Chapter 231: First Meeting
"Ms. Getty, you've got guts, actually daring to call me?" Caspian chuckled lightly. "I thought you'd just keep hiding behind Tristan, too scared to show yourself."
"Mr. Romanov has been trying every way to find me for revenge. I know I can't hide, and hiding won't help." Harriet smiled. "But Mr. Romanov said I should come exchange myself for Gemma. Right now my husband watches me more closely than a prisoner. There's no way I can step foot outside Apex Global Group."
"So you're making this call - don't tell me you're naive enough to think you can beg me to let Gemma go?"
"I'm definitely not that naive." Harriet got straight to the point. "I want to meet with Mr. Romanov face to face."
"I want to meet you, too. To meet you, I went through a lot of trouble and finally managed to bring Gemma here."
"I can't leave Apex Global Group, but Mr. Romanov can come find me."
"Are you planning to set a trap for me?"
"I just think some things are better said clearly in person." Harriet said. "Let's meet downstairs at Apex Global Group. You bring your people, I'll bring mine. If either side dares to make a move, they shouldn't expect to leave alive either. That way both sides' safety is guaranteed."
Caspian laughed. "Harriet, I heard you killed my sister with a colorless, tasteless poison."
"I won't poison you." Harriet said calmly. "Of course, I know you won't believe me. If I do poison you, feel free to shoot me dead on the spot. I just think, since this whole thing started because of me, solving it face to face is better than continuing to destroy each other."
Caspian was silent for a moment, then spoke. "Fine, I'd like to see what you're up to."
An hour later, Harriet said she wanted to go downstairs for a walk and left the skyscraper.
Several bodyguards followed her closely.
The rain had stopped, and the air had become especially humid.
Harriet didn't leave the Apex Global Group premises. Instead, she sat down on an outdoor sofa downstairs.
"Get me a cup of coffee, please."
"Yes, ma'am."
Harriet added, "Go tell them that a Mr. Romanov will be coming soon. He's my guest - don't stop him."
"Yes, ma'am."
Before long, a young man in a custom-made black suit walked over, surrounded by several bodyguards.
Harriet looked closely and was quite stunned.
The young man before her, like Tristan, was clearly favored by God.
He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs - an excellent physique.
Combined with a face so handsome it was breathtaking, he would be hard to ignore in any crowd.
Harriet stood up. "Mr. Romanov, hello. I'm Harriet Getty."
The bodyguard beside him immediately pulled out a gun and aimed it at Harriet.
It was clear how much the Romanov family hated this name.
But almost at the same time, Harriet's bodyguards also drew their guns in response. The atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Please, sit."
After calmly extending the invitation, Harriet sat down on her own.
But after waiting quite a while, Caspian in front of her still hadn't moved.
Harriet couldn't help but look up at him again.
She saw that Caspian was staring at her, as if lost in thought.
"Mr. Romanov?" Harriet spoke up to remind him.
Only then did Caspian snap out of it. "Hello, I'm Caspian Romanov."
"I know." Harriet curved her lips slightly. "Please sit. What would you like to drink? Though I suppose you won't drink anything I offer."
Caspian sat down, his deep ocean-like eyes showing coldness. "Ms. Getty, you're very calm. Aren't you afraid a bullet might miss and pierce your heart?"
Harriet picked up her coffee cup and took a light sip of the bitter coffee. "If Mr. Romanov were an impulsive person, I imagine you wouldn't have been able to stand out among your brothers and become the Romanov family heir."
"You've investigated me."
Harriet didn't deny it. "Better safe than sorry."
Caspian was quite interested. "Tell me, what did you find out?"
Harriet leaned back in her chair and spoke slowly. "The Romanov family has always been mysterious. I only learned some small things, like how the Romanov family ancestors have always been passionate about charity."
"Your grandfather not only donates a huge sum to charity every year, but also gets personally involved, regularly returning to Athenia to teach in poor mountain areas... So I'm taking a gamble."
"Gambling on what?"
"The way I see it, there are only two reasons for being passionate about charity - one is genuine kindness, the other is having done too many bad things and needing to do good deeds for self-deception."
"I'm betting on the first possibility, betting that the Romanov family people are truly kind and can tell right from wrong, good from evil."
Caspian smiled faintly. "Nice compliment. Keep going."
"I've said everything I wanted to say." Harriet took out the iPad beside her, opened it, and placed it on the table with the screen facing Caspian.
The video soon began playing, showing everything that happened in the cabin the day Lark died.
Caspian watched the video intently, his expression growing uglier by the inch.
By the time he finished his coffee, the video had ended.
Harriet put down her coffee cup. "If Mr. Romanov questions whether the video is real, feel free to have professionals authenticate it."
"Lark was jealous that I married the man she loved. She used every method and tried repeatedly to kill me."
"I originally wanted to let the law handle her, but she kept pushing me, and she killed innocent Rhea. I had to avenge that immediately, to comfort the deceased's spirit."
"Even though she was the Romanov family's young lady, even knowing the Romanov family would retaliate against me, I couldn't let her go."
"I'm the one who killed her. Everyone else took the blame for me. If the Romanov family wants revenge, please come after me alone."
"How could she be this kind of person?" Caspian frowned, unable to believe what he'd seen.
"Lark didn't just harm me - she also kidnapped innocent elderly people, and even stole the ashes of Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Johnson to threaten Nolan."
"You should know she was with a married man named Owen for a while and even had an abortion for him, right?"
Caspian nodded. "That's no secret. The Romanov family naturally found out."
It's just that since these things had already happened, the Romanov family couldn't really criticize Lark.
"But do you know that the whole thing started because she drugged me, trying to send me to my father-in-law Owen's bed, but ended up getting herself involved instead?"
"After that night, she became Owen's mistress, a homewrecker."
"Lark was a person with no bottom line, despicable and evil."
"She's a Romanov family member, with Romanov family blood flowing through her veins." Caspian found it hard to accept. "How did the Brown family raise her? Could the goodness in her blood not overcome her upbringing?"
"People change with their environment, especially when she didn't grow up in the Romanov family." Harriet said. "Mr. Romanov, you've seen the video. Everything I just said, you can verify. I believe with the Romanov family's capabilities, you can confirm it quickly."
"Of course, no matter how bad or despicable Lark was, she's still your family. I don't think you'll let go of her death just because you learned her true nature."
"But wrongs have perpetrators and debts have debtors. If you want revenge, come after me. Don't make things difficult for others."
Caspian composed himself, his deep eyes showing a coldness that could see through people's hearts. "You're really not afraid of death?"
"Who wouldn't be afraid of death?" Harriet smiled faintly. "But in this world, there are always some people and some things that can make you act regardless of consequences."
"Just because of that maid?"
"Isn't a maid's life a life?" Anger flashed across Harriet's face. "Doesn't she have the right to live?"
"She died saving me. There's no way I could stay out of it because I'm afraid of you."
"If I really backed down, I wouldn't deserve to have her protect me with her life."
Caspian looked at her. "You two are really interesting, each rushing to take responsibility."
Harriet frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Ten minutes before you called me, your husband had just called. He wanted to exchange himself for Gemma's return, and told me I must stop bothering you."
Harriet was stunned. "How could he do that!"
"Don't worry, I'd never agree to that." Caspian smiled. "Even if Tristan came alone, he's not to be underestimated."
A phone suddenly rang.
It was Caspian's.
He took out his phone to answer. "Grandfather... What did you say?"
While listening to the person on the other end, Caspian looked toward Harriet.
Harriet still sat calmly in her chair, back straight, face peaceful.
She was radiant and noble, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her, standing alone and apart from the world.
Caspian had to admire her inwardly.
Loving someone is like growing flowers - Tristan had cultivated this gorgeous rose very well.
"...Grandfather, I understand. I'll handle it. Don't worry."