Chapter 529 You Still Care About Me
Lola didn't say a word. She just walked right into the Devereux Mansion.
Andrew gave Johnny a pat on the shoulder. "Heartbreak's a part of life, kid."
Johnny just stared at the ground.
Andrew noticed something was off with Johnny. He was way too quiet.
Chloe took Johnny to a guest room in the backyard. Johnny mumbled, "Thanks, aunt."
Chloe asked gently, "What's going on? Charlotte's really worried about you and asked me to look after you. Weren't you and Lola doing fine not too long ago?"
Johnny's voice was raspy. "It's my fault."
He didn't hold back and told her everything. Chloe was shocked.
After a while, she sighed. "No wonder Lola won't forgive you! With her strong personality, how could she stand being hit by you? Especially after waiting for eight years."
Johnny felt awful.
Chloe tried to comfort him. "Take it slow."
Like Frederick and Charlotte, she couldn't be too harsh. She still saw Johnny as one of her own, criticizing him but never wanting to see him suffer.
For now, she let him rest.
At noon, she called him to eat.
This was the first time in over half a month that Johnny had eaten with Lola.
Lola ate quietly, barely saying a word, while Andrew looked after her.
"I can't eat anymore," said Lola.
"Don't be silly. You used to eat a lot when you were a kid."
Andrew piled more food on her plate.
Lola had no appetite and ate slowly. Johnny suddenly took most of the food from her plate. He looked at her. "If you can't eat, don't force it."
Lola wanted to argue but held back, considering Andrew and Chloe were there.
Johnny gave a faint smile.
Lola found it pointless. After the meal, she waited for Johnny on the path in the backyard.
Lola leaned against a tree, her long limbs stretched out.
Johnny approached, his footsteps alerting her.
Lola opened her eyes and looked at him, speaking coolly, "Johnny, we're just staying at a relative's house. It doesn't mean anything else. What happened during the meal shouldn't happen again."
"If you can't eat, and I help you. Is that wrong?"
Lola laughed bitterly. "What is our relationship? Why act so close?"
Johnny lowered his eyes. "You're the one I love."
Lola stared at him for a long time, then smiled. "Do you even believe that yourself?"
She couldn't be bothered to say more and started to head back to her room.
Johnny spoke up, "At two in the afternoon, we have a preliminary negotiation with the other company."
Lola nodded.
As she was leaving, Johnny's voice sounded behind her. "Lola, if I could choose, I'd trade everything for that slap!"
Lola didn't stop walking; she just smiled faintly.
Unfortunately, life didn't have "if."
She went back to her room, took a nap, and then got ready to go to the other company in Johnny's car. When she got into the car, she noticed Johnny looked unwell and asked, "Do we need to reschedule? You look terrible, and it might affect the negotiation."
"Are you concerned about me?" Johnny turned his head and asked.
Lola's tone softened. "I'm only concerned about the work outcome!"
Johnny lightly pressed the gas pedal, his tone indifferent. "Yeah! You hate me so much now that even if I were gravely ill, you wouldn't care."
Lola could sense when he was playing the pity card.
She didn't say anything more.
An hour later, the car stopped in front of the negotiation center.
The six-hour negotiation was intense. To Lola's surprise, despite looking unwell, Johnny was still sharp, uncompromising on matters of interest, and very assertive.
During the break, Lola wanted to discuss the case with him. But Johnny looked pale. "I need to go to the restroom."
Lola sat in the lounge, flipping through documents, not touching the desserts in front of her.
About 15 minutes later, Johnny came out of the restroom.
He sat next to Lola and quietly discussed the negotiation with her. Lola closed the file. "You should go back and rest! Is making money worth risking your life?"
"Are you worried about me?"
"Why would I worry! Your life is your own!"
For some reason, Lola got a bit angry. She walked out to the terrace.
It was already dark, and they hadn't had dinner yet. She was used to such work intensity.
But that didn't mean she wanted to work with him who was sick.
She didn't know how to persuade him, nor did she know how to interact with him. Maybe it would be better to have another lawyer work with him later.
Lola was a bit angry. But no matter what, the negotiation continued until 10 PM. When they walked out of the building, Johnny collapsed in the car, unable to get up, his forehead burning hot.
"Johnny! Go back! You're sick. I'll drive. " Lola opened the driver's door.
Johnny slumped over the steering wheel.
After a long time, he slightly turned his head and asked her softly, "Lola, you still care about me, don't you?"
Lola sneered. "Caring for a man never ends well! I'll take you to the hospital!"
She pulled him out, but Johnny grabbed her hand.
Even in his high fever, he was surprisingly strong. "Lola!"
He pulled her into his arms.
Johnny's embrace was like a furnace, scorching and alarming.
The car door closed.
He just held Lola like that, tightly, as if hugging a doll from childhood. "Don't leave, Lola! Forgive me, please?"
His face was pressed against hers, and the heat mixed with his masculine scent.
Lola felt a bit dizzy, and she hoarsely asked, "Johnny, do you know what you're doing?"
All he knew was that he didn't want to let her go.
Lola had no choice but to whisper, "I won't leave! I'll take you home!"
Johnny murmured, "Back to the Devereux Mansion?"
"Yes!"
Johnny gently let her go, and Lola felt relieved, but then he kissed her.
One hand held the back of her head, his burning lips pressed against hers. Maybe it was because of the fever—he was burning hot, his handsome face flushed with desire, and he kissed Lola incessantly, as if possessed.
Suddenly, he stopped. He just looked at her, and Lola gently closed her eyes, uttering a few words, "Why did it have to come to this?"
Back at the Devereux Mansion, Johnny was burning with fever, and Andrew called a skilled doctor. After examining him, the doctor said, "He probably has an external injury! Let me see after taking off his clothes."
Andrew had heard that Johnny was beaten by Frederick.
He quickly unbuttoned Johnny's shirt and turned him over, and was stunned by what he saw on his back. "Did he not properly treat his injury?"
Johnny's back was not only unhealed but also infected.
Andrew's face darkened. "Nonsense!"
Chloe looked at him with some heartache. "Why does he do this to himself?"
Lola felt uncomfortable and didn't want to watch anymore, so she walked out alone.
As she closed the door, she leaned lightly against it.
It turned out that not only could she not get over it, but Johnny couldn't either. That slap had become an insurmountable chasm between them.
In the bedroom, Andrew and Chloe exchanged glances.
Chloe softly said, "She looks quite upset. Go check on her! After all, they grew up together. Even if they can't be a couple, the bond is still there. Both kids are just too proud."
Andrew nodded.
He looked at the unconscious Johnny and scolded, "Look at this fool!"
Chloe nodded.
While the doctor applied medicine to Johnny, she wiped his sweat, feeling somewhat distressed.
Andrew opened the door and went out.
Lola quickly straightened up and wiped her eyes. "How is he?"
Andrew closed the door and patted her head. "Still worried about him? How about this, he hits you once, you hit him back a hundred times. I bet he wouldn't dare hit back, or else your dad and I will deal with him."
Lola gently shook her head. "That's pointless!"
She added, "It shouldn't have started in the first place! If I hadn't agreed, maybe things would still be fine now, and it wouldn't have come to this! It's not about forgiveness between us; it's that our values are very different."
Johnny had been abroad for a long time. So he felt his relationship with Melissa was insignificant. But Lola cared about that relationship.
Undoubtedly, that slap was also an insurmountable barrier for Lola.
She didn't want to wrong herself, and see Melissa clinging to her husband every day, making her sick.
Andrew didn't force her.
Nowadays, many young women don't get married, and their family had many children. Was Lola afraid of not being taken care of when she got old?
He loved Lola and took her to the kitchen to cook for her.
He made ravioli for her.
"When Adeline was still around, she always made it for Chloe. She really liked Chloe," Andrew spoke with a gentle expression.
Lola leaned against Andrew, listening intently.
Andrew made two bowls, one for Lola and one for Johnny.
At night, when Johnny woke up, he silently finished the bowl of ravioli.
When Chloe collected the bowl, she exclaimed, "Andrew said you didn't like it, but I see you enjoyed it."
Johnny softly thanked her, "Sorry for the trouble!"
Chloe patted his head. "Lola brought you back! Apologize to her tomorrow, and the conflict between you and Lola will be over, okay?"
Johnny nodded, his eyes slightly red.
Chloe sighed as she left.
In the early morning, Johnny felt much better. He got up and walked into the small courtyard.
Lola was already up. She looked at him and said indifferently, "Fever's gone?"
Johnny nodded and walked closer. "Thank you!"
Lola's expression remained indifferent. "No need to thank me! Even if it were a stranger who fainted, I wouldn't just sit by and do nothing! By the way, your condition isn't suitable for continuing the negotiations. Let's reschedule!"
Johnny didn't push it. Then he asked her, "Will you stay to take care of me?"
"I have an 11 AM flight." Lola hesitated before speaking, "Let's talk."
Her attitude towards him seemed to have softened a bit.
Johnny sat at the small table, where a pot of fresh and lovely flowers left by Adeline was placed.
Lola even got him a cup of milk, and one for herself.
Sitting across from each other, she thought for a moment and softly said, "Johnny, we grew up together, and I really can't treat you as a stranger! Even if you slapped me for someone else, you still grew up in the Hawkins Mansion! Let's forget the past; I won't bring it up again, and neither should you! Visit Mom and Dad when you can. They still care about you, even if my dad doesn't say it, I know he misses you."
"What about us?"
"There is no 'us'! We're over."
The air was deathly silent.
Lola gave a bleak smile. "Let's leave it at that! Stop tormenting yourself."
"Will you get married? Be with someone else?"
"Maybe! If I meet the right person, I'll get married! Johnny, you should find a suitable woman too!"
After saying this, Lola felt a pang of sadness. She looked up. "When I brought you home back then, it was selfish! My dad was too, but their feelings for you over the years are genuine, so don't make the elders sad over our issues! It's not worth it."
Johnny kept thinking about her words.
The morning sun shone on his face, making him look even paler.
Lola had no more temper left; she didn't want to argue with him anymore. What did it matter who was right or wrong? Once she gave up, nothing else mattered. What mattered was that she didn't want to see him suffer. She still hoped he would be well.
Lola felt a bit uncomfortable. "Let's leave it at that! I'm going to the airport!"
She got up to leave, and after a while, she came out with her luggage, while Johnny still sat there.
He just sat there slowly drinking the milk.
Chloe came over and draped a coat over him. "Johnny!"
Johnny softly said, "I can't keep her! If I become stronger and irreplaceable, will she stay with me?"
Chloe was stunned. She felt that Johnny was a bit crazy.
Johnny looked up, smiling slightly. "Aunt. I'm fine! I just figured some things out!"
"Johnny!" Chloe's voice trembled. "Let me take you to the doctor, okay?"
"I'm fine! Really!" Johnny slowly looked at the sun. "I want to bask in the sun for a while! Lola is gone, and I feel a bit cold."
Chloe felt sad. But Johnny was very calm. He didn't chase after her to Syeattel; he stayed at the Devereux Mansion for half a month. After that, he returned to Syeattel! He didn't bother Lola anymore.
Even though he heard that she occasionally went on dates.
Sometimes, he even ran into her on a date. But they just nodded in passing.
Johnny seemed to have completely let go. He became a workaholic, working even harder than when he was at Kyro, expanding his business empire in a crazy way.
The first to notice was Kingsley!
Kingsley controlled the largest business group in Syeattel. When someone suddenly emerged to rival the Hawkins Group, he couldn't remain indifferent!
That person turned out to be Johnny!
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