Crystal stated coldly, âNo need!â
While she wanted to get out of the car, Henry was a step faster than her and blocked her inside.
Gazing at her, he said, âI was wrong last time. I shouldnât have done that to you. However, please donât treat me coldly and provoke me anymore. Can you do that?â
Crystal smirked.
Staring at him, she said gently, âLara visited me today. She said she wants to stay by your side but doesnât need a title. Do you know how disgusted I feel, Henry? If you didnât insist on saving her personally and staying by her side for three days, she wouldnât have had the gall to say that to my face!â This is all your fault!
Henry was visibly taken aback upon hearing that, He also didnât expect Lara to be that aggressive. After all, once he paid her medical bills and ensured her life wasnât in danger, he cut contact with her and blocked her.
Lowering his voice, he promised, âIâll handle it, okay?â
Crystal smirked again. âNo need. I can deal with this!â
Henry thought it would just be an argument between women which would lead to Lara being chased away. Hence, he didnât ask any further.
Although, he was feeling touched that night and wanted to spend time with Crystal.
In a small voice, he pleaded, âCan you spend the night in my room? I wonât do anything thatâll disgust you.â
Sadly for him, Crystal wasnât interested, even if she needed to quench her own sexual urge.
She simply couldnât accept it, so she rejected him.
Under the moonlight, Henry leaned toward her, wanting to kiss her.
In response, Crystal shifted toward the other door and exited the car.
Hastily, Henry entered the vehicle, pulled her arm, and pinned her on the backseat, wanting to kiss her.
Outside the car, someone coughed.
Then, David asked, âWhat are you doing, Henry?â
Henry froze, still gazing at the woman below him.
A slight frown formed on his handsome countenance.
Crystal felt her throat tightened as she spoke hoarsely. âIâll accompany you on a walk, Dad!â
David waited outside of the automobile.
Upon her release, she tidied her clothes before leaving the car.
It only took a glance for David to tell the couple was having a quarrel. Thus, he replied with a grin. âCome then, Crys! Walk with me.â
Crystal wore her coat and sauntered next to David.
They had a very tight bond, as though they were blood-related.
After a while, David spoke kindly. âMom and I know how aggrieved youâre feeling. Henry, heâs... Even though weâre his parents, itâs still difficult for us to manage his temper in the past.â
Crystal nodded. âIt is.â
Patting her shoulder, David continued to walk with her.
In reality, he knew Crystal was unhappy. If not for her past relationship with Henry and her children, she wouldnât have needed to subject herself to this terrible situation.
The days went by uneventfully.
A week later, Crystal played the piano in the living room in the evening.
The butler approached her and said that Emily was visiting again.
Crystal replied plainly, âLet her in!â
It was Emilyâs second time in the Miller residence. She didnât have the nerve to sit, so she stood beside Crystal. âPlease, spare Lara, Mrs. Miller!â
Wordlessly, Crystal continued to play the piano.
With a crying voice, Emily pleaded, âLaraâs almost driven insane after she was expelled and followed by your two bodyguards at every moment! She isnât wealthy, Mrs. Miller. Please let her go!â
Crystal stopped, turned to Emily, and smirked. âTell her that if she returns to her old home, I wonât demand the three hundred thousand from her anymore.â
Emily paled and whispered, âIt wasnât easy for Lara to be in Barnwood, Mrs. Miller. She canât go back! If she does, her life will be over! Please have mercy!â
âSheâs the one who canât move on. Itâs her fault,â sneered Crystal.
Emily still wanted to keep begging for mercy when Henry arrived with a frown.
It was difficult to tell how much he overheard.
Emily tried to ask him for help, but he didnât agree to it and requested her to leave.
Once she did, he leaned against the piano with a half smile. âThis is against the law, Mrs. Miller.â
Of course, Crystal knew he was pleading on Laraâs behalf, too.
She lowered her eyes, her heart clenching with pain. âIf you feel bad for her, why donât you find a way to ensure she wonât show up in front of me and call you again?â
Henry stared at her for seconds before clarifying, âYou know I donât have any ideas about her, so why do all this?â I just feel sheâs being too cruel.
Laraâs past was something he was aware of.
She grew up in a terrible environment, so her life was pretty rough. Therefore, even though he knew she was romantically attracted to him, he thought that as long as he didnât reciprocate it, she wouldnât be at problem.
In other words, he believed Crystal was overreacting.
Crystal continued to play the piano. After the song ended, she muttered, âI just want to protect the people. I care about, Henry...â
Once again, Henry gazed at her wordlessly for a long while.
Loosening his tie, he headed upstairs.
After dinner, the couple brought Skyler and Remi to sleep without exchanging a word. Though they lived. in the same building, they were like strangers to each other, not that Crystal cared anymore.
Deep in the night, they returned to their own rooms.
In the dark corridor, Henry grabbed Crystalâs hand. âLetâs talk!â
The moment he ended his sentence, Crystalâs phone rang, and she answered it.
It was the bodyguard she assigned to watch over Lara. He stammered, âMiss Winters, t-the woman j- jumped from the third floor and broke her 1-leg!â
Calmly, Crystal replied, âSend her to the hospital and keep your eye on her!â
Henry slapped her phone away. Panicked, he snapped, âWhat else do you want? Sheâs already been. expelled from her school.
Are you truly that cold-blooded, Crystal? Are you doing this because you donât trust me or because you arenât confident in your charm? Or is that how our marriage initially came to be?â
His barrage of questions startled her a bit before she smiled. âYes, I am cold-blooded! I canât allow someone like her to remain in Barnwood, and I donât care if sheâs dead or alive!â
Henry glowered at her, fury burning in his chest.
In response, he reached the end of the corridor and called his assistant before relaying a series of orders.
While his assistant was surprised, he still executed the orders.
Standing below the corridor light, Crystal heard what he said. So, he wants to restore Laraâs status as a student, pay for her medical bills, and keep her in Barnwood. God, Iâm so tired right now. I feel like weâre not on the same wavelength at all. The current Henry can never understand the fear and pain I experience.
Paling under the brilliant crystal light, Crystal texted: Retreat. No need to keep an eye on her anymore.
After Henry ended the call, he turned back and saw Crystal was gone.
All that was left in the fancy corridor was her disappointment.
Henry recalled what he said and realized he was being too harsh.
He didnât want to worsen his relationship with Crystal and was willing to relent a bit to put Laraâs matter past them.
Knocking on the bedroom, he exclaimed, âOpen the door, Crystal!â
No sound came from within the room.
Clearly, Crystal didnât want to chat with him.
Patiently, Henry waited for a while before speaking in a nicer tone. âOpen the door so we can talk about it. okay? Itâs pretty late at night already. Do you want our elders to be woken up by the noise? Be sensible, will you, Crystal?â
Ultimately, she still didnât leave her room.
Henry remained in front of her room for a long time before returning to his bedroom.
Their relationship as a couple had taken a turn for the worst.
As the days went by, they met less and less. Crystal almost didnât spare him any chance to approach her, and he was too prideful to admit his wrongdoing.
Deep into the night, he would sexually and emotionally desire her, which informed him that he still wanted her.