Chapter 456 Uncle, Please Stop Hitting!
Hope was jolted awake by a familiar voice.
She stumbled backward, but a large hand steadied her.
Francis had already rushed over, pulling Elissa into his arms protectively.
Willard had just reached Anne, but she quickly ran to Elissa's side, putting distance between herself and him.
'This is what it means to have different fates despite being in the same situation,' Willard thought.
"Hope, you okay?" Elissa broke the silence first.
Hope shook her head.
Elissa turned to the woman, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Cut the crap. If anything happens to my friend, you're gonna regret it."
The woman remained calm. "I'm just doing my job, waiting for the owner of this dress. Once they arrive, I'll inform them."
Elissa wanted to say more, but Francis gently tugged her arm.
Before she could react, Francis had already picked her up and was leaving the black market.
Similarly, Hope was carried out by Jerry.
Anne hurried to catch up but suddenly saw something and changed direction.
"Excuse me, is this an antler?"
"Yeah, it's a moose antler. I only have this pair. If you want it, this is the price."
The skinny man held up five fingers.
Anne's innocent eyes instantly turned cold.
"Do you know that moose are endangered and protected animals? What you're doing is illegal."
The skinny man laughed as if he had heard a joke.
"Get lost, don't interrupt my business."
Anne didn't budge. "I'll buy the antler."
"Not for sale."
"You!"
Anne was furious but then heard him say, "We have our own rules here. If you don't understand, leave quietly, or else..."
"Or else what?"
Willard spoke up, standing protectively behind Anne.
But the skinny man wasn't intimidated. "Or else, you'll lose your life here."
Willard replied calmly, "You're just trying to raise the price because she looks naive. Still the same price you mentioned. I'll take the antler. If you don't agree, I don't mind showing you my methods."
The skinny man had been in the black market for years.
The people here were diverse, but he could tell from their demeanor and attire who had money.
Of course, he would sell it for more if he could.
"This is a rare item, a one-of-a-kind piece. It's priceless."
Willard glanced at Anne, seeing her eyes redden as she stared at the antler.
He lost patience and took out his phone to make a call.
Maple Valley wasn't familiar territory for him, and Francis and Jerry were preoccupied.
But the Larson family had extensive connections.
Over a century, their network was vast, and they could always find someone to handle things.
Though dealing with the black market was a bit tricky.
"Don't worry." Willard handed Anne a tissue. "I'll take care of it."
Anne had no one else to turn to.
Elissa was her sister, but she was pregnant, and Anne didn't want her involved in this.
Hope wasn't in a good state either.
She had no choice but to trust Willard for now.
"This time, I owe you one. You can ask for anything within my ability."
Willard hadn't expected this. He was about to say something when she added, "Except for getting back together."
Willard paused, then quietly said, "The divorce papers are legit. Don't dig into it further; it might mess things up for Elissa."
Anne pursed her lips, barely responding.
Who would've thought the man who was always cunning and deceitful would be honest for once?
"You two can flirt somewhere else. There's all sorts of stuff for sale here, even foreign drugs that guarantee a good time." The skinny man shooed them away. "Don't block my business."
Willard pulled Anne aside, avoiding the whip in the skinny man's hand.
Anne frowned. "I think there's something off about that whip."
Willard covered her mouth. "Be patient."
Anne had no choice but to wait.
Meanwhile, Francis placed Elissa in the car and instructed Felix to drive.
"Hold up." She stopped him, and Felix actually halted.
Francis gritted his teeth, deciding to replace Felix.
Elissa cupped his face and kissed him. "Anne hasn't caught up yet."
"Someone will bring her." Francis kicked the front seat. "Drive."
Elissa wanted to say more but was silenced.
Felix didn't wait for Elissa's command and started the car, raising the partition.
Francis needed to control himself, not kissing her for too long.
He held her chin, his voice slightly cold. "Darling, you're quite something, showing our child the world so early."
Elissa knew she was at fault, but she did it for Anne.
She straightened her back a bit.
"If you hadn't teamed up with Willard to deceive us, I wouldn't have risked bringing Anne to the black market."
Francis couldn't really argue with her.
He didn't want her to get too worked up and hurt herself or the baby.
He suppressed his anger and patiently explained, "You didn't believe me. I already told you the divorce papers are real."
Elissa scoffed. "And whose fault is that? It's you men who are untrustworthy."
Francis weakly retorted, "I've always been honest with you. Tonight, it seems you broke our agreement and deceived me."
The more guilty she felt, the louder her voice became.
Elissa said, "I didn't. Don't accuse me. I did stay at the hotel with Anne. We just went out for a bit before bed. I can't report everything to you."
Francis's voice turned plaintive. "But I report everything to you."
Seeing this approach wasn't working, Elissa leaned in to kiss him.
She deliberately bit his Adam's apple.
Francis's grip tightened, pulling her into his arms.
Feeling her soft hand starting to misbehave, he quickly restrained it.
"It's all my fault. Please don't do this."
Elissa whispered in his ear, "I'm stable now. Tonight, let me make it up to you for what I did, alright?"
Francis was on the verge of losing control, desire burning inside him. He knew this was a sweet surrender, a tender snare—once caught, there was no way out.
Tonight's issue would be dropped because of this.
As soon as the car stopped in the underground garage, Francis carried her upstairs.
Elissa suggested the car, but he feared it would be too cramped and hurt her.
His eagerness made her find him adorable.
The bedroom door was kicked open by Francis.
Even in his urgency, he didn't forget to gently place her on the bed.
Elissa lifted her leg, hooking it around his waist.
Francis buried his face in her neck and shoulder, breathing raggedly. "I can't take it anymore," he whispered, his voice thick with desire.
Elissa let out a soft laugh. "Me neither. Come on…"
Hope's mind cleared as soon as she got into the car.
She rubbed her face, suddenly feeling a bit scared.
If something happened to her, what would Jerry do? What about Elsa?
"I'm sorry."
Jerry handed her a cup of hot water, gently massaging the back of her neck.
"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."
Hope took a sip of water and asked, "Do you know what that was all about?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I don't come to the black market often, but that shop has been around for a long time. People have been curious before, but they never came back."
Jerry noticed her trembling and pulled her into his arms, offering comfort and explanation.
"I heard it's some kind of witchcraft, centered around that dress. But I don't know the details. Don't worry, I'll find out for you. Just rest for the next couple of days."
Hope suddenly remembered, "Did Anne catch up with us?"
Jerry squeezed the back of her neck, a mild reprimand.
"Did you forget about Willard?"
"Aren't they divorced?"
"Divorced or not, he'll still take care of it."
"Okay."
Jerry suddenly cupped the back of her neck, pulling her close until their foreheads touched.
"From now on, if something happens, tell me. I'll never lie to you."
Anne checked the time; they had been waiting for a long time.
As midnight approached, more people started to come and go.
The antler had been inquired about several times.
She was afraid the next person would buy it.
"Willard, who are you waiting for?"
Willard leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking relaxed. "Someone who can handle them."
Anne still couldn't fully trust him, instinctively feeling he was scheming and lying.
"This is Maple Valley."
"I know."
Anne didn't want to wait any longer, but as she walked over, she heard the skinny man's excited voice.
"Sir, you're generous. This antler will bring you great business success. Also, there's a remedy that can..."
"I'll definitely try it."
Seeing the burly man about to pay, Anne hurried to stop him.
"You can't buy this. It's a moose antler, illegal. If you buy it, the police will arrest you."
The skinny man shoved Anne aside. "Little girl, if you keep interfering with my business, I'll kill you!"
A slender, well-defined hand grabbed the skinny man's threatening fist.
Willard's eyes were cold as he twisted the man's wrist.
His voice was equally cold, "Who are you gonna kill?"
The skinny man had never been treated like this in the black market.
People usually coveted his goods.
And everyone knew the black market was beyond the law's reach.
People came here just to buy things.
This was the first time someone had come to cause trouble.
"Help!"
The skinny man shouted, and suddenly many people appeared.
They surrounded Anne and Willard.
Anne was a bit scared and moved closer to Willard.
Willard, in a better mood, even smiled.
The skinny man's eyes narrowed as he signaled. "Give them a real welcome—make sure they never crawl out of hell. No one gets in the way of my business."
Anne clutched Willard's shirt. She hated the skinny man.
Because he hurt animals for money.
She couldn't help but speak, "You should go to hell. In your next life, you should be a moose, so you can understand what it's like to have your antlers taken. In this world, what goes around comes around. Your retribution will come."
The skinny man laughed, "So naive. Maybe I should put you on the market too. I bet I could fetch a high price for you. If you're still a virgin..."
Before he could finish his lewd comment, Willard punched him in the face.
Willard hit him again and again, distorting the skinny man's face as blood and two teeth flew from his mouth.
The sight of blood in Willard's eyes made Anne realize he was seeing red.
She quickly stepped in to stop him.
Anne was about to call his name but remembered where they were.
She couldn't reveal their identities.
She quickly changed her tone, "Uncle, please stop!"
Willard's fierce expression faltered.
Distracted, he saw someone swinging a club at Anne. He instinctively pulled her into his arms.
The club hit Willard's broad back, snapping instantly.
The force was evident.
Willard couldn't imagine what would have happened if the club had hit her.
Her smooth skin, fragile bones, would have been severely injured.
Anne, despite their divorce, hurried to check his injury.
Willard held her hand. "I'm fine."
How could he be fine? Sweat covered his forehead.
Anne, in her panic, started crying uncontrollably.
She couldn't speak; opening her mouth only made her cry more.
She could only sob.
Willard held her, patting her back, his voice teasing, "You actually care about me. I'm flattered."
Anne cried even harder.
Willard, a bit exasperated, softened his tone.
"Didn't you wish I was dead? Why this reaction now? Could it be you still love me?"
Anne didn't respond.
She was confused.
All she knew was she needed to get Willard to a doctor.
The antler was important, but not as important as Willard.
He had protected her before.
When she was cornered by delinquent girls demanding money and forcing her to kneel.
Those girls, backed by local thugs, were fearless.
When Willard came looking for her, they even taunted him.
He didn't hit women but couldn't help kicking one.
That kick angered the girls, who immediately called for backup.
A group of people cornered them in the alley.
Willard fought them off, protecting her.
Someone swung a club at her, and he used his broad back to shield her.
Injured, it was even harder to escape.
He took many hits.
But he didn't let her get hurt.
He bore all the pain.
He ended up with broken ribs and a long hospital stay.
She cried uncontrollably then too.
She couldn't do anything.
He, injured, still comforted her. "Seeing you cry breaks my heart. I'm already in enough pain. Please, don't cry, okay?"
Anne felt the same heartache now as she did then.
She couldn't distinguish the past from the present.
She didn't know why she was crying so much.
All she knew was she needed to get Willard to a doctor.
Once she calmed down a bit, Anne said, "We need to go to the hospital."
Willard smiled, wiping her tears. "Do you think we can leave?"
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