Chapter 116: All Pretend
After watching the video, Tristan sat on the sofa without speaking for a long time, his handsome face dark and frightening.
Harriet gently rubbed his back. "Lark asked me to attend the bachelorette party. I knew she had bad intentions, so I was prepared, but I still ended up breathing in the drugged incense. Then I ran into Nolan by chance, which led to you misunderstanding me."
"But I never imagined that the man Lark arranged was Owen, and I never thought that after I left, they would actually sleep together."
Harriet had originally thought that the man Lark arranged would give her a cold bath or send her to the hospital.
Tristan said in a low voice, "She brought this on herself."
"Then don't be angry anymore. Nothing happened to me anyway."
After all, they hadn't officially divorced yet. She didn't dare imagine how Tristan would face the fact that his wife had slept with his father if Lark had succeeded that night.
Tristan suddenly turned to look at her. "You didn't push Lark down the stairs, did you?"
Though shocked, he was already certain in his heart that the answer was yes.
Harriet was startled. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"Because she's hiding too many lies. I even suspect her injuries are fake, that the whole thing was a setup to send you to prison. After all, only if she was seriously hurt could you be sent to jail."
"Why would you suddenly suspect this?"
"Don't you know?" Tristan said. "She can walk."
"What?" Harriet couldn't quite process it. "You mean Lark can stand up and walk now?"
"Yes."
Harriet shook her head. "When she fell down the stairs, Mr. Jones was involved in her treatment. Mr. Jones wouldn't make a wrong diagnosis. She really did injure her nerves, so she must have been cured later."
"Impossible." Tristan said with certainty. "I know exactly which medical team treated her. She never sought treatment from other doctors."
"And she wasn't active about treating her legs. Later, she even refused Mr. Jones's treatment, claiming she was afraid. All of this proves my guess."
Harriet was stunned.
"I'm sorry." Tristan gripped her shoulders, self-blame and guilt making it hard for him to face Harriet. "I didn't believe you. It was my fault."
He owed Lark his life, but that didn't mean he cared about her.
Because he didn't care, he had never really understood her.
He never imagined that Lark's usual kindness and obedience were all an act, that beneath her fake exterior, she was so vicious and would stop at nothing.
Harriet held back her tears. "What happened in the past can't be undone."
"I'll get justice for you." Tristan said in a low voice. "What she owes you, I will definitely get back!"
Harriet forced a smile. "But didn't she save your life?"
"Keeping things separate. I'll repay what I owe her, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have to repay what she owes you!"
"Tristan, thank you." Harriet said rationally. "But things are different now. You're no longer the president of the Lancaster Group, and she's found Owen as her backer."
"I don't want you to fight Owen head-on for my sake. You'll definitely be the one who loses."
"I just hope we can live our lives well, safe and healthy. That's enough. Everything else will work itself out."
Harriet had once thought about taking Lark down with her, but gave up after calming down. That didn't mean she forgot the hatred.
When she had enough power, she would definitely get justice from Lark.
But fighting a losing battle wasn't smart.
"Harriet, not only does she owe you, I owe you too." Tristan's low, hoarse voice carried deep guilt. "If I had understood you, if I had trusted you at all, you wouldn't have suffered so much. I'm the one who wronged you."
"You are indeed the main culprit." Harriet smiled. "If it weren't for you, how could she have hated me? That's why the first thing I did after getting out of prison was ask you for a divorce."
"What about now? Do you still hate me?" Tristan asked anxiously.
"I did hate you." Harriet answered honestly.
But so much had happened during this time, gradually erasing that budding hatred.
She admitted she was weak, but she couldn't fight her own heart.
She had loved Tristan for ten years. That love had grown wildly like vines over time, wrapping tightly around her.
She had tried to break free, but when he took that knife for her, those vines started growing again, becoming more and more dense.
Her heart couldn't stop loving him.
Harriet looked at Tristan's extraordinarily handsome face. "Tristan, since you now know the truth, please don't hurt me for Lark's sake anymore."
"I won't." Tristan pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it, promising word by word, "I promise, never again."
That night, Tristan stayed at Lakeside Gardens.
Before bed, Harriet checked the wound on his lower back.
"It's almost healed. With good rest, it'll get better faster." Harriet asked, "You stood outside the door for a long time today, didn't you?"
"I was there since noon." Tristan answered honestly.
He had actually gone to the hospital first. When no one was in the room and he learned she'd been discharged, he came here.
No one was home, so he waited outside the door.
Harriet was shocked. "So you stood outside all afternoon?"
"Who told you to come back so late?"
Harriet smiled mysteriously. "Guess where I went?"
"The clinic?"
"I went back to Cloud Bay to find you. I waited all day but you never came back, and you didn't answer when I called."
"So the call from the Cloud Bay landline was from you?"
"Who else?"
"I thought it was Rhea. I didn't want to answer."
Harriet couldn't help laughing. "Then you brought it on yourself. If you'd answered the phone earlier, none of this would have happened."
"You dare laugh at me?"
Tristan's eyes deepened as he kissed her directly.
The kiss was brief, because Harriet had indeed been exhausted these past few days.
They fell asleep in each other's arms, both sleeping well.
The next morning, when Ryder delivered Jace's phone, Tristan hadn't gotten up yet.
"Mrs. Lancaster, here you go."
"Thank you." Harriet opened the call log and found a frequently contacted number in recent calls.
If nothing else, this number belonged to the person who had orchestrated her kidnapping.
And Harriet recognized the owner of this number at a glance.
The last four digits were all 8s. Not many people in Emberfall could have such a number.
Harriet thought for a moment, changed clothes, and left.
She was going to find this person!
Half an hour later, Harriet arrived at the Lancaster Group.
After explaining her purpose, the receptionist made a call.
Within minutes, the receptionist walked over to Harriet. "Ms. Getty, Mr. Owen Lancaster asks you to come upstairs."
"Thank you."
Harriet took the elevator upstairs and came to Owen's office.
It was about the same size as Tristan's office, just with a different style, exuding luxury everywhere.
Owen was working. Harriet walked straight up and placed the check in front of him. "Mr. Owen Lancaster, I'm returning this to you."
Owen looked up at her. "You and Tristan made up? Not getting divorced anymore?"
"Yes." Harriet said. "Since I didn't keep my agreement to divorce Tristan, naturally I can't take your money."
Owen leaned back in his chair, looking at her leisurely. "You came today for more than just returning the check, right?"
"Mr. Owen Lancaster is powerful and well-informed, naturally aware of everything." Harriet got straight to the point. "You sent people to kidnap me?"
Owen didn't hide it. "That's right. The person who kidnapped you is my man."
"Why?" Harriet didn't understand.
"Lark desperately wanted to marry Tristan. She was afraid you'd change your mind and make a scene at the wedding, so she asked me to help."
Harriet frowned. "Lark wanted me dead. That I survived is pure luck."
Owen shrugged. "She did ask me to kill you, but I've never been able to bring myself to hurt women, especially a beautiful woman like you. Isn't it better to have you alive and pleasing to the eye?"
His naked gaze was like a poisonous snake coiling around Harriet's neck.
Harriet felt extremely uncomfortable, but she was powerless.
Even if she called the police, Owen could easily distance himself from it. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so arrogant, personally contacting the kidnappers.
Harriet could only protect herself and couldn't even anger Owen.