Too Late to Love Her: When She Divorced, He Fell Apart-Chapter 42: Sorry, I’m Late

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Sorry, I’m Late
"Of course not."
Jade Sutton bit her lip in grievance, lowered her eyes, and crystal-clear tears hung at the corners: "I was just thinking, it’s a good thing that Claire has finally found someone she likes after all these years."
Tears slid down Jade Sutton’s cheeks as she turned away, stubbornly looking out the window to stop Tristan Lockwood from seeing her cry.
Tristan Lockwood glanced at her profile without reacting. He simply looked at the situation in the rearview mirror, preparing to drive.
Suddenly, the car window was struck twice from the outside.
He turned his head, and the anxious face of Tina Hayes appeared before him.
Tristan Lockwood rolled down the window.
"Tristan, has President Hale contacted you?! Have you seen her this morning?!"
Tina Hayes bombarded him with questions, causing Tristan Lockwood to furrow his brows: "What’s going on with her again?"
"President Hale’s phone is off, and I can’t reach her!" Tina Hayes stomped in urgency, "I’ve been waiting for her at the foot of the mountain for an hour already. There’s only one exit here, and President Hale isn’t the type to disappear casually. I’m afraid something’s happened, so I’m asking you!"
Tristan Lockwood’s expression darkened as he made a call.
Within five minutes, a middle-aged man appeared, nodding and bowing to Tristan Lockwood: "Young President Lockwood, I’m in charge of this scenic spot. We’ve arranged for someone to check the surveillance, and you..."
"Take me over there."
Without hesitation, Tristan Lockwood got out of the car.
Jade Sutton was left alone in the car, unwillingly watching Tristan Lockwood’s departing figure, hesitantly biting her lip, and followed suit.
Fortunately, this scenic spot was newly developed and had comprehensive surveillance. It didn’t take long to spot Claire Hale’s figure.
In the video, Claire Hale and Dean Dawson were walking side by side. Dean Dawson said something to Claire, and they turned onto a nearby path.
The surveillance suddenly disappeared again.
The man in charge said with difficulty: "That’s a small path; usually, there are signs prohibiting tourists from entering, so there’s no surveillance."
There are many undeveloped areas in this mountain. No one knows if dangerous wild animals might be there or if there are hidden pitfalls like deep holes or cliffs.
Tristan Lockwood left the surveillance room and made another call.
Jade Sutton followed behind him, hearing him arranging for a helicopter search, her heart skipped a beat.
As Tristan hung up the phone, she whispered, "Tristan, since Claire went in with Lawyer Dawson, could they perhaps be... doing that sort of thing?"
As soon as she spoke, Tristan Lockwood emitted a chilling aura.
He glanced at her, and Jade instinctively stepped back, feeling a shiver that made her whole body tremble.
This kind of invisible killing intent was just too similar to Sean Lockwood.
Tristan Lockwood said coldly, "No matter what she’s doing, I need to find her."
Before long, the scenic spot manager brought news, saying they’ve found the man from the surveillance video.
When Tristan Lockwood saw Dean Dawson, the latter was in a sorry state, his clothes covered in dust, and there were a few scratches on his face.
Dean Dawson: "Claire and I got separated. I’m afraid something happened to her, so I hurried down to seek help."
The manager asked him, "Where did you get separated?"
Dean Dawson looked troubled: "The path in this mountain is too complex; I can’t explain clearly. You have surveillance, surely you can track her down."
The manager opened his mouth as if to say something, but Tristan Lockwood interrupted coldly, asking, "What’s with the scratches on your face?"
Dean Dawson paused and said, "I got scratched by the branches and leaves."
In truth, it was obvious that the scratches on his face were clearly from someone’s fingernails.
But now, the person most likely to know Claire Hale’s whereabouts was Dean Dawson. If he stubbornly refused to talk, the longer this was dragged out, the greater the danger Claire Hale might be in.
Just as they were falling into a stalemate, Tristan Lockwood suddenly grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it over Dean Dawson’s head.
He held nothing back, and Dean Dawson immediately cried out from the head injury, falling to the ground.
Tristan Lockwood, like a mad demon, his eyes blood-red and his whole being ice-cold.
The chair in his hand then smashed again onto Dean Dawson’s body.
Dean Dawson wasn’t going to take the beating silently; he turned over and got into a scuffle with Tristan Lockwood.
The scenic spot manager called five or six security guards to finally separate them.
Dean Dawson lay on the ground, bruised and battered, saying brokenly: "Tristan, what’s the point of hitting me... You’ve already pushed Claire away, and now you worry about... whether she sleeps with me or not..."
Blood trickled from Tristan Lockwood’s mouth, and upon hearing those last words, he kicked Dean Dawson again.
Then he picked up a nearby rescue kit, preparing to head into the mountain.
Jade Sutton held him back, pleading: "Tristan, it looks like it’s about to rain soon. If you rush in like this, what if you encounter danger?"
Tristan coldly looked at her: "What if Claire Hale is in danger right now?"
Jade Sutton was stunned, tears streaming down her face once more: "I’m scared to be here all alone..."
"Take my car back first."
Tristan Lockwood freed his hand from her grip and walked away.
Jade Sutton was left standing there, staring blankly at Tristan Lockwood’s departing figure, her eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions, with her hand slowly tightening into a fist.
Tina Hayes, who had been standing nearby, witnessed everything.
Along with the shock at Dean Dawson’s actions, she was even more taken aback by Tristan Lockwood.
His crazed demeanor was truly terrifying.
As if, at any moment, he might do something even more dreadful.
With a heart full of growing fear, Tina Hayes turned her gaze away, noticing a flash of subtle hatred in Jade Sutton’s eyes.
...
Near noon, rain started pouring in the mountains.
Claire Hale hid beneath an overhanging rock, having rolled down a slope during her scuffle with Dean Dawson. Her right foot seemed fractured and couldn’t move at all.
As for her phone, she had no idea where she lost it.
Leaning against the rock wall, she kept stirring the branches around her with a random twig, hoping to attract anyone passing by.
Unfortunately, no one came, and the rain began to fall.
Now, she truly felt out of options.
The foot was terribly injured, and the rain-soaked body hurt as well.
Yet Claire Hale felt a sense of unprecedented relief.
Perhaps, she thought, dying here wouldn’t be so bad after all.
She had no one to care for, nor anyone who would care for her. Whether she existed in this world or not mattered little.
Suddenly, she remembered that it had rained on her eighth birthday too.
When those boys had almost torn off her clothes, she had thought about dying with them all.
But someone offered her a hand, giving her hope to live.
That person took her hand and said to all those who bullied her: "Whoever dares to bully Claire Hale from now on, is bullying me, Tristan Lockwood."
But now, everything had changed.
The rain grew heavier, Claire Hale’s breath weakened, and as her body slowly slid down, the surrounding foliage suddenly swayed as someone brushed through.
The next second, a familiar presence closed in.
She fell into a warm, broad embrace.
It felt exactly like the warmth of the hand that held hers at age eight.
"Sorry I’m late."