Too Late to Love Her: When She Divorced, He Fell Apart-Chapter 5: Tristan Lockwood Is Basically an ATM

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Tristan Lockwood Is Basically an ATM
Claire’s eyes were dark as ink, revealing no emotion. She moved her lips and said, "Because of her mother’s death in a car accident?"
"Yes. Old Lockwood was only twelve at the time, and his father was habitually unfaithful, gallivanting outside for years and rarely coming home, leaving his mother and him alone and helpless at the Lockwood Family. His mother’s car accident was a major blow to him, he almost joined her, if not for a girl who was always by his side, none of us would see the Elder Lockwood of today."
Claire: "So the woman Tristan Lockwood wants to protect is the girl who gave him hope back then."
"That’s right." Nathan Quinn nodded seriously, without a hint of jest, "At that time, Old Lockwood was completely an autistic teenager, unwilling to speak to anyone. I only heard later that the girl persistently wrote him more than three hundred letters before getting a reply. Since then, Old Lockwood has always had a place for her in his heart."
Claire silently looked out of the car window, the story of Tristan Lockwood and that girl was as beautiful as a fairy tale, about a lost prince being saved by a kind and beautiful princess.
But unfortunately, the prince was stolen away by a villainess and cold stranger like her.
Seeing Claire say nothing, Nathan Quinn didn’t continue the topic. Before stepping out of the car, he heard Claire’s slightly cold voice saying:
"You and Tristan Lockwood are really good brothers. Next time you cheat on someone, Tristan Lockwood owes you a lookout for this fake Monkey King charade with Nathan Quinn battling all comers."
"..."
Nathan Quinn was sweating profusely from the mockery.
He considered himself unmatched in tongue wars.
But he couldn’t hold a candle to Lawyer Hale, a bona fide boss of the law firm and a renowned figure in Riverbend’s legal scene, no match for his amateur standing among professional heavyweights.
After Nathan Quinn left, a prolonged silence brewed inside the small BYD.
Claire didn’t want to talk, and Tina Hayes didn’t dare to speak. Her little mind hadn’t even fully processed the fact that the elite scumbag she’d tracked for months turned out to be her boss’s husband, and it seemed their boss was the villainess break-up artist of a young couple?
Who would have thought, President Hale was not only efficient and high-handed at work, but even in marriage, they walked an unconventional path.
"From tomorrow onwards, you don’t need to follow Tristan Lockwood anymore."
Claire’s voice was thin and chilly, with a hint of fatigue.
"Yes."
At that moment, Tina Hayes couldn’t even feel sorry for the bonus that was almost in her hands. More than anything, she worried about whether listening to so much of President Hale’s gossip would land her on Claire’s hit list.
Surprisingly, a few days later, Tina Hayes received a paycheck that included a substantial bonus.
She ran to ask Claire. Claire coolly said, "Exhaustion fee."
Tina Hayes felt quite embarrassed, having not only failed to tail but also been outsmarted by Tristan Lockwood and that guy called Pighead Nathan. She’d overheard a bunch of Claire’s private gossip, feeling really guilty. She proposed to treat Claire to a drink, claiming she would hang herself if Claire didn’t agree.
Claire, amused by her antics, nodded in agreement.
In the evening, after work, they drove to a bar.
The weather had turned chilly, wind howling outside, but inside the bar, the temperature was high.
Seated in a booth, Claire took off her light white trench coat, and beside her, Tina Hayes couldn’t help but gasp. Claire raised her eyes to look at her calmly.
Tina Hayes took a sip of a small cocktail and, emboldened by liquor, flattered, "President Hale, with your looks and figure, if you don’t pick up a couple of young studs tonight, I won’t let you leave!"
Forget men; even as a fellow woman, she found herself drooling over Claire.
Claire was only wearing a little black dress inside. The top was a strapless, cinched-waist style, and the skirt side opened directly to the upper thighs, exposing slender arms and legs, gleaming white.
With her naturally cold aura, her slightly messy black hair cascaded off her shoulders, even in such a noisy and chaotic setting, she exuded an air of aloofness.
"I’m not interested in hooking up with men." Claire replied indifferently.
"Then why would you be willing to marry Tristan Lockwood? With your qualifications, it wouldn’t be hard to find someone who truly loves you?" Tina Hayes, after several drinks, couldn’t suppress her curiosity.
Claire gave her a sidelong glance and began, "Legally speaking, marriage is essentially a process of asset restructuring between two people. Love is not a necessity. You, as a lawyer specializing in marital relations, should especially remember this: ninety percent of divorce disputes are about assets."
"I understand." Tina Hayes nodded.
Claire raised an eyebrow: "Understand what?"
Tina Hayes: "To you, Tristan Lockwood is essentially just an ATM."
Claire’s lips curled slightly: "Very precise."
Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly heard the sound of someone inhaling sharply above her.
Claire looked up to see Nathan Quinn’s embarrassment plainly visible, and beside him, Tristan Lockwood’s face was extremely cold.
Today, Tristan Lockwood wore a casual shirt, with one part of the shirttail tucked into suit pants and the other hanging lazily outside, still as sophisticatedly attractive as ever.
He looked at her coldly, his usually aloof face rare with anger, his entire being exuding a chill.
Whatever mood Tristan Lockwood was in, Claire never cared—making him uncomfortable was ideal. She shifted her gaze, ultimately landing on the man standing the furthest left, and softened her expression, calling out softly: "Jenson Jennings."
"Claire, long time no see."
The man addressed as Jenson smiled warmly, a familiar and affable curve gracing his lips towards Claire, while addressing Nathan Quinn: "Nathan, Claire came to your bar for a drink, waive the bill quickly."
"Absolutely, I wouldn’t neglect my sister-in-law."
Although Tristan Lockwood and Claire’s marriage sounded like a farce, Nathan Quinn and his kind still respected Claire. After all, such marriages of convenience were not new in their circle. Furthermore, Claire was protected by Elder Lockwood and The Lockwood Matriarch in the Lockwood Family; truly offending her might bring unforeseen troubles.
While instructing the bartender to bring drinks, Nathan Quinn directly pulled Tristan Lockwood to the booth where Claire and Tina were seated.
The booth was quite spacious, with Claire and Tina Hayes seated with plenty of room, but only two seats were left.
Jenson Jennings took the lead, walking to sit on Claire’s left. Nathan Quinn naturally seated himself beside Tina Hayes, leaving the spot to Claire’s right open for Tristan Lockwood.
"Jenson, when did you return from abroad? Why didn’t you mention it?"
Claire ignored Tristan Lockwood’s cold demeanor and turned to look at Jenson.