LM
CHAPTERS 951 - 957
951
Edwin Carter had arranged for people to leave the comments on the Internet. On these news posts, the comments were mostly praises.
It was the first time for Janell Joy Carter to show her face and identity to the people of Country A. It went perfectly well according to Edwin Carter's plan.
Seeing herself appear in the news and finally being exposed to the citizens, Janell Joy was not very happy. Because she knew very well that her father was behind all of these posts on the internet.
As for the comments on the Internet, the trend of the news would change very quickly. It might be all praises at first, but in the next moment, the praises would die down.
Janell Joy knew that her father did this because he loved her. With his ability, he would not allow any negative news or comments. But she really didn't want to rely on him for everything. She really wanted to handle this matter by herself.
After all, if she really became the First Lady of Country A one day, her father couldn't do anything for her anymore. She would have to do everything by herself then.
Ring, ring, ring
The ringing of her phone suddenly startled Janell Joy, who was deep in thought. She immediately sat up straight and reached out for her phone.
The phone call was from Samantha Lesley. Janell Joy answered, "Hey Samantha."
Samantha said, "Janell Joy, I'm downstairs. I'll take you to my friend's place for a while. Come down quickly. I'll wait for you."
Janell Joy nodded and said, "Okay. Wait for me."
Samantha was Janell Joy's classmate and friend. She was also the closest friend she had in Country A besides Brother Lucas. When she was with Samantha, Janell Joy always acted more casually. She could always be her true self.
Whenever she was with Samantha, she could be very carefree. That was why she was very willing to hang around with Samantha, even though Samantha was a very clumsy and muddIe-headed little girl!
As she saw Janell Joy walk out, Samantha, who had been waiting for a long time,jumped happily. She even waved to her and said, "Janell Joy, Janell Joy... I'm here."
"You little girl, why are you jumping? I'm not blind." Most of the time, Janell Joy would think that Samantha was really a scatterbrain.
"Hehe... l was just worried that you can't see me." Samantha scratched her head and showed her signature silly smile.
Janell Joy walked to her side and held her, "Let's go."
"Mm, take my car. I asked the driver to drive us." Samantha walked Janell Joy to her car happily. Janell Joy sat in the car and did not speak.
Samantha kept talking nonetheless, "Janell Joy, I know that you have been to really nice places, but when you go to my friend's club later, I hope you can say something to encourage him."
Janell Joy glanced at Samantha and said, "Unless that someone is provoking me, have you ever seen me be hostile with someone I'm not familiar with?"
Interaction with others was a test for emotional intelligence. Janell Joy inherited her father's high intelligence but she absolutely did not inherit her father's emotional intelligence. She was a people person and was always friendly and approachable, so many people were happy to be friends with her.
"Hehe..." Samantha scratched her head again and said, "I know you're smart. You won't say something bad on an occasion like this, but I'm just a little worried."
Janell Joy also understood Samantha's concern. She was Samantha's plus one for this event, if she said something unpleasant, it might make things difficult between Samantha and her friend.
Janell Joy patted her on the shoulder and said, "Silly girl, don't worry. I am your friend. No matter what, I won't embarrass you."
Samantha held Janell Joy in her arms and giggled. "Janell Joy, I knew it! You still love me.
Janell Joy smiled and pinched her face. "Silly girl, you are my friend. Of course I love you."
Samantha was two years older than Janell Joy was, but it felt like Janell Joy was more like her older sister judging from the way they were interacting with each other and their tone of speech.
They were in the car for some time. As she realized that the car was driving into the City Ring Highway towards North City, Janell Joy suddenly felt something was wrong.
She heard from Samantha that her friends' club was in South City, but the driver's direction went completely in the opposite direction from South City.
Janell Joy tried to look at the driver from the rear-view mirror, but the rear-view mirror was very low, she couldn't have a good look at the driver.
Janell Joy quietly shook Samantha's hand and whispered, "Samantha..."
"Janell Joy, what's wrong?" Samantha sat next to Janell Joy, but she, who had always been oblivious, didn't seem to notice anything abnormal. She even asked loudly.
It seemed that it was more difficult to have Samantha cooperate with her. After thinking for a while, Janell Joy added, "My bowel's a little uncomfortable. I need to go to the bathroom. Can you ask your driver to stop somewhere so I could get down?"
Because of the kidnapping incident last time, these days, Brother Lucas's protection for her was particularly tight, so not anyone would have the opportunity to approach her.
She was also very cautious. She didn't hitch any rides from strangers, didn't communicate with strangers, and didn't go out alone. She was very cautious, but she forgot that those bad guys might try to target her friends instead.
Because she wasn't vigilant with Samantha at all, she would enter any car Samantha asked her to. The men Brother Lucas arranged for her and Blake White might also think the same way, so they might have neglected this risk.
And this driver was probably no longer Samantha's driver. Before Samantha came to pick her up, her driver might have been substituted away, but Samantha, who was innocent and oblivious, did not realize that.
Janell Joy said that to get an opportunity to get away, but Samantha didn't understand what she meant. She said stupidly, "Janell Joy, we are on the highway, so we can't stop yet. Why don't you hold on for a while and we'll get off at a rest stop?"
Janell Joy was staring at her and shaking her head silently.
This really made her realize that she shouldn’t fear strong opponents, but instead, she needed to fear having a dummy as a comrade.
The driver Jason Lesley arranged for Samantha must be a driver that he trusted. So this meant that the driver must have worked at the Lesley house for a few years already, but Samantha was so careless that she didn't even notice that he was replaced in secret.
Samantha didn't understand her. There was indeed no way to stop here, so she could only wait and see if she could find an opportunity to escape in the next rest stop.
Janell Joy looked at the sign on the side of the road. There was a rest stop available a few miles ahead. She elbowed Samantha again and said, "Samantha, ask your driver to pull over."
952
"Uncle Reid, please keep on your right. Let's go to the rest area." Samantha Lesley saw the signboard and notified her driver accordingly.
However, the driver did not stop the car as she had instructed. Instead, he drove to the road on his left and sped up.
"Uncle Reid, we have an emergency. Please stop the car at the service area." Samantha said again, as if she hadn't found out that the driver might not be her driver anymore.
The driver didn't do as Samantha said. Janell Joy Carter was certain that the driver was no longer Samantha's fulI-time driver and had long been replaced by someone else.
But who on earth was this person? Janell Joy did not know. She also didn't know what the driver's purpose was.
However, she was very clear that a person who would drag them away without greeting them must have a purpose.
Samantha apologetically said, "Janell Joy. Uncle Reid could be a little stubborn sometimes. Maybe he doesn't want to stop the car. I think you might have to hold in it a little longer."
The situation was already like this, but Samantha still hadn't noticed anything. Even Janell Joy was already starting to feel suspicious, was Samantha really silly or was she just pretending to be so silly?
If Samantha wasn't her classmate, if she wasn't someone Brother Lucas had arranged to be by her side, if she didn't know how muddle-headed Samantha was...Janell Joy would really think that Samantha was playing dumb with her.
But now it was not the time to find out whether Samantha was playing dumb or not. What they had to do now was to find a way to get themselves out of danger.
Janell Joy quietly clenched her fists, and then reached into her pocket to fInd her phone.
She wanted to make a secret phone call, at least to let her people know that she was under someone else's control.
However, when Janell Joy took out her phone and looked at it, she found that there was no signal on the phone. She thought someone must have tampered the car so that the people in the car wouldn't get any signal on their phone.
"Damn it!" Janell Joy bit her lip and cursed in her heart. She was already so careful but she still fell into the enemy's trap.
Brother Lucas had gone abroad for an official visit. If the news spread to him, he would definitely worry about her safety and would make him lose focus on the country's affairs.
She wanted to be a qualified first lady in the future so the last thing that she would want to do was to disturb Brother Lucas when he was on such an important trip.
Now, she couldn't get in touch with Blake White, and she didn't know if Brother Lucas's men were following her.
If they wasn't following her then she couldn't count on them to help her to get out of danger. She could only fInd her own way.
Janell Joy felt helpless because she had to find her own way out with a subpar teammate like Samantha. For the first time ever in her life, Janell Joy thought it would be better to be more cautious when she was making friends.
A friend who was smart, with just one gaze, they would already know what you were thinking about, this is especially important when it comes to a life or death situation.
The car drove at a high speed and arrived at a place called Bedford Exit. The driver slowed down and exited the highway through the Bedford Exit.
As soon as he got out of the highway toll station, the driver's phone rang. The driver picked up the phone and answered it. Janell Joy and Samantha did not know what the other party had said, they could see that he was nodding repeatedly.
After hanging up the phone, the driver looked back at Janell Joy and said kindly, "Miss Carter, our former president wants to see you."
Before Janell Joy could react, the driver said, "Our former president has no bad intentions against you. As long as you cooperate with us, we will send you back the way we invited you here. We will never hurt you."
"You... you're not Uncle Reid. Who are you? Why are you driving our car?" When the man turned his head to face them, only did Samantha realize that her driver had already been swapped.
But the driver and Janell Joy ignored Samantha, and the driver was only looking at Janell Joy.
Of course, it was the best for Janell Joy to cooperate with him. If not, he would forcefully drag her with him to meet the former president anyway.
Although he said "invited", Janell Joy understood very well that those people would not give her the chance to choose. She had to go, or she would be " invited" to go.
She was a smart girl. Under a situation where both choices were unfavorable to her, of course she would choose the one that wouldn't make herself suffer.
After thinking it through, Janell Joy pursed her lips and smiled gently. "I don't know your former president. Are you sure that he wants to see me?"
To be honest, because when she was checking on Brother Lucas's background, she had accidentally learned something about the former president of Country A, so the former president of Country A had left a very bad impression on Janell Joy.
He was the former president and also Nathaniel's biological father. His son had succeeded his position as the president but not only did he not help his son, he even tried to cause trouble for him. A father like this was barely a match for a qualified father.
The driver said again, "Miss Carter, you may not know our former president, but he has heard of your name long ago and is very curious about you?
Janell Joy smiled calmly and said, "Since the former president wants to see me, how can I not go and see him, right?"
The driver also smiled and said, "Miss Carter, you are really a smart girl. No wonder our Third Young Master only thought about you all these years."
Janell Joy smiled and did not reply which she had indirectly admitted that she was a smart girl herself. It was his good taste that the Third Young Master had fallen in love with her. Her Brother Lucas indeed had good taste!
These two people were talking one after another. Samantha was confused and said, "Janell Joy, this person is not our driver. I don't know him."
This was something that they all knew but Samantha had just said it. No one wanted to reply to this slow reacting idiot.
They didn't speak. Samantha scratched her head and said, "Janell Joy, the former president should be Brother Nathaniel's father. I think it's not a bad thing for Brother Nathaniel‘s father to see you."
Just as Samantha was talking, the car drove on a tree-lined road and the trees were all covered with thick snow.
The pristine white snow was sparkling under the sun. It was very glaring yet beautiful.
Samantha began to sigh again, "Wow, I grew up in Coast City, but I never knew that there is such a beautiful place in Coast City."
Janell Joy was thinking about why the former president had wanted to see her but she couldn't think of a reason. Samantha who kept talking in her ear had made her a little confused with her own thoughts and had no way to think properly.
She turned around and looked at Samantha. "Samantha, can you give it a rest for a while?"
This girl, sometimes, was so muddle-headed that she would make people want to hit her with a stick. Someone had to let her know that the world was not as beautiful as she imagined.
Samantha blinked and said, "Janell Joy, you really don't have to worry, although..."
Janell Joy interrupted her. "Samantha, please!"
Samantha shut her mouth and looked at Janell Joy quietly, it seemed like she still hadn't realized what Janell Joy was worried about.
953
The destination was the Manor House, where the retired politicians of Country A reside.
The area was filled with greenery. It was very beautiful and the air quality was excellent. It could be seen that the country had indeed spent a lot of money to build a place that was perfect for retirement and recreation.
As soon as she got out of the car, before Janell Joy Carter could see the surrounding clearly, a woman, who seemed to be in her fifties, came to her and said, "Miss Carter, please come with me!"
On the journey to the Manor House, Janell Joy did not think of a way to escape. Now that she had come to someone else's territory, it would be even more difficult to escape.
Besides, since Brother Lucas's father wanted to see her, then she should go and see him and treat herself as a guest that they had invited. There was no need to think of a way to slip away.
Janell Joy adjusted her coat, and then showed her signature bright smile. "Sure, please lead the way."
Janell Joy was easier to control than she had expected. The middle aged woman was slightly surprised and then made a gesture to show the way, "Miss Carter, this way!"
Janell Joy nodded and went on her way.
"Janell Joy, wait for me." Although Samantha Lesley wasn't greeted by the woman, she still followed Janell Joy but as soon as she had taken a step she was immediately stopped by someone.
The person who stopped her was the driver who had just brought them here. He said in a cold voice, "The former president only invited Miss Carter to meet him."
In other words, the man meant, "The former president didn't invite you, so you should be more sensible and don't be such a nosy person."
Samantha touched her head and asked with a face full of doubts, "The former president watched me grow up. He had even carried me when l was a child so why can't I see him?"
Janell Joy turned around and gave Samantha a reassuring smile. "Samantha, I'll be fine alone. You can wait for me here."
Samantha scratched her head and said, "Janell Joy, but..."
Janell Joy added, "You've already said the person who wants to see me is Nathaniel's father, so he won't make things difficult for me. I have also seen the news about him. He is surely a kind old man, so don't worry too much about it."
Samantha opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but then she didn’t know what to say.
Anyway, it didn't matter whether Samantha said it or not, the result was the same. She was stopped and Janell Joy went alone to see the former president who had invited her to be his guest.
Walking through a tree-lined path, she arrived at a spacious office. The middle-aged woman knocked on the door but did not get a response. She opened the door and said, "Sir, the person you had asked us to invite is here."
A middle-aged man stood in front of the large desk in the office. He didn't raise his head nor did he say anything, but he was focused on his drawing.
The woman turned back and said to Janell Joy, "Miss Carter, the Master is not done with his work yet. Please wait for him for a few moments."
Janell Joy nodded.
The woman smiled and left respectfully, leaving Janell Joy alone in front of the legendary former president.
In the past, when Janell Joy was doing some research, she had come across some photos of the former president.
When Janell Joy saw the legendary former president, she couldn't help but to sigh. The photo was really a lie, it was completely different from his real person.
In the photos, he looked very kind and friendly, like a benign elderly man, but in real life, the impression he gave was...
Janell Joy looked at the man who was painting in front of the desk. The white hair on his head was already grizzled, but his face didn't look as old as she had thought.
He was drawing, but this graceful activity still could not hide the viciousness that was hidden between his eyebrows.
Janell Joy stood there for a long time. Finally, the old man turned his head and stared at Janell Joy with his sharp eyes. He scrutinized her from head to toe without any hesitation. "Are you the little girl from the Carter family?"
He looked at Janell Joy with disdain, and through his tone, he did not see Janell Joy as an independent adult.
The little girl of the Carter family! There were people who had also said such words to Janell Joy, but the tone that they used would not annoy her. Only when this Old Mr. Cooper had said it, Janell Joy felt like beating somebody up.
Janell Joy couldn't help but to frown, and showed a polite and distant smile. "Mr. Cooper, you‘ve asked your men to invite me here. Did your people invite the wrong person?"
"You are indeed the little girl of the Carter family!" Old Mr. Cooper said once again. His voice was loud and clear. "You seem younger than you look in your pictures."
"You too look different from your pictures." Janell Joy hated the way he was looking at her, she hated it very much. However, since she had received good education since she was young, she didn't show her dissatisfaction on her face. She was still polite to him.
Even if she hated this man, he was still Brother Lucas's father. Sooner or later, she would marry into the Cooper family. By then, they would be each other’s family.
In order not to make it difficult for Brother Lucas, Janell Joy was willing to swallow this frustrating feeling.
Since she loved Nathaniel, she would always think of him. As long as it would be useful to him, she would try her best to do anything to help him.
If anything that could cause trouble for him, she would try not to do it so that he could be a good president for the country and the people.
After staring at her for a long time, Old Mr. Cooper said, "You are only 18 years old. In a few days, Nathaniel will be 30 years old. He's 12 years older than you. Do you think you two will be able to live happily together with that huge age gap?"
Old Mr. Cooper was very frank and his attitude was aggressive. Although he didn't explicitly say that he didn't approve of the relationship between Nathaniel and Janell Joy, his tone was already obvious enough.
He had even forced her to meet him without even informing her, and his words were so aggressive. Janell Joy had been trying to be patient with him, but she couldn't bear it anymore.
Since she couldn't bear it any longer, then she didn't have to endure it.
Janell Joy smiled and said, "Mr. Cooper, may I ask you a question? What is your definition of happiness?"
"Little girl, I've experienced much more in life than you. Don't you try to play words with me." He looked at her with displeasure. "I'll ask you one more question. Who do you think is more qualified, you or the girl of the Silas family?"
Before Janell Joy could answer, he had already given Janell Joy the answer, "You are definitely not as suitable as the girl of the Silas family. Whether in terms of character or family background. The help that you can offer to Nathaniel is far less than that girl of Silas family. Why do you think that you have the right to let Nathaniel give up his fiance and choose you?"
Janell Joy smiled faintly and politely replied, "Mr. Cooper, I think you might have misunderstood something. The girl of the Silas family and I cannot be compared to each other at all."
Because they were a separate individual from each other. Both of them were the best in their respective lovers' eyes, and they were the most unique and irreplaceable in this world.
954
If Janell Joy asked Jackie Leves, between Sister Serene and herself, who would be better? Jackie would not hesitate to answer. Of course, his Serene was better.
Because he loved Serene, so he would love everything about her, so Serene was the most outstanding and the most unique in his eyes.
If Janell Joy asked Brother Lucas the same question. Obviously, in Brother Lucas's eyes, she was the best. No one in this world could replace her.
Serene Silas and Janell Joy Carter both had people who knew how to appreciate them. There was really no need for any comparison.
"Cannot be compared?" Old Mr. Cooper smiled coldly. He threw the brush in his hand on the desk, and said, "Do you think that the girl from the Silas family is not qualified to be compared to you? Little girl, how dare you speak so arrogantly."
"Mr. Cooper, you know that, that was not what I meant. Why would you deliberately distort my words and misunderstand me?" Janell Joy still smiled faintly, "Anyway, there is nobody else here, nobody will hear what we are talking about, you don't have to beat around the bush."
He was the typical politician, with a kind and friendly face in front of the people but a vicious face behind closed doors.
For a person who had been fighting for power in the political world, family affection and love almost did not exist in their world. In their lives, there were only political games to strive for more power.
He was very blunt with his words, so there was no need for Janell Joy to pretend and to beat around the bush with him. It was better to let him express his stand then she could go home earlier after handling the matter.
Coincidentally, Old Mr. Cooper did not intend to beat around the bush with Janell Joy too. He said, "I've asked my men to bring you here for only one purpose."
Janell Joy smiled and waited for his subsequent words.
Old Mr. Cooper said, "The girl of the Silas family was engaged with Nathaniel before he took the position as the President. Old Mr. Silas had contributed a lot to Nathaniel's success in the political world. For him to be President, the Silas family's support was very important to him."
As he was at it, Old Mr. Cooper paused deliberately and stared at Janell Joy. He was trying to read her mind through her facial expressions.
However, he had never expected that this little girl could control her facial expressions so well. She was always wearing a smile on her face, so that no one could see through her real thoughts.
Unable to see through Janell Joy, Old Mr. Cooper hesitated for a while, and then said slowly, "Nathaniel breaking off the engagement with his fiance soon after he has taken office will be very bad for his public image."
Janell Joy smiled but remained silent.
Old Mr. Cooper continued, "If Nathaniel marries Serene, the Silas family will be of great help to him. If he wants to call off the wedding, the resistance from the Silas family will also be great. If he wants to become a qualified politician, then this engagement must not be annulled."
Janell Joy nodded with a smile, and he still couldn't figure out what she was thinking.
Looking at Janell Joy's tender face which had a smile on it the whole time, Old Mr. Cooper sighed and said, "Little girl, to love someone is not to occupy him and destroy him, but to help him fulfill his wishes. Think about it carefully, do you want to see Nathaniel lose everything and to get impeached?"
His aggressive attitude could not scare the little girl, so Old Mr. Cooper's expression changed, his attitude became a little more humble, as if he was begging her.
To him, a qualified politician could bow down to anyone, and he would be flexible to act according to the circumstances.
Janell Joy smiled and said, "Of course I don't want to see him lose everything that he has worked hard to gain."
Upon hearing this answer, Old Mr. Cooper thought that the opportunity had come. He immediately took it and say, "So, do you know what you are doing now is destroying his future?"
Listening to this accusation towards her, Janell Joy really felt wronged. She smiled and said, "Mr. Cooper, I just want to ask you a question. Do you really know your son? Do you really know of his abilities?"
Perhaps Old Mr. Cooper understood Brother Lucas, maybe because he knew too well how powerful Brother Lucas was, so he wanted to try his best to constrain him. But why would he do that? Janell Joy could not understand.
Old Mr. Cooper forced a smile on his face. "He is my son. As a father, how can I not know of his abilities?"
Janell Joy added, "If you really understand him, then you should know that he has the ability to be the President. He doesn't need a woman's help."
Her Brother Lucas was so outstanding, he definitely would not need to rely on a woman to get to where he was at now. His engagement to Serene was to protect the woman on behalf of his best friend.
The look on Old Mr. Cooper's face darkened. "Little girl, do you know that I have countless ways to make you disappear from this world?"
Janell Joy still smiled and said, "I guess if you could get rid of me, you wouldn't have taken the trouble to invite me all the way here to have a chat with you, am I right? Maybe by now I should already be a dead cold body."
As soon as Janell Joy's words came out, Old Mr. Cooper's face became even more unpleasant. This d*mned girl's brain was really quick and accurate, and what she said was exactly what he was thinking.
She was right. If he could get rid of her, he could have sent someone to get rid of her already. Why would he bring her here to anger himself?
It was not that he was afraid of this little girl, but the influence of the Shengtian Corporation Inc that was behind her was too strong. Edwin Carter, who could shake the whole world with a stomp, was not a person to be trifled with.
Janell Joy added, "Old Mr. Cooper, I can give you an absolute answer. I will definitely stay with Nathaniel and become his wife one day in the future."
Old Mr. Cooper clenched his fists and said with killing intent in his eyes, "Little girl, don't say it so soon. You said that you will marry Nathaniel, but will he marry you?"
Janell Joy smiled politely and said, "You don't need to worry about this. I believe that his taste should be better than yours and he will know what kind of girl he wants."
Not only does she have good taste, her Brother Lucas's taste was even better. When she was younger, Brother Lucas had always doted on her and would always make her think about him all the time.
As he was being extremely angry with Janell Joy, Old Mr. Cooper said, "Little girl, I'd like to see if you can become Nathaniel's first lady during my lifetime!"
Janell Joy smiled and said, "If you don't die a sudden death... I think you should be able to witness it."
Old Mr. Cooper's words were harsh, so Janell Joy was not bothered to be polite to him anymore. She had a good family education, but her father had taught her that if someone bullies her, she must pay it back a hundredfold.
955
"You...
Old Mr. Cooper was so angry that his eyes had turned red. He clenched his fists, as if he wanted to crush Janell Joy Carter's head. However, his anger only manifested for a split second. In the very next moment, Old Mr. Cooper had already covered up his emotions.
He raised his eyebrows and sneered, "Little girl, you may be smart mouthed. But you should know that you can't win every time with just your witty remarks."
He is Griffin Cooper, and he had lived for more than 60 years, and since he was a teenager, he was already in the political world. He was the President for many years, and he had already learned how to be slick and to show no emotion at all.
But this little girl's words had made him furious, not because of anything else, but because this little girl was not as easy to control as he had imagined.
However, no matter how difficult it was to control her, she was still a little girl in his eyes. With that ability of hers, he could just let her take the upper hand in their conversation.
"Well, thank you for your advice, Old Mr. Cooper. I will try my best to learn from you. To not compete with people face to face, but to back-stab them." Because of her bad impression of Old Mr. Cooper, Janell Joy really didn't care about respect for him at all when she spoke to him.
Griffin had been in the political world for many years. If he didn't want others to see his true emotions, it would be difficult for them to see it.
After knowing that Janell Joy was not as easy to control as he thought, he immediately changed his strategy.
Knowing that Janell Joy was mocking him, he was not angry. Instead, he smiled and put on a face of a kind elder who was talking to the younger generation. "As the saying goes, if you don't listen to the elders, you will suffer. Children who listen to the elders, even if they don't benefit from it, at the very least, they won't suffer any losses."
"Yes, yes, Old Mr. Cooper, you are right, I will remember every single word that you have said to me." If Old Mr. Cooper wanted to play nice, then she could play along with him too. Anyway, she wouldn't lose anything from this.
Griffin said, "A smart girl should make smart moves. Don't be foolish."
After saying so much, the old man tried to hint her that it was a foolish move for her to stay with Brother Lucas. However, Janell Joy did not want to keep him in suspense. "Old Mr. Cooper, I know that you want me to leave your son but would this be for his own good?"
Griffin was stunned and then said, "I am his father. Whether it is for work or his personal life, I hope that he can live a good life. Some people are beautiful and have a good family background, but that person may not be suitable for him."
Look, after beating around the bush, what he had wanted to say was that she was not worthy for Brother Lucas. She wouldn't be of any help to Brother Lucas so he couldn't marry her.
Janell Joy added, "Old Mr. Cooper, I don‘t think it's for you to consider if I am suitable for him or not. He should know that much better than you."
Janell Joy didn't want to dwell on this topic anymore. Before Old Mr. Cooper could speak, she smiled and said, "May I ask for your permission to go now?"
As the saying goes, don't hit a person with a smile on their face. No matter how unwilling Griffin was, he still nodded and said, "Of course. You are a guest that l have invited. It's the guest's choice whether to leave or stay. I won't force you."
Since Griffin did not dare to hit Janell Joy, he would not offend her openly. Therefore, he had to pretend to be polite to Janell Joy.
"Thank you, Old Mr. Cooper!" Janell Joy turned around and left, but as soon as she turned around, she instantly let out a breath of relief.
After all, Griffin was the former president. He had a fearless and ruthless aura, which could make people tense up.
Although she could face it calmly, she was still a little worried. What if Griffin gritted his teeth and wanted to get rid of her, then she would not be able to escape.
However, Griffin should be worried about her father, the leader of Shengtian, that was probably why he did not dare to do anything to her.
It seemed that it was because of her father that she could escape unscathed this time. Her father did not only protect her like he always did, but he could also protect her during exceptional situations like this. But yet, she had just lost her temper with her father because he had grumbled a little about Nathaniel!
Every time she thought of what she had done, Janell Joy would feel guilty, but she didn't want to take the initiative to admit her mistakes. After all, she still hoped that her father would sincerely approve of Brother Lucas being her man.
After taking a few steps, Janell Joy heard the hoarse voice of Griffin behind her, "Little girl, you are a smart person. When you get home, you should know what to do."
Janell Joy stopped and turned around. She smiled sweetly and said, "Don't worry, Old Mr. Cooper. A smart girl wouldn't say what she's not supposed to say. You didn't see me today, and I haven't met you. However, it's none of my business if you can or cannot shut the mouths of those men your son had sent for me."
After that, Janell Joy politely bent down and bowed to him, then turned around and left.
Griffin looked at Janell Joy's back, the vicious look on his face had toned down a little and a sense of appreciation could be seen in his eyes. This little girl was brave, quick-witted, and beautiful too! However, Serene must be the one that Nathaniel marries.
"Miss!" As soon as Janell Joy walked out of Griffin's office, Blake White immediately greeted her and scanned her thoroughly with his eyes.
Seeing that she was fine, Blake's gloomy face looked a little better. "That man didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"
"He had specially invited me here, but obviously not for a cup of tea, how could he not make things difficult for me?" Seeing Blake, Janell Joy immediately breathed a sigh of relief and even had the mood to joke with Blake.
Upon hearing Janell Joy‘s words, Blake's face sank again.
Looking at Blake's face, which was obvious that he was blaming himself, Janell Joy added, "But it's not that bad. I’m not a person who can be defeated easily."
Blake lowered his head and said nothing. The more he thought about it, the more he blamed himself.
Although he was only ten minutes late to fetch to Janell Joy, but a lot of things could happen in just 10 minutes, including murder.
What if it was not Old Mr. Cooper who took Janell Joy away today, but those cold-blooded gangsters... Would Janell Joy still be able to appear in front of him safe and sound like she was now?
Blake didn't even dare to think about what would happen to Janell Joy if something bad had happened to her. How could the White family ever face Chairman Carter again?
Chairman Carter wouldn't trust anyone else easily, but he had entrusted his most precious daughter in their hands so how could they let Chairman Carter down?
"Blake, no one can make me suffer. Don't worry." Janell Joy reached out and patted Blake on the shoulder and made a silly face at him. "Don't be upset. Give me a smile."
Blake really listened to Janell Joy's command and grinned, but this smile was not from the bottom of his heart. The smile looked uglier than when he was crying.
Janell Joy couldn't help but to roll her eyes. This person looked like he was about the same age as her, but how could he be so rigid?
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Janell Joy Carter did not ask him to stop, so Blake White forced a smile again. This time, he smiled as if someone had borrowed a few million dollars from him and didn't pay back. He looked like he was in great pain.
"Alright, stop smiling. Just do whatever you want to do." It was a good thing that the subordinates were loyal, but they were so loyal that they didn't know how to be flexible at all. Janell Joy was left speechless.
Blake nodded. "Yes."
"Let's go." Janell Joy took the lead and walked out. Blake followed closely behind her, his nerves were tensed up as he observed the surroundings.
Seeing Blake's tensed face, Janell Joy sighed and said, "Blake, I'm still alive and still can see you. That means I will be fine. Relax a little, don't be so tensed up."
Blake said, "Miss, please walk in front of me."
It was his mission to protect her. Her life was more important than his. He dared not to be careless since he was already careless once today.
"Blake, you really don't need to be so nervous..." Janell Joy still wanted to say something to comfort the dull-witted Blake, but she had already arrived at where Samantha Lesley was stopped earlier.
Seeing her coming out, Samantha immediately ran over and said, "Janell Joy, what did Uncle Cooper talk to you about?"
"Nothing." Janell Joy did not intend to tell anyone about what had happened today, especially the scatterbrain Samantha.
She guessed that even if she had told Samantha about it, Samantha might not be able to figure out anything out of this matter. After all, Samantha was also just a spectator who doesn't know the truth.
Samantha, like the other citizens of Country A, only knew that Serene Silas was the woman that was engaged to Nathaniel Cooper's before he took office. She did not know the truth of this matter.
Occasionally, Janell Joy could see something different in Samantha's eyes. It seemed that Samantha had something hidden in her heart but she wasn't willing to tell her.
In the past, Samantha would tell her everything, but now she was hiding something from her. Janell Joy guessed that it had something to do with Brother Lucas's fiance.
Even her friend Samantha couldn‘t accept her appearing by Brother Lucas's side so it was expected that those citizens who didn't know the truth would not understand them.
"Janell Joy, really? Nothing happened?" Samantha scratched her head, glanced at Blake that was next to Janell Joy, and complained in a low voice, "He came to me and yelled at me. He said that if something happened to you, he would shoot me to death. I was so scared so I thought that something had happened."
As soon as she finished, Blake's gloomy eyes stared at her again, which scared Samantha that she shrank back. She quickly raised her hand and covered her mouth as if she was afraid that Blake would cut off her tongue in anger.
Janell Joy patted Samantha on the shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "He yelled at you probably because he didn't know that the former president wanted to see me."
Blake was still fairly young, but in Janell Joy's eyes, he was a very prudent young man. She had never seen Blake lose his cool. He got mad today probably because he was scared.
Janell Joy looked at Blake and saw the worry in his eyes that couldn't be concealed. Her heart suddenly softened. In a foreign country, there was a person who actually cared about her. This feeling was so warm and touching.
"Since he did not know the situation, I shall not fault him then!" Samantha held Janell Joy's arm and shook it hard.
"Janell Joy, since nothing happened, you can continue to accompany me to show my friend some support. I've already made an appointment with him. He will be disappointed if I don't go today."
Janell Joy could not refuse Samantha. She was about to nod and say yes, but Blake stood up and refused, "Miss Lesley, Miss Carter still has something to attend to today. I'm afraid it wouldn't be convenient for her to go with you."
As soon as Blake spoke, Samantha immediately hid behind Janell Joy and stretched out half of her head to look at him. "You are so fierce. Janell Joy had already promised me that she would accompany me. What right do you have to refuse me on her behalf? Who do you think you are to her?"
Because she was afraid of Blake, after yelling, Samantha immediately ducked her head and hid behind Janell Joy. She didn't even dare to peep at Blake.
Janell Joy said, "Samantha, why don't we go another day?"
She could go there at any time to support her friends. However, what happened today could affect her personal safety so they must attend to it first.
Blake had trailed her the whole time, but he had been shaken off at some point. It took him more than ten minutes to find her specific location.
They had to find out in time how those people had successfully avoided the watch of the people around her and had taken her away. They needed to prevent it from happening again.
Samantha responded with a dejected 'Okay', and then she lowered her head in a low mood, looking like everyone in the world looked down on her.
Normally, Janell Joy would go with her just because her heart would soften under her persuasion. But today, she was not in the mood. Finding out the vulnerability of her protection was the utmost priority now.
Blake had arranged for someone to send Samantha to her friend’s place, and he drove Janell Joy home personally. Throughout the whole journey, neither of them spoke.
However, not long after, Janell Joy's phone rang. She picked it up and saw that it was from her father. It seemed that he had received the news that she was taken away.
She asked, "Blake, did you inform my father of this?"
Blake nodded and said honestly without trying to hide anything from her, "Yes. Your safety is the top priority for Chairman Carter. We cannot delay any information. If there is any unwarranted situation, we will report it to him immediately."
After Janell Joy learned about the situation, she answered the phone and said in a crisp and sweet voice, "Dad, are you thinking of me again?"
Edwin Carter remained silent.
Sometimes, Janell Joy was really speechless and helpless about her father.
He was always so quiet. He would not voice out his thoughts, and would always make them guess. However, she could not guess what he was thinking most of the time.
She thought for a moment and decided to take the strike first. "Dad, it's just that Uncle Cooper wanted to see me. Why are you guys..."
"Only I can look down on his son. What right does he have to talk to my daughter!" Edwin's serious voice came from the phone and into Janell Joy's ears.
Her father was really domineering. Both of them were their children. How could his daughter be more precious than another person‘s son?
Just because his daughter was the precious daughter of Shengtian? That person's son was the President of Country A.
As a matter of fact, his social status was not of any lower than them. It was more than enough for the boy to marry his daughter. However, it was impossible for her to tell her father that.
She had to analyze the situation first and see how much her father knew about today's incident. Only in this way could she find a solution. She could not let her father have a deeper misunderstanding about Brother Lucas .
Judging from her father's words, he was probably dissatisfied with Old Mr. Cooper's private conversation with her but he did not know the content of the conversation.
As long as her father did not know of the content of their conversation, she would have a way to calm his anger and not let him worry too much about this matter.
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As soon she thought of this key point, Janell Joy Carter was much more relieved.
She cleared her throat and pretended to be relaxed. "My dearest father, is there anything wrong with Uncle Cooper asking me to meet with him?"
She added, "You can talk to Brother Lucas, and you weren't even very kind to him so why can't Uncle Cooper talk to me?"
"Moreover, Uncle Cooper is quite friendly and full of praises for me. Why are you angry then? Or would you be satisfied if he opposes me to be with his son? Like what you did?"
In order not to let her father worry, and not to let her father even more dissatisfied with Brother Lucas, Janell Joy could only lie to her father.
However, just when she finished her words, her dearest father's first words was like a huge fist punching on her face.
Edwin said seriously, "I don't think a father who did not even show up for his son's inauguration ceremony would worry about his son's personal feelings. Now that he is worried, it proves that he must have another motive."
Karen Joy: " ......"
How could she underestimate her father's intelligence? She shouldn't forget that her father was the leader of the almighty Shengtian Corporation Inc. His emotional intelligence was worrying, but only few people could compare to his intelligence.
After the lie was exposed, Janell Joy smiled awkwardly and said, "Dad, no matter what his intention is, he can't bully your daughter anyway. You can rest assured!"
"Do I have to wait until my daughter is bullied for me to take control?" Edwin always took great precautions whenever it concerned Janell Joy's safety.
"...... " Janell Joy was left speechless again, because her dearest father's words were right.
After a little while, Edwin coughed softly and said in a soft voice, "Janell, I'll ask Blake to follow you closely for now."
Janell Joy pouted and said, "Dad, I am a beautiful girl. Do I have to let him stay with me when I'm sleeping at home?"
Edwin said in a deep voice, "It's decided, you can't say no." Blake was the person he chose, and he was absolutely trustworthy.
Janell Joy: " ...... "
As expected, that was her bossy father. What could she use in a power struggle with her dearest father?
After ending the call with Janell Joy, Edwin immediately dialed Victor James number. As soon as the call was connected, he asked, "Can you stay in Country A for a few more days?"
Upon hearing Edwin's words, Victor knew that something had happened. He asked, "Did someone mess with our little Janell again?"
Edwin said, "That old fellow, Griffin Cooper, had sent someone to bring little Janell to see him but I don't know exactly what he had said to her."
Victor said, "That old man didn't even care about his son being the President. Why would he suddenly want to meet Janell?"
Although he was asking, Victor was already almost certain that Old Mr. Cooper must have some bad intentions if he suddenly wanted to meet Janell Joy.
Edwin did not answer Victor's question. Instead, he added another point that he particularly stressed upon. "The person who was sent by Old Mr. Cooper to take Janell away is quite powerful. He succeeded in bypassing all the people whom I had sent to keep an eye on Janell."
This was what Edwin was particularly worried about today. The people he had sent should protect Janell Joy at all times, but today they were defeated.
As a father who loved his daughter more than his own life, how could Edwin not worry about Janell Joy's safety?
Upon hearing this, Victor realized the seriousness of the matter. He could not help but frown and say, "Edwin, since you have mentioned this, I have something to tell you."
Edwin simply snorted, "Mm."
Victor thought about the strange things that he had noticed recently, and then slowly said, "I've been staying in Coast City for a few days now and I noticed that a few forces are secretly causing trouble in the shadows, and they were all aimed at Nathaniel."
Edwin nodded and said, "When Nathaniel ascended to the position as the President, he had not gained the approval from the former president... because of this, those who coveted the position of the president are now able to make a fuss about it."
Victor added, "Although Nathaniel's people have removed these fragmented rebel groups, it won't be long before another force reassembles and contends against Nathaniel. I've always felt that these scattered rebels are controlled by a mysterious force behind them. To eliminate these rebels, it is impossible to get rid of them unless we catch the real mastermind who was controlling everything."
Edwin said, "I don't care who is behind this. I only care about my daughter's safety. If Nathaniel can't solve this matter, he will not only not be able to keep the position as the President, I will not give my daughter to him either."
Victor understood. "Since you have told me not to meddle in this matter then I'll leave it to you. I'll stay in Coast City for a few more days to help you watch over your precious daughter."
Edwin replied, "Mm."
Without even a word of thanks, Edwin hung up the phone. Just like before, he had never been polite to this youngest uncle of his.
They both knew each other too well, and Victor would not even be angry with his nephew.
"Did my brother call?" Angela Carter stuck her head out and asked as soon as he hung up the phone.
"Mm." Victor nodded and waved to Angela, as if he was calling his pet. "Come here and let me hug you."
"Our child is almost a grown up. We are an old couple in other people's eyes. Why do we still have to hug each other?" While saying these unwilling words, Angela's feet were like a gust of wind. In a blink of an eye, she had arrived in front of Victor and playfully blinked at him.
Victor pulled her into his arms, lowered his head and bit her earlobe gently, which made Angela shrink her neck. "Victor, what on earth are you trying to do?"
Victor took a deep bite of her and slowly raised his head. He stared at Angela who was in his arms with his burning eyes and spat out, "I want to f*ck you!"
Really terrible!
How could an old man like Victor say such a shameless thing at this age?
Never mind that he was being shameless, but more importantly, he looked so sexy while he was saying those words that she couldn't wait to pounce on him and devour on him.
She obviously wanted to pounce on him, but in order to not let him comment her for being lustful at this age, she had to bear it and pretended to be shy and lowered her head.
Victor reached out his hand to pinch her chin and forced her to raise her head. "Angela, don't tell me you don't want it?"
Yes, she did! She wanted it so much! However, she still wanted to be reserved for once. If this old man really knew her, then he would immediately pounce on her. There was no need to ask whether she was willing or not.
"You're not talking, does that mean you don't want it?“ Victor smirked and said with a nasty look in his eyes.
