Chapter 374 No Loose Ends
Francis and Jerry got up at the same time, ready to head out.
But before they could move, Rainey called Francis back. "Let the family doctor check you out first."
Jerry plopped back down and kept eating.
Francis had no choice but to sit back down too.
Rainey told Ainsley to call the doctor, and Vance showed up in no time. "Mr. Peterson, let me take a look at you."
Francis nodded.
After a thorough check-up, Vance asked how he was feeling.
Francis just said it hurt and he couldn't hear well.
No matter what Vance asked, Francis gave the same answer.
Finally, Vance said, "You should go to the hospital for an X-ray. Hearing issues can be serious and shouldn't be ignored."
The Peterson family knew this was Jerry's way of covering for Francis to visit Elissa at the hospital.
They could stop him, but Francis had been bottling up a lot of anger lately, which might have caused his ear pain. His health couldn't be compromised.
"I'll go with you," Rainey said, standing up.
Francis didn't say anything and walked out first.
Jerry leisurely wiped his mouth with a napkin before getting up.
He grabbed his coat at the door and took long strides.
By the time Rainey changed her shoes and went out, the two were already out of sight.
Francis's car was still there, so he must have climbed over the wall and taken Jerry's car.
Rainey was truly helpless.
"I'll give you a ride," Jacob said, noticing Francis's car still there and Rainey standing at the door without moving, guessing what had happened.
Rainey asked him, "If in the end, Francis decides to be with Elissa even if it means cutting ties with us, what will you do?"
Jacob's face was stern and cold, "No loose ends."
In Jerry's car, Francis asked Jerry for the surveillance footage of the secret room.
Jerry tossed him a tablet and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest.
Francis opened it but couldn't hear anything, so he pressed the volume button a few times. Suddenly, a staff member from the secret room came out, screaming several times.
Jerry didn't open his eyes but said in a cold voice, "You really do have a problem with your ears."
Francis retorted, "They were talking so quietly, and there were all sorts of sound effects in there. How could I hear without turning up the volume?"
Jerry sneered, "I find your eyes are nearly blind too. They clearly avoided the cameras, and you can't even read their lips. How do you expect to hear anything?"
Francis pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been so troubled by Jessa lately that he couldn't even make basic judgments.
Francis asked, "I can't conveniently send someone to investigate. Can you help me track Jessa's activities, including in Oceancrest City?"
Jerry replied, "The surveillance is only on her."
Francis paused, then suddenly thought of something and said, "What's the point of her keeping the surveillance from that night? Is it just to use the footage at the door to pin the child in her belly on me?"
Jerry still didn't open his eyes, rubbing his temples in frustration, "You do have a brain, don't you?"
Francis pondered for a while, gritting his teeth, "It's funny, huh?"
Jerry finally opened his narrow eyes, filled with mockery.
Francis felt like punching him.
He shouted, "You really deserve a good beating! You actually led me to Jessa to seduce her."
Jerry stayed cool, "Just a test. I gotta weed out all the risks. When we were eating downstairs earlier, someone was eavesdropping from the corner upstairs."
Francis turned off the tablet, "You said the surveillance in the secret room could be restored just so Jessa would hear?"
Jerry nodded.
Francis asked, "To make her nervous?"
"Exactly. Only then will she slip up." Jerry closed his eyes again, "She's too smart to do anything under your watch. Right now, her focus is on the kid, and she won't contact Efren. We need to make her panic."
Jessa did hear what Jerry said, but she knew him well enough to understand that his words might not mean what they seemed.
The deeper meaning could be a deadly trap.
At this moment, she couldn't afford to panic.
Jessa had asked the owner for the surveillance footage when she left the secret room and had watched it. It didn't capture her and Efren's voices.
But for some reason, hearing it from Jerry made her uneasy.
Jessa took out a phone from under the bed, about to turn it on, but then thought the timing wasn't right and put it back.
Glancing at the mess on the floor, she called a servant to clean the room.
Elysia happened to come in and saw the servant cleaning. "What happened?" she asked.
Jessa forced a smile, "I lost my grip and accidentally knocked it over."
Elysia had watched Jessa grow up and could sense something was off, but given the current situation, she didn't press further.
Elysia said, "You're not feeling well because of the pregnancy. If you need anything, call Ainsley. She'll be taking care of you for now."
"Thank you, Elysia."
Elysia waved her hand and turned to leave. She went to the backyard to find Wesley playing chess with friends and called him to go to the hospital.
Wesley asked, "Francis is definitely going to the hospital. Why should we go?"
"To get admitted," Elysia said.
Wesley didn't react immediately, "What? Who's getting admitted?"
"You."
Francis had just arrived at Elissa's hospital room when his phone rang.
He looked at the caller ID; it was Elysia.
Elysia should be at home right now. Could it be that Jessa was causing trouble again?
Francis picked up the phone. "Hello, Grandma."
Elysia didn't waste words, "Come to room 808. Your grandpa is in the hospital."
Francis said, "Grandma, that's a terrible excuse."
Elysia hung up the phone immediately.
As Francis lowered his phone, he saw Rainey hurrying towards him.
Without a word, Rainey grabbed Francis and said, "Come with me. Your grandpa is admitted to the hospital."
Hope happened to come out of the room and saw Jerry at the door, surprised. "Why are you standing at the door?"
Jerry asked, "How's Elissa?"
Hope replied, "She's on the phone. She's not nauseous anymore, but her head still hurts."
Something flickered in Jerry's eyes. "Wesley is in the hospital, also on this floor. Let's go see him."
Hope frowned slightly, "Did you upset him yesterday?"
Jerry put his arm around Hope's neck, "If I did, he would have been here last night."
"Let me tell you..." Jerry leaned in and whispered.
After listening, Hope was a bit helpless, "It's hard for them to come up with such an excuse."
"Give them a chance. Elysia is reasonable. Let her talk it out."
Hope glanced at him and chuckled, "You've already made up your mind and dragged me here. Why pretend?"
Jerry laughed and ruffled her hair, "Just taking action first and explaining later."
Hope said, "If Elissa gets hurt because of this, I'll definitely punch you."
"Alright." Jerry kissed her on the temple, his voice teasing, "When we get home, you can hit me however you want, and I'll go along with it."
Elissa naturally knew Jerry had arrived.
Jerry and Hope hadn't seen each other all night, so they probably needed some sweet time together. Elissa wasn't in a hurry to call Hope back.
She kept an eye on the IV drip, and just as she was feeling drowsy and about to fall asleep, the door to the ward opened.
Elissa thought it was Hope returning and greeted with a smile, "I thought you'd be back by noon..."
But the face she saw, though showing signs of age, was well-maintained.
Elissa sat up a bit straighter, "Mrs. Thompson. Would you like some water?"
Elissa reached out, intending to pour a glass of water.
Elysia approached and stopped her, "No need."
Then, Elysia sat down on a nearby chair, "Don't be nervous. I just want to have a chat with you."
Elissa loved chatting with people and could talk to anyone. However, when confronted with Francis's grandmother, she felt a touch of unease.
"You want to talk about me and Francis, right?" Elissa asked.
Elysia had fought her way through the business world. When it came time for Jacob to marry, she found him a wife who was also decisive in business and from a family of merchants.
When it came to Francis, from the moment he was born, Elysia had been considering who he should marry.
The Peterson family wasn't exactly like the Hammer family; they had too many enemies watching them.
Now Wesley had stepped down, but Jacob was still in politics, and Francis was expected to follow the same path.
So, Francis's future wife needed to come from a well-off family and be personally capable.
Elysia had heard that Elissa and Hope had started a clothing company, but it was too small to be of any use.
Even if Elissa had some business acumen, without a strong background, she couldn't help Francis.
In times of trouble, Francis would have to solve the problems himself.
If their enemies found any leverage, the already dangerous path would become even harder.
Elysia said, "Elissa, I have no prejudice against you. Young people dating is fine, but it should remain just that—dating."
She continued, "Take your friend, Mrs. Hammer, for example. She was once lost, but her background is excellent. The Harris family has now accepted her, and she's Madison's daughter. The Ortiz family also has a part of her, and Madison's entire fortune will eventually be hers. So she married Jerry; ultimately, it was a powerful alliance. But what can you bring to Francis?"
Elysia's voice was gentle, but Elissa felt its weight.
Elissa, usually so talkative, found herself at a loss for words.
Elysia went on, "I also know that Hope will help and support you to marry Francis. But Elissa, our family's resources are already shared with Jerry's, and our interests are long intertwined. Francis already has access to those resources without your help."
She added, "What we need are more resources to ensure Francis's future path is more secure."
Elissa opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Elysia, "Elissa, let me give you an example. Jessa's background is poor; she has no parents, and her grandfather was a driver for our family. She was raised in our household."
She paused a bit and continued, "Even so, she learned more and saw more of human nature than others. And just by mastering these, you're no match for her, let alone the future challenges you'll face."
Elissa was well aware that business and politics were different.
From what Hope had told her, Francis was destined for politics, and Elissa had indeed hesitated.
When Francis first pursued her, Elissa thought she would indulge for a while. But now, she had genuinely fallen for him and wanted to give it a shot.
So Elissa said, "Mrs. Peterson, I won't sugarcoat things. I didn't guard against Jessa, and that's my fault."
"As for Francis and me, we can't be separated at this stage, so there's no need for you to try to persuade me. The future is uncertain, and I just want to live in the present."
"I may not be able to help Francis in his career, but I won't cause him trouble either. Unlike Jessa, I won't make him unhappy or put him in difficult situations."
At this point, Elissa paused, then spoke again, her voice incredibly serious. "Mrs. Peterson, if in the future, someone points a gun at my head to threaten Francis, rest assured, I won't make things difficult for him. I have nothing more to say. My head still hurts. Please leave."
Elysia looked at Elissa for half a minute before getting up to leave. She didn't believe anyone would die for love.
No matter the relationship, it needed to be bound by interests to be most stable.
"Grandma," Francis said.
Opening the hospital room door, Elysia saw Francis standing at the entrance, not surprised.
If Francis could be kept in the dark about such matters, how could he shoulder the responsibilities of the Peterson family?
"You heard everything?" Elysia asked.
Francis closed the door and supported Elysia as they walked to Wesley's room. He nodded, "You don't need to trouble Grandpa anymore. It's really cold, if he really gets sick, you'll be the one crying."
Elysia rarely cried. She was strict in the family, and the business world was like a battlefield. There was no time for tears, only for solving problems.
"Francis, why do you like her so much?" Elysia asked.
Francis couldn't really explain it. There seemed to be no reason. Because it was Elissa, he just liked her, plain and simple.
Francis said, "Grandma, I understand your concerns. I'm not abandoning the responsibilities of the Peterson family. I'll shoulder them well. Even without a wife with a strong background, I can walk this path steadily."
He added, "But I can't live without her. If you want us to separate, don't blame me for leaving the Peterson family. I'm serious."
Elysia slapped Francis on the back. She was really angry but had no solution.
Elysia had never imagined that the cold and indifferent Francis would love Elissa so deeply that he was willing to give up his family and the responsibilities of the Peterson family.
Elysia was truly infuriated.
He comforted her, "Don't be angry."
Francis heard Elysia's breathing become heavy and saw her stern face, knowing she was furious. He quickly patted her back to calm her down.
Elysia slapped his hand away, "I think you just want to anger me to death."
Francis comforted, "That's impossible."
"Francis!" Elysia called him, "You have no chance of severing ties with the Peterson family. If you insist on going against the family, the one who will pay the price in the end will be Elissa."
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