Chapter 355 Dignity Is Nothing
After Audrey left the ward, she bumped into Abigail, who was there to visit Francis.
No one had mentioned Francis was in the hospital at first.
Later, Audrey ran into Victor at the hospital. He couldn't hide it and said it was because of some thugs.
Audrey told Abigail, and she came over immediately.
Carrying a food box, Abigail quickly asked, "Audrey, how is Francis?"
Audrey, looking calm, gently held Abigail's arm and said, "Don't worry. Francis is fine."
Abigail waved the food box and said, "I want to see him."
She was seeking Audrey's opinion. Ever since Francis almost drowned five years ago, Abigail had been more worried about him.
She had become somewhat neurotic, and Audrey was always the one to comfort her.
Abigail trusted Audrey the most.
After Harper's passing, Abigail's harsh words caused a rift between her and Francis, straining their relationship.
Abigail could only show her care for Francis through Audrey.
Audrey smiled, took the food box, and said, "Francis just ate what I brought. But I'm still hungry. How about giving this to me?"
Abigail nodded, grateful for Audrey's help. Otherwise, Francis refusing her food would only make her sad.
Audrey then said, "You can prepare another one tomorrow, and I'll bring it to Francis."
Abigail smiled and said, "Okay."
Audrey linked arms with Abigail and said, "Francis is asleep now, so you can't see him. Let me walk with you."
Abigail found it strange. "Don't you need to stay with Francis?"
Audrey, still smiling, said, "I'll come back after I digest the food."
Seeing their harmony, Abigail felt relieved and nodded. "Then I'll trouble you to walk with me."
"Abigail, you're too kind," Audrey said playfully. "We're family. No need to be so polite."
Abigail patted Audrey's hand and said emotionally, "Yes, with you taking care of Francis, I feel at ease."
Audrey took the opportunity to say, "Abigail, I want to move up the press conference. Francis keeps running into trouble, and I'm worried."
Abigail nodded and said, "Audrey, you handle it."
In the ward.
Harper didn't feel it at first, but later her right foot started to hurt from the burn, and she couldn't stand still.
She looked at Francis and said, "I need to go home."
"Come here first," Francis said, leaning against the bed pillow. His injury made it hard to sit for long, so he leaned to the side.
"What for?" Harper looked at him warily and didn't move.
Francis glanced at her and cut to the chase. "Are you coming over yourself, or should I carry you?"
Harper scoffed, "You can carry me in this..."
Before she could finish, Francis's tall figure was already in front of her. He bent slightly and used his uninjured left hand to pick her up.
Harper screamed in surprise, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Francis, are you crazy?"
Despite his injury, he didn't seem to care. Luckily, the bed was close, and within seconds, Harper was sitting steadily on it.
Harper clutched her chest, looking panicked. "Francis, what are you doing?"
Francis didn't say a word and started taking off her shoes.
He couldn't squat, so he sat on the bed, lifted one of her legs, and placed it on his lap.
Harper fell back onto the bed, feeling completely at his mercy.
She panicked and tried to kick him. "If you take off my shoes, I'll scream."
"Don't move," Francis said, grabbing her ankle tightly.
Before Harper could finish her sentence, she felt a sudden coolness on her previously hot and uncomfortable foot, and her expression changed.
Francis had somehow gotten some ice and was now gently rubbing it on her right foot.
Harper's feet were well-maintained and soft. Now, her toes were red and swollen from the hot soup.
Francis's eyes darkened as he focused on applying the ice.
Harper's soft little foot in Francis's hands made her blush.
She changed the subject. "How did you know?"
"Do you think everyone is as careless as you?" Francis had noticed earlier, which was why he didn't let Audrey come in. The ward had all the necessary supplies, including ice.
After a while, he took out some medicine to apply to her foot, pressing down angrily before doing so. "It looks so serious, and you didn't even say it hurt. I guess it really doesn't hurt."
Harper had been wearing socks, but her skin was so tender that it looked worse than it was. After the ice treatment, she felt much better.
But Francis pressed on a sensitive spot, and her expression changed instantly.
Harper screamed, "Don't touch that."
Francis frowned. "Does it hurt?"
He had only spoken harshly, but his touch was gentle.
Seeing Harper's strong reaction, he looked puzzled, as that spot looked fine.
Harper's face was hot, and she felt embarrassed. "It's ticklish."
Francis squinted his eyes. He had been too worried about her to think about anything else.
Now, looking at her flushed face, he realized something.
Then, he let out a sexy laugh and said seriously, "It's a mental itch."
"What?" Harper didn't understand.
Francis's eyes darkened with desire, and he said in a low voice, "You always have this special spot, and when I touched you there, you would beg me for mercy."
Harper instantly understood what he meant, her face turning red with embarrassment and anger. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Francis's eyes were filled with amusement, and he said meaningfully, "I'm not talking nonsense. It's very useful during special times, not just your foot but also..."
Francis whispered a few places in her ear.
Harper's face turned bright red, and she yelled at him, "You're a pervert!"
"Yes," Francis agreed without hesitation, still holding her small foot, his voice lazy and indulgent. "I only become a pervert when I see you."
He didn't deny it. He was in a good mood today, so he kept teasing her because of her "what boyfriend" comment.
Feeling so good that he didn't even notice his wound hurting, Francis placed her small foot on a rack to let the ointment dry.
Then he washed his hands, moved closer to her, and asked in a seductive voice, "Want to see what I look like when I'm being a pervert?"
Harper was genuinely shocked, her mouth slightly open. How could he take pride in being a pervert?
She turned her head away, trying to cool her flushed face. "I don't want to see it. Don't get so close to me."
"Really?" Francis's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You used to like it a lot."
Harper's toes turned red at that.
"Stay away from me," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're engaged, and it's stupid."
Francis pulled her slightly closer. "Nonsense. How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not engaged. In my whole life, you've been the only woman."
He raised his hand and claimed, "I swear."
Francis's eyes were firm, not looking like he was lying.
In contrast, Audrey's casual lies earlier seemed two-faced.
Harper pressed her lips together, not saying anything. Even if he didn't have a fiancée, it didn't seem to matter to her.
Seeing her deep in thought, Francis's dark eyes flashed with a hint of danger. "I gave you my first time. Don't think you can deny it."
Instantly, Harper's face turned as red as a ripe tomato. "You're shameless."
Francis didn't argue, smiling faintly. In front of his wife, he didn't need his dignity.
Harper asked in confusion, "Wasn't my first time with you, too?"
Harper thought she was quite conservative. When she married Francis, she was still young and shouldn't have been with any other man.
"It was," Francis nodded.
"Then it's even. What do I need to acknowledge?"
Francis recalled, "The first time, I held back a lot, so we only did it twice and ended it quickly. But the second night, I lost control and did it too many times. You couldn't walk properly for a week. After that, I knew to keep it to four times a night."
Harper's eyes widened as she watched Francis reminiscing, still talking.
'Four times a night, does he think it's a pity or that is not enough?' Harper thought.
Her face turned bright red, and she angrily covered Francis's mouth.
"Nonsense. Shut up."
Seeing that Harper was about to faint from embarrassment, Francis stopped.
He held her hand, his eyes deep, and asked, "Okay, let's change the subject, but tell me, what makes you think Audrey is my fiancée?"
Harper didn't understand why Francis was so hung up on this question.
She straightforwardly said, "That time at the amusement park, because of Agnes, I called you, and Audrey answered. She told me."
Francis's eyes turned cold. He hadn't expected Audrey to go so far as to answer his phone.
But the fact that Harper had called him made him smile. Speaking of Agnes, Francis's smile deepened. He had long considered Agnes his daughter. He would make it up to her next time.
"I'm sorry," Francis tightened his grip on her hand and sincerely apologized. "I shouldn't have let her have access to my phone. It's all my fault."
He lowered his eyes slightly. "I'm sorry about the phone, but Audrey is definitely not my fiancée. There's nothing between us."
Harper was surprised by Francis's serious explanation, feeling that the phone incident might not be entirely his fault.
Francis continued, "But why didn't you tell me then?"
If he had known Audrey's intentions earlier, he would have dealt with her sooner. He hadn't interacted with many women and hadn't seen through Audrey's facade. She had been consistent for ten years, never crossing the line, and kept her distance after knowing he didn't like women crossing boundaries.
Harper explained, "Jasper showed me many reports of you two together."
Francis couldn't help but laugh. "Those were from when you left. I didn't care about the rumors at first, and my mom and others did it on their own. I've had them all retracted."
He pinched her lips and said, "Wait, in three days, I'll have the legal department issue a statement clarifying that the Hernandez family and the Getty family have no inappropriate relations beyond business."
Harper felt a warmth in her heart hearing Francis's serious explanation.
But then she remembered Jasper's words. She couldn't be moved so easily.
She kept a cold face and said tightly, "What am I waiting for? This is something you and Ms. Hernandez need to resolve. It has nothing to do with me."
Francis couldn't stand such distant words. He stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his embrace. "How does it have nothing to do with you?"
He held her tightly, bringing them close. "You are my wife. We are the closest relationship in the world."
Francis's voice was deep and seductive, with a hint of coaxing.
Harper's face turned red, and she pushed him, trying to escape his embrace.
She spoke up, "What wife? We're already divorced."
Francis's arm tightened, his voice heavy, and he said, "Even if we're divorced, you're still my wife in my heart. I have no intention of replacing you."
"But, but..." Harper tried to think of a refusal, and after a while, said, "I have a man I want to date."
Instantly, Francis's eyes darkened as he knew she was bringing up Vincent as a shield again.
Even though he guessed they weren't dating, he couldn't help but feel jealous.
Francis's handsome face was covered with a thin layer of ice, his dark eyes locking onto her. "I don't care if you want to date or already started."
His tone was full of aggression.
Harper thought the domineering Francis was going to threaten her again, her delicate brows furrowing.
Unexpectedly, seeing her frown, Francis changed his tone and said, "At worst, I'll be the other man."
"What?" Harper's eyes widened.
Francis was too embarrassed to repeat it. If he wasn't afraid of her getting angry, he wouldn't have said it.
He pretended to clear his throat and said, "Forget it."
Harper had heard it clearly. Thinking about it, she couldn't help but laugh, bending over and even coughing.
Francis's face darkened, reaching out to pat her back, "Is it that funny?"
"You want to be a third wheel?"
Harper ignored Francis's dark face and mercilessly mocked him.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open.
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