Chapter 470 Elissa Doesn't Want to See You
Thora shot to her feet.
Why was Willard here?!
Felix immediately stood up as well, positioning himself between Anne and Willard. Anne had bought an economy ticket for her return flight. The narrow aisle was now completely blocked. The flight attendants quickly moved in to mediate the situation.
Willard was registered in their VIP system—they all knew who he was. They just couldn't understand why he was flying economy this time.
"Mr. Larson, would you like us to handle this situation?" one attendant asked.
Willard gave Hayes a meaningful look. Hayes stepped forward, escorted the flight crew away, and instructed them not to return. The crew couldn't interfere with Willard's affairs anyway; they could only calm the other passengers, prevent them from filming, and protect Willard from any negative publicity.
"Mr. Larson!" Thora had been harboring resentment toward Willard lately, but his power had kept her silent. However, after one incident too many, she couldn't hold back anymore.
"Ms. Waverly is divorced from you! You have no right to control her life. Even if she dates a dozen men, it's none of your business!"
Anne was jolted awake by the commotion and heard exactly that declaration. She opened her eyes with complete exasperation. "Thora."
That single word hit Thora like a wake-up call. She suddenly realized she had just spoken to Willard in that tone—was she trying to get herself killed?
"Ms. Waverly..." She quickly moved closer to Anne.
Anne looked up, deliberately ignoring Willard, though she didn't linger on the stranger either. She asked Thora, "What's going on?"
After Thora explained the situation, Anne fixed her gaze on the man's face. "Did you need something from me?"
The man said nothing and simply walked away. Anne was utterly speechless. She didn't pursue the matter, but his resemblance to Elissa still sparked her curiosity.
"Find him attractive?" came a sudden, familiar male voice.
Anne pretended not to hear, pulled Thora back to their seats, and tried to go back to sleep. Willard's jaw tightened. After a few seconds of hesitation, he returned to his own seat. Hayes was puzzled but kept his questions to himself.Seaside City Airport
In the VIP lounge, Elissa suddenly had a realization. "Willard's too sharp not to notice something's off. In the photo you showed me, that man and I look at least seventy to eighty percent alike."
Francis smiled. "I discovered this before your family contacted me. I've kept quiet to prevent Willard from finding out, and I've also suppressed any information leaks. Since you're upset with him, Willard deserves to suffer a bit more."
Elissa still had doubts. "Given Willard's calculating nature, he'll definitely investigate. Can you guarantee he won't discover anything?"
"Absolutely," Francis assured her. "I told you I'd stand by you, and I mean it completely. Besides, I think it's perfect timing for him to have a memorable first meeting with Anne's cousin."
Elissa understood immediately. "So this makes you look good?"
Francis hadn't revealed all the details. Anne's cousin had lost both parents, who were war heroes, so he'd been raised by their grandfather alongside the girls, treated like a biological brother. Francis certainly couldn't afford to make a bad impression, especially since the cousin already knew what Francis's family had done to Elissa.
Having Willard take the heat as his close friend seemed perfectly reasonable.
"I'm doing this purely to defend your honor."
Elissa didn't buy it for a second, but his approach did satisfy her sense of justice. "I should tell Anne."
"No need." Francis caught her hand. "If Anne knows, Willard will pick up on her reactions and figure things out. Keeping Anne in the dark and making their relationship ambiguous is exactly what will provoke Willard. That way, your cousin can get a complete read on Willard's character."
Elissa was completely speechless. While Willard was indeed calculating and manipulative, Francis's scheming was equally impressive.
Anne was awakened by Thora as they prepared for landing. She stretched her neck from side to side to relieve the stiffness, opened the window shade, and could already see the high-rise buildings below. It had been a decent nap.
As Thora adjusted her position and safety equipment, she made eye contact with the handsome man in the front row. Her heart fluttered, and she grabbed Anne's hand to steady herself.
"Ms. Waverly, he really is gorgeous."
Anne was leaning against the window and didn't have Thora's clear view, but she sensed the man's gaze directed toward them. Her years behind a camera had made her sensitive to such attention.
"Earlier, he only asked if he resembled me and said nothing else?"
Thora shook her head. "He's handsome but definitely odd. Even if you're interested, Ms. Waverly, you should still be careful."
Unlike Thora, Anne appreciated beautiful things for documentation purposes, but she wasn't about to fall in love with every attractive person she encountered.
"I think he looks more like Elissa."
Thora nodded. "Yes, and when he spoke, I noticed a very faint dimple at the corner of his mouth. I remember Elissa has one too."
After reconnecting with Elissa, Anne had learned about her family. Anne only had her grandfather, who had raised her at the Larson Villa, but he had passed away, leaving no one to ask about their parents. She didn't want to ask anyone from the Larson family now.
Could this be one of their relatives? But with so many people in the world, resemblances were bound to happen. Perhaps the man was simply curious. She couldn't jump to conclusions. She'd wait to see Elissa and discuss the situation with her.
What she hadn't expected was for the man to follow them off the plane and approach her directly, offering his business card.
"I know who you are—the photographer."
Anne accepted it out of politeness, feeling safer with Felix beside her. Though Felix was easygoing, he wasn't stupid and knew how to read situations. Right now, seeing that Anne hadn't shown any discomfort or resistance toward the stranger—she'd even accepted his card and was smiling slightly—Felix only focused on keeping Willard at bay from interfering with Anne's business.
He really was a clever man. Willard remained suspicious, which was the only reason he didn't approach. Otherwise, he never would have stood by watching any man flirt with Anne.
"You're the head of Global Insight Magazine?" Anne asked.
The man nodded. "I have a shoot in mind and would like to request your services. Would I have that honor?"
Anne had gained some recognition, but not enough to warrant personal invitations from someone of his caliber. She quickly responded modestly, "Of course, though you could have just had your assistant call."
"I happened to be here anyway."
The man didn't say much, but his gaze held an intensity Anne couldn't decipher, along with other emotions she couldn't read.
Suddenly, a phone screen appeared in front of her. "Let's exchange contact information so we can schedule something."
Anne was still processing when she quickly pulled out her phone. After they connected, the man simply left. Anne stared at her new contact, lost in thought.
"Anne." A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
Seeing Elissa, Anne immediately ran over. "Elissa."
Elissa took her hand and led her toward the VIP passage to board a private jet back to Maple Valley.
Anne was concerned. "Elissa, let's stay for a couple of days so you can rest."
"I'm fine, I know my limits."
Anne couldn't argue further. Once on the plane, she wanted to tell Elissa about encountering the man, but Elissa claimed to be tired and fell asleep. She'd have to wait until Elissa woke up.
The man then sent her a message: [Do you like desserts?]
The question seemed random, but considering he was a potential client and her studio was still getting established, she replied politely: [Sorry, I don't eat desserts.]
The man didn't respond again. Anne didn't think much of it—after all, they barely knew each other.
"Ms. Waverly." Thora sat across from her, glancing at the sleeping Elissa before sharing in a whisper, "Mr. Larson tried to board the plane, but Mr. Peterson stopped him. Then they actually got into a fight!"
Anne didn't move. First, her presence wouldn't solve anything. Second, whether to allow Willard on the plane was Francis's decision—it was his private jet.
Willard wiped blood from his lip, staring coldly at Francis. "What's this supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it looks like," Francis replied with equal coldness. "Elissa doesn't want to see you."
Willard gave Francis a sarcastic thumbs up. "How impressive."
Francis had Felix block Willard's path and boarded the private jet. Willard didn't push further—it wasn't as if he lacked transportation options. Francis couldn't prevent him from entering Maple Valley entirely.
The plane slowly took off. Seeing Elissa asleep, Francis bent down, carried her to the rest area, and laid her down to sleep properly.
Thora moved to sit beside Anne and brought up the man again. "Now that I look at Elissa, she really does resemble him even more."
Anne hadn't studied the man's features carefully. She opened his Facebook profile—completely empty. His profile picture appeared to be some kind of medal or award.
She felt like she was missing something important.
"This man is really strange. The head of Global Insight Magazine should be able to afford first class, shouldn't he?"
Thora's observation instantly clarified Anne's confusion. The man's presence wasn't coincidental—he had specifically sought her out. But why? Could they really be family?
Landing in Maple Valley at daybreak, the awakened Elissa asked Anne and Thora what they wanted for breakfast.
"Whatever you're having, Elissa," Anne said.
Thora agreed, "Same here."
Elissa eventually chose congee. Francis seemed busy with constant phone calls. Elissa peeled a hard-boiled egg for him, handed it over when he returned, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Company issues," Francis said, eating the egg. "Business is tough these days, and rent collection is becoming difficult."
Elissa laughed. "With things so challenging, you still waived our rent—how generous."
Francis's lips curved slightly. "Thinking about it now, I should have made you pay. I could refund your portion, but I should have collected Hope's share—Jerry's family can certainly afford it."
"You're hardly struggling yourself."
"You get defensive the moment Hope is mentioned."
Elissa raised her chin at him. "You know exactly what I mean."
Francis gazed at her tenderly. "I understand completely."
Anne and Thora exchanged glances, then looked at their congee. Why wasn't it sweet despite all that sugar in the air?
After breakfast, Anne wanted to talk with Elissa and accompanied her to her prenatal appointment. Elissa sent Francis off to work. "If rent collection is becoming difficult, expand into other ventures. When your son wants to marry Elsa someday, you'll need money."
Francis preferred having a daughter—what was the point of a son who would just cost him a fortune and end up enriching Jerry's family? He still hadn't collected Hope's rent. What a loss!
Still, he left because Felix had reported Anne's airplane encounter, and Lyndon Myles had arrived. Anne would probably tell Elissa about it, and he didn't want to interfere. The hospital arrangements were handled, with dedicated staff to guide her through the examination. Felix would be there too—though Francis found him somewhat annoying, he was undeniably useful.
"Elissa..." Once Francis was gone, Anne quietly told Elissa about the airplane incident. "It's a shame I couldn't take photos—that would have been rude. But if you'd seen him, you would have been amazed."
Thora suddenly held out her phone. "I took pictures."
Meeting a handsome guy and not taking photos? What was the point?
For the first time, Anne found Thora genuinely useful.
"He really does look similar," Elissa said, glancing at the phone photo. She already knew about her and Anne's cousin and had seen Lyndon's photos, but she still needed to appear surprised. "Could this be my long-lost family?"
"Should we ask Mr. Peterson to investigate?" Thora suggested.
Anne was quite supportive—if he really was family, they shouldn't miss the opportunity.
"Alright, I'll ask him later," Elissa said evasively as her examination time arrived.
Unexpectedly, just as she went in, Anne came face-to-face with Lyndon.
"Are you unwell?" The sudden male voice startled Anne.
Recognizing the somewhat familiar face, she quickly stood up. "Oh, it's you?"
Lyndon stepped forward and grasped her wrist, examining it with obvious concern. "What are you doing at an obstetrics clinic? Has someone hurt you?"
"What? No, it's not me—it's Elissa," Anne said. Strangely, his proximity didn't bother her. Was it because he resembled Elissa?
"Elissa is pregnant."
Something flashed in Lyndon's eyes, quickly suppressed and difficult to catch. Of course he knew about Elissa's pregnancy. But Anne faced a more troublesome and detestable presence.
"I'm glad you're alright. If you ever have problems, call me directly. Don't let anyone bully you."
Elissa was already dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Though she'd gotten married now, the Peterson family still hadn't accepted her. Anne absolutely couldn't follow the same path.
His tone really did sound like a protective older brother, yet they'd only met a few times. She couldn't exactly suggest a DNA test out of nowhere.
Anne found her own reaction strange—she'd naturally agreed to his offer.
"I'll remember everything you said. I'll protect myself, but if I do need to call, please don't find me annoying."
"Never." Deep in Lyndon's eyes was unmistakable tenderness. He knew everything that had happened. It was his fault for not finding his two cousins sooner, letting them endure so much suffering.
Thinking of this, his hand unconsciously rose, wanting to pat her head comfortingly. But just as his palm was about to touch her head, another hand with distinct knuckles intercepted and knocked his away...
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