"I don't believe it!" Ava had a sharp and sarcastic look on her face, blocking the doorway directly, and not allowing Harper to leave.
Harper was almost amused by Ava's behavior.
She wondered if Ava would be pissed off when she didn't divorce on impulse.
Ava continued, "Joseph always says your father has done him a great favor. But teaching is his job. I don't know how your father raised such an incompetent daughter like you."
Hearing this, Harper's face was livid completely. She waited for Ava to finish, unable to hold back her anger any longer. "Shut up. Don't talk about my dad! You have no right to judge him!"
She didn't want to deal with her in the first place, thinking she would shut up when she got tired of talking. Who knew she was completely tactless? Harper couldn't tolerate anyone smearing her father's name.
Seeing Harper being so confrontational, Ava's was irritated again. "Who are you yelling at?"
After speaking, she reached out and pushed Harper. Harper couldn't be bothered to argue with her and just wanted to leave.
"I told you not to go!" Ava saw that Harper was serious about leaving, so she reached out and grabbed Harper's skirt, pulling her back inside.
With two loud noises, a big hole was torn under Harper's armpit. Ava ignored it, taking the keys from her hand at lightning speed. She opened the door, walked out, and closed the door behind her in frustration. "You're not going anywhere today! Stay obediently in the house!"
Harper lay at the door, listening to the sound of the door locking. Ignoring the scrapes on her hands, she quickly got up. But Ava had locked the door from the outside with the keys, and she couldn't open it.
Looking at her disheveled self in the mirror, Harper felt like crying. Ava was stubborn and extreme in such matters. She had no good feelings toward her. So Harper knew it was useless to say anything.
With no other choice, Harper had to take out her phone and call Joseph. The scrapes on her hands stung, but the phone played the message that the number was switched off.
This man was making her crazy! She always seemed to run into him unexpectedly. But now when she needed him, she couldn't reach him!
Joseph had a few drinks at the gathering after the seminar yesterday and returned to the hotel very late. He took the first-morning flight back. The hospital sent a car to pick him up, which saved him a lot of trouble.
In the car, Olivia sat on Joseph's left, occasionally glancing at the man beside her. He was looking out the window, lost in thought.
Olivia couldn't help but call out to him, "Joseph."
Joseph turned back, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "What's up?"
Olivia smiled and asked with great concern, "You left halfway through the seminar yesterday. Was there something you needed to take care of? We were a bit unsure during the free discussion time when you were absent."
They had been socializing all night, so she didn't want to bother him, holding back her questions. But today, it seemed like his mood wasn't very good.
"It's nothing." Joseph's calm gaze returned to the window, his tone indifferent. "I had something to attend to and didn't have time to say goodbye to you all. I'm sorry."
Listening to his tone, Olivia instinctively refrained from asking more. She knew him well. When Joseph was in a bad mood, he never liked to talk. So, it was quite rare that he was willing to explain a few words to her.
"That's good." With that, Olivia didn't say anything more. But she couldn't help but have some vague suspicions. Could it be that he went to Harper's competition venue yesterday? But didn't Harper and Patrick explicitly say that outsiders couldn't enter?
Olivia couldn't figure it out, but there was no need to upset Joseph over this matter. After arriving at the hospital, Daniel and Nathan went back to their offices. Joseph went straight to the public bathroom to take a shower.
After returning to the office and changing into a more formal suit, Olivia walked in from outside. Seeing his appearance, Olivia's eyes lit up, and she softly said, "We just returned from Bagores. Are you already going out? Don't you want to rest for a bit?"
"Yes, I'm going to a banquet." Joseph adjusted his cuffs without explaining further.
Seeing his tall figure and every inch of him fitting her aesthetic, Olivia couldn't help but feel her heart race. She handed him his phone. "You left your phone in the car."
Joseph glanced at it and indeed it was his phone. He took it somewhat surprised. "Thank you."
He realized that he had left the phone on the seat. He wanted to check the messages, but the screen remained black and wouldn't turn on.
Olivia looked at him and said, "It's probably out of battery."
"Yes." Joseph turned around, took out a charger from the drawer, and started charging it.
Looking at the suit he was wearing, Olivia tentatively asked, "You are dressed formally. It occurred to me that maybe you are going to Henry's wedding banquet?"
Joseph glanced at her, nodded, and didn't say anything. After all, The Lucas family was so prominent, and Henry was a well-known figure. The news of his wedding would be publicized by major media outlets, so it wasn't surprising that Olivia knew.
Olivia sighed. " when I saw Henry last time, did he just start dating Ms. Miller?"
Joseph thought for a moment and honestly replied, "I'm not sure."
He really couldn't remember the last time Olivia had seen his father. Olivia was a bit excited. "I haven't seen Henry for a long time. Since I'm off today, can I go with you? I want to witness their happiness!"
Joseph wanted to refuse because Harper would also be there, and having Olivia with him would be awkward. But before he could say anything, Olivia continued, "After all, Henry and Ms. Miller were quite nice to me. I've been back for so long and haven't had time to visit them. When I heard they were going to have a wedding banquet, I happened to be shopping with a friend and saw a gift that was perfect for Ms. Miller, so I bought it. Today is a coincidence. Dr. Lucas, can I hitch a ride with you?"
Looking at her, Joseph didn't know what to say. Olivia had prepared the gift so early, showing her sincerity. Suddenly, he remembered the scene of Harper and Patrick hugging on stage yesterday, and he felt a twinge of displeasure.
Harper had never looked at him that way before. Was Olivia more concerned about him and his family than Harper?
"Is it inconvenient?" Olivia looked at Joseph with a thoughtful expression, looking a bit dejected. But then she pretended to smile confidently. "If it's inconvenient or if it will put you in a difficult position, then I won't go. You can give the gift to Ms. Miller for me and congratulate them."
Her voice was extremely sincere and understanding, but her smile seemed a bit forced. After looking at her for a while, Joseph turned and picked up his phone that was charging. " Let's go together."