Chapter 432 It's All My Fault
"I'm fine, I've pulled through," Francis said, standing tall but his voice heavy with emotion.
Elissa moved closer, about to say something, but Francis raised a hand to stop her. "Don’t," he said, his tone firm yet gentle.
Elissa paused, then nodded and took a step back.
Rainey, however, was seething. "What's with the act? Still trying to defend her?"
Francis turned to Rainey, his gaze steady. "She's my fiancée, soon to be my wife. If she makes you uncomfortable, it's on me. Besides, she hasn't done anything wrong."
Rainey was about to blow up when Jacob quickly stepped in, "Do you want to drive your mother to her grave?"
A flicker of emotion crossed Francis's eyes, but his voice stayed steady. "I don't get it. I just want to marry someone I love and have kids. Why are you all so against it? Even going so far as to send her to that place."
Elissa's eyes widened, realizing the Peterson family had a hand in this.
Hope gently squeezed her hand, signaling her to stay calm.
Elissa forced a bitter smile. She should have seen it coming. The Peterson family had been trying to get rid of her since she started dating Francis.
"I'm fine," she whispered to Hope, not wanting her to worry.
Francis, with his sharp hearing, turned to look at her.
Elissa shook her head slightly.
Only then did he feel reassured and continued, "I've made myself clear before, and I don't want to repeat it. I'm not trying to anger you, but I won't back down. Please, take a step back. I will marry Elissa. And I'm not bringing her here to be mistreated by you."
"You!" Rainey was so angry her chest hurt, her face turned pale, and she struggled to breathe, unable to speak for a long time.
Jacob tried to calm her down. "Take it easy, don't get worked up, breathe slowly..."
Rainey's breathing steadied, but her eyes were red as she stared at Francis.
Jacob spoke to Francis, "Haven't the recent events shown enough? The difference in status brings trouble. You're carrying the weight of the Peterson family, always under scrutiny. One wrong step and they'll pounce. And yet, you insist on holding onto a mistake."
Francis's eyes turned colder, "Dad, watch your words. Elissa is the love of my life."
Jacob was tired of repeating himself. Francis wouldn't listen or act according to their wishes. It was a deadlock.
Jacob sighed, "You've been unconscious for days, you don't know."
He could only recount the events, hoping Francis would make the right decision.
He continued, "Aiden had a backup plan. Even though you caught him, he had already contacted a reporter. When you caught him, that reporter released some videos. Now the internet is buzzing. When has the Peterson family ever been gossiped about over such nonsense?"
Francis replied calmly, "I'll handle the online issues. I came today not just to see Mom but to inform you that I'm marrying Elissa."
Rainey was the first to object, but Elysia interrupted, "Your mother needs to recover. Our family isn't in a position to hold a wedding right now. Let Elissa focus on her pregnancy. I heard the condition isn't good. A wedding would be too stressful and could lead to complications."
Elysia's words seemed caring but were actually a warning.
Francis gently pulled his arm away, "No wedding, just the marriage license."
"No way!" Rainey objected.
Elysia calmly said, "Getting the license is also a celebration, not suitable right now. Your relationship is strong, a little delay won't hurt."
"Your child will be a legitimate part of the Peterson family, so don't worry," she added.
Francis wanted to say more, but Elissa tugged at him. "I'm feeling a bit unwell."
Francis's expression changed, and he immediately carried her to find a doctor.
When they reached the obstetrics department, she patted his shoulder, "Put me down."
"Aren't you..." Francis instantly understood, "Distracting me?"
Elissa wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbing her nose against his.
She said softly, "Planning a wedding takes time, and in a few months, I'll be showing, which might make it hard to feel my best in a wedding dress. So, let's wait until after the baby is born—I want to be the most beautiful bride I can be."
Francis felt a pang of sorrow. "I was talking about the marriage license."
"Don't rush—I'm not ready to take that step yet."
Elissa smiled. "You won't refuse to marry me, right?" Francis asked.
He looked at her for a few seconds before finally relenting.
He kissed her forehead deeply, "I'm sorry for putting you through this."
"Never mind. Your love is deeply rooted in my heart."
Francis carried her towards the obstetrics department, but Elissa stopped him. "I'm fine..."
"Let's get a check-up, so I can be sure."
Back in the hospital room, Hope wanted to follow them but was held back by Jerry.
Only then did she realize Elissa was trying to get Francis away.
Knowing Elissa was fine, she felt relieved.
Just as she exhaled, Jerry spoke up, "I have something to say to you all."
Elysia said, "If you're speaking for them, it's unnecessary."
Jerry shook his head. "I just want to tell you, we had a thorough rescue plan that day. Francis could have dodged that bullet, but he didn't."
The expressions on the Peterson family members' faces shifted in different ways.
Jerry gave a meaningful look and then said, "That's all."
Hope was a bit puzzled.
"What are you trying to tell the Peterson family?" she asked.
Jerry wrapped his arm around her neck and grinned, "Wanna know?"
Hope could tell from his tone that he was up to no good.
"Forget it," she said, pulling away and walking off quickly.
With his long legs, Jerry caught up in just a few strides and pulled her into his arms. "I see you've gotten bold. You don't even want to kiss me anymore."
Was that just a kiss?
Besides, right before they returned from Eldoria, hadn't they kissed for a long time in the hospital?
Hope stayed silent.
Jerry poked her cheek with his index finger. "Are you mad?"
Hope turned her face away and huffed.
Jerry chuckled, "Now you're even impatient with me."
Hope shot him a glance. "I'll figure it out myself."
"Of course, my wife is the smartest."
Hope didn't even wait until they got home. As soon as she got in the car, she had almost sorted out her thoughts.
She guessed, "You want the Peterson family to know that Francis can protect himself and Elissa, and that he loves her deeply. He wouldn't leave her to die alone. Taking a bullet is also a sign of love, but he knows his limits. He won't sacrifice himself and leave Elissa heartbroken."
Jerry snapped his fingers. "My wife is brilliant."
Meanwhile, Elissa and Francis were also getting ready to head her home.
On the way, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she slapped Francis's thigh.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed.
Francis asked, "What's wrong?"
"I forgot about Anne."
Anne had mentioned a photoshoot, and Willard had been with her the whole time.
Elissa had been so preoccupied, thinking that with Willard there, everything would be fine.
Their return to the country had been a last-minute decision, and they left in a hurry.
Plus, she was feeling awful from the pregnancy.
With everything piling up, she had forgotten.
Sure enough, when she answered the call, Anne's voice was full of grievance, "Aren't we best friends?"
"Of course," Elissa coughed awkwardly, "I had an emergency...Sorry."
Anne was very understanding. "I know your situation is special. Just treat me to a meal. I'm flying to Maple Valley soon."
"Sure, order whatever you want."
"See you soon."
"Okay." Elissa hung up and nudged Francis, "Why didn't you remind me?"
Francis pointed to himself. "I think I just woke up not long ago."
Elissa texted Hope: [We forgot about Anne.]
Hope replied instantly with a shocked emoji.
They both sent a bunch of ellipses at the same time.
Elissa sent a voice message: [She wants me to treat her to a meal as compensation. She's boarding now, so she'll probably arrive around midnight.]
Hope replied: [Do you have any cravings?]
Elissa: [Not really, it's mainly about treating her. We'll see when the time comes.]
Hope then sent a message: [I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark about Francis's mom interfering. I didn't want to add more conflict between you two. But now I think Francis was right to bring it up. Otherwise, it would have been a ticking time bomb, hurting your relationship even more in the future.]
Elissa smiled and texted: [You don't need to apologize. Between us, there's no need for that. No matter what you do, I know it's for my good and you would never hurt me.]
Hope sent a kissing emoji, and Elissa replied with the same.
Looking up, Elissa suddenly noticed a store outside the car window.
"Francis!" she called out.
"What's wrong?" Francis, who was working on his tablet, was startled and dropped it onto the car seat. "Are you feeling unwell?"
His panicked look made Elissa laugh.
Elissa asked Felix to pull over, then cupped Francis's face. "I'm not laughing on purpose. I just want a sandwich."
Francis sighed in relief and immediately got out to buy one.
"Mr. Peterson, let me go," Felix offered.
Francis waved him off and walked towards the store.
"Your phone!" Elissa called, handing it to him.
Francis took it and quickened his pace.
While waiting in line, he took a picture of the menu and sent it to Elissa.
Francis: [What flavor do you want?]
Elissa: [Roast beef sandwich.]
Someone recognized Francis and started whispering.
Francis usually stayed out of the media spotlight.
But recently, Elissa's videos had gone viral, putting her in the public eye.
The Peterson family, wanting Francis to realize his mistake and separate from Elissa, had released some photos of him.
There were also photos taken by private investigators of him and Elissa together.
They had even subtly fueled the gossip.
However, the buzz didn't last long. Francis had those photos taken down, leaving only Elissa's videos online for his own purposes.
But some people had saved the photos and recognized him.
"Mr. Peterson must be buying a sandwich for his fiancée, right?"
"Probably. Otherwise, if he wanted one, the chef at home could make something cleaner and tastier than this place."
"I'm so jealous of his fiancée!"
"You're being so shallow. Just because he buys a sandwich, you think he's going all out for love. Have you even thought about it? Mr. Peterson is a golden boy. If he hadn't chosen a partner from a poor background, he wouldn't be eating something so basic."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a cold, sharp gaze on him.
The people who had been chatting with him quickly looked away.
But Francis just glanced at him.
His sandwich was ready, and he was eager to get it to Elissa.
He didn't linger.
He didn't need to explain anything to these clueless fools.
Besides, even if he did, they probably wouldn't understand.
Elissa had been watching Francis from the car window. When she saw him coming back, she opened the door for him. "Get in quickly."
Francis slid into the seat she had cleared for him.
Elissa took the sandwich and immediately ate one, smiling. "Thank you, you're the best in the world."
Francis took a wet wipe and helped her clean her hands. "If you looked at me while saying that, it would warm my heart even more."
Elissa stuffed a warm sandwich into his mouth. "Is it warm now?"
Francis almost spat it out from the heat.
He swallowed it after a moment and took a sip of cold water to cool down.
He watched her take big bites and reminded her, "It's hot. Slow down, no one's going to take it from you."
But after a few sandwiches, Elissa didn't want any more and gave the rest to him. "You eat."
Francis opened a thermos and poured her some warm water.
Elissa shook her head. "I want something cold. My stomach feels like it's burning."
Francis had no experience with this.
He could decide on food, but for other things, he needed to ask.
Seeing him about to make a call, Elissa grabbed the bottle of cold water from his hand and took a big gulp.
She exhaled deeply. "Much better."
Francis still couldn't relax. He got Coralie's contact and called her.
Coralie's voice was flat, "Pregnant women often feel hotter than usual. It's normal to want cold water. If she feels like having ice cream, a little bit is fine, just don't overdo it. If you have any concerns, just let me know."
Then she hung up.
Francis had heard about Coralie's temper.
Otherwise, the Armstrong family would have brought her back by now.
Coralie's child was already four years old.
He opened his notes and wrote it down.
Elissa curiously leaned over. "What did Ms. Bishop say?"
"Just some precautions."
Elissa leaned on his shoulder. "You can ask me. When Hope was pregnant, I read a lot of books and watched documentaries."
Francis finished his notes and put his phone away. "Share them with me. I'll watch too."
Elissa remembered how he had been sweating nervously and thought it might be better if he didn't watch those documentaries.
It might scare him so much he wouldn't sleep well.
As soon as they stepped inside, she bolted to the bathroom and threw up everything she had just eaten. Even though her stomach was nearly empty, she couldn't stop retching, her body convulsing with each wave of nausea.
Her face turned pale.
Francis stood by, holding warm water, gently patting her back.
But it didn't help.
He was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof.
He murmured, "I'm sorry."
Once Elissa felt better, rinsed her mouth, and he carried her to bed to rest, he apologized with a defeated look.
It seemed like all he could do was apologize.
He added, "It's all my fault."
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