Chapter 411 Bad Ending
Elissa thought for a moment and then said honestly, "That guy always had a thing for his secretary, right? Uma's just in a one-sided love."
Francis explained, "Back then, everyone said he liked his secretary, but he claimed it was just a business relationship. Uma believed him and even went after the secretary. But because of her actions, he realized his true feelings."
Elissa gasped, "No way, did that guy hurt Uma for the secretary?"
Francis nodded slightly, "Uma got obsessed and couldn't let it go. Things got pretty serious back then."
"Because of the Larson family's influence, they backed off and didn't do anything to Uma."
Elissa was shocked, "Wait, he wanted to do something to Uma? Didn't he realize his feelings?"
Francis laughed at her indignant expression, which earned him a glare.
He caught her fist and played with it absentmindedly, saying, "Uma got aggressive and tried to sleep with him, even brought in the media to force him to marry her."
Elissa sighed, "I didn't expect Uma to be in unrequited love. I think she still loves him."
Francis pinched her cheek. "Enough gossip, worrying too much will give you wrinkles."
Elissa asked, "So, the company name isn't changing, and that guy doesn't mind?"
"He's in Everglade City, far away, and has a good relationship with the Larson family. Plus, the name isn't exclusive to him."
True, there were many people with the same name.
No one would make the connection unless it was pointed out.
"Anything else you want to ask?"
Elissa shook her head, "I'm not interested in bad endings."
Two cars drove into Willard's place, one after the other.
Willard was waiting at the door and called Francis and Jerry over to talk.
Elissa went back to the room with Hope and told her about Uma.
Hope had already asked Jerry and knew the whole story.
Hope said, "Hopefully, she can move on. Being in unrequited love and holding on is pointless."
Elissa agreed, "Let's invite her to our event."
"Sure."
On the balcony, the three men sat down, and an aide poured tea and stood by.
Willard said, "Your plan has openly angered the Wright family."
Francis took a sip of tea, smirking but saying nothing.
Willard noticed the clear mockery and faint pleasure in his eyes and continued, "The Wright family knew about the substitute bride but didn't expose it. They just cooperated with the Baker family."
"But you had to make it public, and even exposed Veda's indulgent lifestyle."
"The public doesn't understand and thinks she's Aiden's new wife. Some people who dislike the Wright family are stirring up trouble, giving him a headache."
"But this should be resolved soon."
"However, the embarrassment will definitely lead to retaliation against you."
Francis didn't care.
Jerry spoke up, "As long as you're safe here, there won't be major issues."
Willard responded expressionlessly, "Aren't your women going out? Isn't there an event in a few days?"
Francis put down his coffee cup and said, "Anything else? If not, I'm outta here."
Willard, trying to keep his cool, asked, "How's the event set up? You haven't filled me in."
Francis hinted, "You want to catch Anne at the event, right?"
Willard coughed, "Don't blame me if I don't help and Elissa gets into trouble."
Francis shot back. "Anne was driven away by you? Well, who else is there to blame but yourself?"
"I didn't," Willard protested. "There were issues back then, not intentional..."
"Why explain to me?" Francis glanced at him. "I'm not your wife who despises you."
With that, Francis walked out with long strides.
Willard slapped the coffee table in frustration and turned to Jerry, "Why are we friends with someone like him?"
Jerry finished his tea, set down his cup, and patted Willard's shoulder. "You don't have to be friends with him, but unfortunately, you can't avoid repaying favors. Otherwise, you'd still be single by now."
They all used his resources and still criticized him!
"Besides, friendship doesn't matter as long as the benefits keep coming," Jerry continued.
Willard was speechless. But their attitude kept him from getting lost in flattery from others.
Elissa was making a work call, curled up on the couch with her laptop, handling some tasks.
Francis came in without her noticing.
Until he grabbed her ankle, sending a chill through her.
She instinctively pulled back but was yanked forward.
She fell into his arms, almost dropping her laptop, but he caught it and placed it on the coffee table.
"I'm not done yet..." Elissa pushed against him, "And didn't we agree, no more before the event?"
"What are you thinking?" Francis's eyes twinkled mischievously. "But if you want to..."
"No way!" Elissa immediately refused, pulling her leg back.
"Don't move." Francis held her and started massaging.
Elissa had been in heels all day, and her feet were sore.
She leaned in and kissed him.
Francis tapped her forehead with his finger, "Don't provoke me."
Elissa took her laptop and lay down to continue working.
She was so comfortable that she fell asleep without realizing it.
In a daze, she felt herself being lifted and placed on something soft. She turned over, found a comfortable position, and fell into a deep sleep.
Francis brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her. "Sweet dreams."
On the morning of the event, Elissa was woken up by a call from Finn.
Francis had been leaving early and coming back late, all meetings.
She tried waiting for him at night but always fell asleep.
Half-awake, she knew he came back.
When he held her, she turned and snuggled into his arms.
But in the morning, she was alone in bed.
Today was no different.
After getting ready, Hope came to find her.
"Jerry hasn't been back these days?"
Hope shook her head, "He went to Everglade City for something."
"Everglade City? Is he working with the guy Uma likes?"
"Yeah, he went to see him, but not for business."
Elissa was curious, "Then what for?"
Hope smiled, "It's our wedding anniversary, and he wanted to order a dress."
"Why didn't you go with him?"
"He used this as an excuse to help Francis with something else."
"What?"
"He didn't tell me."
Elissa found it odd, "He actually kept something from you?"
Hope didn't mind. Right now, Francis's matters were the priority. Whether his path was smooth or not was tied to Elissa's safety. Besides, she trusted Jerry. If he didn't say, there was a reason. When the time came, he wouldn't hide it from her.
"We'll find out eventually."
As they talked, they reached the parking area. Hayden had been waiting for a while.
Elissa wanted to drive herself but was refused, "Special times, you understand."
Elissa sat in the back and whispered to Hope, "Feels like I'm still trapped."
Hope reassured her, "It won't be like this forever, trust me."
Elissa smiled, "I thought you'd tell me to trust Francis."
Hope held her hand, "If I told you to trust him, you'd still be anxious. But I know you'll trust me unconditionally."
"Of course."
"Then that's enough."
They picked up Finn and went to get the ready-made clothes.
When they got them, both Elissa and Hope were amazed.
Even the simple designs were so exquisite. The more complex ones must be stunning.
"That's incredible," Elissa genuinely praised.
Finn said, "Well, I was the one who sourced the factory, after all."
Elissa gave him a thumbs up.
On the way to the event, she asked, "When will the rest be ready?"
Finn thought for a moment, "It'll take at least ten days to a month, maybe even one or two months. No rush."
Elissa shook her head, "I'm not in a hurry, just need to know. I have to go back to Maple Valley to handle some things."
Finn understood, "I'll let you know in advance, won't mess up your plans."
The event was still bustling, even at the end of the holiday.
Finn found them a great spot, and the stage was already set up.
"Finn, you're amazing! Tell me, what gift do you want? Let me thank you properly."
Finn didn't hold back, "Your car is nice, can I have one?"
Finn only had a small electric car and hadn't made much money over the years. Buying a Mercedes was a distant dream, let alone other luxury cars.
Elissa knew he was joking and raised an eyebrow, "Sure."
"Just hearing that is enough."
Finn laughed, looked around, and asked, "Did Anne say when she's coming?"
Elissa shook her head.
"Alright, you guys go change."
Anne arrived just on time.
Seeing Elissa and Hope in traditional outfits, she immediately started taking pictures.
"I'm lucky today." Uma walked over, hugging Anne, and said to Elissa and Hope, "I can't even get Anne to shoot for me. Today, I have to take advantage and get some shots."
Uma approached Elissa, "Do you have my size?"
"With your figure, what wouldn't fit?"
Elissa pulled her to the dressing room, helped her change, and did her makeup.
A crowd had already gathered around them.
Finn plugged in the sound system and started the music.
"Elissa, ready?"
"Yes."
Finn took on the role of host with enthusiasm.
He announced, "Everyone, this is a fusion of rock art and modern clothing, blending traditional attire with vibrant, modern colors. It's definitely worth sticking around to appreciate."
He glanced backstage to ensure Elissa and the others were ready, then switched the music. "Let's welcome our first model..."
Elissa, who had modeled part-time before, confidently took the stage.
Hope was a bit nervous but became natural and graceful once on stage.
Uma, having attended various social events and galas since childhood, found this a piece of cake.
Anne was the busiest, capturing shots from all angles.
With the growing crowd, it became difficult for her to move around.
"Is there no security?" she asked Finn, "People crowding the stage is dangerous."
The event had security, but not dedicated to one booth.
Their activity, while significant, wasn't as large as other major events.
The crowd was more for the overall event, not just their booth.
Finn wanted Elissa and the others to get noticed but didn't expect such enthusiasm.
Fortunately, Hayden and his team came to maintain order.
Luckily, they didn't have many outfits to showcase this time.
"Are these clothes for sale?" someone asked.
Finn replied, "Not yet in mass production. You can follow our brand for updates."
"It's ElevateJoy!" someone exclaimed.
Those who knew ElevateJoy started following them.
"But..." someone worried, "ElevateJoy is a mid-to-high-end brand. With this ancient culture addition, won't it be more expensive?"
Elissa took the microphone, "Don't worry, everyone. We'll have both high-end and affordable options. Stay tuned."
"Alright! We'll be waiting."
The event was a success. Elissa and the others didn't change back, taking more photos with Anne.
"That's Anne!"
Anne, sucking on a lollipop, was in a corner, transferring photos to a hard drive.
Someone noticed her.
She didn't plan to greet them, pretending not to see.
Finn started dispersing the crowd.
"Can we get a signed photo of Anne?" someone asked.
No way.
Anne's photos were valuable.
Finn was lucky to get one.
A signed one? He didn't dare dream.
Finn said, "Everyone, please disperse. We're showcasing clothes, not a celebrity meet-and-greet. And the photographer is just here for the shoot, please understand."
Someone, undeterred, approached Anne but was stopped by Hayden.
The man said, "I just want her to take a photo of me. I'll pay, whatever it costs."
Hayden said nothing, just threw him out.
Elissa packed up, waited for Anne to finish transferring photos, and headed to the parking lot together.
Anne looked around, puzzled, "No one in sight?"
Elissa teased, "Hoping he'd come to catch you?"
"Of course not. Just seems out of character for him. Something's off."
Uma said, "He can't come. There's an important meeting."
Anne was relieved, "I'm in a good mood today. Your photos get a 9.99% discount."
No one was surprised.
"Elissa!"
In an instant, everything changed.
Elissa turned towards the voice, her face showing panic, her body trembling.
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