Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
Elijah and Francine immediately knew she was lying, but neither exposed her. Francine had known for a long time that Seraphina could be rather scheming and malicious.
Seraphina loved Halston deeply, which was why she took such extreme measures sometimes. However, Halston was about to undergo surgery, so it wasn’t the time to demand an explanation from her.
“Good, the surgery can proceed as planned then. Where is he?” Francine asked curiously.
“Oh, he…” Elijah glanced at the surgery room. “He entered the room using a staff card. I think the surgery has already started.”
“What? It’s already started?” Francine quickly put her palms together and prayed, “God, please protect him, I beg you… As long as he’s safe, I’ll do my best to separate him from Flossie!”
Elijah frowned, looking perplexed. “Madam, why do you want to break up the couple after you agreed to the surgery? Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t meddle in his life anymore, and you’ll let him make his own decisions?”
“I did say that, but a fortune teller told me that they’re incompatible, and they’ll be in serious trouble if they get together. So, I’ve got to be the villain here to keep them safe, ” Francine answered honestly. Of course, it was also up to them whether or not they could overcome the obstacles in their path and be with each other forever.
“Madam, when did you become so superstitious?” Elijah was amused by Francine’s reply. When Francine was young, her love life had been dramatic and exciting, much like Flossie and Halston’s love story. Back then, she used to think that everyone was the master of their own fate, but now, she had decided to turn to God. If Francine didn’t want Halston and Flossie to be together just because a fortune teller said so, Elijah really didn’t know what to say.
“I think Madam Francine is right. Think about it-didn’t Halston always get into trouble when he was with Flossie? When they were together, he lost his sight and was on the verge of death, so maybe they really are incompatible.
Separating them might be good, as the fortune teller said. A lot of celebrities believe in fortune tellers now, you know…” Seraphina blurted out, eagerly trying to ruin any possibility of Halston and Flossie being together.
“We’ll talk about it later. Maybe he won’t be so obsessed with Flossie even if he remembers who she is. We’ll just have to see how the surgery turns out…” Elijah said curtly, forced to say something to keep the crazy woman at bay.
“Yes, you’re right. His safety is the most important thing right now.” Francine stopped worrying about other things, just wanting her son to make it through the surgery safely.
Hours passed, but the door to the operating room stayed shut.
Francine asked nervously, “Why isn’t it over yet? Did something happen?”
“No, don’t worry. This surgery is very difficult since it involves the brain. I’m sure it’s going well since it’s taking this long.” Elijah tried to comfort Francine, but he wasn’t that confident about the outcome since brain surgery was the most complicated surgery. Even the slightest mistake could cause serious consequences.
After a while, the door to the operating room finally opened…
Owen was immediately surrounded by people.
“How did the surgery go, Dr. Wagner? Is my son okay?” Francine asked Owen agitatedly.
“Don’t worry. The surgery was very successful, and everything will be okay as long as he gets good rest for a few days.” The long surgery had exhausted Owen, so he didn’t speak much and quickly headed to the changing room to change his clothes. There had been a lot of weird things about Halston’s brain surgery, and he needed to talk to Halston once he’d woken up.
“Great! He’s finally out of danger.” Francine breathed a sigh of relief. To her, the most important thing was her son’s safety.
Seraphina stood nearby with a complicated expression, feeling conflicted. She was relieved that Halston was safe, but she was also worried about the aftermath of this surgery.
“Are you okay, Ms. Murphy?” Elijah walked up to Seraphina and whispered, noticing Seraphina’s odd reaction.
“I… I’m fine !” Seraphina swallowed and averted her gaze in obvious guilt.
Elijah tilted his head slightly, observing her closely. “Why do I feel like something is weighing on your mind? Are you unhappy that the surgery was successful?”
“No! Of course I’m happy but…” Clenching her fists, Seraphina said, “It’s over between him and me once he regains his memory, so don’t expect me to celebrate this.”
“Is that the reason why you’re so disappointed?” Elijah frowned, finding her reasoning a bit strange. She looked more panicked and helpless instead of gloomy and disappointed, so there was a possibility that Seraphina had done something without Halston’s knowledge. However, it wasn’t the time to investigate—all they could do was wait for Halston to wake up.
Francine calmed herself, then looked at Seraphina and said directly, “Be frank with me, Seraphina-was the car accident involving Owen’s brother your doing?”
“What are you talking about, Madam Francine? I don’t understand.” Seraphina’s eyes grew wide in panic, not expecting Francine to ask her about it.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” At first, Francine didn’t plan to investigate the issue, but she felt that it was necessary to make some things clear. “I know you’re worried that Halston will abandon you once he regains his memory, which is why you chose such an extreme method to prevent him from regaining his memories. I understand your intentions…” While speaking, Francine observed Seraphina’s reactions.
Seraphina remained silent and ducked her head, silently admitting to it. Although it had been a rather cunning plan, Seraphina didn’t see anything wrong with it. She felt her only mistake had been underestimating Owen since he had managed to distract and evade her successfully.
“I won’t hold you responsible for that because I know you only did it out of love for Halston, but I hope you can understand my intentions too,” Francine said slowly.
Seraphina looked up, her eyes teary. “What are you saying, Madam Francine? What do you want?”
“Calm down…” Although Francine seemed to be reassuring Seraphina, she looked disapproving and solemn. “I won’t force you to leave my son, but I’ll respect his choices. It’s his business if he picks you or someone else. However, I do have one request-that you stay away from Halston while he’s recuperating.”
“What?” Seraphina was stunned, and protested, “Isn’t that too much, Madam Francine? You know what I’ve suffered and sacrificed for Halston, but now that he’s got his memories back, you want to get rid of me. You’re not even letting me see him! Don’t you feel bad doing this to me?” Seraphina wasn’t used to such treatment having been pampered and spoiled her whole life. She was once the only heiress of the Murphy family before her father cheated on her mother and had illegitimate children. She had always been given everything she wanted and had been doted on her whole life.
“I can’t trust that you won’t do something extreme. This is the only way I can protect my son during this critical period.” Francine stayed calm despite Seraphina’s accusations. After all, Seraphina dared to cause a car accident just to stop that surgery; there was nothing stopping her from doing something extreme to prevent Halston from regaining his memories. Hence, Francine felt that it was the safest to separate Seraphina and Halston for now. She turned to Elijah and ordered, “Keep an eye on her, Elijah.”
A few days had passed since the surgery, and Flossie was slowly getting used to being blind. She was still recuperating in the basement because to her, it was the same wherever she was. After she became blind, she became more aware of what mattered to her. She called her children often, but whenever they asked for video calls, she would always refuse. However, she knew that it would be hard to fool the children for long, and even Margaret might eventually think that she had been kidnapped. If she called the cops, things might become troublesome, so Flossie couldn’t stay there for long.
“Lisa!” Flossie called out as she got out of bed and felt around.
“I’m here, Ms. Ellsworth. What can I do for you?” Lisa immediately got up and asked. She always stayed by Flossie’s side.
“How’s Jovan doing? When will his stitches be removed?” Flossie was worried about Jovan, and could only leave with peace of mind after ensuring that he had recovered his sight.
“Master Jovan is recovering very well, and the doctor said the stitches can be removed by tomorrow. After that, he’ll just need a bit of rest to recover,” Lisa answered honestly.
“Tomorrow…” Flossie nodded. “Okay, update me on his condition after his stitches are removed. If everything goes smoothly, can you drive me home?”
Feeling sorry for Flossie, Lisa sighed softly. ‘Are you sure you don’t want him to know that you were the donor?”
Flossie took a deep breath and said firmly,” No, this is what he’s owed. The last thing we need is for him to find out and make a fuss.”
Jovan’s room was full of people the next day. His parents, Eloise, and important executives from Guajardo Enterprise had all gathered there since it was a special day. Jovan would be able to see again after the stitches were removed.
“It’s time, Mr. Guajardo. Are you ready? We’re going to remove the stitches for you.” The doctor asked Jovan seriously.
“Go ahead.” Jovan nodded and sat at the edge of the bed, nervously clasping his hands together. Getting his sight back was almost like being reborn, and no one could understand how agitated he was at that moment.
After gaining Jovan’s approval, the doctor started removing the bandages. “Your eyes might ache and swell for a while because they haven’t been in contact with light for a while, but that’s normal. Your vision will be blurred initially, so we’ll give you glasses to block out strong lights. It’ll help you with the recovery.”
The last layer of bandages was finally removed, and Jovan could feel a ray of light shining on his eyes. As he looked around, he saw blurred figures of his parents and other people.
“How is it, Van? Can you see?” Jovan’s mother asked tearfully.
“I can see you, Mom.” Jovan stared at his mother, but for some reason, he no longer looked cunning and fierce. On the contrary, he looked docile and gentle as if he were about to cry.
Jovan’s father immediately frowned and turned to the doctor angrily. “My son is recovered but why does he look different? He’s a man, but he looks feminine now!”
The doctor nodded and explained respectfully, “That’s normal since Mr. Guajardo is using a young woman’s eyes. His eyes are reflecting the temperament of his donor, and it’s rather amazing since they’re now sharing genes too.”
“That explains it! Van would never have such a look. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have let him have the surgery. Hmph! A grown-up man looking like a girl… How is he supposed to compete against Halston? They’ll laugh at him and kick him out of the company at this rate!” Arthur was an ambitious man, and had always raised Jovan as Halston’s opponent. He had been waiting for Jovan to defeat Halston and gain power over Guajardo Enterprise one day, and even though they had failed many times, he never lost hope. Everything had been going smoothly until Jovan lost his rationality over a woman, and was driven out of Guajardo Enterprise. If Jovan wanted to fight Halston, he had to be bold and cunning.
“Don’t worry, Master Arthur, you still have us.” James Dotson, an important executive of Guajardo Enterprise, tried to comfort Arthur. “We’ve been working hard for Guajardo Enterprise, and we’ve gained valuable positions there. Of course, we’ll help Master Jovan if he wants to go back.”
“Yes, you’re right!” Arthur smiled smugly. “Halston isn’t that strong after his brain injury, and it’s only a matter of time before Guajardo Enterprise falls apart. He only has a bit of power because of his marriage with Ms. Seraphina, but if they fall out and he calls off the marriage, he won’t be that much better than my son.”
Arthur turned to Jovan, who looked pale and weak. “You’re reborn now, son. You must grab this chance well and go back. Aren’t you good at pursuing women? You should try and win Ms. Seraphina over. If the Murphy family is on our side, our victory will be certain!” However, Jovan was silent.
Jovan pursed his lips, not saying a word. His gentle and melancholic eyes didn’t seem to match his character.
“Hey, I’m talking to you! Do you need new ears too?” Arthur scolded, dissatisfied with Jovan’s reaction.