Ch. 2651..2660

Chapter 2651

Leave Now

Jessica was clutching at Jasper, trying to take his clothes off.

“Hurry, leave now!” Caspian picked Jessica up and told Jasper hastily.

“Shut the door behind you!” he added.

Jasper jumped up and straightened his clothes while panting heavily. It was time for him to leave.

Before he stepped out, he didn’t forget to close the door behind him.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Caspian were back in their room. The former was whining, “Hug me” as she

climbed onto his back.

“You want a hug, huh? I’ll satisfy you today!” Caspian announced and tossed her onto the bed before

pinning her underneath his body.

Sunlight poured in through the gaps between the curtains and filled the room with warmth the very next

morning.

Jessica yawned in her bed and slowly opened her eyes.

“Ugh…”

She grimaced at the pain coursing through her body.

What happened? Did something happen last night? When she rolled over to see Caspian right next to

her, her lips parted in surprise.

“Ah!” she let out an ear-splitting scream.

“Why are you screaming?”

Caspian pulled her into his embrace.

“Get off me! What did you do to me?” Jessica struggled out of Caspian’s arms and demanded furiously.

“What else? Something we should do, of course,” came Caspian’s nonchalant reply.

“Scum!”

Jessica was about to throw her pillow at him when the pain intensified, causing her to double over with

agony.

“Does it hurt? Let me give you a massage.” Caspian’s entire body weight came crashing down on her.

“Scoundrel, get off me!” Jessica gave him a kick that sent him rolling off the bed.

In the hospital, Della was wide awake and scrolling through her tablet.

“You’ve just woken up. Stop working and eat something,” said Larry as he handed her breakfast to her.

“No. Work is more important than breakfast,” replied Della without looking up.

She was a workaholic.

Seeing how hard she was at work, Larry’s gaze darkened.

“Won’t you go home?” Suddenly, Della turned around and gazed at him.

Larry returned almost immediately. “Why would I go home?”

“To see Joan,” Della answered on purpose.

“It’s fine,” said Larry. “I’ve already informed her.”

Oh, I see.

Right. Without Joan’s approval, he wouldn’t have stayed to accompany me, right? Misery flitted across

Della’s eyes.

“But I need to head back and change my clothes,” Larry announced as he rose to his feet.

“Caspian will be here shortly.”

Della nodded. “Alright.”

He is going home to Joan.

“Larry!”

Shortly after, Caspian arrived with Jessica in tow. The latter seemed strangely upset to be here.

“Oh, you’re hurt,” she crossed her arms and mocked.

It was clear how much Jessica despised Della.

“Jessica, be nice!” Larry berated.

“Alright.”

They chatted briefly before Larry left.

Della might be in the hospital, but she was still working nonstop.

When Caspian left to refill the water jug, Jessica and Della were left alone in the ward.

“Ms. Duff, what do you want?” Jessica cut to the chase without wasting time.

“Nothing,” Della replied curtly without even sparing a glance at her.

Suddenly, Jessica burst out. “Are you ignoring me? Larry belongs to Joan. Stay away from him!”

Huh? Is she crazy? I don’t have time for that right now.

“No, I didn’t,” she retorted.

Jessica refused to back down. “You’re the only one who knows the answer to that.”

 

Chapter 2652

Stop Arguing

What a stubborn woman. Della glanced at her briefly before resuming her work.

To her, it was perfectly alright for her to pursue Larry as he hadn’t remarried Joan yet.

“What are you arguing about again?” Caspian chided as he walked in. “Jessica, can you stop picking

on Ms. Duff? She has just regained consciousness.”

“No!” Jessica spun on her heels bellowed without hesitation.

Scum, did he just side with an outsider? Jessica glared at him as fury overcame her.

Caspian belatedly realized she was upset after seeing her face contorted in anger.

“Alright, alright. You’re right.” Caspian dashed over to her and gave her a comforting hug before

pressing a gentle kiss on her hair.

Of course, Della ignored their entire exchange.

She worked for quite a while before she shut her tablet and closed her eyes to rest.

It was still early when Larry rushed back home so he could get to see Joan.

“Why are you back so early?” Delilah greeted him with a yawn.

“To change clothes.” Larry scurried into his bedroom after saying that.

Alas, Joan was nowhere to be seen.

“Ms. Young, where is Joan?” he changed his clothes and asked.

“Mm?” Delilah seemed confused. “She came back last night.”

She added, “Oh, she must’ve left early this morning.”

Larry glanced at his watch. It was barely 7 a.m. yet, and the weather was chilly. Why did Joan go to

work this early?

He walked out of the living room hastily. “Goodbye!”

“Hey, you haven’t had your breakfast!” Delilah shouted behind him.

“I’m not eating!”

Larry drove straight to the photography studio.

For some reason, he missed Joan so much and couldn’t wait to see her right now.

Unfortunately, what he saw next got him stunned.

“Joan, have you made up your mind?” Jake queried coolly.

“Mm, I did,” came Joan’s curt reply.

Jake pressed on. “So?”

Joan answered determinedly. “It’s a no.”

Very well. How dare she reject me! Women would line up to gain my attention, but she rejected me

though her decision might affect Norton Corporation’s survival.

“Are you sure?” Jake urged.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Joan answered in all seriousness.

Jake was about to leave when he saw Larry’s reflection through the mirror in front of him.

Immediately, he changed his mind. “Joan!” he shouted.

Flashing an evil smirk, he flung his arms around Joan and pulled her into his arms.

From afar, Larry’s rage pounded in him like a drumbeat at the sight that greeted him.

“Jake Wilson! What are you doing? Get your hands off me!” Joan demanded as she tried to pry his

hands off her.

“Don’t you know what I’m doing?” Jake whispered next to her ear. “Let me tell you. You will never get

rid of me!”

Is he crazy! Faye had just passed on!

“Jake, Faye won’t forgive you if she finds out what you’ve been doing!”

“Faye? She’s dead because of you!” Jake returned icily.

Joan immediately stopped struggling at his remark. She felt helpless for he was right.

Seeing her reaction, Larry’s temper heightened as he stalked away without even looking back.

Jake watched Larry stormed away before he released Joan.

“Why? Are you upset? You deserve it!” With that, he spun on his heels and sauntered away.

Joan had no idea what happened. As Faye’s death surfaced in her mind, she stood rooted to the spot

blankly.

Spotting her still rooted to the spot, Abigail hurried over. “Joan, are you alright?”

 

Chapter 2653

Gossip

“Joan, hello?” Abigail shook her arm forcefully as she tried to bring Joan back to her senses.

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Finally, Joan snapped back to reality.

“Are you alright?” Abigail’s gaze shone with concern.

“Oh, I’m fine. Time to get to work,” said Joan as she marched into the building.

A few employees had seen the earlier scene and were gossiping about Joan and Jake.

“Hey, what do you think of them? I thought Jake loved Faye. Why did he suddenly change his target to

Joan?”

“Men are heartless.”

The employees began gossiping nonstop in the pantry, causing Abigail to simmer in displeasure.

She went to Joan’s office at once and greeted her, “Joan.”

“What is it?” Joan answered.

“Oh, I just want to know about your relationship with Jake,” Abigail lowered her gaze and probed

carefully.

She knew she shouldn’t be asking about her superior’s private life, but some things had to be said.

“There’s nothing between us,” came Joan’s terse reply.

“Nothing? We saw you hugging Jake today!” Abigail revealed. “Joan, Jake is Faye’s boyfriend. She’s

no longer alive, but you can’t…” she trailed off hesitantly.

Joan met her gaze. “Abigail,” she spoke sternly.

Joan instinctively backed away at Joan’s intimidating aura. She could no longer bring herself to meet

Joan’s gaze.

“There’s nothing between me and Jake. Faye’s a friend of mine, so I won’t betray her,” Joan gave her

word.

It was nothing but a show orchestrated by Jake. Joan sighed as sorrow flashed across her gaze.

“Alright. I’ll go back to work, then.”

In the meantime, Larry was interrogating the kidnappers. “Who paid you to do this?” he demanded.

“No one,” the leader answered.

What a joke. Who gave them the courage to kidnap Della? Besides, money wasn’t the only thing they

were after.

“You’d better tell the truth. Otherwise, I won’t show any mercy. I, Larry Norton, am a man of my word!”

Larry announced with a terrorizing glare.

“Boss, we should tell him the truth. I’m still young and I don’t want to die. I can’t leave my mom and my

grandma alone,” the other kidnapper protested.

The leader immediately interjected, “Shut up!”

“If he doesn’t want to say anything, you can do it in his stead,” Larry told the young man.

“Mr. Norton, I have no idea!” the young man immediately burst out wailing. “It was our boss who

contacted the person who hired us. We haven’t met him in person!”

“Good. Release them,” announced Larry as he gestured his bodyguard to untie the other two.

“I’m not that unreasonable. Since you have no knowledge of the culprit, you can leave. Remember,

don’t repeat your mistake again,” Larry declared.

The two other kidnappers hurriedly thanked Larry and stumbled out of the room.

With them gone, Larry and the leader were the only ones left in the room. An awkward silence hung in

the air. Larry knew the leader wouldn’t reveal the truth easily as he seemed really experienced.

Without warning, Larry smirked and lit up a cigarette. He strolled to the window and squinted his eyes

at the view outside.

“The weather’s nice today,” he puffed and remarked coolly.

The leader, who was on his knees, ignored Larry’s comment.

“You have one hour to consider my offer. If you still hadn’t changed your mind by then, just wait and

see what I have in store for you.” Larry turned and left him alone instantly.

 

Chapter 2654

Stubborn

What is he planning to do? The leader stared at Larry’s retreating figure, utterly puzzled.

Previously, Jake had reminded the leader not to rat him out no matter what or risk facing severe

consequences.

Compared to Jake, Larry was clearly a reasonable man. The leading kidnapper was sure that Larry

wouldn’t punish other innocent people, especially his family. Yet, he couldn’t say the same for Jake.

One hour passed in a blink of an eye.

Slam!

“Have you made up your mind?” Larry strode in and took a seat in front of the man before slamming

the table forcefully.

“It was all my plan. I didn’t receive orders from anyone,” the leader declared.

He’s seriously headstrong. Larry stared at the man as his irritation flared up.

“Did the culprit threaten you?” Larry asked.

The leader’s eyes lit up at once.

“If you tell me everything, I’ll send you and your family overseas. You’ll be safe,” Larry promised.

That won’t do. Jake can find me wherever I go.

“Mr. Norton, just kill me!” he hollered.

Right then, Larry’s phone on the table started ringing.

After glancing at the caller’s ID, Larry grabbed his phone and headed out.

“What’s wrong?” he answered and inquired.

“Larry, come back here. I can’t handle it anymore,” Caspian pleaded. “Jessica and Della are fighting!”

“Alright. I’ll be right there!” Larry hung up and dashed out.

The hospital was crowded with doctors and nurses tending to their patients as usual.

“Della, you’re nothing but a b*tch! You won’t stay away from Larry, huh? Are you that dry?” Jessica was

yelling at the woman lying in bed.

Della retorted loudly, “How many times I need to say that I did nothing of that sort!”

“Don’t you know I can see right through you? Stop trying to lie to us…”

The women were involved in a heated argument in the ward while Caspian watched on in frustration.

“Enough!” he hollered in an attempt to stop them.

“Are you done? Why are you fighting over a man? This all boils down to Larry’s choice!”

Caspian was right, for it was up to Larry to make a decision.

At that thought, Della pulled her covers up.

Larry soon arrived. “Why are you arguing? I could hear your voices from miles away!” he huffed angrily.

“No, we were just discussing. Why would we fight?” Jessica told an outright lie.

On the bed, Della shot Jessica an exasperated look before turning away and closed her eyes.

“Jessica, go back to your bookstore instead of kicking up a fuss here,” Larry told Jessica as he tried to

bring her out of the ward.

“Hey, Larry. Who said I’m kicking up a fuss? I need to make things clear,” Jessica insisted.

Ugh, she’s so annoying. She can’t even take a joke. Larry glowered at her irritatedly.

“Alright, I won’t trouble you. I’ll leave now,” Jessica grumbled and stormed away.

Caspian glanced at Larry before looking at Jessica stalking out. After a brief hesitation, he chose to go

after Jessica.

“Jessica’s still young. Please forgive her ignorance,” said Larry as he sat down.

She’s young and ignorant? Della scoffed silently but said nothing.

“The kidnappers hadn’t revealed who paid them to kidnap you. What do you think of this?”

 

Chapter 2655

Did You Offend Anyone

Della’s eyes snapped open.

Yes, I’ve just returned to the country. Why would anyone kidnap me without reason? The thought made

her increasingly confused.

“I don’t know,” she finally replied helplessly.

Something told Della that it was related to Larry.

“Did you offend anyone recently?” Larry questioned.

“No,” Della responded. “Except for that Jessica Zimmer.”

Of course, there was no way Jessica would resort to kidnap her.

“Larry, what about you? Did you offend anyone recently?” Della threw the question back to Larry

solemnly.

Larry was slightly taken aback by her sudden question, but he shook his head honestly.

None of them knew it was Joan who had offended the culprit!

“Alright, stop thinking about it. I’ll get to the bottom of this.” Larry stood up to leave.

“I’ll be back this afternoon after I finish work.”

“Where is he?” Larry demanded.

“Larry, I beat him up, so he’s in the hospital,” Jasper replied in an apologetic tone.

Damn it. How could he act that recklessly? Larry swiftly made his way out.

Meanwhile, the leader was trying to escape from his ward.

“Sir, you can’t leave. I need to attend to your wounds,” the nurse was saying as she attended to his

wounds.

“Move out of my way! I’m not that weak!” He pushed the nurse and limped out.

Once he stepped out of the hospital, his young accomplices shouted, “Boss! Here!”

The leader trudged slowly toward their car and entered it. They immediately drove away.

By the time Larry and Jasper arrived at the hospital, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he?” Jasper took hold of a nurse and demanded viciously.

The nurse flinched before answering, “He left a while ago.”

“Where did he go? Didn’t I tell you to watch him carefully?”

The nurse looked down fearfully. “He insisted on leaving, and I couldn’t stop him.”

Larry glanced at the both of them as he slapped his head, trying to clear his mind.

Why did I hire such a foolish bodyguard?

“Larry, trust me. I didn’t do it on purpose. I was too upset and couldn’t control myself,” Jasper tried to

justify his actions.

Larry merely responded icily, “From today onward, you’re not allowed to take any action without my

order. I will not repeat this again.” He then stalked away without looking back.

Sadness clouded Jasper’s features as he watched Larry walking away.

On the other hand, the kidnappers’ leader headed straight to M Group after his successful escape.

“Mr. Wilson, I did what you told me to. Although I didn’t succeed, at least I held on and refused to tell

them who was behind this. You gave me your word, right?” he spoke cautiously.

Jake swiveled around in his chair and answered, “Of course. Here are plane tickets for you and your

family to leave the country tomorrow. If possible, don’t ever come back!” There was a hint of resolution

in his voice.

“Alright. Thank you, Mr. Wilson.” The leader left right after that.

Staring at the plane tickets in his hand, he couldn’t stop tears from streaming down his cheeks.

It isn’t easy to make a living. Sighing, he walked away.

Jake remained in his office. He stared at the sky, seemingly deep in thought.

Joan, how long will you take? He sipped on his tea as a flicker of expectation appeared in his gaze.

The photography studio was bustling as usual. Everyone was busy with their own tasks.

“Joan, let’s go have lunch together,” Abigail came and extended an invitation to Joan.

“No need. I’ve already ordered some food. You can go ahead,” Joan massaged her temples and

replied.

“Do you feel unwell?” Seeing her weary action, Abigail rushed to her desk and inquired, her voice full of

concern, “Do you want to go to the hospital for a checkup?”

 

Chapter 2656

Chapter 2656

Exhausted

After Faye’s demise, Joan refused to hire another assistant. Hence, Abigail would always come and

check on her out of concern.

Abigail might be playful, but she was undeniably a meticulous and thoughtful young girl.

“I’m fine,” Joan assured her. “I just need to get some rest.”

Seeing Joan in such an exhausted state broke Abigail’s heart. After her suggestion of hiring another

assistant was rejected by Joan, she dared not bring it up again.

“Okay, it’s time to get off work. You should go. Don’t worry, I’m alright.” Joan waved goodbye to Abigail.

Slowly, Abigail walked out of her office.

Joan leaned back on the couch and shut her eyes to rest.

She had lost her appetite for Jake’s matter was troubling her.

Her phone started ringing, but she wasn’t planning on answering it.

It kept ringing for a while, so Joan picked up her phone and put it on the speakerphone out of

frustration.

“Joan, how dare you refuse to pick up my call?” Jake’s voice rang out clearly.

“I’m talking to you now, right?” came Joan’s weak reply.

“Let’s have dinner together tonight,” Jake announced.

“I don’t have time. I need to go home.” Joan was about to hang up.

“I’ll pick you up at home, then.”

Suddenly, Joan lost her patience. “Jake!” she shouted out of the blue.

“What’s wrong?” Jake’s excited voice sounded over the line. “Quiet down. You have to be reserved.”

“Don’t go overboard,” Joan said in a trembling voice.

Ha! How ridiculous.

If Joan was obedient enough to spend a night with him, Jake would consider letting her off, but she was

too stubborn to go along with his wishes. Jake scoffed and answered, “What did I do?”

“You…”

Joan was momentarily lost for words.

She couldn’t figure out what Jake wanted from her. He was in love with Faye but was now after her.

She couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever loved Faye.

“Well, I’ll pick you up later,” Jake announced and hung up without waiting for her reply.

He has definitely lost his mind! Joan threw her phone on the coach in exasperation.

Indeed, Jake’s car arrived at the entrance of the photography studio when it was time for her to get off

work.

“Come down. I’m waiting at the entrance,” Jake called to inform her of his arrival.

“I’m busy. I need to work overtime tonight,” Joan replied coolly and cut the line.

Oh? Is she playing hard to get? Jake flashed a sly smile and got off his car.

“Hey, why is he here?”

“I don’t know. Is he here for Joan?”

“Damn, seriously? Did he fall for someone else this quick?”

In the lobby, a few employees who had got off work started gossiping excitedly.

Thump!

Someone suddenly flung the door to Joan’s office open rudely.

Joan knew who it was, so she didn’t look up and continued working.

“Oh, you’re quite busy,” Jake commented as he strode over to her.

“Mm,” came Joan’s distracted reply.

She hurriedly added, “I don’t have time to have dinner with you, so you should leave now.”

“It’s fine. I can wait for you,” Jake replied, seemingly unfazed.

That was the final straw for her. “Jake, I’m Joan, not Faye!” Joan stood up and bellowed in frustration.

Oh? She’s already mad? How impatient of her. Jake scanned his surroundings and shot her a

disdainful look before looking at his phone.

“I know that,” he answered calmly, choosing to ignore Joan’s outburst.

 

Chapter 2657

If I Disappear

“If I disappear from your sight, will you stop bothering me?” Joan asked out of the blue.

Her question caught Jake by surprise. He did not anticipate that question of hers.

“No,” he answered resolutely.

Jake himself was confused. Did I cling to Joan to take revenge? Or do I love her?

No, I love Faye!

He shook his head and berated himself to get a grip.

“Joan Watts, you will never escape from my clutches!” he proclaimed loudly.

Never? Joan shot him a dirty look.

How long is forever? A car accident can end everything in an instant.

“Jake, I hope you can reflect on your actions. You used to act differently back then. If you continue to

bother me, I have no idea how to continue with my life,” Joan tried to convince him as conflict flashed

across her eyes.

What does she mean? She has no idea how to continue with her life? Am I that scary?

“Don’t try to scare me, Joan. Whether you live or die is none of my business,” Jake sneered.

Jake has changed. He doesn’t even care if I die now.

Good. Let it be, then.

“Okay, we can have dinner together. Remember, this is the last time.” Joan then grabbed her bag and

left ahead of him.

Jake didn’t know what she meant by “the last time”, nor did he try to figure out what it meant.

They went to a restaurant to have dinner. Inside the restaurant, the lighting was subtle, the music

mellow, and the heady scent of roses lingered in the air. It was a lovely sight, but all Joan felt was

annoyance.

It’s the last meal. She told herself. Just bear with it!

“Here, Jake. Cheers!” She lifted her wineglass and gulped it down without waiting for his reply.

Jake was a little surprised as she took the first move.

So she was just pretending in her office earlier! An impish smile broke across Jake’s face.

“Jake, I need to apologize to you. It was my fault that your loved one is dead, and I’m sorry for that. I

also need to thank you for your help…”

Joan was tipsy by now.

Hearing her mumbles, confusion tinged Jake’s features. He didn’t know why Joan would say that out of

a sudden. Her words caused his heart to constrict uneasily.

“Joan, tell me. Where are you going?” he tried to sound her out.

“Home, where else?” Joan bared her teeth.

He pressed on, “Then why did you say those words?”

Joan frowned for a second before her features gradually softened.

“What did I say? I forgot,” she answered while sipping on her glass.

Did she reveal her innermost thoughts as she was drunk? Jake studied her doubtfully.

In the end, they both got drunk and sprawled on the table, unconscious.

Jake wanted to get Joan drunk and bring her to a hotel room so he could lie that they had sex.

Hopefully, Joan and Larry’s relationship would be affected. Yet, he managed to drink himself into a

drunken stupor.

The restaurant they were in was opened throughout the night, and Jake was a frequent customer, so

even though they fell asleep, no one came to wake them up.

The next morning, sunlight poured through the window and shone on their faces.

Slap!

Joan gave Jake a tight slap.

“Who is it?” Jake’s eyes snapped open as he glanced around warily.

Chapter 2658

He Has Gone On A Business Trip

But he realized that it was Joan who was sitting across from him.

Currently, Joan had her head on one of her arms, sleeping soundly at the table.

Seeing her lying quietly in front of him, Jake could not help but to lower his head and scrutinize her

dainty face.

Actually, Joan is a rather beautiful woman herself, even prettier than Faye. But why did she not accept

me to be her boyfriend? In fact, I’m just as outstanding as Larry. I’m good-looking, physically fit,

powerful, and have a strong family background as well. Why does she choose to be with him instead of

me? As he pondered away, he subconsciously extended his hand and wrapped his fingers around hers

tightly.

“Uh…” Feeling his tight grip, Joan frowned in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes.

When he saw her about to wake up, he immediately retracted his hand and pretended as if nothing had

happened.

“You’re awake,” he greeted with a smile.

She stared at him groggily for a moment and rubbed her eyes. “Where is this?”

We’re at a restaurant, of course.

He shook his head in amusement and took his coat hanging at the side, saying, “We should go. I’ll

send you home.”

Wait, that doesn’t sound right. Why should I send her home?

He was stunned for a second before turning around and realizing that even Joan was weirded out by

his statement, too.

Before he could say anything, she waved her hands hastily and said, “Uhm… It’s okay. I can go home

on my own.”

“Okay then. Stay safe.” With that, he turned on his heel and left in a huff.

What happened to me? Why did I care about her all of a sudden? I’m supposed to hate her and take

revenge on her!

As he stepped out of the restaurant, Joan watched his back and grinned at his strange behavior.

Ding, ding, ding…

Just then, her phone rang and vibrated on the table, taking her by surprise.

As soon as she picked up the call, Delilah’s voice boomed over the phone. “Joan, where on earth are

you?”

Oh no, she’s angry!

Joan turned alert in an instant and replied softly, “Ms. Young, I was working overtime last night,” she

answered softly.

“What for? Larry even went to the photography studio to find you, but apparently, you were not there.”

Crap! Has he misunderstood what is going on?

Worried, Joan cut to the chase, “Ms. Young, is Larry home now?”

“Nope. He’s gone to the office. Hurry up and go to Norton Corporation to explain yourself,” Delilah

advised before hanging up the call.

Dared not to waste a second longer, she grabbed her things and dashed out of the restaurant, heading

towards her car.

Seeing her leaving, one of the servers whispered, “Hey, why didn’t they leave together? How strange.”

“I don’t know, but that woman seems familiar to me. I feel like I’d seen her somewhere before. Hmm,”

his colleague replied.

Joan’s eyes were filled with trepidation throughout the whole ride.

Unfortunately, it happened to be the rush hour at the moment, so she was caught in the traffic jam,

making her even more agitated.

Seeing that she would not be able to get there anytime soon, she quickly scrolled through her list of

contacts and gave Larry a call.

However, she was greeted with an intercept message. “Sorry but the number you have dialed cannot

be reached…”

Sighing, she chucked her phone into her bag and proceeded to weave through the traffic to get there

as soon as possible. Half an hour later, Joan finally reached the entrance of Norton Corporation.

As soon as she barged through the door, she called, “Larry!”

Everyone around immediately turned and looked at her dubiously. Smiling apologetically at them, she

was about to head over to Larry’s office when she saw Caspian running towards her.

“Joan, what’s the matter? Why are you so anxious?” he asked concernedly.

I shook my head in response. “Ah, it’s nothing. By the way, do you know where Larry is?”

“He’s gone on a business trip. Did he not tell you?”

Huh, when did this happen? Joan was dumbstruck.

Suddenly, Jessica came running to them and called out, “Joan!”

“Hi, Jessica.” She waved at her and smiled amicably.

Looking around, she turned to Caspian and asked, “Where is Larry?”

“He’s gone out of town for a business trip.” He scratched his head and darted a glance towards both of

them, wondering why they asked him the same question.

What? He’s gone for a business trip, too? Jessica eyed Larry’s office in displeasure. When she went to

the hospital just now, the nurse also told me that Della had been discharged and had gone on a

business trip.

How could it be so coincidental? The two of them might have gone on the same business trip together.

With such thought in mind, she pulled Caspian by the ear and dragged him to the side. “Caspian, come

here!”

 

Chapter 2659

Is It A Coincidence

“Ouch! Let go of my ear! Many people are watching us,” Caspian growled.

She released her grip on him and crossed her arm, looking at him skeptically. “Answer me honestly. Is

Larry business traveling with Della?”

Huh, how did she know about this? Caspian was quite surprised. “What are you trying to do?”

“Tell me already. Is it a yes or no?” Jessica spoke in a hushed tone.

Left with no choice, he told her the truth. “Yes!”

He could not bring himself to lie to the woman he loved.

Standing off to the side, Joan was startled by his loud “yes,” so she turned around and gazed

expectantly at Jessica. “What is it? Anything happened?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Joan, you must be tired…” Caspian hurriedly changed the topic, refusing to let her

know about what he had told Jessica.

Before he could finish his sentence, Jessica cut him off, shouting, “She’s not tired! Joan, I have to tell

you something. Larry is…”

However, Caspian immediately cupped his hand over her mouth and pulled her away from Joan.

“Jessica, be a good girl and go to the hospital now. You should hurry up!”

Huh, why does Jessica need to go to the hospital? Is she feeling unwell? She frowned in confusion as

their retreating figures disappeared from her sight.

Since Larry was not in the office, she swept a glance over the employees before heading to the

entrance on the ground floor.

It’s time to make the final decision. Joan strode toward her car with decisive steps and drove forward.

In a café, Caiden sat in the corner and looked around while he enjoyed his coffee. It looked as if he

was waiting for someone.

This was the first time Joan asked him out for a coffee, and it would be the last time as well.

“Hey, Caiden,” Joan greeted as she pushed the door in.

“You’re here.” He stood up and beamed at her excitedly.

Sitting down on the couch at the corner, an air of seriousness fell on them as they began their

discussion

“What did you say? Resign? Joan, are you sure about that?” Caiden could not help but raise his voice

upon hearing her statement.

Never did he expect that she invited him here just to bid goodbye.

“Yes, you didn’t hear me wrong. I want to quit,” Joan repeated.

What’s going on? Did anything happened? He looked at her in shock, unable to accept that she was

going to leave the studio. “Why do you want to resign? Give me a solid reason.”

She smiled and explained, “The photography studio is developing well, and that’s the outcome of the

hard work of the entire team, not just me alone. Besides, I’m quite tired and need some rest for a

while.”

She couldn’t find any other reasonable reason, so she could only give him a rather general answer.

“You’re tired?” He pondered for a while before saying a little too emotionally, “Well, I can give you some

time to rest. Is a month enough for you?”

“Caiden, calm down. I’m emotionally exhausted. Do you understand?” She sighed.

Actually, the only reason why she wanted to quit was to keep a distance from Jake.

She wanted to leave Jake, Larry, and this city. Perhaps, only then would Jake stop causing trouble to

Larry and hinder the development of Norton Corporation.

“Is this your final decision?” he asked.

She nodded in response. “Yeah, I’ve booked the ticket already.”

It seems like she’s determined to leave. Caiden lowered his head and sighed, dejected.

Besides his feelings for her, Joan was also extremely outstanding and capable at her work. It was a

miracle that a newly established photography studio could achieve the results they had now, and it was

mostly due to the effort she had poured into her work.

“Okay, I respect your decision,” he relented eventually.

What can he say other than this? Yes, I can’t deny the fact that I’m reluctant to let her go because I

love her, but at the same time, I can’t bear to see her suffer.

“Thank you,” Joan said with a smile and took a sip of her coffee.

Just like that, they said goodbye and parted ways.

By the time Joan arrived home, the sun had already set. She sat on the sofa in the living room and

waited for Delilah and Lucius to return home.

Chapter 2660

I Want To Take A Break

“Why didn’t you switch on the light?” Delilah asked, walking into the room.

Seeing that she was finally back home, Joan quickly stood up and welcomed her. “Oh, Ms. Young,

you’re back.”

“What’s wrong? Something got you in a bad mood?” Delilah asked kindly.

“Ms. Young, I have something important to tell you.” She held her hand and brought her into her room.

“What is it? Why are you so secretive.”

Five minutes later, Delilah held Joan’s hands tightly and rambled, “What did you say? Are you sure you

want to go overseas? Why do you want to go overseas? How about Larry? How about me? How about

Lucius? Joan, tell me the truth. Did something happened?”

Joan smiled and rubbed her arm. “Ms. Young, relax. I just want to have a break and enjoy life for a

while. You know I’ve been working overtime lately.”

Delilah heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing her answer. “So when will you be back?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a month later, or even a year. Haha.”

What does she mean by that? Is she trying to say that she wants to reside there permanently? Delilah

sized her up, puzzled.

“Joan, is it because you don’t like this old lady anymore?” she probed.

What is she talking about? Joan immediately shook her head and wrapped her arm around Delilah’s

arm. “Of course not, Ms. Young. You’re my life savior. How can I dislike you? I’m just tired and want to

get some fresh air outside.”

Fine. I’ll just let her go then. She’s indeed exhausted from work.

With the thought in mind, Delilah stroked Joan’s hair gently and said, “Okay, you have my support.”

After getting Delilah’s approval, Joan felt a weight lifted off her chest.

Next, I’ll need to talk to Lucius.

The next day, Joan boarded the plane.

She did not inform Larry about her decision nor did she tell Nancy that she would not be in the city for a

period of time.

For some people, Joan’s departure seemed abrupt, yet foreseeable.

In the living room, Lucius raised his head and looked at Delilah, who was sitting opposite him.

“Grandma, why does Mom wants to go travel?”

“She wants to take a break, my dear,” Delilah answered and tousled his hair.

“But why didn’t Mom and Dad go together?”

“Because your daddy is on a business trip.”

“Okay.” A flicker of sorrow gleamed in Lucius’s eyes as he hung his head low.

He yearned for a family trip, but it seemed that even having a meal together would be difficult.

While over on the other side, Joan was lying on the bed in a hotel room, staring at the beautiful sea

outside the window in deep thought.

The phone next to her had been ringing for a while, but she refused to answer it.

Just then, a female server knocked on the door and asked, “Miss, do you need me to clean up your

room?”

“No, thanks!” she replied loudly.

With that, the surrounding quietened down again.

Walking to the window, Joan took a deep breath and felt relaxed instantly just by looking at the clear

blue sky outside.

Not far away, a child called out to her all of a sudden, “Miss, come down and play!”

“Come down and play soccer with us!” another child exclaimed.

Joan smiled at the sight of their young, innocent faces.

Then, she changed into her sportswear and rushed down to those kids.

“I’m here!” Joan greeted cheerfully as she walked towards them.

Suddenly, a little girl ran to her side and hugged her leg. “Miss, you need to help me. They bully me

because I don’t know how to play soccer.”

“Why do you guys bully her?” Joan knelt down and stroked her hair.

“Because she is bad at soccer,” a boy answered.

Another boy came in front of Joan and pointed at the girl. “Yeah, playing with her is a waste of our

time.”