Chapter 850 The Most Unbearable Truth
It seemed difficult for him to speak, so he paused and took a deep breath.
"And at that time, I was in a foreign country where I knew no one, disabled, and had lost my memory. I had no idea where I came from or where I was going. To put it bluntly, I couldn't even take care of myself."
"The funny thing is, someone like me made Guadalupe very happy."
Francis suddenly let out a cold laugh, a glint of darkness in the night.
"I couldn't control anything he did to me, nor could I escape the cage he set up for me with his so-called life-saving grace. Every time he mentioned it, I felt like I deserved it. After all, he saved me, didn't he? I had to repay him. And someone like me, what do I have that's of any value? He wanted me, and what right did I have to say no?"
He laughed self-deprecatingly, much softer than before. "Such a past, even I find it utterly shameful. How could I have the face to tell Antonio?"
Sarah was too shocked to speak.
Was this what Francis had gone through all these years abroad? It was too much suffering. And that Guadalupe was really a pervert.
Guadalupe seemed nice, but was he disgusting to the core?
It took her a while to find her voice. "Francis, how did he save you from the car accident back then? And avoid everyone? Didn't Philip even hold a funeral for you?"
The car involved in the accident exploded, and Francis at the time indeed showed no signs of life.
So how did Guadalupe secretly save Francis? Who was buried then?
Francis's eyes flickered quickly when he heard her question, but he just shook his head and said, "I don't know. When I woke up, I was already abroad and had lost all my memory. Guadalupe didn't mention anything about back home, only that he saved me."
Sarah pondered, "I see."
Could it be that Guadalupe fell in love with Francis at first sight?
She thought this but asked, "Francis, do you want to leave him?"
"Of course. Continuing to live like this often feels worse than death." Francis's voice was louder than before, with a hint of determination and resolve. "So, ever since I regained my memory six months ago, I decided to get rid of him. This return home is a great opportunity for me."
He turned his head, his deep eyes looking at Sarah, his serious words tinged with a plea. "Sarah, will you help me?"
Perhaps fearing rejection, his voice even trembled at the end.
Sarah wasn't foolish; she was half-skeptical of what he had just said.
Even if all that was true, another question arose.
Ryan had overheard Francis and Guadalupe plotting to take revenge on Antonio. Who knew if he was trying to play both sides?
Was he now playing the victim to gain her sympathy and trust, only to betray Antonio later?
Although she didn't want to think ill of someone who had narrowly escaped death, she had to be cautious after everything she had been through.
What if this was Francis's scheme? Antonio might fall for it!
"Francis, can you first tell me what other purposes you have for returning home this time?" Sarah stared at him intently. "If you really want to leave him, why do you have to come back here?"
Francis frowned deeply, pondering as if he hadn't figured out how to explain.
Sarah straightforwardly said, "Francis, actually, I want to ask you, are you like some others, thinking Antonio owes you, that he took everything from you, and you want to take back the Valencia Group and get revenge on Antonio?"
She stopped walking and turned to face Francis, her expression much more serious than before. "The reason I'm telling you is because Antonio truly sees you as his family. He really cares about you. Since the day you came back, he's been planning to return everything that belongs to you. So if you want something, just say it. Don't deceive him or use any tricks on him, or it will really break his heart. I know you've suffered a lot over the years, but Antonio hasn't had it any easier. What he's done for the Valencia family is far more than what the outsiders can see."
Francis was momentarily surprised.
He didn't expect Sarah to be so direct, nor did he expect Antonio to actually plan to return the Valencia family to him.
Francis took a deep breath. "Sarah, don't worry." He spoke with certainty, looking Sarah straight in the eye with unwavering sincerity. "From the first day I came back, I said I see Antonio as my own brother. I've always believed he wouldn't harm me, so I would never resent or scheme against him. Except for the matter with Guadalupe, I haven't hidden anything from you or Antonio. Maybe that car accident back then was just how fate intended it."
Sarah squinted her eyes, still not quite convinced. "Then what are you here for? Is it just to reunite with family?"
"I'm here for...!" Francis's voice was urgent but suddenly stopped. After a while, he spoke again. "Forget it. At this point, I might as well tell you. To get rid of Guadalupe, I must come back because I need the Valencia Group's resources to stage a fake death. Only by 'dying' can I truly escape that devil Guadalupe!"
Sarah was right.
He could run away abroad, anywhere.
But Guadalupe's influence was vast. No matter where he ran, Guadalupe would find him and subject him to even worse torment!
"Fake death?" Sarah looked into his eyes, finding no trace of deceit.
She even wondered if she had taken in too much tonight to discern sincerity.
A short silence fell between them.
Suddenly, Sarah remembered Antonio mentioning a development project at dinner, a decision that might not yield returns.
She connected the dots and asked, "The big development project, is that your plan?"
"Yes," Francis said with difficulty. "Sarah, you're smart. You should understand I have no other choice. Abroad, I have no power; that's Guadalupe's territory. But here, I'm a Valencia. Even after all these years, there are people and resources I can use. Guadalupe is sharp and suspicious. I need to plan a perfect 'accident' to fool him. Just like he used tricks to take me away and deceive everyone back then."
If there were any other way, he wouldn't have come back to disrupt Antonio's peaceful life.
He took a deep breath and said frankly, "Sarah, at this point, I have nothing to hide from you. Every word I've said is true."
Sarah pressed her lips together. "But how can I believe it all?"
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