Chapter 353 The Unveiled Fantasy
Francis didn't say another word; he could wait three days.
He hoped Audrey would figure it out. He didn't want rumors of a rift between the Hernandez and Getty families, especially with ongoing projects. Any disturbance could have serious consequences.
"I better head out now," Audrey said, forcing a smile as she slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Wait," Francis called out suddenly.
"Hmm?" Audrey stopped, eyes hopeful.
Francis pointed to the thermos at the foot of the bed and said coldly, "Take it with you."
Audrey's face went pale, her long-held composure cracking.
She lowered her head slightly, hiding her twisted expression, and cried, "Francis, why are you so cruel to me?"
Audrey clenched her hands tightly, filled with hatred. She had stayed by his side for five years, giving him unwavering support. In the end, he wouldn't even drink the soup she made. She had simmered that soup for eight hours, but he preferred the soup made by a young nurse over hers, all because of Harper.
What made Francis so obsessed with Harper, a widow with another man's child? Was it just her pretty face? She was just a bitch.
Audrey's fists clenched tightly, her head lowered. From an outsider's perspective, she appeared heartbroken and sad. No one could see the twisted, ferocious glare in her eyes.
Francis said expressionlessly, "If I had known you had such thoughts, there would be no further cooperation between the Hernandez and Getty families."
Audrey's expression froze for a second, tears streaming down her face. "Francis, are you joking? Isn't our cooperation based on the deep friendship between our families?"
She had always thought the deepening cooperation between the families was a sign of Francis's softness. It was this cooperation that made her endure loneliness and wait for him for five years.
Francis's patience with Audrey's crying had reached its limit. Except for things related to Harper, he found everything else annoying.
He lifted his gaze, his emotionless eyes falling on Audrey's face, and said without warmth, "Audrey, it makes no difference to the Getty Group if these projects are done by the Hernandez family or any other qualified company. It doesn't make your family special."
"In other words, it could be you or anyone else. Is that clear?" Francis's blunt words made Audrey look bad.
But it wasn't out of hatred or something personal; he was always indifferent to women. Except for Harper, no woman had ever stirred his emotions.
Ignoring Audrey's face, red from humiliation and pale from shock, he said calmly, "Given the circumstances, you're no longer suitable to serve as the vice president of the Getty Group. Hand over your responsibilities within a week and resign."
Audrey's vision went black, her mind blank. In an instant, she felt like she had lost everything. Her expectation, her fantasies, and her long-standing admiration were all shattered by Francis without mercy.
Audrey stood there stiffly, tears streaming down her face, crying and shaking her head. "Francis, I don't believe it! I don't believe you could be so heartless to me. I've been with you for five years. Don't you owe me an explanation?"
"Have we ever been alone together?" Francis's question made Audrey's lips turn pale.
He continued, "If you think visiting me with my mother, handing over some papers, and attending events in the same car is what you call being with me, then Victor has been with me for ten years. Do I owe him an explanation too?"
Francis's clear logic instantly shattered Audrey's delusional fantasies.
Indeed, it was all just Audrey's delusion. She turned daily assistant tasks into fantasies of indispensable companionship, growing more obsessed and crazed.
Audrey thought she was irreplaceable to Francis, but in reality, she was never special to him.
Francis checked the time, worried Harper might overthink if Audrey stayed too long. He didn't want to say anything more to Audrey.
"You can leave now," he said coldly.
Audrey's long-held pride felt trampled. Her face turned pale, and she struggled to breathe.
Clutching the thermos, she rushed out of the hospital room, crying and almost colliding with Harper, who was carrying a bowl of soup.
Audrey dodged in time, but Harper's soup still spilled, scalding her foot.
With tear-blurred eyes, Audrey snapped at Harper, "Are you blind?"
As she turned to leave, Harper grabbed her.
Harper showed no fear. "Apologize."
Having endured so much, Audrey snapped. Her gentle facade dropped, and her temper flared. "Who do you think you are?"
She raised her hand to slap Harper, but before it could land, her wrist was gripped tightly.
Looking up, she saw Francis's cold, handsome face. Then Audrey was thrown aside, landing on her butt in the hallway.
Audrey looked at Francis in disbelief. He had done this for an unknown nurse.
Francis didn't even glance at her; his eyes were entirely on Harper's slightly red fingers, full of tenderness. "Are you okay?"
Audrey had never received such a caring tone or such a gentle expression from him.
She was so shocked she forgot to cry. She had always thought Francis's indifference was innate. But now she realized she had never experienced his affection.
Harper shook her head. Her fingers weren't burned; they were just red from carrying the heavy bowl.
But she hadn't forgotten to demand an apology from Audrey. "Apologize before you leave."
That was the special soup she had carefully prepared for Francis, loaded with chili peppers.
Now it was all spilled because of Audrey, and she had the nerve to insult her.
Audrey had already gotten to her feet. In public, she wouldn't show her vulnerable side; she had to maintain her high and mighty image.
She stared at the nurse with black-rimmed glasses, feeling something was off.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Audrey quickly reverted to her kind and magnanimous image, apologizing smoothly.
Then she looked at Francis and smiled, "Francis, it's a good thing you stopped me just now, or I might have accidentally hurt this lady."
Harper was stunned by Audrey's ability to twist the truth.
Was that a "stop" from Francis just now? The thump alone had made her wince.
Seeing Francis's indifferent demeanor, Harper finally believed that Audrey might not really be Francis's fiancée. It was all Audrey's fabrication.
Since Audrey had apologized, Francis didn't pursue the matter further.
He looked at Harper and said calmly, "Come in."
Then he turned and walked back into the ward.
Audrey watched the two of them walk in one after the other. She finally noticed what was off—it was the shoes on the nurse's feet. They seemed to be custom-made from a high-end brand, far too expensive for a nurse to afford. With Francis's demeanor and tone, a name came to her mind.
Audrey suddenly felt calm. Her pure love for Francis over the years had finally driven her to a stage where she stopped playing nice.
As she turned the corner, Audrey's phone rang.
She answered, and the voice on the other end said, "Ms. Hernandez, we've found Chloe's whereabouts."
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