Chapter 408 That Girl
Hayden glanced at Francis's face and continued, "Everyone knows about you and Mrs. Peterson now."
"Ivan's in the middle of a divorce, so Aiden might try to team up with him. If you drop everything for Mrs. Peterson, you'll be walking right into Aiden's trap," he added.
After finishing his report, Hayden noticed that Francis's expression hadn't changed at all.
He missed Simon terribly.
Simon was the best at reading Francis's mind.
But because he was so good at it, he got sent to Solstice.
Hayden tentatively suggested, "As long as we keep Ivan away from Mrs. Peterson, Aiden's plan won't work."
The car fell silent.
They had arrived at the meeting place.
Francis didn't give any instructions, just raised his hand.
Hayden got out, opened the car door, and shielded him as he stepped out.
"Mr. Peterson, so what should we do next..."
"Nothing." With that, Francis strode inside.
Felix, munching on a sandwich, remarked to Hayden, "Mr. Peterson's reaction seems a bit off."
Hayden shot him a look, "I thought you only cared about food."
Felix replied, "I need to eat to think."
Hayden sighed, "Sure, whatever."
When Willard saw Francis, he immediately teased him, "Heard you ran into Elissa's ex-boyfriend?"
Francis didn't respond, just pulled out a chair and sat down.
Something flickered in Willard's eyes, but he didn't push it. "Aiden went to Emerald City today."
"Yeah."
What kind of reaction was that?
Willard asked, "What's your plan?"
Francis replied indifferently, "No plan."
That was unlike Francis.
Willard reminded him, "If Aiden manages to locate Elissa's ex, her father might be his next target. While the Peterson family is keeping quiet for now because of our arrangement, if something happens to her father, there's nothing I can do about it."
He added, "You better be prepared. Aiden will definitely take advantage of any opportunity, and if the Peterson family gets involved, you might not be able to handle it."
Jerry had already sent people to watch Elissa's father.
Francis had also reassigned Simon from Solstice to keep an eye on him.
Unless Aiden could teleport, he wouldn't be able to get Elissa's father in front of them.
"Are you jealous? Why so quiet?" Willard asked.
He was used to Francis being reserved, but today seemed different.
"Is Ivan really worth your concern?" Willard pressed on.
Francis took a sip of water, rubbed his temples, and said irritably, "You're annoying."
Willard retorted, "Ungrateful."
Hayden, waiting nearby, was speechless.
These two were so childish.
At the hotel, Elissa finally got up when room service brought breakfast.
Francis had texted her, asking if she was awake.
She replied while opening the door.
Hope walked in, smiling, "Your love life seems pretty intense lately."
Elissa, brushing her teeth, laughed, "You're one to talk."
Hope touched her nose, "They say after thirty, it's not as..."
"Don't even go there." Elissa rinsed her mouth, "I questioned his age yesterday."
Hope laughed, "You're brave. I only joke with you."
Elissa finished washing up, and they sat down to eat.
She sighed, "Men and their egos."
Hope agreed.
Just as Elissa was about to eat, her phone rang.
"Is he that clingy?" Hope teased, "You see each other every day and still text so much."
Elissa checked her phone, her face darkening.
Hope guessed who it was.
Elissa handed her the phone.
Hope asked, "You didn't block him?"
"I did. He used a new number."
Ivan had sent long messages, regardless of whether Elissa would reply.
He claimed that someone with Francis's background would never marry her, urging her to cut her losses before getting hurt.
He said he was getting a divorce and couldn't forget her, wanting to reconcile because he truly cared.
He explained that the woman with him yesterday was just a fling, and nothing happened.
He promised that if they got back together, it wouldn't happen again.
Hope summarized it: Ivan's messages were condescending, pretending to care for Elissa while implying she should be grateful for his attention.
Ivan hadn't always been like this.
Who knew what he'd been through these past years.
"If he weren't rich, I'd call him delusional. But unfortunately, Ivan does have some clout."
Elissa rolled her eyes, "He's just a businessman with some money. He can't compare to Jerry."
"Why not compare him to Francis?"
"There's no comparison."
Hope dragged out her response.
Elissa added food to Hope's plate, "Don't tell Francis or Jerry."
Hope ate the broccoli and agreed, "Got it."
Elissa blocked Ivan's number.
Ignoring him was best; engaging only encouraged him.
But they didn't expect to be confronted by Ivan outside the hotel.
"Why didn't you reply to my messages?"
Ivan tried to grab Elissa's hand, but she quickly stepped back.
"You haven't even divorced yet. Don't you care about your reputation? If you keep harassing me, I'll expose you online," Elissa said coldly.
Ivan was frustrated, "I'm doing this for your own good. Why won't you listen? You've only known Francis for a short time. Do you know how cunning he is? We understand each other better. You're just having fun now, but it could cost you your life."
Elissa coldly replied, "Stay away from me. You disgust me. I don't need you to worry about me."
Ivan tried to drag Elissa away but was kicked aside.
He looked up to see Francis approaching, eyes sharp as knives, exuding a chilling aura.
Francis's shadow loomed over him as he stepped on Ivan's stomach.
Francis's eyes burned with anger. "I didn't warn you yesterday, so you didn't get the message. Today, I'll make sure you understand who you shouldn't mess with."
Ivan's face turned pale with pain, sweat pouring down.
He tried to break free but was pinned down.
"Elissa, do you see this?" He shouted, "To someone like him, lives are like ants. He'll crush you without a second thought. Stop being stubborn. I'm really trying to help you!"
Elissa didn't intervene because she knew Francis.
If she spoke up, it would only make him angrier.
She also knew Francis wouldn't kill Ivan, despite his threats.
Hope stayed silent too.
Ivan needed to be put in his place.
Ivan screamed, "Elissa, you can't marry him! Stop dreaming!"
Ivan was in so much pain he couldn't speak anymore.
Even begging for mercy was difficult.
He was this close to having his genitals severely injured.
Francis withdrew his foot, and Ivan immediately curled up in pain.
Francis raised his hand, and Felix stepped forward to drag Ivan away.
Francis said coldly, "Tell the Garcia family that if they don't want to be wiped out, they better keep an eye on him."
Felix responded, "Yes, Mr. Peterson."
The hotel entrance returned to calm.
Elissa finally approached and asked, "Why did you come back suddenly? Didn't you say you had something to do this afternoon?"
Francis's cold demeanor melted away as he gently patted her head. "Plans changed. I wanted to check on you."
Elissa was skeptical. "You told me you had people watching me. You must have known Ivan would show up. You just wanted an excuse to beat him up."
Francis wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her into his embrace. "That's why you're my fiancée. You know me so well."
"Can you two consider my feelings?" Hope interjected. "Should I cancel my plans with Elissa so you two can go on a date?"
"There will be plenty of time for dates." Elissa quickly linked arms with Hope. "It's not easy to steal you away from Jerry. Let's enjoy ourselves while he's busy."
She turned to Francis, "You should get back to work. Don't interrupt us. We're going shopping."
Francis indeed had more to do and arranged for Arthur and Sebastian to keep an eye on things.
Francis said to Elissa, "Don't deliberately leave their sight. Ivan showing up wasn't a coincidence."
"Got it." Elissa waved him off and walked away hand-in-hand with Hope.
Francis's expression turned icy again. "Head to Emerald City. Aiden's getting married. Let's send a gift."
Elissa and Hope first visited Finn.
Finn's eye was bruised and swollen, barely able to open.
Elissa asked if he had applied any medicine.
Finn replied, "Yes, but it takes time to heal. Don't worry, my eye is fine. Mr. Peterson had me thoroughly checked at the hospital last night."
"Elissa, Mr. Peterson is really great. When you two get married, you must invite me. I want to congratulate you both," he added.
Elissa knew Francis was attentive, but she hadn't realized just how much.
She smiled, "Of course, you won't be left out. Since you're okay, we're off to have some fun. We'll see you in a few days when the clothes are ready. "
Finn saw them to the door, "See you later."
Elissa and Hope went to a traditional clothing store on a bustling street.
Unexpectedly, they ran into the girl from last night.
The well-reviewed store online turned out to be hers.
What were the odds?
Hope said, "Is this fate? There are plenty of traditional clothing stores in Seaside City, and you found mine."
Elissa felt unlucky.
She pulled Hope and turned to leave.
This girl was with Ivan, better not to stir up trouble.
It wasn't that she was afraid, but given Francis's current situation, she couldn't afford to create more issues.
The girl blocked their way. "Since you're here, why not take a look?"
Traditional clothing had always been around, but it had only become popular in the past couple of years.
Celebrities had started promoting it.
A small store like this was either a rich kid's hobby or backed by someone powerful.
If it were the first, this girl wouldn't be hanging around Ivan.
If it were the second, it wouldn't be Ivan. After his marriage, his wife would control major investments.
The one most eager to cause trouble for them now was Aiden.
Damn it.
If she had known, she would have asked Francis for more details earlier.
Elissa refused, "No thanks, we suddenly want to check out other places."
The girl grabbed Elissa's wrist.
Elissa immediately pulled back and called out for Arthur.
The girl whispered in her ear, "Hope I see you alive next time."
Leaving the store, Elissa still felt a chill down her spine.
Hope gently patted her back, comforting her, "Let's not panic. We'll talk to Francis first. She's out in the open now, nothing to fear."
Elissa had anticipated many dangers when she broke up a while ago.
This path was full of thorns, and even if she made it through, she'd be covered in scars.
But since they had reconciled, she was determined to stand by Francis.
"Arthur."
"Mrs. Peterson."
Elissa paused, "What did you call me?"
If she remembered correctly, they had always called her "Ms. Wilson." When did that change?
"You're going to marry Mr. Peterson, so we had to change it."
Mrs. Peterson—she had heard that title the night before.
"Since that's the case, you'll answer my questions honestly, right?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"The girl in the store was the same one from the porridge shop last night."
"Yes, she's had contact with Aiden's subordinates. We can't rule out that she's one of Aiden's people, but we don't have concrete evidence yet."
Elissa had guessed right.
"So, Ivan was deliberately brought to the porridge shop?"
Arthur replied, "Theoretically, yes."
"Does that mean Aiden has been watching me? How else would he know I was going to the porridge shop and arrange for Ivan to be there?"
"Mr. Peterson is also being watched. The Wright family has had a long-standing grudge against us. Now that Mr. Peterson is trying to expand quickly, Aiden will do anything to stop him."
Elissa didn't fully understand, "Does he have to go against Francis? Can't they each stay in their own territory?"
Arthur lowered his voice, "The Wright family has always been overshadowed by the Peterson family. They want to stop Mr. Peterson to gain the upper hand. "That way, they can surpass the Peterson family."
Elissa got the gist, "So, I'm a hindrance to Francis."
Arthur was alarmed, "Don't say that. Sometimes, marrying someone of equal status doesn't guarantee stability. Mr. Peterson is capable. He can choose to marry someone he likes."
Elissa felt a warm sweetness in her heart.
Hope saw her happiness but couldn't help feeling a bit worried.
"Let's go back to the hotel. We can explore this cultural stuff later."
Elissa knew Hope was concerned, "Let's buy some to take back. We can follow videos and do it together. Since we're here, we should at least learn a bit."
Arthur said, "Mrs. Elissa Peterson, Mrs. Hammer, don't worry. If you want to experience traditional culture, you can do it at the hotel. Mr. Francis Peterson has made arrangements. Sebastian and I will ensure your safety. And Mr. Hammer's people are also in the shadows."
Feeling reassured, Elissa and Hope found another store.
They spent the afternoon trying on various traditional outfits and took lots of photos to post on Facebook.
Elissa was surprised that despite being so busy, Francis had time to comment.
At that moment, Francis was at the Baker Mansion.
Aiden had come to Emerald City to get a marriage license with the Baker Family's daughter.
This would completely bind them together.
They were just waiting for the right time to hold a wedding and announce it to the world.
But that opportunity wouldn't come.
"This Baker Family daughter doesn't look like the one I met before," Francis asked.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
