Chapter 445 Joy Comes Before Sorrow
Jerry didn't hold back. "Even though my wife helped you out for Elissa's sake, she still put in the effort. Consider it a favor you owe us. If my wife ever needs help, you gotta step up."
What was he, a wishing tree?
One after another, everyone wanted him to owe them favors.
But the words were already out, and there was no taking them back.
Regardless, he got some useful information.
Willard nodded. "Alright."
Jerry left, satisfied.
On the way to the airport, he sent a message to Hope, asking for a reward.
After a while, she sent back a photo.
The moment Jerry saw it, he felt a rush of heat. Hope was all he could think about, and he was barely able to hold himself back.
Jerry's private jet landed, and without a moment's rest, he headed straight to Tranquil Haven.
He opened the bedroom door and saw a small lump on the bed.
He closed the door with his foot, walking over while unbuttoning his shirt.
Hope, doing something like this for the first time, was nervous.
Every little sound made her jump.
When a hot, large hand reached under the covers and grabbed her, she yelped.
The next second, the covers were thrown back.
The photo didn't do justice to the real thing.
With the dim, soft yellow light, the sheer red fabric barely covered her skin.
The almost-but-not-quite exposure was the most enticing.
Jerry felt a tickle in his nose.
Before he could raise his hand, Hope jumped up. "You're having a nosebleed!"
Jerry had never been this embarrassed in years.
Hope was just a bit sexy, and he was already like this.
"Why are you having a nosebleed all of a sudden?"
Hope grabbed a tissue to wipe it for him.
Jerry held her hand, leaning in close, his voice husky. "Why do you think?"
Hope hadn't expected such a strong reaction from him.
He'd been saying he was tired of her lately, and she thought he was just busy with all the traveling. She wanted to bring some freshness.
After talking with Elissa, Elissa gave her this little piece of lingerie.
It was originally for Elissa and Francis, but Elissa got pregnant.
She and Elissa had similar figures, so it fit.
Now, she regretted it a bit.
"Go wash up."
Jerry's gaze moved up and down, his eyes growing darker.
He scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom.
His voice was husky, carrying a hint of sensuality, "Do me a favor today, will you?"
Maple Valley
After dinner, Anne asked about the filming schedule.
Ernest told her to rest first.
"I'm fine, just a cold. It won't delay anything."
Ernest rarely got serious. "You can't joke about your health."
Anne was taken aback.
Ernest quickly softened. "I don't mean to lecture you. This shoot isn't that important. Get well first."
Anne agreed. Being sick was uncomfortable, so she didn't argue.
She took her medicine and went back to sleep.
Ernest tidied up, made a call to arrange the filming, and stayed in the living room to be nearby in case she needed anything.
Anne slept until the next morning.
She went out to get some water and found Ernest sleeping on the couch.
Realizing she had taken his master bedroom, Anne felt a pang of guilt.
Even though she saw him as family, she should have respected boundaries and stayed in the guest room.
Seeing his blanket half off, she tiptoed over to cover him.
Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed.
She looked into Ernest's sleepy but deeply affectionate eyes.
He murmured, "Ann, only in my dreams do I dare to tell you I like..."
A sudden vibration, like an alarm, snapped Ernest awake.
He quickly let go of her hand.
Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, seeing Anne's confused expression. Regret flashed in his eyes. "Sorry, I thought I was dreaming."
Anne stood up slowly, feeling something was off but instinctively knowing not to ask.
"Mr. Torres, your phone. It seems urgent."
Ernest immediately picked up his phone and went to the window to answer.
Anne got some water, and as she drank, she realized what was off.
She suddenly remembered Willard's hostility towards Ernest.
She had thought it was just Willard's possessiveness, not wanting her, his nominal wife, to be close to other men.
Now she understood that hostility was like the male lions she had filmed, fighting over a lioness.
Ernest...
Realizing the possibility, Anne didn't know how to react.
Panicking, she tried to leave, but in her haste, she knocked over a glass, shattering it.
Ernest heard the noise and rushed over, grabbing her hand as she tried to pick up the pieces.
Ernest called out, "Don't move!"
He checked her hand and body for injuries, worried she might be hurt.
He continued, "Stand back. I'll clean it up."
Previously, Anne had believed that Ernest treated her as family too, not out of romantic affection.
Realizing he was in love with her, Anne couldn't face him naturally. She grabbed her bag and tried to leave.
Ernest, quick-witted, saw through her immediately.
"Ann." He blocked her at the entrance. "You figured it out, didn't you?"
Anne pressed her lips together, silent.
She reached for the door.
Ernest blocked the handle, gentle but firm. "You're in such a hurry to leave. You must have realized. I never wanted to be just family with you. I lo..."
"Mr. Torres!" Anne cut him off. "I remember all your kindness. I'll repay you, with everything I have! So, let's leave it at that."
She still wanted to be a photographer, and her paths would cross with Ernest often.
And she didn't want to lose Ernest as a friend.
Ernest, reading her expression, guessed her thoughts.
A flash of hurt crossed his eyes.
He wanted to say more, but all that came out was a bitter "Alright."
He stepped aside, watching her hurried steps until she disappeared into the elevator.
His usual warmth vanished, and he punched the door.
Damn it.
How could he not tell dream from reality?
From now on, they couldn't interact as naturally as before.
Quinton heard the commotion and came out, seeing Ernest's frustration.
He didn't linger, quickly heading downstairs.
Sure enough, he saw Anne coming out of the elevator.
It looked like they had argued.
Great!
He immediately reported to Willard.
Willard, receiving Quinton's message, couldn't help but smile.
Nothing could bring his smile down.
Louis came to check on the post-surgery situation.
Seeing how he looked, it seemed he didn't need any psychological treatment.
After noting down his physical condition, Louis turned to leave.
But Willard called out to him, "Why don't you ask me?"
Louis had known him for many years.
But he rarely asked about his personal life.
It was only when helping him with psychological issues that he learned about his situation with Anne.
Normally, he didn't care for gossip.
"I'm busy," Louis replied coldly and continued walking.
Willard found him boring. "With that personality, no wonder Isla doesn't like you."
Louis stopped but kept his back to Willard.
Willard waited, but hearing no response, continued, "As a doctor, you face death almost every day. It's fine to be a bit cold, but you can't be indifferent to everyone and everything."
"She was your sister for so many years, always keeping a distance. When she found out she wasn't your real sister and knew your feelings, she immediately distanced herself, even going to faraway Skyview City for college."
"She was raised in a warm place. When you and Yves took her to Skyview City, she couldn't adapt and had allergies. Yet she still went."
"Louis, when you were helping me with my psychological issues, did you ever think about your own problems?"
Louis had always been cold since childhood.
Even though he and Yves were twins, their personalities were worlds apart.
Yves was more social.
The Armstrong family's network relied entirely on Yves.
Louis only needed to focus on medicine and saving lives.
He didn't have to deal with socializing.
Isla had always preferred Yves.
She liked to stick to him because Yves was always warm and smiling.
He told interesting stories.
With Louis, it was just polite exchanges.
If they were alone, she would find an excuse to leave within a minute.
Later, when it was discovered she wasn't his real sister but had been switched at birth, the hidden feelings he had buried surfaced.
But she avoided him even more.
Even though she couldn't adapt to Skyview City and had life-threatening allergies, she stayed there after graduation, working.
He tried to forcefully bring her back.
But it only worsened their relationship.
Eventually, she threatened to die if he didn't let go.
Thinking back, it had been a long time since anyone mentioned this taboo topic.
He turned around, his eyes icy, his doctor's uniform making him look even colder. "Being so self-righteous is why you got divorced."
Willard was in a good mood today, so he didn't care about Louis's words.
He retorted, "At least she became my wife. What about you?"
Louis's face was a mask of ice, betraying no emotion. "Take care of yourself. Joy often comes before sorrow."
Louis felt he was wasting his time arguing with him, as it was completely pointless.
"Boring." He left the room with a cold remark.
Anne left Ernest's place but suddenly realized she had nowhere to go.
She had no work at the moment and wasn't familiar with Meadowbrook City.
She didn't want to go back to Seaside City either.
So she wandered aimlessly.
Quinton followed her at a distance, reporting her situation to Willard.
Anne walked for a while, found something to eat, and sat by the roadside for a bit before heading to Maple Valley.
This season, the rare animals she could photograph had already been captured.
Apart from the red carpet shoot Ernest mentioned, there were no other activities.
If she asked in the work group, Ernest would surely find out.
She didn't want any connection with him right now.
She needed to calm down.
Elissa had mentioned shooting for the ElevateJoy brand.
She could also talk to Elissa to avoid getting stuck in her thoughts.
Quinton followed Anne to the airport, guessing she was heading to Maple Valley, and bought a ticket for Maple Valley.
Sure enough, Anne went through the security check for a flight to Maple Valley.
Quinton messaged Willard: [Mr. Larson, Mrs. Larson went to Maple Valley, probably to see Mrs. Peterson.]
Willard synced with Francis. He texted: [Do you need any help recently?]
Francis replied: [No.]
Willard: [You can ask for my help next time.]
Francis: [I can't control my wife, don't even think about it.]
Willard: [Not even a little favor?]
Francis: [Unlike you, I cherish my hard-won wife.]
Willard was speechless.
He cursed under his breath, almost breaking his phone screen as he typed.
Willard: [Even murderers can plead not guilty. Why can't I have a chance to change?]
Francis: [Telling me won't help. I'm not the one you hurt deeply, Anne is.]
Willard threw his phone aside, ignoring Louis's discharge time, and called Hayes to get clothes from home. He was going to Maple Valley.
Hayes reached the door and suddenly bowed respectfully.
Willard saw Hayes step aside, revealing a familiar face.
As the person approached, they patted him on the shoulder.
He didn't need to guess; he knew Uma had told Nia.
He had upset her, and she was definitely getting back at him.
"Having surgery is a big deal, and you didn't tell me."
Willard replied casually, "With Louis, there was no problem."
Nia glared at him. "At least I could have signed the consent form. What, did you think Anne, who you drove away, would sign it for you?"
Willard was speechless. "Are you here to make my wounds worse?"
Nia suddenly sighed. "You've been avoiding home, hiding from me and your dad. Is it because you know Ann came to us, asking us to persuade you to divorce?"
Willard's lips pressed into a thin line, saying nothing.
Nia slapped his shoulder again. "I told you before, it wouldn't work. You said the age gap was too big, that Anne was too young, hadn't seen the world, didn't understand love. You deliberately ignored her, hoping she'd give up on you. Now that Anne has given up, why are you unhappy?"
Willard regretted it.
His own actions had already made him angry enough.
Now, one after another, people kept reminding him.
He was really annoyed.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his irritation and solemnly promised, "When I get out of here, I'll properly pursue her."
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