Chapter 319 Hard to Keep
As I spun around, there was Jerry, striding in like he owned the place.
Jerry had this icy, fierce vibe going on, all decked out in a suit and tie, which was so not his usual style. The tie was all loose, like he'd just bolted over from the Hammer Group.
In that moment, all my anxiety and panic just melted away, and I let out a long, relieved breath.
Jerry came up quietly and wrapped me in a warm hug, his big hand gently rubbing my back.
Then he turned to Skylar and said coldly, "I haven't even started with you yet, but you seem hell-bent on digging your own grave."
He was usually so chill and never talked like this.
Right then, even though Jerry was keeping his cool, I could feel the rage bubbling inside him.
I knew he was doing this for me.
Skylar sneered, "You got the antidote, but you still won't let Kimberly go. If I didn't pull some strings, how else would you show up here to listen to me?"
Skylar glanced at Kimberly, who was being held by Steven. She didn't have any visible injuries, but she was still out cold.
"What did you do to Kimberly?" questioned Skylar.
Jerry nodded casually, his eyes cold as ice, and said in a flat tone, "Whatever you did, I did the same. Eye for an eye."
"You..."
Jerry cut her off, "I ain't the patient type. Kidnapping Claire won't scare me. I've brought Kimberly here. Now, let Claire go."
Skylar was scared of Jerry, but she was too deep in to back out now. "Just swapping people isn't cutting it. I also want the Harris Group."
Jerry pressed his lips together.
I sensed his emotions and tightened my grip on his hand.
Jerry squeezed my hand back, signaling me to stay calm. Then he shifted his gaze and said in a neutral tone, "You're something else. Just standing there watching her suffer, huh?"
I was momentarily stunned and followed Jerry's gaze. To my surprise, I saw Larry, who should have been severely injured, standing up perfectly fine, only to be pushed back down by Jerry's men.
Realizing I had been played, I was instantly furious. "Claire heard you were in a life-threatening car accident and rushed to sign the surgery consent form, , not even pausing to change out of her slippers, fearing you might die if she was late. And you were lying to her!"
Larry's eyes showed pain. "If you hadn't sweet-talked her into giving you the Harris family, I wouldn't have had to do this. She was fine with me before you came back. Look at how much she's suffered since you returned! The one who should reflect the most is you. You said you'd take good care of Claire and let her live well, but in the end, she still suffered."
Sometimes I wondered if my presence had caused Claire to go through all this.
But Larry was the last person qualified to criticize me.
I looked at him coldly. "Larry, you're not fit to be a father or a son. You don't deserve to be Claire's son!"
"I used to think you were just stupid, but I didn't realize you were heartless. Not only did you repeatedly let Skylar poison Claire, but now you're also plotting against her with Skylar!"
Larry's eyes flickered with guilt and hesitation.
Skylar suddenly reminded him, "Larry, if you back out now, the Harris Group will completely belong to Hope. You heard what she said. She has already signed the property agreement."
Larry's hesitation vanished instantly, and he looked at me with gritted teeth. "Give me the Harris Group, and we'll have nothing to do with each other anymore!"
Nothing to do with each other? Yeah, right. Easier said than done. What they did to Claire? No way I was letting that slide.
But right then, I had to play along. "Fine, I agree. Let her go first. If she hurts Claire, you get nothing and end up rotting in prison."
Larry looked at Skylar. "Let Mom down first."
Skylar scanned the room, all paranoid. "Make all the bodyguards leave."
Jerry gave a nod, and the bodyguards cleared out.
Skylar said, "Bring Kimberly closer!"
Steven, catching Jerry's signal, walked over and tossed Kimberly onto the bed by the window. With a quick glance, he turned back and gave Jerry a look.
"Jerry." Francis walked in, handing a manila envelope to Jerry, then glanced at Elissa.
Jerry handed the envelope to Larry, who snatched it up.
Larry read it carefully, double-checking before signing. Then he made a beeline for Skylar but got stopped by Steven.
"Let Claire down," Jerry said coldly.
Skylar pulled out a syringe, the needle pressing against Claire's neck.
My heart sank.
Jerry squeezed my hand, staying calm. "The Harris Group is right here. Even if you take Claire now, you're still in Maple Valley. Think anout it."
Jerry's tone was flat, but Skylar wasn't dumb; he caught the threat loud and clear.
In Maple Valley, Jerry's word was law.
But Skylar had what she wanted and wasn't about to give Jerry a chance to settle scores.
She said, "You have no leverage. Let Larry come over first."
Jerry glanced at Steven, who stepped aside.
Larry walked to the window and, with Skylar, laid Claire on the floor.
Outside, dark clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled.
Skylar ordered, "Bring Kimberly over."
Larry followed Skylar's instructions.
I vaguely saw a ladder swaying outside the window, and then a safety rope was thrown in.
She continued, "Put it on her."
Larry nodded. After securing Kimberly, he and Skylar tied themselves with safety ropes and fastened the safety buckles.
Larry climbed the ladder first and waited.
Skylar abruptly shoved Claire toward us, then leapt onto the ladder. The helicopter immediately took off.
Jerry, ready for this, quickly caught Claire. I rushed over to check on her.
She stared blankly, unresponsive to my calls.
Jerry placed Claire on the bed, called for a doctor, gave Steven some instructions, and then, looking tired, pinched his temple and apologized to me.
"Sorry, I didn't arrange things well. I was late."
I said softly, "You did great."
It was impossible for Jerry to spend every day doing nothing but staying with me and taking care of Claire.
And I was right next to Claire, yet this still happened.
I shook my head. "You did nothing wrong. It was my fault."
Unable to bear my self-reproach, Jerry furrowed his brow and said, "Stop blaming yourself for everything."
I sighed, "This time, it was my fault. I was careless."
Despite having doubts about Larry's accident, I still went with Claire to the hospital.
"That wasn't something you could control," Jerry advised. "No matter how cautious you were, you couldn't have expected Larry to use Claire's motherly love against her."
Yeah, who could've guessed Larry would throw Claire under the bus for money?
"Jerry."
Jerry looked at me. "What's up?"
I held back my tears, gritting my teeth. "We can't give the Harris Group to Larry. Skylar's gotta pay for what she's done."
"Alright." Jerry patted my head. "I'll handle it. Don't worry, calm down."
"Hope!" Elissa suddenly shouted, making me jump.
Jerry, who had been all calm and collected, looked where Elissa was pointing and immediately freaked out.
I had never seen him so frantic.
The next second, Jerry scooped me up in his arms. I felt a wetness between my legs; blood was already trickling down them.
I grabbed his arm tightly. "The baby..."
"It'll be okay." Jerry's voice was serious, trying to comfort both me and himself.
Being so close to him, I could feel his heart racing like crazy.
As we entered the emergency room, I saw his hands trembling.
Elissa was injured and had trouble walking, and for some reason, Francis's steps were slower than usual.
Elissa looked at Francis ahead of her and couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you answer my calls?"
Francis showed no emotion. "It was too late, and it wasn't a good time."
Elissa's temper flared up. "Do you know I had an emergency?"
Francis remained indifferent. "I thought you could text me. I would have replied when I saw it."
Elissa wanted to curse but ended up in silence.
Francis's eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.
Just as we reached the emergency room door, Francis received a call. Afterward, he told Jerry, "I have something to take care of. Call me if you need any help."
Jerry glanced at the time. "Take Elissa home first."
Elissa immediately protested, "I'm not leaving. I need to make sure Hope is okay."
Seeing that he wasn't needed, Francis turned and left.
Jerry remained silent, his eyes locked on the light above the emergency room door, bloodshot and desperate.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the emergency room door opened.
Jerry took two large steps forward. "Doctor, how is she?"
"Don't worry, the mother is fine, and the baby is safe."
The doctor added, "But she must avoid getting emotional and refrain from strenuous activities. Otherwise, it will be difficult to save the baby next time."
Jerry nodded, finally letting out a long breath. "Alright, we'll be careful."
I had another dream.
I dreamt that Claire left me, and the baby left me too.
I jolted awake, instantly finding myself in a familiar and warm embrace.
Jerry softly comforted me, "It was only a dream, nothing more. Don't worry."
Still trembling, the memory flooded back, and I instinctively clutched my belly. "Our baby..."
Jerry placed his large hand over mine, speaking softly, "The baby is fine, but you need to rest."
I slowly calmed down. "What about Claire?"
"Claire is fine too. She's been checked and medicated and is now sleeping peacefully."
Jerry answered methodically, anticipating my questions, "Elissa is also resting in the ward."
I looked around and realized we had been transferred.
We were now in a VIP room at the Hammer Group's hospital.
I was worried. "How is Elissa's injury?"
"I've arranged for a specialist to treat her. She will be fine."
"I..." As I spoke, Jerry lowered his head, pressing his forehead against mine, his voice incredibly gentle. "What else do you want to ask?"
"I'm hungry."
Jerry chuckled softly, "Everything is ready."
He signaled the bodyguard at the door to bring in the food.
Then, with his sculpted hands, Jerry lifted the lid, scooped up the food, and brought it to my mouth. It was from my favorite restaurant.
With the baby safe, and Claire and Elissa taken care of, I felt my appetite return.
As Jerry fed me meticulously, I took bite after bite from his hand. Jerry instructed, "The doc said you gotta rest up. After you're discharged, stay home with Claire. If you can't reach me, don't leave the house."
I nodded, aware that more challenges lay ahead. For now, all I could do was strive not to be a burden on Jerry.
I looked up at his bloodshot eyes. "Why didn't you answer my calls today? Were you so busy that you didn't even have time to call me back?"
Jerry, about to explain, heard me sigh. "Does that mean you didn't even have time to eat?"
Jerry's lips curved into a pleased smile. "I thought you were gonna scold me, but you're actually worried about me?"
I took the utensils from his hand and fed him. "Why would I scold you? I'm more concerned about your health than anything else."
Jerry swallowed the food, raising an eyebrow, saying meaningfully, "Don't worry, I'm fine, and I will always keep you satisfied."
There was something oddly suggestive about his words.
I gave him a sidelong glance and couldn't help but ask, "What happened at the Hammer Group? Did Austin do something bad again?"
Jerry set the food aside and gently wiped my mouth with a napkin. "You don't need to worry. Trust me, I can handle it. If he pushes me too far, I might as well..."
I quickly covered Jerry's mouth. "Don't say such things."
Given the growing tension and estrangement between him and Austin, I could guess that whatever he was about to say wasn't good.
The reason he hadn't answered my calls today was probably because Austin had kept him busy.
"Watch what you say, the baby might hear you," I said.
"I see." Jerry, helpless, continued to feed me.
I stopped him and said, "I'll eat by myself. You eat too."
But Jerry insisted.
I smiled at him. "Thanks to the baby, you're now playing the role of a server."
Jerry gave me a sidelong glance and chuckled, "When haven't I served you?"
It was hard to say that didn't have a double meaning.
My face heated up, and I quickly changed the subject. "I'm not worrying, but at least tell me what happened?"
Jerry's eyes flashed coldly. "Just catching a mole."
I said, "Why is it that every time something happens on my end, the Hammer Group also has issues at the same time..."
"You are smart." Jerry praised, but his eyes were dark.
I immediately understood. "Is Austin involved in Claire's kidnapping with Skylar?"
Jerry nodded. "He knows the director of Harmony General Hospital."
After finishing the meal, Jerry took a call, and I went to check on Claire.
Jerry knew I wouldn't be able to rest easy without seeing Claire, so her ward was right next door.
Claire was still asleep. As I approached to tuck her in, she grabbed my hand and seemed to be mumbling something.
I bent down to listen.
"Bella, my Bella..."
Upon hearing Claire call my name, I held her hand and softly responded, "Claire, I'm here, I'm here."
The next second, Claire suddenly opened her eyes.
"Claire, you're awake? Are you thirsty? I'll get you some water." As I spoke, I tried to pull my hand away to get her some water.
Unexpectedly, Claire quickly let go of my hand.
I was stunned. "Claire..."
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