Chapter 491 He Does Not Regret
Francis bailed from the villa, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Even though Harper had his back, Audrey's dirty tricks made him sick. Now he could finally look Harper and Agnes in the eye without any guilt.
Victor was behind the wheel and asked, "Mr. Getty, where to?"
Francis glanced out the window at the green trees and spotless streets, everything putting him in a good mood. With a slight smirk, Francis said, "To Elodie Studio."
Of course, he was going to see the woman he couldn't stop thinking about.
Soon enough, Victor pulled up in front of Elodie Studios. He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out to open the door, just as Francis's phone buzzed.
It was Wesley. Francis figured he was just bored and looking to chat, so he hung up and got ready to step out of the car. But Wesley called again.
He answered, "Yeah?"
Wesley's voice was kinda heavy as he said, "Francis, the results are in."
Francis asked, "What results?"
Wesley said ominously, "The blood test I had a buddy from abroad do when you were in a coma at the hospital."
Francis asked briskly, "And?"
Wesley's voice was serious as he said, "Chloe injected you with the Shadow Virus. An assistant from the Auroria Biological Research Institute sold it on the down-low. There are only two pairs in the world, and there's no antidote!"
After a moment of silence, Francis asked keenly, "You said two pairs, but I was only injected with one."
Wesley was stunned! He really admired Francis's mental toughness. Most people would be freaking out by now, but he could still catch the key point in the convo.
"Yeah, the Shadow Virus comes in pairs," Wesley explained. "I contacted the research institute that originally developed the Shadow Virus. The experts there said that a single dose has no harmful effects on the body. Only when the second dose enters the body does it become harmful."
Francis concluded, "So I'm safe now because Chloe only injected one dose."
Wesley said, "That's right."
Francis frowned slightly and stayed quiet for a long time.
Wesley, a bit tense, said, "You gotta protect yourself now. Chloe won't have another chance to cause trouble; I heard she's gonna be executed in a few days."
"How did Chloe get access to the Shadow Virus?" Francis asked the crucial question.
From what he knew, neither Chloe nor the entire Musk family had the capability to access Auroria's high-level labs.
Wesley said, "I'm still digging, but what I do know is that the other one is in the hands of the Charles family on Emerald Isle."
Francis's brow furrowed deeply. The Charles family, again.
Francis said, "If I get injected with the second dose, how long will I live?"
Wesley hesitated, "As long as you protect yourself, you don't need to..."
"I need to know the truth," Francis asked, his voice low.
Wesley paused and then said quietly, "Three months."
Francis murmured, "Three months?"
Wesley explained, "Yeah, the Shadow Virus has three stages. In the first month, the virus integrates within the body, causing a chemical reaction, but the infected can still walk normally. In the second month, their legs will weaken, making it impossible to walk, and muscle atrophy will begin slowly. By the third month, they will be bedridden, watching themselves waste away to just a skeleton."
The person who designed the Shadow Virus was undoubtedly a psychopath. The despair of the dying process would drive most people to consider ending their own lives before the three months were up.
Hearing no response from the other end, Wesley said soothingly, "Don't worry. Your blood test detected only one dose, and you haven't been injected with the second. In the meantime, I'll keep looking for the doctor who developed the virus. Once we know the components, we can develop an antidote."
Wesley kept yammering on, trying to comfort Francis, but Francis cut him off, "Don't tell Harper."
Wesley was like, 'Seriously? After all that, this is what you're worried about?'
Wesley suggested, "I think it would be better for Harper to be mentally prepared."
"No!" Francis snapped, "I'm fine, and I don't want her to worry."
Wesley sighed, "Alright, but..."
He slapped his own mouth, cursing himself for overthinking. Instead, he said, "Never mind, you'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."
After hanging up, Victor was still waiting outside the car. Francis looked at Elodie Studios, stayed quiet for a moment, and then said heavily, "Back to the office."
He suddenly realized he had way too much on his plate.
Meanwhile, Audrey returned to the Getty Mansion, tearfully telling Abigail about how Francis had falsely accused her. Abigail comforted her, "Don't worry, Audrey, I believe you, I absolutely believe you! Just stay here with me, and I'll say I'm the grandmother of your child."
Audrey felt much more at ease and became even more attentive to Abigail. Now, Abigail was her lifeline.
Audrey looked at Abigail's shaky legs and regretted making her fall that day to trick Francis into coming back. After all, Abigail's unconditional trust was way easier to earn than Francis's.
After dinner, Audrey chatted with Abigail for a while, and her phone buzzed. Audrey stayed calm, handed Abigail her medicine, and said with a smile, "Mom, it's time for your medicine."
Abigail smiled and took the medicine, drinking it all under Audrey's watchful eye.
Audrey was satisfied and tucked Abigail in, saying, "Mom, have a nice sleep."
As soon as she finished speaking, Abigail, as usual, fell asleep within seconds.
Audrey watched Abigail's steady breathing, slowly took out her phone, and walked to the door to answer it. She asked, "How did it go?"
On the other end of the phone, Jonathan was covered in blood, it was unclear where it was coming from. His voice trembled as he reported, "It's done, Ms. Hernandez."
Audrey was in a good mood, blowing on her nails, and said lightly, "Well done. How's Chloe?"
Jonathan replied, "She's fine, I gave her the medicine."
Audrey said, "Good, then."
"Ms. Hernandez!" Jonathan called out to her, "I know I'm not worthy, but I really like you. In the arena, it was your glance that gave me the courage to keep fighting. I wish you good luck."
Audrey understood Jonathan must have been seriously injured, with little hope left.
Jonathan pressed on his wound, speaking slowly, "What happened that night at the hotel was my fault. Don't hate me. If I had been more restrained, it would have been better."
Audrey said, "Jonathan, I forgive you, but you know what you have to do."
"Ms. Hernandez, I know." Jonathan gave a bitter smile, holding the special liquid tightly, and poured it all over himself. Instantly, the burning sensation spread throughout his body, as if he were being roasted by fire.
If he had a choice, no one would choose this way to die. But Jonathan's heart had been hit by a bullet, and there was no turning back.
Jonathan said, "Ms. Hernandez, I can't help you anymore. Please, give the child a chance to live."
He knew her well. He knew Audrey was lying to him, but he still held onto hope. However, he had no regrets.
Audrey said slowly, "I promise you, Jonathan, let it end here."
"Okay, Ms. Hernandez," Jonathan said briefly.
The pursuers had found him. "Don't move, hands up."
Jonathan smiled slightly, and in the next second, blue flames engulfed his entire body. The intense burning quickly consumed him, turning him into a bizarre blue fireball.
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