Chapter 530 Are You Determined to Choose Him?
Harper didn't waste any time; she grabbed Vincent's arm and headed up the steps first. As the glass revolving door spun, they vanished from Francis's view.
During dinner, Harper was pretty quiet, but nothing weird had been shown on her face. Vincent, being the gentleman he was, cut her steak and handed it over. Noticing she wasn't eating much, he asked, "Not your thing?"
"It's good. Maybe that coffee I had this afternoon killed my appetite."
"Harper," Vincent glanced over at Francis, who was eating alone nearby, and called her name.
"Yeah?"
Vincent hesitated, then asked, "Still not over it?"
Harper's hand froze mid-air, but she didn't say anything. Vincent felt a pang of sympathy, "If you can't get over it, don't push yourself. Time heals all wounds."
Because of his friendship with Jasper, Vincent's feelings for Harper were all over the place. At first, she was like a sister to him, but over time, things got murky. He'd never been in a relationship, so he wasn't even sure what love felt like.
But one thing was clear: he wanted her to be happy. Whether that happiness included him or not didn't matter, as long as she was happy.
Harper appreciated Vincent's support. There were things she couldn't tell Jasper, fearing he'd overreact. But with Vincent, she didn't have to worry. He always seemed to get her and wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable.
"I get it, Vincent," Harper said softly.
Harper's thoughts mirrored Vincent's. She wouldn't force herself to toughen up overnight; she'd just go with the flow. Like now, she could calmly eat in the same room as Francis. She couldn't avoid him forever; she'd move on gradually.
Dinner wrapped up sooner than expected. When Harper stood up, she still saw Francis nearby, his handsome face indifferent. Harper looked away, like she was just glancing at a stranger.
After a few steps, Vincent's phone rang. It was a work call. He hung up, but it rang again. Just as he was about to hang up again, Harper stopped him. "Vincent, what if it's important?"
Vincent frowned, still reluctant, "No matter what, I gotta get you home first."
"Just answer it and see what's up."
Vincent gave in. After a few words on the phone, his expression changed. "Is it serious? Which hospital?"
Vincent hung up and looked at Harper, troubled. Before he could speak, Harper said, "Sounds serious. You should go. Don't worry about me."
Vincent explained, "It's a student. Messed up an experiment and hurt his hand. His parents aren't in Northfield, and there's no one to make decisions."
"Then go," Harper urged. "I'll call a driver to pick me up."
Vincent was worried, "It'll take over thirty minutes for the driver to get here. I don't feel right leaving you waiting that long."
Harper thought for a moment. It would waste too much time for the student. She pulled out her phone and said, "I'll call a car now. Vincent, don't worry about me. I'm not a kid; I can get home on my own."
Vincent was still worried, but the student who took the injured kid to the hospital was panicking and kept calling. With no other option, Vincent gave her a ton of instructions and took off.
Harper waited alone at the entrance for her ride. Tonight, getting a car was a nightmare. After twenty minutes, still no car in sight. Instead, she ran into a few drunk guys. Seeing how pretty she was, they staggered over, reeking of booze, and asked for her number.
Harper ignored them, frowning, and headed towards the security booth to avoid them. But these drunks were persistent. They started banging on the security booth door. Even after the security guard yelled at them, they kept at it.
Seeing this, the security guard grabbed his walkie-talkie to call for backup from the lobby.
Before he could call for help, a loud horn blared. A black Maybach sped over, looking like it was about to plow into the group. The drunks freaked out and scattered, with a couple of them falling and rolling on the ground.
The security guard was scared out of his wits. If the car hadn't stopped, it would've smashed the booth. Harper was also pretty shaken. She clutched her stomach, her face pale as a ghost.
The driver got out and apologized, saying he didn't see clearly. The disheveled drunks, hearing this, were about to make a scene, but the patrolling officers arrived and stopped them. Based on the security guard's account, the drunks were hauled off to the police station for causing trouble.
Harper stepped out of the security booth and saw her ride had finally arrived. She walked past the black Maybach. The dark windows made it impossible to see inside, but she had this creepy feeling of being watched.
She didn't need to look to know who was in the car. However, the driver was a new face, so maybe it was just a coincidence and the new driver had indeed hit on the wrong pedal.
Either way, Harper wasn't about to flatter herself thinking Francis was helping her out.
After getting into the car, the driver explained the delay. Turned out, a star was performing at a nearby stadium, causing a massive traffic jam. Tonight, getting a car in this direction was a nightmare. She was lucky to get one relatively early; now, it would take over an hour.
The driver was chatty, but Harper was cautious and didn't reveal anything about herself. Before getting in the car, she checked the driver's license plate and, as Vincent had instructed, sent it to him to let him know she was in the car.
After driving a short distance, the car suddenly broke down. The driver checked and apologized, "Ma'am, I'm sorry, the car's busted. I'll have to call someone to fix it."
Harper nodded, "Okay, go ahead."
The driver scratched his head, "The whole area's jammed tonight. I don't know how long it'll take for a repairman to come. How about switching to another car? I won't charge you for the fare."
Harper only remembered the traffic jam now, but because of it, there were no cars heading south. It was so dark, where could she find a car?
The car's air conditioning was off, and Harper felt uncomfortable in the stuffy environment. She got out of the car and called the driver. As expected, it would take over an hour to get there.
Tonight, all the cars heading north were stuck, but it was smooth sailing going south. Harper had just stood by the roadside when a Maybach pulled up. The window rolled down, revealing Francis's handsome, emotionless face. He said coldly, "Get in."
Harper couldn't believe her luck tonight, always running into him.
The night was getting colder and damper. Harper hadn't dressed warmly, and now her nose was red from the cold, making her look even more delicate.
"No, thanks." Harper pretended not to know Francis and walked a few steps forward. There was a bus stop ahead, but the buses had already stopped running. However, the bus stop had surveillance cameras, making it relatively safe. So, she planned to sit there and wait for the driver to arrive.
The Maybach followed her and stopped at the bus stop. After Harper sat down, Francis got out of the car and walked up to her in a few strides. "Get in the car. Do I have to beg you?"
The last time they met, Francis hadn't said a word to her from start to finish. This time, Harper believed it was because Audrey wasn't around that he was willing to say a few more words to her.
Harper wasn't the type to hold a grudge after being snubbed, and given their current relationship, there was no need. She refused, "The driver is already on the way."
Unexpectedly, Francis was relentless. His thin lips parted coldly, "It's very hard to get a car here tonight. How long do you plan to sit here?"
"It's fine, it shouldn't be long." Before she finished speaking, Harper felt a sharp pain in her arm. Francis had grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. Whether intentionally or not, he had grabbed the exact spot where Harper had held Vincent's arm earlier that evening.
"What are you doing?" Harper felt it was absurd. He was the one who wanted to distance himself, so what was he doing now?
Finding it inconvenient to pull her along, Francis simply lifted her by the waist and shoved her into the car, then got into the back seat himself. He had just sat down when a bag came flying at him. Francis dodged, and it hit the car window.
The car had already started moving. Harper glared at him, "Mr. Getty, please let me out of the car."
They were now strangers, and he was about to get married. Harper didn't want to make any ambiguous mistakes by sitting in a car with a man who had a fiancée.
Francis's expression was cold as he said something unrelated, "Vincent is not suitable for you."
Harper understood. Francis thought Vincent was dating her. But what did that have to do with him? He was the one who said he got tired of her, and who announced to the world that he was getting married. Saying this now was laughable.
Harper pressed her lips together, not even bothering to explain.
Francis seemed prepared. He took out a stack of documents and threw them into her hands, saying, "His family is the second most powerful family on Emerald Isle. Every descendant is responsible for increasing the population, and each must marry at least four wives. Can you tolerate that?"
Harper frowned, surprised that Francis had investigated Vincent.
Vincent and Jasper were very close. If Vincent's character wasn't trustworthy, Jasper wouldn't have thought of introducing him to her. Moreover, Vincent had always wanted to break away from his family on Emerald Isle and start his own life.
But there was no need to explain this to Francis, and she hadn't even thought about remarrying.
"Are you done?" Harper didn't even glance at the documents, her expression indifferent. "If you're done, please let me out of the car."
Francis pinched the corner of the papers, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, and sneered, "You don't care about this?"
Harper didn't want to engage, "I trust Vincent's character."
"He's not right for you," Francis insisted.
"Mr. Getty, what are you doing?" Harper asked, amused. "Are you picking a partner for your ex-wife?"
Francis's expression shifted slightly, and he said in a low voice, "We were once married. I don't want you to go down the wrong path."
Harper found it ironic, "Mr. Getty, you're overthinking. I'm an adult, capable of making my own choices and distinguishing right from wrong. And speaking of the wrong path, you are the biggest wrong path I've ever encountered in my life."
She had suffered enough at Francis's hands, and no other man could hurt her as deeply as he had.
Francis's expression was stern, his eyes filled with aggression, "So you insist on choosing him?"
Harper really didn't want to waste words with him, "My affairs are none of your concern, Mr. Getty. Please let me out of the car now. I don't want any misunderstandings."
After all, Francis was about to get married, and Harper didn't want any further entanglement with him.
Francis looked at her coldly, "You think he's gentle and refined, but living in such a barbaric family, how could his hands be clean? He wants to live elsewhere, but have you thought about how difficult it would be for him to establish himself once his ties to the Perry family and their dirty deeds are exposed? In that case, he would have no choice but to return to his family on Emerald Isle, and he wouldn't escape the fate of marrying many wives. Are you really willing to share a husband with so many women?"
Harper didn't expect Francis to say so much. Talking behind someone's back was very impolite. Moreover, Francis was always biased, speaking ill of others.
Harper shot back, "This is my business. Even if I make the wrong choice, it's my own choice, and I can bear the consequences."
Francis didn't expect Harper to listen to nothing, just as she had been wholeheartedly in love with him before. Now she was wholeheartedly defending another man. This made him feel like his heart was being twisted into a knot, causing immense pain.
Besides the pain, there was also some uncontrollable jealousy.
Francis couldn't help but sneer, "It seems you really love Vincent. Since you don't care about any of this, you must also not mind leaving here with him to live on Emerald Isle."
Before Francis finished speaking, a handprint appeared on his handsome face. Harper raised her hand, unable to bear it any longer, "Francis, are you threatening me? Do you want to drive away everyone around me? I remember every word you said to me. You told me not to cling to you and to stay away. I've done everything you asked. What more do you want from me??"
Harper's eyes reddened as she grabbed his shirt, tearing off several buttons in her emotional state, "Do you want me to live a miserable life to make you happy?"
She was on the verge of breaking down, all her grievances pouring out at this moment. "Is that it? Answer me!"
Francis was momentarily dazed by her words. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Harper pressing the car window button, attempting to jump out.
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