Chapter 354 You Can't Do It
Francis totally missed what Elissa said earlier, and he didn't catch the last part either.
He grabbed Elissa's fidgety hand and spoke again, his voice already raspy.
"If you could just talk normally, I wouldn't have to do this."
Elissa playfully bit Francis's Adam's apple.
Francis's hand on her waist suddenly tightened, making her yelp in pain.
Elissa grumbled, "Let go."
Francis pulled her closer, resting his chin on her shoulder. He seemed to sigh helplessly, but Elissa caught a hint of amusement.
"If you keep this up, I'll take it as you forgiving me and still liking me," Francis said.
Elissa retorted, "I get it, Mr. Peterson, you just like me chasing after you. No matter how much you hurt me, I still have to like you, right?"
Francis paused, put some space between them, looked into her eyes, and said seriously, "I was wrong to say those things that hurt you. I know an apology is useless; those words can't be taken back. So, you can curse at me, say the most hurtful things to vent your anger, and I'll take it all."
Elissa's face lit up with a seductive smile.
She asked, "You'll take anything?"
Francis's Adam's apple bobbed, and he let out a soft "mm."
Elissa smiled and said slowly, "You're not good enough in bed."
Seeing Francis's changing and unpleasant expression, Elissa felt much better.
"As a man, you are impotent? I prefer younger men with strong sexual abilities. Sorry, Mr. Peterson, you're too old."
Francis gritted his teeth and held down Elissa, who was trying to get up. "That's not what you said when you were pursuing me."
"You said I had a high nose bridge, long fingers, well-defined muscles, smooth lines, and a sharp Adam's apple, making me look like a capable person."
Elissa did say that, but she smiled, "Don't take what I said when I was pursuing you seriously, Mr. Peterson."
Francis's hand tightened slightly, "Do you say the same things to others?"
Elissa flicked her long hair, "Of course, I say the same things to whoever I'm pursuing."
Saying this, Elissa teasingly lifted his chin, "Alright, Mr. Peterson, I've wasted enough time with you. But I have other things to do, so I won't keep you company."
Francis's grip didn't loosen a bit.
Elissa's smile faded a little, "If you're bored, go find Jessa."
Francis said, "I have nothing to do with Jessa."
'Feeding fruit, feeding soup, talking so intimately, the atmosphere so ambiguous, and now he says there's nothing?' she thought.
Elissa, though playful, had her principles. She wouldn't touch someone who was already taken.
Seeing it with her own eyes, Francis's excuses were useless. She wasn't a little girl who could be deceived with a few words.
"I don't care if you do or don't. I've made it very clear to you, Mr. Peterson."
"I was interested in you before and pursued you, but now I'm not interested. I like Efren, I..."
When Francis kissed her, Elissa's mind went blank for a moment, but she quickly reacted. The next second, she did something even more intense than a forced kiss.
Francis was quite surprised when his mouth was pinched. The usual calm and indifferent demeanor was almost gone.
Elissa pinched his mouth tightly, looking at him coldly, "Mr. Peterson, you may have power and influence, but if you flirt with me again, I'll make you pay, even if it costs my life."
This wasn't what Francis wanted. Hearing Elissa say she liked someone else made his chest explode with rage.
He lost it, and all he could think about was shutting Elissa's annoying mouth.
Now, a bit calmer, he remembered the hurtful things he had said before.
Back then, Elissa probably wanted to shut him up too.
"I let you curse at me," Francis said, removing her hand from his mouth, "still not enough?"
"Then tell me, how can you vent?" Francis asked.
Elissa's face was blank, "I told you, did you listen?"
Francis stayed silent.
Elissa said coldly, "I just want you to let go of me now, and then we draw a clear line."
Francis tried to argue but was cut off by Elissa's next words.
"Mr. Peterson, we have mutual friends. Let's not make things too awkward. If you let go of me now, I'll still smile and nod politely when I see you in the future."
Francis had a headache. He had never dealt with anything more difficult than this, and it was his own fault.
"Elissa."
Francis called her name, his expression serious and earnest, "I like you."
If she hadn't seen the ambiguous interaction between Francis and Jessa, Elissa could have understood his harsh words at the airport, considering he was rushing to save Jerry.
He was also afraid she would follow and get into danger, which he couldn't handle. At that time, she was also being a bit unreasonable, so she could forgive Francis.
If Francis had said "I like you" at that time, she would have happily dated him, but not now.
"Francis, don't make me hate you."
On her way home, Elissa bought a few bottles of wine and lay on the couch as soon as she got in, without removing her makeup or changing clothes.
Thinking back to earlier, after she said that, Francis let go of her hand and watched her leave.
She couldn't understand Francis's expression, nor did she want to, but why did her heart hurt so much?
"Forget it!"
Elissa shouted, got up to change clothes and remove her makeup, opened a bottle of wine, and sat on the balcony drinking. The day was getting colder, even the blood in her heart seemed to flow more slowly.
The phone on the table beside her rang.
Elissa glanced at it; it was Efren. She suddenly didn't want to answer.
Efren seemed to understand her intention and didn't call again but sent a message instead.
Elissa paused and still opened it to read.
Efren: [Elissa, I know you're in a bad mood. I also know I don't have the ability to cheer you up. If you don't want to continue our fake relationship anymore, I won't bother you.]
Efren: [But if you need help, you can message me. I can help you get rid of Francis and stop him from bothering you.]
Efren: [Of course, if you really can't let him go, I'll still wish you well.]
These words made Elissa feel a bit guilty.
But Efren's offer to help her get rid of Francis hit the mark.
Elissa then realized that although Francis let her go earlier, his eyes clearly didn't mean to let her go.
He was just placating her for the moment and then would find a way to win her over.
Elissa: [I'll tell the guard to let you in.]
Efren was actually prepared for Elissa to reject him and for her to end their casual relationship.
Receiving Elissa's message to let him in, Efren was overjoyed and spun around in place.
He walked into Elissa's community under the watchful eyes of the security guard and headed towards her building.
Meanwhile, Francis got word that Efren had entered Elissa's home.
Francis couldn't sit still and grabbed his coat to head out.
As soon as he opened the door, he ran into Jessa, who was dressed in thin clothing.
"Francis."
Francis paused slightly but still draped his coat over Jessa's shoulders. However, he didn't let her in and asked, "What's wrong?"
Jessa and Efren had discussed their strategy at the escape room.
But she got the news that Elissa had left Francis's house.
Jessa thought that today Elissa and Francis would have cleared up their misunderstanding and would be together.
They were both adults, and Elissa was a woman who could let go.
If Francis was restrained and didn't want anything to happen today, they should at least have dinner together, and then he would send her home.
So Jessa guessed that they hadn't cleared up their misunderstanding, and she decided to adapt her plan.
"Francis, I'm so cold. Can I come in and take a hot shower? Otherwise, I'll definitely get sick."
"If I get sick, it'll be a hassle for you. If Rainey finds out, she might blame you, and I don't want you to be scolded by her."
Francis didn't move and asked, "Didn't the bodyguards take you home?"
"They did."
Jessa, trembling, quickly explained, "Don't scold them. They safely took me home, but I went out to buy something during dinner and ended up locking myself out."
Francis's eyes flickered slightly.
Jessa had experienced a break-in with a smart lock abroad and was almost raped, leaving her with a trauma. Since then, she never used smart locks and only used key locks.
But the downside was that she could accidentally lock herself out.
"I'll have someone change your lock to one that can be opened from the outside even when it's closed. You'll have to lock it with a key when you go out, so you won't forget your keys."
"Thank you, Francis," Jessa said, trembling and nodding. "It's my carelessness. I'm sorry, Francis, for causing you trouble."
Seeing Jessa's pale lips, Francis finally let her in.
He took her to the guest room and gave her an unused bathrobe.
Jessa took it, and as soon as the bathroom door closed, she revealed a triumphant smile.
It wasn't in vain that she had spent so much time in the cold wind by the river.
Francis arranged for someone to buy clothes and placed them at the guest room door.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard a loud noise from inside.
He hesitated for a moment and then knocked on the door.
"Jessa?"
No response.
Francis wanted to find someone to go in and check, but he was afraid of Jessa being seen in her bathrobe by a stranger, considering her past trauma.
He knocked on the bathroom door again, still no response, so he pushed open the guest room door and knocked on the bathroom door.
"Jessa?"
"Francis..."
Jessa's painful sobs came from the bathroom, "I fell and hurt my hand. It's bleeding a lot."
Francis frowned, comforting her while asking someone to find a female doctor.
"Francis, I think I broke my arm. Can you come in and take a look?"
"It hurts so much, I'm a little scared."
Jessa started crying, but Francis didn't move.
Francis just said, "Don't worry, the doctor will be here soon. I'm right outside the door with you, don't be afraid."
Jessa rolled her eyes in frustration. If Francis didn't come in, her fall would be in vain. It really hurt.
Jessa continued in a tearful voice, "Francis, will I never be able to paint again? My arm can't move at all. Francis, if I can't paint anymore, how will I live?"
Francis could only say, "As long as I'm here, you won't starve. And you haven't seen the doctor yet, don't scare yourself. You'll be fine."
No matter what she said, it was useless. Jessa was almost furious.
Just as she was about to continue coaxing Francis to come in, she heard someone outside say, "Mr. Peterson, the doctor is here."
The suffering today was in vain, but it didn't matter. Jessa suppressed her anger and started thinking of other strategies.
"How is she?"
Francis stood to the side, avoiding looking inside. After the female doctor had been inside for a while, he asked.
The female doctor truthfully said, "It's a bit serious. She needs to go to the hospital for an X-ray. If the bone is broken, she'll need surgery. The injury on her hand isn't too serious."
Francis nodded, "Get her dressed and take her to the hospital."
Meanwhile, Elissa listened to Efren's plan to completely get rid of Francis.
As she was pondering its feasibility, her phone rang with a Facebook message.
Elissa opened it to see their store clerk had sent her some pictures.
Clerk: [Ms. Wilson, my mom is having a minor surgery recently, and I'm at the hospital with her. I just saw Mr. Peterson bring a woman to the hospital, and they were holding hands tightly.]
Jessa couldn't let her suffering today be in vain, so she held Francis's hand with her good hand.
At this moment, Francis couldn't completely shake her off.
As expected, noticing someone taking pictures, she held his hand even tighter.
After all, they grew up together, and Francis still had some compassion.
Thinking Jessa was in pain, he patted her hand to comfort her.
Little did he know, it was captured and sent to Elissa.
Elissa looked at it, transferred some money to the clerk, and replied: [Take good care of your mom, buy her some nutrition. I've been too busy lately to visit, sorry.]
Elissa put down her phone and took a big gulp of cold beer.
Then she said to Efren, "I agree with your plan."
Francis arranged for Jessa a VIP ward. He sat on the sofa, waiting for the CT results.
Jessa lay on the bed and, after two minutes, called him, "Francis, I want some water."
Francis got up to serve her water.
Jessa grabbed his hand again.
During the CT scan, she had to let go, and later Francis had clearly avoided her a bit. Now she finally grabbed his hand again.
Francis's lips tightened slightly, but he didn't say anything. He hooked a chair with his foot and sat by the bed.
The doctor came in hurriedly.
"Mr. Peterson, Ms. Greer's hand isn't broken."
Francis breathed a sigh of relief. Although it had nothing to do with him, it had happened at his house.
If Rainey found out, he would definitely get an earful.
But the doctor's next words made him frown again.
"Although it's not broken, it's fractured. She still needs to be hospitalized for treatment and rest."
"But don't worry, as long as she follows the treatment, it won't affect her painting in the future."
Francis was silent for a moment, "Got it."
The doctor left.
At this moment, Jessa suddenly let go of Francis's hand.
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