The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 369

"Lavinia, that's not a fair way to put it. You and Garnett married for love. The emotional foundation is there," Zenia said, trying to smooth things over with a smile.

Nestor chimed in to help. "Lavinia, you are the biological granddaughter, and Garnett is the adopted grandson. If you two remarry and take care of your grandmother together, it would be a perfect ending."

Listening to them, Lavinia felt that these two had come solely to force a marriage.

Lavinia raised an eyebrow. "Zenia, wasn't the person looking forward to my divorce the most—aside from Sigrid—you? Didn't you say that girls from small, unrefined families couldn't present themselves properly, and if I couldn't keep my husband, I deserved to step aside? Weren't those your exact words?"

"I never said that. I was talking about someone else," Zenia denied immediately.

"You flip faster than the pages of a book," Lavinia said coldly.

"Lavinia, I've always advocated for making peace, not splitting up," Zenia insisted. "Young couples have strong personalities; friction is perfectly normal. Garnett has always had you in his heart."

"Is there really any need to keep up the act at this point?" Lavinia retorted icily. "Sigrid has practically moved right into the Harper house. You two can't possibly be unaware of that, right?"

Nestor and Zenia exchanged a glance, their expressions instantly turning ugly.

"When did this happen?" Nestor demanded.

"Just a few months ago. Sigrid came to the Harper house and led Garnett away with just a crook of her finger. And she did it right in front of my cousin and Charley." Lavinia looked at Saul and Charley. "Saul, Charley, isn't that right?"

"Yes." Charley slowly set down his teacup. "Judith didn't give Sigrid the time of day back then, and she asked us to go check on Lavinia's uncle. Saul and I got to the hospital first, but we waited and waited, and Lavinia never showed up. We only found out later that Garnett didn't take her to the hospital; he took her back to the Arden Estate. And then something even worse happened."

Judith's eyes darkened. Julian clenched his fists tightly. "What happened?"

Charley explained, "When they got back to the Arden Estate, Sigrid was waiting at the door. Garnett let her inside and tried to force Lavinia to apologize to her. When Lavinia refused, Garnett smashed their wedding photo right in front of the other woman, then walked out with Sigrid, leaving Lavinia entirely alone."

He clenched his fingers and said quietly, "That day, things got heated. I was a bit angry, so I acted impulsively. I apologized to Lavinia afterward."

Lavinia rubbed her temples in exasperation. "What a convenient 'afterward'."

"That day, I was the one who kicked her out, and I was the one who said those things. Garnett, exactly who were you angry with?" Judith pursued coldly.

Garnett looked at his grandmother. "Judith, I..." He hesitated.

Lavinia answered for him. "That day, Judith reprimanded Sigrid, but he claimed Saul instigated it, and then he took his anger out on me."

"I instigated it?" Saul shot to his feet. "You were going to leave with Sigrid right in front of Lavinia and me. Do you expect me, as her family, to just watch her get bullied like that? Am I not even allowed to speak up?"