Chapter 565 Why Hasn't Your Girlfriend Been Here Lately?
Not being able to walk was a hassle for Francis, but it didn't make him feel any less of a person. Having been in the business game for years, Francis had seen it all. He'd met folks on medical leave and others who crushed it despite their disabilities. So, he didn't let his leg injury get to him.
Rhodes knew a bit about Francis's situation. After thinking for a sec, he said, "I've got my assistant to book the earliest flight route to Emerald Isle, but there's some traffic control due to recent military drills, so we gotta wait. If you have any questions about Harper, ask her directly. Don't just lie in the hospital like you're half-dead! That's not how the Getty family rolls!"
Rhodes rattled off everything in one go, not giving Francis a chance to second-guess. "I can only hold things down for three more months. Once Harper's kids are born, you should be good. In these three months, focus on getting better. Whether you want answers or to be there for the birth, do what you gotta do. But after three months, I'm out. I have my own stuff to handle. If no one's running the Getty Group by then, don't come crying to me!"
Right after that, an assistant came in to call Rhodes to a meeting. At the door, Rhodes added, "Francis, you need to learn to live with the fact that you are no longer together. Even if Harper is really married, you still have to step up for your kids and be a good dad."
He didn't care what Francis thought. He'd said his piece.
Rhodes had never married and only had Noah, who wasn't even his biological kid. As a dad, he had his flaws. But he believed that as long as a father genuinely cared for his kids, no matter how he chose to be there, he was a good dad.
Rhodes added, "Noah will attend Harper's wedding for me. Look out for him. Even though Emerald Isle has a deal with Northfield to keep Northfield folks safe, they don't know about your link to Stanley. If they find out, things might change. So be extra careful and keep your identity under wraps."
As long as Armando didn't find out, it would be fine. The rest of the Charles family would celebrate Stanley's death. They couldn't wait for him to die. And once Armando passed away, no one would bring up Stanley again.
"I never said I was going," Francis replied coldly. If Harper was really getting married, what was the point of him being there?
Francis had pushed Harper away himself. He could mess up her happiness, but he didn't want to.
Rhodes smirked a bit. "Whether you go to get answers or stay and live with the regrets, that's on you."
Francis headed back to his room. He was a stubborn guy and wasn't about to change his mind just because someone said a few words. If he wanted to find Harper, he'd do it even if he had to be carried on a stretcher.
But he didn't go looking for her, which meant he accepted her choice. She didn't want any more drama and chose her own path, so he figured he shouldn't mess with that.
Plus, he had no proof that Harper still had feelings for him. On the day of the shooting, Francis was feverish and hurt, making his last moments with Harper a blur. All he remembered was taking a bullet for her. Harper left on the day of his surgery, which was her way of telling him her decision.
Wesley and Rhodes might think Francis felt inferior because of his leg and didn't go after Harper. But as long as there was love, no obstacle could stop him. Without love, though, it could easily break him.
When it came to love, Francis was never that tough. He chose not to go because he knew his obsessive nature. If he saw Harper standing in front of him, he didn't know what he might do.
By noon the next day, Eldon, the male nurse taking care of Francis, came back to continue his treatment. When he left, Eldon noticed the day-old fruit next to Francis's fruit bowl. Knowing Francis wouldn't eat it, he took it to give to the floor's cleaner, Briar Mitchell.
Eldon had been doing this for a few days. It wasn't that Francis was too fancy to eat day-old fruit; he just didn't like fruit. But the VIP ward provided fresh fruit daily. Instead of letting the fruit go bad and throwing it away, it was better to give it to someone who liked it.
Eldon came back with Briar, who just wanted to say thanks.
Briar's grandson had surgery and was recovering at home. He loved fruit, but they couldn't afford it every day. Eldon knew this and had been helping her out.
Briar came in and said, "Sir, thank you. My grandson can have fruit every day because of you."
Francis replied calmly, "It's nothing."
Briar asked, "Sir, why hasn't your girlfriend visited recently?"
Francis looked at Briar, puzzled. Eldon, standing nearby, was startled and quickly said, "Briar, what are you talking about? No woman has ever come to visit Mr. Getty."
Since Eldon had been assigned to this ward, he hadn't seen any woman visit. Whether there was one or not, it wasn't good to pry into others' private lives.
Eldon kept giving Briar signals to stop talking.
"How could there be none?" Briar didn't notice Eldon's signals and continued, "There was a very pretty lady, with a small face and big, gentle eyes. I saw her come by often."
Briar said this because she had taken time off for her grandson's surgery and had just returned to work today. So she didn't know that Harper had left.
Eldon sighed, "Briar, you must be mistaken. Alright, let's go."
But Briar was stubborn and refused to leave, saying, "I'm not mistaken. I came to thank the gentleman and return the money to that lady."
Eldon, worried that Francis might get angry, tried to pull Briar away. "That's enough, Briar. Let's go."
Briar didn't understand why, but since Eldon had always been kind to her and her grandson, she listened to him. She nodded and said to Francis, "Thank you, and I wish you a speedy recovery."
Just as they were about to leave, Francis called out. "Wait a moment."
Francis looked at Briar and asked, "Briar, what do you mean by returning the money?"
Briar recalled the details, "Before you woke up, this area was my responsibility. To earn more money, I worked night shifts for a month. While cleaning at night, I saw that lady come by in a wheelchair, heading towards your room. She came several nights in a row."
"Later, when I was sitting in the hallway and crying because I didn't have enough money for my grandson's treatment, that lady saw me, asked about my situation, and gave me a card, saying the money inside was for my grandson's treatment. I told her I didn't need it, but she insisted, saying she wanted to do something good and hoped you would wake up soon."
"When my grandson's condition worsened, I used the card she gave me. It turned out to have $300,000, enough for my grandson's initial treatment. So today, when I returned to work, I came here. Please return this card to her." Briar took out a plastic bag and opened it to reveal the original card.
She continued, "My son's car accident compensation has come through, enough for my grandson's treatment. If it weren't for her money, my grandson wouldn't have received timely treatment and wouldn't be recovering so well now. Please convey my gratitude to her."
Francis took the card, still a bit stunned. Briar said, "Sir, that lady is truly kind. I could tell she cared about you. Every time she left your room, her eyes were red from crying."
Even after Eldon took Briar out of the room, Francis was still staring at the card in a daze.
So Harper had come to see him so many times.
At that moment, Victor walked in. Francis said, "I need all the hallway surveillance footage from the month before I woke up."
Victor was surprised but quickly agreed. "Got it, Mr. Getty. Is something wrong?"
As Francis's assistant, Victor needed to know if there was any threat to Francis's safety.
"Nothing. Just get it now."
"Understood." Victor agreed and was about to leave.
"Wait," Francis called him back and instructed, "Go find Eldon and get some information about Briar's family situation. Then, arrange some support for her grandson."
Victor nodded and then went out. Soon, he returned with a USB drive and handed it to Francis. "Mr. Getty, do you need help finding a specific moment?"
He was concerned that staring at the screen might strain Francis's eyes.
"No, I'll do it myself."
After Victor left, Francis inserted the USB drive into his laptop. He fast-forwarded to the nights and finally saw Harper's figure after midnight.
Harper didn't come every night but appeared every few nights, staying in the hallway for over an hour each time. From another camera angle, it was clear she didn't enter the room but stood by the window for a long time.
This explained why Harper didn't come every night; standing there took a toll on her body.
When Harper looked at Francis through the glass, she was very focused, and after a while, she would close her eyes and pray for him. On the last night, the night before she left, she stayed the longest. In the footage, Harper's back was to the camera, but it was clear from her shaking shoulders that she was crying.
Francis repeatedly watched Harper's visits, his frown deepening.
The next day, at the Getty Group's private helipad.
Inside the luxurious cabin, Noah sat impatiently and asked, "Is Francis here yet?"
The staff apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Noah Getty, but Mr. Francis Getty hasn't arrived yet."
"Is the phone still unreachable?" Noah asked.
"Yes, it's still not connecting."
Noah frowned, "Call one last time. If he doesn't answer, I'm leaving without him."
The staff called again, but there was no answer. Noah, frustrated, said, "I'll call my father. After that, we're leaving."
He dialed Rhodes's number and immediately started complaining, "I've been waiting for Francis for almost two hours! Even if he's not coming, he could at least let me know."
"Did you call him?" Rhodes asked.
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