Chapter 395 Elissa, Happy Holidays
Hope and Jerry didn't stay long; they left after dropping off the food and didn't eat with them.
Regardless of what happens in the future, Hope and Jerry both wanted to give them more space at this moment.
Francis was staying in a VIP suite.
After Simon brought the toiletries, Francis instructed him to get a bed.
Elissa said she could sleep on the couch.
Simon glanced at the large hospital bed that could fit two people and said, "Mr. Peterson, medical resources are tight. One bed will have to do for a few days."
"Give the bed to someone who needs it more. Consider it a good deed, and hope that God will bless us with fewer troubles in the future," he added.
Francis looked at him coldly. "I can't order you around anymore?"
Simon shook his head. "No, that's not it. But I've done too many bad things for you in my life. I'm at the age where I should be thinking about marriage, so I want to do more good deeds. Medical resources are scarce. Please bear with it for a couple of days."
Simon had been with Francis since he was a child, so Francis knew what he was thinking.
"Go do it," his voice grew colder.
Simon agreed and left but didn't follow through; he ordered some pasta and ate it at the door.
The room fell silent, and the atmosphere was a bit off.
Elissa broke the silence, "I can sleep on the couch."
Francis glanced at the couch, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "My injury isn't serious. You don't need to stay overnight. You can go home."
He figured Simon wouldn't be able to get the bed.
It would be the same with anyone else.
He didn't want to alarm his family and have Elissa meet the Peterson family.
Elissa could go home and come back tomorrow.
But she didn't want to leave.
Thinking about him lying in bed alone at night, unable to sleep due to the pain, made her feel sad.
She wouldn't be able to sleep at home either. It was better to stay with him, talk, and help ease the pain.
"Let's watch a movie," Elissa suddenly said.
Francis's thin lips tightened. "You don't need to feel guilty or grateful to me. If it were someone else..."
"Let's watch a comedy." Elissa interrupted him, sat by the bed, and handed him her phone. "Laughter can make you forget the pain. See which one you want to watch?"
"I don't want to watch." Francis responded coldly, "This injury is nothing to me. You don't need to make a big deal out of it. Go home."
Elissa's smile faded, and she stared at him.
Francis avoided her scrutinizing gaze.
Elissa leaned in and asked, "Do you still like me?"
"If you say you like me, I'll leave," she added.
Francis knew that Elissa seemed efficient and composed, not one to cling to, but in private, she could be playful and stubborn.
If he admitted it, she would definitely have more tricks up her sleeve.
"Suit yourself." Throwing out a cold remark, he turned his back to her and lay down.
Elissa saw the large burn on his shoulder and couldn't help but tear up.
Suppressing the urge to reconcile, she found a comedy movie to project.
In the latter half, the two of them quietly and harmoniously finished watching the comedy.
Simon was secretly observing from the door.
He was very pleased with his own wisdom.
But he didn't know that on the day Francis was discharged, he would be sent to Solstice.
The hospital bed faced the TV.
Elissa didn't want to sit on the bed, so she sat on the chair next to it.
But the angle was a bit off, so she ended up half-lying on the bed.
She didn't know that while she was engrossed in the movie, Francis was watching her the whole time.
Her back stiffened, and Elissa stretched, turning to talk to Francis.
She found that he had already turned his back to her and lay down.
She didn't disturb him, gently pulled the blanket over him, carefully avoiding the burn.
Then she lay down on the couch, chatted with Hope for a bit.
She also looked at some holiday clothing styles.
When she started to feel sleepy, she got up to check on Francis, making sure he was sleeping soundly.
But just as she was about to turn away, she noticed something was off.
"Is it hurting?" Elissa asked.
Francis didn't respond.
Elissa went to find a nurse to ask about pain relief methods.
She came back with some ointment, knelt behind him, and gently applied it.
When the cool ointment touched the wound, Francis opened his eyes.
He felt her gently blowing on it, and his desire surged.
To avoid embarrassment, he pretended to be asleep.
After applying the ointment, Elissa observed for a while.
Seeing his relaxed expression and even breathing, she turned off the light and went to sleep.
She didn't know how long it had been, but she felt herself being picked up.
Then she was placed on a soft bed. Without opening her eyes, she found a comfortable position and continued to sleep.
Francis covered her with a blanket and stared at her for a while.
He smiled helplessly, thought, 'Elissa, this is the last time. If we get entangled again for any reason, I won't let you go.'
Rainey came in the early morning.
After dealing with the Collins Family, Francis moved to his own house.
The Peterson family wanted to keep him, but they knew they couldn't this time.
They were worried he would look for Elissa, so they had people watch him.
But for a long time, he was just working.
Today, Rainey originally intended to check on him, but she got delayed by something.
Seeing it was too late, she decided to go in the morning.
Then she got the news that he was injured and hospitalized because of Elissa.
"You're still smoking," Rainey said.
Shen then took the cigarette from his hand, looking at his bare back with a large burn on his shoulder.
Just looking at it hurt her, let alone the pain he must be feeling.
"Didn't you say…" Rainey began, but Francis interrupted her, calmly explaining, "It's just a coincidence."
Rainey didn't believe it.
How could Francis do a good deed?
If he were that kind-hearted, he would have been killed by his enemies many times over.
"Are you planning something?"
Francis, with a calm face, asked back, "What do you think I'm planning?"
Rainey tightened her grip on her bag and probed, "You want to strengthen your power, lower our guard, and once you take over the Peterson family, we won't be able to control you. Then, you can be with Elissa."
Francis smiled, but his eyes were cold. "Mom, being with me would put her in danger. Melinda is an example. Just by spreading the news that she was going to marry me, the Wright family captured her and tortured her beyond recognition. I won't let Elissa end up like that. So, I won't be with her."
Rainey wasn't a child to be easily fooled.
Francis was her son, after all.
She knew him well enough to guess some things.
"You're waiting for the right moment," Rainey said.
Francis didn't respond, only saying, "It's a minor injury. Don't worry about it, and don't come over again. I'll be discharged tomorrow."
Rainey became serious. "Then why do you still keep her around to take care of you?"
Francis still didn't answer her. He coldly said, "The doctor said I need to rest. You can go now."
Rainey stood there, her gaze heavy, before leaving.
When she got home, Jacob was just heading out and asked, "Where have you been?"
Rainey told him about Francis's injury and what he had said.
Jacob's face was serious. "Do you think Francis hasn't truly given up on Elissa?"
Rainey nodded. "That's what it seems like."
She hesitated. "Do you think we should..."
Jacob waved his hand. "Let's wait and see."
Rainey was worried. "He's about to start working. After his birthday, he'll take over as the head. By then, it might be too late."
Jacob replied, "We'll wait until after the New Year."
Elissa woke up to find herself in bed.
She quickly went to check on Francis, but the bed was empty.
She got out of bed and saw Francis coming out of the bathroom.
He had changed out of his hospital gown and was wearing a neatly pressed shirt and trousers.
She immediately walked up to him. "Your wound hasn't healed yet. Why are you dressed? Didn't the doctor say the wound would stick to the clothes and it would be very painful to deal with?"
Francis simply replied, "I'm being discharged today."
"What?" Elissa said anxiously, "Your wound hasn't healed yet, it's still oozing. How can you be discharged?"
Francis picked up his phone. "It's a minor injury, no big deal."
His attitude was consistently cold.
Elissa thought for a moment and asked, "Is it because I'm here that you want to be discharged?"
Francis met her slightly dim gaze. He didn't want to hurt her, but he had to.
"Yes," he said.
Elissa responded, "Then don't be discharged. I'll leave."
She then picked up her bag and left.
Francis's hand reached out a bit but then went back into his pocket.
Simon peeked in. "Mr. Peterson, Ms. Wilson seemed unhappy. Did you upset her?"
Francis said coldly, "You're going to Solstice."
With that, he walked out.
Simon didn't even have time to ask why.
Felix took Simon's place and drove Francis back to his residence.
After all the fuss, the clothes and the wound were somewhat stuck together.
Felix carefully handled it.
Just as he was about to apply the ointment, the doorbell rang.
Not many people could come to Francis's place.
He signaled Felix to check the door.
Felix was stunned when he saw who it was, thinking of Simon's fate, he didn't dare speak or move.
Not seeing Felix return for a while, Francis got up and walked over, running into Elissa.
It must have been Jerry who made it possible, otherwise, Elissa wouldn't have been able to come up.
"I thought I made myself very clear," Francis said expressionlessly.
Elissa hadn't even washed her face, she hurried to buy Francis's favorite food.
She wasn't trying to reconcile with Francis, she just couldn't get over it and felt very sad.
She thought that once Francis's wound healed, her guilt would disappear.
"You can't eat spicy seafood right now, so I bought some refreshing dishes. Come and eat. There are chicken legs that you like," Elissa said.
Francis blocked her at the door, looking down at her with cold and sharp eyes. "Elissa, what are you trying to do?"
Elissa placed the food at the entrance. "I'm just delivering food. If you don't want to see me, I'll leave, but remember to eat. And this wound, if Felix is too rough, I can help you."
"Elissa," Francis's voice grew colder, "you were the one who wanted to break up. I let you go, don't push your luck."
Elissa left.
Felix shrank behind the door, not daring to speak or move.
Francis pointed to the food on the cabinet. "Throw it away."
Felix immediately went to throw it away, but just as he picked it up, Francis snatched it away.
Elissa returned to Tranquil Haven to pack her things and moved back to her own place.
Hope saw her looking downcast and asked, "Did Francis bully you?"
Elissa shook her head. "Not really. Although he took the injury for me, I feel bad and want to take care of him, but I forgot that I was the one who insisted on breaking up, said so many harsh words, and forced him not to pester me anymore."
"So, I should do as you said, just give him the medical expenses, there's no need to take care of him personally," she added.
Hope smiled. "Listen to yourself, you sound so resentful."
Elissa sighed, "He saved me, so I should treat him like any other rescuer—cover his medical expenses and offer compensation, but not insist on taking care of him."
"What if he's on a date with a rich girl and there's a misunderstanding, that wouldn't be good," she added.
Hope sensed a bit of jealousy in her words but didn't point it out. "Don't think about it, I'll treat you to something delicious tonight."
Elissa hugged her. "You're the best."
At the end of January, Maple Valley had a heavy snowfall.
It hadn't snowed this heavily in many years, reaching up to the calves.
The city was already decorated with lights, and in the white snow, the red decorations were bright and beautiful, like red plum blossoms, very pretty.
Elissa and Hope went to the company to give out gifts and year-end bonuses to the employees.
As for the offline stores, the year-end bonus was doubled.
The two of them had a meal at the mall and then returned to Tranquil Haven to build a snowman with Elsa.
Elissa grabbed some snow and put it on Elsa's face, making her frown from the cold.
She couldn't speak yet, so she just patted Elissa with her little hand.
Elissa complained to Hope, "Elsa is so much like Jerry. When she frowns, it feels like she's about to deal with someone."
Hope had recently noticed that Elsa was acting more and more like Jerry.
She teased Elissa, "If you have a son in the future and he wants to date Elsa, he'll definitely get bossed around. Be prepared for that."
Elissa shrugged and said, "That's fine. Men are supposed to be managed by their wives anyway."
After some effort, the two of them built a big snowman.
Madison gave Elsa a carrot, held her hand, and made a nose for the snowman.
Elissa used grapes for the eyes, and Hope put a scarf on it, and the snowman was done.
Taking advantage of the snowy scenery, the four girls had tea on the terrace.
Elissa asked Madison, "Are you and Garry still having a wedding?"
"Hope can design the dresses for you," she added.
Madison smiled and shook her head. "At our age, there's no need for a wedding. After the New Year, we'll find a time to get the marriage certificate."
Elissa disagreed, eating an orange as she said, "Love exists at any age, and age has nothing to do with having a wedding."
Hope agreed with Elissa, "You can have a simple one. After all, it's your first marriage, it's just that it was delayed for your career."
Madison was a bit shy. "You two, stop teasing me. Garry and I have decided not to have a wedding."
"Well, you should at least take wedding photos. With your looks, any photo will look like a master piece. We can choose a scenic spot, and I'll join in for a few photos too," Hope said.
Madison and Garry had discussed taking wedding photos, but they hadn't finalized anything yet.
Madison replied, "We'll see about that later."
Jerry came through the snow, playfully patting the snowman's head, which unexpectedly fell off.
He was met with disapproving looks from the four women.
Then Jerry fixed the snowman's head and even found a knitted hat to put on it.
He reached out to hold Elsa, who slapped him on the face.
Jerry raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Alright, hitting me when you're upset. You're becoming more and more like me."
Elissa gave Hope a look, and Hope sighed helplessly.
On New Year's Eve, Elissa tidied up her little place.
She had dinner at Hope's place, emptied her fridge, and cleaned up thoroughly.
She turned off the electricity, water, and gas at home, locked the door, and went to Tranquil Haven.
On the way, she bought some gifts and clothes and toys for Elsa.
Ellen had gone home for New Year's.
The meal at home was prepared by Jerry and Madison.
Elissa and Hope were hopeless at cooking.
The two of them played with Elsa, and when Elsa went to sleep, they watched a movie.
They had a simple lunch, and in the afternoon, they learned to make King Cake with Madison. A small plastic baby was hidden inside the King Cake, and whoever found it was considered lucky.
Although King Cake wasn't necessarily eaten on New Year's, it was more fun with more people.
At eight o'clock, the TV was playing a program.
They raised their glasses to celebrate.
Elsa sat in her high chair, clinking her toy cup with theirs.
In the evening, Madison finished making the King Cake.
"Let's see who finds the plastic baby and gets rich next year," Madison said.
The baby could be anywhere in the big cake, and it was all down to luck.
Elissa had deliberately not eaten much at dinner, saving room for the cake, determined to find the plastic baby.
The first to find it was Jerry.
Elissa pouted, "Jerry , how much richer do you need to be? Who could possibly be richer than you?"
Jerry chuckled.
Elissa continued eating the cake, determined to find the plastic baby by midnight and get rich!
The second to find it was Hope, and the third was Madison.
Elissa was disappointed.
Hope stood by and quickly helped her find the plastic baby.
Jerry stopped her with a fork, teasing, "Hope, cheating will ruin your luck."
Elissa couldn't stand it. "Hope, don't worry, I'll do it myself."
Then Hope stopped helping.
Just one second before the countdown ended, Elissa screamed, "I found it! I'm going to be rich next year!"
Hope gave her a thumbs-up and then handed her a gift.
Elissa felt it, thin and hard. "A bank card?" she asked.
Hope nodded. "Happy New Year, may your days be smooth and happy."
Elissa was touched and hugged her tightly. "You too. I didn't prepare a gift, but I did prepare fireworks. Let's go, let's set off fireworks."
The group set off for the riverside.
Because of the snow, the temperature by the river was even lower.
But it didn't dampen their enthusiasm for fireworks.
"It's rare to be able to set them off. I bought many kinds, but I love sparklers the most," Elissa said.
She then handed out sparklers to Hope and Madison, and gave one to Elsa, but didn't light it.
She let Elsa watch them set off the fireworks.
Jerry was on the side, lighting the big fireworks.
They instantly lit up the night sky.
Under the brilliant fireworks, the four women laughed happily.
Jerry glanced at a black car hidden in the darkness not far away.
The back window of the black car was completely down, and a wisp of white smoke drifted away with the wind.
Francis murmured, "Elissa, happy holidays."
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