Too Late to Love Her: When She Divorced, He Fell Apart-Chapter 44: Why Is Your Neck Red?

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Why Is Your Neck Red?
Claire suddenly blurted out something, and Tristan Lockwood almost immediately grabbed her slender neck.
His hands were large, and even though he wasn’t using force, it seemed as if she could snap at any moment.
"You should know, the thing I hate most is being threatened."
He leaned closer to her face, his expression chillingly cold.
Claire was unfazed, just staring into his eyes, her expression overly calm.
After the two of them had been at an impasse for several minutes, the door to the hospital room was suddenly knocked twice.
Tristan walked over to open the door, and was momentarily stunned when he saw who it was.
"Uncle."
Sean Lockwood stood at the door in a sharp suit, coolly saying, "I heard Claire is sick, so I came to see her."
Tristan subtly furrowed his brow, stepping aside to let Sean in.
He then followed, occasionally glancing at Claire.
Claire naturally knew that he was warning her not to say anything reckless.
"Uncle, how did you know Claire was sick?"
Tristan probed.
Sean’s gaze fell on Claire’s neck, his eyes narrowing slightly as he said, "Why is your neck red?"
Claire was taken aback, realizing it was the mark Tristan had left.
With a faint smile, she said sarcastically, "Got stung by a blind bee."
Her double entendre immediately darkened Tristan’s expression.
Sean remained indifferent, looking at Claire and saying, "I called you, and your assistant answered saying you’re hospitalized, and the case will be delayed."
Upon hearing the word "case," both Tristan and Claire paused.
Claire asked, "Are you looking for me or asking about Jade Sutton’s whereabouts?"
Sean nodded, looking at her from the side: "It’s been nearly two months now, without any clues. It doesn’t seem logical."
"Are you suspecting that I’m withholding information?"
Sean was very frank: "Jade was your only friend when you were young; you have a special bond with her. Not wanting her to be found by me is understandable."
Claire: "But I also have my professional ethics. And besides, you said it was from childhood—who actually holds onto childhood friendships?"
Sean raised an eyebrow, looking at her with some surprise, and then said to Tristan, "Tristan, Claire’s character is not bad; aloof and detached—it suits the Lockwood Family well."
"I’ll take that as a compliment from you, Uncle."
Claire smiled, unfazed by such an evaluation.
Tristan smirked, "In the Lockwood Family, aloof and detached is indeed a good thing. Outside the Lockwood Family, not necessarily."
"That’s for sure."
Sean agreed with him.
"Being too indifferent makes it hard to make friends in society, and it’s tough to have anyone genuinely care. Over time, one becomes more isolated and more prone to negative thoughts."
He then turned to Claire with a concerned look and asked, "How do you feel? Have you ever felt particularly troubled?"
Claire didn’t quite understand whether Sean was used to playing the role of a worrywart elder, concerned about her mental health, and replied somewhat speechlessly, "No."
"As long as you don’t feel that way." Sean turned to Tristan, "You should spend more time with your wife, not always mingling with those other women outside; it’s your reputation on the line too."
Tristan responded calmly.
Claire looked at the uncle and nephew pair, finding it somewhat amusing. Neither was a good person, yet they were quite earnest in their pretense.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to play along with their act: "Tristan’s been quite good lately, not having anyone around."
Just as she said this, Tristan eyed her coldly.
Claire raised an eyebrow at him indifferently.
Sean had some business to attend to and didn’t stay long in the hospital room before taking his leave.
Tristan escorted him to the hospital entrance.
As they exited the elevator, a stretcher was being wheeled in. Tristan glanced at it, then discreetly stood in front of the stretcher and said to Sean, "Claire’s due for her medication soon, so I’ll leave it here."
Without suspicion, Sean nodded and turned away.
Once he was completely out of sight, Tristan caught up with the stretcher on the third floor, asking the medical staff, "What happened?"
Medical staff: "Suicide attempt, slit wrists at home."
Jade Sutton lay there on the stretcher, eyes closed, her lips a ghostly white, lifeless.
Tristan frowned and watched her being wheeled into the ER before turning around. Kiara Vance was storming towards him, full of anger.
"You knew she was depressed, so why did you let her go home alone yesterday?! She was crying all night, and this morning she was found in the bathtub!"
Kiara accused him in a low voice, unceremoniously.
Tristan looked at her coolly, "I’m not a superhero. I don’t have the energy to watch over her all the time. You were by her side and didn’t notice her suicidal tendencies? How could I from outside?"
Rendered speechless, Kiara glared at him, fuming.
Tristan, uninterested in acknowledging her, sat down on a nearby chair.
The emergency procedure didn’t take long; shortly afterward, Jade was wheeled out.
Tristan was about to follow when he looked up and saw Claire standing at a corner with her crutch, staring at him as if he were a stranger.
Tristan paused, averted his gaze, and headed towards Jade’s room.
Tina Hayes roamed around for a while, and after estimating the time, she returned to the ward, only to see Claire leaning against the wall near the ER, as if torturing herself, watching Tristan enter Jade’s room.
She walked over, intending to take Claire back to the ward.
Kiara suddenly approached them, looking at Claire with contempt:
"You accursed one, how do you still have the face to show up here?"
Claire stared back at her: "You hanger-on, what right do you have to yap in front of me?"
Kiara was stunned, clearly not expecting Claire to lash out at her.
"Let’s go."
Claire had no intention of dealing with Kiara, asking Tina to assist her back.
Tina glanced at Kiara, noticing how enraged she looked, and couldn’t help but snicker quietly.
"Stop right there!" Kiara, in her stilettos, quickly blocked their path and pointed at Claire, yelling, "It’s all because of you that Jade would resort to suicide. Now go apologize to her!"
"Because of me?"
Claire looked at her coolly, "Tell me, what did I do that drove her to suicide?"
Kiara: "You manipulated the situation and acted pitiful, making Tristan leave her!"
"Then you should ask Tristan to apologize. I don’t have the power to control Tristan."
Claire spoke logically, and seeing Kiara at a loss for words, she calmly added, "Or is it that you’re not demanding Tristan apologize because you don’t want to?"
Kiara’s face turned from a shade of blue to red as she raised her hand, ready to slap.
Tina, quick to react, blocked her and sneered, "Trying that move again? Even the old regime is gone, yet you dare to resort to slapping? Do you really think yourself superior?"
Kiara: "Who do you think you are, to lecture me? I’ll have you know, Nathan is already engaged to me—you, rising from the slums, can stop dreaming of climbing up high!"
Tina raised her hand, her face expressionless, and slapped Kiara across the face.