He stood under the streetlight, the dim light unable to illuminate his expression, and the half of his face hidden in the darkness was even more obscure.
Her conversation with Jenson was not loud, nor did she intentionally lower her voice. At this distance, he probably heard it all.
"Have you said enough?"
He extinguished his cigarette, staring at her with a cold deanor.
"If you’ve said enough, co ho with ."
Tristan Lockwood walked up to her, threw the suit on her shoulder back to Jenson, and put his own around her shoulders.
She was encapsulated by his domineering cold aura, montarily stunned, and before regaining her senses, she found herself already in Tristan Lockwood’s car.
"Tina is still at the bar, I can’t leave a girl alone." She asked Tristan Lockwood to turn back.
"Nathan is already on his way taking her ho." Tristan Lockwood was unmoved, glancing at her, said, "You’re pretty warm with Jenson."
"Mhm."
Claire Hale did not deny it, "Jenson is a really good person."
Tristan Lockwood: "So you like him?"
Suddenly he threw out this, catching Claire Hale off guard, and after a pause, she said, "Who I like is none of your business."
"None of my business?"
Tristan Lockwood’s voice turned colder, tugging at his tie with an air of hostility, "Planning to use the sa trick to seduce Jenson again? You keep using these tactics, pretending to be aloof and innocent, playing hard to get, assuming n will fall for it?"
The pungent sll of alcohol and harsh words ca crashing onto Claire Hale’s face, with little reaction from her, as if accustod, she rebuked:
"Seeing so clearly yet you also fell for my trap? By your logic, aren’t you just an ordinary man who can’t resist temptation? Thinking that if I flirt a little, you’d really believe I like you and let you play with ?"
At her words, the hatred on his face was all too apparent.
The car sped up, and the pressure inside dropped to a suffocating low.
Tristan Lockwood’s expression was fully absorbed into Claire Hale’s eyes, yet left no ripple in her heart.
She had long grown accustod to this look of his, ever since Elder Lockwood forced him to marry her, he had always been like this towards her.
No smiles, no tenderness, let alone love.
Between them, aside from mutual aversion, there was no other way of interaction.
This quarrel with Tristan Lockwood was probably the fiercest one Claire Hale had with him in their two years of marriage.
Usually, they stayed out of each other’s way unless she needed money, or caught wind of him being with other won, where she’d find a way to disgust him.
Like last ti at the hotel, using photos to threaten him.
Before this, Tristan Lockwood usually turned a blind eye to such actions of hers, not bothering to respond. Affairs solvable with money didn’t warrant extra words.
After all, regardless of their discord, they did well in outward appearances, especially towards the Lockwood Family, any sign of Claire Hale being wronged, Tristan Lockwood would be called back for a lecture.
This ti’s uproar was probably related to that fairytale princess of Tristan Lockwood’s.
Claire Hale inexplicably beca interested in that woman.
She thought, after such an ugly quarrel with Tristan Lockwood, he would turn to that princess, and she might seize the opportunity to glimpse the woman in true form.
Yet the next day, she received a call from Tristan Lockwood saying to have dinner at the Lockwood’s house in the evening.
She was a bit surprised, as Tristan Lockwood had always been resentful of his missing father, and distanced from the Lockwood Family, only bringing them up when necessary.
"The old man called, grandmother’s not feeling well." He said indifferently.
Claire Hale furrowed her brows, "Is it serious?"
"Caught a cold with the season transition."
"I’ll go over after work, I’ll handle the gifts."
As she spoke, she was already listing down gifts and arranging for Tina Hayes to prepare them.
As work was nearing its end, Claire Hale received another call from Tristan Lockwood: "Turn right at the law office exit."
She was puzzled, "You ca to my firm?"
"Not welco?" His tone carried a hint of complexity.
Indeed, not very welco, why ask the obvious. Claire Hale answered internally.
Seeing her silence, he probably guessed her thoughts, his tone cooler than before: "After leaving separately last ti, the old man scolded for being inconsiderate, not picking you up after work, nearly making resign from the hospital, so this ti it’s together."
In the end, it was to avoid unnecessary trouble, hence condescending to perform on the spot with her.
The gifts Tina Hayes had been instructed to buy were still in the other car, so Claire Hale directly took the ride to the location Tristan Lockwood sent her.
Various nutritional products piled in the backseat, the two girls struggled to lift them.
Tristan Lockwood then got out of the car, giving the two a look, unfazed as he moved the gifts to his own Audi A8.
With his long limbs, he got it done in two or three trips, especially as he lifted, veins subtly protruded on the back of his hand, looking both good and strong.
In hushed tones, Tina Hayes said to Claire Hale, "President Hale, Tristan Lockwood seems much more down-to-earth like this, one might think he’s a good family man."
Claire Hale lightly raised an eyebrow, "Without so wit, one might not even catch that you’re insulting him. Since when do you have such a big opinion on Tristan Lockwood?"
"Isn’t he and that pighead Nathan good buddies? Birds of a feather, not a single decent one among them."
Tina Hayes’s words carried indignation, Claire Hale tilted her head to stare at her a while, then suddenly asked seriously, "What did Nathan Quinn do to you? Did he behave atrociously towards you last night?"
"No, no." Tina Hayes waved her hands repeatedly, "He dropped off ho then left last night, I just can’t stand those who don’t mind what they say."
Tina Hayes, a young woman in her early twenties, said nothing happened, yet guilt was written all over her face. Claire Hale wasn’t too familiar with Nathan Quinn’s tendencies in matters between n and won, but judging by his usual nonchalant deanor, he likely wasn’t innocent either.
But she didn’t expose Tina Hayes; after all, they were adults, each with their own way of handling things, she bid goodbye and got into Tristan Lockwood’s car.
In recent years, the Elder Lockwood had grown old and didn’t enjoy noise, with the household consisting only of servants and the elderly couple keeping each other company, residing in a suburban villa away from Riverbend’s hustle and bustle.
As soon as Claire Hale and Tristan Lockwood set foot inside, The Lockwood Matriarch warmly greeted them, took her hand saying, "Claire, I’ve said many tis, you don’t need to bring anything to visit us old people. We don’t lack anything at our age, just wish for you and Tristan to be well."
"It’s all from Tristan’s thoughtfulness."
Claire Hale glimpsed at Tristan Lockwood, who smoothly chid in, "Grandfather said you were unwell, Claire and I picked these supplents together. You not accepting would leave her uneasy."
Then, he moved to Claire Hale’s other side, arm wrapped around her slender waist, softly murmured as he looked down, "Isn’t that right, my wife?"
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