Chapter 113 One Step Too Late
A gunshot rang out in the silent night.
Harriet jumped violently in fear, then heard a dull thud!
Harriet slowly opened her eyes and saw Beau had already fallen to the ground, unconscious, his eyes staring blankly at her.
Harriet suddenly looked up and saw Tristan holding a gun with both hands, striding toward her.
Harriet felt like she was dreaming, just like every night these past few days when she dreamed of him.
Tristan quickly untied the ropes binding Harriet, crouched in front of her and asked anxiously, "Are you hurt?"
The next second, he saw the blood on her hands, his eyes darkening instantly, "You're injured!"
Harriet couldn't hold back anymore. Tears poured out as she threw her arms around him.
Tristan froze for a moment, then slowly raised his hands and held her tightly, "It's okay now, don't be scared."
Harriet broke down crying.
Just moments ago, she thought she would never see him again in this lifetime.
At the doorway, Nolan stood there, watching the scene before him, his expression dim.
He was still a step too late.
Nolan didn't walk over. He turned and left directly, his lonely figure quickly disappearing into the night.
Tristan didn't delay. He scooped Harriet up in his arms and left.
On the way, the bodyguard watching at the hotel called to say that Owen had announced the wedding was canceled, and Gemma had fainted and been taken to the hospital.
Tristan hung up the phone, looked down at Harriet sleeping in his arms, and couldn't help holding her tighter.
He didn't dare imagine what would have happened if he'd arrived even a minute later.
By the time Harriet finished her examination, it was past eleven at night.
"Mr. Lancaster," the doctor came out to report, "Mrs. Lancaster inhaled quite a bit of sleeping drug. Apart from the cuts on her hands, she's not injured anywhere else. She'll be fine after two days of rest."
"Got it."
Harriet was soon moved to a hospital room, still unconscious.
The wounds on her hands from the glass weren't deep, but there were several of them, which was why there had been so much blood.
Tristan leaned back on the sofa nearby, resting with his eyes closed.
The hospital room door suddenly opened, and Iris helped Haven walk in.
Tristan opened his eyes, "Why are you here so late?"
"I came to see Harriet." Haven looked at Harriet on the bed with concern, "How did something like this happen again out of nowhere? If I'd known, I should have assigned her two bodyguards for protection."
"She's had a full body check. She's fine."
"That's good." Haven looked at Tristan, "Tristan, now let's talk about you. You clearly knew that as long as you didn't want to, no one could force you to marry Lark. Why did you give up your inheritance rights?"
The Lancaster family owned 90% of the Lancaster Group's shares.
The Lancaster family had five members. Except for the heir, each person held 10% of the shares, while the heir owned 50%.
Unless the heir voluntarily gave up their position, no one could shake their status.
Tristan was the first person in Lancaster family history to voluntarily give up his position as heir.
Tristan said calmly, "Grandma, I just don't want to be controlled."
Haven didn't understand, "Owen can't force you to do things you don't want to do, so I really don't understand what you're thinking."
"I'm tired of being the heir. I want to live like a normal person." Tristan smiled, "Grandma, are you worried I'll starve to death?"
"Not quite." Haven sighed, "All along, I've tried hard to keep this family together, also for Gemma's sake, afraid she might not be able to handle it and kill herself."
"Don't worry, she doesn't have it in her to actually go through with suicide." Tristan calmly sipped his tea, "Besides, you've all been too considerate of her feelings, which is why she can't face reality. Now that the ugly truth is laid out in front of her, if she really kills herself, that would just be stupid."
Haven's face turned dark, "I already know about Owen and Lark. They're absolutely shameless!"
"His sexual relationship with Lark has nothing to do with me, but his mistake was trying to push Lark onto me afterward." Tristan smiled, "Does he think I'm a garbage collector who takes any trash?"
"Owen was definitely wrong in this matter, it's even shocking. What kind of father insults his son like this?" Haven sighed, "Tristan, if you want to break ties with him and find a way to kick him out of the Lancaster family, wouldn't that work? Why do you have to leave yourself?"
"According to Lancaster family rules, unless he gives up voluntarily, even as the heir, I can't just kick him out. And I find scheming against someone like him a waste of time."
"Things have come to this point, there's nothing I can do to fix it. You leaving will give you peace, but the Lancaster family probably won't have any peace."
At the Brown Villa, Lark was losing it.
With a hysterical scream, she smashed everything she could. The maids were so scared they hid in the servants' quarters and didn't dare come out.
"Are you done with your tantrum?" Owen leaned back on the sofa smoking a cigar, "The sky isn't falling, yet you're acting like it's the end of the world. As my woman, can't you be a little calmer?"
Lark's eyes were full of poison, "Who the hell took that video? I will never let them get away with it!"
Owen blew out a smoke ring, "I took it."
Lark froze, "You took it?"
"Opulence Club is a great place, full of beautiful women, so I rented a long-term private room there. When I meet a woman I like, I bring her back to the room to play, and I like to record the process, so there's a high-definition hidden camera in the room. It starts recording as soon as I press the remote."
Lark didn't expect he had this hobby, "Then how did the video end up in Tristan's hands?"
"Probably his hacker broke into my computer and found it."
Lark was furious. It was bad enough that Owen liked to play with women, but he also liked to film it!
But right now Owen was her only support, so she didn't dare lose her temper, afraid of making him angry.
Lark walked over and sat down next to Owen, leaning into his arms pitifully, "Owen, I can't show my face anymore. What should I do?"
Owen put his arm around her, his hand wandering inappropriately on her waist, "With me here, who dares look down on you? Besides, the video didn't get out, did it? Even for my mom and Gemma's sake, Tristan couldn't possibly make that video public."
Only then did Lark feel a bit more at ease, "But Owen, now that people know about us, Gemma definitely won't let me off."
"Don't worry, with me here, she can't touch you."
Beyond her anger, Lark felt more sad, "I think even if we hadn't been secretly filmed, Tristan still wouldn't have married me. His heart only has room for Harriet. I really don't understand where I'm worse than Harriet."
"Tristan's not blind. Harriet is prettier than you, that's a fact." Owen stated matter-of-factly, "Not to mention they've been married for three years, they must have some feelings for each other."
Lark ground her teeth in hatred.
She regretted everything.
If she had known Tristan would wake up from his vegetative state, she never would have planned the kidnapping. She would have married him immediately.
She never expected Harriet to get so lucky, and now she was stuck to him like glue that wouldn't come off!
Lark complained indignantly, "What do you mean Harriet is prettier than me? Do you have your eye on that little bitch too!"
"She is indeed beautiful." Owen pinched her waist, "But I like your kind of wild."
Lark broke into a smile through her tears, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
Tristan had completely rejected her. Now Owen was her biggest and only support. She had to hold onto his heart tightly.
Lark passionately offered her lips, but the rage in her heart burned hotter and hotter.
Not only had Tristan called off the wedding, he had publicly played the video to humiliate her.
There was no way she could swallow this insult. Her principle was: if she couldn't have something, she would destroy it!
She wouldn't let Harriet off, and she wouldn't let Tristan off either!