Chapter 217 A Fierce Battle
Tristan took the wine glass and walked straight to sit down on the sofa.
"Lark, for the sake of us knowing each other since childhood, I'll give you one chance. Hand over Dr. Smith." Tristan stared at the red liquid in his wine glass. "As a thank you, I won't interfere with you rescuing Opal."
Lark sat down on the sofa across from him. "Tristan, you're always so high and mighty. But unfortunately, times have changed. Don't you recognize the current situation?"
"The Lancaster Group belongs to Griffin. You've been out of the game for a while now. As for Apex Global Group..." Lark chuckled lightly. "You're just the CEO. Will the boss behind you really let you use his money to fight against the Romanov family?"
"I heard Apex Global Group's assets are mysterious, but so are the Romanov family's. Tristan, if it really comes to a head-on collision, Apex Global Group might not be able to beat the Romanov family. So I'm advising you, don't be impulsive."
"You just want to consider Harriet's feelings, right? She's just a woman. Is she worth risking everything for?"
Tristan's lips curved up, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Lark stood up and came to sit beside him. Her fingertips, painted with red nail polish, traced along his custom-tailored suit, her voice seductive. "Tristan, I'm not asking for much, just one night. If you fulfill my wish, I'll fulfill yours."
"We grew up together, and I even saved your life. Can't you help me realize such a simple wish?"
Tristan turned to look at her, his unfathomable eyes showing no warmth, impossible to read.
"We grew up together, but you still don't know me well enough." Tristan's lips curved. "Don't you know? What I want, I will get, and I never need to exchange conditions for it."
Lark felt inexplicably uneasy. "What are you going to do? Forcibly take Dr. Smith away?"
"Smart of you to figure it out."
"How could you..."
Before Lark could finish, she saw outside the floor-to-ceiling window a fighter jet flying toward her direction, and it was accelerating.
Lark's scream and a loud crash sounded simultaneously.
Lark could feel that the crash came from the presidential suite upstairs. That fighter jet had crashed straight through the floor-to-ceiling window upstairs!
The door burst open, and several bodyguards rushed in with guns. "Ms. Brown!"
Tristan immediately pulled out his gun, grabbed Lark's neck with one hand, and pressed the gun barrel against her head with the other. "Nobody move."
The bodyguards didn't dare move.
Gunshots kept ringing out upstairs—clearly an intense battle.
"Tristan, how could you do this to me!" Lark screamed hysterically. "I saved your life! You owe me your life, yet you won't even spend one night with me. Now you're pointing a gun at me. Do you have no conscience!"
"With someone like you, why would I need a conscience?" Tristan said coldly. "How many times have you hurt Harriet? I don't need to count them for you, do I? I've let you go again and again. I've long since repaid what I owed you. If anyone owes anything, it's you who owes Harriet."
"Harriet again!" Lark said resentfully. "What you're doing tonight will definitely offend the Romanov family. Aren't you afraid Harriet will die?"
Tristan laughed coldly. "Anyone who wants to touch my wife better think about what they're capable of... the Romanov family is no exception."
The gunshots grew closer. The bodyguards rushed to fight back but soon fell silent.
Ryder burst in with his men. "Mr. Lancaster, all taken care of!"
Lark looked devastated and disbelieving.
Tristan released her. "I'm taking Dr. Smith. Tell the Romanov family they're welcome to settle the score, as long as they can bear the consequences."
"Tristan!" Lark called out anxiously. "If you take Dr. Smith, what about me! Don't forget, back then I saved you, and my health weakened, which triggered the illness in my body!"
"If I'd really forgotten, I would have shot you just now." Tristan said coldly. "I'm letting you go one last time. If you keep causing trouble, or if you dare touch Harriet, I will kill you with my own hands."
With that, the group left.
Lark screamed hysterically.
Tristan went upstairs, found Ondine, and took her to the rooftop where they boarded a helicopter and left the hotel.
Late at night, Harriet and Mr. Jones arrived at a mountain two hours' drive from the city.
The moment she saw Tristan, Harriet rushed forward and hugged him tightly.
"Mr. Lancaster, Harriet, what's going on?" Ian asked. "You got Dr. Smith out that easily?"
"Not exactly easily." Harriet explained. "Lark doesn't need money, so we couldn't exchange it for money. We had to take her by force, so Tristan has been secretly preparing for the past two days."
"Then his previous agreement with Lark..."
"Was just to buy time."
"So your fight was also planned in advance?"
"Not planned." Harriet explained. "There's no way Tristan would touch Lark, so that night at Golden Ember Hotel, when he reluctantly agreed to Lark's terms, I knew it was just a delaying tactic."
"If I had agreed at the time, it would have been too unusual and not my normal style, so I could only react as if it were real."
"Lark has been having people secretly watch us, so when we fought outside the clinic the next day, we were also doing it for her to see."
Tristan stroked Harriet's hair. "Mrs. Lancaster, we're getting more and more in sync."
"In other areas I might not completely understand you yet, but when it comes to Lark, I know very well that you would never agree to her demands."
Tristan turned to Ondine. "Dr. Smith, there are hot springs here, and this is my private residence, perfect for treating my wife. Please start as soon as possible."
"Alright." Ondine said. "I always keep my promises. Let Harriet stay here, and we'll start treatment tomorrow."
Rhea came over. "Dr. Smith, let me take you to your room to rest."
Tristan took Harriet's hand and went to the master bedroom. "I'll arrange for people to protect you both here. The Romanov family definitely won't let this go. I need to return to Emberfall to deal with them, so I can't stay here with you."
Harriet hugged him tightly, reluctant to part.
Tristan comforted her. "Don't worry. This is Emberfall, our own territory. The Romanov family won't dare act rashly."
"Dr. Smith said the treatment will take three months. Will you come see me?"
"My every move will definitely be monitored. Coming to see you could expose your location, so it's best if I don't come." Tristan kissed her forehead. "I'll call you every day to let you know I'm safe, okay?"
"But Tristan, I'm still scared." Harriet looked up at him. "The Romanov family isn't easy to deal with. What if they take desperate measures..."
"I'll have a way." Tristan smiled. "Trust me, okay?"
Harriet felt inexplicably reassured. "Okay."
"I personally arranged the security here. There are bodyguards protecting you 24/7, both openly and secretly."
"If something really does happen and I can't get here in time, remember this: take Dr. Smith to the wine cellar on the second basement level. Behind the wine rack is a secret passage. The door code is your birthday. Follow the passage and it will lead you to a safe place outside."
Harriet nodded. "I understand."
"Good." Tristan kissed her forehead. "I have to go now."
Harriet watched his retreating figure and suddenly called out, "Tristan!"
Tristan stopped and turned around. "What is it?"
Harriet couldn't help but rush forward, throw her arms around him, stand on her tiptoes, and kiss his lips.