LM
CHAPTERS 776 - 781
776
When she mentioned her Brother Lucas, the smile on her face was always so bright. Her beautiful smile could put the stars to shame. That was her! Her name was Janell Joy Carter! However, he still saw her as his Little Janell.
"What's so good about Brother Lucas? How could you like him so much?" He wanted to understand her perception of him. Since she doesn't know that he was her Brother Lucas, the answer she would give must be her most honest thoughts. He cared about her honest thoughts a lot.
"My Brother Lucas is..." Janell Joy wanted to continue with "perfect". However, she knew that her Brother Lucas was really cunning. If he wanted to hear her praises of him, then he needed to be direct and honest. She would gladly praise him then. Instead, he was still clueless over her revelation, so he was using this opportunity to lure some information. Cheeky bastard!
If she praised Brother Lucas too much, what if he became too proud of himself someday and decided not to treat her well? What would she do then?
"My Brother Lucas..." As she spoke, she deliberately let out a long sigh and said sadly, "My Brother Lucas is great in a lot of ways, but I always feel that he doesn't like me enough."
"How could that be?" He blurted out. How could this little girl have such an idea? He liked her so much that it was far beyond what he expected. How could she say that Brother Lucas did not like her enough?
"You don't even know Brother Lucas, how do you know that he does?" Janell Joy was testing his explanation to this question, but at the same time, she put on a very concerning look on her face. "Maybe he likes other girls, but it's hard to say."
"How could he like other girls..." He answered in a hurry. Later, he realized that his responses were a little inappropriate.
"Why couldn't he? Who do you think you are? Do you think you know him better than I do?" Janell Joy felt a little guilty for messing with his feelings, but she was really annoyed that he manipulated her first.
"...."
Brother Lucas desperately wanted to spill the truth and reveal his longing for her too. However, when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he couldn't say it. It was not the right time yet. Janell Joy needed to wait a little more.
"You can't answer it, can you?" Janell Joy looked into the distance and her tone sounded more mellow, "It doesn't matter if he liked me or not, I will still like him."
Nathaniel felt bad. He reached out and rubbed her head. "Actually, I do know. Think about it. If you could like Brother Lucas so much, there must be something that you are attracted to. And maybe that thing is his graciousness towards you."
"Mr. President, have you ever fallen in love with someone?" She looked back at him. "You will put that person in your heart, and you will always be thinking about that person, even if you've just met him or her. Once that person leaves, you will miss that person tremendously."
"I have." He responded confidently, "The person I like is very outstanding, and she's much more excellent than I imagined."
"Wow... Mr. President, are you serious?" Was Brother Lucas praising her? Was he complimenting her? She was so excited and nervous that her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
"Of course it's true." As he spoke, he naturally reached out his hand and gently pushed her hair back, "She had always been I cared for as she grew up, but many things that have happened recently made me see her in a new light. Everything she has done went far beyond my impression and expectation of her."
"Then do you like this version of her?" If Brother Lucas did not like that she worked so hard, and only wanted her to hide behind him like a little woman, what should she do then?
"Of course I do!" He looked at her, and he looked as smitten as if he had been in love with her for thousands of years.
Of course, he liked her! Janell Joy looked at him with a smile. Her bright smile and innocent looking eyes melted Nathaniel's heart immediately. She looked so dazzling that she could illuminate the gloomy night sky.
Janell Joy also looked back at him and thought similarly. They looked at each other, as if they were almost intoxicated in each other's eyes.
Brother Lucas said that he liked this version of her! Janell Joy was so excited that she almost cheered out loud. She couldn't wait to hold Brother Lucas's hand and tell everyone that this person was her Brother Lucas, and this person was the person she liked.
Bang-
Suddenly, a loud noise broke the silence. Nathaniel and Janell Joy turned to look in the direction of the sound at the same time, and the people who were resting in the tent rushed out. However, since it was already dark, they could only hear the loud sound, but they could not see what was going on.
Nathaniel stepped forward immediately and said, "Secretary Hart, I need some people with me to check things out."
When he ordered Secretary Hart, he had already left Janell Joy behind and walked quickly ahead. He did not care about her. At this critical moment, the people's safety was still his priority in his heart.
"Luc... Mr. President, I'll go with you."
It was so dark, and the place was deeply affected by the earthquake. They might slip and fall accidentally. Janell Joy was not at ease if she did not stay with Brother Lucas.
"No way!" Nathaniel refused harshly without turning his head.
"I want to go!" She gritted her teeth and followed behind him. After she caught up with him, she didn't care about how others looked at their relationship. She reached out and hugged his arm. "You said that I'm not allowed to leave your sight. I followed your words. Why can't I follow that now?"
"Things are different now. You'd better stay in a safe place and not leave." Nathaniel forcibly pulled her hand away.
Although he had personally told her not to leave his sight today, the current situation was different. He did not want to put her life in danger.
"What is different? In my opinion, they are the same." Usually, she was not so capricious and disobedient, and she didn't want to cause trouble for Brother Lucas. But at this moment, she was afraid, so she didn't think as rationally as she usually did.
"Janell Joy, this is an earthquake stricken area, not an amusement park. This is not where you can just fool around." He understood her temper too well. If she didn't give up willingly, she would definitely find a way to follow him when he left.
"You're also saying that I'm here to fool around?" When other people say that she was here to fool around, she was not so affected, because they meant nothing to her. She would not care about what other people had said or done.
But he was different. He was her Brother Lucas, and he was her emotional pillar. He was the reason that she kept working hard. Others didn't know this, but didn't he know how hard she tried?
That night, when she helped move the supplies, she even fell down several times. Once, when she fell into a mud pit, she didn't even complain that it was dirty. She got up with mud all over her body and continued to help carry the supplies.
Because it was dark and she could not see, most of the time, she was just walking forward recklessly. She fell on the road before and her knees even bled. However, as she thought that she could help Brother Lucas, she gritted her teeth and endured the hardship.
777
Although she was kind, but Janell Joy did not do these things for the people. She did it for her Brother Lucas.
If her Brother Lucas was not here, she wouldn't be here too. But Brother Lucas said that she was just fooling around? Did he really think she was fooling around?
He just said that she was more excellent than he had imagined, and now he said that she was fooling around in the disaster area. Did he not mean his praises?
"Well, fine then. I don't care." She gave him a pitiful look and turned around. She rejoined her team members.
Although she returned to her team, her attention was still on Brother Lucas the whole time. He hurt her feelings, so why would she care about him? She should be angry with him!
But that was useless. She couldn't stay angry with him. She was sad the moment he left her. How could this be?
She was only 18 years old. Actually, since she was four years old, she had been thinking about Brother Lucas a lot. This was not good. She had not been able to fall in love like other young people, and she never experienced how it was like to fall in love for the first time. But her heart was already attached to someone else.
"Little Jar, quickly prepare some disinfectant. Shane and Burly, help me carry him onto the bed so he could lie down." Yaya suddenly rushed into the tent. She was carrying a heavily injured man on her back.
The injured man was a tall man. Yaya was thin, and the man was quite buff. When he pressed on Yaya, she was almost crushed.
Janell Joy rushed over and helped to support the man. "Sister Yaya, what happened?"
"What's going on?" Burly and Shane also rushed over to help. When Shane saw the left leg of the injured person, he almost vomited again. But this time, he knew how to pull himself together and tried his best to focus on his job.
With everyone's help, they finally lifted the buff man from Yaya's back and placed him on the temporary operating table. Yaya was finally free and took a l deep breath.
After a while, she explained, "Another building collapsed over there and many rescue personnels were crushed. As of now, there are still quite a number of people injured and they lack medical staff."
"The loud noise earlier came from the building? Is it still dangerous now? Did you see Mr. President and the others?" Janell Joy wanted to run over immediately, but she didn't do it.
When she faced dire situations, she could remain calm. She wasn't sure of the situation there, and Brother Lucas didn't want her to go with him.
If she followed him, he would be distracted because he had to take care of her if something happened. Janell Joy finally understood Brother Lucas's good intention. When she thought more about it, she felt a lump on her throat and tears welled up in her eyes.
She turned her back and quietly wiped her tears. She could not let anyone see her crying secretly. Then she took a deep breath again to calm herself down.
At this critical moment, she had to help save as much people as possible. She can't afford to break down. After a while, she quickly prepared the materials and tools needed for treatment and said, "Sister Yaya, I've prepared the disinfection tools."
"Little Jar, please stay here to take care of the injured man and help him treat his wound. We'll find other survivors," Yaya responded calmly, but when she saw the condition of the injured man, she was a little worried. "Little Jar, can you handle it?"
On his left leg, the flesh was almost detached from his leg, the wound was so deep that you could almost see his bones, and blood kept flowing out. It looked very disgusting. Shane looked at it and quickly turned his head away. He couldn't even look at it for a second time, that was why Yaya checked on Janell Joy.
"Sister Yaya, you can go ahead and search for the other survivors. I'll be fine here." No matter how disgusting it was, Janell Joy could grit her teeth and perform her job. She had seen a lot of these gory scenes in the past two days, so she was now calmer than she was when she first came here.
"Okay, then I'll leave you to it. We'll search for the rest now." Yaya nodded at her response, as she was quite confident in Little Jar.
"Sister Yaya, you guys should also take care of yourselves. When you save the victims, don't forget to take care of yourselves too." Janell Joy was trying to lift her team's spirits up, and she also hoped that Brother Lucas could hear her out too.
Yaya and the rest were busy saving people, and Janell Joy did not waste any time too. She prepared the disinfection tools and she was ready to treat the injured man.
First, she cleaned the man's wound thoroughly, then, she applied some medication on his wound and bandaged his wound. The process was very long, but she was not impatient at all. When she was busy, she devoted herself to saving people. She had no time to think about her Brother Lucas.
The situation on Nathaniel Cooper's side was also very tense. The collapsed building had also crushed a group of search and rescue personnels. Because of this, the search and rescue personnels became lesser, and there were more wounded victims.
The medical team were panicking as they severely lacked manpower. Although everyone was working their hearts out, no one complained about being tired.
When Mr. President continued to work through the night like everyone else, everyone felt comforted. Throughout the night, everyone had been struggling to stay sane. When they got too tired, they would casually find an empty space to rest for a while.
Everyone was caring, and no one was being judgmental. After resting for a while, they got up and continued to help out. By the time they managed to rescue most of the survivors, the sky turned bright. Perhaps, after the earthquake and aftershocks, the sky always appeared so gloomy.
In addition, it had been drizzling the whole time, so the weather was very bad. Everyone took turns to take a break for an hour or two, but Janell Joy didn't. She was surprisingly energetic and motivated, so she didn't feel tired even though she kept working.
Yaya took a short rest. As she woke up, she saw that Janell Joy is still working. She became worried and said, "Little Jar, you have been working for the whole night. Go and take a nap. Even if you can't sleep, just close your eyes for a while, you will feel better."
"Sister Yaya, I'm not tired. I'm not tired at all." Janell Joy smiled and she took a warm towel to wipe the face of an older patient. "Do you feel better now?"
"Better, much better... My child, thank you!" The elderly lady cried as she thanked them.
She cried because she watched her loved ones die in front of her, and she was moved to tears by these young individuals who took care of her so lovingly.
"No worries. Please rest up more. I'll need to check on the other patients okay." Janell Joy was taking care of everyone in the tent. She addressed them and spoke with them endearingly, so the older patients felt extremely loved and cared for.
"Young one, you should rest for awhile. If you are exhausted, we will be worried about you." The old woman really cared about her.
Janell Joy smiled sweetly and said, "Don't worry, I won't..."
"Little girl, come out for a moment." Before she could finish her words, Mr. President appeared at the entrance of her tent. He came to see her personally.
Little girl? Was he calling her that again? She told him before that she had a name. She was not a random "little girl". Her name was Janell Joy Carter, and he could call her Janell. If he called her "little girl" again, he would lose the privilege of calling her "Janell".
She remembered what she said clearly and would never forget her words. He'd better not think that she was joking with him.
778
"Mr. President? Is it Mr. President?" The President suddenly appeared in front of them, and the wounded survivors in the tent were so excited that their eyes were full of tears.
"Mr. President, thank you for coming over to comfort everyone."
"Mr. President, thank you for personally taking charge of the emergency and relief work, and working so efficiently that many lives were saved."
"Mr. President, you are really a good President. We have never seen a President like you that would work with us."
When the Mr. President arrived, everyone was stunned. Mr. President only wanted to speak to Janell Joy Carter, but he ended up having to check up on the survivors too.
Janell Joy stood aside and she was ignored. Earlier, everyone was so nice to her as she took care of them very lovingly. However, seemed that they valued their Mr. President more.
As she knew that she was being sidelined, Janell Joy secretly gave Nathaniel Cooper a fierce look and walked out of the tent. Why were they looking at him that way? She was much more attractive and cuter than their Mr. President. However, as soon as he came, everyone ignored her. She was jealous!
She was not jealous of the survivors, but of her Brother Lionel instead. In his mind, his country was always more important than her.
Although he was shaking hands and speaking with the survivors, Nathaniel could only see Janell Joy in his eyes. He noticed every little action she did. After she left, he went out shortly too, but he didn't see the little girl.
"Where?" He asked his two bodyguards who were guarding at the door. But when the two bodyguards heard his question, their eyes looked confused. Where? There was a loophole in Mr. President's question.
"What was he asking about? Was he looking for something or someone?"
Mr. President asked this question, but they didn't know who or what he was referring to. How would they know what he was asking about?
As he saw how confused his guards looked, Nathaniel only had one thought in his mind. He decided not to entrust personal matters on his bodyguards anymore as they clearly did not care much.
"Poof..."
When Nathaniel looked around, he heard a crisp sneer from the side. He looked up and saw that the girl was standing aside and laughing at him.
He walked up to her and asked, "What's wrong? Are you not angry anymore?"
"Hmph..." She didn't even look at him and ignored him. She turned around and looked very arrogantly.
"Little girl, come with me," he spoke and walked in front of her. After a few steps, the little girl stood still and did not move.
It seemed that she was still upset with him. He turned back and repeated, "Little girl, come with me."
She ignored him, but he was very patient and waited for her. He made her angry today and hurt her feelings. He wouldn't mind this little silent treatment from her.
"Who are you calling little girl?" If she didn't call her name, she would not go with him...But, her footsteps were almost out of her control, and she really wanted to go with him.
"You're young and little, if you're not a little girl then who is?" He looked at her carefully.
Her clothes were stained and her face was dirty, which further accentuated her big, bright eyes. He couldn't help but to hold her hand and said, "Follow me."
And she followed him. Even if he didn't pull her away, she would still follow him anyway. His hand was so big that it could easily hold her tiny wrist.
On this rainy day, it was the first time that he had made her feel warm. She couldn't resist getting closer to him. She really wanted to crawl into his arms and let him hug her.
As long as he hugged her, the suffering and pain she endured all this while would disappear immediately. But just as she approached him, she stopped again.
At this time, he was not her Brother Lucas. His arms did not belong to her. Perhaps he sensed that something was wrong, Nathaniel increased his grip slightly and held her tighter. "What's wrong?"
She shook her head. Then she lowered her head and did not speak. She was afraid that if she made a sound, she would end up crying.
"Janell?" he asked.
She was still silent, and Nathaniel did not ask anymore questions. However, no matter how many people looked at them along the way, he did not let go of her hand.
Along the way, neither of them spoke. It wasn't until they reached the tent that he said, "I got someone to prepare some warm water for you and a fresh change of clothes. Take a quick rinse, change your clothes, and I'll wait outside."
She was the daughter of the Carter family of Shengtian. She had been the gem of her family since she was a child. She never had to suffer at all all these years. His heart ached as he saw how messy and dirty she looked, and she barely had time to rest.
"Mr. President, did you specially prepare these for me?" She knew that her Brother Lucas was thinking about her. Her spirits became higher.
He nodded. "Yes, so go and wash up. Then please rest for awhile. I'll let you know when it's dawn.
She didn't understand, "Aren't you coming in?"
"It's not appropriate." This little girl had to know how to protect herself. What if he was not her Brother Lucas? What if he was a bad guy?
"Mr. President, please come in with me." She gestured for him to come in. "Hurry up. I need your help."
He didn't ask what it was about because he couldn't say no to those bright eyes. He followed her in. As soon as he entered the tent, she turned around and rushed to his arms. She reached out to hold his waist tightly.
"Janell..." Nathaniel wanted to push her away, but he couldn't. He also wanted to hold her in his arms, but he was now the President of Country A.
He asked, "Little girl, do you know who you are hugging?" This person was not her Brother Lucas. The identity of the man in her arms was completely unknown to her. What if he was a man with ill intentions...
"Mr. President, don't move, don't talk, just let me lean against you for a while. Because I think I miss my Brother Lucas a lot."
She hugged him tightly, rubbed her little head against his chest, and murmured, "If my Brother Lucas is around me, he will hold me tightly and give me some warmth... He will."
"Janell..." He wanted to tell her that Brother Lucas was by her side. Brother Lucas was currently hugging her, and Brother Lucas will give her warmth.
He couldn't say those to her yet, but he could hold her tightly, give her a sense of security, and give her a little warmth. He reached out to hug her back and patted her on the back. "It's alright. Everything will be fine."
Gradually, he felt that her breathing slowed down. He looked down and found that she had fallen asleep in his arms.
This little girl worked hard for an entire day and night. In front of the survivors, she even said that she was not tired. However, she fell asleep in his arms in such a short time.
779
"Janell..." Nathaniel Cooper called her gently. She didn't respond to him. He carried her up gently and placed her on a small bed in the tent.
As she put Janell Joy Carter down, he loosened his grip and wanted to take a towel to help her wash her face, but just as he moved, the little girl grabbed him and said, "Brother Lucas, don't leave me behind, I'm scared."
Usually, she always pretended to be very cheerful and fearless. It seemed that no matter how difficult life was, she could endure it. However, on the inside, there was a very different side of her.
She had no sense of security in her. heart. Her insecurity did not stem from this disaster relief work, but it stemmed from how her Brother Lucas disappeared from her sight after she took so much effort to find him.
"Don't be afraid, Janell. I will stay by your side, and I will protect you." He grabbed her hand and massaged it gently. "Janell, ...."
He wanted to thank her for coming to him in time. When he finally became President, she came to him in time and witnessed his success in his career. She came right after he had overcome his hard struggles.
When he had just taken office, the 7.6 magnitude earthquake happened... She accompanied him through this hard time, and he knew that his efforts were worth it.
She definitely did not know how important she was to him. She meant so much to him that her existence could propel him to go further in his life.
When that incident had happened, everyone believed that he would definitely be defeated, but he was succeeding so far. However, no one knew that the reason he was able to work hard was because he thought of this little girl. And he remembered that he owed her a promise.
"Brother Lucas, you promised me that I can find you..." In her dreams, she frowned and became so sad that she almost cried.
"Janell, I'm sorry!" he said.
When she was very young, he chose to return to his country and abandoned her, betraying the promise he had given her. Aaron Paul often said that she saved his life, but he nearly died for her. The debt he owed her had already been paid off. However, in Nathaniel's viewpoint, the relationship between him and her went beyond just saving each other.
In the beginning, he wanted to stay by Little Janell's side to protect her. He had two purposes. He wanted to use her status to hide from others safely. Next, he wanted to repay her for saving his life. However, before he knew it, he had already forgotten his original purpose. He stayed by her side and simply wanted to protect her.
"Brother Lucas..." She slept uneasily in her dreams. From time to time, she would call out Brother Lucas, the big boy who would protect her.
Nathaniel held her hand in one hand and touched her forehead with his other hand. He said softly, "Janell, let me tell you a story that you like, okay?"
When she was very young, she loved the story "Frozen" a lot. However, he didn't know much about fairytales, so he made up some stories for her. Unexpectedly, she was very interested in his stories. She even told him that his stories were the best.
Since she was young, she was a cute and naughty little girl who was also very considerate. She really carried her family values with her and grew up in a healthy and loving household.
"No, you just need to stay by my side." No matter how much she liked fairy tales, she much preferred his companion.
"Okay, I will accompany you then. I won't go anywhere." He patted her on the back and coaxed her to sleep as if he was coaxing a child.
After she fell asleep soundly, he washed her face with a cloth. However, when he touched the pail of water, the water had already cooled down.
He washed her face with the cold water instead. Her little face was so dirty that no one could see her face clearly. He cleaned her face with a white towel. After washing her face, the white towel instantly changed colour. One could imagine how much she neglected her image for the whole day and night.
He changed the pail of water and washed the cloth thoroughly before cleaning her face again.
This was his Little Janell. However, she was still as cute as a little cat, and he didn't mind her dirty look. After washing her face, Nathaniel took the towel and wiped her hands.
He noticed a wound in her palm. When he saw the blood on her hand, he thought that she might have hurt herself when treating others.
Nathaniel's heart sank at the sight of her bloodied palm, and he felt like he was stabbed. This girl lectured him about seeking help and taking care of oneself before others. Today, she was hurt instead, yet she remained silent.
He really wanted to punish her for this. But of course, he was not willing to do it. He cleaned and treated her wound instead. However, that was not the only injury on her body. There were a few blisters on her feet too.
The blisters popped, and the pus even flowed out. There were several scratches on her calves and injuries on her knees too…
Besides her face, the rest of her body was also covered in wounds. Nathaniel treated all her wounds thoroughly. He couldn't wait to wake her up and question her.
Wasn't it better for her to live a rich and comfortable life if she stayed in New York as Miss Carter? Why did she have to come to such a place to suffer?
Brother Lucas chose to take up the responsibility on his shoulders and abandoned her more than ten years ago.
He had abandoned her long ago. Didn't she know that?
Now, the Brother Lucas she missed had finally climbed to the peak of his life and success, but he already had a fiancee. She was a woman known all over the country.
If she knew that he was her Brother Lucas, and that her Brother Lucas had been lying to her the whole time, how sad would she be?
"Brother Lucas, as long as you are by my side, I won't be afraid of anything." In her dream, she smiled.
She must have dreamed of the Brother Lucas she missed. She followed him without hesitation and worked for him relentlessly. But what about him? What on earth did he do for her?
Not only did he not do anything for her, she was even hurt and injured because of him.
"Anyone!" Nathaniel was so angry that he threw the towel out of his hand, which hit the face of Secretary Hart who heard his orders.
"Mr. President... What, what's wrong? I just..." What was going on? He did not do anything wrong earlier, but why was Mr. President so angry?
"Get a helicopter here. Bring her back to Jason Lesley. Instruct Jason to take good care of her for me. If she loses a strand of hair, I will punish the Lesley family."
He needed to exert his dominance and authority right now. He had been pretending to be nice for too long. He pretended to be so nice that he nearly forgotten, how hard was his climb to this throne. He deserved to feel superior.
"Mr. President... bring her back?" Was Mr. President's head been concussed by the earthquake? Getting a helicopter just to send this little girl back? It would be a waste of resources. This was not the right thing to do at the time of a rescue.
"Secretary Hart, have not made myself clear? Do you need me to tell you again?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly, and his gaze was even more fierce.
"Understood, understood. I'll arrange it right away." Secretary Hart ran as fast as he could. It had been a long time since he last saw the murderous look on the President's face.
780
The fragrant aroma of food was very strong. After a while, the room was filled with the scent.
"Hu..." The little girl lying on the bed sniffled and licked her lips subconsciously. The aromatic scent almost made her drool, but she still did not want to wake up.
The delicious breakfast, the soft bed, the warm quilt…
All of this reminded her of her home in New York. To her, everything was warm and beautiful, and she was only missing Brother Lucas.
This was a dream. Otherwise, how could she smell the scent of her favourite strawberries?
She knew that she was in the disaster area. There were injured people and dead bodies everywhere. She could smell blood and the stench of dead bodies. She was most definitely hallucinating about strawberries.
However, she could still smell the aromatic scent after a long time. She was so hungry that her stomach was growling, and she was salivating. Since she couldn't eat them in reality, she felt quite lucky that she could dream about her favourite food and smell them so realistically.
She greedily breathed in the smell of the food and tried to fill her stomach with it. She was still hungry, but at least she was satisfied.
"Janell Joy, wake up!" Now, she heard the sound of Samantha Lesley's voice. Janell Joy sighed. If this was a dream, then it felt too real.
"Janell Joy, you've slept for an entire day and a night. If you don't wake up, I'll call the police." Samantha pushed Janell Joy.
"You're the first person I know who could sleep so long. Aren't you hungry at all?"
"Samantha, can you be quiet?" This girl had been making a lot of noise these days. She was finally resting well in her dreams, and Samantha was disturbing her serenity. Didn't she know that she was very sleepy?
"Janell Joy, I've asked the helpers to prepare a lot of delicious food. Get up and eat something. You can sleep after." Samantha felt very sad when she thought of what Secretary Hart had said the morning before.
Janell Joy was her friend, but how did she become a distinguished guest of the President suddenly? Because of this, she acted very carefully around Janell Joy now. She felt that the dynamics of their friendship had changed.
"Janell Joy... Just get up and eat something. Don't starve yourself. Otherwise, my brother and I will get into trouble." Samantha spoke very directly.
Samantha's ability to pester people was so strong that Janell Joy really couldn't stand it. She decided to wake up from the dream, so that she wouldn't have to listen to her annoying voice anymore.
Janell Joy slowly opened her eyes knowing that she would definitely see her Brother Lucas by her side. She no longer needed to listen to Samantha's annoying nagging.
But when she opened her eyes, she didn't see Brother Lucas. Instead, she saw a big smile on Samantha's face. She was smiling brightly at her. "Janell Joy, you are finally willing to open your eyes. You have slept for such a long time. If you weren't breathing, I would think you had died."
Janell Joy blinked and tried hard to clarify her view, but... when she opened her eyes again, Samantha was still in front of her, and Brother Lucas was not there.
Janell Joy was so disappointed. "Samantha, why are you here? Where is Brother Lucas?"
Samantha was a very timid and shy person. She had never participated in outdoor activities when she was in school. She was always the first to withdraw from any activities that involved survival skills.
She was always afraid of a lot of things. Samantha didn't have the courage to participate in any risky activities. She wondered how did Janell Joy had the courage to work for disaster relief?
"Janell Joy, are you confused? This is my home, if I'm not here, where else can I go?"Samantha reached out her hand and touched Janell Joy's forehead. She compared her body temperature with her own.
Finally, she asked, "Janell Joy, do you have a fever? Why are you spewing all these nonsense?"
The bed was soft and big, and the room was very warm. In addition to the smell of food, she could also smell hot tea and cologne.
She finally deduced that she was no longer at the disaster area, but she was back at the Lesley house. She knew that besides her Brother Lucas. No...
Besides the President of Country A, no one else would have the power or ability to send her back to the Lesley house. She was doing well at her work at the disaster area. Why did he send her back when she fell asleep?
Did he really think that she would not be able to help him if she stayed in the disaster area? Would she cause more trouble for him?
At the thought that Brother Lucas despised her so much, Janell Joy felt so down. Tears swirled in her eyes, and she almost cried out loud. However, she bit her lips tightly to stop herself from crying.
In Brother Lucas's heart, she was already so useless. She couldn't cry like a child again. She had to be brave, strong, and improve herself. She would not want Brother Lucas to look down on her again.
"Janell Joy, what's wrong? Is there something wrong?" Seeing Janell Joy's red eyes, Samantha wanted to comfort her, but she didn't have the right words to do so.
Janell Joy managed to control her emotions, but after listening to Samantha's words, she almost broke down again. She hurriedly turned her head away so she wouldn't cry.
Since she was little, her father told her that she was their treasure. He told her that she needed to let everything out and she did not need to suppress anything in her heart.
For more than a decade, her family had taken good care of her. She was hardworking, smart, brave, strong... No one ever hurt her like this before.
"Janell Joy, stop daydreaming. Get up and wash up, or you'll really starve." Samantha raised her hand and waved it in front of Janell Joy.
"Janell Joy, did you hear what I said?"
"Have I slept for an entire day and a night?" Janell Joy asked.
"Yes, it's been an entire day and a night. Secretary Hart sent you back yesterday morning. You slept until this morning, which is now." Samantha nodded hard.
"How's the situation at the disaster area? Is there any aftershocks still? Did you hear any news about Mr. President?" Although Janell Joy felt down, she was still worried about the person who made her feel that way.
No matter how he bullied her or made her sad, he was her Brother Lucas. He was the person that was on her mind all the time since she was a child.
It was impossible for her to really be angry with him, because her emotions outweighed her rationality. She could not stop herself from worrying about him.
"Well, the news reported that the situation in the disaster area is much better. The communication channels and water supply have recovered, and a large number of supplies have also been sent in time... Don't worry, there will not be any aftershocks too."
Samantha's speech was long, but she neglected the question that Janell Joy cared about the most. Janell Joy didn't bother to ask Samantha again.
She hurriedly took out her phone and browsed the news. She knew that Samantha probably summarized the news for her too.
781
As she read the news, she read a lot about how the volunteers and workers managed the bodies of the deceased in the disaster area. One after another, the news was all over different outlets.
The weather in Long Cove in September was not very cold. There were too many people who died in the earthquake, and their bodies would quickly rot if not managed properly.
Once the corpses rot, chances of bacterial infection were high. If an infection happened, it would be hard to contain the spread. Therefore, it was very urgent matter to dispose the corpses properly.
After discussing and listening to the opinions of the people and professionals, the leaders of the country decided to cremate the bodies. Although the news was very disheartening, the most important thing was for the living to live well.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the news spread out, some people objected this decision. Some of the relatives of the deceased were far away from the affected area, and many people had not been able to come back to see their families for the last time.
Some oppositions took advantage of this incident to incite the families of the dead in the disaster area. They wanted to bring the President down.
Many people knew that their Mr. President had the final say in this matter, but the matter was discussed with the public and from the opinions of the professionals. However, the opposition would just say anything to bring him down regardless.
"These people are really bastards!" Janell Joy was so angry that she swore. Her Brother Lucas, together with the people in the disaster area, rushed into the disaster area to save people.
People at the disaster area saw what he had done with their own eyes. How could there still be people who wanted to fan the flames and pull him down. What was more annoying was the fact that many angry citizens would jump on the bandwagon and trust what the opposition said. They didn't even witness the President's hard work at the scene.
"Janell Joy, what's wrong with you?" Samantha asked curiously as she saw how angry Janell Joy had gotten.
"These are fake news and tabloids, mostly created to disrupt the political stability. Any sane person would know that. Besides, the President has his own way to deal with these things. These clowns wouldn't be able to do anything." Samantha could say these words because she knew the President well.
Mr. President worked very hard and diligently to get where he was now, and many citizens witnessed that. He climbed his way up. No matter his capabilities, it was sad to see how many people out there were willing to bring him down. From the bottom of her heart, Janell Joy felt sad to see that.
"Samantha, did Mr. President came back from the disaster area?" Janell Joy was so anxious that she wanted to jump off the bed, but she was stopped by Samantha.
Samantha hugged Janell Joy and said, "Janell Joy, there are injuries on your feet and legs. The doctor has helped you treat the wounds. Don't move too much for the time being."
"Has Mr. President returned?" Janell Joy asked again.
"He's back. My brother went to the North Palace to attend a meeting." Samantha thought for a moment and said, "Janell Joy, you were close to Brother Dominic for a while, and then you're with Mr. President now. Do you think they're all your Brother Lucas? Isn't Brother Lucas just one individual?"
"Of course I know that Brother Lucas is only one person." She knew this very well and that was why she cherished him so much. "Samantha, tell me, was Mr. President..."
Janell Joy abruptly swallowed the word "injured" back..Even if her Brother Lucas was injured, he would not say anything. Just like the wound on his shoulder, he would only quietly let the doctor deal with it briefly, and he would keep it to himself.
Samantha was worried and said, "Janell Joy, let's eat something."
"Okay." She really needed to eat. She had been hungry for so many days already. If she didn't have enough food, how would she have the strength to continue to help Brother Lucas?
Perhaps because Janell Joy hadn't eaten anything for a long time, as she took two mouthfuls of her food, her stomach felt very uncomfortable, and she wanted to vomit.
She drank another glass of water and said "Samantha, I can't eat anymore."
Samantha asked, "Janell Joy, what happened to you?"
"I'm okay." Janell Joy shook her head. "Samantha, you can go out first. I want to rest for a while."
"Alright, you can sleep for a while, I'll bring you your lunch later." Samantha knew that something was wrong with her, but she didn't know how to talk to her. She decided it was probably better for her to gain some peace first.
As soon as Samantha left, Janell Joy picked up her phone and looked at the news about Mr. President on the Internet.
There were a few people who kept trying to smear his image, but the news were mostly repetitive. The news suggested that he chose to cremate the corpses in order to cover up some sort of truth.
There was a user who made a comment that made Janell Joy remember it deeply. Two days ago, this person cursed Nathaniel on the Internet by saying that he should go and never come back. Then, someone more capable could take up the position.
Janell Joy clicked on the man's picture and wanted to read more information about him, but it seemed like a spam account. Obviously, he didn't want others to find out anything about him.
Janell Joy gritted her teeth. She needed to find him out. She needed to teach him a lesson. The only person who could help her find out about this person was Andrew Carter.
Although she was really unwilling to call him, but for the sake of Brother Lucas, Janell Joy once again gritted her teeth and dialed Andrew's phone number. When she called, the call was almost immediately connected, but he did not hear any voice from the other end.
Janell Joy pursed her lips and asked, "Why are you not talking?"
"I'm waiting for the almighty Miss Carter to speak. I have to listen to her and be at her beck and call." Andrew spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Andrew, do you have to talk to me like this?"
That was why she didn't want to talk to him and probably why they couldn't get along. She couldn't stand his attitude when they spoke.
"So you're not calling for help?" Andrew asked back.
Janell Joy stammered, "I..."
Andrew gave a wry smile and said, "Go ahead, what's the matter?"
"Can you help me investigate a person?" After all, she was asking for his help. Janell Joy's attitude had to be polite.
"Janell Joy, do you think that your Brother Lucas is just a child? Does he want you to do everything for him?" Andrew suddenly sounded mad.
Janell Joy was so confused by his anger and she asked, "What do you mean?"
He added, "He must have already found out about the person you want me to investigate, so you don't need to worry about whoever that was."
Janell Joy couldn't believe his words, "Really?"
Andrew suddenly changed his tone and said, "Janell, I need to be frank. Whether you like it or not, I will just say it. Your Brother Lucas is far more powerful than you think. He is capable of climbing to the position of being the leader of the country. Do you think he is stupid?"
"Of course I know that he is very powerful, but no matter how powerful he is, I still want to help him. I want to share some of his burden with him, can't I?" She knew that he was powerful, but she wanted to do something.
"Of course you can..." Andrew took a deep breath and murmured, "What's so good about him? Is he worth so much for you to do these things for him?"
He had accompanied her for fourteen years, and the days he spent with her were far longer than the days when she was accompanied by her Brother Lucas.
He accompanied her, took care of her, and loved her. As long as she needed something, he was more concerned about it than his own matters. Why couldn't she notice the person that was by her side all this time?
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