Chapter 54 The Price
Jennifer and Mia spoke almost at the same time. "Are you okay?" Then they both laughed together.
Jennifer added, "You called me so many times this morning, I thought something urgent happened."
Mia was very excited. "It is pretty urgent actually. I have so many questions to ask you. I heard something happened at Eugene's engagement party last night, and Francis carried you out. He also publicly admitted you're his girlfriend. Is that true?"
"Yes." Thinking about last night's scene, Jennifer suddenly felt a bit shy and covered her face, rolling around on the bed.
Mia shouted, "Jennifer, don't tell me you're still in bed? No wonder it took you so long to answer. How many times did you and Francis do it last night? He looks like the type who's really intense in bed. Can you even handle it?"
Jennifer was so embarrassed she pulled the blanket over herself. She whispered to Mia, "How can you say things like that? I'd die of embarrassment if someone heard."
"You two can have sex, but I can't even talk about it?" Mia was completely shameless. "Let me tell you, women need to nourish themselves after sex. I'll recommend some supplements for you."
Despite being shy, Jennifer still took note of what she said. She had to admit she needed some nourishment—last night Francis wasn't even satisfied yet when she passed out. Francis made her feel very comfortable and satisfied, and she hoped she could bring him more pleasure too.
Right after she hung up, there was a knock on the door. The housekeeper Rainey asked, "Ms. Brown, I heard you're awake. Can I come in to clean now?"
Rainey came to clean the room at fixed times every day, usually after Francis left for work, so they rarely ran into each other. Since Francis didn't like having other people in the house, she would always leave before he came home.
After Jennifer moved in, she stayed home more often, so they'd met and chatted a few times.
"Rainey, wait a moment!" Jennifer looked down at herself. Her skin was delicate, making the red and purple marks from sex even more obvious. The camisole nightgown covered nothing. She quickly jumped out of bed and went to the walk-in closet to change before calling Rainey in.
While Jennifer was washing up and doing her skincare, Rainey went to clean the bathroom. After a while, she came out carrying a trash bag, smiling especially brightly at Jennifer. "Ms. Brown, you worked hard last night. I'll go buy you some nutritional supplements later."
Jennifer's hand paused while applying face cream, her face instantly blushing. She looked at the trash bag in Rainey's hand—there were several used condoms inside.
Rainey's kids were already in college; of course she knew what happened last night.
She continued, "Ms. Brown, don't be embarrassed. Mr. Carter is in his prime, so having a strong sex drive is normal. With men, if you make them happy in bed, they'll agree to anything. But Ms. Brown, you're so delicate, he should show some restraint."
Jennifer stammered, "He treats me well. Rainey, thank you for your concern."
Seeing her embarrassment, Rainey didn't say more and left after finishing her work.
Jennifer sat alone in the dining room eating lunch when she received a message from Francis.
Francis: [I'll send someone to pick you up this afternoon. Come to the hospital for a checkup.]
Jennifer: [Why?]
Francis called right away. "Who knows where you got that drug from last night—some black market. Even though I already helped you with the effects, I'll feel better if you get checked out."
"Okay." Jennifer obediently agreed. "I'm eating lunch. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet, I'll eat later. So concerned about me—do you miss me?"
Jennifer stared at the pattern on the coaster and pressed her lips together before saying quietly, "Yes, I miss you a little."
Francis laughed briefly, his tone becoming gentle. "I miss you too. Be good, see you this afternoon."
After hanging up, Francis looked at the frozen frame on his computer screen, his expression cold. He was watching a video Eugene had sent.
Leonard pushed open Jennifer's door with a lustful look, and after a long while, he ran out pulling up his pants. The surveillance footage had no sound, but Francis could almost hear Jennifer struggling and resisting, and that piercing alarm. He still remembered bursting in to find her face covered in tears, her cheek red and swollen from being hit.
Fortunately, she triggered the fire alarm in time, otherwise he would definitely have sent Leonard to prison. But even though the guy didn't succeed, daring to violate his woman meant paying a price.
Francis had already had someone investigate Leonard's background thoroughly. His family was in retail, running dozens of chain supermarkets called "EasyShop Plaza," with assets close to a billion dollars. However, Leonard had two older brothers. He carried the reputation of a notorious playboy, idling through life with no power in the company.
That day, just as everyone was preparing for lunch break, the managers of EasyShop Plaza received calls from major clients one after another, saying they wanted to cancel future orders. Besides retail, the supermarket also partnered with many companies to provide holiday gifts and employee benefits.
These orders were profitable and stable, always a major source of income for EasyShop Plaza. The managers reported the problem up the chain, and Leonard's oldest brother Albert Hall was deeply troubled by it.
Additionally, Francis found out Leonard owed the casino quite a bit of money and had committed various offenses, though the Hall family had always used money to smooth things over.
Francis packaged this information and sent it to the media, requiring them to frequently report negative news about Leonard and EasyShop Plaza over the next month. This news would reduce people's favorable impression of the supermarket brand, dealing a long-term blow to the Hall family's business.
After Francis finished all this, Jennifer arrived. She brought a box of cookies she'd baked and handed them to Francis. "I noticed you quite like this flavor, so I baked some more."
Francis glanced at the nicely packaged paper box, sat motionless in his chair, and stared at her face saying, "Feed me."
Jennifer placed the box on the desk. Her movements opening it were gentle and graceful as she pinched a thin little round cookie and brought it to his lips.
Since Francis didn't like sweets, the cookies were sea salt and cheese flavored with a subtle salty taste.
His tongue curled and he bit down on the delicate cookie in one bite, his tongue tip seemingly intentionally or unintentionally licking her fingertip wet.
Jennifer quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe it. But Francis gripped her wrist. "There are some cookie crumbs. Let me lick them clean for you."
Jennifer's eyes widened. Francis gently licked her fingertips while intently watching her eyes, as if seducing her. Her body went soft, and Francis took the opportunity to pull her waist and set her on his lap, his lips brushing against her cheek as he asked, "Your legs are still weak? Looks like Ms. Brown's physical condition is quite serious. I need to examine you thoroughly."