Chapter 561 Saying Goodbye to Daddy
Harper had been through hell these past two weeks. Honestly, the moment those elevator doors opened, she felt like she was falling into a bottomless pit.
Before that, she could still brush off Audrey's words and dream about a bright future. She had it all planned out: if Francis couldn't be cured, she'd be there for him and their kids, making sure his last days were filled with love and no regrets. It was heartbreaking, sure, but since the end couldn't be changed, all she could do was be there for him.
She thought the worst was behind them and things would start looking up. But when those elevator doors opened, everything went south.
Audrey's nasty words seemed to come true.
Ever since Harper and Francis got together, it felt like they were cursed. He'd been stabbed, fallen off a cliff, and because she went missing, he spent countless days on a boat, diving over and over to find her. Then came the poison, the explosives, and now a gunshot wound. One disaster after another, like fate wouldn't rest until Francis was dead.
In the past two weeks at the hospital, Harper started to wonder if she was really a curse, bringing endless suffering to any man who got close to her. It felt like a heavy weight on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
She had no choice; leaving was the best option.
Deep down, she knew she still loved Francis. But she couldn't let him be destroyed by this deadly love.
Standing in front of the glass, Harper felt for the first time how fast time was slipping away. She didn't want to say goodbye to Francis, but staying here might only hurt him more. Thinking about it felt like a knife cutting through her heart, making it hard to breathe.
"Ms. Murphy," Victor's surprised voice broke through.
Harper quickly turned away, wiped her tears, and then faced him, "Victor."
"What are you doing here..." Victor hesitated, unsure of what to say. He had just seen Harper standing by the glass, looking like she was drowning in sadness.
In the past two weeks, Harper had barely visited Francis. This was the first time Victor had seen her. Victor couldn't figure out what Harper was thinking. She had fainted from vomiting blood at the scene, and now she seemed so indifferent, not visiting Francis even once.
He really didn't get it.
Harper saw the confusion in Victor's eyes but didn't explain. Maybe it was better if everyone thought that way.
"Victor, can I go in and see him?" Harper finally asked, wanting to say goodbye to Francis in person.
"Of course," Victor said.
Francis was scheduled for surgery tomorrow, so Harper had to put on sterile protective clothing before going in.
Victor thoughtfully stepped back, giving Harper some space.
Francis lay on the hospital bed, still hooked up to various tubes and monitors. Through the heavy protective gear, Harper didn't dare touch him, afraid of disturbing the equipment. But just being close to him was enough.
Watching his chest rise and fall, Harper felt his heartbeat and breath. Even without touching him, she felt content.
She whispered, "Francis, even if I'm not around, you have to live a healthy and peaceful life."
As she was about to leave, she reached out, tracing the air above his thin face. She wanted to hold back her tears and wish him a successful surgery, but she couldn't. Tears fell, one after another.
"Francis, I'm sorry," Harper choked out, "I have to break my promise. We can't be together. You must take care of yourself."
Finally, she touched her belly and said softly, "Babies, I believe you feel the same as I do, hoping that Daddy will be safe and sound. Shall we say goodbye to Daddy?"
As she spoke, her belly moved slightly.
She froze, not daring to breathe too hard. She wasn't sure if it was really fetal movement.
Her belly was now still, making her wonder if it was just an illusion. Unwilling to give up, Harper said again, "Babies, if you want to say hello to Daddy, move again, okay?"
Five seconds later, her belly moved clearly.
It wasn't an illusion! The babies were really responding, saying goodbye to Francis!
With tears streaming down her face, Harper touched her belly, unable to control herself. "Sweethearts, let's wish Daddy a smooth surgery tomorrow, okay?"
She had stayed too long and had to leave.
She looked at Francis one last time, her eyes deep and profound, as if she wanted to engrave every line of his face into her memory forever. "Francis, goodbye."
Reluctantly, Harper turned around, not seeing that Francis had suddenly opened his eyes behind her. But he couldn't control his body or see Harper leaving. There was just a familiar scent in the air, making his heart rate quicken.
Francis wanted to find the source of the scent, but his body was unresponsive, only his long, straight eyelashes trembling.
After Harper left, she had already held back her tears. The hallway lights were dim, and Victor couldn't see Harper's face clearly, so he didn't notice her swollen eyes. But the invisible sadness still enveloped Harper, lingering.
Victor tried to comfort her, "Ms. Murphy, don't worry. Tomorrow's surgery will definitely be successful. Mr. Redstone has made all the preparations. We must believe in him and believe that Mr. Getty can pull through."
Harper felt deep pain in her heart, but she couldn't show it. Suppressing her sadness, she said, "Yes, it will be fine. Please take good care of him in the future."
Victor replied, "That's my duty."
But something felt off. Why in the future? Was she planning to leave?
Victor didn't want to pry, so he just observed Harper's expression, which seemed normal. But it was too normal, and that made him uneasy.
"I'll be heading back now, Victor," Harper said, then hurriedly left.
She couldn't say it out loud; just standing there, she felt like she was about to be overwhelmed by sadness.
The next day, at seven o'clock sharp, Harper was already on a plane heading abroad, with Isla and Jasper by her side.
Seeing Harper staring out the window in the direction of Northfield, Jasper thought for a moment and said, "Harper, if you are worried about the outcome of the surgery, we can go back."
"No need, Jasper," Harper replied, pulling up the blanket and closing her eyes to sleep.
Jasper sighed. He could tell Harper didn't really want to leave.
Her body had actually recovered long ago while at the hospital. She didn't want to leave because she was worried about Francis. But now, she insisted on leaving on the day of Francis's surgery. Jasper guessed she was trying to escape.
At 3 a.m. local time abroad, Jasper received a call from Northfield. Francis's surgery had gone smoothly. Now, as long as he recuperated slowly, he could probably stand up in three or four months. After all, he had suffered a severe gunshot wound to the chest. Although it didn't hit any vital organs, it still affected some joint functions.
Francis's knee had also been crushed. After surgery to clean the wound and remove useless bone fragments, a joint bone was installed. It would take at least six months for it to fully heal and adapt.
These things couldn't be fixed overnight.
Jasper shared the good news with Harper. She was stunned for a moment, then said faintly, "That's good," and returned to her room.
Back in her room, Harper closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, and prayed inwardly, 'Thank you, God. Thank you for hearing my call.'
A month later, in a high-end hospital room in Northfield.
Francis was wearing a khaki hospital gown. Although his face was thin, it couldn't hide his handsomeness.
A crisp knock on the door sounded. He said expressionlessly, "Come in."
A nurse named Cecilia Thorne pushed a treatment cart into the room. When she saw Francis's handsome face, her cheeks blushed.
Upon closer inspection, Cecilia had put on makeup that was hard to notice, paired with her white nurse dress, giving her a mix of purity and maturity.
But Francis's gaze didn't fall on her, nor did he care who came in to treat him.
Cecilia's voice was soft, "Sir, please give me your left hand."
Francis extended his left hand as instructed, and Cecilia's heart started to race. Francis's hand was strong and slender, with distinct joints, just as attractive as his stunning face.
Cecilia reached out to grab Francis's hand, but just as her fingertips were about to touch it, he suddenly pulled his hand back. Cecilia's hand froze in mid-air, and she stood there, stunned. She didn't understand why Francis pulled his hand back and asked softly, "Sir, you..."
"Where are your gloves?" Francis asked with a frown.
Cecilia suddenly recalled that Francis had a cleanliness obsession and didn't like being touched by others. So before coming in, the head nurse had repeatedly reminded her to wear sterile gloves before treating him.
"I'm sorry," Cecilia apologized repeatedly, then picked up the gloves from the cart and said, "I'll put them on right away."
Although Francis doubted Cecilia's professional ability, it was just a treatment, not long-term care, so he didn't make things difficult for her.
After putting on the gloves, Cecilia took Francis's hand. Even though the touch was dulled by the gloves, just holding his hand made her heart race with excitement.
The news of a handsome man staying on the VIP floor had already spread throughout the hospital. But Francis liked peace and didn't like being touched by women, so usually, a male doctor would come to check and treat him.
This week, the male nurse in charge had taken leave, and the head nurse, fearing that the nurses might have other thoughts, arranged for the VIP floor nurses to take turns treating Francis, one per day.
However, it was said that on the first day, a nurse had slipped Francis a note because he was handsome. Francis had immediately handed the note to the head nurse, who had scolded the nurse harshly and transferred her to a regular floor.
The next three nurses behaved themselves, not daring to have any other thoughts. They just checked Francis and left.
At this moment, seeing how handsome Francis was, Cecilia forgot about the punishment the nurse before had received. She thought that, at worst, she would be transferred to a regular ward to serve some elderly patients. She was smart and resourceful, believing that she would be transferred back up soon. So even if she failed, she wouldn't lose much.
Moreover, none of the nurses on this floor was as pretty as she was. She believed the previous nurse had failed because she wasn't attractive enough. Some men, who appeared upright, would have thoughts when they saw a pretty nurse with a good figure. As long as they were slightly seduced, these men couldn't resist.
Cecilia had a colleague who had seduced an older man in his fifties and had sex with him in the hospital. Cecilia had even caught them in the act during a night patrol.
In the end, the old man had the nurse resign and kept her outside. Later, the nurse had successfully replaced the old man's wife and became his wife. Now she constantly flaunted her happiness and wealth, making Cecilia extremely jealous.
However, Cecilia had higher standards than her former colleague; instead, her target was young and handsome men like Francis.
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