Chapter 190 A Benevolent Lie

Chapter 190 A Benevolent Lie

After parting ways, Joanna took a taxi back to her hotel.

Although Sandra was also in Valeria, this trip was special, and Joanna didn't plan to disturb them.

She simply packed her luggage and called Angelo to let him know she'd arrived safely.

Back home, Angelo had just finished his work. Seeing Joanna's call, he switched directly to video, "How was it? Were you happy to see your teacher today?"

Joanna shook her head, her voice somewhat dejected, "My teacher's health is worse than I imagined. He probably won't make it through this year. I'm also thinking about what I can do to make up for these three years of regret, so that he can leave without any attachments."

Angelo fell silent for a moment, then said, "I can't really give you any advice, but Joanna, I think you understand your teacher, so if you think of something, just go ahead and do it. He won't blame you."

Joanna nodded and didn't continue with this topic.

"What if my girlfriend is too focused on work and doesn't care about me?" Angelo suddenly asked with a smile.

Joanna felt a bit embarrassed and said, "I've never been the type to revolve around anyone. Angelo, when you go on business trips, I don't demand that you must take me along."

Angelo blinked, his tone somewhat playful, "But if it weren't for your work, I would actually want to take you with me."

Joanna's face turned completely red, and she said reproachfully, "Angelo, why are you so clingy?"

"Doesn't Joanna like it?" Angelo's voice was low, as if he were disappointed.

But if Joanna were right next to Angelo at that moment, she would know he was simply teasing her.

Even though they weren't face to face, Angelo sensitively noticed his girlfriend's low spirits.

As her boyfriend, he felt it was his duty to cheer her up.

Joanna was too shy to answer and fumbled for words for a long time.

She changed the subject and asked, "Angelo just finished work, have you eaten?"

Angelo nodded, "Yes, a work meal."

He seemed a bit aggrieved, as if eating a work meal was something very unwilling.

Joanna was about to ask why he felt aggrieved when she heard Angelo say, "It's not as good as what my girlfriend makes."

Joanna felt her cheeks burning and said softly, "Then next time when I get back, I'll make more for Angelo."

"Never mind." Angelo declined with a light laugh, "I can't bear to have my girlfriend tired from cooking. Leave the cooking to me."

The two chatted briefly.

It wasn't until after they hung up that Joanna remembered she hadn't told Angelo about running into Chris.

However, since Chris was here on a business trip, they might not have another chance to meet anyway.

So in the end, Joanna didn't report this to Angelo.

But early the next morning, she sadly discovered that an even more coincidental thing had happened.

Chris had also come to check in at her hotel, and was even on the same floor.

She really had to wonder if Chris had followed her to Valeria!

Chris was also very nervous when he saw Joanna.

After sending his luggage to his hotel room, he rushed to find Joanna to explain.

"You have to believe me, this is really just a misunderstanding. The partner I was supposed to meet changed the meeting location at the last minute, so I had to move my hotel to somewhere closer."

Faced with Chris's explanation, Joanna didn't say she believed him, nor did she say she didn't, but simply tried to close her hotel room door impatiently.

"If you're done talking, go back to your own room and rest. I don't want these coincidences to keep happening. I'm afraid my boyfriend will misunderstand."

Hearing Joanna being so considerate of Angelo, Chris felt a pang in his heart.

He pressed his lips together and asked, "You really love him, don't you? When we weren't divorced yet, you never considered that I might be unhappy about you being so close to him."

Joanna thought he was being ridiculous and said with a frown, "I think you've got it wrong. Angelo and I just had normal interactions, there was no inappropriate behavior at all. And at that time I had already asked you for a divorce, but you didn't agree, which is why we were entangled for so long."

The one who got too close to the opposite sex back then was clearly Chris himself!

Joanna wouldn't accept having this blame thrown on her back.

Chris wanted to explain, but at this moment anything he said seemed powerless.

He asked somewhat cautiously, "Do you need me to bring you breakfast tomorrow morning? I know there's a restaurant nearby with really good breakfast that would suit your taste."

Joanna laughed coldly, "In three years of marriage you rarely ate breakfast at home, so how can you be sure the taste you pick is what I like?"

This retort left Chris silent, unable to speak.

Joanna didn't want to keep arguing with him and said directly, "I have other arrangements for breakfast, you don't need to worry about me. Mr. Cooper, please go back, or I'll call hotel security to have you removed, and that wouldn't be very dignified."

After saying this, she closed the door directly, and Chris didn't try to stop her again.

In fact, being able to see Joanna twice on this business trip already felt very lucky to him.

Although he really wanted to know why Joanna had come to Valeria, how many days she would stay, and whether she could go back to Austin City with him, he didn't ask these questions.

Because once he asked, Joanna's answer would definitely be a refusal.

He didn't want to make Joanna dislike him even more.

Joanna didn't let Chris affect her mood. Early the next morning she got ready and went to the estate.

Today she didn't wear makeup, but changed into relatively simple clothes.

This style of clothing was what she liked to wear during her student days.

She hoped that by changing her clothing style, she could trigger her teacher's nostalgia for his student days and help him forget those unhappy things.

In fact, Joanna's approach did work. When she entered the estate wearing a simple dress, Mr. Suss, who was being pushed in his wheelchair by a servant to get some sun, perked up a bit.

He waved to Joanna, "Joanna."

Joanna didn't keep her teacher waiting and quickly walked over, crouching down to ask, "Why did you come out today? Teacher, is there anything I can do for you?"

Mr. Suss shook his head and pointed at the sun, saying, "When you get old, you realize that sunbathing is a very happy thing. If you don't find it boring, sit with me and enjoy the sun."

Joanna smiled, "How could I find being with you boring, teacher? Even if we don't talk, I'm fascinated by your peaceful presence."

Mr. Suss smiled and said nothing more.

The teacher and student sat facing the sun for about an hour, until Mr. Suss's health manager came over to remind him that his sunbathing time for the day was over.

Joanna watched as the medical staff busily pushed Mr. Suss back into the house, and complex emotions welled up in her heart again.

Her teacher's health was getting worse and worse. He probably really didn't have much time left...