Chapter 542 Letting Go with Relief
Harper whipped her wrist and slammed Keith's chest with a jolt.
The air buzzed with electricity. Then Keith let out a grunt and hit the ground.
Harper pulled back her little stun gadget, glared at Keith, and said, "You always use your muscles to push me around. That's why no one respects you."
Keith never saw it coming. He was totally caught off guard. Now, he was all wobbly, trying to get up but failing miserably.
Keith clutched his chest, pale as a ghost, and looked at Harper, "What about Francis? He's treating you like dirt, yet you're still here, staring at his office. Is he really worth it?"
Harper's eyes dropped, her face drained of color, "It's over. I'm here to say goodbye."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Two bodyguards in black appeared behind Keith to help him up. They watched Harper leave and asked, "Mr. Getty, should we stop her?"
"No need." The pain in Keith's chest was easing up. He stood straight, eyes cold as ice, staring at the skyscraper. He had bigger fish to fry. Once he had it all, he'd see what Francis could do.
As for Harper, he'd win her over with money and effort. Keith knew better than anyone that being broke meant being powerless. So, he wasn't wasting time now.
"Is everything ready?" Keith asked.
One bodyguard replied, "The guest list for the wedding is set. All key shareholders are invited."
Francis didn't want a big deal, but Keith wasn't having it. He had big news to drop, and all the Getty Group shareholders had to be there.
"Mr. Getty, there's one more thing," the bodyguard added.
Keith turned his gaze and said, "Spill it."
"Ms. Murphy booked a flight to Auroria for the day after tomorrow."
"Going abroad?" Keith's eyebrows shot up, "The wedding's in six days. Looks like Harper's skipping town."
But she had to be there.
"Make sure she comes back," Keith ordered coolly.
At his big moment, Keith wanted Harper to see it all. And he wanted her to see Francis, the guy who stole his life, fall apart.
"Got it." The bodyguard nodded and left.
Keith took one last look at the skyscraper. Soon, he'd be on top, crushing everyone who looked down on him. He wanted them all to bow down and pay for their sins.
The night before the wedding came fast. At the Getty Group, Francis held a glass of red wine, staring out the window, lost in thought. Victor knocked and walked in. Seeing the wine, he said, "Mr. Getty, have you taken your meds? You shouldn't drink; it messes with your medication."
Francis swirled the wine glass, then set it down on the stool by the window. He turned and asked, "Everything set?"
"Yeah. Not even a fly's getting in tomorrow."
Francis looked back out the window, like he was searching for a distant star. "Good. You'll be on standby outside."
Victor was taken aback, "Mr. Getty, I should stay with you."
With Francis's health, Victor didn't want to leave his side for a second. He'd busted his butt to get everything ready for the 'wedding' and rushed back just to be there for Francis. Victor wasn't about to let another bomb scare happen. He'd throw himself in harm's way for Francis if he had to.
His loyalty came from Francis's kindness. When no one else believed in him, Francis did. And he admired Francis's smarts and talent. Francis was like a cruise ship navigating a financial storm. With him steering, Dreamlandia's financial market stayed on top, untouched by outsiders.
So, no matter what, Victor would protect Francis, a guy who made a difference.
"No need, the outside's just as important. I don't trust anyone else with it." When Francis said this, he was bathed in light, but Victor felt he was slipping away, like he might vanish any second. But it was just a moment, and Victor was convinced.
Francis's lips moved coldly, "I'll have Joshua follow me inside."
Joshua Thomas was the top dog for Francis's overseas projects. His skills and combat abilities matched Victor's, and since Joshua faced more dangers abroad, he was even more adaptable.
Victor's tense heart eased, and he nodded, "Got it, Mr. Getty."
"You can go now." Francis seemed tired, slowly sitting down with the chair's help.
Victor nodded and left.
After a bit, the door opened again. A tall guy in sunglasses walked in. Francis glanced at him and said, "Sit, please. Forgive me for not standing."
"Stay seated," the guy said.
Francis didn't stand on ceremony, "I'm entrusting Harper to you, along with my revised will. If my mom doesn't wake up, everything goes to Harper and my kid."
The guy smiled, "You sound like you're giving a last will, asking me to take care of your family."
Francis smiled calmly, "I just like to plan ahead."
The guy walked over and patted his shoulder, "Take care of your own woman."
"Alright," Francis responded softly, "One more thing."
"Shoot."
"If things go south, don't reveal the will unless you have to. Wait five years."
The guy was puzzled, "Five years?"
"Yeah." Francis looked out the window. The setting sun lit up his chiseled face, making him look as handsome as ever.
Francis said softly, "A psychologist said memories fade in five years. By then, she might not remember me much, and she won't feel sad."
The guy was silent for a few seconds. Then, he sighed, "The Getty men sure are sentimental."
Francis stood up, his steps shaky. For the past few days, he'd been relying on medication injections to keep going; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to walk.
After steadying himself, Francis pulled a document from the safe and said, "Inside, there's a letter I wrote. Give it to her with the will."
The man frowned, not taking it, and gave Francis a probing look, "Francis, is there something else you're not telling me?"
Francis replied with a blank expression, "Just being prepared."
The man was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Harper's a good woman. I can tell she used to have feelings for you. Your condition isn't hopeless; you don't need to cut off all your options."
Francis suddenly let out a light laugh. Then, he pulled up his pant leg, showing the man, "Look, do I have any options left?"
Francis's once lean and strong calf had become emaciated. It was hard to imagine such a leg could support his tall frame. Moreover, it was covered with bulging purple-ish red veins, the toxins spreading, making the veins increasingly dark.
Such a leg looked completely mismatched with his handsome face, very unsettling. Even the man, who was used to facing big storms, couldn't help but frown.
After a moment of desolation, Francis's expression turned ashen, "I can't give her happiness. It's better to let go."
The man's expression also turned somber, unable to utter any comforting words. After all, since it didn't happen to him, it was hard for him to fully understand.
After arriving abroad, Harper spent a few days with Clayton before getting busy with her online-operated company. Her health had been well-maintained over the years with the Murphy family, so she thought she could do as much as possible while her pregnancy was still early.
During this time, she also told Clayton about her pregnancy. Clayton had always respected Harper's decisions and, as he got older, enjoyed having more people around. What couldn't be achieved with Jasper could be achieved with Harper.
With Clayton's support, Harper's mood brightened, and with a better mindset, her work capabilities shone through.
In fact, with the Murphy family's conditions, she could easily choose to take as much time off as she needed for her pregnancy. Even if she never worked a day in her life, they could still take excellent care of her and the babies. But hard work was a good virtue, and Harper hoped to set a good example for her children.
Moreover, Harper always did what she could and never risked her health. If she felt uncomfortable or tired, she would rest and never let anyone worry. So Clayton agreed to let Harper continue working until she needed to prepare for childbirth.
On Friday, Harper went on a business trip to Amarico, accompanied by her assistant Ronald. During the journey, a commotion suddenly arose on the plane.
For Harper's travel safety, Ronald had booked the entire first-class and business-class sections, so the commotion was strange, reaching even the first-class cabin.
Soon, the head of the steward crew came over, apologizing profusely, "Due to a passenger's sudden illness, we've decided to make an emergency landing at Northfield Airport."
Harper was very cooperative, understanding that life was more important than anything else. So she nodded in agreement. But Ronald was more cautious and went to check it out.
Ronald had been with Jasper for a long time and was more alert than most people. That was why Jasper trusted him to accompany Harper and handle matters.
Ronald soon returned, reporting that there was no problem. Indeed, a passenger in the economy class had fallen ill, and the crew agreed to the emergency landing.
So, the plane finally touched down at Northfield Airport after more than two hours in the air.
After the ambulance took the sick passenger away, Harper thought they could get back on track. But then, the head stewardess came back, apologizing again, saying a flight attendant noticed some issues with the cabin, and the plane needed a safety check. They wouldn't be able to leave tonight and would have to continue the journey the next morning.
Harper was stunned; it was only the afternoon. So, they had to stay in Northfield for a night?
Ronald was also super frustrated, not expecting the airline to be so unreliable. Immediately, he said he would inform Jasper to contact the owner of SkyLink Airways.
The Murphy family dealt with land and water routes. Although the airline was in the aviation business, the business owners were well-acquainted, and Jasper's complaint meant something.
Harper stopped Ronald, saying that even if they made the call, the plane couldn't fly now. Moreover, this issue concerned safety, and no one could afford to be careless.
Thus, under the arrangement of the flight crew, Harper was accommodated in a luxury hotel suite.
Since she had booked the entire first-class and business-class sections and held a black card, she was a VIP of SkyLink Airways. The air attendant was very considerate, apologizing slightly, "Technically, we should arrange the best suite for you, but tonight all the suites are reserved for VIP guests because a big shot is getting married."
Harper's smile froze on her face, realizing that the big shot mentioned was probably Francis.
These past few days, she had been fully immersed in work, or rather, deliberately trying to forget, so she hadn't remembered Francis's wedding. She didn't expect to end up staying at the hotel where Francis was holding his wedding banquet.
Ronald also realized this and, seeing the flight crew still explaining, lightly coughed and interrupted, "Could you help us book another hotel? Or we can book it ourselves."
The head stewardess was in a tough spot, "Ms. Murphy is a VIP with a black card, we should handle this. This hotel is the closest to the airport, so we negotiated for the suite. All the nearby hotels were fully booked because of the wedding."
Ronald frowned, "Not a single one available?"
The air attendant said, "If it's too far, it might be inconvenient for Ms. Murphy to catch the flight."
Ronald was about to say something, but Harper interrupted, "It's fine, we'll stay here. It's no big deal."
The air hostess relaxed, fearing that poor service would lead to a complaint. But clearly, Harper had been very cooperative and easygoing since boarding, making her feel very apologetic, so her attitude became even more gentle. "Ms. Murphy, we've arranged a series of spa services for you. Let me know when it's convenient, and I'll make the appointment."
"No need," Harper shook her head. She only planned to stay in the hotel room and not go out. A bath in the tub would suffice.
She gently told the head attendant, "You can go ahead. We don't need any services."
"Alright, have a wonderful day," the stewardess said, turning to leave.
Harper picked up her phone to check her messages. Ronald complained, "Seriously, SkyLink Airways is really dropping the ball..."
Before he could finish, they heard someone ahead loudly say, "Hey! Who allowed you to take pictures? The bride doesn't allow photos!"
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