Chapter 308 Break up with Jerry
Cecil had texted me the meetup spot.
It was this chill, low-key café.
Jerry and I strolled in together. "Cecil," I called out.
Cecil turned around, and the second he saw Jerry, his eyes flashed with pure hate.
Cecil's eyes flicked to my belly, then he gave me his usual warm smile. "Hope, didn't I tell you to come solo?"
Something felt off about him, but I trusted Cecil too much to dwell on it. I smiled and said, "Cecil, Jerry just didn't want me to come alone..."
Jerry wrapped his arm around me and shot Cecil a frosty glare. He snapped, "I think your arm wound might've messed up your basal ganglia."
I was confused for a sec before it clicked.
The basal ganglia control speech flow and rhythm.
Jerry was basically saying Cecil had a mouth but didn't know how to use it.
Cecil didn't seem to care. He glanced at Jerry. "Mr. Hammer, can I have a moment alone with Hope?"
I was worried Jerry might get jealous, so I gently tugged his sleeve.
Jerry sneered, holding back his anger. "Don't worry; I'm not that petty."
We all knew why we were here.
"I'll be right outside. If anything's off, call me ASAP." Jerry whispered in my ear and then walked out.
If it weren't for Claire, he probably wouldn't have let me stay here alone.
But he got me, so he agreed.
I took a deep breath and looked at Cecil. "Cecil, what did you mean on the phone? Do you know where to get the antidote?"
"Take a seat first." Cecil motioned for me to sit, got me a coffee, and then stared at me with these intense, complicated eyes. Finally, he gave a bitter smile.
"Hope, did you come here today for me, or just for Claire?"
I was a bit taken aback and pressed my lips together. "What's up with you?"
That uneasy feeling kept growing.
Cecil took a sip of his coffee, set the cup down, and then, in a soft voice, he said something that left me totally floored.
"It's all for Claire, right? Hope, I can give you the antidote, but there's one condition."
I asked, "What is it?"
"You have to break up with Jerry." Cecil glanced outside, where Jerry stood under a tree, his eyes filled with this almost crazy obsession. "And then, be with me."
"Cecil..." I couldn't believe it. The coffee cup I had just picked up nearly slipped from my hand, spilling hot coffee everywhere. The burning pain was a harsh reminder that Cecil's words weren't a hallucination.
Seeing this, Cecil rushed over, trying to grab my arm. "How could you be so..."
"Cecil!" I was so freaked out that I jumped up, dodging his reach. In my panic, the chair toppled over, crashing to the floor with a loud bang.
Cecil froze, his hand hanging in the air, his lips trembling. "You... think I would hurt you?"
"I..." I clenched my palm, not knowing what to say. Luckily, Jerry heard the noise and rushed in, grabbing Cecil's arm and twisting it hard.
He pulled me behind him and, with a swift move, kicked Cecil.
It was only then that I realized how skilled Jerry was.
Cecil went flying, crashing into a table full of coffee cups.
A waiter came over, and Steven immediately stepped up to settle the bill.
Jerry snorted, "How dare you mess with my girl?"
In Jerry's arms, I started to shake off the shock and noticed his intense anger.
He'd never liked Cecil, and now that Cecil had shown his true colors, Jerry was naturally pissed.
Cecil slowly got up from the ground, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. The tension in the air was thick, but he didn't respond to Jerry's question. Instead, he just looked at me. "Hope, think carefully about what I said."
Cecil's sudden change left me still shaken, my heart pounding. I took a deep breath and looked at Jerry. "I want to go home."
"Okay." Jerry held me as we left, but Cecil's voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Hope, don't you want the antidote? If you don't get it, Claire will die."
He continued, "Didn't you say Claire is super important to you? She's been so good to you, giving you the Harris family. Can you really watch her die now?"
I tightened my grip on Jerry's hand, my heart sinking.
Jerry gently pried my tense fingers away, massaging my hand as he asked softly, "Do you trust me?"
"Of course." I didn't hesitate.
In this world, I could distrust anyone, but not Jerry.
Besides, I believed he had a better solution than I did.
In my current condition, it was best to stay behind him. If anything happened to the baby, I would be wracked with guilt.
Understanding Jerry's intention, I pressed my lips together. "Then I'll wait for you in the car."
I had always trusted and been grateful to Cecil, but now everything changed.
Whatever Jerry decided to do, I wouldn't interfere.
Steven quickly followed me and escorted me to the car.
The café had already been exclusively booked by Cecil. There were no other customers.
After settling the bill and using a mix of threats and persuasion, Steven convinced the owner and staff to hide in the back. With compensation in hand, they didn't care how intense the fight would get.
Jerry had wanted to hit Cecil for a long time.
He had held back because of Hope. But now that Hope didn't care, why should he? But as he punched Cecil, something made him hesitate and hold back a bit.
Jerry said coldly, "The antidote."
Cecil, clutching his abdomen, spat out blood and laughed mockingly. "You can beat me to death, but Hope's grandmother won't survive."
Jerry clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.
His usual chill vibe was gone, replaced by a cold, murderous aura. "The only reason I'm talking to you calmly is because you took a bullet for Hope. That doesn't mean I can't make you hand over the antidote."
Cecil insisted. "I'll only give the antidote to Hope."
Jerry laughed, but his eyes were cold and merciless. "Cecil, I know what you're thinking, but as long as I'm breathing, forget about it."
Cecil sneered, "What if you're not?"
Jerry laughed, like he'd heard the funniest joke ever. "I've been through a lot of tough times. If I were going to die, it would have happened long ago. I've faced every challenge and come out on top. Death is impossible for me."
Cecil said coldly, "Some things are beyond your control."
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