Chapter 585 Keeping the Children Far Away
Harper's soft spot was that she really cared about the people who treated her well. So, when Vincent suggested it, she just couldn't say no.
She nodded, keeping quiet. Being pregnant, she didn't have the energy to worry about much else.
At the park, there was an ice cream stand, and Harper stared at it for a while.
Vincent noticed. Even though Emerald Isle was chilly, people still craved something cold after a while, so ice cream was a hit.Since Harper was pretty far along in her pregnancy, she didn't have many food restrictions.
Vincent asked, "Want some?"
Her eyes lit up. The ice cream here had her favorite vanilla sauce on top. She'd had the vanilla sauce from Emerald Isle before, and it was amazing.
Since getting pregnant, she hadn't had any ice cream and was really craving it. But she hesitated, "Can I?"
She asked, but her eyes were practically begging for Vincent to say yes. That look could melt any guy's heart.
Vincent looked at her and said, "The doctor said a little is fine. I'll get you a small one with less sauce."
His words made her feel a lot less guilty.
Vincent led her to a nearby bench, laid out a handkerchief, and smiled, "Sit here and wait for me."
There were a lot of people at the ice cream stand, and he didn't want anyone bumping into her.
Vincent walked over and, not wanting to use any special treatment, waited in line like everyone else.
Harper sat on the bench. The weather was great, and the sun was shining. She squinted, enjoying the sun, waiting for her ice cream.
But soon, a shadow blocked the sun. She frowned. Was the weather changing?
She opened her eyes and saw Francis, dressed in a fancy suit, standing in front of her, blocking the sun.
She didn't expect to see him at the park, and being pregnant, she was a bit unkempt today.
Vincent saw her all the time and didn't care about her looks. So her first thought was, did she look too sloppy?
The other night, she had picked out a nice outfit for dinner.
Francis wasn't thinking about that. He just thought she didn't look as healthy as other pregnant women he'd seen, who were usually plump.
Like Audrey, who had gained a lot of weight, but Harper seemed to have lost weight, her chin looking sharper.
Instinctively, Francis felt she wasn't being well taken care of in Emerald Isle.
Jasper was injured, so how could he take care of her?
"Mr. Getty, you're blocking my sun," Harper finally said.
Francis stood there, not moving, blocking the sun and staying silent, which was weird.
Harper even thought she looked messy, so why was Francis staring at her?
She figured maybe he was still upset about the other night.
To avoid any snarky comments, Harper pursed her lips and said, "I didn't get what was going on the other night. Sorry about that."
"It's fine," Francis replied, shifting a bit to let a sliver of sunlight through.
Harper then noticed Francis holding a black cane. His leg wasn't fully healed yet, but he was still out working, which showed some serious dedication.
This international road project was a big deal and needed someone like Francis to handle the negotiations.
She saw a bunch of bodyguards behind him, along with what looked like government officials from Emerald Isle. This park was probably just a pit stop for them.
Harper didn't say anything more. With Francis having a girlfriend now, she didn't want to get involved, so she kept her distance.
But Francis didn't seem in a hurry to leave and even started a conversation, "Are you getting used to the food here?"
"Yeah, it's alright," Harper replied.
She wasn't in the mood to chat and reminded him, "Mr. Getty, there are people waiting for you."
Francis could tell she was trying to brush him off. He paused and said, "Lily..."
"Mr. Getty," Harper cut him off, "Your business has nothing to do with me. You don't need to tell me."
She didn't want to hear about his life because she already had enough on her plate.
Francis felt a bit helpless at her reluctance to talk, but he didn't push it.
When Vincent came over with an ice cream, Harper's eyes lit up immediately.
Francis was taken aback by her reaction.
Harper had been craving it for so long that she didn't care if Francis was still there. She stood up to take the ice cream.
Vincent hadn't seen Francis's face yet, just his back, and handed the ice cream to Harper first. The next second, the ice cream in Harper's hand was knocked to the ground by Francis.
Harper stared blankly at the now half-melted ice cream on the ground.
Francis's previously calm face was now full of anger as he looked at Vincent, "How could you give her this?"
Vincent was taken aback by Francis's question and paused before saying, "Harper wanted it."
Francis said coldly, "Pregnant women can't have anything too stimulating. She had seafood the other night, and now ice cream. Don't you know what could happen?"
It had been forty hours since then, and Vincent hadn't thought of that.
After all, both ice cream and seafood were things he had consulted a doctor about, and it was okay to have a little.
But since it concerned Harper's health, Vincent knew Francis wasn't wrong to be concerned. He said good-naturedly, "I didn't pay attention. I'll be more careful in the future."
Francis's face was as stern as ever, "I hope you pay the utmost attention. Just because the child isn't yours doesn't mean you can be careless!"
Vincent couldn't help but retort, "I never thought that way."
Francis said coldly with a hint of threat, "You'd better not."
Harper was furious. Who did Francis think he was? He already had a girlfriend, so why was he meddling in her business? And Vincent wasn't really her husband. He was just helping out of kindness, and being blamed to like that must have stung.
Not only was Francis's tone aggressive, but his gaze was also intimidating, making Harper feel that he was unreasonable.
While Francis and Vincent were having their standoff, Harper had already stuffed the remaining half of the ice cream into her mouth.
Both guys turned their attention to her, looking shocked.
Harper said coldly, "Mr. Getty, I was the one who asked for the ice cream. Seems like you're scolding the wrong person."
She hadn't expected Francis to know about her eating seafood, so she questioned him, "Are you stalking me? What right do you have to meddle in my affairs? Do you think I wouldn't take care of my children?"
The more Harper thought about it, the angrier she got, especially since she hadn't even enjoyed the ice cream properly. She was really upset.
Francis's expression stiffened at Harper's outburst. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "I'm sorry for my tone."
Vincent glanced at Francis and saw an indescribable expression on his face—both forlorn and self-deprecating, which quickly disappeared.
It was the first time Vincent had seen this expression on Francis's face. It didn't suit the usually proud Francis at all.
Vincent's view of Francis changed a bit.
Francis's actions were out of concern for the children, so Vincent didn't need to hold a grudge over his attitude.
Francis's reminder made Vincent even feel a bit uneasy and worried about Harper's health.
Harper was in no mood for pleasantries and reached out to Vincent, signaling for him to leave with her.
Vincent knew Harper's gesture was meant for Francis to see. He hesitated but then took her hand. He nodded at Francis and was about to leave.
Francis seemed dazed and, for some reason, suddenly reached out to grab Harper's hand.
Harper forcefully shook off his hand, causing Francis to stumble and take a step back.
She frowned slightly, then composed herself and said, "Francis, this is my child. Don't even think about it, or I will take my children and hide far away. You'll never see us again."
Francis was stunned. Harper's words were quite threatening.
He said softly, "I didn't..."
"You better not be." Harper had no desire to argue with Francis. She returned his warning.
Her words hurt Francis. His hand, hanging by his side, clenched tightly until it turned white.
Harper didn't notice his reaction. She just felt uncomfortable in her chest.
She couldn't help but think that Francis's behavior seemed like he was trying to take custody of the children.
Harper had agreed to let him see them but never agreed to let him take them away.
She turned and walked away, with Vincent following. He glanced back to see Francis slowly crouching down, wrapping the fallen ice cream in a handkerchief.
The bodyguards nearby offered to help, but Francis refused.
Francis crouched there, staring at the ice cream, maintaining the same posture for a long time, lost in thought.
Back in the car, Harper was still fuming, her face stern and unhappy. Vincent drove in silence, giving her space to cool down.
After waiting for a moment, Harper finally spoke, looking quite scared. "Vincent, do you think he wants the kids?"
If Francis really wanted to take the kids from her when they were older, she wasn't sure she could win.
Just the thought of it made her feel miserable.
Vincent asked, "Why do you think that?"
"I don't know." Harper shook her head, frowning. "I just feel like he wants to take the kids from me."
Then she said firmly, "I won't let him take them."
Vincent paused and then sighed, "Harper, I think you're misunderstanding."
Francis seemed more concerned about her than the kids. After all, the babies were quite far along and relatively stable. If Harper ate something wrong, she would be the one to suffer.
Harper looked up at Vincent, blinking, "Misunderstanding what?"
"I don't think he wants to take the kids from you," Vincent said.
Harper still didn't believe it, "He's been showing up a lot these past few days, especially now that my due date is near. If he doesn't want the kids, what else could it be?"
Vincent didn't really want to say it, feeling it might not be in his best interest.
But he was worried Harper would be overwhelmed by anxiety again, so he said softly, "I think he's concerned about you."
"Concerned?" Harper was puzzled.
Didn't Francis have Lily now? That wouldn't be fair to Lily, would it?
Harper didn't say anything, and Vincent didn't elaborate.
When they got out of the car, he reminded her not to overthink.
Back in her room, Harper thought about Vincent's words and Francis's actions.
In her memory, Francis had always been proud. After she had rejected him so coldly, why would he still care about her?
She couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard she tried.
That night.
Harper's stomach suddenly hurt, even though her due date was still two weeks away. Maybe it was the extra activity today, the ice cream, or something else.
But at that moment, she couldn't think about it. The pain in her stomach was urging her.
Harper tried to reach for her phone on the bedside table, but it fell to the floor.
She had no choice but to slowly move her body to the floor, but she couldn't find the phone.
Her belly made it difficult to look under the bed. After feeling around for a while and not finding it, she looked at the door, just a few steps away.
Harper tried calling out, "Is anyone there?"
The intense contractions made it hard for her to call out loudly.
Isla was in the next room, but it was late at night, and she was probably sleeping deeply. Harper doubted she could hear her.
To be safe, Harper crawled across the carpet. She was afraid of falling if she stood up. She finally reached the door but faced a new challenge—she couldn't get up.
Harper knocked on the door. One knock after another, not knowing if anyone could hear. Gradually, the pain drained her strength.
After one last knock, her hand fell weakly, and she closed her eyes.
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