LM
CHAPTERS 791 - 798
791
For the rest of his life, he would keep her with him and never let her go. However, there would be a lot of obstacles in the future. No one knew what was going to happen. They only told themselves that no matter what happened, they should not give up easily.
In Janell Joy Carter's memory, she couldn't remember that she had a meal with Brother Lucas. When Brother Lucas sat beside her and ate with her, she did not bother about eating much.
All she did was to look at him quietly. She wanted to remember his actions and his appearance firmly in her mind. If she were separated with him again in the future, and no matter how long she would be separated from him, she could never forget him again.
"Do you not like these foods?" Perhaps her eyes were fixed on him for too long, it made him feel uncomfortable. Nathaniel Cooper raised his head slowly and asked her.
"They're good." Janell Joy shook her head, and her smile looked so pretty, like a blooming flower. "When I'm with you, no matter what I eat, it will definitely be a good meal nonetheless."
"In that case, then eat more. Don't lose weight after coming to Country A." Nathaniel kept putting food onto her plate, "I will try my best to spend more time with you in the future."
"Really?" Janell Joy's expression changed.
"Of course." Looking at her happy face, he also smiled as he continued to put food onto her plate. "Don't starve yourself anymore in the future. If you get sick, everyone will worry about you."
"Okay okay. I won't do it again in the future." Janell Joy nodded her head and leaned a little closer to Nathaniel.
"Brother Lucas, with you by my side, no matter what obstacles I face, I will definitely try my best to conquer them and never give up."
She didn't want to worry about his fiance, as she only wanted to be with Brother Lucas. With him by her side, they could overcome anything.
Janell Joy tried to persuade herself. As long as she was sure, she would not retreat or hesitate anymore. She would be strong and put up a fighting spirit as she attempted to break through all obstacles, and successfully stay by Brother Lucas's side. She would accompany him until the end of time.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The phone on the side suddenly rang, and Janell Joy's thoughts were disrupted. It was a familiar phone number, but after she ran away from home, this phone number no longer called her.
After she ran away from home, her father had not contacted her. She knew that he was angry with her. Why did her father call her all of a sudden today? Was he unhappy knowing that she was staying in Brother Lucas's house? If that was the case, she would be in big trouble!
"Who is it?" Seeing that she was frowning, Nathaniel asked worriedly, "Don't you want to take it?"
"No." Janell Joy shook her head and declined the phone call.
Brother Lucas didn't even know how "scary" her father was. If her father called to ask her to go back to New York, he would mean his words.
If she didn't go back, she would probably be taken out of bed and brought back to New York the next morning. Her father was really a respectable and admirable person, but he was also very scary.
"Did your father call you?" The only person who could make this little girl so upset must be her father. "He wasn't okay with you coming over to Country A to find me?"
"Yes." Janell Joy nodded honestly, and her voice sounded a little aggrieved.
Her father would definitely not agree to this arrangement. Sometimes, she wondered if her father was trying to marry her off to Andrew. This was because Andrew was an adopted son that their father was very satisfied with.
In terms of his personal life and work ethics, Andrew's performance was extremely outstanding, and he had won their father's favor.
Andrew would be able to take up the heavy responsibilities at Shengtian. However, his father was not keen to the idea of handing Shengtian over to someone who's not biologically related to him, hence it would be the best choice to have her marry Andrew, and they both could manage Shengtian together.
Thinking of this possibility, Janell Joy was very annoyed. She didn't want to believe that she was not as important as Shengtian to her father.
"Janell!" Just as she was worried, Brother Lucas pulled her into his arms and said, "Don't worry, I'm here. No matter what obstacles, including your father, he can't stop you from being by my side."
As early as many years ago, Nathaniel knew that Edwin Carter had never wanted him being by Little Janell's side for so long. Otherwise, the news that Nathaniel had not been killed in the terrifying incident would long be delivered to the Carter family, and there would be news or evidence about Nathaniel being in Jiangbei before.
These showed that Edwin really did not like him being by his daughter's side. So what? Nathaniel was locked onto his daughter, for sure!
……..
"Master Paul, according to the news we just received, Mr. President has already brought the girl to his residence." After reading the message he had just gotten, Dominic Cooper looked at Aaron Paul with concern.
Aaron drank the wine in his glass in one gulp. He drank too quickly and choked, and tears had trickled down his cheeks. He roared agitatedly, "We've all tried our best to help him, and after more than ten years of hard work, we've finally managed to get him this position. Is he planning to let that girl destroy everything by doing this?"
"Then what should we do now?" Dominic gritted his teeth and made a throat-slitting gesture. "No matter how beautiful she is, we should exterminate any obstacle that comes our way."
"You want to get rid of her? Do you have the guts? Anyway, I don't have the balls to touch her." Aaron filled up another glass of wine and took another sip. "That girl is not an ordinary person. If anything happens to her, both the President and the Carter family will not let us go."
"Since Nathaniel won't listen to us, and we can't do anything to that girl... Are we just going to sit by idly?" Dominic raised his voice and asked.
He admitted that he had a good impression of the girl, but the girl didn't belong to him. Besides, she was causing a lot of troubles at this point and he wouldn't mind to kill her off, but he forgot about her special status.
The President acted carelessly and ruthlessly, and they couldn't deal with this girl either. For some time, both of them were silent.
Dominic looked at Aaron worriedly, and Aaron just kept sipping on his wine. After several glasses of wine, Aaron said slowly, "There is another person who can help us."
Dominic asked, "Who?"
Aaron said, "He is in charge of some major parts in Shengtian. People in the business industry think highly of him. He is also a very capable Young Master of the Carter family."
"Andrew Kyle? Dominic had heard of this adopted son of the Carter family before, but he did not know much about him. He did not know if he had the ability to help them.
Aaron suddenly felt much more relaxed. He smiled and said, "As far as I know, when the Carter family's First Miss just arrived in Coast City for a few hours, the Young Master of the Carter family already brought some of his men to follow her."
For a moment, Dominic didn't understand much. He asked, "What does that have to do with our problem?"
Aaron smiled and said, "His purpose is very obvious. He wants to bring the little girl back home."
792
"Do you want Andrew to help us take the girl away?" Dominic Cooper was confused with his suggestion. "It's been so long, but we haven't seen Andrew taking her back anyway."
"If that girl was easy to deal with, then the Young Master of the Carter family wouldn't be here. Everyone knows that she is the gem of her family, and everyone knows how much Edwin loves and spoils her. Who could force her to do something she doesn't want to do?" Aaron Paul spoke about Edwin Carter like he knew him very well.
Back then, he had secretly sneaked into Jiangbei with Nathaniel Cooper. Both of them used fake identities. However, Edwin still knew everything about them.
He didn't even know how Edwin knew about it. Edwin could see through their intentions and antics well. Aaron knew that this leader of Shengtian must be powerful. Now that many years had passed, he still remembered Edwin very well.
Especially in the past few years, as Shengtian grew bigger and bigger, Edwin's reputation became more and more famous.
For a few consecutive years, he had been the richest man in the world. He was featured in many lists and grown to be one of the more powerful men in the world.
This was an achievement that many people could only dream about. To describe Shengtian as powerful and rich was an understatement. Shengtian's wealth and success were enough to feed an entire nation.
Janell Joy Carter was beautiful and smart, in addition to having such a strong and powerful support system. Who would dare do anything to her? Unless that person was seeking for death.
"Mr. Paul, after you have said so much, I only understand one thing. As long as that girl is unwilling to do something, no one can force her. Then how could Andrew help us?" After thinking thoroughly, Dominic still did not understand what Aaron's intentions were.
Aaron filled another glass of wine, and drank slowly. He responded, "I'm not saying that Andrew can help us, but he can help himself..."
"Help himself?" The more Dominic listened, the more confused he became. Aaron had never talked like this before, so why was he acting like this now?
"Let's just wait patiently and watch the show. I believe that Andrew's men should already know about it. That is his sister whom he had protected and cared for for more than ten years. Tonight, she stayed in another man's house..." Aaron suddenly let out a cynical laugh.
"Master Dominic, I have a question for you."
"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't keep me guessing." Dominic also poured himself a glass of wine and sipped slowly. His alcohol tolerance was lower than Aaron, so he drank slowly.
"If you protect a little girl since she was young… you took care of her, cherished her like a treasure, grew up with her, and slowly tried to have a romantic relationship with her..."
Aaron suddenly change his tone of speech and sounded serious, "But one day, the treasure you have taken care of for so long has been taken away by someone else, what will you do?"
Dominic replied, "That depends on how much I like this treasure."
Aaron answered, "It's a previous treasure. You care so much for this treasure. Wherever she goes, you'll follow."
Aaron tried to make his point clear for Dominic.
He thought for a while before answering, "If something like that happens... If I can't have it, I would rather destroy it."
Hearing his answer, Aaron smiled with satisfaction, "Then, Andrew, the First Young Master of the Carter family, as perfect as he is, what will he do when he encounters something like this?"
"Master Paul, are you implying that he will do that to his sister..."Obviously, Dominic was surprised, yet delighted.
"But they are siblings. Does he still think he could have such a romance with his sister?"
"Everyone knows that he is only an adopted son of the Carter family. Even though he has the family name, there is no blood relationship between him and the rest of the Carter family... If he can win the heart of that little girl, and if the little girl was also willing, Edwin probably will be happy too."
Speaking of this, Aaron sighed."Edwin's Shengtian has to be handed over to the next generation sooner or later. His son is still young. If his adopted, competent son can handle a lot of things and can become his son-in-law, this will be convenient for him."
Besides the both of them, many others in the public were watching over Andrew too. Everyone was curious to see if Edwin was willing to allow his adopted son to manage Shengtian one day.
They wanted to see if Edwin really acknowledged his adopted son as one real member of the family, just like he claimed.
"Well, that's not something impossible. It's just that the little girl's mind is all on Mr. President. How would she like her brother?" Dominic proposed another question.
"As for this, let's see how the First Young Master of the Carter family will handle it. As outsiders, we can't do anything. However, if that little girl moves into Donder, it would be harder for Andrew to find out information about her. In the future, let your men spread the beans to him."
After drinking some wine, he finally figured out things that have been troubling him for a few days. Aaron picked up his glass happily and drank more.
In fact, the little girl of the Carter family had not offended or hurt him before, and the little girl was also quite likeable. Logically, he should not harm the little girl, but unfortunately, matters got complicated. Her existence affected all decisions of their President, so she had to leave.
……...
The night was as dark as ink. However, because of the lights of the city, this night was no longer a fearful night. Instead, it was colorful, gorgeous, and beautiful.
The night scene looked extremely mesmerizing. The most famous place in Coast City was the Coast City Tower.
The tower was six hundred and thirty meters high. Standing on the watchtower, it felt like a fairytale, as one could overlook the night view of the whole city.
Of course, the famous Donder Street could also be seen. Andrew held his binoculars and looked at Donder Street for a long time. However, he could only see the lights in that area. He could not find the house he wanted to look for, nor the person he wanted to observe.
In a few months, it would be fourteen years since he had been in the Carter family. He had been by Janell Joy Carter's side for almost fourteen years.
Time flew by really quickly. In a blink of an eye, both of them were adults now. The little baby princess that he had been protecting had grown up and turned into a beautiful, young lady.
Was 14 years really not that long?
Well, it was definitely long enough for some people to forget the faces of others, like how the little girl couldn't remember what her Brother Lucas looked like.
However, even though she had forgotten what that person looked like, she could not erase the memories she had of him in her heart. Not only did she not forget her Brother Lucas, she had also moved into his house...
At the thought of that, he unconsciously held his binoculars tighter.
"First Young Master, it's from Chairman Carter." York Tanner's voice brought Andrew back to his senses.
793
Andrew Carter turned around, quickly took the phone that York Tanner handed over and answered, "Dad."
"Hm." The unique, mellow voice of Edwin Carter came from the other side of the phone.
He only uttered to show he was listening, just like how he was over the years. He still looked cold and unapproachable.
"Dad, what can I do for you?" In front of his father, Andrew was always cautious. He was afraid that if he did something wrong, he would be hated by his father, who was very strict.
"Are you at Coast City?" Edwin answered. He still sounded cold, and no one knew what he wanted to express.
"Yes." Andrew nodded. In such a short time, he had thought of the many reasons his father had called him for.
He hoped that he could read through his father. He constantly acted cautiously and wisely so that his father wouldn't find any fault with him.
He had been in the Carter family for more than ten years now, and he was also the First Young Master of the Carter family. His family treated him like their own child, but he had never forgotten that he was an adopted son.
He had to remind himself this all the time, so that he could do better for his adopted family.
"Andrew, you are the eldest son of the Carter family." voice again, this time, he sounded a little frustrated. It was obvious that he was a little unhappy.
"Dad, I'm not sure what you want to say." Andrew did not understand. Was that not what his father had told him to do?
"Andrew, I want to let you know that you are our child, and you can do whatever you want. Don't be so overcautious."
The person who spoke at the other end of the phone was Jane Ronan instead.
"Mom..."
"Andrew, you are our good child, and we have seen all your efforts over the years. Janell Joy is your sister. As her brother, if she does something wrong, you should guide her. You can't let her do whatever she wants." Jane continued to say.
"Mom, I understand." This time, he should really understand what they meant.
He always knew that in their eyes, they really regarded him as their own child, but occasionally he couldn't help but to doubt their love. It seemed that he was overthinking.
"Good that you understand. It's late. Go to bed early." After wishing his mother good night too, he hung up the phone.
At the other side of the world, after hanging up the phone, Jane turned her head and glared at the man sitting beside her with a sad gaze. "Mr. Carter, let me deal with the children's affairs. If you were to handle it, I'm afraid you would scare our children off."
Edwin, " I...."
Jane interrupted him. "What I? It was such an easy discussion, but you kept your child hanging. Don't you think so?"
Edwin didn't say anything more. Anyway, his wife was always right. No matter how many years had passed, this had never changed.
Jane continued, "Edwin, the children have grown up. Let them deal with their own personal problems. We don't have much control over it."
Edwin's face darkened. It was obvious that he did not agree with Jane's words. Jane sat down beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Edwin, you chose to marry me without the permission of your parents, didn't you?"
Edwin took the opportunity to put his arm around her and patted her on the back. "I'm not the same."
Jane looked up at him and said, "Tell me, what's not the same?"
Under her gaze, Edwin explained slowly, "Before I decided to marry you, I've already taken over Shengtian for many years. Since young, I've always been the one in charge of my own matters. I know very well what I'm doing."
After listening to him, Jane is a little anxious. "Mr. Carter, do you mean to say that our children don't have their own thoughts? You think they don't know what they are doing?"
Edwin did not know how to respond. When did he say that? This woman was getting more and more capable of distorting his words these past few years.
Jane also knew that she was a little rushed, so she rephrased her words, "Edwin, our children are so much more capable than what we think. We have to try to let them do what they want to do. Maybe one day, you will really see that our children have really grown up."
Edwin also knew that their children were competent and capable. Because he thought that his children were too good, he would think that no one was worthy of his daughter.
However, Edwin had never mentioned this to anyone else before. Of course, Jane did not know about it too. Edwin didn't say anything, but Jane understood what he was thinking.
"Edwin, if you're worried about our baby Janell, honestly, you don't have to. Our Janell is much better at seeing through people than me. Don't worry, the person she fancies will definitely be as capable as her."
Over the years, everyone in the world knew that Edwin doted on his daughter a lot. It was because this daughter was his and Jane's first child.
Of course, it was not easy for the child to survive, and throughout the years when his wife was not by his side, their child accompanied him.
That was why he didn't want his daughter to grow up so quickly, and to have another man in her heart so quickly.
"I don't agree." After a long while, Edwin finally spoke up.
"What do you mean you don't agree?" Jane asked.
Edwin picked up the documents at his side and flipped through them. After a long while, he finally responded, "Before you turned 20, you weren't that wise, but after meeting me, you became wiser and smarter."
"Mr. Carter, can you stop praising yourself that much?" Jane laughed as she responded. Jane was laughing at how self-righteous and proud this man was.
"Did I say something wrong?" Edwin softened his tone slightly, but his expression turned serious again.
794
"Okay, okay. You're right. Our Chairman Carter is always right." Jane Ronan walked behind him and helped him massage his shoulders.
"Mr. Carter, you've been missing your daughter for so long that you can't sleep, right?"
Edwin said stubbornly, "I didn't."
Jane added, "Your daughter is just as stubborn as you. If you ignore her, I doubt she would talk to you too."
Edwin's face darkened again, and the blue veins on his forehead were protruding.
Jane continued to say, "She's our daughter. If you are happy with making her feel bad, then just ignore her."
Over the past few days, this man had been thinking too much about his daughter. As someone closest to him, how could Jane not know?
She just didn't expect that both the father and daughter were so stubborn that neither of them wanted to contact the other first.
Edwin continued flipping through the documents, but he didn't reply.
"Edwin, when did you know about Andrew's feelings for Janell?"
Jane had always remembered that her husband's EQ was extremely low. How could he see through Andrew's feelings for Janell so quickly?
"Because I am a man." His EQ was not high, but his IQ was high. He understood how would a man acts around a woman he fancied. Of course, the child who lived under his eyes could not escape from his eyes.
"Forget it. Let them deal with their own affairs. We can only guide them a little."
Jane sighed as she thought about the phone call with Andrew earlier. That child was so smart and so sensible. He must have understood the good intention of his parents.
A relationship between two parties must be of their own free will, and it was impossible to force love.
………
The weather in Coast City was very good, it was a comfortable 20 degrees celsius. Because it was a city close to the sea, there was often sea breeze, so the air was also fresh.
The early morning air was exceptionally refreshing.. Janell Joy turned over lazily, hid in the quilt and continued to snore. When he thought of how her Brother Lucas stayed by her side last night and slept with her, her lips curled up slightly when she fell asleep.
After a few hours of sleep, she still had no intention of waking up, but she was awoken by her buzzing phone beside her.
She scratched her head, and it took her a long time to reach for her phone. She picked it up and saw that it was Uncle Luis calling.
Luis George was her father's personal assistant. Wherever her father went, Luis would be there too.
Janell Joy was very clear that while this phone call was from Luis's phone, but in fact, it was probably from her father.
Last night, her father called her, but she did not pick up. Instead, she hung up his phone. Presumably, his father must have been angrier with her, so he wouldn't call her personally.
She was the one who didn't answer her father's phone, but she seemed sad to know that her father wasn't calling her again.
After thinking for a while, Janell Joy answered the call and said, "Uncle Luis, how are you?"
She tried to make her voice sound as pleasant as possible. If she talked to Uncle Luis like when she was a child, it was possible that he would help her out.
"Miss, Chairman Carter wants to see you!" Luis's voice echoed into Janell Joy's ears.
"Dad wants to see me?" Janell Joy guessed correctly. But when she suddenly heard that her father wanted to see her, she still felt a little worried.
"But I'm in Country A now. It's not convenient for me to go back." Luis replied, "Miss, Chairman Carter is right downstairs."
"What?" Hearing Luis's words, Janell Joy jumped out of bed. She opened the curtains and saw a limited edition Bentley parked in front of their small courtyard.
That kind of car was her father's trademark car. For so many years, she had not seen her father driving other cars besides Bentley.
This really showed how loyal he was. He was loyal to the people around him, even towards the brands he frequented.
Ah, ah, ah!
Her father was always so fast. When he called her yesterday, he might be in New York, but he arrived in Country A in less than 24 hours.
It seemed that this time, her father was really angry and he would definitely take her back. What should she do now? Janell Joy was so anxious that she really didn't know what to do.
"Miss, are you coming down to see Chairman Carter, or do you want Chairman Carter to go up and see you?" She heard Luis's voice again through the phone.
"I, I... Uncle Luis, how did you guys get in?" Yesterday, when the driver took her into this area, they went through plenty of security checks before entering. How did her father get in?
"Miss, do you think that he really couldn't go wherever he wanted?" Luis asked calmly. His tone made her feel like she really didn't know her father well.
"...." Sure enough, she underestimated her father. If he could meet world leaders and famous people easily, coming to such a place must be a piece of cake for him.
"Miss?"
"I'll go down now." Janell Joy hung up the phone and hurried back to the house to see if there was any other way out except for the front door.
She was very disappointed because she could not find any other exit to escape despite searching the house. She was forced to face her father and face the risk of being brought back home.
The elegant Bentley was parked at the gate. It was only a short distance from the house to the front door, but Janell Joy walked so slowly to get to the car.
Luis had already gotten off the car and waited for her. When he saw Janell Joy, he laughed and said, "Miss, you're here."
"Good morning, Uncle Luis!" Janell Joy said sweetly.
"Morning?" Luis raised his head to look at the sky and said, "The sun moved really fast today. The sun's high up above us already."
Luis spoke really sarcastically. It was already noon, and Chairman Carter had already dealt with many important matters since the morning. He probably made a million other dollars, and probably approved many projects already...
"Uncle Luis, you're becoming more and more adorable." How could Janell Joy not know what Luis meant?
She got used to his way of speaking already "Miss, Chairman Carter is in the car." Luis pointed to the back seat of the car and gave Janell Joy another look, indirectly telling her that her father might still be angry.
Janell Joy nodded. She walked to the car, opened the door, and said, "Dad."
Edwin was wearing a white shirt and a pair of black suit pants. He sat in the back seat of the car and held a document in his hand. He was reading it with his head down. He did not respond to her.
"Dad..." Janell Joy called him again, but her father still didn't look up, as if he didn't hear her at all.
"Dad!" Janell Joy got into the car and sat beside Edwin . She leaned her little head against Edwin's shoulder and acted sweetly, "Dad, are you going to ignore me for the rest of your life?"
Edwin was still looking at the documents in his hand. He still ignored his daughter.
"Dad, are you really going to ignore me?" Janell Joy knew that she had gone too far this time and made her father very angry, but she didn't expect that he would ignore her like this.
Edwin still did not respond to her. It was as if all he could see were the documents in his hand. He could not see his daughter at all.
795
"Dad..." Janell Joy raised her voice a little and reached out to take away the documents in Edwin's hand. "If you're going to ignore me, I'm going to leave."
She put her pink and tender face close to him and said proudly, "Dad, when I leave, you will actually miss me, won't you?"
"Try me, see if I will," Edwin finally replied her and his tone sounded a little softer.
No matter how much he disagreed with her, when Edwin saw that cute face of her, especially since she looked so much like Jane Ronan, how could he speak to her with such harsh words?
"Dad, you really don't miss me?" Janell Joy threw herself into Edwin's arms and rubbed against his chest like a child.
"You won't miss me, but I'll miss you very much."
"Miss me?" His daughter had finally learned to comfort him just when she was 18 years old. If she really missed him so much, why didn't she call him?
If he didn't take the initiative to come to her, she would probably never come back to him for the rest of her life. He felt depressed when he thought about it.
"Dad, of course I miss you. I miss you so much that I can't sleep well these days and couldn't eat well too." She got out of Edwin's arms and grabbed his hand to touch her own face.
"Dad, feel my face. I've lost weight, right?" Janell Joy just wanted to put on an act for her old man, but little did she know that Edwin actually touched her face and his expression changed.
In the end, he concluded, "Luis, immediately get someone to whip up some nutritious soup for her."
"Dad, I'm just kidding. Look at me. I'm as healthy as a bull." Janell Joy said in a hurry.
Her father was too serious. She was just joking, but he took her words seriously and instructed others to cook for her immediately.
Wait... Did her father indeed asked someone to cook for her?
It's over! It's over! It's over!
It seemed that her father would definitely take her back to New York this time. No, she couldn't go back, at least not now.
She had just made some progress in her relationship with Brother Lucas. She did not want to leave Brother Lucas and return to New York at this time.
"My daughter, I watched you grow day by day. Do you think I wouldn't realize if you've lost some weight?" When he touched his daughter's face, it felt completely different, so she must have lost weight.
"Dad, I still have something to do. I can't go back to New York with you for the time being." Janell Joy suddenly spoke sadly and pitifully. If her father forced her to return to New York, she would cry.
"Luis, let's go!" Edwin looked at Janell Joy, who had her puppy dog eyes on display. This little girl cared so much about the man who didn't even want to tell her his real identity. Now the smart girl was turning into a fool.
She had already made several mistakes in such a short time today. He didn't say that he was bringing her back to New York, yet she was already so sad.
"Dad, I said that I won't be able to return to New York for the time being." Janell Joy turned around and wanted to escape from the car, but Luis had already locked the car door.
"Dad, I said I won't go back yet, and you can't force me to do something I don't want to do." Janell Joy was so anxious that she bit her lip.
Tears were welling up in her eyes, but she was so stubborn that she tried hard to put up a strong front.
In the past, her father often told her that she was the treasure of their family, and that everyone in the family loved her dearly.
Whatever she wanted to do, they would support her anyway, and they would never force her to do something she didn't want to do. But now, she wanted to find Brother Lucas, and her father stopped her from doing so; she didn't want to return to New York, but her father was forcing her to return to New York.
Was he really the father who loved her unconditionally? Was that her father that never talked to her fiercely?
She was doubting his love now!
Just as she was getting anxious, Edwin spoke again, "You're my daughter. If you don't want to do something, of course, I won't force you."
This little girl had misunderstood him. He really wanted to punish her, but his heart ached when he saw how pitiful she looked, as if she was about to cry.
"I said I don't want to go back to New York, but you still want me to go back to New York. If this is not force, then what is it?" Janell Joy blinked hard, and her tears rolled out of her eyes.
"Since when did I say that I'm taking you back to New York?" Edwin stretched out his hand and rubbed Janell Joy's little head. He sighed and said, "When did you become so stupid?"
He couldn't control her. He had raised his daughter for 18 years with great care and love. Now, there was another man in her heart, and she even abandoned her father for him.
"If you're not taking me back to New York, then where are you taking me? Why did Uncle Luis lock the door?" Janell Joy wiped her sad tears, but there was a little joy in her heart.
No matter how many years had passed, no matter her age, as long as she pretended to be aggrieved and pitiful, her father would feel sorry for her and could not bear to scold her.
She always understood that among the three children, her father loved her the most, and even the little precious at home was far behind her.
"The car is moving, if Uncle Luis didn't lock the car, were you going to jump out of the car?" Only when facing his wife and daughter, Edwin could be this patient.
Edwin's patience and gentleness had always been reserved for Jane Ronan and Janell Joy only. As for the 8 year old little precious in their family, he had completely inherited his father's cold character.
At such a young age, the little boy could put on a cold face that could intimidate others. He didn't need his father's love and care. Or perhaps they were too similar, they repelled each other.
"Hehe..." Janell Joy smiled shyly and leaned into his father's arms again, "Dad, actually, I am just joking. I know that you love me the most. You will definitely not force me to do something I don't want to do."
"It's good that you know that then." In front of his daughter, Edwin always put on a slight smile on his face, and he always looked at her so tenderly.
After all these years, his daughter, Janell Joy, had grown up. His son, Julien Glover Carter, had also turned 8 years old.
However, time was kind to him, as it didn't leave much trace on him. Instead, he looked more charming instead. He was a successful and charming man, who often attracted the eyes of many young women when he went out.
Because of his maturity and charm, he often encountered some weird advances by others through these years. When he dined outside, he would often receive many "gifts" from others.
Not long ago, there was once a very bold company who did something out of boundaries. It was clear that Chairman Carter lived a very self-disciplined and strict lifestyle. He never messed around with women, yet, this company actually sent women to Chairman Carter's bed.
On that night, Edwin brought a group of his men out for a meal to talk about a project, and he returned to the hotel after dinner that night.
When he opened the door of his hotel room, there were two women waiting for him inside. He had never met one of the women before. And the other woman was actually his wife, Jane Ronan.
Edwin opened the door and he was stunned. He noticed Jane first. When he saw Jane, he let out a sweet smile unknowingly. However, almost immediately, he saw the other woman sitting in the room too.
796
Edwin Carter was a germaphobe. The rooms he stayed in were specially reserved for him by the hotels under Shengtian. Others could not stay in his room.
That night, when he returned to the hotel, he immediately saw Jane Ronan whom he had not seen for a week. He was very excited to see her.
Unexpectedly, there was also another woman that was in the room, and she looked unkempt. He frowned as he looked at Jane, and looked at her with suspicious eyes. Instead, Jane glanced at him with a death glare, and she walked out of the room.
"Jane, what's going on?" Edwin grabbed Jane and held her in his arms.
"What's going on?" Jane broke out of his arms and looked at him angrily. "Chairman Carter, how can you ask me what's going on?"
Edwin felt helpless and reached out to grab her. He raised his voice, "Let's talk about this. Don't mess around!"
Jane shook off his hand. "Who's messing around here?"
Yes, who was messing around? She wanted to give him a surprise today, so when she came to the hotel, she did not tell him in advance. But little did she know, there was a naked woman lying on his bed.
When she saw the woman, she didn't leave immediately. She wanted to wait for him to come back to the hotel and give her an explanation. Instead, he put the blame on her!
Did he think that she would arrange for a hooker to reward him for working so hard?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She simply bit her lips in anger and she was about to pounce on him. She regretted coming over here tonight to ruin his "plan".
"Alright, I said something wrong." Ignoring her struggle, Edwin once again pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
"Didn't we agree that we have to talk about matters properly, and we can't argue? Tell me, what's going on?"
"Your partners are really considerate huh. You haven't returned to your room yet, and they already sent a woman to your room first." Jane said sadly.
In fact, she knew Edwin well. He wouldn't do anything immoral behind her back, but no matter what, when a woman sees another woman lying on her husband's bed, she would probably lose their mind.
Edwin patted her on the back, then he carried her away. He said, "I didn't know about this."
Jane sniffled, "I know, but you can't blame me for being angry and sad... I'm worried that... if I did not come tonight, you would have..."
Before she finished her words, Edwin immediately pressed his finger on her lips. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Jane, trust me, what you are worried about will never happen."
Jane stayed in his arms and nodded sullenly. "Trusting may not be enough, as I will still be worried that you would fall into someone else's trap."
Kevin travelled frequently and had to meet different people every day. These people acted differently from the surface compared to their true colours.
No one knew what kind of dirty tricks they would play behind the scenes. No matter how careful Edwin was, sometimes, he might be caught off guard and fall into their trap.
"I don't want you to worry about me, so I will promise that I will protect myself well. I will definitely not fall into anybody's trap."
As Edwin spoke, he placed Jane in the car and immediately picked up his phone to call Luis George.
"Chairman Carter, is there anything?" Luis answered the phone quickly.
Edwin responded coldly, "Luis, find out who sent the woman to my room. We'll never work with them again in the future. There's a rat in this hotel. Fire all the staff that were on duty tonight. Also, issue the notice immediately and emphasize that we will never employ them again."
Edwin was a very attractive and charming man, and he was also envied by a lot of men. However, he had strict principles and would take care of himself and his family well...
……..
"Dad, where are you going to take me to?"
Although Edwin said that he would not take her back to New York, Janell Joy was still a little worried as the car continued to drive along.
After all, her father looked gentle on the surface, but in fact, he was a fierce beast.
"Are you worried that I will take you away and sell you off?" Edwin sighed, "Little girl, am I not your father?"
Janell Joy nestled in her father's arms and acted cute. She said, "Dad… Actually, I know that you love me, but I have grown up. Sooner or later, I will get married."
"How old are you? How can you think about getting married so soon." Edwin frowned immediately. This little girl couldn't wait to escape from his watch?
In fact, after listening to Jane's explanation, Edwin could understand the feelings his daughter developed for her first love. However, if she wanted to choose someone to love, it had to be someone who was up to his standards.
Why did she choose a person who couldn't even reveal his real identity?
In Edwin's world, true love went beyond sweet words and romantic gestures. Instead, he needed to use practical actions to show his love.
This was his beloved daughter, so he couldn't bear to let her suffer the slightest bit of pain or sorrow. He loved her so much. How could he bear to watch another man break his daughter's heart?
"I'm already an adult. In the future, I'll get married to someone else." As she thought about getting married, Janell Joy suddenly started to feel sad.
Brother Lucas had a fiance. Would she really have the chance to marry him in this life?
His status was special. If he couldn't break off the engagement, he might really need to marry Miss Silas in the future. At that time, could she still firmly stay by Brother Lucas's side like what she was doing now? To be honest, Janell Joy really didn't know if she could be that selfless.
"Sometimes, I really hope that you will never grow up." If she had always remained a child, then she never needed to leave his watch.
"No matter how old I am, I'm still your child." No matter how old she was, she still likes to lie in her father's embrace. Listening to her father's steady heartbeat, she knew she had nothing to worry about.
"Okay, it's good that you remember that you are still my child." His wish was simple; he only wished that his daughter would always live a healthy and happy life.
After more than half an hour's drive, the car arrived at a well-known upscale residential community in Coast City – Moon Bay.
Moon Bay was a real estate investment that Shengtian invested in the capital of Country A. The residents were all the rich and powerful. Only those with successful businesses and high salaries could afford to live here.
Since everyone who lived here was very rich, the facilities, equipment, and security in this area were the best in the world. The security work here was good, it was similar to that at the residential area for the senior officials at Donder Street.
Last night, the leader of Shengtian suddenly gave out orders and invested a large sum of money to strengthen the security management at Moon Bay. It seemed that he wanted to be on par with the villas on Donder Street.
Shengtian's developments had always maintained its high standards and good reputation. As soon as Moon Bay opened in Coast City, it attracted the rich people from all over the country to buy properties here.
Usually, they wouldn't live here permanently, but they would turn these properties into their vacation houses.
Edwin loved his daughter very much. How could he allow his daughter to live in someone else's house? As early as when Janell Joy arrived in Country A, he had already asked someone to prepare a house for her.
"Chairman Carter, we're here." Luis got out of the car and opened the door for Edwin.
"Okay." Edwin nodded.
"Uncle Luis, thank you!" Janell Joy got out of the car from the other side. "Dad, why did you bring me here?"
"Sister!" A voice that sounded very childish but still pretended to be sophisticated reached Janell Joy's ears.
She did not have to look back and knew that it was her little precious brother.
797
Janell Joy Carter turned around and saw their little precious standing just a few feet behind her. He was wearing a little white dress shirt and trousers.
At first glance, he looked like a miniature version of her father. He was only eight years old, but he had already looked like a young adult and always put on a proud and cold look.
If it weren't for the fact that she knew him too well, she would have thought that he was trying to scare her.
"Hey, little precious? Why are you here too?" Janell Joy walked to the little one and rubbed his face. "You are still so young, why are you making a poker face all the time? You should smile more and act cute. Then you will have more girls who like you in the future."
"I don't need them!" Julien Carter replied seriously, his face turning red. He knew that there were many girls who liked him, but he didn't like any of them.
"You really don't need them?" Janell Joy approached him and poked his face.
"Little precious, tell me, do you have a girl that you like?" It was the first time that she had seen him blush and looked shy
"Don't tease me!" Julien didn't want to talk to her anymore. His sister was getting more and more annoying, but he couldn't do anything to her now.
When it comes to fighting, he was still very little. After all, he was only eight years old. Even though he started to practice Taekwondo and other martial arts from this young age, he was still no match for Janell Joy.
Arguing was simply his weak point too. He was doomed to lose even before the start.
"Little precious, I asked you a question. Why aren't you answering?" Janell Joy held his face and rubbed it hard. "Come on, tell me, do you have a crush on a girl?"
Julien moved her hand away and frowned in disgust, "Sister, how many times do I have to tell you that a girl can't just touch a boy's face like this? Besides, I'm not Little precious. My name is Julien Glover Carter. Please address me as Julien."
Sometimes, Julien just ignored his sister who always regarded him as a three year old child. He was annoyed with her most of the time. However, she was his only sister, so he had to bear with her. As a little boy, he had to protect his mother and sister, so it was okay to let her have her way.
"Little precious, I'm your sister. If I want to touch you, what can you do to me? You can bite me if you can." Janell Joy pulled the little one back to her arms and continued to pinch his little face.
"Janell Joy, take your hands away!" He was getting quite agitated. She always treated him like a child. She shouldn't forget that he was already eight years old.
He was eight years old! He was not a three year old child anymore! He wanted her to treat him like an adult!
"I won't! Are you going to bite me?" Every time, Janell Joy succeeded in making her young, cold brother angry.
He was her younger brother, and her only younger brother. She hoped that he could.act like his peers, where they could cry their hearts out, fool around, demand for attention... instead of acting like a cold, unapproachable child.
"Janell Joy!" Julien was very angry and shouted his sister's name again.
"She's your sister." A deep voice suddenly came from the side. It was their father who was reminding him that he should treat his sister well.
"Dad, sorry, it's my fault." Julien lowered his head and admitted his fault obediently After admitting his mistake, he turned his head away coldly. He didn't want to say another word.
His father always protected his sister, and he was used to it. Besides, he shouldn't shout his sister's name just now. The angrier he was, the more Janell Joy wanted to tease him. She wanted him to act his young age.
"Little precious, don't be angry. I haven't seen you for a long time. Don't you miss me?"
"Little precious, come on, let me hug you."
"Little precious..."
However, no matter what Janell Joy said, Julien still put on a cold face and did not say a word.
Looking at their interaction, Edwin felt helpless. One was not like him at all, as she was lively and quick-witted. The other one was exactly like him. He always hid everything quietly in his heart and never shared his feelings or struggles with others. Moreover, he would look unapproachable to other people.
"Julien, your sister was just playing with you. Don't be angry. Quick, bring her back to the house," said Edwin.
"Okay." Julien nodded obediently.
"Dad, aren't you coming with us?" Janell Joy asked.
"I still have something to take care of. You guys go ahead first. I'll be back later." Edwin made an appointment with someone he had to meet.
"What is it that's so important?" Jane Ronan's voice suddenly came from behind, and she glanced at Edwin with dissatisfaction. "Is it more important than your health?"
This man had flown for nearly ten hours since last night. After getting off the plane today, he brought her and Julien home and rushed to Donder Street to pick up his daughter.
After traveling for nearly 24 hours, surely, he was tired. But he still didn't want to stay home for a rest and said that he had something to do.
After he heard Jane's words, Edwin furrowed his brows and obediently shut his mouth. Jane glanced at him and said, "If you have stuff to do then go do it quickly. I'll take the children home."
Sometimes, if she didn't talk some sense into Edwin, he would really think of himself as Superman.
She knew that he worked hard to give her and their children a better life, but in her opinion, the best life could not happen without him being around them.
"Luis, inform the people that I'll postpone our meeting tonight." Edwin always chose family as his first priority.
As she saw the tense interaction between her parents, Janell Joy quickly jumped out to ease the atmosphere. "Mom, why did you also come to Coast City?"
What day was it today? Why did her whole family arrived in Country A?
"What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?" Jane walked over and opened hernarms wide, waiting for her daughter to hug her.
"Mom, I am so happy to see you, how could I not be?" Janell Joy threw herself into her mother's arms and greedily inhaled her mother's scent.
"Yes, I'm also very happy to see my baby daughter." Jane stroked her head and smiled bright, "Why did you upset our Little Precious as soon as you two met?"
"Mom, I am not Little Precious!" Julien once again emphasized that his mother and sister were being disrespectful. He had said many times to not call him that anymore, but they still did it. He was getting very annoyed.
"I think Little Precious is a cute nickname. It matches our Julien very well." Jane smiled at him. Like her daughter, she liked to tease this cold- tempered little one.
Julien did not refute his mother's words. One was his mother, and the other was his sister, so he had to give in to them. Jane touched his head lovingly, "Alright, it's windy outside. Let's get in the house first."
Jane deliberately ignored Edwin. If he wanted to work so badly, then he could go ahead. Perhaps he would only learn his lesson if he collapsed one day.
"Okay Mom." Janell Joy and Julien answered at the same time.
Janell Joy held her mother's hand with one hand and her brother's hand with another. At the same time, she looked back at her father and hinted that he should keep up with them.
798
Looking at the backs of his wife and children as they walked in front of him, Edwin Carter felt that his world was completed. He had a kind and loving wife, a beautiful and clever daughter, and a sensible son. Wasn't this the definition of success for a man?
"Dad, hurry up and keep up." Janell Joy
Carter turned back and shouted at Edwin, fearing that her father would do something that would make her mother unhappy again.
"Okay." Edwin nodded and walked faster to catch up with them. He had a slight smile on his face.
Janell Joy felt relieved when she saw that Edwin caught up with their speed, "Mom, you haven't told me why did you guys come?"
"Because I miss you very much, that's why I came here." Jane replied in a gentle voice.
Actually, Edwin was the one who missed their daughter very much. He was afraid that their daughter would be mistreated here, so they decided to come to Coast City to visit their daughter.
After Edwin arrived in Coast City, he brought Jane and Julien to Moon Bay first. Before he could even catch a breather, he went to find Janell Joy.
And now, he still hadn't rest yet, and he said that he was going out to do some work, so how could Jane not be angry?
"Mom, you love me the most." These days, Janell Joy did go through some hardships in Country A. She also thought about going back to her mother and father's arms. She wanted to hide in their warm embrace but she never thought that her parents would come to see her instead.
"So you think I don't love you?" Edwin, who had been walking behind them without saying a word, suddenly interrupted their conversation. His voice sounded stern and he did not sound very happy.
"Dad, I know that you love me very much too." Janell Joy grabbed Edwin's arms and said, "Both of you loved me, and of course, our Little Precious too."
Janell Joy was very clever. As they walked, she handed her mother's hand to her father, and she walked behind them to hold her brother's hand instead.
"Jane..." Edwin called her name. His voice was deep and seductive, carrying an alluring tone.
"Yes." Jane took her hand away and crossed her hand instead. "I am not angry with you. I am just a little frustrated that I can't help you share your burden."
Over the years, she worked hard through her own efforts. Her studio gained quite a reputation in the design industry and she managed to earn quite a sum of money.
Although the money she earned was much less than the money Edwin earned, the money she earned was enough to support the whole family too. If Edwin burnt out and did not want to work one day, she could proudly tell him that she could support their family.
"Okay, I know." They had been married for so many years. He knew what she was thinking.
"Go home and eat something first, then have a rest for a few hours. If you have enough rest, you can continue working. I won't stop you." Jane looked at him and explained nicely.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." When it came to work-related matters, Edwin had always been the one who was very dominant. Only in front of Jane, he would often compromise.
"Little Precious, slow down." Janell Joy pulled her cold- tempered brother who was walking extremely fast.
"Why?" As expected, the little one didn't understand why his sister wanted to hold his hand.
"Little Precious, can you not be aloof like how Dad is? Can you please be gentler?" Janell Joy pinched his little cute face again.
She pinched it like she was pinching dough. Julien kept quiet. What did she mean by "aloof"? He didn't understand.
He only knew that he shouldn't talk as much as his sister and couldn't be as sweet as his sister as he was a boy. Besides, he had the responsibility to protect his mother and sister.
"Mom and Dad, you can head in first. Little Precious said that he wants to buy something at the convenience store."
After that, Janell Joy held her confused little brother's hand and ran away. Julien was indeed very confused. When did he say he wanted to buy things?
After a little distance, Janell Joy pulled Julien to a corner and they peeped at their parents. They saw their father kissing their mother. Both of them were an old couple, and their children were already grown-ups. They couldn't act lovey-dovey in front of them.
"Little Precious, you see, in the future, you have to be more sensible and give them their privacy." Janell Joy began to teach her younger brother.
"When?" Julien still didn't understand why his sister wanted to go to convenience store using his name, and didn't understand why his sister hid in a corner instead and watched their parents kiss. Moreover, he didn't understand what his sister said about privacy.
"My silly little brother." Janell Joy sometimes doubted why a smart girl like her could have such a silly little brother. Julien did not refute her comment. He didn't want to argue with his sister, because he knew his priorities.
"Little Precious, you have to listen to me carefully. In the future, you have to give some privacy and time for Mom and Dad to work on their relationship." Well, since his EQ was low, so she should just tell him directly.
"Sister, do you mean the kissing between Mom and Dad?" Julien asked calmly.
"Little Precious, you finally understand." Janell Joy was so excited that she wanted to cry tears of happiness.
"Isn't it normal for them to kiss?" He recalled seeing his parents kiss quite often.
Janell Joy was left speechless now. It turned out that she looked down on their Little Precious. He did understand some matters.
"You look skinny." Back home, Jane Ronan held her daughter's hand and looked at her for a while.
When she saw her daughter's sullen looking face, she felt distressed and said, "Janell, please sit. Let me cook something for you."
"Mother, I'm slim, not skinny." It was good to have her parents by her side, but if they spoiled her too much, she would only want to hide behind them if she encountered difficulties and setbacks in her life in the future. She would not be able face the obstacles alone.
"You're still refusing to admit that you're so skinny. Do you think we can't see through it?" The young man beside her suddenly blurted out.
"She doesn't want to go back to New York, then let's stay here with her for a while," Edwin Carter spoke sternly.
"Dad, you don't need to accompany me, I'm living a good life here. I eat and drink well every day. I have everything I need." If they really stayed here with her, she would be restricted.
"Oh?" Edwin raised his brows.
Seeing the expression on their father's face, Little Precious hurriedly pulled Janell Joy's sleeve to hint that she should listen to their father's words obediently.
Besides their mother, it was very difficult for anyone else to change their father's decision. In addition, this matter concerned his daughter who he cared about the most.
Janell Joy certainly understood his father's stubbornness, so she chose to keep quiet. Her mother came out from the kitchen with a bowl of hot soup, and said, "Janell, drink this first, and then have a look at your room. Your father designed your room according to how he thinks you'll like it. Judge it for yourself."
"Mom, I'll like it very much." Even if it wasn't designed to her preferences, she would also like it. Because she acknowledged her parent's love for her.
Seeing her parents and brother in Country А, Janell Joy felt that she was the happiest child in the world. Not only she was loved by her parents, she also had her Brother Lucas.
No comments:
Post a Comment