Chapter 405 Completely Crushed
Francis looked up at her, his gaze sincere. "If that day comes, I would."
"But I don't want that," she replied.
Elissa sat up cross-legged, positioning herself for a serious conversation.
She said earnestly, "Have you ever considered that sacrificing yourself for me might seem romantic, but what about my life afterward? How would I go on without you? You can't bear to lose me, but do you think I could bear to lose you?"
Francis sat up as well, mirroring her cross-legged position.
He said, "You're right, but if I couldn't save you, wouldn't I face the same suffering?"
This hypothetical situation had no real solution. Life's uncertainties couldn't be perfectly planned for.
"Let's just try to keep perspective," Elissa said, flopping back onto the bed. "Our adversaries are out in the open now. We should stay vigilant while still enjoying our lives—not wasting energy worrying about things that might never happen."
Francis leaned over her, propping his head on his hand. "Just maintain that attitude—be happy and free. I'll handle everything else."
He was accustomed to planning ahead, considering multiple scenarios and preparing countermeasures to avoid being caught off-guard.
While Aiden was now operating openly, Francis knew his longtime rival as well as Aiden knew him. His defenses might not be impenetrable, but he kept these concerns to himself, not wanting to burden Elissa unnecessarily.
"Now, about some actual business matters..." he began.
Elissa was already drifting off, her makeup still on, barely managing a mumbled response.
Seeing her eyes already closed, Francis smiled, got up and found makeup remover. After looking up a tutorial online, he carefully removed her makeup and cleaned her face before indulging in some intimate attention.
Elissa woke naturally, feeling like she'd forgotten something important. Checking her phone, she bolted upright—several missed calls from Finn. Somehow her phone had been set to silent mode.
A knock came at the door. She realized she was wearing pajamas she didn't remember putting on, so she threw on a robe before answering.
It was room service.
"Mrs. Elissa Peterson, Mr. Francis Peterson arranged for breakfast delivery," the server explained.
As Elissa let them in, she called Finn back.
"So now that you've got a powerful boyfriend, you can't even return my calls?" came his plaintive voice. "I'm not asking for much—just a little respect. Is answering the phone too much to ask?"
Elissa couldn't exactly explain what had happened last night, so she simply apologized. "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'll treat you to dinner tonight, and I'll come see you soon."
Finn understood—after all, she was in a relationship. Unlike his perpetually single self.
"I want the most expensive place in town," he declared.
"Whatever you want," she agreed.
"Deal," Finn said, satisfied, and hung up.
Elissa immediately called Hope, who walked in just as the server was leaving.
Elissa noticed Hope walking gingerly, but didn't tease her—she was in the same boat herself. When she'd answered the door earlier, she hadn't noticed how sore she was. Now each step brought a twinge of pain.
Seeing each other's discomfort, they both laughed.
"Looks like we're suffering the same fate," Elissa remarked.
Hope nodded, sitting down at the table. "Maybe we should avoid pranks in the future. We're the ones who end up paying for it."
Elissa quickly freshened up and joined her, nodding in agreement.
Looking at the breakfast spread, she noticed it included Hope's favorites as well as her own.
"Was Jerry still there when you woke up?" she asked.
Hope shook her head. "Before your call, he texted saying I should come have breakfast with you when I woke up."
"I didn't see Francis when I woke up either."
"With Aiden in town, they're probably strategizing."
Elissa knew little about these matters, except to remember who the enemies were and stay away from them to avoid causing Francis problems.
"We should meet Finn soon. I promised to take him to dinner tonight to make up for missing his calls."
She explained about her phone being silenced.
Hope shook her head in mild exasperation. "My phone was silenced too. I missed calls from my mother."
Elissa laughed ruefully. "They're trying to take care of us, so we can't even be properly angry."
"Exactly."
Willard gave both men across from him a resentful look. One appeared calm and composed, the other relaxed and casual. Both looked entirely too pleased with themselves.
"Next time you call me, make sure you actually need my help first," Willard complained. "Don't drag me into your silly pranks. I'm busy, you know."
Jerry, always one to hit where it hurt, remarked, "Your wife's not around—what could you possibly be busy with at night?"
Willard struggled to control his temper. "Is Hammer Group going bankrupt? Why else would you travel all this way just to play around with your wife?"
Jerry nodded seriously. "Nothing's more important than spending time with my wife."
"But don't worry," he added. "Even if you step down, Hammer Group won't fail."
Willard smiled coldly. "What good would my stepping down do for you? With your group being that powerful, I believe we should just abandon our planned collaboration."
Jerry wasn't one to be threatened. "Makes no difference to me. My wife has already established a partnership with the Larson family anyway."
Willard had nothing to say to that.
Francis suddenly spoke up, "I can't believe he actually outmaneuvered you."
Willard had no comeback for either of them. Not since Anne had left.
He was being outplayed on every front.
He didn't even bother to respond.
But Jerry wasn't finished with him. He clinked his coffee cup against Willard's and smirked, "Sexual frustration makes people irritable. I understand."
Willard slammed down his cup, spilling coffee on his hand. His expression turned cold. "Aiden is here in Seaside City now—my territory. Both your wives are here doing business. You'd better not provoke me."
"Especially you, Francis. If I stop protecting her, do you think the Peterson family will spare your wife?" he added.
Francis smiled faintly and poured him a fresh cup of coffee.
Just as Willard thought he'd regained the upper hand, Francis remarked casually, "Mr. Larson seems to have forgotten that at the last card game, my wife and your wife reached an agreement. This might be your only chance to catch your wife."
Willard was defeated again.
He still didn't know how Anne had managed to disappear—the airport lead had been a clever misdirection. She had learned from experience how to evade him.
He couldn't push too hard; after all, he had been the one who had neglected her first.
"She might not even show up if she's trying to avoid me," he said.
Francis sipped his tea, his faint smile deepening. "Trying to get information from me?"
As Willard was about to respond, his secretary whispered something in his ear.
His expression darkened slightly. He waved his hand dismissively.
After the secretary left, he looked at the two men across from him and said casually, "Aiden has gone to Finn's presentation. Both your wives are there."
Before he'd even finished speaking, both men had vanished.
Willard wasn't in a hurry. He leisurely finished his tea before heading to the venue himself.
Elissa and Hope were both caught off guard by Aiden's appearance.
Given his position, he wasn't expected to attend such a meeting personally. Furthermore, his presence wouldn't change anything about the Larson family's specific project.
Finn didn't recognize Aiden until someone from Willard's team quietly informed him who he was, adding that this man was no ally.
When Finn addressed the room, he deliberately avoided certain sensitive topics. He had no authority to ask Aiden to leave, considering their vast difference in status. He assumed Aiden wouldn't delve deeply into these matters anyway.
Aiden remained silent throughout, his gaze repeatedly and deliberately falling on Elissa.
Under the table, Hope squeezed Elissa's hand and whispered, "He's definitely here for you."
Elissa felt it too. She hadn't expected things to move so quickly, nor for Aiden to be so brazen, making no attempt to conceal his intentions.
"No wonder Mr. Wright came to Seaside City. Apparently he prefers distractions to his actual responsibilities," came a calm yet authoritative voice.
Elissa saw Francis enter the room and immediately signaled for him to keep his distance. He ignored her, walking straight over and sitting beside her. Jerry followed, taking a seat next to Hope.
Willard arrived fashionably late and naturally took the head position.
Finn stood bewildered before the projection screen. Why had all the big players suddenly shown up?
Aiden's eyes gleamed with intensity, his artificial smile failing to mask his true intentions, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.
"Mr. Peterson, you arrived rather quickly. I've never seen you so eager before," Aiden remarked.
Francis replied while casually fixing a strand of Elissa's hair, "My fiancée's project deserves my attention. Though some people seem to enjoy interfering where they're not needed."
His words left no room for interpretation—he was ready for a direct confrontation.
Aiden remained unfazed. "It's been quite enlightening," he said. "Since you have found your beloved, perhaps you should relinquish Sylvia to me. Collecting women like trophies could damage your reputation. I'm merely offering to resolve a potential problem for you. No need to thank me—after all, we go back years."
Aiden would never choose to ally through marriage with the Hamilton family, as their positions had always been opposed. But now, with the Peterson family and the Hamilton family openly hostile, if Aiden took Sylvia away, the Hamilton family would immediately align with the Wright family, pushing the Peterson family closer to losing all their allies.
"Sylvia is innocent in all this," Aiden continued. "She merely holds affection for you, yet you've used her as a shield. I wonder if your fiancée is aware of this arrangement?"
Elissa knew the truth, but also understood that this wasn't the occasion for her to speak freely. While Aiden's attempt to create discord was obvious, his additional years had made him politically adept.
"Our affairs aren't your concern, Mr. Wright," Francis said coldly, draping his arm casually around Elissa's shoulders. "Young people's matters often confuse the elderly. Stay out of it."
The conference room fell into an eerie silence, tension simmering beneath the surface.
After an uncomfortable pause, Willard took control of the situation. "Let's go, Mr. Wright."
Willard and Aiden left one after the other, their entourages following. The conference room suddenly felt much emptier.
Finn appeared nervous. "Elissa, should I continue?"
Elissa nodded. "Please proceed, Finn."
Thirty minutes later, Finn completed his presentation.
"Well done, Finn," Elissa said. "You've done excellent work. Let's implement your strategy."
As she spoke, she felt a firm squeeze on her fingertips.
Elissa turned to Francis with a playful expression. "What? You don't approve of Finn's work?"
Francis smiled. "On the contrary, I approve wholeheartedly. Since everyone's here, I'd like to treat Finn to dinner to thank him for taking such good care of you."
Elissa had already planned to host a dinner, so this worked out perfectly.
The group went to the finest restaurant in Seaside City—not the one where Elissa had previously encountered Francis with Sylvia, but an exclusive private establishment.
"This place is nearly impossible to book," Finn told Elissa. "Money isn't enough; you need to know the owner personally."
"Your fiancé has impressive connections," Finn added.
Though it was really thanks to Willard, Francis didn't mention this detail, nor did it matter.
They occupied a private dining room, joined by several people Willard had assigned to work with Finn. The seating arrangement accommodated everyone comfortably.
While ordering, Hope asked Jerry, "Why are you so quiet today?"
Jerry smiled lazily. "What would you like me to say?"
Only then did Hope realize that Jerry, as merely a businessman, wasn't in a position to speak freely in this particular company.
"This looks good—let's order one of these," Hope said.
Jerry said, his eyes crinkling with warmth. "Whatever you'd like."
Hope consulted with Elissa, who asked Finn about the specialties.
"When visiting somewhere new, you should try the local cuisine, not dishes you can get anywhere," Elissa suggested.
"Actually," Finn countered, "the same dish here tastes completely different than in Maple Valley. Would you like to test that theory?"
Elissa was skeptical. "How different can food be? Something sweet and sour doesn't suddenly become spicy."
"Order what you enjoy and see for yourself."
Elissa decided to do just that, curious about these supposed differences.
The food arrived quickly. Elissa went straight for the apple pie, and with one bite, she was genuinely impressed.
"This really is different!" she exclaimed.
Finn raised his eyebrows triumphantly. "You see? They use organic apples here."
"The sugar is different too—it's sugarcane juice. Most places just use refined white sugar," he added.
Elissa nodded as Finn continued, "And instead of regular vinegar, they use lemon juice."
"You seem to know a lot for someone who claims never to have eaten here before," she teased.
"Of course I do."
After listening to Finn's explanations about various dishes, Elissa concluded, "So essentially, they don't use standard supermarket ingredients here. Everything is extracted directly from natural sources, which makes it taste better and healthier."
Finn gave her a thumbs up. "Perfectly summarized."
Elissa stood to thank Willard's team members, expressing hope for productive collaboration.
"It's Mr. Larson's requirement, Mrs. Peterson. No thanks necessary," they assured her.
Elissa drained her glass.
After the satisfying meal, they returned to the hotel. Elissa had hoped to discuss design matters with Hope, but Francis pulled her into their room instead.
He pressed her against the door, his gaze intense.
Confused, Elissa asked, "What's wrong?"
Francis questioned her, "I've barely spoken all evening, and you haven't shown any concern?"
With genuine puzzlement, Elissa replied, "You don't typically talk much anyway, do you?"
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