Chapter 151 They Announce Their Marriage Alliance
Upon hearing this, I fell silent.
It wasn't until the car was speeding down the dark road again that I looked at Jerry.
I asked, "How did you find this place?"
Jerry unlocked his phone and tossed it onto my lap. "Your husband sent me the address."
I looked at the screen; it was a text from an unfamiliar number. It might not be Christopher. Or rather, I didn't want to believe it was Christopher.
Jerry, sensing my doubt, continued steering the wheel with nonchalant ease as he began to analyze the situation for me. "For today's incident, the Harris family must have promised Noah Gomez some benefits to reach an agreement. Kimberly Harris kidnapped you for Christopher Valence. No one else would have had reason to know this address."
He elaborated further, "Noah Gomez's crew had no ties to you and were unaware of my connection to you, so they wouldn't have reached out to me for a rescue. Hence, the only plausible sender of that message is Christopher Valence."
This was the first time Jerry had been so patient, taking the time to explain things in detail.
I clenched my hands. "Got it, thanks."
Christopher was as duplicitous as ever. He had just sent Jerry a message, and then had the audacity to shoot at me.
At the traffic light, Jerry glanced in my direction, asking, "Hospital?"
I shook my head. "Go home."
I was really tired.
I was utterly exhausted. I didn't want to endure the hassle of a hospital visit. Though these injuries looked severe, they probably just required some disinfectant and ointment.
Thinking about the task Jerry had given me, I asked, "I didn't pick up your little girlfriend. Did I cause you any trouble?"
"Little girlfriend?" Jerry's brow furrowed, and he gave me a sideways glance. "With your imagination, it's a pity you're not writing novels."
I was stunned for a moment. Jerry casually added, "She's fine, very well-behaved."
I felt a wave of relief wash over me and decided not to probe any further.
After this ordeal, I felt as though I had walked through hell, and once everything quieted down, a sense of disorientation overtook me.
When we arrived at Jacquar One, Jerry carried me out of the car and toward the elevator. He tilted his chin and prompted, "Why are you just standing there? Press the elevator."
I snapped out of my stupor. "Okay."
As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, a tall figure greeted us.
"What happened?" Cecil's face darkened as he saw my injuries. He reached out to take me from Jerry, but Jerry didn't let go, saying casually, "We're already at the door. I'll take her in."
"Alright," Cecil acquiesced, mindful of my condition. He instinctively went to open the door, and to his surprise, his fingerprint still worked.
Cecil looked at me in astonishment. I offered a faint smile. "Doesn't the landlord usually keep a key? As a tenant, there's no reason for me to delete your fingerprint."
Jerry carried me directly to the sofa.
"Thank you for today," I said, looking at Jerry. Despite Kimberly being the cause of all this, it had nothing to do with Jerry. He didn't have to assist me.
Jerry was blunt. "You owe me two meals."
"When I recover, I'll treat you," I said helplessly.
Jerry didn't linger. He glanced at Cecil and raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Lewis, you wouldn't take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state, would you?"
Cecil smiled lightly. "If you wouldn't, why would I?"
"Then I'll leave her to you. I'm not good at delicate work like treating wounds." Jerry yawned and lazily walked away.
Cecil brought over a medical kit and examined my wounds with a mixture of concern and pity in his eyes. "How did this happen?"
"It's nothing." I hesitated for a moment, not daring to tell Cecil. Instead, I forced a smile. "See, I'm back safe and sound. Really, it's nothing. Don't worry about me. I know how complicated things are at your home. You need to take care of yourself first."
The memory of Cecil taking a beating for me at the ancestral hall last time was still fresh in my mind. I couldn't put him in harm's way again.
Noticing the somber look in Cecil's eyes, I quickly changed the subject. "Cecil, did you come here to see me for something?"
Cecil explained softly, "I heard you were renting an office. My family has some vacant properties, and I thought you might want to check them out. When you didn't answer my calls, I got worried and came to check on you."
I thanked him but added, "No need to trouble yourself. Elissa and I already rented a place. We're just waiting for the RF Group to invest so we can officially move in."
Cecil seemed surprised. "You rented a place?"
"Yes." I nodded. "The owner is abroad and likely indifferent to the Harris family's influence from afar."
"That's good." Cecil said, nodding. He carefully began disinfecting and applying ointment to my wounds, his voice tight with concern. "Does it hurt?"
"It's okay."
I endured the sharp pain, repeatedly reminding myself. From now on, I couldn't afford to be soft-hearted. The world had always been about the strong preying on the weak; it wouldn't repay kindness with kindness.
The next day, Elissa came to my flat bright and early. Pushing the door open, she was surprised to see me already up. "Aren't you injured? Why not sleep a bit more?"
I put down the fashion magazine in my hand. "Did the Cecil tell you?"
Elissa answered, "Yes, he messaged me last night."
Elissa unloaded her supermarket haul onto the dining table, a pang of regret evident in her eyes. "Sorry, I went out drinking and only saw my phone this morning."
I offered her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. I'm fine."
"Let's just make sure of that," Elissa quipped, crossing the room in a few brisk strides and lifting the edge of my loungewear to inspect me from head to toe. Her eyes blazed with anger. "This is nothing? What would you consider 'something'? Who did this to you?"
"Kimberly Harris." I responded, raising my still aching wrist as I gently ruffled Elissa's hair. "Elissa, she won't be leaving Jacquar anytime soon. Starting a company might be more challenging than we thought."
"I'll go find her!" Elissa declared, springing to her feet.
I grabbed her arm. "What good would it do? Beating her up won't solve anything."
Elissa was accustomed to confronting problems head-on. "So what do you propose? Just let you suffer for nothing? Trading a spoiled rich girl's life for yours sounds worth it to me."
I uttered, "It won't be for nothing."
I then explained how I had forced Noah to agree to my terms. Her expression softened slightly, though suspicion lingered. "Really?"
"Really." I affirmed, then hesitated before asking, "Did you catch what I said earlier?"
Elissa waved it off. "Would you abandon ElevateJoy because of someone like Kimberly Harris? If not, then I'm with you all the way."
From there, we had to let things unfold naturally.
Elissa's marketing experience and my design expertise had nearly completed our company's groundwork. We only awaited RF Group's funding to move forward.
So Elissa stayed, keeping me company.
When I awoke from a nap, Elissa's face looked more troubled than when she first saw my injuries. As I entered the room, she hurriedly locked the tablet screen, hiding it behind her. "You're awake?"
"Show me," I demanded, striding over and extending my hand.
Realizing there was no hiding anything nowadays, Elissa reluctantly unlocked the tablet and placed it before me. A glaring headline caught my eye.
The Valence Group and the Harris Group Announce Marriage Alliance!
Both were renowned wealthy families locally, and the news had swiftly become the top headline.
A lump formed in my throat, but I forced a light-hearted tone. "This is it?"
I had half-expected this the moment Christopher chose Kimberly last night. I just didn't think it would happen so quickly.
Elissa, seeing through my pretense, looked at me earnestly, a rarity. "Hope, when I broke things off with Ivan Garcia, I learned something I've never told you."
I questioned, "What is it?"
"About your feelings for Christopher Valence," Elissa lowered her gaze. "I always feared you couldn't handle the truth, but looking back, I should've told you sooner."
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