Ch. 1811..1820
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1811
She might not be the brightest human out there, but Joan was smart enough to know what the man meant. Someone had paid him one million to kidnap her.
She did not have the luxury of time to think about who the mastermind behind this was. Time was of the essence. She needed to get out.
“Sure, I’ll give you one million,” Joan agreed.
Greed glimmered in the man’s eyes when he heard her statement. To him, if she could easily promise him one million, it meant she was worth much more than that.
“Let me make a call. I’ll ask my friend to bring you the money,” Joan hastened him up.
She had to try all possible means to connect with the outside world. The longer she waited, the more dangerous things were going to be for her.
The warehouse was an awful place. It was poorly lit and filled with damp old clothes. She figured this place must be far away from where Dustin was.
“Let me make just one call. I’ll ask my friend to bring you the cash.” Hope surged within her when she saw the man contemplating her words.
Gabriella had only promised to pay the man after he completed the job, but Joan seemed to be able to give him cash immediately. The latter’s deal was surely more tempting.
“Alright, but you’d better make sure your friend is not bringing anyone else, or I’ll kill both of you tonight,” the man warned coldheartedly.
His sharp words sent a chill down Joan’s spine and made her even more nervous.
She was securely bound by ropes, so there was no way she could move. The man made the call and held the phone beside her, putting it on the loudspeaker.
“Hey, Dustin, could you bring me one million in cash? I need it urgently,” Joan said the moment the call got connected.
Dustin immediately knew that something must have happened to her. She had never asked for so much money from him, and she sounded helpless and disconcerted as she did so.
“Where are you right now? I’ll send the money over myself,” Dustin answered tactfully.
He knew he could not say much over the phone. The kidnapper had to be listening to their conversation.
Joan looked at the foreigner out of the corner of her eyes; he was shaking his head sternly.
Dustin sensed her hesitation, and this further convinced him that she was in grave danger.
“I’ll send you the address later. Be quick.”
The man hung up after Joan finished speaking.
Upon seeing the man smiling in satisfaction, Joan heaved a sigh of relief.
She just needed to wait for Dustin to come now.
“Are you thirsty?” the man suddenly asked.
Her heart skipped a beat at his question, and she shook her head skittishly.
She knew better than to eat or drink anything this man offered her.
The man was exceptionally nice to Joan all of a sudden. It was probably because he was anticipating a large sum of money from her.
The man checked his phone from time to time before making a decision to drag Joan outside.
“Where are we going? Aren’t we waiting for my friend?” Joan looked at the man in suspicion. She was afraid he might have changed his mind.
“Yes, we’re waiting for him, but not here. God knows if your friend contacted the police. But don’t worry. I’ll let you go once I get the one million,” he said, gripping her arm tightly.
This is definitely not his first time during such a thing…
Joan knew the only way she could keep herself safe was to obey his demands.
She could only rely on Dustin now.
Her heart thumped faster as the clock ticked by.
Ring! Ring!
The phone screen lit up again. It was Dustin.
“Talk to him,” the man commanded.
“Hello, Dustin,” Joan said softly.
“Where are you now? There’s no one here.” Dustin’s voice showed that he was obviously distressed.
“I’m not there right now. Could you wait for me for a bit? I’ll call you in a sec.” At that, the man ended the call.
Although Joan had no idea what the man was trying to do, she could tell that he was being extra cautious.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1812
“Has he arrived?” the man asked.
Joan softly replied, “Yes.”
To her surprise, the man silently walked aside and turned on his laptop. From his well-coordinated actions, she knew he must be an experienced criminal.
After looking at the screen for some time, the man switched his laptop off. He had a satisfied expression on his face.
“Good. Your friend didn’t call the police. He’s here alone with the luggage,” the foreigner noted, stroking his beard.
It turned out that he had installed surveillance cameras at the warehouse. He had moved to another place because he wanted to see if Dustin would really come alone with the money. What a cunning man!
Joan looked at the man warily. “What happens next? Are you really gonna let me go?”
“Don’t worry; I will keep my word as long as I get the money. You’re pretty, but I prefer the money,” the man remarked pensively as though he was thinking about something.
“Call him and ask him to leave the money in the safe in a small hut along Tank Road,” the man said, lifting Joan’s chin.
The woman did as she was told and informed Dustin of the location change.
Ring!
This time, the man’s phone rang instead of Joan’s. “Speaking,” the man said sparingly.
“Is it done?”
“Yes. Everything went as planned,” the foreigner replied.
Judging from the man’s tone, Joan guessed he must be talking to the mastermind of her kidnap.
Although she could not hear the voice from the other end, she conjectured that the culprit must be a woman since the man sounded less brutish when talking over the phone.
After some time, the man hung up. His gaze was merciless and icy-cold as he stalked over to her.
“What is it?” Joan asked fearfully when she spotted his change in expression.
The person who engineered this must have changed the plan.
“What do you want? I’ve already agreed to give you the money,” Joan quickly added as she backed away from the man, who now was charging toward her in large strides.
Her statement did not seem to affect her kidnapper, unlike before.
“I’m sorry, but one million no longer suffices. I’m getting one and a half million after I’m done with you.” The man’s eyes shone with glints of thrill.
Joan shuddered in fear.
The person who hired him wants me dead.
“Wait! What about two million? I’ll give you two million!” she cried out.
The foreigner was growing annoyed by her desperate attempts to negotiate.
“You’re not even worth two million. That man over there is not even your boyfriend, so stop faking it. Do you think I’m stupid?” The man glared at her, clearly enraged.
“I might have really believed you if I had not received the call just now. I bet your ‘friend’ over there is a cop. You came to the beach all on your own, so he’s not even your friend!” The man bellowed, pulling Joan’s hair before thrusting her toward the wall.
“Ahhh!” A shriek followed.
“I didn’t lie to you! That’s my friend. He’s not a cop… He didn’t call the police…” Joan’s voice trembled as she broke into sobs.
Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the man had already gone berserk.
He booted her three times until she could no longer stand on her feet. Blood began flowing from the side of Joan’s mouth. Although her forehead and arms were stained red, the man continued to attack her ceaselessly.
“How dare you trick me! I’ll show you just how I treat people who try to lie to me!”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1813
Slap!
Joan’s face turned swollen and red under the man’s battering.
Her body grew numb as her suffering prolonged. After a painful period of time, she passed out on the cold hard ground.
“Get up!” the man roared as he kicked her, “Get up, you b*tch!”
Her body remained motionless.
“Stop acting!”
The man picked up a bucket of cold water and splashed it on her.
The cold shocked her awake, and she shook her head slightly, struggling to open her eyes.
She had thought that she was already dead, but to her dismay, she woke up to an endless nightmare.
“Please… Let me go…” she begged.
She suddenly thought of Larry and how badly she wanted to see him one last time.
“I’m so sorry, Larry. I might not get to see you again. You have to live on…”
“What did you say?” The man sat on top of her and grabbed her hair.
To his surprise, Joan burst out in a sarcastic laugh beneath him.
Her laughter infuriated the man, and he smashed her head against the wall until blood stained the ground once more.
“Why are you laughing?” He seethed in anger.
A weak smirk curved on Joan’s lips as she said calmly, “I’m laughing at your stupidity. Your parents must be embarrassed to see you like this. You’re a disgrace to your family.” She then mocked, “You’re no different from beggars. You’ll do anything for money. Are you even afraid of karma?”
She went all out as she thought she was going to die anyway.
Bang!
Just as the man was about to deal her a fatal punch, the door swung open, and a blinding ray of light flashed before their eyes.
Am I in heaven?
Joan squinted her eyes at the dazzling light.
Am I dead?
This question spun in her mind right before she blacked out.
By the time she woke up again, her entire surrounding was white. The curtains around her were white, the bedsheet of the bed she was on was white, the blanket that was draped over her was white—even the people peering down at her were dressed in white.
This must be heaven.
I definitely died.
What about Larry? How will he react to this piece of news? I didn’t get to see him one last time.
Tears rolled down her eyes as she thought about the man she loved.
“Joan, are you okay? Why are you crying?” A familiar voice rang in her ears.
Dustin? She turned her head and saw her friend at the door.
What’s happening? Is Dustin dead, too?
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and took a harder look at the man at the door. It was really Dustin.
“Are you dead too, Dustin? What happened? Did the man hit you? Or was there an accident?” She showered him with questions as she looked at the man standing in front of her.
Dustin took a thorough look at her as he moved closer.
“Are you okay? Did something happen to your brain?” he asked, caressing her forehead lightly. Worry shone in his eyes as he did so.
“My brain is still functioning, thank you very much. I’m asking why you’re in heaven with me…”
Dustin was taken aback by her odd remark, but he quickly resumed his calm.
“I like you, so I followed you all the to heaven,” he said cheekily with a smile on his face.
She doesn’t even know if she’s alive or dead. How dumb can she get? She’s such an easy target.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” Joan said, patting him on the shoulder.
“Joan Watts? It’s time to take your IV drip,” a nurse called out as she made her way over.
Huh? Aren’t all forms of sickness absent in heaven? Why’s there a nurse here?
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1814
Hmm, they’re probably checking I’m fit for heaven.
With that in mind, Joan lay on the bed quietly and allowed the nurse to put her on an IV drip. What a pretty nurse. This truly is heaven.
Upon noticing Joan’s scrutiny, the nurse asked, bewildered, “What are you staring at?”
“Well, I just think everyone in heaven is pretty,” Joan complimented her with a smile.
The nurse darted her confused gaze at her, silently wondering if the patient before her was mentally stable.
“What heaven are you blabbering about? Life on earth is too short. What’s the hurry to go to heaven?” the nurse replied.
Dustin could not stand watching the ridiculous scene play out before him any longer.
“You aren’t dead, Joan,” he said, trying his best not to laugh out loud at how silly his friend was behaving.
Wait… I’m alive?
Joan’s face flushed red at the realization. Geez, how embarrassing! The pretty nurse must think I’m crazy.
“Why did you lie to me? You even said you’ll follow me wherever I go! You jerk!” She threw a pillow at Dustin as she yelled.
Little did the two know, their every move was being filmed on camera.
Larry clenched his fists as he looked at the photos on the screen.
This is already the third time I’ve received such images. You guys better stop testing my patience. Especially you, Dustin Silverman. You need to stay away from my woman.
Larry’s murderous gaze hardened as he glared at the photos. “Book me a ticket tomorrow. I’m flying to…”
“Larry!” Caspian barged in just as Larry was about to finish his sentence.
“What is it?” the latter asked without shifting his gaze.
His anger radiated off his body in waves, clearly indicating that he was in no mood to have a civil conversation.
“I saw on Twitter that Joan is with Dustin,” Caspian began softly, carefully stealing a quick glance at Larry.
“I know. That’s why I’m leaving tomorrow,” Larry replied dismissively.
Caspian knew Larry would take care of the matter; the latter would even face Dustin head-on if need be.
As that went on, Gabriella was restlessly waiting for updates. “How’s everything?”
“We’ve been tailing them and snapping photos all the while. As for the other man who was supposed to kidnap Joan, he was caught by the police.” A man’s voice rang mechanically over the phone.
A wave of rage flooded her heart, but Gabriella willed herself to calm down.
“That’s fine. We’ll focus on taking photos for now. I’ll pay you more if you get more shots.”
There was no turning back for her. She was a heartless woman, and she would live up to who she was.
She banged her fists against the table in a fit of anger, causing everyone around her to jump at the sudden sound. Joan Watts! After everything I plotted against you, how can you still be alive?
Larry hopped on a flight and arrived early the next morning.
Although he was overtaken by fury when he saw pictures of Dustin and Joan together, he was now more eager to see the woman he loved. It had been days since he last saw Joan. He missed her dearly.
He immediately called her number. “Hello? Joan, where are you now?”
“I’m at…”
“Joan! Get the ball!” Dustin’s loud voice pierced through Larry’s phone.
She’s still with Dustin?
Larry’s face turned gloomy.
“I have something going on, Larry. I’ll call you in a bit.” Joan hung up right after speaking.
A forbidding glint appeared in Larry’s already chilly eyes. This how you treat me after I’ve come all the way here?
With growing fury in his heart, Larry hailed a cab and made his way to the beach. Joan had told him where she was staying when they video called last time.
“Come on, Joan! You’re gonna lose at this rate!” Dustin cried out.
“You’re the one losing, not me!” Joan shouted back as she sent the ball flying over.
Soon, their intense match finally ended.
“Joan’s group won!” the referee exclaimed at the end of the volleyball match.
“Yay! We won!” Joan cheered as she ran around the beach, elated.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1815
Joan jumped up and down in excitement, celebrating her victory like a child. Dustin had originally been disappointed with his loss, but his mood lightened up the moment he saw Joan looking all electrified.
“Your team played decently, I guess. I can’t believe you just won a volleyball match.” Dustin patted her shoulder approvingly.
“That’s Joan Watts for you!” the woman exclaimed, tilting her chin proudly.
Dustin lifted her off the ground, happy and content to see her happy.
“What are you doing! Put me down!” Joan shrieked in panic.
Larry, who had just arrived at that moment, caught sight of them from afar.
“Let’s have a barbecue to celebrate,” Dustin suggested, ruffling her hair affectionately.
As soon as they turned, they bumped right into Larry.
“Larry! What are you doing you here?” Joan asked, startled.
“Why can’t I be here? Am I interrupting something between you guys?” Larry asked back coldly.
Is he angry? Joan looked at his face searchingly, trying to figure out why he was pissed.
“So glad you graced us with your presence, Mr. Norton. Is everything well taken care of at your company yet?” Dustin asked sarcastically.
Larry spared him a cursory glance before he turned to look back at Joan sternly.
The woman knew that look on his face far too well.
She quickly made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around his hand. “Why not we go out for a meal together?” she questioned.
Instead of replying to her question, Larry growled, “You’re leaving with me.” He grabbed her arm as he turned to leave.
Dustin quickly interjected, “Larry, she hasn’t eaten anything. She’s worn out.”
At that remark, Larry turned and looked at the other man, exuding a patronizing air.
He badly wanted to throw Dustin into the sea and let the fish eat him up.
“I get to decide what I’m doing with my woman, so get out of my way.” He spelled out every word authoritatively, shooting daggers at Dustin as he did so.
“Did something happen, Larry?” Joan asked cluelessly, pulling on his sleeve.
She really had no idea why Larry looked so disturbed.
“Are you seriously asking me that question? Come with me. Now!” Larry bellowed.
He dragged her to his room and stared her down as soon as she was inside.
“So, tell me. Have you been happily spending time with Dustin these few days?” he interrogated as he cornered her against the wall.
“What are you trying to get at? You’re the one who asked me to leave the country,” Joan answered quietly.
She could not believe how Larry had changed his mind in just a split moment.
“I asked you to relax and unwind abroad. I didn’t say you could come here with Dustin!” Larry retaliated.
His blood boiled violently as he recalled the pictures he saw. He could not believe they had the audacity to go hiking and go to the beach together.
“There must be some misunderstanding, Larry. I didn’t know Dustin would be here,” Joan explained.
He must be jealous now.
While men were generally more forgiving than women, this was clearly not the case when they got jealous.
“A misunderstanding? You were with him all the time! Were you happy when you two went hiking? Were you having an amazing time playing volleyball together? Do you want him to stay with you instead?” Larry grabbed her shoulders as he lambasted her with angry questions.
Joan’s brows furrowed when she felt a pang of pain shoot through her body.
“I told you that I’ll come looking for you once I’ve settled everything at the company. What are you doing here? You didn’t draw a clear line with that man. Is this the way you plan to treat me?”
Disappointment and anger were written all over Larry’s face.
“Do you even know what you’re going on about, Larry Norton?” Joan lashed out.
Since when was he so impulsive? Anger rose in her heart as she looked back at him dead in the eyes.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1816
“What is it? Are you saying I wronged you?” Larry’s eyes burned in wrath.
His remark caused Joan to fall into silence. It was true that she had been with Dustin for the past few days. But nothing had happened between them.
“It’s not what you think it is, Larry,” she began anxiously, wanting to explain herself.
The man smirked when he noticed her anxious state and nodded condescendingly. “Fine. Tell me what’s going on then.”
Joan did not know where to start now that he had suddenly asked her to speak her mind.
“What’s the matter? You don’t have anything to say? I’ll speak for you then. You guys went hiking together and even stayed in the same room after that. Both of you had loads of fun at the beach while playing volleyball together.”
Larry turned his back toward Joan as he delineated every single thing they did together.
Joan’s expression turned grim as she listened to him speak with such wrath in his tone.
There was no way he could recount everything in great detail.
“You had me followed?” she asked.
Larry looked back at her, disheartened.
He had believed her all this while. He had not sent anyone to tail her this time, but all the photos on Twitter said it all. The pictures Gabriella showed him were enough to fill him in on everything the woman he loved had been doing.
“Yeah, I did. I sent someone to stalk you. I wouldn’t have known you guys had a thing if I hadn’t sent someone to spy on you!” Larry blustered out of control.
Joan’s face shows a look of equal disappointment.
What about you? What about the photos of you and Gabriella? She showed up at our house in her pajamas, and she was even clinging to you. How do you explain that?
“I’ve never done anything to betray your trust. Dustin and I are friends. You’re the one who needs a check on your relationship with Gabriella.” With that said, Joan stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
“Joan!” Larry shouted after her, but she did not turn back.
Larry was left all alone in the room.
He could not understand why she had brought up Gabriella all of a sudden.
Joan made her way back to the beach on her own. She spread her gaze across the dark blue sea as a sense of helplessness and loneliness overwhelmed her.
She had thought that Larry would be happy to spend time with her on a vacation. However, it seemed as if he was only here to create trouble.
“Hey, are you feeling okay?” Dustin made his way over when he saw her.
“I’m sorry about what happened earlier on…” Joan began slowly, an awkward smile on her face.
Dustin shook his head indifferently.
“Why’s he here all of a sudden?” he asked.
“He actually planned to come over a long time ago,” she replied quietly.
The wind was getting stronger, driving the waves against the shore fiercely as time passed. Noting the time, Dustin suggested Joan head back to rest, but the latter wanted to stay out a little longer.
“Take this,” Dustin said, putting on his coat on her.
Joan thanked him with a genuine smile. “Thanks.”
She felt lucky to have a friend like him, especially when she just had a fight with Larry.
“So, what’s next? A kiss?” A familiar voice came from behind.
“What on earth are you talking about, Larry?” Joan shot him a glare.
Larry ignored her and walked over to Dustin. “What about you? Do you think it’s appropriate to stay with my woman till this late at night?”
“She’s your woman, but you let her sit here all alone for such a long time?” Dustin stood up and stared at Larry dead in the eyes.
The latter sneered at that question.
“Who are you to say anything about our relationship?”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1817
Joan quickly got on her feet when she saw the two men about to fling their fists at each other.
“Stop it, both of you. It’s late. Why not you head back first, Dustin? Thanks for your coat,” she said, giving it back to him.
Dustin looked at her hesitantly. He was afraid Larry would do something to her.
“It’s still early. Why not all of us have a talk?” Larry said with a snicker on his face.
Joan looked at the man in confusion. What’s wrong with him? Does he have to speak like that?
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Dustin,” Joan said, waving her hand at him in a dismissing manner.
Dustin turned to leave, but Larry refused to let him go in peace.
The latter sneered, “Do you guys want me to go to another room so you guys can have some personal space?”
That comment made Dustin lose all his cool.
Pow!
Before Dustin could heave Larry a punch, the latter had already beat him to it.
“Larry! Stop it!” Joan shouted desperately for him to stop, but her efforts were futile. Larry’s anger was not appeased.
“You’re the one who failed to protect her, so don’t take it out on me!” Dustin snarled back and got on his feet, ready for a fight.
The two men charged at each other, and a ferocious fight ensued.
“Stop it, you two! Stop!” Joan cried out anxiously, but none of them paid any attention to her.
As the fight intensified, Joan felt that she had to do something. When she saw Larry raising his fist again, she dashed in between the two, causing a blow to land right on her nose.
“Joan! Are you okay?” Dustin asked distraughtly, rushing closer to her.
“Did you just take my punch for this man?” Larry’s eyes turned red as he glared at her.
Joan glowered back at him with undiluted anger shining in her eyes.
“That’s enough, Larry!” she yelled.
Larry stared at her, hurt and rage in his eyes before he left without another word.
“Are you okay?” Joan looked at her friend remorsefully.
Dustin was injured all over. There were bruises on his arm, his face, and his legs. Larry had learned to fight, so Dustin had clearly been no match for him.
“I’m fine,” he said, wiping away the blood at the corner of his lips.
As Larry made his way to his room, his mind swirled with thoughts. She’s even willing to get hurt because of that man? Bang! The man ran his fist right into the wall once he got back to his room. Blood streamed down his knuckles at the impact.
He walked over to the window and looked down at Joan and Dustin on the beach.
“I’ll put on a bandage for you,” Joan offered, pulling Dustin back to the hotel.
She caught a glimpse of the man looking down at her from the window as she walked into the hotel with her injured friend.
“What happened between you and him?” Dustin asked.
The woman did not answer. Upon seeing her emotionless face, Dustin knew better than to probe further into the topic.
Suddenly, he let out a scream of pain.
“Can you please be gentle! It’s painful!” he groaned, touching a wound of his beside his lips.
“I’m really sorry,” Joan hastily apologized profusely as she looked at him.
The man’s gaze softened when he beheld the dispirited woman.
It did not take an observant person to know that Joan had a lot going on in her mind. It seemed like she and Larry were not on good terms.
Although this was good news to Dustin, he still wanted her to be happy.
“You should head back to your room already. I can take care of everything on my own,” Dustin said, snatching the cotton buds from her hands.
“Why?”
“I know your heart and mind are not here,” Dustin muttered.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1818
What he uttered was true. Joan knew Larry had also gotten hurt during the fight. She was wondering if he had his wounds treated and if he was okay.
A pang of sadness rose in her heart as she thought of Larry.
“Go and take a look at him if you’re worried,” Dustin urged.
“I’m not worried about him,” she answered immediately.
She and her ego. She’s exactly the same as Larry. Dustin really had no idea why the two could not just sit down and have a candid conversation.
“Did you guys get into an argument?” he asked carefully.
“I’m too lazy to fight with him,” Joan uttered quietly, sitting down.
From her looks, Dustin was sure something had happened between them. Larry was the only person capable of putting such an expression on Joan’s face.
“Off you go. Sleep is calling my name,” Dustin joked.
“Why are you chasing me away?”
Joan let out a soft sigh. I thought we were friends?
“Hey, although it’s true that I like you and dislike Larry, I want to compete with him on level ground. I’ll respect whatever decision you make. Yes, I’m happy because your relationship is on rocky ground, but it breaks my heart to see you sad too,” Dustin explained.
His words warmed Joan’s heart.
She suddenly felt lucky to have met someone like Dustin and was glad he was in her life.
“Alright, you should get going now. Larry would come at me with a knife tomorrow morning if you stay any longer,” Dustin said, pushing Joan out of the room.
Dustin knew he wouldn’t be able to easily get over her, but he did not want Larry to misunderstand the situation.
Joan was a kind and pure soul who deserved to be treated with love.
A sad smile curved on Dustin’s lips as he shooed her out.
Joan paced around in the lobby after Dustin shut the door, not knowing what to do.
She did not want to go back to the room Larry was in. She did not want to see him.
However, there was no other room she could go to.
She sat on the couch in the lobby and looked at the ceiling, lost in thought.
After a moment of contemplation, she decided to stay there for the night. There was no way she was going back to that room.
Over in the room, Larry tossed and turned on the bed, unable to catch a wink of sleep. He looked at the vacant space beside him and instantly felt regret for what he did.
Did I act too rashly just now? I should’ve given her a chance to explain.
He looked at the pitch dark sky outside, and his face hardened.
But… what I said was true!
She was with Dustin all this time, and she didn’t tell me what she was up to. She even took my punch on that prick’s behalf! Anger surged in Larry’s heart as he recalled everything that had happened.
What’s taking her so long? It’s already late. He began to grow more and more worried.
He figured she must be at Dustin’s room since she saw her tugging him back to the hotel.
What are they doing? At the thought of her sleeping in the same room as another man, Larry leapt out of bed and barged out of the room.
Dustin had just fallen asleep when someone loudly banged on his door.
“Who’s there?” Dustin asked impatiently. Who can it be? It’s already midnight!
“It’s me!” Larry shouted. His voice shook Dustin awake.
What on earth does he want? He can’t sleep? Is that why he wants to continue our fight?
“What do you want?” Dustin asked through the small crack after opening the door slightly.
“Are you seriously asking me what I want?” Larry exclaimed angrily, pushing his way in. Dustin almost fell as Larry made his way in.
“Larry Norton, who do you think you are? You can’t storm into my room like this!” Dustin howled in anger as he steadied his steps.
She’s… She’s not here. Where on earth is she? Larry shot a scrutinizing glare at Dustin, waiting for the man to give him an answer.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1819
“What do you want? Spit it out and leave!” Dustin looked exasperatedly at Larry, who was behaving so inconsiderately.
It was clear that he had no trust in Joan. “Where is she?” Larry demanded.
Are you asking me? Isn’t she your woman?
“She’s not here. She left,” Dustin replied.
Where on earth is she? Larry’s brows furrowed in frustration.
“Get out. I need to rest,” Dustin growled as he pushed the other man out.
From Larry’s clueless look, Dustin had a rough idea of what was happening. He grabbed his phone and dialed Joan’s number after he got Larry was out of the room.
“Hey, what are you doing? Larry came looking for you,” he said with a yawn.
“Don’t worry; I’m in the lobby. Just let him be,” Joan replied, trying to keep her voice low.
“Joan Watts!” A roar echoed in the lobby.
The receptionist jerked at the shout and looked up angrily, but her rage simmered almost immediately at the sight of Larry. Her eyes sparkled when she took note of the attractive man.
“How may I help you, sir?” the receptionist asked in a friendly manner.
Despite her effort, Larry disregarded her and walked right over to Joan.
Gosh, not again. The woman was not ready to have another fight. She sat back on the couch, trying to distance herself from the man.
But Larry went over and scooped her up in his arms.
“What are you doing? Let me go!”
“We’re going back to the room to sleep!”
Larry brought her back to their room, unaware of the receptionist’s adoring stare.
“Put me down!” Joan yelled.
“That’s what I’m doing!” Larry placed her on the bed cautiously, making sure she didn’t knock her head against the headboard as he did so.
After letting her go, he turned to leave the room.
“Where are you going?” Joan asked.
“You don’t want to see me, right? I’ll be sleeping outside.”
Joan was at a loss for words.
It went without saying that she was angry with Larry. He had misunderstood her and even hit Dustin. Not only did her friend not do anything to her, but he had also even saved her. But Larry came in and behaved as if he knew everything, when in fact he knew nothing.
Yet, she could not bring herself to punish him. “It’s okay. Just sleep here tonight,” she said with a low voice.
Larry turned around slowly and looked at her attentively.
It had just been days, but he felt as if he had not seen her for a century. He wanted this trip to be a good getaway for the both of them, but when he found out she was with Dustin, rage had blinded him.
In hindsight, he knew he should have given her a chance to explain. Things might not be as simple as they seemed.
Larry had indeed behaved recklessly.
“I’m sorry for what happened earlier. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have acted in that manner,” he said, bowing his head apologetically.
Joan suppressed the smile on her face as she looked at him.
I shouldn’t give him an easy way out. After all, he did beat Dustin to a pulp.
“You should apologize to Dustin, not me,” she stated, looking at her fingers in an absentminded manner.
Guilt budded in Larry’s heart, but he still hoped she could give him an explanation.
“Do you have anything to say to me? It’s just the two of us now.”
Joan knew what he meant. Since there were just the two of them, they should sort out their own argument tonight and apologize to Dustin tomorrow.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 1820
I’ll decide if I should apologize based on the explanation I plan to give tonight.
Joan grinned. Since when did I become so smart?
“All those tweets you saw earlier are not true. We went hiking, and I sprained my ankle,” Joan explained to Larry, “That’s why Dustin had to carry me. Nothing is going on between us.”
The former then continued explaining, “It was too late for us to head home, so we had no choice but to stay in a hotel.“There was only one available room. Dustin and I didn’t have a choice but to share a room that night.”
Larry paid close attention to her explanation as he did not want to miss out on the details. “I see. I guess I misunderstood him.”
“You also beat him up,” Joan said coldly as her eyes shot daggers at him. “How could you do that to someone who saved my life?”
“What did you say? He saved your life?” Larry shot her a confused look.
Joan lowered her voice down to a whisper as if she was afraid to mention the situation out loud. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Long story short, I almost got kidnapped.”
The thought of the danger she had been in sent chills down her spine.
“You’re telling me Dustin saved you?” Larry asked softly.
“Yeah. He even got all the cash ready as a bribe,” she replied.
Larry’s face turned grim. She only left the country for a couple of days, yet all these happened so coincidentally? Who was the man who kidnapped her, though?
Suddenly, Gabriella’s smug face popped up in his mind.
He truly believed Gabriella would go to the ends of the earth to get rid of a person she despised.
Yes. Gabriella sure is one scary, persistent woman. A hard glint flashed across his eyes at the thought.
“Hey.” Joan gently patted his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Larry immediately changed the subject after, asking Joan concernedly, “How are you feeling? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. Look!” The woman tapped her chest repeatedly.
She would not want him to know if she was injured because she knew he would worry. Even if she was hurt, she would have recovered by now.
“Stop worrying about me. It’s getting late. Go to bed! You should find a way to apologize to Dustin,” Joan said, intentionally reminding Larry of an apology that was due.
“Joan.” The man inched closer and embraced her.
“It’s all my fault. You wouldn’t have gone through all these had I agreed to go with you.” Larry buried his head in her collarbone.
Joan took a deep sniff of the familiar scent emitted from his body.
She gave his back a gentle pat, hoping to provide him an indication that she’s forgiven him. Things that are destined to happen will still happen. Even if there’s no Gabriella in this world, there will always be a Gisella, Granella, or even Gerdanella, who will try to torture me.
I can’t expect people to always be there for me. I can’t expect people to rescue me whenever I’m in trouble. I must face such things on my own.
Larry held Joan tightly in his embrace as the two of them closed their eyes and enjoyed the comfortable silence.
The morning sun that rose the next day permeated through the window, filling the room with warmth.
Joan stretched before she gradually opened her eyes.
She turned around to face Larry, who was lying in the bed next to her. The events that had happened last night felt like a dream.
Anger had been written all over Larry’s face when he arrived, but the man had instantly turned a total gentleman last night after she explained her side of the story.
Perhaps he was angry out of jealously. Joan stroked the man’s brows tenderly, lost in thought.
“Why are you up so early?” Larry suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.
She was so close to his chest that she could clearly hear his heartbeat thumping at a steady rhythm.
“I can’t sleep any longer,” she answered softly.
“But I’m still tired.” Larry ran his finger down her cheek.
“Okay. I’ll go for a morning jog while you catch some more z’s,” Joan stated decisively before she got out of bed.