Ch. 1541..1550

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1541

As for Carl, the assassination plan would ensure that Gabriella was firmly bound to him. It would result in a great possibility of her marrying him, so it would only be a matter of time before he inherited the assets of the Ward family.

Most importantly, a sense of gratification flooded both Gabriella and Carl at the thought of Larry and Joan lying in the hospital because of their plan.

To them, nothing made them happier than having obtained their revenge.

After having discussed everything, they both went their separate ways. Carl was tasked with informing the assassins of the plan. Gabriella, on the other hand, not only had to prepare the money but also furtively use the Ward family’s influence to investigate Larry and Joan’s exact movements.

When Gabriella went home, she headed straight for her bedroom, but she just so happened to bump into Landon.

“Where did you go?”

Ever since the Ward family started having financial problems, Landon had never been amiable with Gabriella. When they would usually bump into each other, he either put on a cold expression and said nothing or chastise her impatiently.

While Gabriella felt extremely aggrieved at that, she didn’t dare utter a single word of complaint.

“I went out to meet a friend,” Gabriella answered cautiously.

“What friend? I hope it wasn’t any of those useless friends of yours?” Landon demanded impatiently.

“No, it was my best girlfriend. She was feeling down, so she asked me to keep her company and lend her an ear,” Gabriella fibbed.

She knew that he would definitely blow a gasket if she were to tell him that she went to meet Carl.

“Good. Don’t simply wander around these days. The Ward family is now in a crisis, so I don’t have much time to take care of you. Also, don’t make any more trouble for me.”

Landon’s tone was much better now. Although he was still peeved, Gabriella was still his daughter, so he couldn’t simply shut his eyes to her.

“Got it, Dad. You should rest more, too. I’m sorry for having worried you.”

Despite his belligerent demeanor toward her recently, Gabriella could still sense the concern underlying his words.

“I’m fine, so you can get back to your work.”

At that, Landon spun around and went about his business without bothering about her anymore.

After going back to her room, the first thing Gabriella did was to calculate how much money she had on hand. Despite their financial strain lately, Landon didn’t limit her daily expenses, and her monthly stipend hadn’t been deducted either. Thus, she could afford to pay the assassins albeit smarting slightly.

Then, she furtively arranged for some people to observe Larry and Joan’s every movement closely with the Ward family’s remaining influence.

As for the rest of it, it all hinged on Carl.

Meanwhile, Carl immediately contacted the few assassins upon arriving home and wired the two million Gabriella transferred to him to the bank account provided by the assassins.

After the information from Gabriella’s spies was conveyed to the assassins through Carl, the assassins set off for Horington right away.

Thus, an assassination plan targeting Larry and Joan quietly kicked off.

Nevertheless, Larry and Joan were still ignorant of the impending danger, enjoying the final moments of their rare vacation.

Subsequently, night fell. After tiring themselves having fun out there, they decided to return to their hotel to rest so that they could return to Marsingfill early the next morning.

They both stood by the roadside while waiting for a cab. At that precise moment, a cab slowly cruised toward them.

When Joan spotted the oncoming cab, her eyes lit up, and she quickly held her hand out to hail it.

Sure enough, the cab gradually came to a stop before them.

Larry and Joan then got into the cab without delay.

“Where to?” the driver inquired.

His voice was low and hoarse, marking him apart from the average person.

“Hello, mister. We’re heading to Washington Hotel,” Joan replied politely.

“Okay.”

Without saying anything further, the driver started the engine and slowly drove forward after a single word of acknowledgment.

The driver was wearing a baseball cap with the brim lowered as though afraid that someone would discern his countenance.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1542

Larry surreptitiously studied the driver. He simply couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off about him.

The driver was driving very slowly, but it was already night, so it wasn’t a big deal since neither Larry nor Joan minded.

“Are you a local, mister?” Larry asked.

“No. My daughter is studying here, so her mother and I moved to this city. I couldn’t find a job, so I started driving a cab.”

The driver’s voice was a mere whisper, but it gave off a sense of oppression.

“No wonder you don’t sound like a local,” Larry commented.

Well, well… he was probably in the killing profession before he became a cabbie.

After all, he was no stranger to the aura that the driver was emanating. Only those who had experienced peril and near-death brushes would develop such an aura.

He was very familiar with such an aura because he had once possessed it himself. But as time passed, or more accurately speaking, the changes in his social circle made it imperative that he conceal it.

Wait a moment!

All of a sudden, he was taken aback by his own thoughts—this cabbie is an assassin!

That intuition couldn’t be wrong, for the driver possessed all the traits of an assassin—low-key, disguised, and a faint murderous aura.

Is he targeting me and Joan, or was he an assassin in the past but had retired long ago? he mused inwardly.

Nonetheless, he still cautiously kept his guard up.

“What are you thinking, Larry?” Joan queried when she saw him spacing out.

“Nothing. Something just occurred to me, but I’ll tell you when we get back,” Larry answered with a smile.

He feigned an expression of utter nonchalance, but his nerves had long since stretched taut.

“Oh, I see. We should be arriving back at the hotel soon, no?” Joan asked.

In truth, they should have reached the hotel by then.

“Yup, we’re probably arriving soon.”

Larry looked around, only to discover that he had never seen the place before.

While this was considered an unfamiliar city to them, he could still remember the surrounding landscape.

Inwardly, Larry cursed. Damn it, this is bad! Now, I can say for certain that the cabbie is an assassin, and he’s targeting us!

At the thought of this, he broke out in a cold sweat.

He naturally wasn’t afraid of those so-called assassins, but he was worried about Joan.

“Mister, please pull over by the side. I need to get out for a while,” Larry said to the driver.

Unsurprisingly, the driver didn’t answer but merely continued driving silently.

“I said, pull over! I’ve got an urgent matter to attend to!” Larry repeated upon seeing that he was ignoring him.

“May I know what the matter is, sir?” the driver finally replied.

“That’s none of your business! You only need to pull over!” Larry declared glacially.

The look in his eyes as he stared at the driver was filled with frost.

“I’m sorry, sir, but my cab isn’t pulling over before reaching its destination.”

Snickeringly maliciously, the driver abruptly accelerated.

By then, Joan had also realized that something was off. “What should we do, Larry?” she questioned in panic.

At that, Larry cast her a consoling look and reassured, “I’m here, so everything will be fine.”

“I’m afraid it’s useless even if you’re here. Both of you aren’t escaping today!” the driver proclaimed malevolently as he bared his vicious teeth.

Larry kept mum, knowing that nothing he said would make a difference. Fearing that Joan would suffer the slightest bit of hurt, he didn’t even dare to grab the assassin’s steering wheel.

But despite the tense situation, he was still extremely calm. Having seen too much of the world, such a situation was nothing more than child’s play to him. Furthermore, he had great backup.

Screech!

As the sharp screech of tires pierced the air, the car finally came to a stop.

The impact almost flung Joan out of the windshield, but fortunately, Larry had been keeping his arms around her, so she wasn’t affected much by the sudden brake.

“Get out. Someone wants to meet you both,” the assassin ordered coldly.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1543

“Larry, what do we do?” Panic consumed every inch of Joan as she felt she was at her wits’ end.

“It’s okay. If this is the case, let’s get out of the car and see what they want.”

Seeing that the assassin did not immediately take their lives in the car, Larry’s nerves began to calm down. Might as well make the best of the situation!

Larry helped Joan out of the car as he took in their surroundings. Ruins of what used to be buildings surround them, allowing Larry to soon realize they were in a demolition area. The buildings around them seemed to be under reconstruction. With no one in sight, Larry easily deduced that they were brought there to be away from prying eyes.

The assassin that disguised himself as the driver joined a few other men after he got out of the car. The men stood in a line, staring intensely at Larry and Joan opposite them.

Larry examined all of them in a calm manner. There were five men in total, all of them masked, showing only their eyes.

“So, why did you bring us here?” Unable to tell who they were behind the masks, Larry had no choice but to ask.

“As expected of the president of Norton Corporation, bold words for a man face to face with danger. Hats off to you for maintaining your confidence even in times like this,” responded one of the assassins coolly.

“Let’s cut the pleasantries, shall we? Tell me, what do you plan to do with us? Surely you don’t want to take our lives.”

Larry raised an eyebrow, confident in his deduction. If the assassins wanted them dead, they would have done so long ago instead of wasting their time for mindless chit-chat.

“You are shrewd indeed, Mr. Norton.”

The reply came from the same person as before. It wasn’t hard to guess that he was the one in charge of this mission.

“To offend you, and therefore offending Norton Corporation is not something we have a say in. I’m sure you know, Mr. Norton, that we only carry out the tasks we were paid to do, helping whichever party that hired us, no hard feelings. Now, let’s not make things more difficult than needed. We just need to cleave off an arm from you and Mrs. Norton each.”

Joan inhaled sharply as she edged closer to Larry, eyes widening as she gripped Larry’s sleeves out of fear. Knowing what the assassins had planned did not ease her mind. Contrarily, her heart pounded faster in fear.

Sensing her panic, Larry patted her hand gently, attempting to comfort her.

“Since it’s just about money—and you said so yourself, no hard feelings—then there should be some space for negotiation.”

Larry kept his eyes fixed on the person in charge before continuing, “Whatever you’ve received, I’ll offer you twice the amount for you to give me the name of your employer, and everyone will leave here unscathed. Do we have a deal?”

Keeping Joan’s safety in mind and worried that she might be harmed, Larry hoped to resolve the situation by talking instead of spilling blood.

“Mr. Norton, I’m sure you know people like us carry out our missions seriously once we’ve received a task from the employer. We won’t stop until it’s done, so… please excuse us!”

With that being said, the leader was the first to unsheathe his dagger and lunged towards the couple.

“Get them!”

As the other four rushed forward with their weapons, chaos ensued. It was impossible to know who had shouted the command.

The assassins all knew that once they defeated Larry, going after Joan would be a piece of cake, so right that second, all five men charged towards Larry with their daggers.

“Run, Joan!” exclaimed Larry, shoving Joan behind him as danger closed in, all the while raising his fists and getting into a fighting stance.

Fully aware that staying beside Larry would make him distracted, Joan turned around and sped off without hesitation.

“Be careful, Larry!” cried Joan as she sprinted away.

Please God, don’t let Larry get hurt. Joan prayed silently, in hopes that everything would be fine.

Noticing Joan’s attempt to escape, one of the assassins chased after her, not allowing her to get away as the other four surrounded Larry.

Being a highly trained assassin with special training, there was no chance Joan could have outrun him. The distance between the two got closer and closer. The assassin stretched out his hand, almost touching Joan when a huge shadow appeared and kicked the assassin in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs and saving Joan in the nick of time.

Before Joan could even respond, the assassin had been kicked a good few feet away.

As Joan regained enough composure to see the face of her hero, her eyes widened as her heart beat wilder.

“Quick! Go help Larry!” To her immense relief, Joan begged the person who protected her a second ago.

It was none other than Caspian!

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1544

As Larry’s personal bodyguard, Caspian would be fired without a doubt if he failed to show up in times of crisis.

“Don’t worry.” Caspian comforted Joan. “Boss has this covered!”

Regarding Larry’s combat skills, Caspian had nothing but the deepest admiration and trust.

Seeing Joan safe and unharmed with Caspian by her side, Larry breathed a sigh of relief before turning his undivided attention upon the four assassins in front of him.

As someone who had intense training and life or death experiences, the assassins were far more deadly in comparison to the thugs on the streets. Their moves were seamlessly in tune with each other, showing that they had trained together for years. Each strike of the blades was carefully calculated with extreme precision. Any blow could have been vital to Larry.

If they were up against any other person, they would have completely slaughtered the victim by then.

But this wasn’t any other person. This was Larry Norton.

As skilled as the assassins were, Larry could still easily spot their many weaknesses and loopholes.

After all, with Larry’s past, this was nothing but a mere child’s play.

Within minutes, the four assassins collapsed to the ground, clutching their broken arms or legs and wailing in agony.

Larry calmly straightened his shirt that had been messed up in the fight and walked away as if nothing had happened. With huge strides, he made his way towards Joan.

“ze! Don’t move!”

Just as the three of them thought it was over, an icy voice rang out.

Larry turned his head slowly towards the direction of the voice. The assassin that Caspian had kicked to the ground had climbed up from his fall and was standing with a gun in his hand, aiming it at Larry.

“You better stay still, or even I wouldn’t know what might happen.”

The assassin bared his teeth as he looked at Larry, his finger fixated on the trigger. Seeing his mates sprawling on the floor, anger, and resentment coursed through his veins as he wanted nothing more than to shoot Larry to death.

“You shouldn’t be rash either. If the gun goes off, it’ll be over for you too,” replied Larry slowly with no hint of fear in his voice.

“Silence! Don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t kill you, even if it means being decapitated!” roared the assassin ferociously. Larry’s nonchalance seemed to be an insult to his pride.

“Is that so? Well then, go ahead!” Larry gave a dry laugh as he pointed to his own chest.

“Come on. Shoot me here, and you would be .”

Larry smirked, inching closer to the assassin with each word he spoke.

“Don’t come any closer! Or I’m really going to shoot!”

Consumed by rage, the assassin glared intently at Larry. His fingers flexed as he slowly began to pull the trigger.

Just then, a hand appeared and snatched the gun out of his grasp.

It was Caspian! The bodyguard had begun sneaking behind the assassin the second he saw the gun. Seeing Caspian’s movement, Larry quickly caught on and provoked the assassin as a distraction.

Bang!

The deafening sound of the gunshot reverberated throughout the dark of night.

As the gun was being snatched away, the assassin still pulled the trigger.

Caspian sucked in a deep breath before swinging a heavy fist at the back of the assassin’s head. The latter fell to the ground, unconscious.

As the danger resolved, Caspian slowly lowered himself to the ground, clutching his stomach.

“Caspian, are you alright?”

Joan, who had been standing at the side the entire time, hurried towards Caspian. Larry followed closely behind her, his eyes filled with worry and concern.

“It’s alright, I’m fine. The bullet had merely grazed my stomach.”

Caspian grinned good-naturally at Joan and Larry.

“Good. That’s good.”

Joan let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding as she felt an invisible weight lifted off her shoulders.

“Roll up your shirt. Let me take a look,” ordered Larry sternly with a blank expression.

Seeing Larry’s cold look, Caspian immediately rolled up his shirt, keeping a wary eye at Larry like a helpless mouse being cornered by a cat.

Larry looked at the wound and frowned slightly. Caspian was right about the bullet not penetrating into his stomach, but Larry wouldn’t say Caspian was “grazed” either. A wound about a few inches long was strewn across Caspian’s stomach, causing warm blood to trickle down slowly.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1545

“How many times do I have to tell you? You must be quick and precise when it comes to dealing with enemies! Any form of mercy for the enemy is cruelty to yourself! If you had given in your all since the beginning, you wouldn’t have been shot!” thundered Larry. Needless to say, Caspian’s injury did not sit well with him.

Caspian lowered his head as Larry continued to yell at him like a kid being punished, not saying anything to retaliate.

“Oh Larry, stop scolding Caspian. If it wasn’t for him, we could have still been held hostage at gunpoint!” Joan interrupted, unable to withstand Larry’s unfair lectures at Caspian any further.

“If he hadn’t underestimated the enemy, he wouldn’t be in this position! He can’t even carry out such a simple thing with perfection, how more stupid can he be?”

Larry did not stop ranting, refusing to drop the subject. However, it was Joan who didn’t realize the pain behind his anger.

“But…”

Joan opened her mouth to refute but was interrupted by Caspian.

“Thank you for defending me Ma’am, but Boss was right. It’s all my fault. I had underestimated the enemy. I apologize, Boss.”

Hearing Caspian’s apology, Larry softened his gaze and stopped reprimanding him.

“Stay here, I’ll go grab the first aid kit in the car.”

Though he spoke in a disapproving tone, even Joan could hear the concern in Larry’s voice this time.

As Larry brisk walked to the car, a lump formed in Caspian’s throat as he sniffed.

Boss really is still the same person from years ago. He hasn’t changed a bit, still the same strict and serious boss that’ll lose his temper over something trivial.

Even so, Caspian knew that none of their best mates would blame Larry for that, because everyone knows Larry cared for them the most, even when he never showed it. After all, Larry being stern with them was for their lives’ sake!

Reminiscing those years together, Caspian sighed, overcome with mixed emotions.

Those fervent years were in the past. A lot of their friends were no longer in contact with each other. Nevertheless, whenever Caspian recounted those memories, the familiar sense of passion would course through his veins. Their brotherhood would always be permanently etched upon his bones, and nothing could change that.

Caspian’s eyes began to redden. Joan was deeply moved by the picture as she kept looking back and forth between Caspian and Larry. Their deep care for each other—surpassing all relations between an employer and an employee—was plain for all to see.

Although Joan could not and could never fully understand the true definition of brotherhood, she had no doubt that those two would trust each other with their lives, even to the point of sacrificing oneself.

“Caspian, what exactly is your relationship with Larry? Why do you address him as Boss?” Joan couldn’t help but ask. The more she couldn’t understand, the more she wanted to know.

“Boss… is Boss!” laughed Caspian. “He’s my boss, always has been and always will be!” A genuine grin appeared on his face.

Joan was taken aback slightly. Normally, Caspian would show the emotions of a brick wall. Even if Larry were to put him in a difficult position, Caspian would still remain his calm and collected self. Before that day, Joan would have never suspected Caspian of being capable of smiling.

But now, seeing Caspian grinning only did Joan realize the big heart underneath all those muscles. I guess appearances really are deceiving.

“But… what’s your relationship with him?”

Refusing to drop the matter, Joan continued to press Caspian for more information.

“An employer-employee relationship. He’s my boss after all. Other than that… I won’t tell you.”

No matter how hard Joan tried to sway him, Caspian still kept his lips sealed.

“Fine, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know anymore,” mumbled Joan, pursing her lips since she did not get the answer she wanted.

As Joan huffed in annoyance, a cheeky idea struck her. Since you won’t let me know, don’t blame me for teasing you. She smirked playfully before turning to look at Caspian. “You two… can’t possibly be in that kind of relationship, right?”

“What kind of relationship?”

Caspian was dumbfounded. Could she have guessed it already? That’s impossible! Ma’am shouldn’t be smart enough to figure it out!

“Did you use to dine and sleep together?” Joan widened her eyes, feigning innocence as she tried to suppress her laughter.

“Well, yes. We would dine and sleep together. We would even shower together at times,” answered Caspian truthfully, oblivious to Joan’s intentions.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1546

“Then did you feel a deep emotional connection with each other, and hope that you’ll be together forever?” continued Joan.

“Of course! I would lay down my life for Boss! And admittedly, I did hope that we’d be together forever.”

Too bad those days won’t ever happen again. Caspian looked down on the ground and sighed wistfully at that thought.

“I can’t believe this! I would have never expected you to be this type of person!” gasped Joan before glaring at Caspian. “I’m warning you, Larry already has a fiancée, so don’t even think about it!”

What? What does this have anything to do with what we were saying? Caspian was utterly baffled and confused.

However, he caught on immediately the second he noticed the sly smile on Joan’s face.

“That was not what I meant. Don’t misunderstand me, I do not swing that way. I don’t like Boss at all!” Caspian quickly explained with a straight face, clearly not amused at Joan’s little joke.

“Hahahahaha…”

Joan broke into a peal of hysterical laughter, clutching her stomach as it was starting to ache for laughing so hard.

“What were you guys talking about? You sure are in a good mood.” Larry smiled as he asked Joan. He was returning from the car with the first aid kit in his hand when he heard Joan’s magnetic and irresistible laughter. He then turned his head towards Caspian and shot him a glare, “Also, what do you mean, you don’t like me at all?”

“I-I didn’t mean that I don’t like you! Wait, no… I don’t like you! I mean-” stuttered Caspian before sighing heavily, not knowing how to explain the situation. With misery written all over his face, Caspian shot a pleading look at Joan.

“Ahahahaha…” Joan laughed harder at Caspian’s loss for words.

“I-”

Caspian opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Larry.

“Shut up. Roll up your shirt again. Let me deal with your wound first,” ordered Larry.

Caspian instantly snapped his mouth shut and obediently rolled up his shirt, not daring to defy Larry’s instructions.

Larry stopped speaking as well, concentrating as he wrapped up Caspian’s wound.

He was surprisingly good at it. Within minutes, Larry had completely secured Caspian’s wound with bandages.

Seeing Larry’s skilled movements as he treated the wound nonchalantly, Joan became more perplexed and curious at Larry’s past.

At that moment, she made a decision to ask Larry about his past some other time.

Once he was done treating Caspian’s wound, Larry began to inspect the assassins lying on the ground, either wounded or unconscious, and called the local police.

Soon, numerous cops arrived at their location, arresting all the assassins. Larry, Joan, and Caspian were also brought to the police station for investigation purposes.

Before long, the three left the police station after a careful inspection for hidden wounds.

“Larry, what do you think will happen to those people?” inquired Joan curiously.

“Well, those people have a lot of blood on their hands and were probably involved in many other crimes. They just kept their identities hidden to prevent getting caught. Now that justice is served, they’ll most likely be facing a death sentence,” answered Larry in a calm manner.

“So that means we’ve done some good to the world!”

Joan clapped her hands excitedly. All traces of the panic and fear she had felt earlier vanished into thin air.

“Mm-hmm. If people like such are caught, it would mean the end for them.” Holding Joan by her hand, Larry led her to the car. “Come on, let’s head back to the hotel.”

The three of them got into Caspian’s car. Even though Larry and Joan did not drive during their vacation, Caspian still had his duties as a personal bodyguard. Therefore, Caspian needed to follow them wherever they go, hiding in a car to not interrupt the couple.

Sigh… it sure isn’t easy being a bodyguard. Caspian thought bitterly to himself.

In reality, however, Larry did not require Caspian to be by his side twenty-four seven. He would only ask Caspian to help carry out certain tasks if needed or when trouble arose. Most of the time, Caspian could do whatever he liked.

The “bodyguard” title was in fact just a cover. In truth, Caspian is Larry’s most trusted friend, a brother in arms.

As the three returned to the hotel, Larry coaxed Joan to rest while he and Caspian discussed the events of the night.

“Boss, regarding what happened just now, do you have any leads on who was behind it?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1547

“Not yet,” mused Larry. “Whoever was behind the assault wanted to harm us, yet at the same time not wanting us to be dead. Clearly, they’re afraid of being dragged into this matter if we did die.”

This would mean whoever was behind the attack would benefit from my injury. If I were to lose an arm and had to be admitted to the hospital for some time, the administrations of Norton Corporation would be all over the place. If so, who would benefit from it?

The wheels in Larry’s brain kept turning as he went through the names in his memory, eliminating those he believed to be innocent. In the end, he zeroed in on the most likely suspects.

The Wards or the Johnsons!

The more Larry thought about it, the more possible it seemed to be true. In fact, he was almost convinced that it was them behind the events that night.

“They really don’t know what’s best for them, do they?” murmured Larry softly to himself.

Ever since Carl Johnson and Gabriella Ward plotted against him and Joan, Norton Corporation had suppressed the Wards and the Johnsons, causing both families to struggle as they tried to stay afloat.

Nonetheless, it had never crossed Larry’s mind to kill or harm anyone. He just intended for them to suffer for a while so that they would repent.

However, perhaps the two families did not agree.

If I were hurt and Norton Corporation be thrown into chaos, they would have the opportunity to take a breather and start afresh. Perhaps that was why they had planned the assault.

Although that was a very likely theory, it was still a lot of guesswork. Without solid proof, Larry would never act hastily.

“Caspian, I’m going to need your help again. Help me investigate the recent movements of the Wards and the Johnsons. Moreover, I also suspect that Gabriella and Carl were behind this,” instructed Larry.

He paused for a second before continuing, “But this might not be an easy task. Since they had hired assassins, their identities would most likely be concealed. What happened today was intended to be a secret mission. As for how you are to carry out the investigation, I’ll leave that to you.”

“No worries Boss, I’ll take care of it,” declared Caspian as he patted his chest in confidence.

“Good. Give out the orders to everyone. Don’t do everything on your own since you’re injured. Leave the hands-on investigation to the men,” advised Larry.

“Yes, Boss!” replied Caspian respectfully. The two continued to chat for a little while more before retreating to their own rooms.

Norton Corporation was a powerful corporation with many connections. Along with the fact that Caspian had been known for his efficiency, it was no surprise when Caspian showed up at Larry’s room first thing in the morning to present what he had uncovered.

“Morning, Boss. We haven’t gotten any solid proof, but we did find a lot of clues. Two days ago, Carl Johnson and Gabriella Ward met up in a restaurant. They seemed to be discussing something rather mysteriously, but no one caught what they were talking about. After Gabriella went back, she had used the forces of the Ward family to find out about your whereabouts.”

Caspian paused and flip a page of his notes before continuing, “We got this information from the Wards. Even Landon Ward had no idea what Gabriella was up to, so it’s safe to say the Wards have nothing to do with last night, and only Gabriella Ward is responsible,” remarked Caspian. “Other than that, we’ve discovered that Gabriella Ward had transferred a sum of two million to Carl Johnson, and Johnson had immediately transferred the money to another unknown account,” announced Caspian before continuing, “All these events happened the day before the incident.”

Caspian looked up at Larry and tucked away his note. “One more thing. Carl Johnson had been seen asking about the details on hiring assassins when he was drinking with a bunch of thugs in a bar. That’s all we have so far.”

With that being said, Caspian fell silent as he waited for Larry to speak.

“That’s enough for us to safely conclude that it was Carl Johnson and Gabriella Ward who were responsible for this. On one hand, they probably hate us for ruining their reputation and therefore wanted to seek revenge. On the other hand, they would have wanted for me to be injured so their families can benefit from my absence.” Larry placed his hands on his chin as he expressed his thoughts.

“If I were injured, some weight would be lifted from their households. I might even let them off the hook. And they thought that everything was carefully planned out. Hah!” Larry scoffed. “They’ve truly underestimated the power of Norton Corporation.”

Larry analyzed the clues given by Caspian. He was now certain that the assault was planned by none other than Carl and Gabriella.

“So, what’s next, Boss?”

 

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1548

After Larry had done speaking, Caspian immediately awaited the next order.

“Carl Johnson might not be powerful, but he is cunning, cruel, and malicious. I have no doubt that it was him who came up with the plan and convinced Gabriella to help him. Gabriella probably agreed to do so as she caved in to the temptation,” commented Larry.

No matter what, both of them should be severely punished. I have been kind enough, but not anymore.

“Since you two love planning in the dark, let me show you what darkness really means.” Larry sneered before looking at Caspian.

He then leaned forward to whisper in Caspian’s ear. Caspian nodded profusely in response. Reassuring Larry that he would get it done, Caspian turned and left.

As the sun set on the next day, Carl showed up in his usual bar once again, downing shots repeatedly.

He had received the news that the assassins he had hired to harm Larry and Joan not only failed their mission but were thrown into prison.

Since he hadn’t revealed his identity, Carl wasn’t worried about the police coming for him. Nevertheless, he still felt utterly disappointed and depressed.

After all, the plan that he had poured his heart and soul into had gone down the drain.

Gabriella, the riches of the Ward family, the dreams of being the heir of the Johnsons, and all that he had hoped for once again slipped out from his grasps.

That thought alone was enough to dishearten Carl completely, which explained why he was drowning himself with alcohol.

When he left the bar, Carl was thoroughly wasted. He could not even walk in a straight line as he swayed with each step he took.

As usual, Carl stumbled through a secluded street.

Just then, a few men emerged from the shadows. They grabbed Carl, covering his mouth as they dragged him into the darkest corner of the alley before tossing him onto the ground as if he were a sack of grains.

Carl sobered up almost instantly. As he caught sight of the masked men cornering him, terror pulsed through his veins.

“W-Who are you people? What do you want?” interrogated Carl at the top of his voice, hoping to boost his own confidence and draw the attention of passerby at the same time.

“Who we are is none of your business, but the fact that you’ll soon forever be bound to a wheelchair sure is,” a low voice spoke out among the shadows.

“No! You can’t do this to me! Do you know who I am?”

Carl struggled in an attempt to escape, but the combination of fear and alcohol kept his knees weak and his feet nailed to the ground.

“I’ll pay you! As much as you want! Just please, don’t hurt me!” begged Carl as he sobbed. Tears and snot streamed down his face as panic took over his body.

“Whatever you say now would be of no use. It’s your fault for messing with someone you shouldn’t mess with. You have no one to blame but yourself, so you might as well give up.”

As he was speaking, the man in the middle gave a signal. Without missing a beat, the two men beside him grabbed Carl by his arms, lifting him up and pinning him to the wall, each on one side.

Carl understood immediately who had sent those men after him. In that instant, he knew it was over for him.

“No, please! Please, I was wrong, I’m sorry! Please let me go. I promise I will never… mff… mmmffff”

Before Carl could finish his sentence, the men stuffed a ball of cloth into his mouth, muffling his words.

“Ahhhh!”

Even with his mouth fully stuffed, Carl’s still let out a full-fledged scream as excruciating pain shot through his body, his cries piercing through the silence of the alley.

The blood-curdling screech echoed through the streets and made the hair of a few passersby stood on end. They couldn’t help but stop in their tracks, looking around with heightened senses before scurrying away, afraid to encounter anyone—or anything—they shouldn’t.

Carl fell to the ground, unconscious. His breath uneven and rasp as he tried to hold on to the brink of his life. The men looked at each other and nodded before parting and disappearing once more into the shadows.

Only Carl was left in the suffocating darkness.

Not long after, police sirens blared across the alley as the police sealed off the area.

An ambulance reached the scene shortly after and the paramedics rushed the almost lifeless body to the hospital.

“Have you heard? Carl Johnson had been attacked last night near the bar he frequents. I heard someone had broken his legs and severed his tendons. Looks like he would have to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life from now on!”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1549

The incident quickly became the hottest gossip around town. It seemed to be the only thing everybody was talking about the next morning.

“Carl Johnson? I’ve never heard of that name. Is he famous?” the other person asked.

“Carl Johnson might not be very famous, but you definitely would have heard about what he has done. Remember the rumors regarding Mr. Norton and his fiancée, Joan Watts? That was all Carl’s doing.”

“Oh, so that’s who he is. Please, that’s not fame, that’s notoriety. Even so, who would be so heartless to severe the tendons of his legs? That seems a bit too cruel…”

“Who knows? He probably offended someone he can’t afford to cross.”

“Say, do you think it could have been Larry Norton, the president of Norton Corporation? I mean, since Carl had framed him and his fiancée, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mr. Norton had hired someone to do it as revenge.”

“Shhh! Watch your tongue! You don’t want to offend anyone!”

That was how most of the conversations of the public went. Unbeknownst to them, it really was Larry that ordered Caspian to carry out the brutal retaliation.

Larry had asked Caspian to think of a fitting punishment for Carl, and that it would be best if Carl could never cause trouble for others ever again. Thus, Caspian ordered his men to severe the tendons of Carl’s legs. After Larry found out, he acquiesced.

Since Carl Johnson was cruel enough to hire assassins to detach one of his and Joan’s arms, Larry had no reason to be merciful.

There were bound to be grey areas that would usually escape the sanction of the law.

Just like this one.

The night Carl had been taken to the hospital, the cops had already begun to investigate.

At first, they had considered the case as attempted murder and had conducted a series of investigations and interrogations, but the buzz soon subdued and things started returning to normal.

Once Carl was sent to the hospital, the surgeons had performed emergency surgery on him, preserving his life. However, as he did not receive immediate care after the incident, his severed tendons could not be rejoined, causing him to lose the ability to walk forever.

When the doctors broke the news to Carl, the latter was in denial. Once the doctors reaffirmed him of the grim news, Carl broke down and wept, devastated.

As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Carl finally accepted his fate as bad karma after all the evil he had done.

“It’s done, Boss,” announced Caspian respectfully as he entered Larry’s room.

“All the clues and evidence of the incidence had been wiped out. Certain people had also been silenced. No one would ever know we were the ones behind the case.”

“Good. Since people like Carl could not be apprehended by the law, we could only take care of him this way.”

Larry nodded in satisfaction at Caspian. “Thank you for the trouble. Go get some rest. You deserve it.”

Unexpectedly, Caspian remained in his position. “But Boss, what about Gabriella? That woman is just as cruel and wicked. Are we really not going to do anything about her?” questioned Caspian in a cautious manner.

To Caspian, Gabriella Ward was just as vicious as Carl Johnson. If she weren’t punished, it could lead to greater disasters.

“Gabriella…” Larry groaned. “As of now, I haven’t been able to think of a fitting punishment for her. Any suggestions?”

Every time Gabriella crossed his mind, Larry was sure to have a headache. Gabriella had crossed his bottom line so many times, yet Larry did not have any ideas on how he could teach her a lesson. If she were a man, Larry would certainly have her killed.

Too bad she’s a woman. As vile and vicious as she was, Larry wouldn’t lay a hand on a woman.

“Since you’re so conflicted, Boss, how about this?” interrupted Caspian as he saw the dilemma written on Larry’s face.

“Oh, you have an idea? Tell me.”

Not knowing what to do, Larry happily listened to Caspian’s suggestion.

“Gabriella Ward has repeatedly defamed you and Ma’am. Not only did she sabotage Ma’am numerous times before, she even worked together with Carl to have you and Ma’am assassinated. If we don’t teach her a lesson, she could do something worse and potentially harm your loved ones. By then, you would be crying over spilled milk.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1550

Larry nodded. He’s right, Gabriella was a ticking time bomb. It doesn’t matter if she hurt me, but I’ll die in regret if she lays a finger on Joan.

Larry remained silent as he knew Caspian had more to say.

“Since she’s a fan of setting up traps for others, why don’t we give her a taste of her own medicine? I’d reckon it’s the best punishment for her. Let’s set her up with something so bad she wouldn’t be able to cause any more harm,” Caspiancontinued.

“Since she likes to plot against Ma’am with Carl, why don’t we lure them into sleeping with one another and post the video clip on the Internet; she had used the same method to frame Ma’am after all, and karma’s a b*tch.”

Although Cas’s plan was fairly simple, it was undoubtedly the best punishment for someone like Gabriella.

Larry was satisfied with his plan as he quickly agreed. “Sounds good. Let’s go with your plan. It’s time she got a taste of her own medicine.”

The corners of Larry’s mouth curled into a devilish smile.

That’s what you get for hurting my loved ones.

Gabriella was roaming around in a mall on a fine day. She was not there on an errand run nor did she buy anything, but merely wanted to relax.

She had heard the news regarding Carl’s incident. He was seriously injured and became disabled. Carl’s news had served as a deterrent to Gabriella as she did not dare to do anything that would harm others. Or else, she would become like Carl.

Hence, Gabriella stayed under the radar as she kept herself at home and did not think of plotting against anyone. She was indeed traumatized by Carl’s incident.

She knew for a fact that Larry was behind Carl’s incident.

Gabriella could not sleep or eat well whenever she was reminded of the things she had done to both Larry and Joan for the past few days. She was worried Larry would come after her to avenge Joan.

However, Gabriella slowly realized no one intended to come after her after living in fear for a few days. Thus, she decided to head to the mall to get some fresh air.

Gabriella continued to walk forward absent-mindedly as her mind drifted towards her future plans.

I don’t expect myself to marry Larry at this point. However, the Ward family’s at risk of falling apart. I’ll instantly lose my glamorous life if that happens. What should I do when the time comes? She thought to herself as she continued walking.

She did not realize she had walked into a secluded area where there was little to no human traffic.

She quickly walked towards a crowded area when she came to her senses as remote areas often made her anxious.

When she was about to reach a crowded area, a hand appeared out of nowhere and slashed her on the neck.

Before she could register what was happening, Gabriella’s vision went dark and she lost consciousness.

On the other hand, Carl had finally made peace with the fact that he could no longer walk after some time.

He stayed home throughout this period as he planned his next step.

He always thought that he’d be safe as long as he was home, yet he was proven wrong.

He wanted to live a peaceful life for a short period on his own.

Hence, his father sent him to one of the Johnson family’s manor to stay alongside two housemaids to take care of him.

This day, a few men in black forced their way into Carl’s residence and made their way into his bedroom.

Carl was terrified when he saw the men as flashbacks of when his legs were seriously injured hit him. He looked at them in fear as he thought to himself. Why’s this happening? I’ve just recovered slightly and yet something terrible had befallen me once again.

Before he could shout for help, the men rushed to his side as they knocked him unconscious. Carl’s vision went dark as he fell to the ground.

Moments later, he subconsciously touched his sore neck when he woke up. He looked up and suddenly realized that he was kidnapped.