Chapter 529 Elodie's Plan
Elodie bit her lip, thinking about the crap she’d been through. From the second they crossed paths again, her nightmare kicked off.
Back when Arthur had her locked up in that Northfield villa, she lived a hellish half-month. One day, she finally slipped away when he wasn’t looking. That escape bought her five years.
Back then, the Sackler family was hanging by a thread. To keep trouble away from them and the Murphy family, Elodie hid out in some remote fishing bay and even had a kid. Later, she spotted Arthur’s goons sniffing around. Freaking out, she got her nice neighbor to send the kid to someone safe.
Just like she feared, Arthur caught her again. This time, he dragged her off to some godforsaken place called Emerald Isle, where the law didn’t mean squat. He took her there to lock her down tighter and cut her off from Dreamlandia.
Elodie fought like hell, always thinking about escape, no matter how tough or painful it got. But then, the news of her daughter Harper’s death crushed her. They said she fell off a balcony, but no one knew she jumped in total despair.
That coma lasted five years.
When she woke up, Arthur was still the same—obsessive, bloodthirsty, and nuts. He didn’t care how many bodies he had to stack to keep her. Elodie knew her fake amnesia act wouldn’t fool him for long. Arthur was too sharp and paranoid; he’d figure it out soon.
So, when she woke up, she decided that since she hadn’t seen Harper’s death with her own eyes, she couldn’t give up. She had to see for herself.
Since Arthur mentioned Harper on the phone last time, Elodie started to think Harper might still be alive. Today, she finally confirmed it.
Arthur, trying to test her amnesia, showed her a video, not realizing it fired her up again. She had to use this time to try to reach Harper. Surviving that jump five years ago meant she wasn’t meant to die! The crap she was dealing with now was nothing compared to getting back to her kid.
In the living room, Elara had just come up from the basement when she got stopped.
Arthur had changed into a black shirt, making his cold eyes look even more heartless.
Looks-wise, Arthur was the type who got hotter and more charismatic with age. In his twenties, he looked too green, but now he was a hit with the ladies. In his forties, with good upkeep and exercise, he looked like he was in his early thirties, oozing charm. Even though everyone knew he was ruthless, plenty of women on Emerald Isle still went nuts for him.
Elara, though, never had those thoughts. As the Hernandez family’s private doc, she’d seen too much blood and dirt, making her legs shake at the sight of Arthur. All she felt for Arthur was fear.
“Mr. Hernandez, what do you need?” Elara asked, trying to keep it cool.
Arthur glanced at her clenched fingers and said casually, “Dr. Cane, are you scared of me?”
"I..." Elara wanted to spit out some sweet talk like everyone else, but she just couldn't. Nervously, she blurted, "I'm scared."
Arthur's face lit up with a twisted kind of satisfaction. Fear meant she wouldn't dare cross him or pull any stunts.
Arthur pressed his thin lips together, "I'm not a monster, Dr. Cane. No need to be scared of me."
Elara nodded, but her face was still tight with fear.
Arthur asked, all casual-like, "What were you chatting about in the room just now?"
Elara mumbled, "Mr. Hernandez, we didn't say much."
"Didn't say much?" Arthur's lips curled into a cold, faint smile, "So, you two were in there for a whole hour and didn't talk at all?"
Arthur's smile was scarier than no smile at all, making Elara's legs give out as she dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hernandez."
Arthur, still looking casual, put down his crossed leg and stared at her, "Tell me, what are you sorry for?"
"I..." Elara hesitated for a second, then spilled, "I shouldn't have agreed to help Ms. Sackler get medicine."
"What medicine?"
Elara handed over a piece of dissolvable paper with Elodie's handwriting on it. She kneeled on the ground, her knees hitting the ground hard, "I'm sorry, Mr. Hernandez. I shouldn't have been tempted by Ms. Sackler's money. She promised me fifty grand, and I was dumb enough to agree to help her get medicine."
Arthur looked at the paper, his face blank, "Fifty grand? She's pretty generous."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hernandez. It's all my fault. I won't do it again. Please forgive me."
"Help her get it." Arthur's voice was cold, cutting her off impatiently.
"What?" Elara froze.
Arthur's lips curved slightly as he tossed the dissolvable paper back in front of her, "Get it for her."
Elara was stunned, staring at Arthur. Even after realizing he was serious, she didn't dare pick up the paper from the ground.
Her scared look seemed to please Arthur. He said in a low voice, "It's okay, Dr. Cane. Just do it. But you gotta tell me everything Elodie says to you from now on."
"Okay." Elara quickly agreed, realizing Arthur wasn't joking.
"And..." Arthur's expression turned icy, "How long until she recovers down there?"
Elara thought of Elodie's bruised and battered body and felt a pang of sympathy. She hesitated, "Normally, it would take a month of rest to fully recover."
"Too long." Arthur said indifferently, "She must be healed in five days."
Arthur's face was cold and stern, and Elara knew he wasn't kidding.
Elara didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse for Elodie to be loved by such a man. She lowered her eyes and said softly, "Mr. Hernandez, I'll do my best."
Arthur seemed to be smiling, but his lips were habitually downturned, making it hard to read his mood.
"I believe in your abilities, Dr. Cane." His voice sounded gentle, but it carried an invisible pressure.
Elara knew that failing to complete the task would have severe consequences.
Arthur leaned back on the sofa, his voice low, "Since you can be so easily tempted by fifty grand, it means you're not happy with your current pay. So, I'll add fifty grand to your salary. Just take good care of Elodie."
"No, no need..." Elara was too scared to take the money and kept refusing, but Arthur cut her off firmly. "Dr. Cane, my patience has limits. Don't argue with me."
Just a few words made Elara shake with fear. She picked up the paper, trembling, "Thank you, Mr. Hernandez."
After Elara left, Arthur's elegant face turned dark. What he said about having kids was a joke. Even if Elodie did get pregnant, he wouldn't let her keep the baby.
For older women, childbirth was risky, and he wasn't about to take that chance. He'd rather not have a kid. But he didn't expect Elodie to take it seriously and ask Elara for contraceptives. Did she really think she could get pregnant?
Arthur figured with Elodie's memory all messed up, she might actually think she was eighteen and could get pregnant. He lowered his eyes and went back to the room where Elodie was resting.
Arthur's big hand stroked her back, making her shiver a bit. Elodie endured it without pushing him away.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Arthur asked.
"I can't sleep." Elodie hesitated and then said softly, "Arthur, can you give me some money?"
Her tone made Arthur laugh. Who would've thought the proud Elodie would ask him for money? It was a rare sight. But this indirectly confirmed what Elara had said—she wanted money to bribe her.
Arthur's tense heart gradually relaxed.
Seeing him laugh without saying anything, Elodie got annoyed and huffed, "Forget it."
"I didn't say I wouldn't give you." Arthur's voice was low, genuinely pleased. He propped his arm beside Elodie, leaned down slightly, and planted a gentle kiss on her ear, his voice hoarse, "Elodie, if you want the stars or the moon, I'll get them for you, as long as you don't leave me."
Elodie seemed used to it, showing no reaction to his kiss. She stared at him with her beautiful eyes and said bluntly, "I want money."
"I'll give it to you." Arthur bit her lip, and after a deep kiss, he panted slightly, "What's mine is yours."
Seeing the deep desire in Arthur's eyes, Elodie shrank back, looking very scared, "Don't, it still hurts."
Her face turned red, and she found it hard to speak.
"I'm bearing with it." Arthur chuckled.
When Arthur loved someone, he could give his all. But when his hatred outweighed his love, he could act ruthlessly without hesitation. In general, loving him and being loved by him were both very dangerous.
At this moment, Arthur felt that no amount of love for Elodie was enough; he just wanted to love her more.
"Don't be afraid. Your body hasn't healed yet, and I won't touch you. Rest well. Next time, I won't be so rough." Arthur explained seriously, "Earlier, it was because I had been holding it in for too long and couldn't control myself."
Back home, Elara took out another piece of dissolvable paper and repeatedly looked at the name of the medicine on it, memorizing it clearly.
On this one, it wasn't a contraceptive. Elodie was very smart, thinking of all possibilities and successfully avoiding Arthur's questioning. Elara felt more confident about her family's chance to leave.
If given a choice, who wouldn't want their family to leave safely? For a family, missing any member would be incomplete.
Elara tossed the paper into the water, her resolve growing stronger.
At work, Harper's assistant reported, "Ms. Hernandez said she doesn't need the dress for now."
Harper frowned, feeling a bit helpless about Audrey's unpredictability. She told her assistant, "Confirm with her. If the wedding is in half a month, we need to finalize it now, or we won't make it in time. We don't want her thinking we're inefficient."
"Okay, I'll communicate with her."
Harper added, "And if she decides not to go through with it, make it clear that the deposit is non-refundable."
Designers valued their designs, and multiple negotiations without a decision required additional compensation according to industry rules. But Harper didn't have the energy to argue with Audrey about this. She considered the deposit as compensation.
Soon, the assistant returned with a reply, "Ms. Hernandez confirmed she doesn't need it. Ms. Hernandez said her fiance had already ordered a dress from another place a month ago. She didn't know, which caused the misunderstanding, so she asked us to cancel it."
Custom-made clothing needed to be ordered in advance. It seemed Francis was quite thoughtful, secretly ordering a dress for his fiancee.
"Alright, let's leave it at that." Harper's expression remained unchanged.
She had been in a slump for a while, but life had to go on. She couldn't stay gloomy forever. So she forced herself to work normally and interact with people instead of isolating herself.
Regarding Francis and Audrey, although she hadn't completely moved on, the emotional turmoil was lessening. She believed it wouldn't be long before she could remove this thorn from her heart completely.
After work, Vincent came to pick her up. They had planned to have dinner together. When they arrived at the restaurant, Vincent tossed the car keys to the valet and personally opened the car door for Harper.
As Harper stepped out, she saw a black Maybach pull up right behind them. The familiar license plate made her heart skip a beat. It was exactly what she didn't want to see.
The car door was opened by a bodyguard, and Francis, impeccably dressed in a suit, stepped out, surrounded by his bodyguards.
Vincent looked up and saw Francis, his expression stunned. Then, he asked Harper in a low voice, "Harper, do you want to go somewhere else?"
At that moment, Harper's gaze met Francis's. Under the grand porch, with the lights shining brightly, Francis's handsome face was cold and indifferent.
Harper suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart. It turned out that the emotional turmoil was only lessened because she hadn't seen him. When she actually saw Francis, she couldn't even maintain basic composure.
But what had she done wrong? The relationship had deteriorated to this point entirely because of Francis. Harper had no choice and no right to refuse. Everything was dictated by him. So why should she act like the guilty party and avoid him?
She withdrew her gaze, took Vincent's arm as etiquette dictated, and said calmly, "No need to change."
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