The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 370

Garnett looked at Saul, lowering his posture to explain. "Sigrid really did have an urgent matter that day. It wasn't appropriate to discuss it in front of all of you. I just wanted to take her outside to talk, and then send her away. I never intended for things to escalate like that."

Charley let out a faint, cold chuckle, the sound piercing through the quiet tea room.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Charley spoke calmly. "Mr. Harper, do you dare tell everyone exactly what 'urgent matter' Sigrid came to you for?"

Garnett clenched his fists, the lines of his jaw tightening visibly.

"What do you know? It was just business," Garnett replied defensively.

Charley smiled again, looking entirely unbothered. "Is that so? Wasn't it to ask you to help her buy back her family's ancestral home?"

"Buy an ancestral home?" At this, even Nestor couldn't stay seated. He sprang to his feet. "You helped that woman buy an ancestral home?"

"The Sloan family's ancestral home is designated as a cultural heritage site," Charley stated flatly. "Mr. Harper ended up spending 38 million to buy it and gave it to Sigrid."

"Thirty-eight million?!" Nestor was so furious he looked ready to pass out. "You spent 38 million to buy a house for that woman? Why didn't I know a single thing about this?"

"He certainly wasn't going to tell you about something like this," Charley sneered. "Mr. Harper was only giving Lavinia twenty thousand a month for household expenses—barely enough for groceries. Lavinia had to go online and edit academic papers to earn extra money just to cover the bills. But the second he turned around, he bought a 38 million dollar house and a 10 million dollar diamond ring for his precious first love. He certainly knows how to prioritize."

"Charley, what does any of this have to do with you today?" Garnett glared at him viciously. "Keep your mouth shut, or get out!"

Julian's voice was ice. "Charley is an honored guest I invited. This is the Gilmore family today, not your Harper family."

Charley continued, "I didn't expect Mr. Harper to send people to abduct the seller right in front of the Property Registry on the day of the transfer. Mr. Harper paid a ten million dollar breach of contract fee out of his own pocket and forced the sale of the estate. While he was treating Lavinia with total indifference, she was in the darkest period of her life, practically exiling herself to live in an urban village in Penbrook. During all that time, Mr. Harper never once checked on her, spending every single day with his first love instead."

The tea room was dead silent. Everyone was completely utterly shocked by the revelation.

After a long pause, Saul ground out a sentence through clenched teeth. "Garnett, and you still have the nerve to claim you and Sigrid were innocent?"

"I was just trying to make up for what the Harpers owed the Sloans all those years ago! Her dad died in prison!" Garnett shouted, his voice rising in defense.

"Garnett! Have you lost your mind?! Even if her entire family died out, what does that have to do with you?!" Nestor roared, absolutely livid.

Everyone jumped, completely taken aback that Nestor was the first one to explode.