Chapter 62 You Are Mine
Harriet froze. After a long moment, she turned to look at Tristan. "Do you know what you're saying?"
"I know." Tristan gripped her shoulders. "Harriet, from now on, I'll try my best to give you whatever you want."
Harriet's long lashes trembled slightly. "Including the matter with Lark?"
"I just said I won't make you give her blood transfusions anymore."
A crack seemed to open in Harriet's sealed heart.
Tristan was actually willing to compromise even on matters concerning Lark.
He was even willing to have a child with her?
She couldn't believe it.
"Tristan, what exactly are you trying to do?" Harriet kept her composure. "Are you saying all this because you're afraid I'll take revenge on Lark?"
She had lost her child and nearly died from serious injuries, so she did hate Lark deeply.
She had even once wanted to take Lark down with her.
But Tristan protected Lark well. According to Iris, he had arranged bodyguards to stay by Lark's side constantly, just to prevent Harriet from getting close.
But actually, after calming down, Harriet had no intention of mutual destruction.
Kai and Cleo had worked hard to raise her, not so she could destroy herself along with an evil person.
Throwing away her life for someone like Lark wasn't worth it.
Lark had bad intentions—something would happen to her sooner or later. Harriet just needed to protect herself and wait to see her downfall.
"This has nothing to do with Lark." Tristan gazed deeply into her clear eyes. "Harriet, let's go back to how things were. Keep loving me, okay?"
Harriet froze.
She wouldn't have to give Lark blood transfusions, and she could have a child with him—this was what she had once dreamed of.
She admitted it was hard not to be moved.
After all, the Tristan before her was the man she had deeply loved for ten years.
Ten years—loving him had become a habit, a habit carved into her bones.
In every moment she decided to give up on him, her heart had felt like it was being cut by knives.
Love was painful, and so was not loving.
Now that Tristan was compromising, she should accept it.
But in this exchange of conditions, it was still unfair.
"Tristan." Through the mist gathering in her eyes, Harriet looked at the face she had loved for ten years. "Have you ever thought that not giving Lark blood transfusions is my right, not a favor you're granting me? As your wife, having children is also my right, not a reward you're giving me."
"You're taking my rights and using them to trade for what you want. Do you think that's fair?"
Tristan's brow furrowed slightly. "Then what else do you want? No transfusions, having children—aren't these what you wanted? I'm giving them to you. What else do you want? Tell me."
Harriet smiled bitterly. "The fact that you can ask that question shows you don't understand what a real marriage is."
"Harriet, I really don't understand you." Tristan closed his eyes. "I've already compromised and given in. Why are you still angry with me?"
Harriet pulled at the corners of her mouth. "You're wrong. The most stubborn thing I've ever done in my life was loving you. Now that I don't love you anymore, naturally I won't be like that anymore."
"No!" Tristan pulled her into his arms. "You will keep loving me, Harriet. You're mine, for this whole lifetime."
Harriet closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks.
That night, Tristan didn't do anything. He just held Harriet as they slept.
This was the first time since their marriage that he had held her while sleeping.
On the weekend, Harriet went to visit Jasper.
Jasper ran a Mexican restaurant. The dishes were his own secret recipes, tasted good, and business was steady.
Harriet went in the afternoon. Jasper had just finished his busy period and was happy to see Harriet. "Harriet's here? Have you eaten? Let me make you something."
"Uncle Jasper, don't bother. I already ate." Harriet was helping sort vegetables. "I had time today, so I came to see you and Aunt Xanthe. I brought some skincare products for Aunt Xanthe, and some supplements for both of you to share."
"Why waste money on that?" Jasper made her a cup of coffee. "Harriet, how have you been lately?"
"Pretty good. I started working, right? Every day is fulfilling, and I'm learning a lot."
"You've been smart since you were little, quick to learn anything. I'm not worried about your work." Jasper asked, "I'm asking how things are between you and Tristan."
"Okay, I guess."
"You've always only shared good news, never bad. Even if things weren't going well, you wouldn't tell me." Jasper sighed. "A few days ago, Tristan's assistant came again and gave me the property deed for the storefront next door. He also said they'd find professionals to turn my restaurant into a chain brand, so I wouldn't have to work and could just manage things."
"Uncle Jasper, what do you think about that?"
"I don't have that kind of ability. Making me sit in an office managing people isn't as solid as preparing dishes myself." Jasper smiled. "Your grandfather said long ago that I'm only meant for working, not for enjoying life."
Harriet said, "Uncle Jasper, if that's how you feel, just stick with this one restaurant. It'll be enough for your retirement."
"Exactly. Being content brings happiness. You can never finish making money—living a steady life is what matters most." Jasper looked at her. "Harriet, I'm saying this for you to hear. I can tell you really like Tristan. Listen to me—if you really can't let him go, then live your life well together. As for some things, let the past be the past. People need to look forward."
Harriet's hands paused while sorting vegetables. "Did Tristan ask you to say this to me?"
"How could Tristan possibly come to me?" Jasper said. "Don't think I'm saying this because I took his gifts. I'm not afraid of your aunt, but I know her nature won't change, so I rarely bother arguing with her. But when it comes to you, I've made things clear to her. If you ever decide to divorce, we must return the storefronts to Tristan. The Getty family has dignity. If you divorce, we absolutely won't keep anything from him."
Harriet smiled. "Thank you, Uncle Jasper."
"We're family—no need for thanks." Jasper sighed. "I'm saying all this because I thought of your grandmother. You were the one she loved most. If she could see you like this now, I don't know how worried she'd be."
"I think if your grandmother were still here, she'd hope you could work on your marriage, have a child of your own, and live a peaceful, stable life."
Thinking of Cleo, Harriet's nose tingled. "I've always known what Grandma hoped for, but Uncle Jasper, Tristan isn't that person."
"Harriet, I know you—you're actually a stubborn child. Let me ask you, even if you divorced Tristan, could you easily fall in love with another man and start a family?"
Harriet fell silent, but that already represented her answer.
It was too hard.
She had once loved Tristan so intensely—trying to love another man would be truly difficult.
"So Harriet, I don't want you to spend the rest of your life alone after divorcing Tristan." Jasper looked at her with concern. "Listen to me. If this marriage still has hope, don't give up easily. After all, in this lifetime, being able to meet someone you love is very rare, let alone getting married. That's already a great connection between you two."
In the days that followed, neither Tristan nor Harriet brought up what they'd discussed that night.
Every morning, Tristan would drive Harriet to work and pick her up in the evening, looking like a loving newlywed couple.
He also deliberately restrained himself in their sex life. Every night he would just kiss her, without going further, only holding her as they slept.
Harriet could tell he didn't want to force her.
This evening, he really couldn't hold back anymore. Kissing the corner of her lips, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Harriet, can we?"