Chapter 184 The Life-Saving Grace Is Suspicious

Chapter 184 The Life-Saving Grace Is Suspicious

Though it felt a little unethical, it was still better than going to the estate and upsetting Hank.

Claire wanted to plead her case, but when she met Evan's gaze, she couldn't bring herself to say the words. "Fine. I'll come see Grandpa again another time. Just… don't upset him anymore. Take good care of him…"

After a few more words, Claire released Evan's arm and stepped back, watching him enter the hospital room.

She lingered by the door for a while longer before exchanging a brief goodbye with the butler and leaving the hospital.

Inside the room, Evan quietly sat down beside Hank, who still lay with his eyes closed.

He'd married Harper because of Hank's poor health. Now the divorce had landed Hank in the hospital again. He'd known Hank's health was fragile…

"Why did you get divorced? And why did you hide it from me?" Hank's eyes opened, fixing on Evan with that question.

Evan snapped out of his thoughts and immediately took Hank's hand. "Grandpa, how are you feeling? Should I call the doctor?"

Hank shook his head slightly, his gaze stubborn as he waited for Evan's answer.

Evan didn't dare tell him the real reason. "Grandpa, Harper and I just weren't compatible. She wanted the divorce for a long time. We kept it from you because we didn't want to upset you."

Hank didn't believe a word of it. He could see Harper had feelings for Evan. And recently, Evan hadn't been completely indifferent to Harper either.

Their relationship had clearly deepened compared to before. Without some other reason, a divorce made no sense.

Hank gestured for Evan to help him sit up. With a sigh, he said, "As long as you don't regret it. You can marry whoever you want after this—but not Claire. Anyone but her."

His tone left no room for argument. He'd seen the calculation in Claire's eyes clear as day. He would never allow Claire to marry Evan.

Evan, who'd been about to sit down, froze mid-motion. When Hank started that sentence, he'd been ready to mention his engagement to Claire. He hadn't expected Hank's aversion to her to run this deep.

"Grandpa…"

"Don't say anything. I already told you—I will not let Claire marry into the Morgan family."

Evan tried to argue, but Hank cut him off without giving him a chance.

Evan couldn't help but sigh. "Grandpa, Claire does have some flaws, but you don't need to hate her this much. What exactly is it about her that you dislike?"

"Everything. What does she have that compares to Harper? She's not as accomplished as Harper, not as beautiful as Harper, and she's calculating on top of it. I have no idea what you see in her." Hank's exasperation was clear.

Three years had passed. Hank had thought that marrying Harper would help Evan see Claire for who she really was. But apparently, Evan still hadn't figured it out.

This standoff wasn't getting them anywhere. This was his most capable grandson—flawless in business management, but hopelessly confused when it came to women.

With that thought, Hank's tone softened. "Tell me. Why are you so set on marrying her?"

After a moment's consideration, Evan brought up the childhood rescue. "Grandpa, do you remember when I was kidnapped as a teenager? I managed to escape on my own, but I accidentally fell into the river… When I woke up, I was on the bank, and Claire was beside me. She saved my life."

Because of that debt, even when Evan noticed Claire wasn't always as kind as she seemed, he still protected her.

After all, if she hadn't saved him back then, he might have drowned in that river.

Hank stared at him, stunned. He knew about the incident—Evan had told him after he came home—but he hadn't known the person was Claire. Evan had never revealed his savior's identity.

He'd always wondered why Evan and Claire had suddenly grown so close after that, why Evan constantly defended her, why they'd naturally become a couple after he came of age. Now he understood.

Hank's brow furrowed. "Why didn't you say so before?"

"The kidnappers hadn't been caught yet. I was afraid they'd retaliate against Claire. Plus, Claire said she didn't want this to affect our relationship…" Since he'd already come this far, there was no point in hiding the rest. Evan laid it all out.

Hank thought about Claire's character. If she'd truly been that kind as a child, how could she have grown up so twisted?

Hank suspected this 'life-saving debt' didn't hold water. After a moment's thought, he said, "I'm not opposed to letting you two get married—but I'm giving you three months. Go reinvestigate what happened. If you can confirm she really was your savior, I'll agree."

If it was true, Hank would acknowledge it. But deep down, he had a nagging feeling that Claire wasn't the real savior at all.

For Evan, this was excellent news. "Okay, I'll investigate. I'm certain it was Claire. It couldn't have been anyone else."

Afterward, Evan stayed at the hospital with Hank for a while, but Hank didn't want him lingering and shooed him away.

---

After leaving the hospital, Claire used every connection she had to investigate Harper. She wanted to know whether Harper had spent any of Evan's money.

After a thorough investigation, she learned that Harper hadn't spent a dime of Evan's money. Harper hadn't even touched the settlement money Evan had given her.

In other words, Harper really had been spending her own money.

The fact that Harper hadn't used Evan's money pleased Claire, but Harper having her own money made her uneasy. She had her people continue digging—she wanted to know where Harper's money came from.

She couldn't shake the feeling that Harper's money came from shady sources. If she could prove that, she could destroy Harper completely. Then she'd have nothing to worry about.

She'd just finished a phone call and was about to rest when Evan called. The moment she answered, she asked with concern, "Evan, is Grandpa awake? How is he doing?"

"Grandpa's awake. His condition is stable—nothing serious for now. Claire, I told Grandpa about us. He agreed to let us get engaged in three months." Evan's voice carried more warmth than before.

This was the gentlest he'd been toward her since coming back. Before, he'd always been cold and distant—even when he spent time with her, his attitude had remained aloof.

Now, finally, things were changing. And their engagement had a concrete timeline. Claire's heart soared. "Really? That's wonderful! Once Grandpa's willing to see me, I'll visit him at the hospital…"