Ch. 1396..1400
Chapter 1396
After he was done with his fatherly duties, he turned back to the onlookers and said, “Mom, it’s already midnight, why don’t you all go to bed if you don’t have anything important to do here?”
Madam Stockton stared longingly at Caprice.
She had a hard time
phrasing what was on her mind. ” John, you don’t have to always bring Caprice along with you everywhere you go, especially co nsidering how busy you can get sometimes. She’s almost two years old. We should send her to a kindergarten soon so she can have a chance to socialize and make some friends. You don’t
have to worry about her, you can entrust her to us and we promise to take good care of her for you.” John glanced at Caprice. She had both her tiny hands balled into fists and pressed them against her cheeks as she slept peacefully.
Noticing John’s silence, Queenie urged as well. “Brother, it’s not practical for you to bring her with you everywhere you go. Why don’t you consider leaving her at home?”
John did not utter a word.
After a long, stagnant silence, Julie made a look and turned to Madam Stockton. “Alright, I’m going to bed. Let's not disturb John, he’s had a long day and needs some rest as well.”
Madam Stockton sighed and turned away.
Queenie followed her out of the room.
Julie turned to John with a quick smile. “Get some rest.”
John answered politely, “Yeah, you too.”
Julie exited the room and closed the door shut.
The room was quiet now.
John bent over and slowly stroked his daughter’s cheeks.
He could still remember how tiny she was when he first brought her back. In the blink of an eye, she had turned two years old and grown into a healthy toddler.
She was so tiny then and had grown so quickly, he did have to admit that it was getting impractical to drag her along with him everywhere he went. Still, as impractical as it was, it should not eliminate the option altogether.
He would take her with him everywhere he went.
Meanwhile, inside a hotel in Downton Glanchester.
The rain pattered endlessly against the window pane.
Sherry sat by the window with a glass of wine in hand, staring at the view outside.
Her cheeks were flushed red from the wine and there was a tinge of drunkenness visible in her eyes.
She could feel her head getting foggy and just as she was about to doze off to sleep, her phone suddenly rang.
She quickly picked it up and took a look. It was an unknown number calling from Glanchester.
She assumed that it must be work-related, so she quickly shrugged her head and gently tapped her cheeks to sober up a little. After she felt a little more clear—-headed, she put the phone to her ear. “Hello, who is this?”
“Sherry, long time no see.” Answered the deep grumble of a man.
Acold gust of wind seemed to gush in out of nowhere and seeped into her ears, instantly jolting her senses and helping sober he Tup.
She felt a tremor in the center of her chest, then she
smiled coyly. “I was wondering who would call me at this hour, so it’s the great Master Stockton himself. So, what do you want fro m me?”
There was nothing but silence on the other end of the call.
After several seconds, he chuckled. “I haven't seen you for two years and it seems like you grew pretty bold during your absence. | thought you wouldn't pick up.”
Sherry sneered and said sarcastically, “You're the great
Master Stockton of Glanchester, | wouldn’t dare ignore your call.” “Looks like you grew quite the tongue too.”
“| did, thank you for the compliment.”
John chuckled dryly.
Sherry imitated his dry chuckle.
John went straight to the point. “Where are you now?”
“I'm not home, do you need something from me?”
“Just so happens that | do.”
“What's up?”
“We'll talk in person,” he said nonchalantly, “Send me your address.”
Sherry sounded just as disinterested as he did. “Why don’t you tell me what you want first? I’m a little busy.” John smirked. “Do you want to meet Caprice?”
This got a reaction out of Sherry as she tightened her grip on the phone.
John added, “Send me the address if you want to see her.”
Sherry took a breath and challenged him. “I wouldn't want to trouble you to make the trip out here to see me. Why don’t you senc Chapter 1396
There was a brief silence.
John conceded. “Alright, I'll send you the address. I'll be free at ten tomorrow morning, come to the appointed location tomorrow and I’ll see you.” 1
“Okay.”
Chapter 1397
John swiftly hung up.
Sherry immediately wiped the courteous smile off her face. What was with the sudden show of goodwill?
Was he up to something?
Ding!
Her phone rang.
It was a message from John, it contained an address. Sherry sent a short reply, “Okay.”
After that, she opened the maps application and looked up the address. Meanwhile, at John’s house.
John leaned against the wall on the balcony outside the bedroom and stared at Sherry’s reply on the display of his phone. His eyes slowly darkened and a grin met the corner of his cheeks.
He called Peter.
The call was answered swiftly. He instructed curtly,
Let's start making the preparations now. As soon as she shows up tomorrow, we’re going to get her.” Peter replied, “Alright, | got it.”
With that, John put away his phone.
The thought of finally being able to catch her tomorrow at last made him bubbly with joy. He could not deny the deep satisfaction it would give him.
Two years.
The wretched woman had disappeared for two whole years. She changed her phone number and did not see the thousands of messages he had sent to her old number over the last two years.
He wondered how he should settle the score when he caught her tomorrow.
Sherry made sure to set an alarm before she slept.
The next morning, she ended up waking up before the alarm rang.
She got up and quickly dressed. It did not take long before she walked out of the hotel. Acar was already waiting for her.
She put on a hat and sunglasses, then got into the car.
She greeted Brandon the driver with a warm smile,
((
Alright, let's go.”
“Yes, miss,” Brandon answered dutifully and started the engine.
Sherry took a look at her phone to check the time.
It was now nine in the morning. It was half an hour from the hotel to the location John had sent her.
She answered some other messages on her phone before sending a message to John, “Master Stockton, I’m already on my way and will be there in about half an hour. Have you departed yet?”
Within less than a minute, he replied, “I’m helping Caprice dress up. Be there soon.”
A photo of Caprice was attached.
The child had just woken up. Her bed hair was sprawled all over her head and there was still a deep drowsiness in her eyes. Sherry was enamored by the picture and could not stop staring at it.
Half an hour later.
Ata park located on the outskirts of Glanchester.
Awhite car and a silver car swerved into opposite ends of the parking lot of the park at almost the same time.
Inside the silver car was John along with Caprice whom he held in one of his arms while he had a phone in his other hand.
Caprice rested comfortably in his arm and was nibbling some snacks. When the car stopped, she looked out the window, her large eyes painted with curiosity.
Ding! John’s phone rang.
Caprice seemed intrigued by the ringing of the phone. She could not understand the contents of the message but shared her father’s joy when she saw the wide smile on his face.
She smiled and leaned into his arms contentedly. John had just received a message from Sherry that read, ” | just got here, are you here yet?”
John patted the little girl’s head with one hand while forming a reply on his phone with the other hand, ” Caprice and | will be there soon. What are you wearing?”
Sherry answered, “I’m the one with curly hair, a red coat, and black boots. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of the park.”
Chapter 1398
Chapter 1398 John’s eyes immediately sharpened as he looked out the window toward the park’s entrance.
He immediately identified a young woman dressed in a red coat and black leather boots. Her hair donned in a curly fashion, an exact fit of the description Sherry provided. She was walking toward the entrance of the park from the other side of the parking lot.
From this angle, John could not make out her face due to the hair covering her side profile. However, he was sure that the figure resembled Sherry’s.
“The big liar!” Caprice suddenly sprang out of her seat and gestured at the lady with her chubby fingers, identifying her as the liar.
Prompted by this, John immediately sent a message to Peter, “She’s here, the one in the red coat.” As soon as the message was sent, dozens of large and fit bodyguards poured out of nowhere into the parking lot. In an instant, they had all rushed to Sherry’s side and surrounded her, leaving no room for exit.
Caprice seemed completely taken unaware by this sudden. operation. Even her finger that was gesturing at the red lady had gone limp.
John noticed this and hugged her while reassuring her. Caprice, don’t worry. These are the good guys working for Daddy. They are going to help us catch the liar.”
Caprice seemed consoled by this.
Shortly after that, John’s phone rang.
It was Peter, who was with the crew of bodyguards as well.
John answered the call and put the phone to his ear with a prideful smile, “Tie her up and take her away.” “Sir...” Peter hesitated. “I don’t think that is Miss Sherry.”
The smile on John’s mouth vanished immediately. “What did you say? Come again?”
“| don’t think... | don’t think she’s Miss Sherry.”
John grimaced.
He promptly hung up and put the phone away. He then got out of the car with Caprice.
He marched toward the park entrance.
When Peter and a group of bodyguards saw him approaching, they quickly got out of his way.
The young lady was being held down by two bodyguards and was protesting amid screams and shouts, completely furious. “Who are you people and what are you doing to me? You better let me go right now or else I'll call the police!”
Her screams were deafening.
Amid her cries, she sensed John’s approach and turned to look up at him.
John was greeted by the sight of a woman who wore heavy makeup.
His eyes gleamed with eyes.
Caprice, who was in his arms murmured, “She’s not the liar.”
The sharpness in John’s eyes dissipated when he heard Caprice’s warm and gentle voice.
After a moment, he smiled at the woman they may have wrongfully captured and asked, “Did Sherry send you here? Where is she now?”
The lady’s eyes flashed with rage as she said, “What are you talking about? | don’t know any Sherry.”
“Tell me where she is and I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars for the information. Otherwise-” His voice dragged off for a moment before he continued icily, “I'll have someone banish you from the city. You'll never get to come back again.”
This warning seemed to work as the lady immediately grew frantic.
Surrounded by so many people, she was already
frightened enough before John’s arrival. Now that John had threatened her, she no longer dared to conjure lies and immediately owned up to everything. “A young lady named Fowler contacted me and told me she’d pay me two thousand bucks if I'd walk through this park in this dress at an appointed time. She didn’t tell me anything else, not even a word on why we were doing this. I have no idea where she is now!”
John squinted with suspicion. “You were hired by her?” The lady hurriedly answered, “Yes, that’s right! | work at the club and this Miss Fowler suddenly came up to me at the end of my shift and briefed me on what | needed to do. She gave me two thousand dollars on the spot and told me that if | followed through, she’d give me another two thousand. Naturally, | did as | was told.”
“Did you come with her?”
“No, | took a taxi by myself. She told me to be here at nine -thirty,” she said as she reached for her phone and opened her chat logs with Sherry as evidence. “Look, | was talking with her just now.”
John looked at the phone.
Their exchange had taken place only several minutes ago. It was Sherry who texted her first, “You can head over there now. Just walk into the park through the main entrance.”
“That’s all | need to do? Is there anything else?”
“Yeah, just find someplace nice to sit and hang around. Make sure you puff up your hair to the sides so it’s not easy to make out your side profile.”
“Miss Sherry, why are you asking me to do something so bizarre? Are you sure it’s not going to be dangerous?” “Don’t worry, you'll be fine.”
Chapter 1399
Chapter 1399 That was the end of their conversation. Something ominous shone inside his eyes, and a menacing smile formed on his lips.
The young lady was frightened by his demeanor and asked in a trembling voice, “Sir, everything | told you is the truth. Could you please let me go?”
John eyed the bodyguards pinning her down. “Let her go.”
The bodyguard did as they were told.
The woman scuttled out of the scene.
An oppressing silence took over.
Peter and the crew of bodyguards stood silently, not one of them dared to utter a word. Caprice looked up at John and seemed like she could not make out what the situation was. John sighed and took his phone out of his pocket. He promptly dialed Sherry’s number. Meanwhile, a white car parked no less than ten meters away from them in the parking lot. Accrisp ring broke through the silence inside the car.
Sherry hesitated briefly before holding the phone to her ear.
She looked out the window and eyed John’s figure
standing tall with Caprice in his arms. John asked in a laid back manner, “Sherry, where are you? Why can’t | see you anywhere?”
Heh, he sure could act.
Sherry answered, “I thought you saw me just now?”
John scoffed. “Heh... Don’t you want to see your daughter anymore?” Sherry scoffed back at him. “I'd see her if you would let me.”
John invited her graciously. “Come over here now and I'll let you see her.”
Sherry scowled. “You have so many of your men surrounding you. What are the chances | get to walk away in one piece if | show up?”
She had only finished her sentence when John suddenly swung around and faced her general direction. Sherry crouched down instantly.
It was only after she instinctively ducked out of his vision that she remembered the windows of the car were tinted. There was not a chance someone outside could make out the person inside the car.
She slowly rose and looked out the window again.
John was still standing there with his posse crowded around him like a bunch of lap dogs.
Caprice looked as wonderfully innocent as ever in his arms.
Sherry stared at Caprice.
John finally spoke again, he smiled hideously, “Sherry, you sure did change in these last two years.”
Sherry chuckled sarcastically. “I only have you to thank for my growth. Without your nurturing, | wouldn’t become who | am today.”
John scoffed dryly.
Sherry sneered at him.
John suddenly spoke, “I'll give you another ten seconds to reconsider. If you still don’t decide to show up, don’t ever consider showing your face around me again.”
Immediately after that, he commenced the countdown.” Ten, nine, eight...” Sherry frowned.
What, was she expected to step into the lion’s den like a fool?
John continued, “Four, three!”
He suddenly slowed down, his voice grew severe.
Sherry pursed her lips tightly and remained silent.
At last, he had reached the end of the countdown. “One!”
Nothing but an eerie silence.
The silence would have lasted till the end of eternity if not for John shattering it with a chilling threat. “Good job, Sherry. You better not show your face around me ever again. I'll chop your feet off if | ever see you lurking around!”
Chapter 1398 John’s eyes immediately sharpened as he looked out the window toward the park’s entrance.
He immediately identified a young woman dressed in a red coat and black leather boots. Her hair donned in a curly fashion, an exact fit of the description Sherry provided. She was walking toward the entrance of the park from the other side of the parking lot.
From this angle, John could not make out her face due to the hair covering her side profile. However, he was sure that the figure resembled Sherry’s.
“The big liar!” Caprice suddenly sprang out of her seat and gestured at the lady with her chubby fingers, identifying her as the liar.
Prompted by this, John immediately sent a message to Peter, “She’s here, the one in the red coat.” As soon as the message was sent, dozens of large and fit bodyguards poured out of nowhere into the parking lot. In an instant, they had all rushed to Sherry’s side and surrounded her, leaving no room for exit.
Caprice seemed completely taken unaware by this sudden. operation. Even her finger that was gesturing at the red lady had gone limp.
John noticed this and hugged her while reassuring her. Caprice, don’t worry. These are the good guys working for Daddy. They are going to help us catch the liar.”
Caprice seemed consoled by this.
Shortly after that, John’s phone rang.
It was Peter, who was with the crew of bodyguards as well.
John answered the call and put the phone to his ear with a prideful smile, “Tie her up and take her away.” “Sir...” Peter hesitated. “I don’t think that is Miss Sherry.”
The smile on John’s mouth vanished immediately. “What did you say? Come again?”
“| don’t think... | don’t think she’s Miss Sherry.”
John grimaced.
He promptly hung up and put the phone away. He then got out of the car with Caprice.
He marched toward the park entrance.
When Peter and a group of bodyguards saw him approaching, they quickly got out of his way.
The young lady was being held down by two bodyguards and was protesting amid screams and shouts, completely furious. “Who are you people and what are you doing to me? You better let me go right now or else I'll call the police!”
Her screams were deafening.
Amid her cries, she sensed John’s approach and turned to look up at him.
John was greeted by the sight of a woman who wore heavy makeup.
His eyes gleamed with eyes.
Caprice, who was in his arms murmured, “She’s not the liar.”
The sharpness in John’s eyes dissipated when he heard Caprice’s warm and gentle voice.
After a moment, he smiled at the woman they may have wrongfully captured and asked, “Did Sherry send you here? Where is she now?”
The lady’s eyes flashed with rage as she said, “What are you talking about? | don’t know any Sherry.”
“Tell me where she is and I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars for the information. Otherwise-” His voice dragged off for a moment before he continued icily, “I'll have someone banish you from the city. You'll never get to come back again.”
This warning seemed to work as the lady immediately grew frantic.
Surrounded by so many people, she was already
frightened enough before John’s arrival. Now that John had threatened her, she no longer dared to conjure lies and immediately owned up to everything. “A young lady named Fowler contacted me and told me she’d pay me two thousand bucks if I'd walk through this park in this dress at an appointed time. She didn’t tell me anything else, not even a word on why we were doing this. I have no idea where she is now!”
John squinted with suspicion. “You were hired by her?” The lady hurriedly answered, “Yes, that’s right! | work at the club and this Miss Fowler suddenly came up to me at the end of my shift and briefed me on what | needed to do. She gave me two thousand dollars on the spot and told me that if | followed through, she’d give me another two thousand. Naturally, | did as | was told.”
“Did you come with her?”
“No, | took a taxi by myself. She told me to be here at nine -thirty,” she said as she reached for her phone and opened her chat logs with Sherry as evidence. “Look, | was talking with her just now.”
John looked at the phone.
Their exchange had taken place only several minutes ago. It was Sherry who texted her first, “You can head over there now. Just walk into the park through the main entrance.”
“That’s all | need to do? Is there anything else?”
“Yeah, just find someplace nice to sit and hang around. Make sure you puff up your hair to the sides so it’s not easy to make out your side profile.”
“Miss Sherry, why are you asking me to do something so bizarre? Are you sure it’s not going to be dangerous?” “Don’t worry, you'll be fine.”
Chapter 1399 That was the end of their conversation. Something ominous shone inside his eyes, and a menacing smile formed on his lips.
The young lady was frightened by his demeanor and asked in a trembling voice, “Sir, everything | told you is the truth. Could you please let me go?”
John eyed the bodyguards pinning her down. “Let her go.”
The bodyguard did as they were told.
The woman scuttled out of the scene.
An oppressing silence took over.
Peter and the crew of bodyguards stood silently, not one of them dared to utter a word. Caprice looked up at John and seemed like she could not make out what the situation was. John sighed and took his phone out of his pocket. He promptly dialed Sherry’s number. Meanwhile, a white car parked no less than ten meters away from them in the parking lot. Accrisp ring broke through the silence inside the car.
Sherry hesitated briefly before holding the phone to her ear.
She looked out the window and eyed John’s figure
standing tall with Caprice in his arms. John asked in a laid back manner, “Sherry, where are you? Why can’t | see you anywhere?”
Heh, he sure could act.
Sherry answered, “I thought you saw me just now?”
John scoffed. “Heh... Don’t you want to see your daughter anymore?” Sherry scoffed back at him. “I'd see her if you would let me.”
John invited her graciously. “Come over here now and I'll let you see her.”
Sherry scowled. “You have so many of your men surrounding you. What are the chances | get to walk away in one piece if | show up?”
She had only finished her sentence when John suddenly swung around and faced her general direction. Sherry crouched down instantly.
It was only after she instinctively ducked out of his vision that she remembered the windows of the car were tinted. There was not a chance someone outside could make out the person inside the car.
She slowly rose and looked out the window again.
John was still standing there with his posse crowded around him like a bunch of lap dogs.
Caprice looked as wonderfully innocent as ever in his arms.
Sherry stared at Caprice.
John finally spoke again, he smiled hideously, “Sherry, you sure did change in these last two years.”
Sherry chuckled sarcastically. “I only have you to thank for my growth. Without your nurturing, | wouldn’t become who | am today.”
John scoffed dryly.
Sherry sneered at him.
John suddenly spoke, “I'll give you another ten seconds to reconsider. If you still don’t decide to show up, don’t ever consider showing your face around me again.”
Immediately after that, he commenced the countdown.” Ten, nine, eight...” Sherry frowned.
What, was she expected to step into the lion’s den like a fool?
John continued, “Four, three!”
He suddenly slowed down, his voice grew severe.
Sherry pursed her lips tightly and remained silent.
At last, he had reached the end of the countdown. “One!”
Nothing but an eerie silence.
The silence would have lasted till the end of eternity if not for John shattering it with a chilling threat. “Good job, Sherry. You better not show your face around me ever again. I'll chop your feet off if | ever see you lurking around!”
Chapter 1400
With that, the call was rudely cut off.
Sherry watched as John took Caprice with him and strode into the parking lot. The closer he got, the more visible his enraged expression became.
Caprice, clutched in his arms, seemed to be able to sense his fuming emotions. She grabbed tightly onto his collar and gaped at him meekly.
Soon, the figures of the father and daughter walked past Sherry’s car and entered the silver car parked on the other end of the parking lot.
Shortly after that, the car rewved its engines and drove away.
Peter and the crew of bodyguards entered their respective vehicles as well and drove away.
Sherry heaved a sigh of relief. She dropped her hand that was still clenching the phone up till this point. After a while, she turned to the driver. “Let's go back, Brandon.”
Brandon glanced at her through the rearview mirror and answered in a low voice, “Got it.”
Inside the silver car coursing down the highway.
It was still and quiet.
Both the driver and the bodyguard in the passenger seat felt like they were suffocating underneath this tense atmosphere. They had to temper the pace of their breathing for fear of upsetting John.
The pressure only grew heavier as time went on to the point where they felt like they were being crushed.
Just as they were about to break down from the sheer pressure, a honeyed voice suddenly chirped. “Daddy, what’s going on?” Caprice had been wanting to ask this for a while and could not keep it inside her any longer. She turned to John blankly.
John softened up immediately, the dull and gloomy air surrounding him seemed to scatter away.
He made himself smile and assured Caprice. “Daddy is fine.”
Caprice stared at him as if scrutinizing him with her eyes. “If Daddy isn’t happy, Caprice won't be happy either.”
She pouted as she said this and looked upset.
John smiled and brushed her cheeks. “Daddy isn’t upset because of you.”
Caprice chirped. “I know that, but | don’t want Daddy to be upset at all.”
As if by magic, John suddenly calmed down completely.
He inched his head toward Caprice. “Daddy might feel better if Caprice would give me a kiss.” Smooch!
Without any hesitation, Caprice pursed her lips and planted a kiss on John’s cheek.
John was very satisfied.
Upon seeing John’s earnest smile, Caprice grinned from
ear to ear, revealing a row of milky white teeth.
She was very sweet when she smiled, like a sun irradiating John’s mood.
The sinking feeling in his chest was instantly swept away. He gave Caprice a gentle kiss on the cheek as well. The girl giggled with joy and buried herself in her father’s arm and snickered like a little gremlin.
John was so completely bedazzled by her adorable behavior and could not stop laughing.
The atmosphere inside the car became one filled with warmth and love.
The driver and bodyguard up ahead both heaved a silent sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Sherry had just got back to the hotel when she received a message from Sylvia.
Sylvia was checking up on her to see how she was getting along in Glanchester.
Sherry replied, “Hey Sylvia, everything is fine here in Glanchester. Don’t worry about me.”
Sylvia asked, “Have you seen Caprice yet?”
The mention of Caprice filled Sherry’s eyes with tears. She replied, “I saw her. | saw her twice, actually.” Sylvia was very concerned. “Did John see you?”
Sherry informed, “He knows I’m here but he hasn’t seen me.”
Sylvia did not have much to say after that. It seemed like she did not know how to respond either.