Chapter 568 Are You Hurt?
Francis could totally feel Harper's old wounds right now. He never imagined those helpless moments and fake words would cut her so deep.
Harper wouldn't even look at him, forcing out the harshest words she could muster, "So, whether you agree or not, it won't change my mind."
She swung open the car door, lifted her skirt, and stepped out.
Her wedding dress had bloodstains. Even if it was just a sham wedding, she couldn't walk around in it. It'd embarrass Vincent and probably get him chewed out by Gabriel. Harper needed to rush back and change into her backup dress before showing up again.
Behind her, Francis tried to follow but forgot about his bum knee. With a thud, he hit the ground.
The place was littered with stones, and his not-yet-healed knee slammed into them, making a nasty cracking sound. The pain was just as bad as when Stanley had crushed it.
Francis's face went white as a sheet, sweat dripping from his forehead to the ground. "Harper," he called out, his voice raw and broken, "What do I have to do for you to forgive me? I messed up. Please, don't leave me."
Harper didn't dare look back. She bit her lip, forcing her eyes wide open, not blinking. She was scared that if she blinked, the tears would come pouring out. If she turned around now, she'd see Francis's face twisted in pain.
She only knew about Francis's condition from Jasper's occasional comments.
Jasper didn't like talking about Francis, thinking it was best to keep Harper in the dark since she wanted to cut ties. Other than saying Francis was recovering well, he never mentioned anything else.
Harper had no clue about Francis's half-hearted approach to rehab. She walked quickly and almost ran into someone as she turned a corner. It was Jasper, who had been looking for her.
"Harper!" Jasper's eyes went cold when he saw the bloodstains on her wedding dress. "Who did this?"
"Jasper," Harper started, and the tears just started flowing.
Jasper got even more panicked, "What happened, Harper? Who hurt you?"
Jasper had been tearing the lounge apart looking for her. The broken glass and threads on the windowsill all pointed to one thing: Harper had been taken! Jasper immediately notified Vincent and locked down all the exits of the estate, searching quietly to avoid a scene.
Unexpectedly, he ran into a stumbling Harper as he followed the trail.
Harper, through her tears, said, "Jasper, go check on him first."
Jasper frowned, "Who?"
"Francis, he came, and he looks hurt." Harper was a bit out of it. Francis showing up out of nowhere had thrown her off.
"Harper, I shouldn't. We can't mess this up right now." Jasper's face tightened.
If anyone found out the wedding was fake, Elodie's whereabouts would be completely cut off. The last time they got a lead, the mysterious guy snatched Elodie and vanished again. This dude was super smart, and once he disappeared, it was like he fell off the face of the earth for decades.
The worst part? There were still people in Emerald Isle keeping an eye on Harper. If they found out the wedding was a sham, she'd be their first target.
So right now, Harper couldn't afford any slip-ups.
Harper got it, her face darkening, "Jasper, I know. I just..."
She couldn't even finish her sentence. Since she decided to cut ties, she had to keep convincing herself not to waver.
Harper tugged at Jasper's sleeve, gently shaking it, "Please check on him and send him away, okay?"
Jasper was quiet for a few seconds, then nodded. "You go back to the lounge first. Vincent's looking for you too. I'll let him know and get someone to redo your makeup."
"Okay." Harper lifted her skirt and headed back.
Isla came to fetch Harper earlier. She got called to the front to check the gifts earlier, which gave Francis the chance to take Harper away. Now, Isla stuck to Harper like glue, not daring to leave her side.
Jasper, with his long strides, quickly reached the spot where Francis was still kneeling on the stone ground. He stopped in front of Francis and extended a hand to help him up.
Even though Francis caused Harper's crisis when Stanley was after him, it wasn't on purpose. He didn't know Harper would be at the hotel. Plus, Francis risked his life to save Harper, so Jasper wasn't gonna be too hard on him.
Still, Jasper thought being with Francis was too risky for Harper. They should sort out their own issues first and worry about the future later.
Francis didn't take Jasper's hand but struggled to get up on his own. He just needed a moment to pull himself together.
When Francis spoke, his voice was hoarse, "Jasper."
Jasper said, "You should go back."
Francis stayed silent. Jasper advised, "What can you do here? You managed to get her out of the dressing room because there were no guards, but do you really think you can get out of here?"
Jasper reminded Francis, "You can't outmatch the Perry Family in Emerald Isle."
Francis replied, "It's not that I can't outmatch them."
It was Harper's heart he was unsure of. If her heart was with him, no matter how dangerous, he could take her away safely.
Jasper's expression darkened, "If you act recklessly, I won't be kind to you."
Francis, when dangerous, was even more perilous than the guy behind the scenes. Jasper feared that Francis might lose his mind and take Harper away again, so he warned sternly, "I'll have someone escort you out, but if you show up here again, I'll leave this matter to the Perry Family."
Francis lowered his eyes, "Jasper, you don't need to worry about me."
Jasper, worried Francis might screw things up again, had to be blunt. "I don't know what's going through your head right now, but if you love Harper, you should respect her choices. Whether she decides to marry Vincent or be with you, it's her call. We've never interfered. You said you wanted to break up before, and now you want to get back together. Have you ever thought about whether she can handle it?"
Jasper pulled out a picture on his phone, saying, "Look at this. During the time you treated her that way, see how much she suffered."
The picture showed Harper's emotional assessment values, almost hitting severe depression.
Back then, Isla was worried because Harper seemed uninterested in everything. She feared Harper's health would deteriorate and told Jasper. Jasper checked Harper's medical records and found out she had depressive symptoms. But Harper didn't tell anyone because she didn't want them to worry.
Since she couldn't take medication due to her pregnancy, Harper actively followed the doctor's advice, diverting her attention and not focusing on only one thing. Luckily, it wasn't too severe, and after some psychological counseling, her values returned to normal.
This was also what reassured them about Harper; she never wanted to worry those around her and always cooperated actively, never giving up on herself. Harper knew her responsibilities as a mother, a daughter, and a sister, and that many people needed her and cared about her.
Seeing this picture, Francis felt like his heart was being squeezed tightly, making it hard to breathe. It turned out that while he was in deep pain, Harper was enduring the same agony.
Jasper looked at Francis's pale face and knew he got the message.
"I can't imagine the strength Harper must have to overcome depression." Jasper's eyes grew moist as he spoke about what Harper had gone through. "But she did it because she knew her responsibilities. So, before you do anything, think about whether Harper can handle it. If you cause her to relapse because of you, I won't let you off!"
After saying this, Jasper turned and left. If Francis still didn't get it and insisted on his way, then he wasn't the right person for Harper. A partner who only considered their own feelings was destined not to be a good partner. Plus, Francis needed to undergo rehab treatment. Being in a half-lame state like this would surely make Harper uneasy.
Francis stood in the wind, with droplets blown by the breeze, blurring his vision.
Harper, with Isla's coat over her head, had just entered the lounge when she saw a worried Vincent.
"Harper." Seeing her, Vincent's eyes lit up, and his arm moved forward as if to reach out, but he quickly thought better of it and let his arm fall to his side.
The concern in Vincent's eyes was genuine, and Harper's eyelashes trembled, feeling a bit embarrassed.
On the way here, after bumping into a servant, Isla had taken off her coat to cover Harper's face, fearing gossip. But Harper knew it wouldn't help much. After all, the white dress was unmistakable, and anyone could tell she was the bride without seeing her face.
The bride showing up at the wedding in a blood-stained dress? If they didn't explain it, rumors would fly, and all sorts of stories would spread.
Even though their marriage was fake, the guests didn't know that. At the wedding, Harper losing face was the same as Vincent losing face. Harper felt guilty and embarrassed. After all, men valued their reputation, especially in a place like Emerald Isle, where a man's face was everything.
"Vincent, on my way here, I was seen by two servants. I'm sorry, you might need to handle it." Harper, always afraid of troubling others, felt very apologetic, her voice choking a bit.
Vincent didn't mind this at all. Instead, he frowned with concern at the bloodstains on her dress, "Are you hurt?"
Harper glanced at the bloodstains, "It's not my blood."
She thought Vincent would ask for more details, but he just looked relieved, "As long as you're okay."
"The servant..."
"Don't worry. I'll handle it," Vincent said gently.
The premise of cooperation was mutual trust. Although Vincent didn't ask, Harper felt she should explain. Jasper had also said that if any problems arose, she should promptly inform him or Vincent to prevent any bigger mistakes due to information gaps.
"Vincent, the person who took me was Francis." Harper bit her lip and said, "He came here."
After a brief silence, Vincent spoke, "Don't worry, I'll instruct people not to make things difficult for him."
Vincent's words made Harper feel even more embarrassed.
Jasper had said it was a mutually needed cooperation as Vincent needed a fake wife to get away from the Perry Family. But Vincent could have easily found a woman without such a troublesome background to play the bride, instead of someone like Harper, full of danger and trouble. In just a short time, she had already caused him quite a bit of trouble.
"Vincent, I'm very sorry. I haven't gone out yet, so not many people should have seen me. If you need to find someone less troublesome, you can..."
"It's me who needs your help," Vincent interrupted. "It's not just me helping you. Because of my status, finding a woman with an ordinary background wouldn't work. My family would be suspicious. But you're from the Murphy family, so they won't think much of it. It's just the right fit, though it does put you in a difficult position."
Vincent's explanation was just right, not elevating himself to the point of helping a friend. He draped his coat over Harper's shoulders and said gently, "The wedding is fake. Don't feel burdened. We're still the same as before."
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