The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 371

Nestor Harper screamed at Garnett, completely hysterical. "Over forty million! Is that your money? That's the Harper family's money!"

Garnett stared back at his father, his voice flat. "If you hadn't left them for dead back then, the Sloan family wouldn't have been ruined."

Mid-sentence, he suddenly realized everyone in the room was glaring at him with icy disdain.

Today was the Ancestor Recognition Ceremony, the joyous day the Gilmores formally welcomed back the eldest daughter of their main branch. And here he was, still defending Sigrid Sloan.

Even if he thought he was right, what did it matter? He had already lost Lavinia.

Throughout their marriage, he had always stubbornly clung to his own assumptions.

He had firmly believed that Lavinia schemed her way into the position of Mrs. Harper and would never leave.

He had firmly believed he was simply making up for his family's debt to the Sloans, and that his wife had no right to interfere.

He had firmly believed her departure was just a bluff, that she couldn't bear to let the marriage go and would inevitably come crawling back.

But she hadn't looked back once. The only one left standing in the past was him.

Only now did he wake up to the truth: he had been too arrogant. He had never been willing to bow his head, which was why he couldn't see the pain he had inflicted on her. He had shattered her heart long ago, yet he had remained entirely oblivious.

Judith and Julian Gilmore looked at him with eyes as sharp as ice. Lavinia, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold like a play she had no part in.

"Garnett," Julian said coldly, "the money you used to buy that house for that woman was marital property, wasn't it? You took your joint assets to buy real estate and designer goods for a mistress?"

A flash of agony crossed Garnett's eyes. But he couldn't deny it—it was the truth. He stood there like a specimen pinned to a board, waiting to be dissected.

"Lavinia," Judith suddenly spoke up. "What is the Gilmore family motto?"

The rules of century-old dynasties were written in blood and tears.

If you didn't take yourself seriously, you would be surrounded by endless enemies.

From today on, she was no longer the simple girl she used to be. She carried the weight of the Gilmore name, and she had to act like the heiress she was.

Turning back to Garnett, she spoke slowly.

"Garnett, the fact that I'm even addressing you right now is purely out of respect for Judith. You dragged out the divorce for so long, and to get it over with, I walked away with nothing. Judith insisted you leave the Arden Estate to me, and I still haven't asked you to transfer the deed. I don't care about the money. I care about the Gilmore family's dignity."

Garnett's fingers twitched, but he didn't say a word.

Lavinia pressed on. "The money you spent on a house and luxury goods for Sigrid came from our joint accounts. In our two years of marriage, I never questioned your finances, and I never took a single cent that didn't belong to me. Now that the divorce is finalized, it's time to settle the score. I expect my half back, down to the last penny. If you can't manage that, then I don't see any reason for the Harper and Gilmore families to ever associate again."