Yes, he did not say that he felt something for her, but he loved her.

When Brian first saw Joanne, she was only ten years old. She was just an innocent young little girl. She was the apple of the entire family's eye and had not seen the outside world yet. She was so pure that people could not bear to let her know that the world was dangerous.

In those dark times, hatred swelled in Brian's heart, and Joanne appeared like bright sunshine.

The sun shone into his life, infiltrated into his heart, and brought his life back to normal.

Only when he saw Joanne, he could forget his father's death for a short time and forget hatred.

At first, he felt incredible about this feeling, so he deliberately alienated Joanne and didn't even look at her. At that time, Joanne had already demonstrated her extraordinary resilience. With her eyes blinking, she would follow him and call him "Brother Brian" again and again as if she could not detect his indifference.

Slowly, he unconsciously grew soft with her and would answer her every request. To make her happy, he even promised to take her to the amusement park.

The next day, when he was going abroad in haste, he found that it was not her father's death that he could not let go, but Joanne, and her innocent smile.

He thought that he only regarded Joanne as his sister. After a few years, he discovered that was not the case.

At that time, Joanne's mother was still well and healthy, and she kept in touch with Iris. Iris liked Joanne and would send photos of Joanne by email from time to time.

Through those photos, he watched Joanne grow up year after year, found her smile more and more charming and her facial features more and more exquisite and conspicuous. He had a strange feeling in his heart.

At the age of fourteen, she attended an autumn outing organized by the school, wearing a knee-length skirt and a clean white shirt. Several boys surrounded behind her to compete for a photo with her. She looked into the camera straightforwardly and finally, a boy hooked his arms around her shoulders and smiled satisfied.

When he saw the photo, Brian actually had the urge to tear it apart.

But the photo was in an email. Besides, even if he could tear up the photo, he could not change the fact that the little boy wrapped his arms around Joanne's shoulders.

He even felt angry.

If he had not realized that he loved Joanne by that time, he would have spent those 20 years in vain on earth.

The only thing was: How was that possible? He loved a teenage girl who he had not seen for three years?

After this day, Brian no longer paid attention to any news of Joanne. Every time Iris mentioned her name, he would find an excuse to get away and have never checked her photos again.

Until when she turned 15, her mother died unexpectedly.

Iris called to reach her at home. He heard Joanne's heartbreaking cry. She cried so hard that she sobbed on the phone. "Aunt Iris, I want my mom."

At that time, her mother had been buried, but she refused to face the fact. Chris said that she had not eaten for many days, just crying hard and looking for her mother.

Brian knew how sad Joanne was, but he just failed to imagine what Joanne would look like when she cried so hard.

She shouldn't cry because she looked better when she laughed.

In the end, he bought a ticket and lied to Iris. He told her that he would spend a few days away with some classmates. In fact, he secretly got on the plane back home.

He did not know how Joanne came around and decided to face her mother's death, and even went to stand in front of the grave and refused to leave even when it was dark. She stayed in the cemetery for an entire night as if she did not know what fear was.

In this way, she forced herself to accept this cruel truth.

Joanne would never know that Brian was standing not far behind her for the entire night.

The next day, she returned to sleep through the morning and went back to school in the afternoon. On the surface, she seemed to have accepted the facts and returned to normal.

Brian didn't know what she was thinking, but he noticed that her smile had changed. They were not that bright anymore and her laughter was no longer crisp.

Nevertheless, she did grow up. At the age of fifteen, she came out of her shell as she blossomed into a young teen and was better than all of her peers.

Brian worried about her and lived in a hotel near her school. He watched her go to school every day until he made sure that she would not do anything stupid. Then, he bought a ticket back to the United States.

After that, he knew that he could not let go of Joanne.

However, what he was doing and what he was going to do in the future would not allow him to approach Joanne. He was too aware of what he would face in the future, and no matter who stayed beside him, they would only be in danger.

Therefore, he still refused to listen to his mother talk about Joanne, refused her mother's arrangments for them to meet, and in private, he had someone watching over Joanne.

Brian knew everything about her since she went to college, everything including what happened to her, who she met, and how she was doing every day. He could even see them-because he would receive photos from China every few days.

He expanded his power and strengthened the wings behind his back, not only for his father but also for Joanne.

He never thought about taking Joanne as his own and did not dare to think that way either.

The danger was lurking around him, while Joanne, like what her name said, was so pure. She deserved a quiet life. He could give her everything but happy and simple life.

So after returning home, he still refused to meet with Joanne. As far as he knew, Joanne had done a good job. Her career was very successful and she handled the interpersonal relationship very well in the police station. When she had spare time, she would hang out with Freya. Every day, she would live life to the fullest.

Indeed, she should live like this, and in the future, she would meet someone who loved her very much and would take care of her very well.

From her college to the workplace, Brian had secretly helped her a lot. He had been around Joanne but never thought about disturbing her life.

He was afraid that if he touched her in any way, he would want to keep her by his side and never let anyone spy on her beauty.

He knew that his self-control would automatically collapse in front of Joanne.

Later, as expected,

Steven and Chris were fighting both openly and secretly in the business circle, and everyone waited to see whether the father or the son would have the last laugh. At that time, Iris suddenly told Brian that Steven laid his eyes on Joanne and he must marry Joanne to save her.

He refused, and the reason was that they lacked any relationship foundation.

For so many years, he didn't even dare to approach Joanne. Now, he suddenly had the chance to marry Joanne and turn her into his wife. He admitted that at that moment, he was ecstatic.

However, his senses made him reject the proposal.

Later, Iris said, "Since you refuse, then I will Chris go find others. Joanne is 24 years old and has reached the age of marriage. She has never had a boyfriend. Anyway, Chris will find her a husband. If you don't want to, I'll find another one to take care of her."

It was at that moment that his long-suppressed craving over the past years suddenly crushed his senses and possessed his mind.

Since Joanne would marry a man anyway, and since she did not give her heart to anyone, then why not be the one to marry her?

Rowdy would not come back in a short time, and it was still safe for her to stick around him. Why not let Joanne become Mrs. Lambert and have a proper reason to get rid of Steven, leaving the rest of her life peaceful?

In this way, Brian promised to marry Joanne.

People who were the most shocked were Shen Yuchuan and Wesley.

Gavin put on a stunned expression to tease him. "It never rains, but it pours!" Hey, I thought that you had no courage to approach her in your entire life. This is good, you turned her into your wife with a snap of your fingers."

Wesley asked him calmly, "If you do this, you'll bury all your hard work before." Have you ever thought about what to do in the future?"

"I will get rid of Steven, and then divorce her." Brian said, "Before Rowdy returns, she must become a person who has nothing to do with me."

"Can you really control yourself?" Wesley paused for a moment before said, "I think you can't control it. In the end, without Joanne, you won't survive."

Brian did not answer, maybe at that time, he already knew that Wesley had guessed it right.

He really didn't control himself.

Before they got married, he told Joanne that he had no feelings for her and that they would divorce two years later. These words were actually used to warn him. When Joanne calmly answered that she had no feelings for him either, he actually felt angry.

After they got married, he interfered with Joanne's everything. She couldn't help but hold her hand, hug her, kiss her, and even wanted more.

Later, when he brought Joanne to Glasgow and introduced her to Wesley, he was letting her into his world.

At that time, he had already decided in his heart that if there was a suitable opportunity, he would tell Joanne everything and let her choose to stay or leave.

Deep down in his heart, he certainly hoped that Joanne could stay with him, so he doubled his care to her, and let the entire world know that Joanne was the apple of his eye, but she failed to realize that, thinking that everything was a show for those outsiders.

For several times, he wanted to go all the way with her and tell her that it was not a show and that he loved her.

However, every time that idea came up, he would remember that Joanne had her love. If he did something to her, Joanne would hate him afterward.

So in the end, he chose to let Joanne go.

Later, Rowdy suddenly came back, interrupted everything and disturbed everything. He remembered the nightmare 14 years ago.

He did not want Joanne to hurt and suffer.

So he put on a cold face to Joanne, quarreled with her for no reason, and let her go to find her love, just to pave the way for the divorce, returning her freedom and safety.

Brian never thought that Joanne loved him and she actually loved him for more than 10 years.

He suddenly regretted his actions in the past few days and found that Wesley was really right. Without Joanne, he could not survive.

Before he got married, he thought he could, because he had never owned it before, and he couldn't have imagined the feeling of possessing it. Later, when he met Joanne, he was like hooked on drugs, and could never do without it.

He underestimated himself when he thought in no way would Joanne love him. Then, he completely overestimated himself, thinking that he could leave her.

When he was looking for Joanne on the mountain in the pouring rain, he thought that if Joanne had an accident on this mountain, he would never be able to walk out of this mountain or this nightmare.

Fortunately, fate favored him at this time: Joanne was fine, and he could tell Joanne everything she should know.

"Joanne." Brian looked at Joanne, and word by word, he uttered clearly, "I love you."