Has he eaten?” asked Joan.
Why is she so worried about Caspian? Is she worried because he was wounded because of her? Or is
there something else? Jessica’s expression turned a little strange.
“He already had his lunch. Don’t worry,” she replied. She then asked, “By the way, Joan, when are you
and Larry going to get married again?”
That was a rather complicated question, and Joan didn’t know the answer.
She suddenly felt exhausted, and she wanted to rest for a while without anyone bothering her.
“What’s wrong? Are the two of you not getting back together?” asked Jessica in a worried tone when
she saw how hesitant Joan seemed.
There’s no way, right? After all, they have been together for so many years. Are they really going to
break up just like that? That’s not likely, right? Besides, Joan has learned the truth behind why Larry
signing the divorce papers, so…
“Can we not talk about this now? Let’s talk about your bookstore. How is it going?” asked Joan.
How did she know that I recently set up a bookstore?
“It’s good. Everything is progressing well now, but I plan on making it a chain store,” answered Jessica.
I want to be a strong and successful woman. That way, Caspian will have no grounds to yell or diss at
me anymore.
“That sounds amazing. Good luck.”
“Joan!”
Just then, a familiar and feminine voice disrupted the conversation between the two ladies.
“What is going on? How did you get kidnapped? Come, let me see how you are. Are you hurt?” asked
Nancy. She was panting as she examined the woman on the bed.
“Don’t worry, Nancy. I’m fine. See? I’m alright,” replied Joan.
“Alright? You’re hospitalized! How can you still say that you’re alright?” scolded Nancy while glaring at
her.
“How did you know that I was kidnapped?”
“Larry told me. He asked if I was free to come and keep you company,” replied Nancy. He is so
considerate, thought Joan, who felt warm and fuzzy inside.
“So, who is behind this? Who would dare come after you?” asked Nancy, who had gotten into her
gossiping mode.
“It’s nothing, really. Just a bunch of hooligans…” answered Joan awkwardly.
Jessica was standing at the side and was going to step up to explain the situation. However, she
caught Joan’s expression and cue, so she exited the room instead.
Nevermind. She must have her own reasons for lying.
“What happened next?”
“Nothing. I was rescued after that.”
That’s it? No way! Nancy seemed angry as she stared suspiciously at the woman in front of her.
“Joan, aren’t we BFFs? How can you lie to me about something like this?”
I just don’t want to worry you, thought Joan before she smiled awkwardly.
“Okay, stop worrying needlessly. I’m fine. Here’s the gist of it. I had a friend whose father is angry at me
because…” said Joan.
Chapter 2432
Joan didn’t need to explain anything in detail for Nancy to guess that the Owens family was behind it.
“You’re talking about the head of the Owens family, aren’t you? Makes sense, I guess,” being an
intelligent woman, Nancy was quick to deduce everything. “Ugh, Caiden is such a lunatic. He has
always known that the man you love is Larry, but he keeps badgering you shamelessly, anyway.”
Nancy paused before she protested and got ready to leave. She said, “You know what? This won’t do.
I’m gonna go and have a word with that jerk.”
“Stop. Don’t. Larry will deal with it,” said Joan quickly to stop her.
“No, that won’t do. Larry will do what he is supposed to do, but I still have to go talk to Caiden. I need to
know what the hell is his problem!” insisted Nancy. She was so stubborn that Joan couldn’t stop her.
Meanwhile, Caiden was sitting in a corner of a café swiping at the screen of his mobile phone, looking
bored.
Lately, he had been learning business management from his father because he had decided to take
over his father’s business. However, he was annoyed by the boring, endless tasks at work.
“Caiden Owens!” called out Nancy as she marched toward him.
Everyone in the area was surprised to hear a woman shouting like that. They shifted their gazes to her.
“Nancy? What brought you here? It’s been such a long time since we last saw each other,” greeted
Caiden as he stood up.
He was old friends with Nancy, but they lost touch after he went overseas.
“You assh*le!” shouted the woman before she flung her bag at him.
What the hell is wrong with her? What’s up with that bad temper? I don’t remember pissing this woman
off lately… Caiden instinctively backed away from her. He knew just too well how Nancy would turn into
a violent banshee upon losing her temper.
“You assh*le! Why do you keep pestering Joan all the time? Are you really that lonely?”
Nancy cussed so much that Caiden was thrown off guard and was at a loss of what to do. He didn’t
know what had happened or why the woman in front of him was that angry.
“Nancy, calm down and speak clearly, please,” said Caiden as he tried to get Nancy to settle down.
Unfortunately, nothing worked. Nancy had always been loud. Moreover, the person who got hurt was
someone she cared about, so her emotions were running wild with worry at that moment.
“Tell me. Why did you do all that to Joan?” demanded Nancy.
Caiden felt wronged as he stared at the woman in front of him.
“What did I do to her? She got a divorce, so I courted her and proposed to her afterward. What’s wrong
with that? Besides, didn’t she reject my proposal? I never bothered her again after that. What else do
you expect from me?” asked Caiden.
He thought that he had improved a lot because he was able to let Joan go.
Given his usual style, he would’ve kept courting and badgering the lady until he finally got her. But that
didn’t happen with Joan. He had decided to let go of his feelings for her to save himself, the Owens
family, and his parents. He even went back to work at the office. Is all that still not enough?
“Do you know that she almost died?” roared Nancy angrily.
That sentence got Caiden’s attention.
“What is that supposed to mean? Tell me. What happened to Joan?” demanded Caiden immediately.
“The head of your family did it. He kidnapped Joan. Luckily, she was rescued in the end. You’ve already
returned to the Owens family, so isn’t it time you let Joan go? She never even bothered you in the first
place,” complained Nancy.
She’s right. I was the one who actively went after Joan. She rejected me and tried to avoid me, but I
never gave up until recently.
“Okay, I understand. Don’t worry. I will get to the bottom of this,” replied Caiden.
The two of them spoke a little more before they parted ways.
At the hospital, Joan was currently resting on the bed. She was mindlessly flipping through a magazine,
looking bored and sad.
I wonder how Lucius is. Did the ordeal scare him?
Joan struggled for a long time before she picked up her phone and called Delilah.
Chapter 2433
“Hi Ms. Young, is Lucius home? Can I talk to him?” requested Joan carefully.
“Lucius, your mom is looking for you,” shouted Delilah.
“Where are you, Mom?” asked Lucius immediately. He sounded worried.
“I can’t go home just yet. Lucius, are you okay? Are you in shock?” asked Joan.
“Not at all. Don’t worry, Mom. I’m a big boy. Still, why aren’t you home yet? I’m so worried about you,”
said Lucius sadly.
Joan felt touched upon hearing those words. At that moment, she thought that everything she did till
then was worth it.
Meanwhile, Larry was working away in his office. for some reason, Norton Corporation had been
dealing with a lot of issues lately. All that stress was made worse when Joan got hurt, and he was
feeling a little tired.
I’m so glad to have Jessica helping me out by taking care of Caspian and Joan.
“Larry,” greeted Jessica as she entered the room.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital?” asked Larry immediately.
“Everything’s fine at the hospital, so don’t worry. How are you? Have you eaten?” asked Jessica, a hint
of worry shining in her eyes.
“I’m not hungry,” replied the man nonchalantly.
He hasn’t eaten all day. How is he not hungry? What? Does he think he is? A machine? Jessica walked
over and placed a container of food on his desk.
“Joan and Caspian had already eaten, so I came to deliver this to you,” said Jessica.
“Thank you for everything,” said Larry. He had shifted his gaze to her and his eyes were filled with
sincerity as he spoke.
Even though she had sacrificed and spent a lot of her free time in the hospital, Jessica never regretted
that decision.
When she was at her lowest and weakest point, Larry had stayed by her side and never abandoned
her. He patiently consoled her and helped her even when it caused a rift between him and Joan. It even
got the entire world to misunderstand him. Hence, she would not give up easily when it was her turn to
step up because Larry needed her.
“It’s no trouble at all. Anyway, you need to take care of yourself, too. If you fall from exhaustion, I will
have to take care of all three of you idiots,” teased Jessica.
This annoying woman. She really doesn’t have a filter when she speaks. Darn, those are some hurtful
words, thought Larry.
Caiden was sitting on the sofa in the living room. He kept checking his watch, looking as if he was
waiting for someone.
It took some time before that familiar yet estranged face showed up.
“Dad!” exclaimed Caiden. Startled, Keith turned around and looked at his son, who was standing in
front of him. After that, he walked over.
“It’s late. Why are you still up?” asked Keith.
“Did you go after Joan Watts?” demanded Caiden.
Keith adjusted his clothes and fell silent. I guess what Nancy said was true then, thought Caiden.
“This has nothing to do with her. It’s all on me,” informed Caiden.
How can this have nothing to do with her? If it hadn’t been for that woman, you would not have gone so
insane to the point where you ignore the pride of the Owens family and proposed to her! Keith glared at
him but had no intention of speaking to his son.
“Please stop bothering her. There’s nothing between us anymore,” added Caiden.
Those words got Keith’s interest piqued. They broke up?
“Since I’ve decided to return to the Owens family and go work at the company, it’s only natural that I am
no longer burdened by matters of the heart. Don’t worry. I will focus on work from now on,” promised
Caiden.
Keith grinned in satisfaction when he saw his son behaving that way.
“Since Caiden has already made things clear, just make him that promise. Joan Watts never really did
anything bad to us, anyway,” said Caiden’s mom suddenly as she walked over.
Keith turned to his son, then his wife, before nodding slightly.
“Caiden, you’re no longer a kid, and I pray that you will focus on your career. A man can live without a
wife or money, but he cannot survive without a career. In other words, you’ll basically have it all once
your career blooms,” advised Keith sternly.
Chapter 2434
“Got it.” It was the first time the father-son pair conversed amiably, and in some way, Joan played a
huge role in this. Olivia could not help but smile at the two men chatting away enthusiastically. “Alright.
That’s enough. Come and have some apples.”
“Mom, just leave it on the table. I need to discuss some company matters with Dad first,” Caiden said
hurriedly.
Keith felt proud and comforted to see Caiden treat his work seriously. He no longer had to worry about
having no one to take over his business. “Let’s continue, then!” he exclaimed.
Now that Keith promised to stop giving Joan a hard time, peace returned to the family.
Back in the hospital, Lucius was snuggled comfortably in Joan’s arms. “Mom, are you feeling ok?”
“Don’t worry, Lucius. I’m fine,” came Joan’s reply.
However, her fragile and thin frame betrayed her words. Lucius could not stop worrying about her.
Despite so, Joan managed to recover over time. However, the nearer she got to being discharged, the
more hesitant she became. She was not ready to face Delilah. Although the latter wanted her to
continue living in her house, the incident the other day greatly affected Joan, making her feel
undecided whether to stay or leave.
“Joan.” Delilah treaded into the ward.
“Ms. Young, why are you here?” Joan greeted.
“How do you feel? Your body’s almost recovered right?” There was a trace of awkwardness in Delilah’s
voice. Even so, it could not hide the anxiousness she was feeling. Joan knew what she was worried
about.
“I’m fine.”
“If that’s the case, let’s go home,” blurted Delilah
Her eagerness touched Joan’s heart.
Delilah continued, “It was my fault the other day. I hope you can forgive me for shouting at you. Lucius’
my only grandson and I can’t bear to live without him…”
In the face of her sincere words, Joan’s heart softened. She understood why Delilah acted the way she
did then. Besides, she wasn’t someone to hold a grudge.
Joan relented. “All right, let’s go home.” Upon hearing her words, Lucius’ eyes lit up.
“Mom’s coming home! Woohoo!” He jumped around excitedly.
Although Joan made her decision, she still felt slightly conflicted. Perhaps only time could heal all the
unhappiness, regret, and guilt she was feeling.
Back at home, Larry was seated in the living room. Noticing their arrival, he became slightly displeased.
“Oh. You’re back?”
“Yeah. I’m home,” Joan muttered.
After Delilah helped to keep Joan’s luggage in her room, she took Lucius with her, leaving both of them
alone. The couple looked at each other affectionately.
“I thought you’re not coming back here to stay?” As he spoke, Larry wrapped his arms around her waist
tightly.
How could I bear to leave my family? Although Delilah and Lucius were not blood-related with her, Joan
had without a doubt treated them like her real family.
“I can’t leave Lucius and Ms. Young, and they need me too,” said Joan.
Larry knew that she had always been this sort of person; kind and soft-hearted. Joan would do
everything within her means to protect those she loved, even if it meant getting hurt. That was also why
he swore to protect and treasure her.
“Joan, do you want to live together? We can have Ms. Young and Lucius move to our house instead,”
asked Larry suddenly.
Although Joan was on board with his idea, she knew that Delilah would never agree to move out. After
all, at the latter’s age, it would be a hassle to move into a new environment.
“I think our current arrangement is fine,” Joan replied.
Chapter 2435
Sensing her worries, Larry gave up persuading her. He respected her choice.
“Dinner’s ready!” Delilah called out from the dining room.
It felt like such a long time since they had a meal together as a family. Now, everything was back to
normal again.
Although Keith had stopped finding trouble for Joan, Larry was just getting started. He wanted revenge
for the woman he loved.
“Mr. Norton, are we really doing this?” His assistant looked at him in disbelief.
“Yes. Cut all ties with the Owens family. We will not work with them anymore.” There was not the
slightest bit of hesitation in his voice. They got what they deserved for testing my limits.
Touching Joan was the worst move anyone could have made, for to hurt her meant hurting him. Larry
did not care whether his opponent was Keith or a child, he would not let the person who hurt Joan off
the hook that easily.
“Mr. Norton, maybe we can reconsider this? The Owens family is a large corporation with great
influence. I think…” His assistant listed all sorts of reasons in an attempt to dissuade him.
Indeed, with a corporation of their scale, many companies would do anything for a chance to
collaborate with them. Larry’s decision would undoubtedly cause Norton Corporation some loss.
“My decision’s final. I’ll bear the consequences myself.” Larry’s resolute gaze silenced the assistant.
“Are you serious? Mr. Norton’s terminating all our projects with the Owens family?”
“Exactly. I wonder what he’s thinking. Why is he making an enemy out of them?” A few employees
were gossiping about the matter discreetly.
News spread fast. Very soon, the whole company was talking about this. They could not believe that
Larry had done this for a woman.
Meanwhile, Larry was in his office busy with work. He paid no heed to the gossips that were spreading
like wildfire. His decision was not on impulse. There was plenty of preparation leading to this.
Caspian strode angrily toward the lift in the lobby. He pressed the floor to Larry’s office.
“Larry! How could you do this? Your personal feud with Caiden is a separate matter from work. Your
rash decision will only drag the company down!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“I know,” was Larry’s calm reply.
Does he really know? Caspian knew that once their collaboration with the Owens family falls through,
they would have to search for another business partner. That would mean redesigning the project,
brief, etc., This was not just an issue about time, many other things such as their employees’
productivity were on the line.
“Larry, why don’t you have a talk with Caiden? Heck, you can talk to Keith too, if you’d like. I’m sure
things isn’t as bad as it looks. If you’re not comfortable with meeting them, I can go on your behalf!
Caspian said hurriedly.
Larry, however, wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Owens family anymore. “Caspian, I have my
morals to stick to. They hurt Joan and this is something I cannot forgive,” he replied coldly.
“Let’s just take a step back and think this through. Isn’t Joan doing fine now? She’s not saying
anything, so why are you…”
“Have you forgotten your position? Stop interfering in this!” Larry lashed out.
At that, Caspian had no choice but to walk out of the room pitifully. Soon after, Caiden arrived. His
presence meant that the Owens family had caught wind of Larry’s decision.
“Mr. Norton, aren’t you acting a bit too rashly?” Caiden asked in a low voice.
“If this is why you came today, you may leave now. My decision’s final. I see no reason for us to
collaborate anymore.” Once Larry had decided on something, it was near impossible to change his
mind.
“Are you going to jeopardize your entire career just for Joan?” How ridiculous!
Chapter 2436
“So what if that’s the case? Have you forgotten all those times you fell out with your family for Joan’s
sake?” Larry rebutted.
Caiden was speechless. He could not refute the fact that he had committed many ridiculous things for
Joan. I guess I have no right to criticize Larry…
Since their conversation was not going anywhere, Caiden left the building for home. He needed to tell
Keith about this.
“What’d you say? Larry didn’t budge? That stubborn brat! He’s not even concerned about his company
anymore,” said Keith.
Like you’re one to complain. Things only escalated this way because you instigated the fight. Of
course, Caiden kept his thoughts to himself and simply looked silently at his father.
“All right, I got it! We’ll talk about this some other time.” With that, Keith went back upstairs.
He couldn’t be bothered to talk more about this topic since Larry had already made his decision.
“All right, don’t worry about this too much. Just leave this matter to your dad.” Olivia patted Caiden’s
shoulders.
Back at home, Joan was pruning the plants in the yard.
Delilah called out to her, “Joan, take a break. I don’t want you to tire yourself out.” It had been a few
days since she came home. They decided to put the past behind them and were interacting normally
again.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Young. I feel fine!”
The day went by in a flash. Joan spent the majority of her time in the yard with Delilah. Later that
evening, Larry came home.
Joan enquired, “I heard you terminated the collaboration with the Owens family, is that true?” She
looked firmly at Larry with a serious expression.
“Yes,” was Larry’s simply reply.
“Why’d you do that?” Joan probed further.
“No particular reason. I just didn’t want to work with them anymore.”
Joan could not help but think he had done it for her. She looked at him, doubt swimming in her eyes.
“Larry, I’m sure you already know this, but I’m not one to care about things like revenge.” She wanted
him to know that there was no need to jeopardize the company’s future for her.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t do it for you.” Larry pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Then tell me why you did it. If not, I can’t feel at ease.”
“I have my own morals to keep. I won’t work with someone of such character. If Keith was able to do
such despicable things to you, I can’t see how he’ll fare well as my business partner.” Larry kissed her
forehead gently.
Hearing this, she heaved a sigh of relief. The creases on her forehead disappeared.
“There, is my reason enough to placate your unease?” Larry uttered.
With that matter out of the way, they were back to being all lovey-dovey again. It was only later that day
they came out for dinner.
“Mom! Dad! I scored full marks for my exam today!” Lucius ran excitedly toward Joan and Larry.
“Wow! My son is such a clever boy. You’re always scoring full marks,” Joan exclaimed proudly.
“Mom, look! I am the ‘star of the week’!” announced the boy while waving his certificate.
Larry smiled as the mother-son pair chatted away happily. At that moment, he was contented with life.
Being able to come home and have a meal with his loved ones, spending intimate moments with Joan,
and falling asleep in each other’s arms was everything he could have ever asked for.
“Larry! What are you spacing out for? Dinner’s ready!” Delilah called out from the dining room.
“Coming!”
“Dad, you’ve been really busy these days. Here, have more meat.” Lucius placed a piece of meat in
Larry’s bowl.
Looking at that piece of meat, Larry’s heart melted.
Chapter 2437
Both Joan and Delilah smiled at that sight too. Lucius is all grown up!
“Lucius, why are you so bias? Where’s my meat?” Joan pouted childishly.
“Of course I didn’t forget about your share, Mom! Dad just happened to be sitting closest to me, that’s
all. Here you go!” Lucius proceeded to place a piece of meat in both Joan and Delilah’s bowls.
His little gesture lit up the room, making their mealtime feel like a return to the blissful and happy times
of before.
The next day, the warm morning sun rays shone through the window and drew a diagonal line across
Joan’s face. She stretched while slowly peeling her eyes open. The nice weather had her in smiles.
Just as she turned to hug Larry, she was met with an empty bed. He had already left for work.
That was early. Joan pursed her lips in displeasure.
Back at Norton Corporation, Keith paid a visit to Larry. “Mr. Norton, aren’t you making a big deal out of
this matter? I didn’t even do much to Joan.”
His words ticked Larry. Is he saying he could have done things that were much worse to Joan? He
continued reading his newspaper. If there was one thing he hated, it was people who challenged his
limits.
“Mr. Owens, you should leave. The deed is done, and I have nothing left to discuss with you. Besides,
you should know best about the truth,” uttered Larry.
This brat! How dare he threaten me! Keith gritted his teeth in an attempt to hold back his rage.
“Mr. Norton, we’ve already worked together for so many years. We can’t just stop so abruptly.”
Larry wanted to throw the words back at him. Since he know that we had worked together for so many
years, why would he still dare to touch my woman, then? He snorted.
“Send our guest off!” Larry called out to his assistant.
Infuriated by his unbudging attitude, Keith glared ominously at him.
Right then, Caspian came in to diffuse the tension. “Larry, since Mr. Owen already made the first move,
why don’t we just talk this out and…”
“Shut up and get out!” Larry cut him off.
Caspian hesitated for a few moments before leaving the room, feeling aggrieved.
Just like that, Norton Corporation no longer had any ties with the Owens family. Larry was determined
to see this through to the end. In the future, there would be no need for him to hold back on Caiden if
he ever harassed Joan again.
Back in the office, Jaden paid Caiden a visit. “Have you really given up on Joan?” he asked dubiously.
Jaden was still in disbelief at the fact that not only did Caiden returned to the Owens family, but he had
also given up on Joan.
“What are you implying?”
“Nothing. Just curious, that’s all!” Based on Jaden’s understanding of Caiden, the latter did not seem
like the type to give up that easily. Furthermore, Caiden had been in love with her for so many years.
“I only see her as a friend now,” Caiden muttered. Now that is a 180-degree change in his attitude,
thought Jaden upon hearing that.
“Right. That’s that then. Well, now that you’ve inherited your dad’s company, just focus on your work.”
With that, Jaden left his office.
Now that Caiden was alone, he got up from his seat and went to sit on the couch. He rubbed on his
temples methodically. Deep down, he was actually still very much in love with Joan but the latter simply
did not have the same feelings for him. Perhaps staying as friends was the best option for both of them.
“Caiden!” The familiar voice worsened his headache.
“What are you doing here? Leave now.” Caiden was sick and tired of seeing the woman everywhere.
Chapter 2438
“Aww, don’t be like that, Caiden. After all, I’m going to work here in the future,” Noelle said kittenishly.
Hearing that, Caiden felt his blood ran cold.
Is she kidding me? This is the Owens family’s company. What can she do here?
“Since you’re here for work, why can’t I be here?” she asked while pursing her lips.
Well, she’s right in that no one can stop her from coming here. But why must she come here without
giving me a heads-up first? A cold glint flashed within Caiden’s eyes.
This is too much! Noelle works here but didn’t tell me about it in advance!
“What’s wrong? Are you not happy to see me here?” she suddenly asked.
Do I have to state the obvious? When was I ever happy to see her? How could she be so delusional?
“Noelle, why are you here? Get on with your work, and don’t mess around. It won’t be good if other
employees see it,” Jaden came up to and reminded her.
“Alright. Caiden, I’ll get going then!” With that, Noelle left the office.
Caiden stood still as he stared at Jaden coldly with his piercingly sharp eyes. Knowing that Caiden was
angry, Jaden decided not to explain it.
“These are all the documents you need. Please take a look.” He turned around and left as soon as he
finished.
“Why is Noelle here?” Caiden got straight to the point.
Noelle has been pestering me for a long time. I don’t want her to continue messing with me for the rest
of my life!
“Your mom asked her to come work here. She said Noelle is meticulous enough to deal with some
administrative work,” Jaden replied.
How on earth is she meticulous? She had the personality of an obnoxious shrew. Why would Mom ever
think that she’s an elegant lady? What a joke!
“I know that you aren’t fond of her, but she’s actually serious at work,” Jaden explained.
Fine. I’ll let it pass. Since she’s your sister, you’ll surely protect her, thought Caiden.
“Why are you leaving again? I don’t want to see you leave.” In the room, Joan hugged Larry tightly and
refused to let go.
“I came back this time for you. Now that our problems are solved, I have to go deal with other matters,”
Larry answered while stroking her hair.
He had gone abroad last time because Mr. Lancaster, an overseas manufacturer who partnered with
Larry’s company, was framed. However, he immediately stopped his work and came back right after
receiving Jessica’s call.
“In that case, take care of yourself. Also, don’t look at the beautiful ladies there,” Joan said softly while
putting on a necktie for Larry.
“When did I ever look at other beautiful ladies? Rest assured that there’ll be only one woman in my life
— you.”
Hearing that, Joan was elated and touched.
She loved him more than life itself, and so did he.
“Alright, I have to leave now. Stay at home and take care of Lucius, Delilah, and yourself. Call me
whenever you have a problem,” Larry said and patted her shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of them.”
Larry eventually left. Same as last time, Larry made the arrangement of leaving Caspian in the country
to protect Joan and the rest.
“Larry, are you sure you don’t need me to go with you?” Caspian asked while carrying Larry’s briefcase.
“I need you to stay here to take care of their safety. Be mindful of any possible dangers no matter if
they are at home or in the office,” Larry said in a hurry.
“Larry, why don’t you let me go with you? There must be something that I can do to help you,” Jessica
suddenly said.
However, Caspian was reluctant to see her leave. Since when has she become so kind-hearted?
Caspian peered at the woman but said nothing.
“I won’t mind that at all but I’m worried that someone will be pissed off if I take you with me.” Larry
glanced at Caspian as he spoke.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry. I can go with you as long as Joan is okay with it,” Jessica replied.
Chapter 2439
Men should be more magnanimous than women. Jessica flashed a smile at Caspian. She believed that
Caspian wouldn’t have a bee in his bonnet about her leaving.
However, she overlooked the fact that men could be jealous too.
“No, it’s okay. Just stay here and don’t go abroad. It’ll be troublesome if I have to take care of you over
there,” Larry said.
“Larry, aren’t you looking down on me a little too much? I just wanted to be of help! Forget it. I don’t
want to talk to you anymore,” Jessica replied disgruntledly.
Her cuteness made Caspian grinned.
“Alright, stop flirting with each other. I’m not a three-year-old kid, you know…” Larry complained.
Caspian scratched his head awkwardly. On the other hand, a bright red blush bloomed across
Jessica’s cheeks.
After Larry board the plane, only Jessica and Caspian were left.
“Let’s go,” she said loudly and pretended to look relaxed.
“Jessica, have you made up your mind?” Caspian suddenly asked from behind.
Upon hearing the question, Jessica stopped in her tracks and became nervous.
“What do you mean?” she deliberately asked, her body was stiff, and she felt as if she couldn’t move
an inch.
“How long do you want me to wait? A year? Two years? The rest of my life?”
Jessica was at a loss for words, for she didn’t expect Caspian to say such things all of a sudden.
Although she loved him, she couldn’t choose to be with him now.
“Caspian, can we not dwell on this? I’m tired and want to go home to get some rest.” With that, Jessica
turned to leave.
“Jessica, how long are you going to dodge this? I’m sure that you’re aware that I’m waiting for you.
Besides, you’re fond of me, too, don’t you?” Caspian raised his voice.
So? Does he want me to just be together with him immediately? That’s impossible! I have so many
things to do, including developing my career!
“Jessica, can you not bury your head in the sand? Since we both love each other, why can’t we be
together?” As Caspian spoke, he pulled her into his arms and gazed at her affectionately.
Is he getting impatient because he has been waiting for too long? After a while, Jessica slowly raised
her head and gazed at him apologetically.
“Caspian, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. But…” Jessica faltered.
I have to devote my time to my career!
“I understand that you wish to develop your career, and I would never stop you from doing it. In fact, I
can wait for you. However, can you please stop pushing me away?” Caspian said affectionately.
His words moved her.
Standing in the airport, the couple looked happy as they embraced each other.
“Caspian, I’ve heard that you’re dating Jessica now?” Nancy was gossiping about it excitedly in the
living room.
Although their relationship was over a long time ago, deep down, Nancy still felt guilty toward him. Back
then, she hurt him because of her capriciousness. Now that he had finally found his true love, it was
only natural that she would be happy for him.
“Who did you hear this from? Don’t talk nonsense,” Caspian replied.
“Come on, why don’t you admit it? I mean, Jessica has admitted it, so why are you still hesitating to tell
me?” Nancy teased him.
In actuality, she only intended to sound Caspian out, for she hadn’t seen Jessica for quite some time.
“Is that true? Did Jessica really tell you that we’re dating?” Caspian came up to Nancy and asked
cautiously with a hopeful expression.
Nonetheless, he still had his doubts. Even though Larry and Joan could see that they were in love,
Jessica had told him to keep it a secret.
“Well, judging from your facial expression, it appears that you guys are really together,” Nancy giggled
suddenly.
Chapter 2440
She tricked me! Caspian shook his head and heaved a sigh.
She’s always so mischievous and loves gossip.
“Stop laughing at me. Anyway, for now, we’re just going with the flow,” he said.
What do you mean by going with the flow? That is just an excuse! Nancy glanced at him but didn’t
speak.
She believed that Caspian and Jessica would end up together.
“What are you chatting about? You guys look happy,” Joan asked as she approached them with a smile
on her face.
“Joan, Caspian has some news to share,” Nancy blurted.
“That’s enough. Why do you love to gossip so much? I mean, you’re already a mom now, yet you still
like to tittle-tattle,” Caspian murmured.
“Caspian, that’s where you’re wrong. Any news about you is important news!” Joan interrupted.
“Yes, it is. After all, Caspian is important to all of us, particularly when it comes to his marriage.”
As the two women took turns to tease him, Caspian felt rather awkward.
Since Jory went to his company, the only people left in the villa was them and the kid.
“Hey, lower your voice. The kid is still sleeping,” Caspian reminded.
“Don’t worry. My daughter is a good girl and always sleeps soundly.”
With that, the two women continued to grill Caspian for more details with no intention of letting him go.
All women are the same! Regardless of their age, they still love gossiping about others.
“So, tell us what happened that made your relationship took off so fast?” Joan got straight to the point.
“Not much, actually,” Caspian murmured.
The next moment, the two women burst into laughter.
They were only trying to sound Caspian out but were surprised that he fell for it so easily.
“Hear that, Joan? As I said, he has some good news but doesn’t want to share it with us. How can he
be so petty, am I right?” Nancy dissed.
As Joan looked at Caspian, her lips curled into a smirk while a glint flashed across her eyes.
“Let me be the one to share the news, then!” Suddenly, Jessica walked over to them slowly.
Shocked to see her here, Caspian immediately stood up to welcome her.
“Why are you here?” he whispered.
“I asked her to come,” Nancy interjected.
Jessica swept her gaze around her surroundings before sitting down beside Joan, looking composed
as though nothing happened just now.
“Alright. It’s time to spill it, then!” Joan said as she gave Jessica a nudge.
“Why do I have to state the obvious? As you can see, we’re together now. However, we’re keeping our
relationship a secret for now,” Jessica answered bluntly.
Caspian couldn’t help but feel excited upon hearing her words. She finally admits to it!
“So, when will you guys make it public?” Nancy asked.
“We’ll make it public once I have a stable career. As of now, the time isn’t ripe yet,” Jessica replied.
Joan and Nancy were aware that Jessica was a career-focused woman. They understood how the
latter had to rely on herself to be successful since her parents had passed away while her relatives
avoided her.
“Okay. Caspian, you mustn’t bully Jessica, you hear? Apart from that, no matter at home or work, you
must help her and bear the responsibilities of a man!” Nancy decided to give Caspian some gentle
reminders.
She admired Jessica’s personality and treated Jessica as her true friend. As such, she wouldn’t allow
anyone to bully or make things difficult for Jessica.
“Nancy, what are you talking about? I’ll certainly take care of my girlfriend, you don’t have to be worried
about her,” Caspian answered, his gaze determined as he pulled Jessica into his arms.