Ch. 1711..1720

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1711

Even though the distance between their cars was less than five meters, Jory felt as if he had taken a thousand steps to reach the Bentley. When he finally reached its rear door, the bright red car door was suddenly pushed open by a hand with a rose-gold bracelet, and a pair of black stiletto heels stepped out. It was a woman with a diamond necklace who came out of the car.

Pointed her finger at Jory, she shouted, “Why are you following me? Do you want me to report you to the police? Why is such a young man like you stalking me?”

Seeing the fiery red nails inches away from his face, Jory’s heart grew bitter. Did I mistake her for someone else? Why am I looking forward to seeing her? And this was my first time having such a strong desire. So, is the bitterness in my heart now actually the feeling of disappointment?

With such thought in mind, Jory gave her an icy glance and headed back to his car. However, the woman was relentless and even pulled on his shirt, refusing to let him go. After he got into his car, she put her hands on the bonnet and continued to yell at him, but he simply ignored her and backed up his car, almost hitting her chin implant.

He had never mistaken anyone for somebody else in his twenty-two years of life. What is happening to me these days? Jory pinched the bridge of his nose. Is it because I didn’t sleep well and keep thinking about her? No, I did not think about her. I should be hating her, not miss her.

When he was waiting for the traffic lights, he heard his phone vibrating. He glanced at it instinctively and saw it was a notification from his computer system: The system has been invaded.

He frowned for merely a second and chuckled. “Good job, Larry. You’re even faster than I thought. Seems like you’re not dumb either.”

Then, he turned his steering wheel and headed to Dustin’s office.

“Your system is hacked already?” Dustin had his back to Jory as he said this. Even without looking at Jory, he knew that it was him just by listening to his footsteps.

Jory stretched himself out and waved nonchalantly. “Of course not. I’m smarter than that. He only finds out one of my IP addresses, and that was the IP address at my dad’s company. So, my identity is not exposed yet. Besides, I’ve never stayed at my dad’s company for more than five minutes. They won’t know that I’m S.”

Dustin smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. “Speaking of which, what happened between you and your family?”

Jory feigned ignorance. “Huh, what do you mean? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t act like you don’t understand me. You know you can’t hide anything from me when I’m standing right in front of you.” Whenever Dustin asked some serious questions, he always had an uncanny ability to make people squirm under his stare and tell him the truth.

Jory moved backward uneasily and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that? Have I ever hidden anything from you?”

“We’ve known each other for so long, Jory. Yes, you’ve never hidden anything from me, but you’ve never told me about your family before as well.” Dustin’s eyes glinted with wisdom.

Jory still refused to answer his question. Instead, he argued, “You’ve never said anything about your family either.”

Dustin replied calmly, “If I still have family, I’d definitely share it with you.” There was a trace of sadness on his face.

“Hey, why are we talking about this all of a sudden? Don’t cry in front of me, alright? I don’t know how to comfort other people.” Seeing Dustin rolling his eyes, Jory sighed. “A long time ago, I was supposed to have an arranged marriage with a woman whom I didn’t know her name. In the end, I was rejected and my father hates me after that. So, I’ve never gone back home since then.”

Dustin curled his index finger and placed it against his lips, pondering. “Who would dare to call off an engagement with you?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1712

Jory met his gaze. “She rejected me because of how flawed I was then. Don’t tell me you assumed that I was always this impeccable?”

Boisterous laughter burst from Dustin. “That person must be unlucky. I bet she’ll eat her heart out if she knew how great you turned out to be.”

“No, it wasn’t just because of my flaws. She rejected me because she has feelings for someone else.” Jory shook his head whilst uttering this. A brief second passed before he voiced his doubt, “Dustin. Should a woman marry someone she likes or a different person who’s impeccable in every regard? What do you think?”

“You shouldn’t ask me this…” Dustin shifted uncomfortably. He then explained, “You know I won’t say the right answer.”

Jory snorted bitterly. “That’s true, because we both love someone we can’t have.”

Then, silence shrouded them.

Dustin froze momentarily. Once he snapped out of it, he looked over to Jory. “We? You mean—”

“I saw her again.”

Jory paused for a brief moment before continuing, “Speaking of which, the first time I met her was like a scene in a movie…” Jory reminisced whilst gazing absent-mindedly into the space. However, Dustin’s patience was wearing thin as he interrupted, “Who is she?”

Jory coughed and couldn’t bring himself to meet Dustin’s eyes. Seeing this, Dustin questioned further, “Is she related to your plan?”

“Yes, but that’s purely an accident.” Jory grinned as he continued, “Now that she has reappeared in my life and I got to know her better, I’m unsure if I should continue with my plan.”

He’s not as ordinary as I perceived him to be… Dustin felt puzzled as confused thoughts stirred in his mind. I initially thought I understood the motives behind his plan, but now… I’m not sure anymore. If Jory’s goal is the same as when he started, then I don’t actually know Jory as well as I thought I did.

Jory suppressed the smile on his face. He had always enjoyed showing off his boisterous smile to others, so it was strange to see him so serious now. Jory confessed, “Ever since she reappeared, I’m no longer sure of my initial motives.”

“I’m telling you this because we’re friends,” Dustin advised. “It doesn’t matter what you feel for that person. You must understand that she’s married to someone else, and she’s his wife now. But dang, I never would have imagined that you would end up like me…”

It was as if Dustin saw right through Jory, whose eyes darkened as he abruptly turned to leave. Despite this, Dustin still rubbed salt in his wound. “Remember what I told you.”

Nancy texted a quick message to Jory before entering the room, then shutting the bronze-painted door. Inside, Simon was typing something on his computer. Nancy paced opposite him and calmly greeted, “Dad.”

“Excellent timing. I was planning to head over to you if you didn’t come over. Now, I want you to cut all ties with Jory from this point on. He is not someone that should be associated with us, Barrymores. Also, it’s not appropriate for you to visit him frequently.”

Nancy gave him a baffled look, and her hand clutched tightly onto the handle. “What do you mean by frequently? Did you get someone to stalk me?”

“I’m doing this for your safety. You understand, right, Nancy?” Simon affirmed with unyielding certainty.

Nancy’s face puckered, trying hard to disguise her disdain from him. “Why must we dissociate ourselves from him? Even if he and I once had a marriage contract and our families almost collaborated, there’s no need to cut off all ties with their family. Why must we pay for your generation’s greed for financial profits?”

Laughter thundered from Simon. “Nancy, listen to yourself. I almost believed that the person you really like is Jory. I would have never guessed that Caspian is your husband.”

“You’re changing the topic! Even if Caspian and I are married, what law states that spouses aren’t allowed to associate themselves with the opposite gender?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1713

“You’re right. There is no law prohibiting mixed-gender associations. However, you can probably guess what the consequences will be if Caspian finds out. As your dad, I would never put you in a difficult position. Everything I do is for your safety and wellbeing—”

“I know, Dad,” Nancy interrupted. “I’m actually here to ask you about—”

“About Jory,” he finished her sentence with the same certainty as before.

Nancy nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, I wanted to ask if our family had any special exchange of interests with Alpire Group.”

Simon fiddled with the fountain pen in his hand as he nervously responded, “There were many business collaborations back then, but they all ended when you refused to marry Jory. Moreover, I heard that Jory fought with his family over this issue and hasn’t been home for many years since. That is why I hope that you’ll cease contact with him… because there’s no telling how much he hates you and if he’ll end up taking revenge.”

“I don’t think he hates me…” Nancy murmured with a pout. At this, Simon petted her hair and explained, “People are unpredictable. Can you really believe that a mulish boy, who has magically transformed into a capable man, won’t hold a grudge against us?

Nancy interjected, “One more thing. I heard about how Alpire Group is acquiring Norton Corporation. It’s clear that Alpire Group is making its first move, but why start with Norton Corporation? If the target is our family, then why not attack us head-on instead of choosing to strike against the almighty Norton Corporation?”

Nancy paused for effect before instinctively continuing with her revelation, “That means that we’re not their target.”

“You’re still young and inexperienced, Nancy. There are things that you don’t understand,” Simon sighed. He then brought over a teapot and poured a cup of tea for Nancy. “Here, have something to drink.”

A notification bell suddenly rang from inside her handbag. She opened the zipper and peeked, realizing it was a text from Jory that said: I’m here and am waiting for you.

Seeing this, Nancy bounced onto her feet and hurriedly bid Simon goodbye. “Dad, I’ve got plans. I’ll be on my way now.”

Simon’s hand still hung in midair, holding the cup of tea which swayed a little after Nancy had abruptly stood up. “Wait, you haven’t had your drink yet.”

He hadn’t expected a response from Nancy, nor did he expect her to turn around and snatch the cup in his hands. She then downed the tea in one gulp then returned the cup to him before saying, “I’m off now. Bye, Dad!”

Simon gawked at the empty cup in his hand. He shook his head affectionately at the thought of how innocent his daughter was. If anyone ever tried to hurt her, he wouldn’t hesitate to employ all of the Barrymore family’s forces to protect her. Jory… if you’re as ambitious as I think you are, then I hope you put a limit on those ambitions of yours. Because if you go after things with force, then you may end up hurting others.

“Sorry for being late. I was at my dad’s earlier.” Nancy’s hand ran over her fringe, combing them into place.

“Don’t worry about it. The atmosphere here is pleasant, and the service is prompt, so I’m actually enjoying myself whilst waiting,” Jory replied with a humorous tone.

His heart swelled with joy when he saw Nancy’s message earlier. It was like something had filled up the hole in his heart. He hadn’t felt this child-like happiness in a long time, especially since many in the business realm chased after fame and fortune. The people he had met thus far were often scheming against others whilst under the pretense of caring for them.

Being around those scheming people had influenced him negatively; he had always felt like he was a man who lived only for the thrill of seeking profit. Being born into an extremely loaded family didn’t help either. He often felt that his life was miserable, even more so after Nancy refused to marry him.

Sitting before him now was Nancy, whose eyes sparkled. “I have a question for you, but you’ll have to answer honestly.”

Jory answered amusedly, “Go ahead. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“Are you S?” she asked tentatively whilst twiddling her thumbs, subconsciously revealing the overwhelming anxiety and tension inside her.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1714

Jory was certain that no one would trace the letter S to him since he wasn’t acquainted with Larry, let alone Joan. Furthermore, his connection to Joan was one-sided as he knew her, but she didn’t know much about him. Alpire Group had never collaborated with Norton Corporation before this, so nobody really knew of his name.

Although he had meticulously planned out everything, he neglected that Nancy had known him long ago. Even if they weren’t close, she could easily draw a connection between S and his family name, Synder. Their families had also been business partners for many years, so it was a given that she knew of Alpire Group. To top it off, Jory recently bumped into her on his way to meet Simon, and Larry had figured out Alpire Group’s IP address. Hence, Nancy could easily guess who S was.

The IP address, Alpire Group, S—Nancy had connected the dots and found that they all led to Jory. She sat before him now, questioning if her guess was right. Jory wasn’t sure what to say. He could have easily avoided her or even ditch today’s meeting if he really hated her. Yet, he couldn’t quite bring himself to leave her.

For some reason, he couldn’t lie to her face. So he asked instead, “If I asked you to keep it a secret, would you tell anyone?”

If Jory hadn’t said this, Nancy would have without a doubt told Joan and Larry. However, Jory told her that this secret would be theirs alone. He asked her to keep it between them and not tell anyone else about it. It was as if Nancy fell into a trance, making a mental promise to keep her lips tightly sealed.

So she nodded almost immediately. Jory stared at her for a moment, taking in the trust and resolution in her eyes before finally letting his guard down. He then nodded back in acceptance.

“But why did you do it?” Nancy felt confused by everything. Jory wasn’t even close with Joan or Larry, and Alpire Group had no existing business relationships with Norton Corporation. It made more sense if Jory was attacking Nancy and the rest of the Barrymore family since she refused his hand in marriage. After all, it was only natural for her family to bear the cost of causing him so much pain. But how did any of this involve Larry’s family? And those pictures. Are they Jory’s doing as well?

Note: Not sure if the whole thing should be narrative or inner dialogue.

Unless… he has feelings for Joan and wants to break her and Larry up?

This speculation popped into Nancy’s mind and startled her. But the more she considered it, the more reasonable her speculation seemed. Nevertheless, the thought of Jory trying to split up Joan and Larry still made her uncomfortable.

Nancy had mumbled her doubts in front of Jory, who choked on his water and emptied the liquids in his mouth onto the floor. At this, Nancy fished out some tissues from her bag as she frantically apologized, “I’m so sorry, I was just casually blurting out my thoughts. If I misunderstood anything, then please don’t take offense or be mad.”

“How could I possibly have feelings for some married woman who has also given birth? With a post-pregnancy body? Tsk. Tsk. Forget it,” Jory muttered flusteredly.

Back then, Jory often expressed his doubts towards Dustin; he never understood why Dustin devoted himself to Joan when there was plenty of other fish in the sea. Dustin could have found any girl that he liked, yet, he remained hung up on Joan. At that moment, Jory realized that he couldn’t comprehend Dustin’s stubborn feelings because he wasn’t experiencing things from Dustin’s perspective. After all, how could anyone truly understand if they haven’t experienced that kind of situation for themselves?

Perhaps it was because men didn’t indulge in gossip as much as women; Dustin seldom brought up the topic of Joan before Jory, despite Jory helping him all this while. Jory now understood that an indifferent man like Dustin would also have moments where he would lose his cool—all of Dustin’s indignation and resentment were sparked by Joan. Jory understood that he and Dustin experienced the same kind of unrequited love—one where they stood no chance of pursuing the ones they loved.

Doesn’t everyone have equal rights to love? So why are some people destined to never be with the ones they love?

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1715

“Why would I like her if I don’t even know who the hell she is?” A creamy magnolia fragrance wafted from the tissues Nancy had given him. He put down the tissue and continued solemnly, “I have, and only ever will, have one marriage contract in this lifetime.”

This was one of those instances where people blurt out their thoughts without considering the consequences. It happened subconsciously and unexpectedly as people tended to blunder out the thoughts that they had suppressed in their hearts for a long time.

Jory cringed after the words left his mouth. Did I just indirectly confess to her? He had his fair share of experiences with women, but he had no idea what it meant to confess his feelings. All he knew was that he sounded like he was saying, “I only ever had that one marriage contract with you, and you were the wife that got away from me then.”

However, Nancy didn’t respond. She was still stunned by the new information that she had discovered: Jory doesn’t like Joan. So what is Jory’s true motive then? The weight behind Jory’s confession had gone completely over her head as she had stopped paying attention to him halfway.

“I know you have some kind of motive that you won’t tell me, so I won’t bother asking. Just knowing that you’re S is reassuring enough,” Nancy sighed relievingly.

“How are you so sure that I won’t tell you?” Jory instinctively responded.

Little did he expect that she would beat him to speaking. She waved her hands at him, signaling him to halt. “No, no, no! Don’t tell me. Because if you do… I won’t be able to keep it a secret!”

Although she was also born into a powerful and influential family, her heart was much purer than his. She said whatever came to mind in an unapologetic manner which was unlike the way he behaved. Since young, he had learned to prepare default responses when talking to others for fear of saying the wrong thing and negatively affecting his family’s reputation.

He initially believed that people who were born into such wealthy families were all like him; they acted friendly but deep down, they were scheming on how to maximize their own interests.

Not her, though. She was as pure as the driven snow—untrodden and untainted. Then there were also times when she was like a blizzard, cleansing his tarnished soul.

Nancy propped her head up with her hands and frowned. She questioned her own actions. Did I agree to keep Jory’s secret from the others simply because he asked me to? Or was I not planning to expose his secret in the first place?

She felt like a horrible person. How could she think of such messed-up things despite already being married to Caspian? Especially since she was the one who insisted on canceling the wedding. I shouldn’t think about my ex like that. Wait, no. Can Jory even be considered an ex? Nancy mentally scolded herself. What am I thinking? I should be grateful that Jory and I don’t know each other well enough to be enemies. Thankfully it’s not as bad as Dad says…

A hearty laugh erupted from Jory as he saw the massive frown on Nancy’s face. With amusement laced in his voice, he comforted, “Don’t worry about these things anymore. It’ll just make you feel more troubled. Hmm… how about this? Since I made you think of such unhappy thoughts, why don’t I take you somewhere to make it up to you?”

“Where will you take me?” Nancy asked.

“It’s a secret!” Jory gave her a cheeky wink before waving the server over. “Check, please!”

Jory’s Volkswagen was parked outside the restaurant. He unlocked the car and opened the door to the front passenger seat. With a mocking tone, he invited Nancy in. “I guess you’ll have to take my cheap car this time around.”

She hadn’t expected Jory to use that incident against her. A bright red burned onto her cheeks as she said, “Why’d you bring it up? That was because I misunderstood you as being a conceited prick, so obviously, I felt like you needed a good beating to be humbled!”

Jory drove at a speed that was abnormally fast. It was the kind of speed that people like Nancy, who had just gotten their driver’s license, would never even consider driving at. She reminded him throughout the drive, “S-Slow down! Go slower! I’m literally about to fly out of my seat.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1716

A radio station was being broadcasted loudly through the car speakers as Jory yelled at her, “How is this fast? This is nowhere near a real race car yet!”

Nancy mentally screamed as she had a bad feeling. Sure enough, Jory slowed down in the racing track’s parking lot. Her heart dropped. I knew it. I’m doomed.

Jory pulled out a VIP card and led her into the race track. Amongst the grassy space were red and white lanes with white numbers written in paint.

Jory leaned onto his race car and placed his right hand on the door. His blue and white car had a uniquely streamlined shape that reminded Nancy of a rocket. That was the first time in her life that she witnessed a real race car up close and personal.

She couldn’t help but step forward to touch the car’s smooth body. It was clean, and there was not a speck of dust caught on the car’s curves. She could tell that the car was well-loved by its owner.

Nancy recalled the first time she mocked Jory’s car for being lowly and disreputable. Now she gawked, knowing that her behavior then was short-sighted. Jory flashed a smile at her jaw-dropping expression. “Do you want to hop in? We’re the only ones here today, so I’ll let you experience how fast a race car can go, and I can assure you that it’s very different from your Bentley.”

Nancy nodded as she accepted the helmet that Jory handed her. Since she barely ever wore a helmet, her hair got tangled and caught uncomfortably in the helmet. She eventually grew frustrated after some time of trying to put it on. Seeing this, Jory cautiously offered, “Why don’t I help you?”

He approached her side and placed both hands around her head, carefully untangling strands of her long hair from behind her neck. He had always believed that he could have as many women as he wanted, so he never thought that one day he would so delicately detangle a woman’s hair like this.

There were many firsts in life, but he strangely felt comfortable being in this situation.

“That should be it.” His face was extremely close to hers as they locked gazes. Sparks went off like fireworks around them. A gold light gleamed in her eyes while her lashes were slightly curled upwards, like a doll’s. Jory was stunned for a moment as he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Nancy felt that their closeness was inappropriate and immediately looked away.

At this, Jory’s face tinted red in embarrassment. He then returned to the driver’s seat and floored the accelerator. The blue and white race car propelled forward like a rocket, taking off swiftly as it left behind a dark trail on the race track.

“What do you think? Doesn’t the whizz of this speed make you forget about every troubling thought?” Jory roared excitedly.

“We’ll be fine, right?” Nancy’s eyes shut tightly as she didn’t dare to look outside. The car moved so quickly that the view from their window blurred like a smudged painting.

This way of releasing stress is unusual, but it’s definitely more effective than hedonistic ways such as drinking and smoking. Regardless, Nancy agreed that releasing stress was truly an important thing in life. At that moment, she felt the wind blowing against the window. She then cracked her eyes open and saw a sea of green, well-trimmed grass outside their speeding car.

She stole a glance at him but only saw his stoic expression. He was obviously used to driving at such a high speed. Is he stressed out about something? Does a wealthy heir like him have things that bother him too?

Meanwhile, a calmness anchored in Jory’s heart as he felt more at peace than ever. This peace was a feeling that only racing could bring him. Not only that, but he felt liberated from the many years of regret that he felt for the woman sitting beside him now. His mind was finally clear, and he knew that he never hated her at all. Instead, what he felt was the reluctance to let her go. And at that moment, he felt himself falling for her.

As he thought about what it meant to like someone, he could only answer with how he felt now; it was like being in a car with surroundings that constantly changed, yet all he wanted to do was to keep looking at her.

The blue and white race car ran lap after lap. It kept going until he felt tired of seeing the same view, then he pressed on the brakes and steadily slowed the car down.

“You mentioned earlier that I needed a good beating when we first met. So let’s see who’s better at beating the other up between the two of us!” Jory mockingly challenged and raised a fist at her.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1717

Nancy confidently declared, “Well then, you’re going down.” Few people who fought against her were able to win, even Caspian. He was a soldier then, yet even he couldn’t escape from her iron-like grip.

“Why do you say that?” Jory asked.

Nancy positioned herself into a standard Taekwondo pose. “Because I’m a black belt.”

Jory then tapped at the car’s frame as he casually said, “What a coincidence, so am I.”

At Strength Taekwondo.

“It’s really a Taekwondo dojo!” Nancy’s eyes widened at the dojo before her as she hadn’t stepped foot into such a place for many years. At first, she thought that Jory was only kidding about sparring. She didn’t think that he would actually bring her here.

A cunning delight flashed in Jory’s eyes as he intentionally side-eyed her. “What’s wrong? Are you going to chicken out? Too bad, that won’t work on me.”

Nancy coiled her fists. “Who said anything about quitting? I’m just worried that you might back out at the last minute. You better not cry when I beat you into a pulp.”

“A man must keep his word. How could I back out and embarrass myself in front of a girl like you?” Jory leaned in to say with both hands at his back.

At his sudden proximity, Nancy instinctively leaned backward to put some space between them. She retorted, “I hope you don’t regret calling me a little girl once we put on our uniforms. You’ll soon see that I’m a force to be reckoned with.”

Jory clasped his hands together and welcomed her threat. “Alright then, I’ll indulge your attempt since you seem so fired up.”

Nancy normally had a demeanor that was as sweet as pie. After changing into the uniform, she tied her shoulder-length hair into a tall ponytail. It added height to her otherwise not-so-tall figure and made her seem more handsomely refined like a female warrior.

Jory, whose appearance usually gave others the impression of being a spoiled dandy, looked more serious when in uniform. Despite that, his disregard for trivial matters was still visible as he hadn’t smoothed out the crease in his collar, which subtly revealed his well-sculpted collarbones.

The two of them simultaneously tightened the black belts on their waists before they stepped forward and bowed with respect for one another. Jory then motioned for her to make the first move since she was a girl. Allowing women to begin their sparring was a habit that he had practiced ever since he started Taekwondo.

Even if he allowed Nancy to start, he was absolutely confident that he wouldn’t lose. He only allowed so because he wanted to leave the impression of being an incredible and gentlemanly fighter, regardless of how miserably defeated she would be.

She mentally scoffed at him. He’s letting me go first? Seriously? Or has he lost his marbles? Is it because I’m a girl? Well, I won’t shy away since he’s letting me. This way, I’ll have a good reason against him when he loses.

She made the first attack, raising her leg into a swift kick at him. What shocked her was that Jory didn’t dodge her kick. Instead, he boldly raised a hand and blocked her attack without so much as a sweat.

Nancy anxiously skidded to a halt. What’s wrong with him? I can’t believe he actually used his hand to block my leg. Most people’s arms would snap because the bones on our wrists are much weaker than other parts of the body. Does Jory think his hand is made of steel? Is he not afraid of breaking a bone?

While Jory didn’t seem too fazed, he definitely couldn’t ignore the sharp pain that pulsed in his right palm. He couldn’t help but applaud this girl’s strength. If he were to compare her to the teammates that he trained with back then, her kicking power was equivalent to the combined strength of two of his female teammates.

I shouldn’t have let her go first! All I can do now is pretend like I’m fine. Thank goodness I didn’t use my forearms. Otherwise, I’d probably end up in the hospital for tonight.

“Is your hand alright?” Nancy lowered her fists and came closer to him.

Jory massaged his right hand then shrugged it off with the same cocky tone as before, “I didn’t say I was hurt. Go on.”

Is he planning to let me make three moves? He’s that confident about winning? We’ll see about that. Just you watch, Jory. Nancy repositioned herself into her fighting stance once more, then immediately raced forward. Jory secretly felt awe for her perfect combination of movements. She really is no ordinary person. With such agility and vigor, she’s certainly the best among all black belts.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1718

He had always believed himself to be talented in the sport of Taekwondo, but it turned out that he was not. His advanced level was achieved through long periods of training, whereas people like Nancy were naturally talented. Her effortless movements outshined him and made him seem average.

He nullified Nancy’s fierce and offensive blows by speedily dodging. However, there was still a stinging pain in his forehead. I must have bruised it by accident. Thankfully, it’s disguised under my hair, so it doesn’t look too bad.

Nancy secretly exclaimed. He only withstood a heavy impact from her blow earlier that he blocked with his hand. Apart from that, she barely even left a scratch on him.

This would have been impossible back then; even with Caspian, three moves were enough for her to lock his arm onto his back and bring him down to one knee. Jory had exceeded her expectations completely.

Seeing him unscathed, she admitted deep down that she had met an equally capable opponent.

Jory stood behind her. His white uniform swayed ever so slightly as if he were a warrior in a period drama. Delight was evident in his low voice as he said, “My turn.”

Nancy felt her body move instinctively. A second or two after he finished speaking, she quickly turned and clutched tightly onto his left shoulder. She did this as she moved behind him and tried to capture his right arm. But Jory wasn’t someone who could be caught that easily. Just as Nancy wanted to extend her arm, she realized that she couldn’t because Jory had somehow latched onto her without her knowing.

Jory was terrifyingly strong. All he did was tug on her arm, and she felt like she was already being flipped in the air. She was naturally scrawny and light-weighted, so she felt horrified that he would accidentally toss her away like scum. Thankfully, Jory didn’t use all his strength. All he did was pin her onto the ground.

Since Jory held his strength back, Nancy took the opportunity to break from his grasp. She hurriedly spun around and began attacking Jory’s back, making him stumble forward. Nancy raised her leg again and aimed for his shoulder.

Although Jory had his back facing her, he figured out her next move by intuition as well as sensing the shift in the air from her raised leg. He waited patiently for the right moment before spinning on his heels. Hence, he briskly dodged just as Nancy’s left leg came close to him.

Nancy thought that she had him then and there. She was not expecting him to slip away like that. What the… Does he have eyes in the back of his head? Is he even human? He left her leg swinging in midair before her entire body fell forward, almost landing in a split. Then her left hand immediately pushed against the ground to steady herself.

Jory, you jerk! Nancy mentally scolded him because he then yanked her left hand, making her collapse fully onto the floor. However, Nancy wasn’t someone who would easily admit defeat. Before she fell, her right hand shot up to Jory’s shoulders and dragged him down with her.

She lay on the ground whilst he knelt. They stayed in this odd position as they continued their sparring competition.

The two stubbornly froze like this as both of them refused to let go. It was as if whoever loosened their hold first would become the loser.

After staring each other off for some time, Jory was the first to speak up. “I guess I finally found an opponent who’s on par with me.”

Nancy chuckled in response, “We’re evenly matched.”

A strong emotion lingered in their gazes as they looked at each other. It was similar to when they first met; Nancy sat inside her Bentley while Jory leaned into her car window. Back then, the two of them stared each other down with distaste.

But at that moment, there was something more to their gazes. It was akin to the joy of finding commonalities with a stranger—the kind of happiness where they were each other’s equally matched companion. It was important because every move in Taekwondo was like comparing who knew who better. If the fighter understood his opponent, then he would know what their next move would be. He would know it better than the opponent themselves and could then react accordingly.

“I wouldn’t have let you go first if I had known that you were so good at this.” Jory straightened out his clothes and re-knotted his belt.

Meanwhile, Nancy sat cross-legged on the floor. “But I still didn’t get the upper hand, even though you let me make the first move. Plus, you ended up pinning me down…”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1719

Her voice trailed softer. At that, Jory panicked and thought that she was upset. He quickly comforted, “But look! You still managed a firm grip on my arm. I can’t move, see?”

Nancy patted his shoulder. She spoke earnestly at first before her voice started to bubble jovially, “So that means… I won this sparring match!”

There was no way Jory would admit defeat before a mere girl, so he swatted off Nancy’s hand from his shoulder. “What do you mean? I was technically the first to pin you down. No matter how you look at it, we’re evenly tied for this match.”

A wide grin spread across Nancy’s cheeks. She then roared out in laughter, “Just kidding! No need to take my words seriously. You shouldn’t be so petty.”

Jory pointed at himself in disbelief. “I’m petty? Are you kidding me? If I was petty, then why would I let you start first? How ungrateful!”

Nancy had already stood up and was holding her clothes. “I’ve gotta admit that I’m impressed. Your ability to react is much faster than mine. But then again, we have to consider that I haven’t practiced in a long time. Also, there’s a natural disparity between men’s and women’s strengths. It just can’t be helped…”

That last bit sounded like she was reminding herself. However, her words rang true to Jory. He agreed that the difference between men’s and women’s strengths was an important factor in winning sparring matches. Some men packed a powerful punch and weren’t afraid of pain; they could easily stand a couple of blows from a woman, whereas a woman might end up being thrown over the men’s shoulders. In such situations, it didn’t matter how agile or good a woman’s moves were because they wouldn’t even get the chance to show their skills.

This was obviously the way things worked in Taekwondo. Yet, it also seemed applicable to the unspoken rules within the commercial field; it was impossible to defeat the larger companies with big businesses and abundant funds. No matter how hard anyone tried, they could never single-handedly win against those big companies.

Even if they resorted to dirty tricks to take down those large companies, their efforts would go to waste. This was because those companies were deep-pocketed and quick to recover.

In such situations, the obvious plan of action was to attack the enemy from its roots. Just like if an extremely powerful Taekwondo athlete suffers from acute gastroenteritis before a match, then all his strength would be pointless in a game.

When Jory first faced the powerful and established Norton Corporation, he knew better than to attack them head-on. This was not only because it would lead to destructive results, but Alpire Group would also be adversely affected. Alpire Group would have a difficult time operating in the business realm should his attack fail.

Hence, he subtly used computer systems—something he was most familiar with—to find a suitable opportunity for his attack on Norton Corporation. He also manipulated Gabriella and pulled many unexpected stunts to dissolve Norton Corporation.

To some extent, Jory even took advantage of his father and Alpire Group—the company that currently belonged to his father. Ever since they got into a conflict, his dad had no intentions of making him Alpire Group’s heir. But no matter how silent Jory was about the matter, he knew that he was his dad’s only son; Alpire Group would still become his regardless of how unbecoming, worthless, or absurd he was.

It was the same as ancient, regal families where blood and kin triumphed over all other factors. A prince would still retain his title no matter how unworthy he was. Likewise, nothing would stand in the way of him inheriting the throne.

What’s more, the previously idle and philanderer version of Jory had died along with his failed marriage contract. The Jory at that moment had a purpose in life, so how could he end up incompetent or left with nothing?

Jory’s father actually knew that Jory was the mastermind who used Alpire Group’s name to acquire Norton Corporation. However, Jory’s father wasn’t bothered about it. He thought that as long as there were profits and shares to be earned, then why not? Whenever anyone asked, he would say that his son was behind it. This conveniently changed the frivolous and playboy image that others had for Jory.

The sparring match that day allowed Nancy to know Jory better. Initially, she had her doubts on whether the rumors about him were true. However, she couldn’t see the resemblance between him and the hedonistic black-sheep-of-the-family reputation he had.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1720

Seeing past his sharp tongue and big-headedness, Nancy could see herself being the best of friends with him.

After all, there were not many people that could tie with her when it came to Taekwondo. Jory was the first. So how can I not feel empathy for such a well-matched and gentlemanly opponent?

However, there was no need for her to question whether those past rumors about Jory’s reputation were true. She didn’t need to know because she was already married to Caspian. Thus, she told herself to forget about this could-have-been fiancé from long ago.

Plus, Jory had admitted that he was the mysterious S. So there was no telling if he was the saboteur behind her friend’s company as well. Nancy reminded herself that she should keep her guard up around such a man, no matter if she did or did not have conflicted feelings for him.

Oddly enough, she couldn’t bring herself to be vigilant, let alone resist him. There was a special feeling that fluttered inside her every time she met up with Jory. This upset her greatly. She scorned herself for acting like an unfaithful wife and behaving as if the grass was greener on the other side.

But then again, she had no reason to feel so guilty as there was truthfully nothing going on between her and Jory. Yet, she couldn’t help but have a guilty conscience every time she thought about Caspian. The guilt had haunted her. It lingered at the back of her mind ever since she bumped into Jory.

Elsewhere, Joan took a striped necktie from the shelf in her closet. She then turned to look at Larry, who was scrolling through the latest news on his phone whilst sitting on the sofa.

“Are you really going to meet with Alpire Group’s chairman?” Joan asked. Her hair cascaded casually onto her shoulders, giving her a laid-back appearance from waking up early. Despite this, the dark bags under her eyes revealed that she clearly hadn’t slept well for some time.

Larry turned off his phone as his gaze raised over to Joan, who approached him. He responded, “Mm-hmm. Caspian went through a lot to get Alpire Group’s address. They’re so secretive that we couldn’t find their location. I doubt we would have found them if it weren’t because we figured out their IP address.”

Joan placed the tie around his neck. She clumsily secured the tie in the style that he usually preferred. “Promise me that you’ll stay safe. Make sure you check for scams if you end up signing a contract. And be extremely cautious if they make any requests or comments. You must think it over and…”

She finished knotting the tie. Then Larry’s hands suddenly reached out and grazed against the delicate skin on the back of her hands. His brown eyes were rich with affection and care as he gazed at her.

“How did I not know that you can tie a necktie?”

A rosy tint spread across Joan’s cheeks as she mumbled, “There will be more surprises to come. I’ll learn how to do these things properly for you.”

Joan was a very reserved and traditional woman. It definitely showed when they first dated, as well as in their current marriage life. As a man, Larry felt the need to shower his wife with care. He knew that she liked being on the receiving end, so he often initiated things. He couldn’t help but wonder, when did this reserved and introverted woman learn to speak so affectionately?

Ordinary gestures, such as being asked if one has eaten or if they are alright, sparked an immeasurable warmth in people’s hearts. Such small gestures often felt way more meaningful than saying, “I love you.” At that moment, Larry’s chest swelled with serene happiness.

He leaned his forehead against hers. A wide and toothy grin spread on his face as he felt her soft hair tingling against his forehead. He teased with immense joy, “I didn’t know that you could say such romantic things to me.”

In response, Joan’s hand reached up and rested on his broad shoulders. She hummed with a mellifluous voice, “I’ll say them to you every single day once all of this passes.”