Chapter 226 Is It Really That Hard to Make a Choice?
Harper's voice was light, clearly lacking confidence.
She'd never been proactive before, and the arm pressed against his side was so tense it had gone stiff.
Francis's eyes were indifferent as he looked at her. "What are you expecting?"
She had already cast aside her shame and taken the hardest step. Seeing his particularly cold expression made her panic and want to retreat.
But thinking of how resolute he was when he saved her, she held on.
She didn't back down, looking him straight in the eyes. "If you really don't want to see me, I won't bother you."
Her lips, like petals, were right in front of his eyes, seemingly still carrying a sweet fragrance.
Francis showed no expression, but his fingers tightened, and his blood began to heat up.
Even though he just lightly touched her kiss that lacked technique, he still felt like he was losing control, wanting to press her down and make love to her.
He pressed his tongue against his molars, recalling the scene he saw the night before, and suddenly calmed down, saying coldly, "What about your boyfriend?"
Harper was stunned by his question about her having a boyfriend.
After thinking for a moment, she understood who he was referring to. Just as she was about to explain, she saw Francis's face full of mockery. "Or do you want to have two men at the same time?"
Harper found it hard to breathe, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly.
So this is what he thought of her?
She felt like a deflated balloon, gradually coming to her senses.
The courage she had painstakingly built up vanished in an instant.
Their relationship was no longer something that could be mended with a few words.
Harper deeply regretted her impulsiveness just now, and her heart sank to the bottom.
She lowered her eyes and slowly stood up straight. "I'm sorry for crossing the line."
After saying that, she wished she could escape in an instant.
As she turned to leave, her wrist was suddenly grabbed. Francis held her hand tightly, staring straight at her. "Is it really that hard for you to make a choice?"
He was really about to be driven mad by her!
He just wanted her to make a statement. Was it that difficult?
Even if she lied to him, it would be fine, but she wasn't even willing to do that.
His grip tightened, causing Harper so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes. She frowned and said, "I just..."
The door suddenly opened.
Francis's mother, Abigail, walked in, followed by a young woman with waist-length wavy hair, dressed in an elegant suit, looking beautiful and tall with a curvaceous figure.
Abigail didn't notice Harper at first and said cheerfully, "Francis, look who's here?"
Then, when she saw Harper by the bed, her expression turned a bit complicated. She forced a smile and said politely, "Harper, you're here to see Francis?"
Harper quickly withdrew her hand and replied politely, "Yes."
Their interaction was both courteous and distant, making the air a bit awkward.
At this moment, a clear female voice chimed in, "Are you Francis's ex-wife?"
Harper was taken aback. Not many people knew about that.
The woman walked over and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Audrey Hernandez."
Audrey pointed to the man on the bed and smiled gracefully. "Francis and I grew up together."
Harper's expression turned indifferent. She rarely interacted with Francis's social circle, so she had no idea who Audrey was.
Audrey looked at Harper and praised, "Francis is really lucky. I didn't expect his ex-wife to be so beautiful."
Harper responded awkwardly, "You too."
Indeed, Audrey was very beautiful. She had the genuine demeanor of a wealthy heiress, unlike Chloe's pretentiousness.
Audrey extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."
Harper stared at her wrist, momentarily stunned, her face turning pale. The bracelet on Audrey's wrist was the one she had returned to Abigail.
She looked at the bracelet with a complicated expression, then lightly shook Audrey's hand.
Afterward, she said goodbye to Abigail, "You can go on. I'll head out."
Abigail responded with a nod.
As Harper lifted her feet to leave, she heard Francis coldly call out from behind, "I didn't say you could leave."
Harper paused for a moment but still walked away.
Francis immediately got out of bed, but because he moved too quickly, he pulled at his wound and collapsed in pain.
Abigail, feeling sorry for him, quickly stopped him and gave Audrey a look. "Audrey, stay here with Francis. I'll go see Harper off."
Francis was held down, his lips pale. "Tell her I still need to talk to her."
Abigail's expression changed slightly, but she nodded in agreement.
Outside, Abigail caught up with Harper and called out, "Harper, can we talk?"
Harper stopped but didn't refuse.
Abigail began to say, "I know all about Amelia."
Abigail's face didn't look pleasant. She had heard that Amelia died a terrible death. Although she didn't like Amelia, she didn't want to see her end up like that.
Moreover, Linda had come to her, saying that if it weren't for Francis's relentless pursuit of Amelia for Harper's sake, Amelia wouldn't have ended up like this.
Besides, they were distant relatives; she didn't want things to escalate to the point.
Abigail said carefully, "Audrey and Francis grew up together. They were happy together as children. Then, Audrey went abroad, and now she's back. Our families are well-matched, so we are considering bringing them together."
Abigail emphasized the family background, hinting at something.
Harper spoke directly, "Abigail, if you have something to say, just say it."
Abigail said, "Harper, Francis had got injured again to save you. The board is already unhappy about him being hospitalized twice in a month."
She paused and sighed. "Don't blame me. I made it clear last time that I hope you two won't see each other again. Please don't push it. I don't want to be a bad mother."
Her last sentence carried a faint hint of threat.
Harper's face turned pale, and her hands slowly clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms without her feeling it.
It was quite laughable.
Not long ago, Abigail had held her hand, saying she saw her as a daughter.
Now, she was pressing her hard.
So her affection was like a dandelion, blown away with a gentle breath.
Harper could understand Abigail's concern for Francis before, but now she couldn't.
Was it all her fault?
Why had Amelia wanted to kill her? Wasn't it because Chloe incited her?
And why had Chloe treated her this way? Didn't it start with Francis?
She was also a victim.
"Don't worry. We are on the same page here. As long as he doesn't come to me, I won't go to him," Harper said calmly.
She would never have the courage she had just now again.
One embarrassing moment was enough.
But Abigail didn't want to hear that. She knew her son well enough to be aware that Francis, who seemed carefree, wouldn't let things go easily.
Abigail said, "Actually, I think you're still young. If you go abroad for further studies, your future will be smoother. You can think about it. If you agree, I'll cover the expenses."
Harper hadn't expected Abigail to be so wary of her that she didn't even want her to stay in the country.
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