Chapter 394 No Longer Entangling Her
The captain laughed, "Don't think that just because we're from abroad, we don't understand anything."
"You want to buy time, I'll play along, but if you think someone will save you, you better give up that hope. This is the border, domestic ships can't come over," he added.
Elissa thought, 'They're so naive. After all, no one can stop Jerry once he decides to go somewhere.'
She tried hard to suppress her fear. "I have many tricks up my sleeve. If I please you, can you spare my life?"
She reached out, grabbed the captain's belt, and moved closer. "As long as you don't kill me, you'll be my savior. I'll follow you from now on, and you can do whatever you want with me, okay?"
Although Elissa hadn't dressed up recently, her stunning features and smiling eyes were even more captivating.
The captain kept swallowing, clearly enticed by Elissa.
However, he had already taken the money. If he didn't fulfill Melinda's request, who would hire them in the future?
Elissa noticed his hesitation and continued, "I'll follow you abroad. If you don't say anything, everyone back home will think I'm dead."
"Don't worry, I won't say anything, I won't run back home, and I won't interfere with your business," she added.
The captain's head was a bit dizzy, Elissa's red lips were too tempting.
"Alright, as long as you make me happy, I'll spare your life. Follow me, and you won't go hungry." With that, he grabbed Elissa and tried to kiss her.
Elissa turned her head to avoid it, tugged at his belt, and smiled. "That's so boring, let's have some wine to spice things up."
The captain was burning with desire, he didn't have the patience, and went straight for it.
A dark glint flashed in Elissa's eyes, she was ready to attack his genitals, but the captain in front of her was kicked away.
The other men were also subdued.
Elissa saw Francis squatting in front of her and cursed. She then grabbed the railing and tried to run.
Francis caught her with one hand and threw her over his shoulder.
"Francis! Let me go!" Elissa shouted.
Once in the cabin, she was thrown onto the bed.
Francis pressed down on her.
She reached out to block him. "I won't be a mistress, don't touch me."
Francis grabbed her hand and felt something hard.
He smirked, "You won't be a mistress, but you're still wearing the engagement ring I gave you?"
Elissa didn't know why, but she couldn't take off the ring no matter what she tried.
"I just can't take it off. Hurry up and find a way to remove it," she retorted.
Francis's thumb brushed over the diamond, then he suddenly pinned her hands above her head and kissed her.
After a deep kiss, Francis pulled away.
Elissa raised her hand to slap him, but his words stopped her.
"I won't bother you anymore," he said.
"What?"
Francis lit a cigarette with his back to her. "You go back to Maple Valley, live as you did before. I won't look for you again, even if we meet by chance, there's no need to greet each other. Then the Peterson family won't trouble you either."
Elissa was stunned.
She was silent for a few seconds, then asked, "Are you going to marry Ms. Collins?"
Francis didn't answer her.
The white smoke obscured the murderous intent in his eyes.
Marriage?
That was never going to happen.
But she didn't need to know that.
"Simon will take you back." With that, he left in big strides.
Elissa was still in a daze when Simon came in to get her.
She asked, "Is Francis getting married?"
Simon escorted her onto another yacht. Then he said, "You should ask Mrs. Hammer about that."
As soon as Elissa stepped onto the deck of the other yacht, she was tightly hugged.
"You scared me to death," Hope said.
Elissa heard Hope's voice, and she finally started to relax. "It's so good to see you."
Hope patted her head. "Let's call Jillie on video first."
Elissa quickly found her phone and found her landlord on Facebook.
As soon as the call connected, she saw Jillie's red eyes.
There were still tear stains on her face.
The landlord had stayed up with her, waiting.
Elissa apologized, "I'm sorry for disturbing your rest."
"Don't say that." The landlord patted Jillie's head, "It's good that you're okay."
Elissa smiled at Jillie. "Thanks to you, I'm perfectly fine."
Jillie moved closer to the screen. "You're lying, your lips are swollen."
Elissa coughed, "That's because I ate something spicy."
To stop Jillie from saying more, she continued, "Alright, go to sleep now, we'll talk after school. This adventure has worn me out."
Jillie obediently handed the phone to her mom and went to sleep.
Elissa told the landlord, "I won't be renting the house anymore, but you don't need to return the deposit. Sorry for the trouble."
The landlord replied, "Don't be a stranger. If you want to stay again, the house is always available for you."
After thanking her, Elissa hung up.
Hope teased, "Looks like you're doing well out there."
Elissa said, "Hope, Francis just told me he won't bother me anymore."
"Are you happy about that?"
Only Hope would ask such a question.
Elissa squatted down with her hands in her pockets and shook her head. "I don't know, my feelings are quite complicated."
Hope squatted down with her. "Let me tell you something, and you can judge for yourself."
"Go ahead."
"Francis has a stomach condition. After you two broke up, he drank heavily for a while. Then, in his search for you, he flew back and forth without eating properly. This time, the Peterson family kept him locked up, and he went on a hunger strike," Hope said.
"He was able to come and save you today because he had a stomach spasm and called a family doctor, giving him a chance to escape. Now that he's saved you, he's gone to the hospital. The helicopter just left," she added.
Elissa didn't say anything.
Hope continued, "Actually, by the time Jillie made the call, it was already too late. It was Francis who anticipated it and arrived in time."
Elissa rubbed her face, "If it weren't for his fiancée Melinda, I wouldn't have had this ordeal."
"True." Hope nodded in agreement, "I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty or grateful and get back with him. I respect all your choices, as long as you're happy."
The yacht sped forward, the cold sea breeze messing up Elissa's hair and waking her up.
"These are two separate matters. I can go see him, but I don't want to continue a relationship with him. I'm afraid of the Peterson family's power." Elissa then held Hope's hand. "I've been through a near-death experience. For the rest of my life, I want to live peacefully."
Hope didn't say anything more.
Love required mutual effort, but fate also played a role.
When Francis arrived at the hospital, the Peterson family was already there.
Hope and Elissa had people protecting them, and Jerry came along just in case.
"I'm fine, just a stomach spasm. I'll be okay after some IV fluids and rest," Francis said.
The Peterson family members nodded and sat down in the ward.
Rainey sat by the bedside, looking at Francis's pale lips and closed eyes, showing a bit of vulnerability, feeling heartbroken.
They were strict in raising Francis, but having gone through so much to have this one child, how could they not feel for him?
She had indeed wavered before, considering letting him pursue his love. But she knew that if she did, it would become his fatal weakness. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she couldn't let it happen.
Jerry glanced at the distressed Rainey and walked over to Jacob, lowering his voice, "Has the Collins family been dealt with? If it's inconvenient for you, I'll handle it."
Before coming to the hospital, the Collins family had come, saying they couldn't reach Melinda.
They were in a hurry to see Francis and hadn't had time to talk.
"Did Francis take Melinda?" Jacob asked.
Jerry nodded. "He said he would handle it personally, and he should."
Jacob was about to speak when the Collins family couple arrived at the ward, looking quite angry.
"Jacob, we've known each other for so many years. Even if we can't form an alliance, don't harm Melinda," Owen said. He then opened his phone and handed it to Jacob, who saw Melinda tied up and frowned.
Francis was still unconscious, who sent this photo?
Felix came in next, and said, "The Wright family took her."
The Wright family was the Peterson family's biggest rival.
And the enemy who almost killed Elissa in Oceancrest City was the most loyal follower of the Wright family.
Thinking back, the Wright family had already started taking action.
"No rush." Jerry said nonchalantly, "We'll wait for Francis to wake up."
Melinda's parents were anxious. "The Wright family is ruthless and inhumane. By the time Francis wakes up, Melinda might be dead!"
Jerry's lips curved into a smile, but his brown eyes were icy cold. "Melinda does something wrong, and she has to pay the price."
"What did Melinda do wrong? As Francis's fiancée, isn't she allowed to deal with those mistresses? Should she let the mistresses bully her?" Melinda's mother, Octavia Hayes, retorted sharply.
Melinda's parents wanted to argue further, but Jerry's cold voice interrupted, "Elissa didn't provoke Melinda. What right did Melinda have to want her dead? And, did Francis agree to this engagement?"
The Collins family couple knew Jerry well. He rarely had opponents in arguments.
They could only seek Jacob's help. "Jacob, didn't we agree on this marriage?"
"Who said that?" a lightly hoarse voice sounded.
Everyone looked over.
Rainey stood up and asked, "Do you want some water?"
Francis shook his head. "Mom, help me raise the bed."
Then he looked at Owen and Octavia. Even in his sickly state, his eyes were still cold and sharp.
They quickly tried to take the initiative, "Didn't you two go out on dates? You even stayed at the café for a while. When the families discussed the marriage, you didn't refuse."
"And that's your reason for trying to kill Elissa?" Francis said coldly.
Owen and Octavia paused. "Maybe you misunderstood. How could Melinda do something so cruel? Elissa wanted to leave, and Melinda was just being kind."
Such a poor lie, how could Francis believe it?
Francis sneered, "Deal with the Wright family and rescue Melinda yourselves."
Owen and Octavia panicked.
The Wright family was not someone they could easily deal with.
Without the Peterson family's help, Melinda would be in great danger.
But before they could say anything, Francis ordered his subordinate, "Felix, handle this; it's noisy."
Felix grabbed each of the Collins family couple by the arm and escorted them out of the ward.
Francis looked at his family and asked, "Do you want to handle the Collins family, or should I?"
The Peterson family knew that once Francis made a decision, they couldn't persuade him otherwise.
But it wouldn't be good for their reputation to openly feud with the Collins family, so Rainey said, "You're sick right now, let Jerry handle it. He just said he would help."
Jerry raised an eyebrow.
The Peterson family didn't want to openly feud with the Collins family, so they let him be the bad guy.
"Jerry," Steven hurried over and whispered to Jerry, "Jessa escaped in the chaos and has already left the country. Someone is helping her. She has foreign citizenship, so it's hard to catch her."
Jerry waved his hand and told Francis, "You rest up. I'll go have some fun first. When you're better, you can finish up."
Francis nodded.
After Jerry left the ward, Francis told everyone to go home.
"I'm fine, just a stomach spasm, it's not a big deal," he said.
Rainey held his hand, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Francis spoke first, "Don't worry, I've already told Elissa. From now on, even if we meet by chance, we won't greet each other. We're strangers now."
At the ward door, Elissa withdrew her hand from the door handle and turned to Hope. "No need to go in; he's fine."
In the car, Hope looked at her. "You should stay at Tranquil Haven for a while. Wait until Francis and Jerry finish dealing with the Collins family, then you can move back to your place. The Collins family has deep roots. I'm afraid if they're pushed too hard, they might hurt you."
Elissa nodded. "I've been causing you trouble all this time."
"Don't say that."
"This relationship of mine," Elissa sighed, "has been nothing but trouble."
Hope asked, "But were you happy when you were in the relationship?"
"Yes."
Hope smiled. "Then that's all that matters. Overthinking won't help."
Elissa smiled and hugged Hope, "Let's go, I'll treat you to a big meal, you can choose whatever you want."
"No matter how expensive?"
"You can eat until I go bankrupt," Elissa teased.
Hope chuckled.
For a long time after that, Elissa didn't see Francis.
She only heard about him when she had dinner with Hope and her husband, and Jerry mentioned a few things.
He said the Collins family matter also involved the Wright family.
And families like the Peterson family and the Wright family wouldn't fight openly.
So the private battles were undoubtedly brutal.
She thought of the scene at the Peterson Mansion that day and felt a bit sad.
This matter was somewhat related to her, and she still hoped Francis was okay.
The next time she saw him was one day when she went to a shop and encountered a return dispute.
After coming out, she heard a sharp girl's voice shout, "Elissa, go to hell!"
She saw something being thrown at her.
At that moment, she was pulled into a broad, warm embrace.
She heard Francis's muffled groan in her ear.
The smell of burning filled her nose.
"Francis!" Elissa was shocked.
Simon and his men subdued the crazed Melinda and rushed Francis to the hospital.
Elissa hurriedly followed.
In the mall, Francis had taken off his coat, revealing only a thin shirt underneath, which had a black hole burned by the acid and was stuck to his skin.
She watched as the doctor used tweezers to peel away the fabric. Although Francis didn't make a sound, and she couldn't see his expression with his back to her.
But from the trembling of his muscles, she could tell he was in a lot of pain.
Elissa wasn't one to cry because crying didn't help.
It seemed even more so after having a near-death experience.
But at this moment, her tears were uncontrollable, rolling down in large drops.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Francis instructed Simon, "Take her back."
Simon was puzzled. He had just saved Elissa, shouldn't he take this opportunity to mend their relationship?
Francis was cold now, not like when he was at home staring at Elissa's photo.
But he couldn't say these things, he could only follow orders. "Please, Ms. Wilson."
Elissa wiped her face and walked up to Francis. "You got hurt saving me, so I'll stay and take care of you until you recover."
Simon felt a secret joy in his heart, thinking that Francis must be overjoyed.
Instead, he heard Francis say coldly, "I just happened to be there. I would have helped even a stranger."
Simon thought to himself, 'He's being so insincere! When has he ever cared about strangers? He often can't be bothered with people he knows. He clearly cares about Elissa, but he's just putting up a front.'
"No matter what, whether it was a coincidence or not, the fact is you saved me, so I should stay and take care of you," Elissa insisted.
Francis didn't even look at her, just curled his lips in a faint sneer. "You wouldn't be trying to use this opportunity to get back together with me, would you?"
Elissa was silent.
"Sorry, I'm not one to get back with an ex-girlfriend," he added.
Elissa was speechless.
Simon stood by, feeling helpless.
Francis was aloof when he should speak, and talkative when he shouldn't.
Elissa didn't back down because of his words. "Mr. Peterson, you're overthinking. I don't like getting back with ex-boyfriends either. I'm only taking care of you because you got hurt saving me."
Francis wanted to send her away, but then he heard her say pointedly, "Oh, could it be that you're afraid of being attracted to my charm again?"
Francis was silent.
Elissa got her wish and stayed.
Simon made an excuse to get some toiletries, giving them some space.
Elissa saw Francis get up and quickly asked, "Do you need help?"
Francis replied, "My legs aren't broken; I can go to the bathroom myself."
Elissa responded, "I was thinking your shoulder is hurt, it must hurt to move your arm. I could help support you."
Francis's ears turned slightly red, and he refused expressionlessly. "No need."
Elissa nodded. "If you need anything, just call me; don't be polite. Even though we can't be together, the feelings are still there."
Francis remained silent. He took a few stiff steps, then turned around and said, "I think, given our current relationship, some things are best left unsaid."
Elissa put her hands in her pockets. "Mr. Peterson, don't be so sensitive, otherwise I'll think you still have feelings for me."
Francis was silent.
For a moment, Francis felt like he was back in the time when she used to tease him.
She was carefree and straightforward.
But now, it wasn't appropriate.
It wasn't easy for him to suppress his feelings for her.
"If you can't speak properly, then I don't need you to take care of me," he warned.
"Alright," Elissa raised her hands in surrender, "I'll try not to talk."
In the evening, Jerry came to see Francis and teased, "You're playing the hero saving the damsel in distress, huh?"
Francis glanced at him sideways, not speaking.
Jerry leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, and kicked the bed when Francis didn't respond. "What, you couldn't resist and want to get back with Elissa?"
Francis replied indifferently, "It was a coincidence."
Jerry laughed. "You can't fool me."
Francis was silent.
In the washroom.
Hope asked Elissa, "Why did you stay?"
Elissa answered honestly, "He got hurt protecting me, so I couldn't leave him. It wouldn't sit right with my conscience."
"You don't have any other thoughts?"
Elissa didn't respond; instead, she changed the subject. "Melinda was desperate, she probably won't be able to do any more harm. I'll go back to my place."
Hope poked her forehead. "You're not even being honest with me?"
Elissa turned off the faucet and was silent for a moment. "Actually, I have some wavering feelings, but just a little. I haven't thought about getting back together."
"Then you don't need to take care of him," Hope said.
She then linked arms with Elissa and walked back to the ward.
"He doesn't lack people to take care of him, and those professionals can do a better job. Just cover the medical expenses," she added.
Elissa hesitated.
To be honest, she wasn't using this as an opportunity to get back together.
She just didn't understand why Francis, despite being injured and after their breakup, still protected her. And she really didn't want to leave him alone in the hospital, even though he had many reliable people around him.
"I still want to stay," Elissa replied.
Hope said, "When he gets discharged, I'll help you move."
During this time, Elissa had bought some things.
Elissa nodded and smiled. "Alright."
Good friends didn't need to say everything out loud; they just understood.
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