Filed To Story: The Plan of Saving Nora Novel Free
She lowered her head, aware that what she did had displeased Joel.
Moreover, it had even nearly destroyed their familial harmony.
Then, she thought of how she had only been able to go to school because of Ian sponsoring her studies. It was just that the old man had never taken the credit for himself.
Mindy took a deep breath. She knew that she had really made a mistake this time!
However, she wasn’t going to apologize for it anymore-because Mr. Smith had already shouldered the blame for her. The only thing she could do now was never to take the liberty to act without permission again, and also never to make trouble for Ms. Smith again!
Joel returned home.
Even Ian, who was basking in the sun in the living room and staring out the window along the way, was a little surprised to see him. “Why are you back so early?”
Joel smiled and replied, “Isn’t Nora coming for dinner? I’ll cook.”
Ian was dumbfounded. “What are you cooking for? It’s not like we don’t have a chef. Come over and sit with me for a while instead.”
Joel sat next to Ian.
Ian, who was warm and comfortable from the sun, slowly said, “Joel, I want to thank you.”
Joel was taken aback. “Dad, what’s the matter?”
Ian said, “Do you remember the day when your dad… I mean, my brother hit you, and you ran over and put your arms around my leg?”
Joel nodded.
Ian smiled and said, “That day, I actually didn’t want to live anymore.”
Joel’s expression suddenly became serious.
Ian continued to speak. “But the look in your eyes was simply too pure and innocent. Because you looked at me like that and treated me as your last hope to cling to, I had suddenly found a reason to live.”
His words astounded Joel.
Since he was a child, what his uncle had said to him the most was that he must excel and take over the Smith Corporation. And once he inherited the company, Ian would give up on living.
For Joel, that was the most psychologically tormenting period of his life.
He’d thought that his uncle had nothing to live for anymore because the Smith Corporation, the company that his uncle cared about the most, had found a successor.
But as it turned out!
He was the one whom his uncle had cared about?
While he was thinking about it, Ian said, “Later, I handed over the Smith Corporation to you. Seeing how you’d grown up and your ability to stand on your own, I felt that there was no reason for me to live anymore.”
“Dad!”
Joel’s eyes suddenly reddened.
Ian said, “Then, Nora came back. It was only when she told me that there are a lot of people after her life and she may not have much longer to live anymore, that I finally found another reason to live. Even then, I still didn’t know how to treat her well. I’d never taught her, never watched her grow up. I didn’t know what she liked or disliked, either…”
Joel thought of how Ian had accompanied him as he did his homework in the past. When he couldn’t complete his tasks, Ian would reprimand the tutor for giving him too much homework.
When he was playing, although Ian didn’t play with him, he always sat nearby. Sometimes, he did work in the study instead, but when Joel occasionally glanced over, he would see Ian standing in front of the window looking at him.
In the past, he’d felt that his uncle was too cold and aloof and only cared about his work. But in this instant, it was as though he was suddenly looking at those memories from a different perspective, allowing Joel to see what was truly on the other side.
He held Ian’s hand.
Ian said, “Joel, I’ll ask you one last time, have you given careful thought to that account? You are a sensitive and introverted child who’d always rather make himself suffer just to make me happy. I want to hear the truth from you now!”
Joel gave a wry smile.
He understood now, Ian hadn’t given Nora the account. He might have just told her the information from the group instead. He was clearly among the people whom Ian cared about.
Joel’s expression became resolute. “I’m sorry, Dad, I misunderstood you. Let’s give that account to Nora! I’m saying this with full sincerity. Neither you nor I was with Nora when she was growing up. This is the only thing we can give to her now. With this, hopefully, she will have an easier journey in the future.”
Ian frowned. “Are you sure? If you give it to her, the Smith Corporation may never reach the height you aspire to bring it to.”
Ian understood Joel.
He was an ambitious and capable man. Under his leadership, the Smith Corporation had prospered day by day and become even more brilliant than when it was still in the hands of Ian.
Joel wanted even greater glory and wanted to create his own business empire, so he had been working hard all these years.
He would only succeed with the help of the account.
Joel smiled. This time, his smile was happy and reassured, and also liberated and determined. “Yes, I’m very sure.”
He knew exactly what he had given up.
As soon as he said that though, Nora walked into the living room and asked hesitantly, “What are you so sure about?”
As soon as Nora spoke, Ian and Joel looked at each other. Joel was about to reply when a young and tender voice piped up. “Is there any for Cherry?”
The three children entered one after another, all of them looking at Ian and Joel eagerly.
Ian: “…”
Joel: “…”
There was only one account in the family, but there were three of them. How were they going to split it?
Joel didn’t think that much, though. He was about to speak when Ian coughed and said, “Of course there is. I was saying that I plan to give your mother a villa. If you want one, then you kids can have one each!” In front of the children, Ian didn’t want to seem like he didn’t have enough to spare, so he decided to have a private chat with Nora alone later instead. He wasn’t going to tell the children about the account.
Besides, if possible, Ian wanted Nora to eventually give Pete the account.
It wasn’t that he was partial to Pete-his personal favorite was most definitely Cherry. After all, he was still watching her live-streams every day!
He was the number one patron of Cherry’s live-streams!
However, he didn’t want Cherry to be a businesswoman. It was too tiring. As a girl, she should just relax and make money without doing anything. It would do as long as she was happy.
Hard and tiring tasks like running a business should just be left to Pete. After all, Pete was brought up by Justin, so he definitely had the talent to do business.
As for Xander… Ian didn’t have much of an impression of him yet, so he didn’t know what he liked or disliked, or what he was good at. They still had a lot of years to come, though, so he would just wait and see.
When Ian interrupted Joel, after a moment’s thought, the young man immediately understood that Ian didn’t want his image of an almighty grandfather to be ruined in front of the children, so he simply changed the subject altogether. He said, “You’re finally here, Nora. Why don’t you spend some time chatting with Dad? I’ll go to the kitchen and make you guys my signature beef steak. Nora, how do you like your steak?”
Nora was silent for a moment before she said, “I prefer Hamburgs.”
“Then I’ll make you Salisbury steak.”
After saying that, Joel really went into the kitchen.
Nora stared at him from the back. When she thought of what Celine told her in the company, the corners of her lips rose a little, seemingly having realized something.
While she was thinking about this, over at the other side, Cherry was already sitting on Ian’s lap and was in the midst of another crazy bout of flattery. She said, “Grandpa, why do you look so young? If you go out with us, people would easily believe me even if I say that you’re my daddy!!”
The corners of Xander’s lips spasmed a little. He couldn’t stand Cherry being a bootlicker at all, so he said dryly, “Why don’t you just call him your elder brother?”
Cherry pouted. “No way, how old would Mommy have to be for her to give birth to someone who’s Grandpa’s age?!”
Cherry loved her mom the most, so she absolutely must not make Mommy look old just to make her grandfather look young!
Xander: “?”
Pete couldn’t help but hold his forehead, feeling like his sister was quite an unbearable sight to behold.
Ian, however, laughed out loud and patted Cherry’s head. He said, “I don’t need to look as young as your father, either. I’m alright with just being the youngest-looking grandfather! My little Cherry is so adorable, she will definitely be the belle of the ball when she grows up!”
Cherry nodded. “Of course! I look a lot like Mommy. Since Mommy is so pretty, I definitely won’t look bad, either!”
Nora, who had never participated in their chat but was constantly a part of it: “…”
That little bootlicker.
Nora made a dry remark inwardly. Then, she got up and entered the kitchen.
Joel was slicing the beef. When he saw her, he smiled at her. In those usually-smiley eyes behind the glasses was a smile a little more sincere than usual.
Nora said, “Joel…”
Before she could finish, Joel said gracefully, “Nora, nice timing. I happen to have something that I wanted to apologize to you for.”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.