Ch. 2971..2980

Chapter 2971

No, that's impossible! Larry has always loved Joan, and he didn't move on even when she has

amnesia.

"I'm going out for a bit, Jory!"

As Nancy said that, she hung up the phone and rushed out after snagging her handbag on the sofa.

Please be safe, Joan! Throughout the entire drive, anxiety gripped her.

Knock, knock, knock! Out of the blue, knocking sounded on the door loud and clear.

Well, this is strange.

Who would come here? Joan frowned slightly as annoyance flooded her.

"I'll go and open the door!"

While saying that, Gabriella moved to open the door.

"No, wait!"

Joan instantly grabbed her arm.

"Joan! It's me, Joan! Open up!"

Nancy shouted while pounding on the door outside.

When Joan heard her voice, she finally breathed easier.

As she walked out, she asked loudly, "Why are you here?"

"Hurry up and open the door!"

Hmm...this voice sounds rather familiar.

A tad perplexed, Gabriella stared at the door.

Right as Joan opened the door, Nancy charged in and spotted Gabriella.

Sure enough, it's two women! What is Gabriella Ward trying to do here? She stalked over to Gabriella

and regarded her coldly.

"Why are you here? Tell me, what's your motive?"

Huh? What's happening here? Gabriella was suddenly at a loss.

What motive can I have? I just came to look for Larry and got acquainted with Joan by pure chance.

That's all.

"What are you doing, Nancy? Gabriella is my guest"

Joan hurriedly explained as she nudged her gently.

Her guest? Her enemy, more like! Oh God, she has forgotten everything in the past! Nonetheless, I still

remember every single detail clear as day!

"Who are you? Do I know you? Is there a misunderstanding of some sort between us?"

Gabriella queried softly as she looked at the woman before her.

Huh? What's she trying to do now? Is she imitating Joan and pretending to have amnesia as well?

Damn it, this b*tch will really resort to any despicable means to attain her goal!

"Drop the act! Well? Why are you here? Also, let me warn you that you're not allowed to pick on Joan

in the future!"

Nancy snarled forcefully while thrusting a finger in her face.

"What are you saying? Why would I pick on Joan when things are fine and dandy between us?

Besides, what are you prattling about here?"

Gabriella questioned with a pout on her lips.

Prattling? Who exactly is prattling here? It's already merciful of me that I didn't kick you out, okay?

Nancy glowered at her, rage blazing hot within her.

Meanwhile, Della was rejoicing while watching everything in a corner near the villa entrance.

"In a while, when Nancy Barrymore has dragged Gabriella Ward away, the two of you rush forward and

grab Joan Watts? she ordered viciously, staring at the two men in front of her.

"What are you doing? Stop pulling me!"

Gabriella bellowed while struggling.

"Good God, you're really an ill- mannered woman! Who exactly are you? You're so unladylike, running

your mouth the moment you came!" she continued chiding.

At that, Nancy saw red.I'm unladylike? Fine, I'll show you what it means to be a true lady! Rolling up

her sleeves, she started pushing Gabriella out.

"Please stop doing this, Nancy.You're going overboard? Joan blurted with an anxious expression on

her face, attempting to put a stop to it.What the hell? Who exactly is going overboard here? Ah, never

mind, it’s no use talking to her.After all, how could she remember everything this b*tch has done to her

since she has amnesia?

"Alright, don't intervene in this matter.Just stay at home, and I'll take her away.Don't worry, for I'm not

going to hurt her.I'm just going to escort her home."

As Nancy said that, she grabbed Gabriella’s hand and left the villa.

 

Chapter 2972

As Joan stared at the two disappearing figures, her gaze radiating worry.

Will Nancy really take Gabriella home? And they won't start arguing again midway, right? Ah, never

mind.

Although Nancy seems rather fierce, she's a reasonable person, so she probably won't make things too

difficult for Gabriella.

"Ahh!"

Just when she turned around to return to the villa, her vision suddenly went dark, and she passed out.

"Hey, slow down! Why are you in such a hurry? Besides, that's Larry's villa and not yours, so why are

you so anxious about it?"

Gabriella berated Nancy while they were on the road.

"Hah! That's my business! What's it to you? Larry and Joan's relationship has just gotten better, yet you

furtively came over to sabotage them!"

Nancy muttered.

Hey, I'm not sabotaging anything! I just wanted to see Larry! How was I supposed to know that he's not

home? Gabriella's expression was aggrieved as she peered at the woman in front of her.

"Who on earth are you? Why do you have such prejudice against me? Have I offended you in the past?

Or are you jealous of my beauty?" she asked shyly as she touched her cheeks.

Pfft! Jealous of her beauty? Why is she so narcissistic? As far as her looks are concerned, it's already

a great blessing if five men out of ten take a fancy to her! "Oh God, hurry up and leave! Also, don't

come here again! This isn't the place for you!"

Nancy snapped impatiently.

Why can't I come here? Even Joan didn't kick me out! Gabriella pouted, her expression speaking

volumes of her dissatisfaction.

But then again, she doesn't appear to be an evil woman.

So, why is she so hot-tempered? Well, it's might even match mine! "So, you're Nancy?"

"Why?"

Nancy questioned stonily.

"Nothing.

I just want to make friends with you.’ Make friends? With her? Forget it! She might just stab me in the

back one day! Nancy immediately waved a dismissive hand at her, turning her down.

Is she for real? She's actually declining my offer of friendship? Gabriella gaped at the woman before

her in bafflement, feeling mystified.

After all, tons of people were interested in making friends with her in this world.

Thud! Joan was roughly shoved to the corner of the wall in a room.

Where is this place? Joan widened her eyes and darted her gaze around, only to be greeted by pitch

darkness.

She couldn't see a single thing.

Good grief, who kidnapped me this time? Della Duff? All at once, alarm bells started ringing in Joan's

head.She curled into herself and huddled there in the corner with terror written all over her face.

"Here, this water is for you! Pour it yourself!"

A man abruptly swaggered in and placed a pot of water onto the table.

Then, Joan was alone in the room once more.

Ah well, it looks like the eatery will be a mere pipe dream.

"We were talking about starting an eatery, but you simply had to kick me out the moment you arrived!"

Gabriella griped softly in the car.

Hmm? An eatery? Hearing that, Nancy gulped, and her eyes lit up at once.

Not only was she well acquainted with Joan's cooking, but she also had no willpower in the face of

delicious food.

"Don't you want to enjoy Joan's cooking as well?" the woman beside her deliberately teased as she

kept shifting closer.

Of course, I do! That's a no-brainer when Joan's cooking is unrivaled! What a pity! I should've eaten at

her place before leaving.

‘‘We've even decided on her being responsible for the menu, while I'll be responsible for the money and

taste testing.

Oh my God, if they really do open an eatery, I'll then get to eat Joan's cooking!

"How did the two of you suddenly come up with the idea of starting an eatery?"

Nancy promptly queried.

Both the woman in front of her and Joan had lost their memories, so it wasn't entirely out of the realm

of possibility for them to discuss starting an eatery.

"Well, I love eating! Furthermore, every woman likes to eat.If we start an eatery, the business will

definitely flourish! But for some reason, I can't shake off the feeling that Joan seems hesitant"

 

Chapter 2973

Gabriella dropped her head and replied diffidently.She truly desired to start an eatery with Joan, yet the

latter seemed to have a different idea in mind.

Meanwhile, Nancy caressed her chin and lost herself in thought.

Should I invest in the eatery they're talking about? If that's the case, I get to enjoy the delicacies Joan

prepares at no additional cost, right? Gabriella rushed over and wrapped her arm around the chuckling

Nancy.

Curious, she asked, "Care to share whatever you're up to again?"

"H-Huh? O-Oh! I was just wondering if you guys need another partner? I'm keen to invest as well!"

"Sure! I mean, why not? Let's start an eatery and enjoy all sorts of delicacies together!"

Nancy responded with a smirk because they seemed to have the same idea in mind—they wanted to

enjoy delicacies prepared by Joan for free.

"Let's head over and meet Joan in person!"

Once she made up her mind, she dragged Gabriella with her and headed the other way.

They seemed to have moved on from the grudges they once held against one another as they had one

thing in common-—they were foodies.

Marching into the villa, Nancy raised her volume and asked, "Joan, are you going to start an eatery

with Gabriella?"

As Nancy started surveying the villa, she wondered if something was wrong because Joan had left the

door untended.

"Joan?"

In spite of another attempt to reach Joan, her effort was to no avail because she did not receive any

response.

All of a sudden, the duo's minds were all over the place.

Gabriella, who was next to Nancy, whispered, "Nancy, has something bad happened to Joan?"

"Shut up! Joan is fine! What can possibly happen to her?"

Once she finished her rhetorical question, she sprinted to Joan's room upstairs.

They searched high and low, including the kitchen, the washroom, the yard, and the living room.

Unfortunately, Joan was nowhere to be seen.

Nancy couldn't stay calm anymore, so she reached for her phone and made a call.

When the call got through, she asked with a quivering voice, "J-Jory, what should I do? Joan is

missing!"

Jory, who was on the other end, sprang up from the couch with a darkened expression.

Although he had always deemed Larry and Joan's issues a pain in the ass, he would not hesitate to

offer his help whenever they were in trouble.

"Nancy, can you calm down? Why don't you tell me your current location? I'll head over immediately

and see if there's anything we can do about it."

Once he delivered his instruction, he headed out after retrieving his jacket.

Soon, he reached the villa and pulled over in front of the entrance.

As Jory catapulted into the villa, he yelled, "What's going on? Where's Joan? Where has she gone?"

Weeping, Nancy explained, "We were here quite some time ago.

However, Joan disappeared once we made our way back after leaving for a short while"

Gabriella? Why is she here? Since when did she return? Gabriella would never drop by Joan's place

unless she's up to no good.

Is she here to cause trouble because she knows that Larry is currently away? Jory started emanating

an intimidating aura after sizing up the woman next to Nancy with a skeptical look.

He felt that Joan's disappearance had something to do with Gabriella because of the malicious things

she had done in the past.

On top of that, it seemed suspicious that she showed up here after Joan disappeared.

Striding his way to Gabriella’s side, he asked in a callous tone, "Why are you here? Since when did

Joan disappear? Are you the one behind this?"

Huh? Are they implying that I'm the one who caused Joan's disappearance? Gabriella's face puckered

in irritation.

Do I look like 1 would do such a thing? Nancy rushed over to the man’s side and whispered, "It's not

Gabriella's fault.

She only just found out that Joan is missing.

Besides, she has lost her memories"

Seriously? Why does this series of incidents seem like a part of a bigger scheme? Is she playing

pretend in front of us again? I know her too well—she's willing to do anything to achieve her goats!

However, Jory was wrong as Gabriella had lost her memories for real.

 

 

Chapter 2974

Gabriella rebuked in a petulant manner, "Hey, who the hell do you think you are to yell at me when I'm

Joan's best friend? Why the heck would I abduct her? You sure don't seem like someone who would

talk that way! Stop accusing me of things I have never done!"

She didn't bother to hold back since the person in front of her was a man.

Oh? I guess she has gotten better with her words after spending her time abroad, huh? Jory glanced at

her with a skeptical look and turned around to ask Nancy, "Are you certain that Joan disappeared prior

to your arrival?"

Nancy merely nodded in response to Jory's query as she broke down in tears.

Irked by Nancy's crying, Gabriella yelled at her, "Hey, stop crying already.It's not going to help! We

need to get going and search for Joan immediately!"

She's right! We don't have time to spare! We need to find out Joan's whereabouts as soon as possible!

Otherwise, she's going to be in grave danger!

"I have already dispatched a team to look for her.Has any surveillance system been installed in the

villa?"

Jory directed another question at the duo.

Surveillance system? As a thought struck Nancy, she wiped her tears dry and sprinted into one of the

storerooms.

Previously, Larry had told her that if anything were to happen to Joan, she could access the

surveillance system to find Joan's whereabouts.

Shortly after they barged into the storeroom, they saw from the surveillance footage that Joan was

rendered unconscious by a team of mysterious men.

They could only see the abductors through the surveillance camera in the yard because the ones at the

entrance were faulty.

It was unfortunate as they couldn't see the abductors’ faces clearly.

It was a tricky situation.

After much consideration, Jory made up his mind to inform Dustin of the incident.

Once Dustin picked up the call and learned of everything, he yelled in return, "Why was she abducted

out of the blue?"

As Dustin got dressed, Abelyn, who was next to him, smirked and gloated over Joan's misfortune.

Wow! Has she been abducted again? I guess God must be on my side! Joan, just how miserable can

your life get?

"Abelyn, let's hurry up and head out to find Joan!"

She stopped Dustin the moment he tried to drag her out with him.

He turned around and asked with a concerned look, "What's wrong?"

"Dustin, I'm not really feeling well.Why don't you go ahead without me?"

Abelyn made something up to dissuade him.

"Alright, if that's the case, go take a nap or do something that's going to make you feel better.If you

can't take it anymore, head over to the hospital immediately."

Dustin departed after he delivered his instruction.

Ha! I knew it! Joan has always been the only one he cares about! Sneering, Abelyn turned around and

returned to the couch.

She found herself pitiable because she was nothing more than a fool who had wasted her time taking

care of a man who was head over heels in love with another woman.

Truth be told, Dustin merely considered Joan a close acquaintance of his.

Abelyn was the one he truly cared about, yet she wasn't aware of the affection he had for her.

Joan, it's about time for you to leave us alone! It's better if you're dead! Narrowing her eyes while

looking out the window, Abelyn’s expression was filled with murderous intent as she secretly prayed for

Joan's demise.

"Have you found her? What about Larry? Have you informed him?"

Dustin asked while panting for breath the moment he reached the trio.

Nancy replied in a barely audible voice, "He's currently away for a work trip."

Gabriella, who was next to Nancy, added, "Luck isn't on our side because we couldn't gather any intel

on Joan's whereabouts just yet."

When Dustin noticed Gabriella's presence, he marched over and sized her up with a skeptical look.

"Gabriella? Why are you here?"

What the heck is happening? Who are all these people who seem to be my friends? The embarrassed

woman caressed her hair timidly and asked in a hushed voice, "Do you know me as well?"

 

Chapter 2975

What kind of joke is this?

Who on earth in town hasn't heard of the notorious Gabriella? She could easily intimidate others just

with the mention of her name back in the day.

Dustin glared at her as a look of wariness crept up on his face, yet she misperceived the man's

intention.

He's so handsome! Delighted, she stared at him and wondered if he had a girlfriend.

Gabriella dragged Nancy aside and queried, "Hey, you know him, don't you?"

Nancy stared at the woman in puzzlement.

What is she up to again? Hence, she replied in a deadpan tone, "I do."

"Does he has a girlfriend?"

Gabriella nudged Nancy and asked with reddened cheeks.

I can't believe it! Has she fallen for Dustin? Has she given up on Larry? Seriously? Well, I guess she

has really lost her memories.

Nancy tapped on Gabriella's head and said, "You should give up on him because he's not available

anymore"

Subsequently, Gabriella grasped the hem of her shirt and pursed her lips in disappointment because

she knew she wouldn't stand a chance.

Nancy grinned in amusement as she thought it might be a blessing in disguise for Gabriella to lose her

memories.

"How's it going?"

The question was directed at the person on the other end of the call once Jory picked up the call.

"Mr.Synder, please forgive me for being frank, but there's nothing much we can do when we have so

limited intel"

Dustin was aware that it was an impossible mission, but he had to carry on with the search and rescue

operation since Larry and Caspian were away.

Nancy announced, "Larry is already on his way back.We just have to hang on until his return."

Judging by the fact that Gabriella didn't feel anything when she heard them mentioning Larry, it was

safe to assume that she no longer had a thing for him.

Meanwhile, Joan, who was lying on the ground in a room, had a pale and haggard look.She had spent

the past two days in the same room, yet the mastermind was nowhere to be seen.

Is she afraid of showing herself? Joan sneered in a contemptuous manner.

Are you going to torture me until the day Larry chooses you over me? What a joke! Do you really

consider yourself the heiress of a renowned family when you can't even uphold your promise? The

man at the entrance asked in a hushed voice, "How is she?"

The bodyguard leaned over and whispered, "She refused to consume the food and water we gave her."

"Great! She doesn't have to waste her time and effort dealing with this shameless woman anymore!"

The man departed once he finished his sentence.

She? Is he talking about Della? Apart from her, I can't think of anyone else capable of getting them to

do her biddings! How cruel of her...

Torrents of grief streamed down her cheeks when she thought about it.

Meanwhile, Della asked the man who had just returned, "How's she?"

The man replied, "The bodyguard told me she refused to consume the food we gave her"

Wonderful! it's better if she starves to death! Then I won't have to go through the hassle of taking her

out!Please don't let me down, Joan! Della's eyes glinted with a strong murderous intent.

Joan had been warned to stay away from Della and the food she might bring her.

Thus, she wondered if the food on the table had been spiked or not.

I won't give up just yet! Growl...

Joan caressed her tummy when it started growling, looking pitiable.She was still looking forward to

establishing an eatery with Gabriella.

 

Chapter 2976

After the bodyguard handed her some food, he yelled, "Hurry up and finish it up if you wish to live!"

Joan felt a strong urge to devour the scrumptious- looking meal she had been served, yet she pushed it

aside and asserted with a determined look, "No! I'm not hungry!"

I'd rather starve myself to death than be poisoned to death.

Irritated by her response, the man delivered a powerful kick to Joan before making his way out of the

room.

The bodyguard outside asked, "How did it go? Did she consume anything?"

"No! We'll just let her starve to death then!"

Joan could hear the conversation between the vicious bodyguards at the entrance.

Della, since you want me dead, why bother hiding behind the scene? When will Larry return? Can I

survive until the day he's back? As she thought about it, her eyes flickered in disappointment.

After she gathered her thoughts, she got increasingly melancholic as she surveyed the surroundings.

Having gone through countless mishaps in her life, she could no longer stand it.She wondered how

long she would be able to survive if this went on.

Can I even make it out alive? Once Larry showed up, he asked in an icy tone, "Nancy, have you

checked the surveillance system?"

He had no time to reprimand anyone because Joan's safety was his sole priority.

Nancy looked elsewhere and replied apologetically, "Yes, but we couldn't see their faces because the

surveillance cameras around the entrance were broken."

She felt guilty because Larry had entrusted Joan in her care, but the woman ended up getting

abducted.

"Larry!"

Caspian and Jessica came rushing into the villa after a short while.

Jessica sprinted over to Nancy's side and grasped her hand, asking anxiously, "Have you guys found

Joan?"

Nancy shook her head in silence while Jessica stomped her feet in anger and blamed herself, "I

shouldn't have made the trip!"

Larry looked out the window and wondered if Della was the mastermind behind the incident, clenching

his fists in rage.

Or could it be Abelyn? Speaking of which, where's Abelyn? Dustin, Jory, Nancy, Caspian, and Jessica

are all here! So why isn't she here? When he thought about it, he glanced around the spacious living

room in an attempt to locate the missing woman.

As he shifted his gaze to Dustin, he asked, "Where's Abelyn?"

"She's currently in the hospital because she's not feeling well"

Dustin answered Larry's query as though it wasn't a big deal.

If she's in the hospital, Della is the only culprit I can think of! Immediately, Larry reached for his phone

and made a call.

He asked indifferently once his call was picked up, "Where are you?"

Della was thrilled by Larry's call, replying, "Do you need anything from me? I'm currently home!"

"I'll tell you once we meet in person"

Having said that, Larry hung up the call.

In the café, Della, who had taken a seat at the corner, started stirring her coffee out of boredom.

She raised her head and looked the man in the eye, asking directly, "What brings you here?"

Although she knew that Larry had approached her because of Joan, she couldn't wait to see how he

was going to make her talk.

Della's lips curved upwards unwittingly, forming a vicious smirk.

"Why have you abducted Joan? Have I not made myself clear? If you lay a finger on her again, I won't

forgive you!"

Larry cut the small talk and went straight to the point.

Della kept her guard up upon hearing his words.He had always been a man of his words.

All this while, he had refrained from laying a finger on her because of her father.

Does that mean he's going to stop going soft on me? Della raised her head and peered into the eyes of

the man in front of her with a diffident look.

If he comes after me, what am I supposed to do? I don't stand a chance against him with my limited

resources and capabilities!

 

Chapter 2977

Clink! Suddenly, Della dropped her spoon, evidently intimidated by him.

Larry's eyes gleamed with wickedness as he knew that the relatively inexperienced woman in front of

him was no match for him.

He glared at her and pressed on, "When are you going to send her back?"

Damon it! He's trying to force me into submission! She put on an innocent front as she rebuked, "Larry,

did anything happen to Joan? What are you talking about? I don't understand anything you said!"

It wasn't much of a challenge for her to play dumb.

I guess there is a reason she's not to be underestimated, huh? She's not that capable, yet she’s quite

the expert when it comes to putting on a show! Glaring at the pretentious woman, Larry repeated his

question indifferently, "I'm going to repeat myself for one last time.When are you going to send Joan

back?"

Della was stupefied by the man's ferocious glare.She had seen it before, so she knew that he had been

suppressing his wrath, but he was about to lose his cool.

Panic-stricken, Della started shivering uncontrollably.

No! I can't admit that I have abducted Joan! Otherwise, he's going to hold a grudge against me!

"I'll give you three days to send her back.If she shows up within three days, I'll forget about this incident

and consider it a short getaway"

"However, if I fail to see her after three days, I'll wage war against you! Della, I'm warning you for the

last time! I won't tolerate you anymore!"

Having said that, he got up from his seat and departed.

Gaping at the man's leaving figure, Della was overwhelmed by waves of emotions.

No matter what I do, it will never be good enough for him.

Meanwhile, once Larry walked out of the café, he boarded a car across the street.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to regain his composure.

He found himself pathetic because he had been helping Della resolve the issues that had befallen her

company.

But she, on the other hand, wouldn't stop harming the woman he loved.

After Della picked up the call, her father yelled at her, "Della, have you abducted Joan? Hurry up and

set her free!"

"Dad, what are you talking about? I don't get it!"

She was about to hang up the call, but her father started coughing vigorously and reprimanded her,

"You're such an ungrateful brat! Larry has gone the extra miles for you and our family, yet you're doing

the exact opposite for him!"

What does he mean? What has Larry done for us? Why am I not aware of the things Dad's talking

about? Della arched her brows in confusion.

"Make your way back at once! I'll tell you everything in person!"

Once he made himself clear, Fred hung up the call.

There must be something they're hiding from me! At that thought, Della turned the car around and

headed home.

In the meantime, Fred, who was in the living room, massaged his temples in an attempt to calm himself

down.

Why is that brat always causing trouble! The moment Della reached home, she heard her father

coughing vigorously.

At once, she rushed into the living room and asked, "Dad, are you okay—"

Slap! She was slapped in the face before she could finish her sentence.

"Have you no shame at all? Aren't you aware of the things Larry has done for our sake?"

Fred shouted at the top of his lungs.

The things Larry has done? Della's confusion was written all over her face.

"Don't you know that he made the trip abroad because of our company? I sent him there because I

wasn't in the condition to make the trip and you're not capable enough to resolve the issue!"

Suddenly, a grim expression loomed over her face when she found out that Larry had been helping her

family behind her back.

 

 

Chapter 2978

Fred went on and on to explain the reason Larry was dispatched, yet Della couldn't be bothered to

listen anymore.She felt a strong urge to meet Larry in person to sort things out once and for all.

Why has he been keeping me in the dark? Why did he choose to bear such humiliations? Couldn't Dad

settle the issue himself? "Dad, why did you ask him to resolve the company's issue? Why couldn't you

make the trip?"

Della turned around and confronted Fred.

Actually, Fred had dispatched Larry abroad on his behalf because he wanted those in the industry to

get familiar with him.

After all, it was only a matter of time before Larry inherited the company.

Fred shook his head and heaved a long sigh.

If his useless daughter were half as good as Larry, he wouldn't have taken such an extreme

countermeasure.

Coughing, Fred repeated his instructions, "Hurry up and set Joan free! Also, stay away from her in the

future!"

Wait! Joan's meal has been spiked! Oh, God! Please tell me she hasn't consumed any of those!

Immediately after she retrieved her phone, she made a call and instructed, "Stop spiking Joan's meal

and get her something else to eat! If anything happens to her, all of you will have to bear the

consequences!"

The moment she hung up the call, she headed in the direction of the entrance, praying that Joan was

doing fine.

It's all my fault! I shouldn't have schemed against them before knowing the truth! Please allow me to

atone for my sins, Larry! At that moment, Della's leaving figure seemed so pitiable.

Meanwhile, Joan couldn't endure her hunger any longer.

When she was about to savor the meal she had been served, a man barged into the room and knocked

everything onto the ground.

"Ms.Watts, please don't consume any of those! We'll be serving you something else soon!"

He lifted her up and brought her back to the couch before switching on all the sources of illumination

available in the room.

Joan grasped her shirt and muttered in a barely audible voice, "I-I'm so hungry...

"We'll get you something to eat soon.Please hold on for another few minutes."

What's going on with Ms.Duff? A few hours ago, she wanted her dead, yet now she has changed her

mind and instructed us to keep her alive for no apparent reason.

The confused man was lost in thoughts, trying to comprehend the rationale behind Della's sudden

change of mind.

As another man strode into the room, he hurriedly said, "Here you go!"

"Miss, please have a glass of water!"

Wait a minute! Is something wrong with them? Is this an attempt to lure me into another trap? She cast

a skeptical gaze at the men in front of her and started wondering the reason behind their sudden

change of behavior.

One of them broke the silence by explaining, "Ms.Watts, you don't have to worry because we were

instructed to take good care of you.Please finish this as soon as possible.None of these are spiked."

Who instructed them? Suddenly, Joan grasped the arm of one of the men.

Glaring at him with a grim expression, she gasped out her question, "Tell me! Who's the mastermind

behind this?"

However, they were not allowed to reveal the secret to her.

In an attempt to distract her, one of them handed over the plate of food to her and suggested,

"Ms.Watts, please hurry up and finish this.Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't be able to stand the journey

home’ The journey home? Am I not supposed to be kept imprisoned? What sort of joke is this? Are

they trying to mess with me again? No! I need to find out the mastermind's identity! She needed to

confirm whether Della was the mastermind behind the abduction.

Only then could she confront the woman in person.

Joan wanted to ask Della whether it was worth it to tarnish her image for a man who would never

reciprocate her affection for him.

"Miss, why don't you finish this first?"

After the man suggested for one last time, he left the room.

Once again, Joan was left alone.

The helpless woman's eyes started brimming with tears as she stared at the ceiling.

She felt a strong urge to cry, yet she didn't have the strength to cry anymore.

What have I done to deserve this? Is it my fault that Larry loves me? At that thought, she let out a self-

deprecating sneer.

 

Chapter 2979

Della instructed the man next to her, "Get in touch with Larry and ask him to come over and pick her up

immediately!"

"Yes!"

The man reached for his phone and made the call as instructed.

Her assistant shared his concern with her, "Miss, what exactly are you up to? Aren't you afraid of

exposing yourself?"

"Larry won't be able to trace this phone number; Della replied nonchalantly.

At that moment, her only concern was Joan's wellbeing.

Although Larry doesn't have a thing for me, I can't possibly ignore the fact that our family is indebted to

him! Why hasn't he mentioned anything about it? Della wouldn't have schemed against Joan over and

over again if she were aware of the things Larry had done for her family.

After the man hung up the call, he informed, "Miss, I have told Larry to come over to pick Joan up."

"Get rid of that phone immediately.Also, I want you to head abroad for the time being."

Della gave her assistant a wave.

Following that, he handed the man a check.

In Larry's office, Caspian asked anxiously, "Larry, have you figured out Joan's whereabouts?"

"Yes! I'm on my way to pick her up!"

Once he retrieved his blazer, he marched out of his office.

Caspian stopped Larry and yelled, "No! I can't allow you to go there on your own! It's way too

dangerous! Perhaps they're up to something else!"

"It will be fine.But I want all of you to be on standby just in case I need reinforcement."

Larry was running out of patience as he was in a hurry to rescue Joan.

The moment Larry barged into the room, Joan had passed out on the couch due to starvation and

dehydration.She refused to consume the food and water she had been served.

"Joan!"

Larry shrieked once he saw her.

"Wake up, Joan! Stay with me!"

He shook her arm in an attempt to wake her up, yet his effort was to no avail.

Without a second thought, he held her in his arms and dashed out of the room.

The hospital was packed with patients due to the drastic change in weather over the past few days.

Hence, the doctors and nurses were all occupied.

Jessica strode over and asked, "Larry, how is everything? Is Joan fine?"

How can she possibly be fine? Judging by her pale and haggard look, it's evident that she has not

consumed anything in the past few days! Creak! The door was opened, and the doctor walked out of

the operating theater.

Grasping the doctor's arms, the anxious man asked, "Doctor, is she okay?"

Sighing, the doctor shook his head and declared in a serious manner, "The patient is not doing well, but

she's no longer in danger.She has to have adequate rest for the next few days’"

"Alright.As long as she's no longer in danger, it's fine!"

Larry muttered to himself and stared at the woman on the hospital bed.He felt guilty for not being able

to keep her safe.

"Larry, you need to stop blaming yourself.Haven't you heard the doctor? She's going to be fine."

Jessica tried to console him, but she knew nothing she said could make him feel better.

It was unfortunate that the young woman had to go through countless obstacles just because of the

man's love for her.

Jessica took a peek at Larry and did not say another word.

Ail this wouldn't have happened if Della hadn't insisted on marrying him.

Sometimes, it would do more bad than good when a man was overly attractive.

Perhaps he would even unwittingly put his loved ones at stake.

Shortly, Dustin, Jory, and Nancy showed up in the ward and surrounded Joan.

Concerned about her condition, Nancy asked, "Is everything fine?"

Is it necessary to have so many people around her when she's barely hurt? Abelyn, who was there as

well, got jealous as she thought they were overreacting.

 

Chapter 2980

Why does she get all the attention from everyone whenever something trivial happens to her? She

doesn't deserve it! Abelyn concealed her frustration and murmured, "She's not going to regain

consciousness anytime soon, is she?"

"If you're exhausted, why don't you head back first?"

Jessica remarked sarcastically as she had had enough of Abelyn's pretentious behavior.

Abelyn immediately explained herself, "Jessica, what do you mean? Joan is my good friend as well!"

Are you really telling me that you consider Joan your good friend? Why does it feel like you're the next

in line to sabotage her? Jessica scowled at the pretentious woman.

"Argh...

Suddenly, Joan's face scrunched up in pain before she opened her eyes.

Larry held her hand and asked, "Joan, are you feeling better now?"

When Joan saw that Larry was right next to him, she couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

Knowing what she had gone through, her friends looked at her with sympathy.

Poor girl! She got abducted again and again! Yet, she has never complained about her misfortunes.

Jessica heaved a long sigh, feeling bad for Joan.

Slouching against the man's chest, she exclaimed, "You're finally back!"

"You don't have to be afraid anymore.I'll always be here for you!"

A few days later, Joan was discharged from the hospital.

When Della found out that Joan was still alive, she felt a sense of relief.Her assistant asked her out of

curiosity, "Miss, why did you change your mind at the last minute?"

Della was looking out the French windows with a darkened expression.

Thank God Joan is fine! Otherwise, I'm going to have a hard time explaining myself! Previously, she

could have taken Joan out with ease, but she found out that she was indebted to Larry and felt obliged

to reciprocate his kindness.

In the future, Larry would take over the company on her behalf until she was ready to assume the role

as the company's successor.

Her assistant asked, "Ms.Duff?"

Della instructed in a flat tone, "Huh? Oh! I want everyone to refrain from trying anything silly from now

onwards.Let's uphold our respective duties and stay away from Larry and Joan"

Her assistant's eyes widened in disbelief.

What the heck? Am I hearing things or what? She had gone to great lengths just to take Joan out, yet

she's now instructing us to stay away from her! Does that mean she's giving up on Larry? Since her

assistant went dead silent, Della turned around and repeated her instructions with a determined look,

"Have you heard me? I want you to stop making decisions on my behalf and stay away from Joan."

"Yes!"

Her assistant walked out of the office after taking note of her instructions.

All this while, Della had refrained from visiting Joan in the hospital, but since the latter had been

discharged, she thought it was about time to pay her a visit.

After she touched up on her look and retrieved her phone, she walked out of her office.

Knock! Knock! Larry and Joan were making out on the couch when the knocking interrupted their

session.

Joan's face flushed as she offered, "I'll go answer the door!"

"Wait! Stay right here.I'll get it!"

He pulled her back to the couch and got up from his seat.

Once he opened the door, he asked in a callous tone, "Why are you here?"

What is she up to again? His irritation was written all over his face as he started sizing her up while

keeping his guard up.

"I-I have dropped by to visit Joan.I heard that she was discharged a few days ago."

Della handed over the basket of fruits she brought along to Larry.