Chapter 386 I'll Listen to You
The car door swung open, and Harper got yanked into the back seat by Agnes.
They sat on either side of Agnes, with Francis having stocked the car with all sorts of kid stuff, including a special safety seat.
On the ride, Agnes and Francis swapped old funny stories, keeping the vibe light and fun.
After watching Agnes get led into the kindergarten by the teacher, Harper's smile vanished. She turned to Francis and snapped, "Francis, what’s your deal?"
Her icy tone made Francis's heart skip a beat.
But he quickly buried his feelings and muttered, "Harper, Agnes is my kid too. I've been MIA for too long, and I don't wanna miss out on her growing up anymore."
Harper had no clue what he was scheming, but it sounded like he wanted to butt into their lives.
She blew up, "Francis, don’t you get it? We don’t need you. Not before, not now, not ever!"
That last bit made Francis's handsome face go pale.
He tried to push past the hurt and said hoarsely, "Harper, I know you don’t need me, but are you sure Agnes doesn’t?"
Francis hit Harper right where it hurt.
Agnes might look all innocent and sweet, but she was super sensitive and delicate.
Plus, she had shown signs of autism when she was younger. Even though she got better, the shrink had said having a dad around would be good for her.
Seeing Harper hesitate, Francis pressed on, "Harper, I swear, I won’t try to take Agnes away from you. I’m her dad and would never hurt her. I just want her to feel some fatherly love."
Francis's voice was low and humble, practically begging, "Please, let me be part of her life, okay?"
Harper went quiet. As much as she hated to admit it, Francis had a point. She couldn’t make decisions for Agnes.
After all, Francis was her dad.
And during the time Harper had amnesia, Francis had been super loving towards Agnes, even without knowing she was his kid.
It was clear he genuinely cared about Agnes.
If his involvement could make Agnes happier, she had no reason to say no.
Harper decided to see how this would unfold
She said, "You can spend time with Agnes, but we need some ground rules."
Francis's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "Name them, and I’ll follow."
"First, you can’t tell anyone that Agnes is your kid." Harper had her reasons. Abigail and Ryan had always held grudges against her. If they knew Agnes was a Getty, it might be more of a curse than a blessing.
She wouldn’t let Agnes be in any danger.
Francis nodded. "Okay."
Until he could protect them, it might not be a good idea for others to know Agnes was his daughter, as it could bring trouble from those with bad intentions.
So, keeping it a secret was good for both Agnes and Harper. Francis would also work towards the day he could go public as Agnes's dad.
"Second, you can’t take Agnes away without my say-so," Harper continued.
Francis nodded.
"Third, you can’t see me unless it’s about Agnes."
She was doing this for Agnes, but that didn’t mean she’d give Francis a chance.
The third rule made it clear they were never getting back together.
Francis's heart ached suddenly. He wanted to say no, but he knew he couldn’t.
If he did, all the hard-earned chances to be with Agnes would vanish.
Harper would become as guarded as a hedgehog.
At least now, when he saw Agnes, he could also catch a glimpse of Harper, and that was enough for him.
Thinking of this, Francis nodded bitterly and agreed with difficulty, "Okay."
Harper didn't buy his easy agreement.
She stared him down and said coldly, "I hope you keep your word, or everything's off the table."
Francis nodded smoothly.
Without missing a beat, he said, "I'll do as you say."
Harper didn't want to drag it out and turned to leave.
Francis caught up and said in a low voice, "Harper, let me give you a ride to work. It's on my way."
"No need." Harper shot back without hesitation, then added, "Don't wait outside my house next time. Staying up all night not only ages you but can kill you!"
She could easily see the bloodshot in his eyes, even though he had changed his clothes.
Plus, her driver had already told her he had parked outside the villa all night.
Of course, Harper wasn't worried about him; she just didn't want Agnes to get attached, only to see Francis's health go downhill.
Francis smiled compliantly, "Okay, I'll listen to you. I won't next time."
Her driver was already waiting at the corner. Without looking back at Francis, she got into the car.
Francis stood there, watching Harper's cold back disappear with the car. He felt a bit sad but also a bit happy; at least he was making some progress.
After he got in the car, Victor started the vehicle and informed, "Mr. Ryan Getty has been frequently traveling to Auroria recently. According to investigations, he seems to be meeting with a biologist over there."
Francis loosened his tie and said calmly, "Find out what he's up to!"
Although Ryan had seized power back then, he had been quiet for quite a while afterward.
There was even a period when he had urged Francis to marry and have kids to provide an heir for the Getty family.
Ryan's behavior as a caring father was very unusual, but recently he had clearly started making moves again.
Francis had never really understood Ryan. Although they were father and son, they were more like enemies.
After Victor acknowledged the order, he glanced at Francis through the rearview mirror and asked, "Mr. Getty, do you want to go back and get some rest first?"
Because of the all-nighter, although his face was still handsome, the fatigue was evident.
Francis paused for a few seconds and asked, "Do I look old?"
"Huh?" Victor was stunned.
"Do I look much different from before?" Francis looked at the face reflected on the LCD screen, which didn't seem to have changed much.
But because of Harper's words, he felt a bit insecure about his usually strikingly handsome face.
Victor took a while to understand what he meant.
Francis was actually concerned about his appearance!
Victor wasn't good at flattery, so he spoke the truth, "Mr. Getty, I've never seen a man more handsome than you."
Indeed, Francis's perfect face was flawless!
Even when tired, he still had a kind of rugged handsomeness.
Francis's heart settled a bit, and he closed his eyes to rest, saying, "To the office."
Harper was busy in the studio when Jessica suddenly burst in.
She looked anxious and said, "Harper, look at the news."
Saying this, she handed over the tablet.
Harper took a look and saw that the top news stories were all about Elodie Studios and CelestialGlow Entertainment.
The highlighted explosive tag was particularly eye-catching.
#New Beauty Designer Plagiarism#
#CelestialGlow Entertainment Takes Responsibility#
#Elodie Studios Plagiarism#
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