Chapter 176: Lie To Someone Else

John came out and there he met Ryan, who hurried to him happily as if he was waiting for John to come out and meet him.

"John!" Ryan exclaimed, pulling him into a hug and patting his back enthusiastically, almost as if he’d feared he might never see his friend again.

"Ugh..." John winced in pain rather than joy. "Can you... get away from me?" His voice was strained with discomfort.

Realizing his mistake, Ryan quickly released him, his expression turning apologetic. "I’m sorry, man. I was just so happy that I forgot you’re hurt."

John was like a rock, who rarely showed he was in any kind of pain, but if he showed, that meant it was truly beyond the limit his limit of tolerance.

"It’s nothing," John said, straightening up and quickly composing himself. His expression became neutral, masking any sign of pain.

"I’m just glad to see you alive and not deported back to where we came from," Ryan remarked. "Seeing you here feels like Mr. Harper showed you some mercy."

John didn’t respond directly and instead said, "I’m working for Ms. Natalie from now on."

Ryan looked surprised. "Mr. Harper...?"

"She called him, and he said he had nothing to do with me," John said, a trace of sadness flickering across his face. Hearing it from Justin was truly hurting.

Ryan understood John’s feelings. For them, Justin was like a god—someone they held in the highest regard. To hear Justin say he had "nothing to do with" John had to be painful.

"He didn’t oppose you working for Ms. Natalie, which means he doesn’t really mean what he said. You know how strict and cold he can be," Ryan tried to reassure him. "Mr. Harper can’t break the rules, but he also made sure you are by Ms Natalie’s side. It shows he still trusts and value you the same. He didn’t send you back. Isn’t that proof enough?"

John nodded, though he still seemed unsure of what to say.

"Also, Ms Natalie insisted on having only you as her bodyguard and, he fulfilled her wish," Ryan added. "You know what that meant. He is trusting you to protect the woman most important to him. You will always be his most trusted man, John."

John hummed this time, finally reacting to something.

"Have you treated your wounds?" Ryan asked, concerned.

John nodded. "Noah took care of them."

"You shouldn’t even be out for a week in this condition," Ryan remarked, shaking his head in mild disapproval.

"I just wanted to apologize to Ms. Natalie; otherwise, I couldn’t be at peace."

"You did well. Now go back and rest, and let your wounds heal. Until then, I’ll be here to protect Ms. Natalie," Ryan assured him.

John nodded and left. As soon as he was out of sight, Ryan quickly typed a message and sent it to someone.

-----

Justin was on his way to inspect his new home after Natalie had messaged him that it was ready. He had received a call from Natalie regarding John and had given her the response he was supposed to.

Noah, who had overheard part of the call, could tell it was about John, though he didn’t know the details. His expression grew somber at the thought of John no longer being around.

But at the same time, Noah felt a sense of relief.

A short while later, Noah received a message from Ryan:

Noah couldn’t help but feel cheerful and immediately glanced at Justin with a smile.

"What?" Justin asked, his tone cold, noticing Noah’s gaze.

"Thank you for allowing John to work for Ms. Natalie."

"Stop acting like his wife," Justin’s cold voice echoed in the car. "Keep in mind he’s no longer one of us, so maintain your boundaries with him—or it won’t take me long to relieve you of your duties."

"Yes, Mr. Harper," Noah replied quietly, looking straight ahead, while he thought, ’

They arrived at the new home. Justin looked around and found everything to his liking. Noah was equally impressed. "The interior designer really did a fantastic job."

Justin hummed in agreement and walked up the grand staircase to the master bedroom. Upon entering, he was pleased with what he saw. The room was elegantly decorated, designed with sophistication and comfort, perfect for a couple.

"Mr. Harper," Noah’s voice broke through his thoughts, as he stepped into the room where Justin seemed lost in his own world, imagining him and Natalie together in this very space.

"Hmm?" Justin replied, still scanning the master bedroom intently.

"We received another message from that man," Noah informed him.

"Is he desperate to meet me?" Justin asked, an amused smile tugging at his lips.

"It seems he’s getting impatient since we kept him waiting. He mentioned a change in plans," Noah replied. "He says he’ll go directly to Ms. Natalie."

Justin scoffed with a smirk. "If he could meet her directly, he wouldn’t have requested a meeting with me in the first place. He wants to use me as a bridge to reach her and carry out whatever he has planned."

"But why would he go to such lengths?"

"There’s clearly a reason he can’t approach her directly. That’s why he needs me," Justin explained. "We’ll find out what that reason is today. Send him a message confirming a meeting this evening."

"This evening?" Noah asked. "But you’re scheduled to attend Mr. Ford’s wedding anniversary with Ms. Natalie."

"I’ll head there right after meeting with him. It won’t take long," Justin replied.

Noah nodded and proceeded to send the message as instructed.

----

At the Fords’ residence:

"It’s so exhausting to make preparations for these pointless events," Clara complained, slumping into a chair in the drawing room.

"Mom, you were the one who suggested it," Briena replied, placing her shopping bags on the table. "I’ve finished my shopping."

"Did you send those things to your friend?" Clara asked.

"Yes. She’ll be ready this evening," Briena smirked. "Ready to seduce Natalie’s husband."

Clara hummed in approval, closing her eyes as she leaned back in the chair. "I don’t want it to fail this time."

"It won’t," Briena assured her. "And this time, it’s not just Natalie’s husband—I have something in store for Natalie herself."

"Oh? What’s that?"

"She’ll find out exactly why Ivan agreed to marry her," Briena said with an evil smirk. "I’m dying to tell her; I can’t wait to see her devastated by the truth."

"What is it?" Clara’s eyes snapped open as she looked at her daughter curiously.

Briena reclined in the chair with a smug look, breathing in with satisfaction. "I can’t wait to see her face when she gets to know that the person she trusted most has betrayed her. Finally, I’ll get to see her break down."

"Will you tell me now?" Clara asked, leaning forward eagerly.

"Wait until tonight, Mom," Briena replied, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "It took a lot to get this out of Ivan, but he finally opened up. I can’t tell you how happy I am to know the truth."