Chapter 350 I Got Dumped
Jared dropped Jessa off and then headed over to Elissa's place.
When he got there, he called her, but she didn't answer. Instead, she shot him a text: [Jared, I'm asleep.]
But the security guard spilled the beans that Elissa had just left with some young dude and crossed the street.
Elissa wasn't exactly a household name.
With her outgoing personality, Elissa could chat up anyone, and her stunning looks definitely turned heads. After living there for a bit, she got pretty chummy with the security guard.
Elissa often gave the guard little gifts or treats. So, if any random guys came looking for her, the guard would give her a heads-up instead of letting them in.
The guard figured Jared was just another guy who got turned down, so he told him Elissa had a younger, hotter boyfriend.
Elissa was so gorgeous, it wasn't surprising she had a bunch of admirers.
"You don't need to be standing out here in the cold."
The guard noticed Jared's fancy car and gave him some friendly advice.
"Ms. Wilson doesn't seem like the type who's only into money. She's doing pretty well herself. You can't force a relationship."
Feeling down, Jared went back to his car, pulled out his phone, and opened the group chat with his two buddies.
Jared: [I got dumped.]
After sending that, Jared didn't wait for Jerry and Francis to reply and kept venting.
Jared: [Even though Elissa's with someone else, I gotta say, that guy is so cheesy and gross. From what I know about guys, he's definitely bad news. He's just after Elissa's looks and money!]
Jared: [I can't believe Elissa likes that type. I'm clearly better in every way. Other than being younger, what does he have over me?]
Jared: [He's just a college kid who recently started acting. Who knows if he'll ever make it big? He's only sucking up to Elissa because of her money. He knows Elissa has a lot of connections and is tight with Madison. It won't be hard for her to get him some gigs.]
Jared: [They even went to a private cinema. What kind of place is that? They can't just be watching movies this late at night!]
Jared: [I'm heartbroken. This is too much.]
Jared had ranted in the group chat more than a few times.
When Jerry was in a good mood, he'd respond. Francis would chime in occasionally if he felt like it.
But today, Jerry was busy.
Francis, however, saw the messages. He wasn't focused on Jared's heartbreak but on the private cinema.
Francis was almost home but told his driver to turn around.
Jared waited a long time without hearing back from Jerry or Francis. Sitting in his car, he couldn't resist messaging Elissa: [He's not a good guy. Men understand men. Since we know each other, I have to warn you. If you're just looking for fun, he's not the right choice.]
When Elissa met Jared, she knew he was into her. But it was just because she fit his type, nothing serious.
Elissa wasn't particularly conservative, but at the time, her attention was on Francis.
Recently, Jared had shown some interest in Elissa again.
But Elissa didn't want to get too close to anyone connected to Francis.
Besides, Jared couldn't make her as happy as Efren did. Elissa just wanted a different vibe.
When she got Jared's message, Elissa figured it was time to set things straight.
Elissa: [Mr. Blake, you're friends with Mr. Hammer, and I'm friends with Hope. I don't want to be too harsh, but I get where you're coming from. I'm sorry, but I can't feel the same way. You'll find the right person. As for me, I like Efren. Please don't interfere. We're just friends.]
If Hope were to criticize her about something, Elissa might actually listen and reflect.
But Hope usually went along with her, sharing her ups and downs.
She cared about her but didn't control everything.
Life, with its highs and lows, had to be experienced personally.
Elissa: [Thanks for the heads-up, Mr. Blake. I hope you can see me as just a friend. If not, that's cool too. No hard feelings.]
Jared's initial attraction to Elissa was because of her looks. But later, he genuinely wanted something serious, because Elissa was different from other girls he had met.
Jared thought that as long as she didn't reject him, there was still a chance. But this time, she had completely turned him down.
Jared: [I'm done with relationships.]
After sending this message in the group chat, Jared went to drink with some friends who were up for it.
Neither of the other two responded to Jared's message.
Jerry was spending a romantic night with Hope.
Francis had already arrived at the private cinema.
The driver was worried. "Mr. Peterson, you still have a fever..."
Francis waved his hand. "It's fine. I've had treatment."
The driver didn't argue further. "I'll wait here for you."
Francis waved him off, telling him to leave.
But the driver wasn't reassured. If anything happened to Francis, he wouldn't be able to keep his job in the Peterson family. Francis was their only son.
The driver pretended to leave but circled back to wait.
As Francis entered the private cinema, his headache worsened.
The place wasn't luxuriously decorated. The dim, suggestive lighting made him frown.
Clearly, a wealthy person's private cinema was different from an ordinary one.
"Just one?" the receptionist asked.
Francis couldn't stand the smell in the air, an indescribable odor that made him dizzy and his stomach churn.
Francis said he was looking for someone and showed the receptionist a photo of Elissa, "She's with a college student."
He also showed a photo of Efren to the receptionist.
Although the private cinema wasn't as busy as regular theaters, it still had a steady flow of people at night, so the receptionist couldn't remember everyone.
But a pretty girl always left an impression.
Moreover, a relationship with a significant age difference was more noticeable.
And the tall, handsome Francis, despite looking a bit unwell and weak, exuded a cold aura. He was probably here to catch someone cheating.
People couldn't resist watching a good drama.
"Theater 3. You need to pay first."
Francis paid, went down the stairs, and found Theater 3. It was so dark inside that he couldn't see his way.
Francis adjusted to the darkness and immediately looked for that familiar figure.
When Elissa arrived at the private cinema, it was already late, and the good seats were taken.
She didn't expect Efren to stick around and didn't bother going elsewhere. She just found a quiet spot nearby.
In places like this, the back rows are usually packed, while the front rows have more empty seats.
At first, Elissa didn't notice the person sitting next to her.
The movie was her favorite type, and with Efren handing her snacks and drinks, she was totally into it.
Efren was the first to spot Francis, but he didn't say anything.
"Elissa, want some jelly?"
"Sure."
Whenever Elissa watched a show or a movie, she liked to munch on something.
She hadn't had dinner that night, so she was happy to snack a bit and planned to hit the gym later to burn off the calories. She didn't expect someone to ruin her mood.
The jelly that Efren handed over was suddenly snatched away from her mouth.
Elissa turned her head to see who was being so rude, coming to a private cinema in the middle of the night to steal her jelly!
Seeing Francis's smirking face, Elissa was momentarily stunned.
Francis coming to a place like this was beyond her understanding.
"Ms. Wilson, staying up late to eat jelly here, quite the interest."
If someone made trouble for Elissa, she wouldn't let them off easily.
When she was pursuing Francis, she held back a bit. Even when Francis said harsh things, she didn't argue with him.
Back then, she had initiated the pursuit, so being ignored was expected.
But now it was different. She had drawn a clear line with him. If it weren't for Jerry and Hope being in the middle, she wouldn't even want to be in the same space as Francis.
With all these, Francis came to mock her.
Could she tolerate it? Obviously not.
"Mr. Peterson, you have quite the interest too, coming here alone to watch others being sweet."
"Could it be that your body..."
"I get it, you're getting old and can't keep up, right?"
Francis shouldn't have come. Elissa not showing up at Brew Haven Cafe had already concluded their relationship.
The previous time they performed together on stage, it was just for Jerry's sake, not to clear up any misunderstandings between them.
Francis was feverish that day, and when he took Jessa, he still fantasized that Elissa might come and ask him something.
Even a couple of sarcastic remarks would have been fine; he could have explained.
But she didn't ask, and two days later, she was already sweetly with someone else.
"Is there a rule that I have to come here with someone?"
Francis's family was involved in both business and politics, and his upbringing was meticulously planned. He had received much more than others.
He had been cold since childhood, solving problems as they arose, or even before they happened, he had already thought of solutions.
Francis always knew what he wanted, whether it was about things or people.
When Elissa first pursued him, he thought she was just playing around, but he didn't want to play, so he always responded coldly.
Now, Elissa no longer pursued Francis and drew a clear line with him. It was the result he wanted, but he still felt uncomfortable.
"I've never been here before. I'm curious, can't I?"
Elissa laughed, "Sure, you can go wherever you want. Who would dare say anything?"
But Elissa didn't want to stay in the same space with Francis. Smiling, she got up and called Efren to leave.
Efren picked up the unfinished snacks and obediently followed Elissa out.
Francis seemed to lose his mind. As Elissa passed by him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.
Elissa was stunned. When she realized what was happening, she struggled to get up, but Francis held her waist tightly.
"Take your hands off me."
Instead of letting go, Francis pressed Elissa closer to him.
Elissa could only move one hand, and she couldn't push him away. She covered his mouth and mocked him, "So Mr. Peterson likes to force things."
"Let go of Elissa!"
Efren dropped the snacks and grabbed Elissa's arm, trying to pull her out of Francis's embrace.
Although Francis was sick, he had been trained since childhood and had some skills.
Efren couldn't pull Elissa away from Francis.
Seeing Elissa frown, Francis scolded, "You're hurting her. Her wrist is turning red."
Everyone in Theater 3 was drawn to the scene in the front row.
Efren couldn't pull Elissa out, so he tried to grab Francis's wrist, hoping he would let go of Elissa, but his hand didn't budge.
"Elissa, I'm sorry."
Efren looked at Elissa, feeling guilty. "I'm useless. I can't help you."
"I don't dare to use force. I'm afraid you'll get hurt."
"I... I'll think of another way."
Among the onlookers, a young girl spoke up, "Sir, can't you see her eyes are red from pain? She's clearly uncomfortable. Let her go."
Someone agreed, "Yeah, just because you're strong doesn't mean you can bully her."
"That's not fair."
Another person voiced a different opinion, "What if this lady found someone else before breaking up? The current boyfriend has a right to be angry."
"Don't talk nonsense. How do you know he's the current boyfriend and not just an admirer? It's normal for a pretty lady to have admirers."
"Don't be swayed by looks. Even if he's handsome, being violent is useless. I support the lady not choosing him."
While everyone was discussing, Elissa didn't want to be the center of attention.
She looked into Francis's eyes, feeling his grip tighten, sensing his anger, but his eyes were emotionless. What used to be interesting now only annoyed her.
"Francis, if you don't let me go today, you'll regret it."
Francis couldn't stand those words. He removed her hand from his mouth, "Let him go. I need to talk to you."
Elissa sneered, "Mr. Peterson, you're used to giving orders, but I'm not your employee or partner. Why should I listen to you?"
Francis replied, "You rent my shop, aren't we partners?"
Elissa used her free hand to brush her hair back and smiled, "You can take it back. I'll have Hope find another shop."
Would Jerry be happy about that? He would definitely cause trouble for Francis.
Although they were friends, everyone knew Hope was more important.
Anyone who upset Hope would face Jerry's anger.
But Francis didn't want to lose this opportunity. He had already pinned Elissa down and needed to make things clear.
Otherwise, he might not get another chance, and she wouldn't give him one.
"I have something important to discuss with you."
Francis softened his tone and glanced at Efren, "I'll clear the place. Let him go."
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