“I only hope for the best,” Joan told Larry.
Joan buried her head into Larry’s embrace and listened to his strong heartbeat. “I’m willing to share your heavy burdens with you.”
At Jory’s office.
Dustin threw a stack of newspapers onto Jory’s desk and asked agitatedly, “What is going on?”
Jory briefly scanned the headlines on the newspapers: Acquisition of Norton Corporation Put On Halt!
“What are you worrying about? I’m only slowing down but not aborting this plan. As for the stock prices…” Jory’s gaze shifted from the phone screen to the newspapers and back. “They’re stable at the rock bottom. I don’t think it’s something that you should be alarmed by.”
“What I wanted to ask was why did you put a halt onto the plan?”
“I-I…” Jory hesitated for a moment. He raised his brows at Dustin and explained, “Because I want her to be happy. Seeing her in a miserable state breaks my heart.”
Dustin was bewildered. He tilted his head and asked, “Her? Do you mean that girl who refused to marry you?”
Jory’s heart skipped a beat as he had never mentioned anything about Nancy to Dustin, including the rejection he faced.
“How did you know?”
Dustin smirked. “You told me when you were sleep-talking.”
What? He had indeed been dozing off in the office. However, was it possible that he let it slip during his nap?
“So I’m guessing that your secret plan is related to this.”
Dustin was smart indeed, as he had connected the dots intuitively. However, Jory doubted that he had said her name out.
Dustin pressed his lips into a smile and said, “Don’t worry. You did not tell me exactly who it is. Though I did not know much, I was able to guess it.”
Jory placed his right elbow on the desk and rested his head on it while his fingers lightly tapped on the newspapers. “You know me the best.”
“Well, we’ve already known each other for more than a decade. The younger me would’ve never imagined that the kid who used to follow me around to play such a critical role in fulfilling my goals,” Dustin said as he leaned against the chair across Jory, giving off an aura of a gentleman.
The beat of Jory’s tapping accelerated. “Well, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I’m just doing what I like. Unlike you, who is perfectly all rounded.”
Dustin sighed. “I’m not that great either. I have been the center of gossips since young. From then on, I have been drifting further away from my initial ambition of being a doctor.”
Jory leaned back on the chair leisurely and stretched his back lazily. “And it’s all due to you falling for someone who doesn’t feel the same.”
He felt a wave of sharp pain as he was stretching and whined. Dustin was puzzled, so he asked, “What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I got kicked a few days back,” Jory said indifferently.
“Wow. That person must have some guts to kick the man who holds a Taekwondo black belt. If you’re injured, it only means that person is paralyzed,” Dustin joked.
Jory formed a fist with both hands and said, “Thank you for your compliment. However, that person also holds a black belt in Taekwondo. In fact, that person is stronger than me.”
“So you went to a competition? Did you manage to defeat him?” Dustin was more relaxed and spoke in a more friendly tone.
Jory replied while adjusting his hairstyle, “I’m just joking. Who am I? Do I look like the type to let him off without any injury?”
