Chapter 379 The Relationship with the Ex
No one answered Jared.
Francis had already stumbled out of the box, and Jerry followed to prevent a scene that could implicate him.
"Simon," Jerry called.
Simon appeared immediately. Jerry pushed Francis towards him. "Take him to his place."
"To Elissa's house," Francis said.
Simon only listened to Francis. "Sorry, Mr. Hammer."
Jerry couldn't let him cause trouble, but he also didn't want to spend the night watching over him. "I know you're not that drunk."
Jerry knew his drinking capacity better than anyone.
"Francis, listen, Elissa is Hope's best friend. You better handle this like a man. If you hurt her, no matter how much you beg me later, I won't help you at all," Jerry said.
Jared came out. "Jerry, what's the relationship between Elissa and Francis?"
Jerry touched his wedding ring, suppressing his irritation. "Exes."
Jared was shocked. "When did they date?"
He didn't even know they had been together.
Again, no one answered him.
Steven arrived, and Jerry made sure Francis heard what he said before leaving directly.
Francis sat despondently on the curb, lighting a cigarette, while Simon stood silently beside him.
Jared hesitated. "Francis, what's going on with you and Elissa?"
Francis didn't speak, his face somewhat obscured by the swirling smoke, but Jared could sense his sorrow. To Jared, Francis was always like a brother, someone he admired.
Francis and Jerry both possessed a certain cunning and depth of thought. However, Jerry's expressions often betrayed his thoughts. Whether he was speaking harshly or joking, his emotions were visible.
Francis, on the other hand, was different. He spoke little but with precision, always maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.
Jared had never seen Francis heartbroken or helpless over anything.
"You and Elissa... Francis, do you like her a lot?" Jared asked.
Francis spoke, "Yes, very much."
Jared was shocked, even standing up straight unconsciously.
In his impression, Francis and Elissa didn't seem to have much interaction.
In such a short time, they met again and fell in love to this extent?
He couldn't accept it and didn't dare to believe it.
"Jerry just said, you... you broke up?" Jared wanted to confirm again.
Francis extinguished the cigarette and threw it into the trash can. He looked up at the dark night sky. "No, we can never break up."
Elissa heard the doorbell and knew Jerry had arrived. She sent Hope to the door.
She peeked out, a slight movement that Jerry still caught.
"Francis didn't come. He wanted to, but I stopped him. But if you want to see him, you can call. Francis is probably still on the roadside and hasn't gone home. One call, and he'll be here immediately," Jerry said.
Elissa responded, "You're quite smooth, not offending either side. I still need to learn this art of speaking from you."
Jerry didn't want to meddle in their affairs. If it weren't for Hope's concern, he wouldn't even ask. "Hope, let's go home."
Hope waved to Elissa. "I'm leaving."
"Your phone has me set as an emergency contact. If anything happens, press the power button five times to call me."
"I remember, you've already said it once," Hope replied.
Elissa could sense Jerry's jealousy. "Go home and let me know when you arrive."
Hope nodded.
Once in the car, Jerry hugged her, whispering in her ear, "You didn't set me as your emergency contact."
Hope felt helpless that Jerry, who appeared so formidable to others, was so submissive in front of her.
Elissa finished washing up and lay down to sleep, but she tossed and turned, unable to drift off. She wondered if her long afternoon nap was to blame. Frustrated, she grabbed her phone and started a movie. Just as it began, she received a Facebook message from Jared.
It was a picture of Francis sitting on a curb under a dim streetlight, looking up at the night sky. His jawline was sharp, his profile distinct. Behind him, cars were parked along the road. The photo was casual and somewhat blurry, with no thought to angle or composition, yet it had a cinematic quality. She could sense Francis's desolation and a hint of drunkenness.
After staring at the photo for a few seconds, she replied to Jared with a question mark. Jared, feeling that typing couldn't convey his emotions, excused himself to the bathroom, found a quiet spot, and sent her a voice message. "Cut the act, Ms. Wilson. I know you and Francis are secretly dating! I thought you turned me down because of Efren."
Elissa sent another question mark.
Jared replied, "I know you broke up! When did you start dating? You haven't known each other long, right?"
Elissa didn't want to talk about it. She and Francis were in a passionate relationship, but there were conflicts: Jessa and the Peterson family's opposition.
Jessa could be dealt with, but the family's disapproval seemed insurmountable. Elissa wanted to see if they could separate completely. She didn't feel brave enough to fight the world with Francis. If not Jessa, there would be someone else. She couldn't wait for Francis to handle things slowly every time.
Seeing the photo and thinking about their relationship brought a pang of bitterness. So, she didn't want to talk much. "Mr. Blake, I'm not feeling well. Let's talk when I'm better. I'm going to sleep."
Jared had a lot more to say, but he thought there was no use. Things had come to this point.
He put away his phone to find Francis, but Francis was nowhere to be seen.
Simon thought Francis was going back to his place.
Unexpectedly, he ended up at Elissa's apartment complex.
The car didn't enter the underground garage but parked under Elissa's building.
Francis got out of the car, leaned against it, looked up at Elissa's apartment, and stood there for a long time in the night.
It wasn't until the lights went out that he got back in the car and left.
When Francis returned home, he found the living room lights still on.
Rainey was sitting on the sofa, with a bunch of invitations spread out on the coffee table.
Francis poured himself a glass of water and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
Rainey motioned for him to sit. "Can we talk for a bit?"
Francis sat down and asked, "Talk about what?"
Rainey asked, "Have you really decided?"
Francis nodded.
"You're not even willing to wait a month and you're already taking such extreme steps for Elissa. Are you really ready to do anything for her, even if it means going against your principles?"
Francis leaned back on the sofa, rubbing his temples.
In fact, he glanced at the second floor.
He said calmly, "Breaking up isn't for Elissa."
Rainey thought he misheard. "What did you say?"
Francis didn't repeat himself and asked, "Anything else you want to talk about? If not, I'm going to bed."
Rainey stopped him, still not fully believing. "Then what about the wedding?"
"As planned." Leaving behind a cold statement, Francis went upstairs to his room.
Rainey sat motionless on the sofa, staring at the pile of invitations in a daze.
When the Peterson family learned that Francis was going to have a wedding with Jessa, they were naturally opposed.
Even if the wedding was fake, once it was publicized, it would lower the standards for Francis to find a wife with a matching background in the future.
This was not what they wanted.
And now they agreed to this because they wanted Francis to break up with Elissa.
They all thought that someone with Elissa's personality couldn't tolerate Francis having a wedding with Jessa, even if it was a scheme.
Now that they had really broken up, the Peterson family were still a bit out of sorts.
During breakfast, Wesley raised the same question. "Did they really break up?"
Rainey nodded. "Francis locked himself in his room, not even eating."
"It was Elissa who suggested the breakup," Jacob added.
This was indeed the result the Peterson family wanted, nothing more to discuss.
"Why hasn't Jessa come down for breakfast?"
Rainey answered Wesley, "She's been tired from choosing wedding dresses these past two days. After all, she's pregnant. I had Ainsley bring it up to her."
In fact, the Peterson family still had some affection for Jessa.
She was smart and cunning enough.
And they had watched her grow up, knowing her well.
Jessa's only drawback was her background.
Otherwise, they would have been happy for Jessa and Francis to marry.
"Francis didn't mention canceling the wedding?" Wesley asked.
Rainey replied, "I specifically waited for him last night. He said it wouldn't be canceled."
Wesley's cloudy eyes sharpened for a moment, but he said nothing in the end.
Elissa slept soundly and lazed in bed for a while before getting up to find something to eat in the kitchen.
Seeing the extra items in the kitchen, she remembered Francis cooking there before.
She shook her head, took a deep breath, and picked up her phone to order takeout.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
She walked to the entrance and saw Simon's face on the video doorbell.
She then pressed the intercom button, "Whether it's to deliver a message or something else, I don't need it. Please leave, or I'll call security."
Simon had anticipated this and said directly, "Ms. Wilson, it's just some food. If you don't open the door, you'll keep being disturbed. It's better to accept it."
Elissa called security and instructed them not to let Simon or Francis in anymore, specifically showing them a photo of Francis.
"You've seen him before. He was with me in and out of the complex a few days ago, but now he's my ex-boyfriend. So don't let him in. I don't want to get entangled with him," Elissa said.
Security noted it and asked Simon to leave, but he wasn't someone they could easily remove. "Ms. Wilson, as long as you accept the food, I'll leave naturally," he said.
Elissa got angry. "If you keep this up, I'll call the police."
Simon replied, "Ms. Wilson, do whatever you want, but please accept the food. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Elissa didn't want to be bothered by Simon. "I'll accept it this time, but you can't deliver it again. Otherwise, we'll meet at the police station."
Simon thought he would deliver it once and figure out the next time. "Okay, please open the door."
Elissa opened the door, took the food box, and slammed the door shut. She didn't really want to eat the food, but it seemed wasteful to throw it away. After some thought, she called someone.
Simon immediately reported to Francis, "Mr. Peterson, Ms. Wilson called a massage therapist."
Francis was still in his room, not going out.
The food Simon delivered to Elissa was ordered from her favorite restaurant.
He had thought of cooking himself, but the act had to be complete.
The heavy curtains were drawn, letting in no light. His voice, hoarse from the smoke, asked, "Male or female?"
"Male."
Francis's eyes dimmed, but he simply told Simon to come back. Simon was puzzled, thinking, 'That's it?'
The massage therapist Elissa called was also puzzled. "What did you say?"
"I said, finish this food," Elissa repeated.
The therapist asked, "Aren't you getting a massage?"
Elissa flipped her hair. "You need to be full to have the strength to massage, right?"
The therapist, still young, blushed instantly. "We are a legitimate massage service."
Elissa laughed. "Come on, who gets a legitimate massage?"
The therapist was helpless. "We truly are a legit massage service. I'm sorry I couldn't meet your request, but please don't leave a bad review, okay? My massage skills are excellent. Try it, and I guarantee you'll feel great afterward."
Elissa was just joking; in her current state, she couldn't even give a massage. "Don't worry, I won't give you a bad review. I just want you to help me finish the food."
The therapist had never had such a request before. He quietly put down his toolbox and sat at the table to eat. Having skipped lunch, he found the food delicious. He couldn't help but ask, "Did you make this yourself?"
"No, it's from Velvet Gourmet."
The therapist was stunned. "What?"
Velvet Gourmet, a private restaurant in Maple Valley, was known for its delicious food and exclusive, expensive reservations, claiming to use organic vegetables. However, in his rural hometown, naturally grown produce was abundant and lasted much longer than the pricey city vegetables. Labeling it "organic" made it even more expensive, and he couldn't afford it. Seeing that Elissa wasn't short on money, it was no surprise she ate Velvet Gourmet's food.
Elissa found it amusing to see him so shocked. Just then, the doorbell rang, and she went to get her takeout. She really wanted a burger today.
The therapist was even more puzzled."A burger is better than Velvet Gourmet?"
Elissa nodded. "Velvet Gourmet was bought by my ex-boyfriend. With the 'ex' label, it's worse than a burger."
The therapist understood, nodding. "I'll help you finish it all. Wasting food is bad."
Unexpectedly, the doorbell rang again.
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