Too Late to Love Her: When She Divorced, He Fell Apart-Chapter 31: You’ve Grown Wings, and Now You Want to Betray Me?

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: You’ve Grown Wings, and Now You Want to Betray Me?
Claire turned her head slightly, and met Tristan Lockwood’s cold face.
"Did you come to the exchange meeting just to talk bad about me behind my back?"
Tristan Lockwood looked at her coldly, his tone filled with uncomfortable accusation.
She pursed her lips, thinking that she usually retorted him face to face, so why did saying one impolite sentence behind his back make him so defensive today?
She didn’t speak, her eyebrows slightly furrowed again. Dean Dawson thought she was frightened by Tristan Lockwood’s questioning, so he stepped in front of her and explained, "It was my inappropriate words, nothing to do with Miss Hale."
Behind Dean Dawson, Claire watched Tristan Lockwood’s face turn cold.
The way he stared at her seemed like he wished he could devour her.
Her heart sank, and she turned her head away, unwilling to look at him.
Tristan Lockwood didn’t say much more, just turned around to leave with an unkind expression.
Dean Dawson glanced at Tristan Lockwood’s back and asked her, "Do you know Tristan Lockwood? How come he’s so harsh to you?"
Although Tristan Lockwood was distant and cold, he still treated others with politeness, except when it came to Claire, where he radiated some kind of hostility.
Dean Dawson found it strange and thus asked the question.
Claire absent-mindedly replied, "We dealt with each other before, maybe I accidentally said something that offended him."
Dean Dawson nodded and didn’t press further, wisely.
Tristan Lockwood didn’t stay long at the banquet before leaving, and Sean Lockwood only showed up briefly and then left.
It was obvious that the two of them didn’t come to Seacliff primarily for this trivial gathering.
The others dispersed like scattered birds after the guardians of fortune had left.
Claire needed to return to the hotel to pack her luggage, and Dean Dawson volunteered to take her.
She considered it for a moment and agreed.
At the hotel entrance, Dean Dawson wanted to add her on WeChat, saying they could discuss current affairs cases another time if possible.
Claire naturally didn’t refuse.
In fact, even if Dean Dawson didn’t mention it, she would have added him proactively.
It’s always good to have more friends in this world.
However, as she took out her phone to show the QR code, Tristan Lockwood and Sean Lockwood both walked into the hotel lobby side by side.
The two of them, one calm and steady, the other gracefully cold, had extraordinary temperament and appearance, and were attention-grabbing wherever they went.
Not to mention, appearing together.
Even Dean Dawson couldn’t help but take another look.
Only Claire reminded calmly, "Still scanning?"
Dean Dawson snapped back, realizing his rudeness, and immediately showed an apologetic smile, quickly adding her on WeChat.
At the same time, Tristan Lockwood passed by them.
He gave Claire a cold, sweeping glance, making people feel a chill.
As for Dean Dawson, Tristan Lockwood didn’t bother wasting his expression on him.
Originally, the three of them were what you’d call acquaintances at best, but crossing paths, they had nothing to say to each other.
Yet Sean Lockwood glanced at them more than once, finally resting his gaze on Claire, and in a soft voice, asked, "Friend?"
Sean Lockwood was known for being laconic and wouldn’t normally concern himself with whom the younger generation befriended.
Now that he suddenly asked, Claire could naturally tell that his question was not purely concerned with friendship.
Sean Lockwood was wary of her putting a green hat on his nephew.
The Lockwood family sure were double standards; Tristan Lockwood could create a vast prosperous field behind her back, and Sean Lockwood wouldn’t say a word.
Now she added a friend on WeChat and had to be questioned.
She suddenly became curious about what reaction Sean Lockwood would have if he knew Tristan Lockwood was hiding Jade Sutton away.
Would this uncle and nephew fall out over Jade Sutton?
However, Claire only dared to imagine this and remained honest on the surface, nodding to introduce Dean Dawson.
Only, Tristan Lockwood didn’t even wait for her to finish her sentence before losing interest and walking away.
Sean Lockwood merely gave a brief acknowledgment before heading to the elevator.
"Are you going back to Riverbend today?" Dean Dawson asked her.
"Yes."
"What time?"
"Six o’clock."
Dean Dawson checked his watch, "It’s getting late, traffic is heavy around this time, let me drive you."
Claire felt it was too much trouble for him, "Wouldn’t that disrupt your important matters?"
Dean Dawson chuckled, "I’m from Seacliff. I intended to spend the whole day attending the exchange meeting, just didn’t expect it to end early."
Dean Dawson had laid it out so openly that Claire couldn’t easily refuse.
After all, Dean Dawson was a big name in the industry, who knew when they’d have dealings in the future.
"I’ll go upstairs to get my luggage, I’ll be quick."
She didn’t have much with her, just some cosmetics and a computer, and she finished packing in about ten minutes.
As she was about to leave, Tristan Lockwood just so happened to come in from outside.
Seeing her with her luggage, he paused and asked, "Are you going to the airport alone?"
Claire answered truthfully, "Dean Dawson is taking me."
His aura turned cold, "One exchange meeting, and you can already have another man as your protector?"
His tone was sarcastic, and Claire didn’t want to deal with him, so she turned to walk out.
Tristan Lockwood grabbed her wrist, forcefully pulling her in front of him, his expression dark, "Don’t forget who you are, don’t do anything morally corrupt."
"Morally corrupt," those four words really made Claire laugh with anger.
"My normal interactions with friends are morally corrupt, and what about you? Shouldn’t keeping a woman outside land you a life sentence?"
Tristan Lockwood remained unmoved, his expression unchanged, "I gave you so much money and resources. Without me, could you have achieved what you have today? Now that you’ve got wings, you want to betray me? Claire Hale, you can try, but if you dare do something against me, see what consequences await."
She looked up, glaring at him in hatred, her whole body trembling, "You’ve already signed that agreement, you can’t touch any of my assets. Tristan Lockwood, once written, no remorse. You can’t go back on your word!"
Tristan Lockwood curled his lips with little humor, "You think a few pieces of scrap paper can fight against me? You’re too naive."
Dean Dawson had been waiting in the car for half an hour and still hadn’t seen Claire come out, so he called her.
The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. He asked with concern, "Miss Hale, is there too much luggage? Do you need my help?"
"No need."
Claire’s voice was a bit hoarse, Dean Dawson was taken aback and furrowed his brows, "Have you been crying?"
"No."
Her tone was very bland, suddenly giving rise to a sense of alienation.
"I’ll be down shortly."
Claire hung up the phone and looked up at Tristan Lockwood.
"Let go of me."
Her eyes reddened, her body trembled, but her gaze was stubborn, with a hint of unwillingness.
Tristan’s expression darkened, and he released her.
Claire shook off her aching hand, went to the suitcase, stopped, and said, "I, who had nothing when I was born, the firm is the only thing I have in my grasp. If you dare to destroy it, I dare to destroy you."
After saying that, she turned and left.
Tristan Lockwood watched her desolate back with deep eyes, as she walked further down the corridor.
After exiting the elevator, Claire didn’t go directly to the basement.
She hid in the hallway, her slender waist bending slowly and heavily.
Then she covered her mouth to prevent herself from crying out loud.
Large tears rolled down one by one, dripping from the back of her hand. Claire leaned against the wall and buried her face into her knees.