Ch. 1761..1770

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1761

Joan couldn’t believe her ears. There was no way the Nancy she knew would say something like that. “T-This isn’t funny, Nancy,” she stammered. “Don’t say any more. Whatever it is you’re playing at, I don’t think it’d be much fun to carry on.”

Nancy smiled at her friend. “Why haven’t you asked if the person I’m in love with is Caspian?”

Joan got all tongue-tied as her world started spinning out of control. Everything was coming at her so fast that she could no longer tell what was true.

Try as she might, Joan couldn’t shake away the escalating sense of foreboding.

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she looked at Nancy. “That person… do I know him?”

“You don’t. But I’ve mentioned him to you before.”

From what Joan knew, Nancy had always come across as an introverted and reserved person. Other than Caspian, she couldn’t remember Nancy ever mentioning another man’s name to her.

If she hasn’t mentioned other men to me, does that mean it’s Caspian she loves? Is she just taking me for a ride? The suspense was killing her, and Joan decided to confront Nancy with her thoughts.

“It’s not Caspian,” Nancy said with a resolute shake of her head.

When she saw how adamant Nancy was, Joan was well and truly stumped.

She could only imagine how humiliated Caspian would be if he found out about it. No man would be able to take this sort of news well, not even the strongest ones.

Nancy remained cool as a cucumber even though she noticed how quiet Joan had become. “If I told you now, you might have some recollection.”

When Joan didn’t object to it, Nancy continued, “Remember when we went to Norton Corporation for Caspian? I told you then about the fiancé I used to have. Well, he’s back now. And his name is Jory Synder.”

“Is he the mysterious S? Is that him?” Joan asked as realization slowly crept over her. Wouldn’t that mean Jory was the one who secretly photographed Dustin and me?

“I don’t know. I’ve never brought the matter up.” Even with that, Joan couldn’t tell if Nancy was covering up for Jory or if she meant it.

“I ended things with him in the past because there have been misunderstandings and malicious rumors. But now he’s back. And more importantly, he hasn’t forgotten about me.”

Despite Nancy pouring out her emotions as she spoke, Joan no longer felt the same about her. The Nancy then seemed a little more pretentious—a far cry from what she used to be. “You should know that things are different now. Caspian is your husband, and you’ve stopped being Jory’s fiancée when you turned him down!” Joan finally replied, her tone cold and harsh.

“That may be so, but it still doesn’t mean that what I have with Caspian is love. We’ve lived together for so long, but everyone can see how incompatible we are. Living with him has been exhausting for me. I’m sure it is for him too.”

Joan was getting riled up even more now. “Nancy, do you know what you’re saying?”

To her surprise, Nancy still had a smile on her face. “I do. Joan, I’ll find the right time to break this to Caspian and end things with him. Since the two of us aren’t compatible, I don’t want to continue this loveless relationship. All I’m asking of you now is to help keep this a secret.”

“You know very well he’s never going to accept this, but he’ll still have to find out about it eventually. Just how cruel can you be? You said to find the right time, but there can never be a right time for something like this.”

Ever since she got to know Nancy and Caspian, Joan had treated them like family. Nancy suddenly becoming this cruel was the scenario Joan thought one could only find in television dramas.

Joan sighed before continuing, “But rest assured that Caspian will only hear this from you. I promise to keep it a secret until then. Thank you for opening up to me, and thank you for treating me as a good friend. However, before this matter is made public, I don’t know if we can still be friends.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1762

If this were someone else, Joan would have berated them without hesitation. But because it’s Nancy, Joan found herself at a loss for words.

Nancy stepped forward and held Joan’s arm. “That’s good. I want you to know that you’re still very much like a sister to me, and that would never change, no matter what happens in the future.”

Joan didn’t pull herself away from Nancy as she led them out of the restroom. She took comfort in the fact that they could remain as friends for now.

When Joan and Nancy left the table earlier, Larry began his interrogation on Caspian. “Have the two of you not made up?”

“We have. I had just given her flowers yesterday, and everything seemed fine,” Caspian looked downcast as he replied.

“From what she said earlier, are you facing any relationship issues?”

“What? No, no. You’re overthinking it, Boss.” Caspian tried to play it cool by brushing Larry off. Deep down, he knew Nancy had changed a lot over the past few days. He had suspected something himself, but he wasn’t keen to elaborate in front of Larry.

The onlookers would always see most of the game as compared to the players themselves. So even though Caspian didn’t say it, Larry could guess as much. “That better be the case, Caspian. But you should still pay more attention to your relationship. Identify the issues early on, and you’ll be able to tackle them better.”

Caspian waved him off as he awkwardly replied, “You’re exaggerating, Boss. It’s not as serious as you make it out to be.”

Just then, the ladies made their way back to the table. Nancy was all smiles when she pulled her chair out. “We’ve been gone for so long, and you still haven’t ordered any food?”

“No, because Boss and I don’t know what to order. Why don’t you do it since you’re familiar with the food here? Joan, let Nancy know what you want to eat, and we’ll order them all.”

Nancy quickly added, “Oh, yes, yes! Caspian’s buying this meal, so let’s eat our fill. Don’t be shy, Joan. Go ahead and order whatever you like.”

The sudden change in both Nancy and Caspian took Joan by surprise. It felt as if nothing ever happened, and the awkwardness from before had all disappeared. Whether it was intentional or not, they had managed to synchronize their acts.

Larry, as expected, noticed the change in Joan immediately. Judging by her expression, he guessed Nancy must have confided in her.

Nevertheless, he decided to hold his tongue and keep things civil. He patted Joan as they flipped through the menu together.

They soon settled into a familiar routine of laughing and chatting over food and drinks. The only exception was that the comfort they used to have with one another was missing. Everyone had something weighing on their minds, and everyone had questions they didn’t dare to ask.

There was no doubt that this was the calm before the storm.

After the meal, Nancy drove straight to her father’s office while Caspian rode with Larry back to Norton Corporation.

When Nancy arrived at Barrymore Group, she entered the elevator and promptly pressed for the twenty-sixth floor.

She knew that the only way to end things with Caspian was to have a divorce. But before she brought that up with him, she’d have to inform her father about it first.

Nancy tried to make as little noise as possible by tiptoeing her way into her father’s office. She was about to close the door when she heard her father. “When will you ever learn to knock before you enter?”

“Dad, how did you know it was me?” she replied with a cheeky grin.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1763

Simon rubbed his forehead in mock annoyance. “Because you’re the only one who comes in without knocking on the door.”

After closing the door and locking it, Nancy sat in front of her father, all prim and proper. When she realized he was too immersed in the pile of documents on the table, she willfully snatched them away from him.

“Is your daughter not as important as these papers?”

Simon sighed loudly. “Very well then. What brings my precious daughter here? But please, keep it short.”

Nancy held the documents against her chest as she stared at her father. “I’m getting a divorce.”

Like her father requested, Nancy had gone straight to the point, leaving Simon in a state of bewilderment.

“What? A divorce? Did I hear it right?

“You heard right. I’m getting a divorce.”

“Why?” Simon’s frown deepened as he continued, “Was it something Caspian did?”

“It’s not him. It’s something that I’ve done.”

Simon was even more confused now as he gazed at his daughter. “Nancy, please tell me, what have you done?”

“One of the reasons I want a divorce is that the person I had let slip in the past is now back. But the main reason is that I don’t love Caspian anymore. I can’t see myself living with him any longer. Two people should be together because they’re compatible, not because they’re constantly accommodating the other.”

“Someone you had let slip?” Simon mumbled to himself. “I don’t recall you ever talking about other boyfriends. Isn’t Caspian your first love?”

Nancy held her father’s gaze as she continued, “Dad, do you remember a few years back when I rejected a marriage proposal from Alpire Group?”

Simon fell back into this chair. “Please don’t tell me you’ve fallen for someone from the Alpire Group.”

“I won’t lie to you, Dad. It is him. I rejected him back then because of some misunderstandings and rumors. But now he’s back, and he still remembers me! I think this must be fate.”

“Jory Synder?” Simon almost choked on his words as he pounded his fist on the table.

Nancy twitched from her father’s sudden outburst and nodded. “Yes. You know him, Dad.”

“Don’t you know that Jory’s despicable and ruthless? Haven’t you heard about all the problems he had caused?” Simon’s brows furrowed deeper as he tried to talk some sense into his daughter.

Nancy was visibly agitated now. “It’s because of those baseless accusations that I rejected the proposal and ruined the working relationship our families had!”

“You’re still speaking up for him? Who was the one crying about wanting to reject the proposal back then? Because of you, I ditched all my plans to work with Alpire Group. Don’t you think I’ve done enough for you?”

Seeing how furious her father was, Nancy softened her voice. “That’s not what I meant, Dad. Back then, I only had people telling me how awful Jory was, and that’s why I misunderstood him. But now I have the opportunity to get to know him better.”

Simon stood up, his naturally majestic aura filling the space around him as he scolded his daughter, “No. Your engagement with him is over! Don’t forget that you are both of completely different statuses!”

Nancy remained silent as she pondered her options. She knew her father was high-principled, and she couldn’t persuade him the way she did with Joan. If she did, he would criticize her for being shameless and rude.

Once Simon got angry, there was no holding his words back. He leaned into her, ready to give her a piece of his mind. “You have let Caspian down, and I’m sure it’s hard to break this to him. But since you have the guts to do it, I’m sure you wouldn’t be afraid of others talking behind your back, right?”

“Yes…” Nancy mumbled. She thought she had mentally prepared herself enough to face the inevitable storm that’d come her way. But when her father scolded her as expected, the full brunt of his words still proved too much to bear.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1764

“Have you talked to Caspian about the divorce?” His tone eased significantly, causing Nancy to sigh in relief.

“Not yet. But, it’s about time. I will find a suitable opportunity to tell him.”

Lighting up a cigarette, Simon exhaled slowly. “Indeed, it will be painful for him. If you are really going ahead with the divorce, you should let him have a bigger share of the assets.”

When Nancy didn’t reply, Simon assumed her silence meant consent. He added, “If he finds out about this, he would definitely not agree to the divorce. As for Jory, there would be no escape for him.”

If it were any other time, Nancy would shrug her father off for worrying unnecessarily. But right then, she couldn’t deny the validity of his concerns. After being married to Caspian for almost two years, she knew him like the back of her hand. But to a certain extent, she still couldn’t get a good grasp of how he would react.

However, there wasn’t any doubt in her that Caspian would make Jory pay. Furthermore, there was another issue. She wondered how she was going to bring this up to Caspian. She could avoid mentioning Jory, but how could she lead the conversation toward a divorce?

At Jory’s office.

Knock! Knock!

“Come in.” Jory was reading the latest analyst report on Norton Corporation that Dustin brought. He yelled for the person who knocked to come in.

If he had looked up, he likely would have regretted his action.

Gabriella was dressed provocatively as usual. Although she was modest in front of Joan most of the time, she was always flamboyant toward Jory.

“Get out,” Jory snapped without hesitation when he saw who it was.

Gabriella smiled. “How can you ask me to leave right after giving me permission to enter?”

Ignoring her, Jory continued to study the report in his hand. As for Gabriella, she paced around the office and even touched some of the displays inside.

“I heard the lady say that you’re Jory Synder. Despite working for you, I don’t even know your name,” Gabriella sneered.

With his eyes still on the report, Jory replied plainly, “The deal was that you focus on your work, and I pay you for it. There’s no need for me to tell you my name. It’s utterly unnecessary…”

Gabriella sighed. “There’s no way I can beat a businessman like you in a verbal exchange. But, as a woman, I know how to judge another woman.”

Jory closed the report in his hands with a clap. “If you’re here to talk about the Barrymores or cause trouble, you should leave.”

“What? Don’t you dare admit what you have done? Are you feeling guilty?” Gabriella pressed to her advantage. “Despite having an affair with a married woman, Mr. Synder, you really are audacious.”

Jory sprang to his feet and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her forcefully, Gabriella lost her balance and crashed her thigh into the corner of the desk.

“Do you believe that with just a phone call, you will be swarmed by reporters questioning you about all your misdeeds over the years? Also, don’t forget about Landon. He was surrounded by reporters from every TV station because of you.”

“You…” Briefly stunned, Gabriella suppressed her anger. “We are partners, so let’s not talk about such nonsense. All this while, I feel that it isn’t normal for you to know everything about me while I know nothing about you. But now, we are even.”

Jory flung her wrist aside as if he was throwing something filthy away. He felt like his hands would be tainted if he held them any longer.

“Remember this, going forward, you are not allowed to come here. If you dare defy me in any way, I will make sure to teach you a lesson with the help of the reporters.”

Gabriella was enraged. “I’m not planning to do anything to you. Instead, you are the one disrupting Larry’s life.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1765

Jory was stunned when he saw her staring at the cover of the document he was reading. On top of it, the words “Norton Corporation analyst report” were clearly written. He quickly turned the document face down. When the folder’s hardcover dropped on the desk, the resulting bang jolted both of them.

Suddenly, a ruthless look flashed within Jory’s eyes. Ever since he changed, he told himself that he would never give anyone the same look. But, in the face of the insolent Gabriella, he couldn’t help but break his own vow.

“Let me warn you one more time. Don’t meddle in my affairs.”

Gabriella’s eyes sparkled in triumph. “I knew it! The Norton Corporation’s stock price crash and subsequent takeover must have something to do with you. Now, I wonder if it’s somehow related to our partnership?”

She had expected Jory to be infuriated and to coerce her into keeping his secret. However, his expression became more resolute instead, as if it didn’t matter to him at all. In fact, he was actually smiling.

“Go ahead and tell everyone. If anyone believes you, I will consider that I have lost,” Jory declared confidently, “By then, I can hand you over to the police for disrupting public order.”

He was right. Without any proof, no one would believe her. But Jory was different. He was rich and powerful. Also, he wielded the influence of a large conglomerate. No matter what he did, there would be many who would willingly protect him.

There was no competition between the two of them at all.

Just when Gabriella wanted to vent her frustrations, she suddenly thought of Nancy. Coincidentally, she had met Nancy once before. When one had a weakness, one would no longer be invincible. Jory was no different as Nancy was his weakness.

She held onto her injured wrist. “Your plan of being together with Nancy is not realistic at all. The chairman of Barrymore Group would never admit that his daughter had an affair. Also, there’s still Caspian whom I interacted with before. He is a stubborn one. Although he isn’t meant for great things, he loves Nancy a lot.”

When Jory remained silent, Gabriella continued, “Taking a step back, even if for some reason Mr. Barrymore agrees to their divorce for the sake of Nancy’s happiness, do you think Caspian would stand quietly while you take Nancy away from him?”

“Caspian. I have indeed never met him before…”

Placing her hand on Jory’s shoulder, Gabriella smiled deviously. “Therefore, why don’t I help you take Caspian out of the picture. When that happens, no one will stand before you and Nancy.”

Jory narrowed his gaze on the hand she placed on him. “What do you plan to do?”

Gabriella’s flaming red fingernails looked as if they were on fire. “There’s no need for you to worry about the details. All you need to know is that you will be satisfied with the results. As for my reward, I’m sure you know better than anyone else what I want.”

“Is it all just for money?” Jory asked skeptically.

Gabriella pretended to sound pitiful. “Ever since I was kicked out by Landon, money has become everything to me. Someone like you who is never short of it will never understand how I feel.”

When Jory thought back to this incident much later, he could only hate himself for not giving Gabriella a slap and blame himself for not asking for more details.

With regard to Nancy’s situation, Joan didn’t have much to say about it. After all, Nancy was her good friend and she was obligated to side with her no matter what.

However, she did promise Nancy that before the latter broke the news to Caspian, she would keep it a secret, even from Larry.

Meanwhile, it was obvious to Larry that Nancy and Caspian were having problems. Furthermore, he could also tell that Nancy must have said something to Joan.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1766

“She really didn’t tell me anything. So, stop asking me about it.” When Joan repeated her denial for the third time, she was already sick of doing so.

Before Larry replied, he saw the traffic light in front and stepped on the brakes gently.

Joan couldn’t help but sigh. Gripping her seat belt, she remarked, “She only told me about the many differences they have in their daily lives…”

“Differences? Just a few days ago, I told Caspian that a couple must always learn how to compromise. Didn’t you tell Nancy the same?” Larry asked.

“Of course I did. But did you know what she said?” Joan turned to face Larry. “She said that love is about compatibility without having to change one’s interest or personality to accommodate the other.”

Larry was stumped. The words seemed to make sense but he still felt there was something wrong with it. However, he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

“Are you feeling the same way as I did? You have the urge to rebut but can’t find the basis to do it?” Joan asked.

Larry tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “If it really was about compatibility, then why did she choose to get married in the first place? Now that they are, how can she say something like that?”

Joan plainly replied, “Perhaps, love at first sight caused both of them to lose their rationality. But living together might have brought them back to reality.”

“Hmm… It sounds like Nancy doesn’t intend to reconcile with Caspian.” As Larry stepped on the accelerator, their car continued on its journey.

At that point, Joan was overwhelmed by guilt. Although it had nothing to do with her, hiding something from Larry filled her with self-reproach. After a long hesitation, she stuttered, “S-She… she said… she wants a divorce.”

Given that traffic was noisy and Joan spoke very softly, Larry didn’t catch her words. “Huh? What?”

“D-Divorce.” Joan raised her volume.

She could obviously feel Larry trembling as he gradually applied the brakes and stopped by the roadside. After He finally regained his senses after a long while and asked, “Divorce? Did you hear her wrong?”

Joan shook her head. “I thought I made a mistake too. But that was what Nancy told me.”

“Have Caspian agreed to it?” Larry asked.

Joan shook her head. “No, Nancy hasn’t told him about it yet.”

Unexpectedly, Larry burst out in laughter. However, it was a wry and helpless one. “Caspian would never agree to it. How could he?”

“Larry, everyone has the freedom to make their own choices. There’s no rule saying that one person must be with another forever. As outsiders, all we can do is respect their decision,” Joan remarked. The best she could do now was not mention Jory in front of Larry.

However, she still felt conflicted. Although she managed to keep Nancy’s secret, it felt like a betrayal to Caspian. Is this how I repay him after everything he has done for us?

“Previously, I told Caspian to never bring up about divorce no matter what happened with Nancy.” Larry’s eyes were filled with an indescribable sadness. “He agreed and even said that the idea never crossed his mind. However, I didn’t expect Nancy to be the one who would bring it up.”

As Joan gazed into his eyes, she put her hand on Larry’s. “Perhaps, there is a period in everyone’s life when their fate is no longer in their hands.”

Joan wondered if Nancy had thought this through, especially of the consequences. As for the latter’s decision to divorce, it was one where Nancy just couldn’t help herself.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1767

If one is forced to be with a man she doesn’t love, it will be unfair to all parties.

However, does fairness really exist in this world? Or can it be that true fairness would inadvertently result in someone getting hurt?

“There’s no way Nancy is going to change her mind. Larry, if you have the time, it’s better that you advise Caspian to let go. Also, you have to remind him not to give up on life…”

Larry didn’t say anything further. If Caspian knew what Nancy’s thoughts were, Larry wasn’t sure if he would even have the opportunity to console the former. Given how rigid Caspian’s temperament was, Larry was worried that he would end up doing something stupid. After restarting the engine, they continued on their journey, leaving behind a cloud of smoke on the quiet street.

When night fell, on the roof of Nirhaven College, one could see stars blanketing the sky, sparkling dimly over the city. As the moon shone brightly, its light was enough to illuminate the path of anyone walking home.

It was said that when one was missing another, all one had to do was look up at the moon. Who knew the person whom you miss would be looking at the moon too at that moment?

As for Dustin, gazing at the moon at night with the gentle breeze blowing across his face was the only way he could feel at peace. As if he was all alone in that space, he enjoyed the moment very much. However, there was something different about that particular night. There was someone who insisted on gazing at the moon with him. He was even reciting poems while doing so.

“Given that you offered to join me here, I guess you must be in a good mood today?” Dustin placed both his hands on the roof’s parapet. “Has she accepted you?”

Jory was holding a wine bottle in his right hand while his left hand held the stem of a wine glass in between his fingers. “You can put it that way. But, it seems that this is just the beginning.”

Dustin received the wineglass that Jory handed him. As the moonlight reflected off it, it made it look like a red ruby. “Congratulations, the time you spent building your career overseas was not in vain.”

Jory took a sip. “I always wondered how my life would be if she never appeared.”

Dustin laughed. “What do you expect? You will never be short of money. Who knows, you might even inherit Alpire Group successfully.”

Jory laughed together with him but his tone was filled with contempt. “Do I look like someone who cares about money to you? When I left my father, it was because he looked down on me for not having achieved anything. Hence, the last thing I wanted was to live off him for life.”

Smirking, Dustin replied in a dispassionate tone, “I admire your pridefulness. If I were you, I would be begging the chairman to allow me to inherit the company. At least with power and influence, and not to forget money, I can certainly achieve something.”

Jory quickly understood what Dustin was trying to insinuate. Putting down the half-empty wine glass, he asked, “Do you really think that Joan didn’t choose you because you didn’t have all that?”

Dustin retorted, “What else could it be?”

Jory shook his head. “I don’t believe that’s the case. If she really was in it for the money, would you still have fallen for a gold digger like her? Of course, if you insist that you would still love her for whoever she is, then I have nothing else to say.”

Dustin stared at his wineglass. “Of course, I won’t.”

Jory patted him on his shoulder. “Although I don’t know why you are so infatuated with Joan, there’s one thing I’m sure of—you wouldn’t have fallen for her if she were a shallow person. Perhaps, Joan really saw something in Larry in which you don’t possess.”

Dustin took a deep breath and tried his best to maintain his calm. “Enough about me, let’s talk about you instead. How did you get her to agree to be with you?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1768

“This might be the only thing in my whole life that I didn’t plan for. Because it really seemed like fate and everything else just fell into place.” Jory lifted the wine bottle and refilled Dustin’s glass. The clink between the bottle and wine glass sounded especially melodious at night.

“Since my transformation, I would draw up a plan in my mind for everything I’m about to do. I would use it to guide me step by step during the execution. But, when it came to her, it really felt like fate had decided everything. I didn’t even need to plot and scheme at all.”

He added, “It felt as if as long as we had each other, it didn’t matter whatever we did or however much we had. More importantly, her happiness is all that I care about because I am happy whenever I see the joy on her face.”

Jory’s words were so sincere that even Dustin couldn’t help but be stunned by them. After keeping silent for a while, Jory extended his hand to shake him. “What are you thinking about? Why are you being so quiet?”

Dustin repeated slowly, “Her happiness is your priority?”

Jory nodded. “Don’t you feel happy whenever you see her happy?”

“Kind of…” Dustin mumbled to himself. “In that case, is what we’re doing right? Using your dad’s Alpire Group to takeover Norton Corporation’s subsidiary and to see both Joan and Larry be devastated by it…”

Jory fell silent as all he thought about initially was that this was a great way to destroy Larry. However, if Joan really loved Larry, she would definitely not leave him for Dustin when his company was in trouble. In fact, she would stick with Larry until the crisis was over.

Joan would never be happy if Larry were in trouble. It would then spiral into a vicious cycle. Jory began to doubt if he was really helping Dustin that way. Having no answers, all he could do was to help his best friend achieve whatever he wanted.

“There’s no point in overthinking it. Not like it’s going to make you any richer. Come, let’s drink up.” Jory toasted his wine glass toward the moon. “In appreciation of the beautiful moon tonight. Bottoms up!”

Dustin yawned as he clinked glasses with Jory. “You’re right! Bottoms up!”

Jory shook the empty bottle. “Red wine is for celebrations while whiskey is for forgetting our sorrows.”

“Celebrate? What are we celebrating?” Justin squinted his eyes as he raised his tone in surprise.

After pondering a moment, Jory pointed at the moon while grinning widely at Dustin. “We’re celebrating how beautiful the moon is tonight.”

Dustin laughed and didn’t say anything further.

The next morning.

Larry was woken up by a phone call. On the line was Norton Corporation’s head of financial analysis. His words were rapid and his tone anxious. Still feeling groggy, Larry was instantly awoken upon hearing his report, to the extent of having cold sweat break out from his back.

“Mr. Norton! Something bad has happened! Alpire Group has taken over two more of our subsidiaries. As of now, we have lost a total of seven!”

Larry sprang up from his bed and gulped in concern. “How did this happen? Why didn’t we see it coming?”

“There really was no sign of it. It just happened all of a sudden. Our financial analysis systems did not indicate that we were under attack. Their method did not leave a single trace at all.” The department head’s pitch was off due to his nervousness. In the background, Larry could hear the arguments going on.

Larry replied with a solemn tone, “I’m coming over at once.”

After ending the call, he was still unable to digest the massive amount of information that he had just received. All he did was toss his blanket aside and space out while sitting on the bed.

When Joan felt the sudden gush of wind from the blanket being flipped, she was awoken by it. Rubbing her dreary eyes, she asked in a daze, “What happened, Larry? What time is it?”

Turning to his side, Larry looked out with disbelief and suspicion. “The seventh subsidiary is gone.”

Right then, even Joan was fully awake and she too broke out in a cold sweat. On her face, was the same look of disbelief. “How can that be? Didn’t they stop attacking us for a while now?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1769

Larry shook his head. “We are too careless. When Dustin spoke to me, he told me Alpire Group’s target was the entire Norton Corporation. We didn’t take him seriously then. That was a big mistake from the beginning. They just wanted to lower our guard so that they can achieve their objective faster.”

“No, Dustin wouldn’t do that,” Joan mumbled to herself. As if he was woken from a dream, Larry took out his phone and searched for Dustin’s number. “That’s right. Dustin must know something about this.”

As Joan watched him make the call, they waited for a whole thirty-seven seconds before they heard a female robotic voice inform them that there was no one answering. Both of them exchanged glances and were puzzled as to what was going on.

Joan quickly found her phone on the bed. As if she was grabbing on to the last glimmer of hope, she called Dustin’s number.

Thirty-seven seconds later, she raised her gaze at Larry as the phone she was holding slipped onto the bedsheet.

“No one is picking up.”

After a while, Larry turned off his phone as the flood of notifications he was receiving was giving him a headache. “No, I must head to the office at once.”

Tossing her blanket aside, Joan pushed back her hair. “I’m coming with you.”

News traveled fast indeed. Before they even reached the office, the media had caught wind of the situation and the news dominated the headlines of all major websites.

When Nancy was waiting at a red light, she reached into her bag for a bottle of mineral water. Just when she lifted her head to drink, she heard the news being broadcasted over the radio, causing her to almost spew the water out from her mouth.

“After a brief respite, Alpire Group is back in action in its’ acquisition of Norton Corporation’s subsidiary again…”

Alpire Group? Alpire Group! Does Jory have something to do with this? Is he attacking Norton Corporation again? Fearful of thinking any further, she turned the car around and sped toward Jory’s office.

Meanwhile, Jory, who was in the midst of his morning exercise, was also surprised to hear the news. Takeover? Is this Dustin’s doing? Although Jory was the heir to Alpire Group, he had delegated to Dustin the authority to manage the matter. It shouldn’t be him. We were just admiring the moon the night before.

Jory told himself not to speculate any further. Instead, he should immediately ask the person directly involved. Hence, he had to call Dustin at once.

The moment he called, he received a message saying Dustin’s line was busy. Why is his line busy? Can there be someone else wanting to talk to him during a moment like this? After ending the call, Jory patiently waited for a minute before calling again.

This time, the line was no longer busy. Instead, it went unanswered. Why isn’t anyone answering? How can this be? Did he dispose of his phone away right after answering the earlier call?

Jory was puzzled. After changing out of his sports attire and into his office suit, he saw a striking red Bentley driving in from afar. Jory stood where he was to await his guest’s arrival.

Wearing a pair of flats, Nancy ran over to him once the car came to a stop. With the wind blowing in her hair, her fringes strewn messily all over her face.

Holding her phone, its screen was still lit up. She looked upset and seemed to want to show him something.

“Nancy, what are you doing here so early in the morning?”

Still panting heavily, Nancy raised her phone at him. “D-Did you do this?”

Glancing over, it was indeed the news of Norton Corporation being taken over. If he denied it, no one in their right mind would believe him. After all, he was inextricably linked to Alpire Group.

“Would you believe me if I said it wasn’t me?” Jory asked her in return.

Nancy furrowed her eyebrows. “Since when do you need to say something like that to me? If you say that it wasn’t you, of course, I would believe you.”

As Nancy’s trust warmed Jory’s heart, he pulled her into his embrace without any hesitation. Resting his chin on her hair, he explained in a gentle voice, “Thank you for your trust. To be clear, this isn’t my doing and I have no idea what’s going on. Hence, I’m on my way to investigate the matter.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1770

Nancy placed her hands on his hips. “Investigate? Does it mean that you have a lead and that you know who did it?”

Nancy was extremely sharp to decipher his words. Jory was naturally not going to lie. “I’m not sure yet. I just called him but he didn’t answer.”

“Perhaps, you can get through now?” Nancy gave him an encouraging glance. “Why don’t you try again?”

After waiting for another thirty-seven second, both of them gave up on calling him. Jory turned off his phone. “When you arrived just now, I was about to head over to see him.”

“The reason I rushed over was because of this too…” Nancy sighed. “Joan and Larry must be devastated to hear the news in the morning. After all, it has been a long time since something like that happened.”

Staring at her anxious expression, Jory asked, “You do care a lot about them, don’t you?”

Nancy nodded without hesitation. “Of course, they are my best friends.”

Before Jory could respond, Nancy dragged him into her car. “Come, let’s go and find the culprit. We need to question him on what his motives are. I don’t believe he has fled just because he isn’t answering his phone.”

Jory had wanted to say something to defend Dustin. But, when he grabbed onto her hand, the words that left his mouth were instead, “Let’s go in my car. Or perhaps, I’ll turn on my GPS and you can just follow me in your car.”

Nancy smiled helplessly. “Does it matter whose car? Come, let’s go.”

At Norton Corporation, Larry had learned his lesson from the last time. Instead of going through the front door, he entered via the back door with Joan. Upon reaching his office, he realized that the main entrance had been swarmed with reporters who were waiting for their appearance.

“Luckily, we managed to avoid them.” Joan patted her chest to calm herself down.

Larry remained expressionless as he was used to it by now. “What’s the use of avoiding them? What is done is done. Unfortunately, we do not have a solution as of now.”

Joan held his hand in an attempt to give his cold hands some warmth. “There has to be a solution. There definitely has to. We will face this together.”

Larry smiled back at her as he clasped the hand that held onto his. Both of them were like travelers of the south pole desperately trying to survive the cold by giving each other warmth.

The moment he walked out of the elevator, Larry received a message from the largest shareholder of Norton Corporation. Joan too, peeked over to read the contents of the message.

It stated: Shareholders’ meeting in ten minutes.

Despite how short the message was, Joan’s heart dropped when she saw it. Tightening her grip on Larry’s hand, she choked, “Can it be t-that they…?”

Larry massaged her palm with his thumb as if he was trying to rub her worries away. He softly reassured, “No, they won’t. I didn’t do anything wrong. Hence, they have no reason to strip me of my power and position yet.”

Ever since the previous misunderstanding, Larry was no longer as brazen as he used to be. Instead, he was now filled with a sense of calmness and humility that wasn’t there before. Hence, Joan could see a shadow of his former self from his words. To her, he seemed exceptionally confident and she could recognize that the invincible Larry was back. Therefore, when he said they would be fine, she definitely believed that to be the case.

The atmosphere at the shareholders’ meeting was tense. Everyone’s expression couldn’t be any more solemn. All the attendees had taken their seats and were waiting for Larry’s arrival.

The meeting room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The only sound that could be heard was Larry’s footsteps and the beating of their own hearts.