Too Late to Love Her: When She Divorced, He Fell Apart-Chapter 159: Why Didn’t You Stop Her

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Why Didn’t You Stop Her
He lowered his head, intently watching her long eyelashes.
Claire paused for a moment, finally raising her eyes to look at him, "Is this necessary?"
In her demeanor, she appeared so indifferent, as if his very presence before her was a mistake.
Tristan Lockwood felt a faint stab of pain in his chest.
His gaze scanned the distance, at the backs of Shawn Sykes and the client walking away, "The person you’re looking for at Lockwood Group is Shawn? He’s very opportunistic, unsparing in his business tactics, and takes unconventional approaches to securing projects, you..."
"Do you think taking on such cases is not worth it, wasting time?"
Claire interrupted him.
The words of caution Tristan was about to speak stuck firmly in his throat.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, his eyes dark, staring at her as he asked, "Why do you think that?"
"When I make friends, you say my friends have low status, no value to exploit, that I gain no money or resources from them. With Dean Dawson, it was clearly him entangling me, yet you belittled me, said the kind of man I find is one with bad intentions towards me."
As Claire spoke, waves of emotion inevitably rose within her.
Her voice was cold, yet concealed underneath were immense grievances and dissatisfaction, hard to detect.
"And with Dylan Skinner, you continuously mocked me, saying I was just seeking something new, driven by money and power. In your eyes, I’m just a woman who only looks at profit, without any sincerity, right?"
"I don’t deny saying those things, and I apologize." Tristan’s voice was somewhat hoarse, "That’s because..."
"You don’t need to explain to me."
Claire didn’t really want to hear him continue.
"Anyway, we’ve already gone our separate ways, and I no longer have feelings for you. How you see me doesn’t matter to me anymore."
She raised her eyes, and the grievance that had been present in them moments ago was gone.
Her face was now a glaring coldness.
"Regarding Shawn’s case, if you want to obstruct me again, go ahead. He’s a senior executive at Lockwood Group; protecting him is your business too."
Shawn is a high-ranking officer at Lockwood Group, with strong business capabilities; in the real estate industry sector of Lockwood Group, he holds an irreplaceable position.
From the perspective of Lockwood Group, Tristan indeed has the stance to obstruct her.
"I won’t interfere with internal company affairs." Tristan looked at her, enunciating each word slowly, "Shawn is currently very much relied upon by Sean Lockwood at Lockwood Group. But this man has poor character, which is an open secret in the industry, and Sean is aware of this too."
His words were quite clear.
If someone were to block her, it wouldn’t be him, but Sean.
However, a few days ago, Claire had already received Sean’s promise.
He wouldn’t interfere with her.
While she remained silent, Tristan continued to watch her expression.
Even if just for a moment, he detected a flash of trust in her eyes when he mentioned Sean.
Tristan felt a weightless sensation in his heart, almost as if it was sinking.
Never had he seen such an expression of trust towards himself on her face.
Even after they’d been together for so many years, she never completely trusted him, unwilling even to calm down and listen to his explanations.
Claire raised her eyes and, in that instant, caught sight of the loneliness in Tristan’s eyes.
She was slightly stunned but quickly averted her gaze, turning and heading towards the parking lot without looking back.
Tristan stood in place for a long time, watching Claire’s fading silhouette, suddenly recalling the time long ago when she had just arrived at the Lockwood Family.
A petite girl, her dark, round apricot eyes sparkled when she looked at him.
Unlike now, cold and devoid of any emotion.
Tristan stepped into the Lockwood Group.
He took the elevator to the top floor and, upon reaching the chairman’s office, he came face to face with Shawn Sykes, who was just coming out the door.
"Young President Lockwood."
Shawn bowed his head in greeting, and Tristan only gave him a cold glance, full of warning.
Before Sean Lockwood arrived at Lockwood Group, even though Lockwood Group was under the control of Lewis Lockwood, many business decisions required Tristan’s approval, and Shawn was under Tristan at that time.
Tristan had never thought much of Shawn.
Too many crooked thoughts, two-faced—a bad seed.
So he never really used him much.
It wasn’t until Sean came that Shawn started his rise.
Of course, given Shawn’s vengeful nature, he only respects Tristan superficially.
Inside, he holds no regard.
A doctor and a young upstart—if it weren’t for his birth in the Lockwood Family, what gives him the ability to lord it over him?
Once the position of chairman of Lockwood Group falls into Sean’s hands, and he sits as the head of the marketing department, what right does Tristan have to act superior before him?
Tristan walked into the chairman’s office.
Sean was seated at the desk, looking over new project documents Shawn had just handed in.
"You know Claire is investigating Shawn; why don’t you stop her?"
Tristan moved to sit on the sofa, his expression indifferent.
"That’s her job, why should I stop her?" Sean lifted his eyes to look at him, "Did you always have such a strong need to control her, even intervening in her own career?"
"Don’t make it sound so righteous, Uncle."
Tristan let out a little laugh, the mirth not reaching his eyes.
"Are you truly respecting her by not stopping, or do you want to kill two birds with one stone and deal with Shawn, do others not see it, but I wouldn’t know?"
"So? Will you persuade her to stop? Do you think she’ll listen to you?"
Sean put down the documents, got up, and unhurriedly walked to the sofa opposite Tristan to sit down.
"Tristan, Claire is a sharp sword, she is capable and can accomplish many things. I know you used to deliberately keep her away from cases tangled with too many relationships, but she didn’t appreciate it, did she?"
"Even if she doesn’t appreciate it, I’d still do it."
"And that’s how you’ve ended up at this point."
Sean’s words fell and Tristan’s cold gaze shot straight at him.
...
After leaving Lockwood Group, Claire contacted Crystal Warren, informing her that she might have to prepare for a lawsuit.
Crystal was silent on the phone for a while before saying, "Lawyer Hale, perhaps we should just let it go. I sought child support from him to treat the child’s illness. Now, while taking care of a child, I must work to earn money; I genuinely don’t have the energy to pursue a lawsuit."
"Then what about the money for your child’s treatment?"
"I’ll find a way to borrow it."
After saying that, Crystal hung up the phone.
As much as she said so, Claire couldn’t help but realize if Crystal could easily borrow money, she wouldn’t have sought a settlement with Shawn in the first place.
She didn’t continue to persuade Crystal.
If the person involved is unwilling to pursue a lawsuit, no amount of persuasion will matter.
However, a few days later, Claire spotted Crystal in a bar again, standing at the center of the stage, gripping a pole, graceful and alluring.