Ch. 2811..2820

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2811

At The Villa

“This is my gift to you. What do you think?” Jake masked his serious intent with a playful look on his face.

“Ahem…” Joan coughed.

“Are you kidding me, Jake?”

“No, I’m not. I’m serious.” At that moment, he looked extremely solemn, unlike his cold and dominating self.

Why does he appear to be so gentle all of a sudden? Joan avoided eye contact with him. She shook her head several times, trying to think straight.

“I don’t need it,” she declined.

Jake was enraged. This woman has some guts!

Judging from his facial expression, Joan knew that he was upset.

It’s said that women are fickle-minded, but in this case, it appears that some men are more capricious than women! Joan was frustrated that she had to deal with a volatile Jake!

“Err… I mean, I don’t need a villa. You can keep it…” Her clarification failed to convince him.

“I just want to gift it to you, whether you need it or not. You can only accept it,” he fired back.

Faced with a man who was emanating a bitingly cold aura, Joan grew nervous. She quickly turned around and scurried to the golf course nearby.

I can’t afford to offend him. It’s best I evade him. She turned to check if he was chasing after her. Phew, he’s not tailing me.

Bark! Bark! A dog appeared out of nowhere.

“Ahh!” Joan ran toward Jake with a conflicting expression. In a shaky voice, she cried out, “There’s a dog.”

“You’re scared of dogs?” he wrapped his arm around her waist and asked fondly.

“Yes, of course!”

By the time Joan recollected herself and exchanged looks with Jake, she realized that their bodies were seamlessly glued to each other. Without hesitating, she pushed him away, trying to keep a distance from him.

Unfortunately, that unintentional intimate moment was already photographed by someone.

“Get out of my sight!” Jake shouted at the dog. Barking twice, the dog wagged its tail and left sadly.

“Thank you,” Joan plastered a smile on her face.

“If you don’t like it, I can give the dog away,” Jake proposed.

She was never a big fan of dogs. However, she also did not like the idea of giving the dog away because she absolutely would not accept the villa as a present.

“It’s okay. I was just startled by it,” Joan scratched the back of her head as she answered abashedly.

Why is she being strangely distant? Jake was rather annoyed.

“All right, it’s getting late, I’d better get going.” She turned to leave just as she spoke.

Is she avoiding me? Is she thinking about Larry? As Jake stared at the woman before him, an iniquitous thought crossed his mind while exuding a murderous aura.

“Don’t forget that Jessica is still looking for you by the seaside,” he snapped at her.

Joan stopped in her tracks and regretted acting in a rash. I shouldn’t have come out with Jake; I shouldn’t have promised him to cut off ties with Larry.

No way, this won’t do. If I continued listening to him and stopped contacting Larry, I’m no different than a marionette, fully controlled by him. Taking a few steps backward, Joan’s head was spinning, trying to come up with a solution.

“What are you thinking?” Moaning, he hugged her from behind and buried his head in her neck.

“Let me go!” Joan struggled with all her might.

He stood his ground and refused to release her. In fact, his desire to win her over grew even stronger. All of these scenes were captured in the form of photos and would eventually be shown to Larry.

“Would you stay with me, Joan? We can live in this villa and build a happily-ever-after that we deserve.” Although he said it sincerely, it sounded terrifying to Joan. The person that he loves is Faye.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2812

Joan tried to endure it all for Faye's sake.

Smack! She could no longer tolerate his inappropriate actions and landed a tight slap on his face. His cheek turned red in an instant.

"You're such a scumbag, Jake! How could you do this to Faye?" Joan rebuked him with resentment.

Why does such a jerk exist in this world? It's not been long since Faye's death and he's already moving on to the next target. They're so crazy in love.

She shot him a death stare.

"No!" Jake retorted loudly.

"I've always loved you! My love for you has never changed one bit. The episode with Faye was just a side-track. Nonetheless, you could only see Larry in your eyes and ignored my existence. You even chased me away when all I wanted was to stay with you. Faye was just one of the useful chess pieces."

Finally, Jake confessed it all. At one point, he had the impression that the person he loved the most was Faye. Hence, he wanted to take revenge on Joan after Faye's passing. However, his heart ached so badly when he saw Joan injured and crying.

Love is a wonderful thing that comes and goes without us knowing.

Upon hearing what he said, Joan shook her head in disbelief, refusing to accept the ugly truth. He must have been mistaken; the person he loved should have been Faye!

Joan attempted to convince herself, but she was no longer able to accept any other men into her heart.

"Listen to me, Jake, I'll pretend that I heard nothing, okay? Faye was your most loved woman, your one and only," she regurgitated as she grabbed onto his arm.

Without realizing, Jake accidentally flung her against the wall.

She tried to get up slowly.

"Joan, you heard it correctly. Those were exactly my thoughts and feelings," he said under his breath, sniffling.

Sadness flashed across Joan's eyes. There're many strange occurrences in the world, why do I have to encounter one? While having a conniption, she swore not to accept Jake's love at all costs.

Taking one last glance at the man, she turned to leave.

"Don't go, I beg you to please be my girlfriend." Jake's gentle tone contrasted with his vice-like grip on her wrist. However, love was not always reciprocated. For some unfortunates, they had to deal with unrequited love that had turned into something bitter and mean.

Without any reservation, she pried his arm away and walked off.

"Do you want to see Ms. Young and Lucius getting involved in a car accident?"

His callous words sounded so eerie that they made Joan fret with trepidation.

His obstinate determination to get what he wants is atrocious!

No, I can't keep going on like this, being manipulated and controlled by him. I don't want to be his puppet!

She clenched her hands tightly as she made a resolute decision to contact Larry.

After putting up a night at the villa, Jake sent her home.

Dead air filled the car throughout the journey. Joan had her face turned sideways, looking out of the window indifferently. Jake observed her emotions carefully, but was unable to read her mind.

It's true when people say a woman's heart is incomprehensible. Looking at the person sitting next to him, his mind was all over the place.

The car soon pulled over by the quiet beach.

Only the soothing sound of the waves crashing on the shore was heard, creating a tranquil ambiance. Jessica was long gone...

Joan sighed at her forlorn attempt to escape.

I shouldn't have called this man. It would have been perfect if I had followed Jessica back to see Larry.

"What's the matter? Regretted your decision? Let me be honest with you, Jessica won't be able to get to you even if you didn't call me," Jake said confidently while beating his chest.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2813

She trusted his words. Where could Jessica be under his watchful eyes? I'm sure he has it all planned out.

Bowing her head, Joan felt so helpless. She knew that Jake meant his words. Once he had made up his mind to do something, there was no stopping him.

"Why did you come all the way to pick me up?" Joan asked softly.

Isn't she asking the obvious? She's the answer to all of her questions. I came to see her and I wanted to give the villa to her as a present.

"Don't you ever ask me such a silly question." With that, he pushed her forward.

She pulled herself together and knocked at the door. Swiftly, someone answered.

"Oh dear, where have you been, Joan? We're so worried about you!" The old woman hurriedly welcomed her in.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, for making you both fret. I went away for a short trip. I'm okay," Joan reassured them with a wry smile.

It was quite a trip, indeed. Joan wrestled with her own crushing emotions.

The old man seemed to be able to see through her. He approached her with a glass of water and said amiably, "Drink some water, don't be so worked up."

Faced with his genuine concern, Joan became more flustered. All of her reactions were captured by the old man.

This girl probably doesn't want to tell us what happened. He sighed, feeling slightly upset.

Then again, she's not my daughter, what position do I have to probe into her private life? He appeared troubled.

"Don't overthink things. I'm fine, so please don't worry about me. See?" Joan made a few turns to prove that she did not get into any accidents.

They all smiled at one another and dropped the topic.

Joan felt blessed. Even though she had some very challenging moments in life and was harmed by others, she was thankful that there were still people who truly cared for her and willingly took good care of her.

"Joan, it appears that someone is looking for you recently," the old woman informed her.

Was it Jessica? She rubbed her hands vigorously. Unfortunately, she had no way to update Jessica about her status and followed her home.

The old woman caught her conflicting expression and patted her shoulder. With a benign face, she reminded her, "Feel free to ask for help if you ever need anything."

A fuzzy feeling rose within her. There're good people in this world.

She was fighting back tears as she straightened her clothes. Joan was a sensitive and emotional person. Jake knew this quality of hers very well and used it to his advantage by threatening her with the safety of Delilah and Lucius. Joan had no choice but to endure in silence.

The trio chatted briefly before Joan returned to her room. Laying on her bed in a pitch dark room, she could not fall asleep.

How are you, Larry? How can I contact you? Burdened with a ton of problems, she tossed and turned, trying to get some shut-eye.

At the Norton Corporation, Larry kept on working as if he was made of steel whereas Caspian appeared languid and haggard, yawning on the sofa.

"Let's go home, Larry," Caspian urged softly. In the pursuit of locating Joan, two consecutive days had passed since he last had any sleep. He could barely hold on.

"You go ahead and get some rest." Without even looking up, Larry waved his hand and gestured him to leave. Caspian would never leave Larry alone. Zipping his mouth, he slumped on the sofa and waited patiently for him to complete all pending work.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2814

After what seemed like forever, Caspian finally collapsed on the sofa while Larry continued working.

Without any conscious reasoning, Larry firmly believed that Joan would return. He had a very strong gut feeling about it.

Perhaps, it was their couple's telepathy as a result of being together for a very long time.

From dusk till dawn, Larry did not shut his eyes at all.

"Ahh!" The man woke up from the sofa with a loud yelp in an attempt to sober up.

He scanned the room, only to realize that he did not go home last night.

Damn it, Jessica is going to be so cross! Caspian rose to his feet and fixed his dressing, attempting to freshen up.

Thud! The door was flung open.

Speaking of the devil... With bated breath, Caspian stood aside and avoided eye contact with her. He was afraid of landing himself in hot soup.

"What are you doing here?" Larry threw her a straightforward question.

"I've been helping you to search for Joan. Could you return the favor and treat Caspian better?" Jessica complained.

What's this all about? Have I not been nice to Caspian? Larry got up and walked toward Jessica with a smirk. "I didn't request him to stay and keep me company."

Although he was wearing a smile on his face, he was anxious to find out about Joan deep down. "Have you found Joan? How is she now?"

There was a glimmer of gloom in Jessica's eyes as she shook her head. Although there were clues of Joan's whereabouts, she failed to find her when she rushed over.

Larry felt extremely dejected.

Seeing so, Caspian held Jessica's hand and led her out of the office.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" she struggled to free herself.

"I'm warning you not to upset Larry any further. It took him a while to channel his focus back on his work, so we should not stir up his emotions again," Caspian advised.

Joan had been waiting for Jessica to return to the beach, but she did not show up, as if she had disappeared into thin air. That made Joan fret.

As time went by, she continued to live in fear under Jake's close watch.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The knocking on the door made Joan jump out of her skin.

"Joan, would you like some fruits?" the old woman asked.

She heaved a sigh of relief when she realized it was not Jake standing at her door. "No, thanks Ma'am. I'm really tired, so I'm heading to bed."

She had an awful nightmare where Jake was torturing her relentlessly. Massaging her temples, she tried to relax.

A crescent moon was hanging in the clear, dark sky with no stars. What a depressing sight. Joan sighed and curled up in a fetal position.

She woke up extremely early the next morning and went fishing with the old man.

Her life by the beach was a mundane one, with each day repeating the same routine. Yet, she did not regard it as boring but enjoyed every moment of it.

"Are you waiting for someone, Joan?" the old man asked her suddenly. He was very careful with his words.

Joan froze for a second but immediately resumed her calm. Nodding, she faked a smile.

"Why don't you tell me who are you waiting for? I can contact the person to come and pick you up," the old man suggested. Though he had no idea about the person Joan had been longing to see, he could tell that she was very eager to reunite with that individual.

The suggestion sounded very tempting. However, Joan's hands were tied in order to keep the old couple safe and sound. She was aware that all of them were constantly under the surveillance of Jake and his men. She could not bring herself to put the lives of the two kind souls at stake.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2815

"It's okay, he'll find me eventually," Joan replied with a smile. Moments later, she lowered her face, feeling downcast.

Larry, when will you ever find me?

In a short distance away, Jake was in his car calmly observing everything that was happening by the seaside.

"Mr. Wilson, we can actually lock Joan up in the villa," Ted proposed.

"No need," Jake cleared his throat and said in a sorrowful tone.

He knew that Joan would resent such an act. Reflecting on his past, he had done many things which hurt Joan. Therefore, he made a decision to respect her this time.

Ted could not understand why Jake had been so passive in this matter, but he was affirmative that Jake would never do something unreasonable or ridiculous.

After spending some time at the beach, Jake drove back to his office.

Meanwhile, at Norton Corporation, Jessica was sprawled on the sofa, snoring.

Looking at her frustratingly, Larry shook his head and could feel his headache coming on.

What's up with this b***h for drinking so much last night? And Caspian has to fall sick at such a critical time!

"Ugh..."

The woman on the sofa kicked her shoes off and stretched herself.

"One more, quick! Bottoms up, man, stop being a wimp," Jessica raised her right hand and asked for a toast in her sleep.

Talking in her sleep again... Larry smoothed his shirt and left the office.

He must have missed Joan so much that he drove to the beach subconsciously. Gazing at the vast sea before him, he took a deep breath as tears welled up in his eyes.

This is the place where Joan went missing.

Furrowing his brows, Larry clenched his fists, looking rather fierce. Fatigued by overworking recently, he lay on the sandy beach and closed his eyes, in an attempt to relax.

There were a few seagulls chasing each other upon the shore. Their unison growls were surprisingly melodious.

Larry had been resting for some time when someone blocked the sun shining down on him.

"How long do you plan to stay here?" Della asked sweetly, holding an umbrella.

What is she doing here? Ignoring her, Larry rolled over.

Della could tell that he was still mad at her. He must have conjectured that I'm involved in Joan's disappearance. Feeling aggrieved, Della stated, "Let's go back, Larry. Stop looking for her, you'll never be able to find her."

"What nonsense!" he roared at her and blew a fuse. Burying his head in his knees, he was desperate to filter out all the negativity from Della.

Joan's not dead. I'm sure she's still alive!

"It's been so long, Larry. Wake up, please! If she's still around, why didn't she look for you?"

"Shut up!" he cut her off. She has the cheek to bring this up? If it weren't for her, Joan wouldn't have brought this predicament upon herself. If it weren't for her doing, Joan's whereabouts wouldn't be a mystery. All of these are caused by her.

"Get lost, I don't want to see your face." He waved his hand, requesting for her to leave.

However, Della would never give up so easily, especially when there was a golden chance to be alone with Larry. It was a challenge to get rid of Joan, Della would not let anything deter her from sticking with Larry.

"No, Larry, I want to keep you company!" she declared loudly.

Your presence is not appreciated! Larry propped himself up and stood in front of her, vexed, "Get the hell out of my sight as far as possible! Della, I tolerated you out of respect for your father. However, from today onwards, I won't budge an inch!"

So, he was being a gentleman all along because of my father. Della sneered with her eyes filled with contempt.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2816

"Larry!"

Suddenly, Caspian dashed toward him like a cat on hot bricks, but was slightly relieved as soon as he saw Larry. He huffed and said, "You scared the living daylights out of me! I thought you're having suicidal thoughts!"

What? Committing suicide? Me? Larry was irritated.

"No, Larry, listen to my explanation. Jessica told me that you went to the beach and insisted that you wanted to follow Joan's footsteps."

Wait a minute, this doesn't sound right. How did Jessica know that I went to the beach when she was actually still asleep the moment I left the office?

Raising a curious brow, Larry sized him up.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Caspian immediately answered his phone.

"Um... Caspian, I didn't get to finish what I wanted to say. Actually, it was a dream. I dreamt about Larry going to the beach..." Jessica came clean with him over the phone.

Caspian lowered his head in embarrassment. Jessica is such an unreliable brat! He sighed while scratching the back of his head. He responded abashedly, "I'm sorry, Larry, I was mistaken."

Keeping silent, Larry blinked blankly at him and then walked toward his car. Caspian quickened his steps and followed Larry closely, ditching Della at the shore.

Seeing the two men leaving her behind, Della's heart sank.

"Ma'am, you should take a rest and let me do it," Joan said loudly from a short distance away.

That familiar voice frightened Della out of her wits. She hurriedly follow the direction of the voice and it led her to a familiar face.

Joan is alive! Instantly, Della's body stiffened like a corpse.

No, I can't let Larry know about this! She clutched the hem of her blouse tightly, trying to calm herself down.

Joan seemed so delighted while working with an old man nearby. Della whipped around and left the beach.

Smack!

Della threw a punch at the steering wheel. Her eyes gleamed with strong murderous intent. I can't believe that the b***h is still alive and kicking. I must do something about it...

As long as she lives, Larry will never take his eyes off her. I can't allow her to show up in front of him again.

"Ms. Duff, this concerns a human life. I can't do this," in a still small voice, a man refused to be in cahoots with her over the phone.

It then dawned on Della that the man rejected to accept the job because he was not agreeable to the price offered. "Ten million. Yes or no?" she made a counter propose.

The man paused for a moment and cleared his throat. "Deal."

After hanging up, Della forwarded Joan's information to that man.

Joan probably did not expect that she would once again encounter another predicament.

Thud! When the door was flung open, a savage-looking man walked into the living room and shouted, "Come out, Joan Watts!"

"Who are you? What do you guys want?" the old woman asked in a trembling voice.

Bang! With a forceful shove, the buffed man sent the old woman sprawling on the floor in agony.

Right then, Joan was sleeping in her room, completely ignorant of what had just happened. Moments later, a few men barged into her bedroom.

Rubbing her bleary eyes, the fatigued Joan was half awake.

"I'm not hungry, Ma'am, you go ahead and have your breakfast without me," she rolled over and said in a feeble voice.

The man strode across the room, picked the woman up from the bed, and tossed her into the living room.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2817

"Who are you?"

Finally, Joan became sober. Horror-stricken, she wrapped her arms across her chest. What's going on? What do they plan to do? Are they Jake's men? No, Jake's henchmen won't be so rough to me.

Hold on, does it mean that there's someone else besides Jake, who knows where I'm hiding? Having her guards up, Joan tried to connect the dots and form a big picture.

"It doesn't matter who we are. All you need to know is that somebody wants you dead," one of the men warned.

His words sent a cold chill down the old woman's spine.

Joan stared at the gang in confusion. In this world, only Della wants me dead. Besides her, I can't think of a second person who hates me that much. Then again, how did Della discover my whereabouts?

"Move!" pointing at Joan, the man ordered fiercely.

"No way!" the old woman blocked in front of Joan to protect her, fearful of what awaited her next.

"Ma'am, this is my personal problem. Let me resolve it on my own, okay?" Joan said promptly, patting her on the shoulder. She was resolute not to drag the innocent old couple into the mess that she was in. They had been too kind to her to be harmed unfairly.

The old woman stared at her and shook her head, hoping that she would not react rashly.

Joan believed that all the good and bad experiences that she had were already predestined. If God doesn't want me to live for one more day, I'll never be able to overcome the misfortune one after another even if I could escape to the ends of the world. My days are numbered; it's fated.

"Don't go with them, Joan," the old woman said, weeping.

Meanwhile in the office, Jake was staring blankly at Joan's photo on his phone screen.

"Mr. Wilson," Ted alerted him, "Ms. Watts is in trouble."

He stood up right away and zoomed out of his office like a flash. Damn it, which bastard dares to lay a finger on my woman? He's courting death!

When he arrived at the beach, Joan had already disappeared.

"Where's she?" Jake questioned the old couple.

"They took Joan away and even taunted to kill her," the old woman sobbed as she updated Jake.

They wanted to kill her? Jake was stunned. The next second, he recollected himself and whipped his phone out to call Della.

"I'm giving you a final warning, Della, you'd better not harm Joan, or else I'll expose your dirty deeds to Larry!" he threatened.

At this juncture, Della no longer cared about her reputation. With a crooked mindset, she was looking forward to seeing how the drama unfolded itself. "What's up, Jake? Do you actually love Joan? Why do I have the impression that you've always hated her? Was I mistaken?" she replied calmly.

"She's mine, I won't let you touch her!"

Jake finally broke down after going through an emotional upheaval. A million thoughts crossed his mind. He was so heartbroken when he thought about how Della's gang might be torturing Joan relentlessly.

Joan's his woman? He must be joking! For all I know, Joan has never liked him and it's always been a one-sided love.

Moreover, that b***h has her eyes fixated on Larry, it's highly unlikely she'd welcome another man into her heart.

"Don't be silly, she's never liked you. Even if you lock her up, you'll never have her heart. So, you should stop wasting time on her."

Although she did not explicitly admit to kidnapping Joan, the tone of her speech gave her away.

Why is she so thick-skulled? Jake gritted his teeth as rage welled up within him.

Smash!

Joan was thrown into a corner of a dark room, disheveled and horrified. Trembling, she curled into a fetal position and kept rubbing her palms together to get some warmth.

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Where are you, Larry? I miss you so much!

After a long time, Joan finally shut her eyes and fainted.

"Let her go, Della!"

At the restaurant, Jake stared daggers at the woman.

What if I choose not to let her go? What's he going to do? Della scoffed while turning to look out the window. Rage filled her eyes as she dug her fingers into her palm. Why does everyone like that woman? Is she any better than me?

"I don't know where she is," she lied.

What a crappy answer! The whole world knew that Della's the prime suspect who has a perfect motive to kidnap Joan. She's a devil in disguise who wants to take Joan's life. How brutal can this woman be?

"Della, your family is positioned at the top of the food chain, enjoying an unshakable status in the business world. I hope that you won't succumb to your own selfish desires and ruin your life, including your father's reputation."

His remarks snagged Della's attention, but she was not prepared to back down so easily. She was resolute to deny everything, hoping for things to be swept under the carpet. Squinting her eyes, she continued spinning a story, "Jake, I really don't know where's Joan. In fact, I just found out not too long ago that she's still alive. If you wish to locate her soon, you shouldn't be here interrogating me."

She spoke so eloquently that Jake almost believed her.

However, as experienced corporate leaders, both of them could more or less tell when the other person was talking them for a ride. Jake would never believe a single word Della said.

She's such a vicious b***h! Jake felt so helpless for he did not possess any evidence to support his allegation that Della had kidnapped Joan.

"Sorry, I have other things to attend to. I need to get going," Della announced while grabbing her handbag before exiting the restaurant.

Jake sat there, feeling desolate. What should I do in order to find you, Joan? Lost, he crouched and held his head in his hands.

Should I tell Larry about this?

Suddenly, the thought crossed his mind. He narrowed his eyes as though he was deep in thought. No, I can't let Larry know about this. If he gets to Joan first, she will definitely run away with him.

Right then, Joan was hiding in a corner and sobbing silently. Outside the door, several men were discussing how to take her life.

"Boss, I think that we should request for half the remuneration before taking any action on that woman. Just in case the sponsor goes back on her words, we're screwed," one of the lackeys reminded.

The boss nodded in agreement. Subsequently, he made a call. "Give me five million first and I'll do something."

"I repeat, I'll give you ten million when you get the job done," a female voice rebutted over the phone.

"Give me five million now and the balance later. Otherwise, you can forget about it," the man drove a hard bargain and hung up.

Meanwhile, Joan could hear the conversation between them from the room.

Exchanging her life for ten million? The mastermind behind this is rather generous. It must be someone who has very deep pockets. Della?

Clink-clank! Joan accidentally knocked over a glass on the table. Consequently, a few men rushed in and turned on the lights.

"You'd better behave yourself, or else you'll become a piece of dead meat in no time!" the leading henchman barked.

If they're going to kill me anyway, what difference does it make to die sooner or later? Joan finally mustered up the courage to glare at them.

What's there to fear when my time is almost up? The only regret she had was not being able to bid farewell to her loved ones and friends whom she missed so much, especially Larry. Mulling over the fact that her time with Larry was so short, she wept.

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Perhaps it was the first time he had seen a woman cry; the leading henchman felt so irritated and signaled for his men to leave the room.

Overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil she was going through, Joan started sobbing louder and louder. In the end, she broke down hysterically.

"Larry!" she called out his name as she cried, resulting in her voice becoming hoarse.

All the thugs felt bad after hearing her inconsolable cries.

"Boss, shall we..." one man in their midst faltered.

"No, we need the ten million!" their leader interrupted him, though he was also in a quandary. Had it not been for my chronically ill mother, I would never engage myself in this illegal act to earn money for her surgery.

He had never thought about killing people, especially women. He had no other options.

"That's enough. Watch her while I go and collect the money." The leader left.

Since five million was not a small amount, Della decided to do the handover personally. What she did not know was that someone was tracking her down.

She drove to an abandoned gas station. After scanning her surroundings thoroughly, she got out of the car with a briefcase.

"Mr. Wilson, Ms. Duff has just arrived at an abandoned gas station with a briefcase. I suspect she's about to have a deal." A man covered his mouth and whispered in a dark corner not too far away.

Hanging up the phone, Jake grabbed his jacket and headed out.

At the gas station, Della checked her watch and waited. After some time, she entered a wooden house nearby.

"You're here?" the leading thug asked in a low voice while enjoying a puff.

"As requested, here's your five million." Della handed the briefcase over to the man.

What a wealthy fellow, bringing over five million just like that! He opened the briefcase slowly and then counted the cash. No more and no less, exactly five million.

The amount was extremely insignificant to Della. As a matter of fact, she considered it a bargain to get rid of Joan with that figure.

"Remember, you only have one job. Do it well." Her tone was decisive with no room for negotiation.

"Miss, do you want her dead or to never show up in front of you?" the leading henchman asked deliberately. If she chose the latter, it's not necessary for me to kill her.

"To be out of my sight forever," Della confirmed.

The man was relieved to hear that. Great, I just need to ensure that Joan won't appear in front of her again.

Outside the door, Jake got hold of a man's arm and demanded, "Where's she?"

"Inside that wooden house." That man pointed at a small house nearby.

You've left a trail, Della. Sticking his face against the wall, Jake cautiously examined the situation inside the house.

"Are we going in now, Mr. Wilson?"

"No. When they come out, you should follow the lackey. Be mindful not to expose yourself," Jake illustrated his plan.

Today, I must go all out to rescue Joan.

He never analyzed his conjectures further, if it was truly Della who kidnapped Joan. There was no time for him to think. He rather made a mistake than pass up any chance to save Joan.

Much later, Della walked out from the wooden house, looking nervous. Following behind her was a man with a briefcase. His hawk-eye kept scrutinizing the place to make sure there was no hiccup.

Without a second thought, Jake and his men split up to execute their plan.

He was responsible for tailing Della whereas his men were tasked to rescue Joan. Since Della was a conniving figure, he was afraid that there would be unnecessary problems if others dealt with her.

Never Late, Never Away Chapter 2820

Some time passed before Della finally pulled over. She got off, then stormed over to Jake's car that stopped right behind hers. She wasn't sure as to when Jake began tailing her. However, one thing was clear; Jake had never trusted her from the very beginning.

"Are you done with your childish stalking?" Della barked whilst throwing her fist onto his car window.

Never. I'll never stop. Jake mentally swore that he would never spare this woman. He would continue to track her every move with eagle eyes until Joan was found.

"What's wrong? Feeling guilty about your crimes?" Jake provoked whilst casually hooking a finger under his chin.

What a joke! Della's face scrunched into a hideous frown upon hearing his remarks.

She admitted inwardly, Fine! I kidnapped Joan. And I was the one who wanted Joan dead once and for all. So what if that's all true? That b*tch will get what's coming to her soon. I have no reason to be scared. Plus, it's not like anyone knows or can prove that I orchestrated all of this.

She jutted her jaw in contempt towards Jake.

"I don't know where Joan is, so I suggest you quit wasting your time on stalking me, Jake." She then straightened up to leave.

Is that so? Someone sounds sure of themselves... Mischief flashed in Jake's sinister eyes.

"Must be fun using your wealth to manipulate other's lives, huh?" Jake's words shot like a whip. At that, Della whirled around and glared at him. Her body stiffened as if it had been caught red-handed. Did he find out about something?

Wait... Did he follow me to the abandoned gas station? Crap. She dashed to unlock Jake's car before shoving her head in.

"What the hell do you want, Jake?" she snarled anxiously.

"Oh, what can an insignificant company's president like me do? My abilities can't compare to you, Ms. Duff. All I want is to be with the woman I love," he boldly provoked whilst staring her down.

What's so good about Joan?

Hatred darkened Della's pupils as she gripped tightly onto Jake's steering wheel.

This reaction was exactly what the man expected of her. He remained unflinching as he declared, "I'll pretend as if all of this never happened on the condition that you quit going after Joan."

His words offered Della not only a chance to confess to her crimes but also an opportunity to redeem herself. Although, Jake didn't care much for her response. He would devotedly find other methods to save the woman he loved, regardless of whether Della agreed to stop her attacks on Joan.

Seeing the determined look in the man's eyes, Della felt a hesitant chill run down her spine.

He's definitely caught on. She balled her fists and bit down on her lips so hard that she could taste iron-like blood seeping onto her tongue.

"Stop with your antics, Della. You're a good person and an excellent businesswoman; there are many other ways you can add to your existing strengths. So you don't have to waste any more time and effort on meaningless things like forcing an unrequited love," Jake advised in a low voice.

He believed Della wasn't a bad person — she was only doing such horrible things because she was blinded by love. She had lost her sense of self. Her love for Larry was sincere. However, she hadn't quite understood the true meaning of love.

This was essentially the same as Jake's feelings for Joan. The two desperately wanted to be with the people they loved, but the methods they used were slightly different. Della had evidently lost all sanity. She convinced herself that Joan had to die; she refused to accept a world where Joan could fall into Larry's arms as she pleases, as well as a world where Larry only had eyes for Joan.

Perhaps the only person who had fully embraced the true meaning of love was Dustin.

He had given up on pursuing Joan's love and chose to protect her from the sidelines instead.

"Speak for yourself. Aren't you doing the same? Not only do you want to claim her body, but you're also after her full devotion!" Della snorted with disdain.

I mean... She's not wrong. I am selfish for forcing Joan to be with me without considering her feelings. However, that's because I can't wait any longer!