Ch. 2671..2680

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2671

Altercation

Jessica didn’t know that this joke she made was very likely to come true.

“I’m busy. Just leave me be.” Larry absent-mindedly waved at Jessica and motioned for her to leave the office.

Seeing that Larry was in fact, busy, Jessica smirked and departed.

“Mr. Norton!”

An assistant had just barged in, drawing Larry’s ire. “Can’t you knock?” shouted Larry in annoyance.

The assistant looked sheepish but did not calm down. “I apologize, Mr. Norton. But this is urgent. Something has happened!”

“Well, out with it.”

“Three of our partners have terminated all contracts with us,” whispered the assistant. His tone did nothing to conceal the distress he felt.

What? Larry stood up very abruptly.

While he had anticipated something like this, he never expected it to happen this quickly.

“Any other anomalies?” asked Larry tersely.

“We’re still looking into it!”

The two then had a brief exchange. Soon after, Larry grabbed his coat and left the office.

F*ck you, Jake. You’ve really gone for the kill!

Larry fished out his phone from his pocket and made a call.

“Mr. Norton? To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” came Jake’s cheery tone from the other end of the receiver.

“Let’s talk,” replied Larry brusquely.

“Sorry, I’m rather busy right now.”

“Then I’ll meet you at your company.”

Jake was about to hang up when he shouted, “No need for that!”

He took a few seconds to compose himself before adding, “We’ll meet at our old joint.” With that, Jake hung up.

The old place? That’s the café where we met.

Larry frowned. What exactly is that b*stard going to do?Ruin Norton Corporation? Propose a merger?

The gaze in Larry’s eyes turned dangerously cold.

At the café, Larry sat on the sofa and tried to calm himself down.

Half an hour later, Jake arrived.

“My, my. Aren’t you early!” exclaimed Jake loudly as he made his way towards the table.

“Just on time.”

It was here that their struggle really took off.

“Be honest, what do you want?” asked Larry, taking a sip of coffee.

“Well, did I ever do anything to you?”

“Cut the crap!” hissed Larry in a low voice.

If there was one thing Larry hated the most, it was people who wasted his time. He was always the type who wanted to settle things as quickly as possible.

Jake recoiled in mock indignance. ‘Why, Mr. Norton! What are you talking about?”

“Jake, let’s speak plainly. We’re both adults, so why don’t we be honest and upfront? Enough of this moping around in the dark.”

Larry’s words held quite a bit of weight in them. This angered Jake, whose expression shifted from mild amusement to pure rage.

“What? Didn’t Joan tell you?” asked Jake.

Tell me what? Larry glared incredulously at the smug-looking man in front of him.

Were they still involved with each other? That shouldn’t be the case!

“Let’s just say that everything that’s happening right now is because of Joan.”

What on earth does this have to do with Joan? Larry’s expression was confused as he looked at Jake suspiciously. He needed some clarification.

“With Faye gone, I’ll never let Joan off the hook! I want her to pay and have a taste of how it felt when her loved ones are hurt!”

Finally, Larry understood.

All this time, Larry assumed that Jake’s grudge was directed only at him. He never guessed that it had anything to do with Joan at all.

How ridiculous! Larry had also erroneously assumed that this grudge was over something as simple as business or profit. All this time, it was over a woman. Even he found it difficult to believe.

‘I’ve heard about what happened between you both and Joan. She had a good relationship with Faye and even shared a very close kinship with her.” Larry sighed but continued. “When that accident happened, Joan was devastated.”

“Stop making excuses for her already! People are already gossiping about you being an alleged cuckold. You still have it in you to defend her?”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2672

Why Are You Unhappy

Jake had known of Joan’s escapade with Dustin from the very beginning.

On top of that, there was also the presence of Abelyn.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

“Wait a bit. We’re not finished here!” exclaimed Jake.

“There’s nothing else to discuss!” yelled Larry in response.

Now that he had figured out Jake’s intentions, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

After Larry left the café, he glanced at his watch. He could not stop himself from dialing Joan’s number. After a few rings, she finally picked up.

“Where are you?” asked Larry, his voice dangerously silky.

“What is it?” queried Joan.

“I said, WHERE are you?” shouted Larry.

“I’m just taking some time off,” replied Joan calmly.

Dissatisfied at Joan’s evasive answers, Larry hung up.

The drive home was terse and quiet. It was not long before he reached his destination.

“What’s the matter, Larry?” asked Delilah. His expression seemed to worry her. “You don’t look very well.”

“It’s nothing.”

You call that “nothing”? Delilah looked at Larry again. He seemed a little dazed and colder than usual as well. Did he have an argument with someone? Delilah hurried towards Larry and gave him the once over.

“What is it? Did you quarrel with Joan?” asked Delilah again.

“No.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be mad! She just took a little trip on her own, that’s all—”

“Ms. Young!” Larry was not in the mood to let her finish.

“I’m going to rest in my room.” Larry brusquely walked up the stairs without sparing Delilah another glance.

Delilah sighed. Why do these young couples always quarrel? With another glance at Joan’s empty bedroom, she shook her head and went back to the kitchen.

In the room, Larry lay on the bed and shifted restlessly. His gaze wandered towards the dark sky outside his window as his mind began to wander.

Sometimes, he did wonder if he made the right choice with Joan. Try as he might, he could not just give up someone he loved this much.

First, it was Dustin, then it was Caiden, and now Jake? Why did Joan have so many acquaintances from the opposite sex? They seemed to outnumber her female friends!

Minutes turned into hours. Fatigue soon overcame him as he eventually drifted off to sleep.

“Grandma, where’s Dad?” Lucius sat in the living room, but his loud voice reached Delilah’s ears.

“He’s resting,” came Delilah’s reply from the kitchen.

“Oh.” Lucius appeared crestfallen.

“Come on, Lucius. Why don’t I sign that for you?” Delilah dried her hands on her apron and walked towards the little boy.

A signature from a parent or guardian was always required after the child completes the corrections on a task. This was the school’s way of keeping the parents in the loop when it came to the children’s performance academically.

“Okay.” Lucius walked over to Delilah with a pen in his hand.

Back in the room, Larry’s phone was blinking repeatedly. However, he had set it to silent mode and thus did not realize it.

The next day, Della bombarded Larry with several questions when he made his way to the office. ”I made so many calls to you, so why didn’t you answer?”

“I was fast asleep when you called.”

Della was not blind to the disappointment in Larry’s face. She felt her heart clench, unable to bear the sight of Larry like this.

There was only one thing in the world that can possibly make him this upset. It has to be Joan.

“Did you quarrel with Joan?” asked Della.

“No.”

“Then why are you unhappy?”

“I’m not.”

Larry was quite reluctant to admit that he was, in fact, unhappy. Della turned around, walked towards the sofa and sat down.

Larry frowned. “Do you need something?”

“There will be a banquet tonight.” As she said this, Della placed an invitation in front of Larry.

Larry pushed it aside disinterestedly. “I’m not going.”

“I’d advise you to reconsider,” urged Della. “This banquet is one of the largest nationwide gatherings. I reckon it would benefit you.”

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2673

No Regrets

Larry looked up and stared ahead, feeling torn about what he should do.

He knew the attendees would all be prominent figures, but more importantly, he knew the party organizer was not one to be trifled with.

Forget it. I’ll just go.

“Alright. Got it,” Larry replied plainly before continuing with his work.

It was clear that Larry wasn’t in a mood to talk, so Della left the office without saying anything else.

“Hey, Ms. Duff. You’re here!” Caspian greeted when he bumped into Della in the corridor.

“Caspian, don’t forget to remind Larry about the party tonight,” Della replied curtly before continuing on her way.

Caspian cocked his head in confusion at Della’s retreating figure. Party? What party? Why haven’t I heard of this before?

“Larry, I heard there’s a party tonight… “ Caspian exclaimed as soon as he stepped into the office.

Larry was still far from enthused about the party as he hummed in response.

He had absolutely no desire to attend, but judging by the current state of Norton Corporation, this networking opportunity might just be what they needed.

“How’s the investigation coming along?” Larry asked.

“I found out that the business partners who terminated the contract had spoken to Jake beforehand.”

Larry clenched his fists tightly upon hearing that, his eyes ablaze with anger. I knew it! It was all Jake’s doing!

“What should we do next, Larry?” Caspian added.

“I’m going to have a good chat with those business partners,” Larry replied with an air of steely determination.

Through sheer hard work and getting partnerships with prominent domestic enterprises, Larry had managed to scale Norton Corporation to greater heights. But all his efforts were so easily destroyed when Jake decided to meddle in it.

Jake, you’re indeed a vicious man!

“Track down every one of those business partners and send me their locations!” Larry ordered.

Caspian immediately did as instructed, and before long, Larry had all the information he needed.

The very people Larry was hunting down were all in a private room of the hotel, chatting away excitedly.

“How do you think Larry would try to resolve this issue?”

“Ha! Who knows?”

“Larry can’t live without us. I’m sure it won’t be long before he comes to beg us, haha… “

Joy and laughter filled the air as the men continued to chat and drink to their hearts’ content.

“Here’s a toast to our friendship! Cheers!”

Bang!

The men were about to down their wine when the door to their room got flung open.

“Larry? What are you doing here?” shouted one of the men.

“Who told you to come here? I sure as hell didn’t invite you!” another yelled.

Larry slowly made his way toward the men, a steely gaze fixed on them.

“Happy, aren’t you?” he growled. “Excited even, right?”

Before anyone could react, Larry picked up a wine glass and smashed it onto the floor.

A deafening silence immediately followed, and everyone could feel the tension growing in the air.

“Don’t be like this, Larry. We’re only here to have a meal together,” one of the men mumbled.

“Really? Is that before or after you discuss whether I’d come to beg you?”

Larry saw no need to mince his words, especially when what he had to say made a lot of sense.

How dare these old foxes gang up against me! They’re nothing but scheming sc*mbags, and I’ll make sure they pay for it!

“Not only am I terminating my business relationships with all of you, but I shall also acquire all your companies in the future. You mark my words!”

With that, Larry stomped out of the room, leaving the men standing in open-mouthed astonishment.

“Has he lost his mind?”

“He said he wants to acquire our companies.”

“Oh sh*t. What do we do now? We’ve really offended Larry, haven’t we?”

Before long, the men had all left the room, still shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Larry knew that even without their support, Norton Corporation would still be able to flourish. Though it was a pity to part ways with them, he did not have an ounce of regret for his actions.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2674

Ingrates

Initially, Larry had wanted to talk to them and come up with a win-win solution for everyone. But he never expected them to gather behind his back and even go to the extent of celebrating the fall of Norton Corporation.

What a bunch of ingrates! Who was the one who lent a helping hand when their companies ran into difficulties? If it weren’t for me, they’d have all gone bankrupt!

“What’s wrong, Larry?” Caspian anxiously asked over the phone.

“We’re terminating all dealings with those business partners. Get the assistant to prepare all the necessary documents.”

Caspian was confused by Larry’s sudden change of plans. Didn’t he want to try to retain them?

“Larry, are you okay? Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I’m going to change Norton Corporation’s growth strategy,” Larry said before hanging up.

With society’s progression and the constant advancements in technology, traditional growth strategies are gradually losing their effectiveness. With technology dominating the future, Larry had to be forward-thinking and make all the necessary preparations to future-proof Norton Corporation.

When Larry got back to his office, he found Jessica flipping through magazines on the sofa.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m going to invest in you, Larry!” she exclaimed.

Larry looked at her quizzically, waiting for her to elaborate on her ridiculous declaration. Why would she suddenly bring this up?

Jessica hung her head as she explained, “I had heard about what happened to Norton Corporation, so I wanted to help out.”

Oh my goodness. It must have been Caspian! Him and his big mouth!

“No need for your help. I’ll settle it myself,” Larry replied curtly.

“Why do you still treat me as an outsider, Larry?”

“I’m not. You’re my last resort!” Larry suddenly answered.

Norton Corporation’s development might have been full of setbacks, but thankfully, there hadn’t been many losses.

Ironically, the business partners who had been gloating at him were the ones whining about their financial losses.

Della had swung by later in the day to talk to Larry once she found out about his decision. “Any regrets?” she asked and waited expectantly for his answer.

Della wasn’t new to the world of business and knew how deceitful people could be. They would grab any opportunity to make a profit, so she couldn’t fathom why Larry would choose to give up on those partnerships when he clearly could have benefitted from them.

“None whatsoever,” he replied with confidence.

“Why, though?”

“They were the ones who ditched me first. And besides, I don’t need them.”

Larry had never done anything at the expense of others, and neither will he grovel before them just for some measly profits.

“That’s good to hear,” Della replied with a smile of satisfaction.

“Where’s Joan? I haven’t seen her in a long time,” she added while casually flipping through the magazines.

“She’s gone abroad,” came Larry’s cold answer.

His reply took Della aback, but she soon recovered her composure and went back to reading her magazines.

Just then, an irate Jessica stormed into the office. “What business is it of yours to know where Joan is?”

Not her again! Why is she so hell-bent on coming after me? Despite her annoyance, Della remained quiet and offered a faint smile.

“Hey, Della. Are you very bored?” Jessica asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“Not really.”

Della’s calm demeanor only irked Jessica further as she tried to hold her temper back. “Then what are you doing here?”

“I just felt like coming,” Della replied nonchalantly.

Her reply was so simple, and yet it felt like a slap to Jessica’s face.

Is this b*tch openly wooing Larry or what? She eyed both Larry and Della suspiciously, still trying to figure out if there was anything more to their relationship.

She finally gave in and whined loudly at Larry.

“What’s wrong now?” Larry replied without looking up, still pounding away at his keyboard.

“Get her to leave!”

Della kept her head down, trying to hide the ugly sneer on her face.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2675

Mutual Benefits

Just how immature can Jessica be? Not wanting to stay and be snubbed, Della slowly stood up and left the office without a word.

“See, she’s gone,” Larry said while pointing at the door.

“Larry, what on earth are you thinking?” Jessica asked in annoyance.

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

His indifference toward her was the last straw for Jessica, and she left the office in a huff.

Just as she was walking down the corridor, she ran into Caspian, who immediately noticed the change in her mood.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you angry?” he asked while clutching her arm tightly.

“Yes. I’m angry.”

“Why?”

“It’s all because of Larry! Why else?” With that, Jessica flung Caspian’s hand off and made a beeline for the exit.

What’s wrong with Jessica? Did she quarrel with Larry? Caspian had so many questions and yet no answers. All he could do was scratch his head in confusion as he watched Jessica stomp away.

Della, on the other hand, had been walking around aimlessly since she left Norton Corporation.

She was counting on the walk to help clear her head, but the more she thought about Larry, the more helpless she felt. She knew she had a good chance of wooing him now that Joan was away, but alas, she had no idea what to do.

She was still lost in her thoughts when a voice suddenly rang out behind her. “Ms. Duff? What a coincidence.”

Della turned to acknowledge the person and politely smiled in return.

Jake walked up to her and leaned in close to whisper, “Shall we have coffee together?”

Her reply was quick but firm. “I’m sorry, but I’m busy. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“I can wait for you,” Jake replied with a shrug, a smug look on his face.

“No need.”

Just as Della was about to walk away from him, Jake suddenly changed the subject. “I think I can help you woo Larry.”

Della immediately stopped in her tracks.

Jake knew Della had fallen for his hook, line and sinker as he gestured for her to follow him. “Shall we?”

The temptation was far too great to resist, and Della eventually agreed to follow Jake to the café.

“So, do you like Larry very much?” Jake asked as he stirred his coffee.

“Yes!” Della replied cheerily.

It wouldn’t be a bad thing if he can help me win Larry over.

“Then why don’t you take more initiative toward him?”

Della sighed as she thought about that. “Because he only loves Joan.”

“You know, men are built differently from women. We think with the part that’s below our belts. I’d be surprised if Larry hasn’t been tempted by you, given how beautiful you are. I daresay he has only been controlling himself… “ Jake’s voice trailed off as he looked out of the window.

Everything he had just spouted was nonsense, but he knew Della was too taken in by his words to care.

After all, when you know someone’s greatest desire, it’d be easy to play them like a fiddle.

“How would you help me?” Della asked anxiously.

She never liked dawdling. She wasn’t going to sit there and listen to Jake drone on when he could get straight to the point.

“You don’t have to care about that. All you need to do is to follow my instructions, and I guarantee you will get your man.”

Jake held her gaze, a look of steely determination on his face.

Really? Can I trust him? Della was excited at the prospect of winning Larry over, but at the same time, she couldn’t understand why she was a bundle of nerves.

Eventually, the desire for Larry trumped all her worries, and she and Jake came to an understanding.

However, one thing that Della couldn’t get her head around was why Jake was so keen on helping her.

As a businessman, Jake wouldn’t have willingly offered his help if the plan wasn’t mutually beneficial.

No. I think it’s best to ask what he’s up to. I can’t let him lead me by the nose!

“Why do you want to help me?” Della finally asked with some trepidation.

“By helping you, I’d be helping myself too.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Della furrowed her brows slightly, waiting for him to elaborate.

“I like Joan, and you like Larry,” Jake stated matter-of-factly.

That doesn’t sound right. The rumors I heard were that he had always liked Joan’s ex-assistant, Faye! With so many questions swirling in her head, Della couldn’t help but cast a doubtful gaze at Jake.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2676

A Naive Woman

“But what about Faye?”

Jake broke into a smile. It was now clear that Della knew more about him than he had expected.

“Did you really think I like Faye? I was only with her so I could get close to Joan.”

His reasoning was so simple and yet so perfect that Della immediately believed him.

She might be an accomplished entrepreneur, but Jake was surprised at how silly she could be when it came to relationships.

I didn’t even have to try that hard, and I’ve already gotten her where I want her to be. What a naive woman! Jake took a sip of his coffee as he tried to hide his smirk, happy with how well his plan was going.

“Is there anything you need me to do?” Della asked warily.

“Not at all. Just sit back and wait for my good news,” Jake replied with confidence.

Even though Della couldn’t shake all her doubts away, her desire for Larry was so great that she decided to go along with Jake’s plan.

She had thought that Jake’s only goal was to get Joan, but she didn’t know the extent of his deviousness. He was the reason the business partners had all decided to end their dealings with Norton Corporation. Not only did he want Joan, but he also wanted to destroy Larry.

Back at Norton Corporation, Larry was still cooped up in his office, unaware of the deal that Jake and Della had just made. “Larry, why don’t you take a break?” Caspian said as he handed him a glass of water.

Larry hummed in response and rubbed his eyes before finally putting his pen down.

“Have you been in contact with Joan recently?”

“No.” It was such a brief answer that it worried Caspian even more.

“Jessica said she misses Joan,” Caspian added while observing for any changes in Larry’s expression.

“Okay.”

The awkward silence that followed made Caspian a lot more uncomfortable than he expected.

After a while, Caspian decided to break the silence and changed the subject. “Larry, why hasn’t Ms. Duff come to visit you recently?”

“No idea,” Larry replied flatly. And I wish she’d never come back to visit me.

For some inexplicable reason, Caspian once again felt uneasy by Larry’s response.

Meanwhile, Jessica was busy handling the affairs of her bookstore.

She was so engrossed in her work that one of her employees approached her in concern. “Ms. Zimmer, you should take a break first.”

“No need. I’m fine,” Jessica replied, waving her employee off.

She’d rather be exhausted from working than risk having boredom set in from not working.

Before long, it was lunchtime, and only then did Jessica decide to take her well-deserved break.

As she walked out of her office, she glanced skyward and let out a yell. That, combined with a deep stretch, instantly refreshed her.

Just as she was getting ready to leave, her ears picked up a familiar voice. “Larry wouldn’t see us, would he?”

Isn’t that Della’s voice?

Jessica spun around, and her curiosity was immediately piqued when she saw two figures in the distance.

Huh? Why is Della with Jake? Do they know each other? The more she wondered, the more Jessica couldn’t shrug off the uncomfortable feeling that something was amiss. After some hesitation, she decided to follow them secretly.

Jake snorted as he puffed out a cloud of smoke. “Knowing Larry, I’m sure he’s still working in his office.”

The two of them soon made their way into a café, and Jessica followed closely behind.

The only reason Jake had asked Della out was to run her through his plan to ensure she doesn’t ruin anything.

“So? What do you plan on doing?” Della asked as soon as they got into a private room.

“Be patient and listen to me.”

Della was a ball of nerves, and Jake had picked up on it. “Relax. Don’t panic,” he added.

“I need to make one thing clear, Jake. All I want is to win Larry over, but I don’t want you to lay a finger on him.”

“Don’t worry. He won’t come to any harm,” Jake assured.

But that doesn’t mean Norton Corporation wouldn’t come to any harm!

Unbeknownst to them, Jessica had stayed outside the room, listening in to their conversation.

“Larry has a dinner tonight. I’ll find a chance to spike his drink, and you’ll be in charge of getting a hotel room… “

Even though Jake made it sound so easy, Della’s expression had become very grim.

Would that be a good idea? Della was beginning to show signs of hesitation. As much as she wanted Larry, she didn’t want to do it through such dishonorable means.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2677

Drugged

Jake had foreseen this and knew exactly how to goad Della into carrying out his plan. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to do it? Then I suppose you’ll have to watch Joan snatch Larry away.”

“I’ll do it!” Della suddenly exclaimed.

Of course, she’d fall for it.

A woman in love was no different from a fool. As long as they could get what they wanted, they wouldn’t give a toss about the repercussions.

Jessica, who was still listening intently outside, had taken out her phone to record their conversation.

After hashing out their plan once more, Jake stood up and prepared to leave.

Jessica immediately ducked into another room to prevent getting caught by either of them.

A flicker of sadness crossed Della’s gaze as she watched Jake leave. Her mind was whirling with doubts again, unsure if she should go ahead with the plan. Morally, she knew it wasn’t right, but she loved Larry and wanted nothing more than to be with him.

Forget it. Let’s just be wrong this one time. Having made her mind up, Della fixed her attire and left to prepare for what might be the most important night of her life.

Now that the coast was clear, Jessica immediately ran out of her hiding place and called Larry.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable… “

Damn it. Of all times, he has to turn off his phone now? Jessica was seething with rage as she stomped her feet. She had to think fast about what to do next if she wanted to protect Larry.

Without further ado, she decided to call the next best person, Caspian.

His voice was calm over the phone, a stark contrast to Jessica’s. “What’s up?”

“Where’s Larry?”

“Larry’s out. He had something on,” Caspian replied, still calm as a cucumber.

“Where has he gone to?” With every ticking second, Jessica was starting to get even more worried.

“To some social event, I think.”

Damn it, he really went!

“Caspian, you have to stop him! You can’t let him attend that event!” she yelled.

Thinking that Jessica was on another of her crazy rants, Caspian paid no heed to her words and brushed her off.

His nonchalance was the last straw for Jessica.

“Caspian! Are you f*cking listening to me?”

Jessica’s yell was so sudden that Caspian jumped in shock and dropped his phone.

“Hello? Caspian? Answer me, damn it! Hello?” Jessica continued to shout when she didn’t get a reply.

On the other end, Caspian was utterly devastated to find that his phone didn’t manage to survive the fall.

Just my luck, I had only just gotten this phone a few days ago!

Frustration went through the roof when Jessica heard the dial tone on the other end of the call. How dare that jerk Caspian hang up on me!

She knew she had no other option but to take matters into her own hands.

At that moment, Larry was at the hotel chatting and drinking happily with the presidents from other companies.

Even though he seemed to be in his element, the truth was Larry truly hated such social events. But for the future of Norton Corporation, he was willing to put on a facade and do his best to maintain these business relationships.

“Here, Mr. Norton, a toast to you!” one of the bald men exclaimed as he downed his glass of wine.

Larry smiled and returned the toast out of courtesy.

Another man soon stood up to also offer Larry a toast. “Mr. Norton, it’s all thanks to your hard work that Norton Corporation is what it is today. You have my utmost admiration… “

Larry had always been able to hold his liquor, so having a few drinks posed no problem to him at all. He could drink any of those men under the table, but never in his wildest dreams did he expect someone to spike his last drink.

Oh my god, why is it suddenly so hot? Larry loosened his tie in a bid to get himself more comfortable as he continued to chat with the men around him.

“Larry!” Even in his stupor, Larry knew the voice that just called out to him sounded familiar.

“Della? What are you doing here?” Larry drunkenly asked.

Someone beside him quickly replied, “I told her to come. You’ve had too much to drink, Mr. Norton. I got Ms. Duff to send you home since you aren’t in a state to drive.”

Really? Is he that kind? Larry shook his head vigorously, trying to sober himself up but to no avail.

“Come on, let me send you home,” Della whispered as she helped him up.

Della’s touch sent a shock through Larry, and he was stunned momentarily. He could feel his temperature rapidly rising, and he knew there and then that something was amiss.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2678

Heat Of The Moment

Damn it. Someone had spiked my drink! In that moment, everything became clear to Larry.

“Don’t touch me, Della. Hurry, someone call me a cab… “ he shouted while pushing Della away.

“Why call a cab when Ms. Duff is already here for you? How can you brush her off like this, Mr. Norton?” one of the men shouted.

“Exactly! Ms. Duff is so kind to you. You shouldn’t let her down!”

Soon, everyone around Larry started to chime in.

Della once again moved closer to him. “Let’s go, Larry. I’m here for you.”

After what seemed like an eternity, Della finally got Larry to the hotel room as planned and laid him on the bed.

She felt her heart start to race as she stood beside him, her gaze filled with longing and desire.

“Joan… “ Larry muttered as he started taking his clothes off.

Della’s stare turned cold when she heard that name. Even now, he’s only thinking about Joan!

The hesitation and doubts came flooding back as she wondered about her next steps. Should I? Or should I not?

Whatever. Let me have him first!

Della quickly stripped her clothes off and straddled Larry, continuously grinding against him to get him excited.

Even though the temptation was getting harder to resist, Larry was still perfectly aware that the woman on top of him wasn’t Joan.

“Get lost!” he bellowed as he shoved Della off of him.

Caught by surprise, Della tumbled onto the floor and held her head in embarrassment.

“Don’t touch me!” Larry continued to shout from the bed.

Something clicked inside Della in that instance. The more Larry tried to reject her, the more she was going to fight for him. She stood up and once again straddled him, this time with more determination.

She took off his shirt and pants without hesitation, and before long, Larry’s top half was fully exposed. Della ran her fingers lightly over his chiseled chest, fascinated by how strong and handsome he was.

As she continued to titillate him, it didn’t take long before Larry’s body reacted to her touch.

She then lowered her head and started kissing him all over his neck and chest. The frantic breathing, mixed with the sensual moans, pushed Larry even closer to his breaking point.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. Mustering whatever strength he had left, he pushed Della off and went into the bathroom.

Larry immediately turned on the shower and let the cold water rain down on him. He knew it was the only way to sober up and calm himself down.

“Larry! Open the door!” Della yelled as she pounded on the bathroom door.

Larry ignored her and continued with his shower, turning the water up to drown out her voice.

“Larry! Hurry up and open the door! Let me help you with your shower!”

Eventually, Larry was so tired that he lay in the bathtub and fell asleep.

While Larry snored away, Della continued to pace outside the bathroom, hoping that he would come out soon.

The next morning, Larry stretched and yawned as he gradually stirred from his sleep. Despite what seemed to be a full night’s sleep, he still looked exhausted. Where am I? After looking around several times, he finally realized he had fallen asleep in the bathroom.

What the hell happened? Did I have too much to drink last night?

No, wait. I was drugged last night! As he sobered up more, the memories of the night before started to flood back.

Bang!

As Larry opened the door, Della, who had fallen asleep against it, fell to the floor.

Wait. Why is she here? Larry eyed her suspiciously, a little curious and also a little worried.

“You’re finally awake,” Della muttered as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Yeah,” he replied weakly. For some inexplicable reason, he felt highly uneasy about the whole situation.

There was a feeling of impending doom, but Larry wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“Why are you here, Della?”

“You were drunk last night, so I brought you here… “ Della replied sheepishly.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2679

Ambush

Upon hearing that, Larry froze. Might he have done anything to Della in his drugged state? In an instant, Larry’s guard went up.

“Della, did I do anything inappropriate to you last night?” he asked in a hushed tone.

If something really did happen, how was he going to explain to Joan?

Della smiled at him coyly and stood up straight. “Don’t you remember what you did last night?”

It was then that Larry realized Della was wearing only a camisole and panties.

Panic began to set in when he saw that he was half-naked himself. With the both of them dressed so scantily, it could only mean one thing.

Larry was still in a daze when someone suddenly started knocking on the door.

He turned to Della with a questioning look. “Who could that be?”

“I have no idea,” she replied as she started to panic herself.

Outside the room, a man turned to the hotel staff and ordered him to open the door.

Thankfully, the staff had his principles and rejected him. “Sorry, sir. The room’s occupied.”

“I know it’s occupied. I’m here to give Mr. Norton his clothes!”

The crowd seemed to grow with every second, and soon, the staff had no choice but to give in to their request.

Once the door opened, a group of journalists immediately swarmed into the hotel room and crowded around the unsuspecting Larry and Della.

“Hello, Mr. Norton. What’s your relationship with Ms. Duff?”

“Mr. Norton, are you going to marry Ms. Duff?”

“Ms. Duff, when did your relationship with Mr. Norton begin?”

The journalists were relentless as they continued to fire their questions and snapped away.

The sudden turn of events had left Della dumbstruck. She had never expected herself to be caught in public while being so scantily clad. She was so embarrassed that all she wanted to do was to bury her head in the sand.

“Get out of the way! No photos! Stop taking photos!”

Della’s assistant suddenly ran toward her and covered her with his coat before dragging her away.

“Ms. Duff, are you okay?” her assistant asked in concern as he continued to observe the situation around them.

Della shook her head weakly. “I’m fine.”

Who had gotten the journalists to ambush them? Who could have done something that devious? Suddenly, Della thought of Jake.

Did Jake plan for all this? The more she thought about it, the more furious she got. She knew very well her image in the public eye would be completely ruined after this incident.

“Ms. Duff, shall we head home?” her assistant mumbled.

“No. We’re going to M Group.”

Della was seething. She wasn’t going anywhere else until she had gotten an explanation from Jake.

Meanwhile, in M Group, Jake was casually flipping through magazines when the door to his office was suddenly kicked open.

“Oh my. Ms. Duff? What a surprise.” Jake immediately stood to greet her.

“Good job on your performance last night,” he added.

Della had had enough of his pretense and went straight to the point. “What on earth are you trying to do, Jake?”

Jake shrugged nonchalantly. “What do you mean? I’m helping you.”

Helping me? Or destroying me?

“You had the journalists ambush us! You think that’s helping me?” Della asked as she shot daggers at him.

“What else would it be? Now that the whole world knows about you and Larry, he will have to be responsible for his actions.”

Jake smirked as he continued, “If he doesn’t take responsibility for it, it wouldn’t just be his reputation at stake… “

The more he said, the wider his smirk grew. “So, back to your question. Yes, I’m helping you.”

Della walked over to the sofa and sat down, ruminating about what Jake had just said.

She had to admit that he did make a lot of sense.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2680

Play Along

“Alright, you can go home now,” Jake finally said in annoyance.

What a fool. It was such simple reasoning, and yet she couldn’t grasp it!

“Nothing bad will happen, right?” Della couldn’t help but ask.

“No. Don’t worry.”

Despite Jake’s confidence, Della still couldn’t shake off her anxiety. What made it worse was that nothing happened between Larry and her, yet she had to play along.

Jake noticed the change in her expression and decided to probe. “Ms. Duff, I suppose you and Larry have already… “

“No.” Della’s reply was quick, and the disappointment on her face was clear as day.

Jake stared open-mouthed at her. Is she joking? He had gone to so much trouble to set this all up, yet she didn’t fulfill her part of the deal? Jake paced around Della in frustration, wondering if he should believe her.

Does she really like Larry? They spent the night together in a hotel room and nothing happened?

“Ms. Duff, can you tell me exactly what happened last night?”

Jake couldn’t get past his curiosity of how a drugged man could have resisted that much temptation. Under those circumstances, there was no reason Della wouldn’t have gotten her way with him!

“He slept in the bathroom the whole night,” Della finally replied with a sigh.

No wonder!

Larry, you’re one hell of a cautious man! Jake turned to look out the windows, a cold glint in his eyes.

Even though they hadn’t done the actual deed, the fact that the journalists had snapped photos of them together in the room should suffice.

“I got it. You just have to insist that you had done it with him,” Jake said with a darkened gaze.

It was easy for Jake to come up with the suggestion, but it was Della who had to live with the guilt. She usually opposed such despicable acts, yet she was the one carrying it out now.

“Why? You don’t want to? You can choose not to admit it. Just don’t forget your initial goal when you agreed to our plan!”

Della frowned and looked a little defeated.

Jake’s right. All this is for Larry. I have to keep that in mind.

Jake, on the other hand, was getting increasingly annoyed at Della for being so indecisive. “Don’t be silly! If you don’t take the initiative, do you think Larry would care about you?”

Della felt very conflicted as she furrowed her brows even deeper.

Since things have come to this point, let’s just throw caution to the wind! With a renewed determination, Della straightened up and looked Jake in his eyes. “I understand.”

Brilliant! Jake smiled as he patted her shoulders, pleased that she had finally come to her senses.

Back at Norton Corporation, Larry was pacing around in his office, his anxiety in overdrive.

“Larry, how could you have gotten a room with Della?” Caspian chided.

Before this, Caspian had always strongly believed that Larry loved only Joan and would never let her down. But now, he couldn’t be sure anymore.

“I didn’t,” Larry muttered as he held his head.

Caspian was flabbergasted. How could he not have? How would he explain the photos, the reports, and even the video? Were they all pranks? Besides, there were cameras in the hotels that could easily prove it…

“Larry, don’t you think you owe Joan an explanation?”

Larry looked away and sighed deeply.

Thankfully Joan wasn’t in the country. Otherwise, he really wouldn’t know how to explain things to her.

“Not now. She’s overseas,” he replied.

“I still think it’d be better if you explained it to her soon! With how fast news spread on the internet and with you being a prominent figure… “

Larry was still feeling stressed about having to explain things to Joan when Jessica stormed into the office yelling for him.

Oh, damn it. She’s only going to make it worse for me.

Caspian immediately ran up to stop her. “Don’t be rash. Let’s talk things through!”

“He has been caught in the act! What more can I say?” Jessica angrily replied as she pushed Caspian away.