Chapter 351 Can the Wedding Be Held Sooner?
Elissa was sharp and caught on to Francis's game right away.
Francis's words sounded all fancy, but he was really just testing her. If she told Efren to leave, she'd be playing right into his hands.
If she asked Efren to leave, it would indirectly confirm that she hadn't moved on from Francis.
This would mean that, in Elissa's heart, Francis was still more important than Efren.
Elissa smirked, "No way, Mr. Peterson. If you don't back off, I'll have Efren call Hope."
"At this hour, if a guy calls Hope, what do you think Jerry would do?"
No one knew Jerry better than Francis.
And Elissa was definitely the type to pull a stunt like that.
Francis tightened his grip but eventually let go.
Elissa stepped out of his embrace and walked off with Efren.
Even though it was autumn, her trench coat over the knitted dress couldn't hide her allure. Her straight, well-proportioned legs were quite the sight.
As they were about to leave the hall, Francis saw Efren turn and give him a cheeky grin.
Francis couldn't be bothered to compete with a young guy like Efren. Besides being young, what did he have?
After their first meeting, Francis had someone dig into Efren's background.
Efren had a sick grandma and got by on financial aid. He got into the entertainment industry because it was a quick way to make money.
Someone like Efren wasn't even on Francis's radar.
Elissa was probably just having some fun with him.
"Elissa, he's been tailing you. I'm worried. Let me take you upstairs."
Elissa knew Francis was following her, but she wasn't scared. She just didn't want to argue with him in the middle of the night.
Even if Efren didn't take her upstairs, Francis couldn't come to her place.
But Elissa didn't refuse Efren's offer to take her upstairs.
Francis followed them at a leisurely pace.
Seeing them walk together towards the elevator door, but Efren didn't stop, Francis quickened his pace to intercept them, pulling Elissa aside.
Efren grabbed her other hand.
Neither side was willing to back down, and the tension was thick.
The security guard originally intended to come out and greet Elissa, mentioning that earlier a guy in a luxury car had come looking for her.
Seeing the scene, he leaned against the doorframe to watch the drama unfold.
Another guy? This night was getting interesting. Being beautiful had its downsides.
"Let her go."
Francis grabbed Efren's wrist, using a technique that forced him to let go.
Efren's voice was full of grievance, "Elissa, I'm sorry. I'm useless. My wrist is about to be broken by him. I really can't help you. I'm so useless."
Francis was exasperated.
Elissa tried to pull her hand back, but Francis wouldn't let go. She bit his wrist hard enough to draw blood, but he still didn't let go.
Elissa's temper flared, and she glared at him, "Francis, don't go crazy on me!"
Francis pulled Elissa aside, "Didn't Jared also tell you this guy isn't a good person? You're just playing around, but you want to bring him home?"
"Do you know what happens when you bring a man home?"
"He looks weak, but you're a girl. You'll still be at a disadvantage against male strength, so..."
"So what?"
Elissa interrupted Francis coldly, "I'm a grown-up. Do you think I don't know what happens when I bring someone home?"
"Mr. Peterson, do you know so little about me that you say such ridiculous things? Do you think I'm an innocent girl who just entered society and knows nothing?"
Francis had a pounding headache. He thought the IV drip had helped, but now his blood pressure was spiking from anger, and his vision was getting blurry.
He wanted to say more, but Elissa had already shaken off his hand. When he tried to grab her again, he missed.
Then, everything went black, and he collapsed.
Elissa instinctively reached out to catch him!
It wasn't just because it was Francis. If anyone had fainted in front of her, she would've done the same.
"Don't fake it. If you don't get up, I'll let go, and if you fall, don't blame me."
Elissa said as she was about to let go, but she realized Francis was really about to hit the ground.
She gritted her teeth and held him up.
But Elissa wasn't strong enough, so she called Efren, "Help me out."
Efren didn't want to, but he still took Francis from Elissa, thinking of just dropping him.
But he couldn't ruin his image in front of Elissa.
"Elissa, what's wrong with him?"
Elissa touched Francis's forehead. It was burning hot. How long had it been, and he was still running a fever? And he still hadn't gone to the hospital? Wasn't he afraid of dying?
"Efren, I guess I'll need your help to take him to the hospital."
Efren was about to agree when the Peterson family's driver ran over, "Ms. Wilson, let me take Mr. Peterson."
Elissa was more than happy to get rid of this troublesome Francis, "Take him straight to the hospital."
The driver took Francis and didn't have time to think about what was going on between Francis and Elissa.
It was urgent to get Francis to the hospital quickly. Otherwise, if the Peterson family found out, the driver would lose his job.
"Thank you, Ms. Wilson."
Elissa felt a bit guilty about the thanks but didn't want to say more, so she just nodded.
After the driver left, she turned to Efren and said, "You should go home too. Let me know when you get there."
Efren felt it was a pity. If he could go upstairs tonight, things could move forward.
But he wasn't in a hurry. He would treat Elissa even better to let her see his good qualities and make her fall in love with him.
"I'll watch you go in. Once you're upstairs, I'll take a cab home."
Elissa had never felt this way before.
In the past, she had always been alone, fighting her way out of the darkness.
But after climbing out, it was still dark. She thought about giving up and dying, wondering why she should suffer.
At that time, it was Hope who pulled her out, giving her the courage to live.
Over the years, whenever Elissa faced difficulties, Hope was always there.
But Hope would have her own family from now on, and Elissa couldn't expect her to always be there.
Today, Efren seemed to play the role Hope once did.
He made Elissa feel safe, made her world bright. She would no longer walk alone, looking back to see only endless darkness.
But Elissa wasn't fooled by appearances. Efren wasn't the only one who could do such things.
They had agreed from the start that it was just for fun.
Elissa knew it would be hard for her to fall in love with Efren because...
Thinking of this, Elissa smiled self-deprecatingly. Those who liked her, she didn't like. She was attracted to the one who didn't like her, getting herself in pain.
Elissa waved to Efren and quickly went home, sending him a message.
Elissa: [Go home quickly. It's very cold at night now. I'll wait for your message when you get home.]
Efren replied with a cute emoji and quickly hailed a cab. As soon as he got home, he didn't even bother changing his shoes and messaged Elissa right away.
Efren: [Elissa, I'm home. You should get some sleep. Good night.]
Elissa replied instantly: [Good night.]
Efren leaned against the door, smiling like a kid.
When Francis woke up in the hospital, he was still groggy. Seeing the driver by his bedside, he frowned, "Why are you here?"
Not Elissa?
The driver poured him some water, "I was worried about you."
Francis was indeed very thirsty. After taking a sip, his mind started to clear.
"You brought me to the hospital?"
The driver nodded.
Francis frowned, "What did you see?"
The driver spoke honestly, "I saw you talking to Ms. Wilson, and then you suddenly fainted. Ms. Wilson couldn't hold you up, but luckily her boyfriend was there to help. I quickly came over and brought you to the hospital."
Hearing "boyfriend," Francis's frown deepened.
"Did she say that herself?"
"What?"
The driver didn't catch on for a moment.
Francis asked, "Did you see them go home together?"
The driver shook his head, "I was in a hurry to get you..."
Before he could finish, he saw Francis trying to pull out his IV.
The driver quickly stood up and said, "Mr. Peterson, with all due respect, you're already in the hospital. Your fever hasn't gone down. If you keep this up, you'll burn your brain out, and Ms. Wilson will definitely not choose you then!"
Francis shot him a cold look, making the driver shiver, but he didn't let go of his hand.
This driver had been with Francis for many years without any issues and genuinely cared for him. But the truth was harsh, making it sound like Francis was really that bad.
Francis thought about what he had said before, and it was no wonder Elissa found him so disagreeable.
He genuinely wanted to apologize to her, but she wouldn't give him the chance.
In all his life, Francis had never felt so humbled or so embarrassed.
"Let go, I'll stay in the hospital."
The driver was skeptical, "Really?"
Francis gave him a cold look without saying a word.
The driver let go and stood by, "I haven't told Mr. and Mrs. Peterson yet, but if you don't take care of yourself, I'll have to report everything."
Francis pressed his free hand to his throbbing head and grunted in agreement.
The driver sighed in relief.
Francis then said, "Get someone to find out where Efren is."
The driver quickly made arrangements, and his subordinates soon reported back.
The driver relayed, "He's at his rental place. Don't worry, he's not at Ms. Wilson's house."
Francis's frown eased, and he felt a bit better. "Tomorrow, bring her here and tell her she almost made me die of anger, so she has to take responsibility."
The driver was speechless, wondering if Francis could really win her over like this.
But he still followed orders, though he didn't succeed.
Elissa didn't leave the driver in the lurch and directly called Hope.
After a night's rest, Francis woke up in the morning feeling much better, with no more headache.
He was in a good mood, waiting for Elissa, but Jerry showed up instead.
"What are you doing here?"
"You think I wanted to come?"
Jerry pulled up a chair and sat down, "You're really something. Coming up with such a lame excuse like 'almost dying of anger' to get her to show up."
Francis immediately understood.
Elissa didn't want to come, so she complained to Hope, and Hope sent Jerry.
"Didn't you say you'd help me?"
Jerry casually crossed his legs and said expressionlessly, "Hope wouldn't let me."
Francis felt his headache returning, "I'm begging you."
Jerry nodded, "I agreed to help you, but Hope wouldn't let me."
Francis gritted his teeth, "Are you playing dirty?"
Jerry retorted, "Aren't you?"
Using that lame excuse was indeed a bit underhanded, but Francis was out of options.
It wouldn't work if he just went to find Elissa; she wouldn't listen. He needed a chance to sit down and talk properly.
Francis cleared his throat, "Do you have any ideas?"
"Get well soon." Jerry stood up, adjusting his sleeves, "You still need to help with my wedding."
Francis was about to refuse but then understood. "You really are something, always scheming."
Jerry glanced at Francis and walked out.
After several busy days, Elissa finally found a suitable place for the wedding and spent a long time negotiating.
"Elissa, have some water."
Efren had been with her these past few days. His show had ended, and he was waiting for news from other productions.
Elissa drank half a glass, feeling warm.
Efren was quite good at taking care of people. Over these days, everything had been fine.
Sometimes Elissa wondered if she should give it a try with him.
If it didn't work out, they could part ways. But she quickly dismissed the idea.
She couldn't break the heart of such a good man.
So it was better not to try things with him. Since it was just a fling, it would be easier for them to part amicably when the time came.
"I feel nice today. Whatever you want to eat is on me. Don't care about the price."
Efren's eyes lit up, and he smiled brightly, "You work hard for your money. Besides, I'm not picky. I'll eat whatever you like."
"Then I'll take you to a place."
Francis stayed in the hospital, waiting to recover and for Jerry and Hope's wedding.
But he couldn't completely put Elissa aside.
His subordinates reported Elissa's activities, and Efren was always there.
Today, Elissa and Efren went to the most iconic restaurant in Maple Valley, a favorite spot for the wealthy to take their dates. Reservations were required in advance; without that, it was impossible to get a table on that day.
But Jerry had a VIP card.
Elissa asked Hope, and Hope naturally helped.
Now, Elissa and Efren were already seated by the window.
Francis looked at the photo and almost smashed his tablet, but a voice stopped him.
"Francis!"
Jessa walked in quickly, circling Francis and examining him closely.
"Why are you in the hospital again? Didn't they say you were fine after the last treatment? It's my fault."
Jessa sniffled, her voice soft and pitiful, "I should have insisted on taking care of you instead of leaving you alone."
Francis was about to say something, but Jessa continued, "Francis, please don't send me away this time. If I can't see you, I'll be worried. I can't eat or sleep well alone at home. Please let me stay and take care of you. I'm begging you."
Francis's mother, Rainey Ward, liked Jessa a lot. If it weren't for his grandfather...
Francis didn't want to be nagged. With Jessa's persistence, she might tell Rainey about his hospitalization.
Then Francis wouldn't have any peace.
"Alright, sorry to trouble you."
"Why are you being polite? We grew up together, like family. Taking care of each other is what we should do."
Francis didn't really listen to what Jessa was saying. Thinking about that photo made him angry. He tossed the tablet to his subordinate and lay back on the bed. But he couldn't help his anger and messaged Jerry: [Can you hold your wedding sooner?]
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