Chapter 6 Aria Knight‘s Heart Attack

Edward Harper's fleeting guilt toward her instantly vanished.

Furious, he let go of her and strode off toward the dining room.

Bella Harper had intended to bump into Clara Knox to vent her frustration, but after a few steps, she turned around. Seeing her brother gazing lovingly at that detestable woman, she snapped a picture and sent it to Aria Knight.

The table was set with exquisite dishes, and Mrs. Wang, the housekeeper, called everyone over to eat.

Bella Harper's heart had been set on the crayfish, finally placed on the table, right next to Clara Knox's hand. She seized the moment when Grandpa wasn't paying attention, took the plate of shrimp, and replaced it with pickles.

Once the old man started eating, everyone else followed suit.

Clara Knox was eating her rice quietly when suddenly a peeled shrimp appeared in her bowl.

Looking up, she found Julian Harper, sitting across from her, smiling kindly.

Julian Harper was Edward's younger brother, and although he was technically of the previous generation, he was only four years older than Edward due to the late marriage of Edward's parents. It made them contemporaries.

Julian had been sickly since childhood and had spent years abroad receiving treatment, only returning to the country recently. He was genteel and polite, unlike Edward's sharp tongue.

Clara Knox returned a polite smile,

"Thank you, uncle, I can manage myself."

"You're welcome, I'll peel more for you when you finish."

Clara Knox vaguely sensed something strange in the atmosphere. She glanced sideways to see Edward staring at her darkly, his eyes seemed to warn: You dare eat it.

Suddenly, the shrimp in her bowl didn't seem appealing.

Eating was awkward, and leaving it was impolite, leaving her in a dilemma.

Grandpa noticed the stir and called out toward the kitchen,

"Why did you just bring this little amount of shrimp, where did the rest go?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Wang hurriedly brought a large plate of shrimp and placed it right in front of Clara Knox, explaining, "The table was too crowded, there wasn't room before."

Bella Harper pursed her lips, sulking, and was about to reach across to get some. Her hand was swatted down by Chloe Thompson with chopsticks,

"Aren't they right in front of you?"

The old man glanced at his eldest grandson, focused only on eating, and chided him,

"Peel some shrimp for your wife, how clueless can you be? I don't understand what Clara sees in you."

Clara Knox's palms grew sweaty. Edward disliked peeling shrimp and crabs; he found it troublesome, refusing to eat them unless she had already done the work.

To her surprise, Edward picked up a shrimp and began peeling it. Soon, her bowl was piling up. Thanks to Grandpa, it was her first time eating shrimp peeled by Edward.

During the meal, Edward's phone rang again. He wiped his hands with a napkin and walked out to the balcony with his phone.

Watching his silhouette as he talked, Clara Knox felt a bad premonition.

Sure enough, about two minutes later, he came back with his suit jacket in hand, looking extremely tense as he headed out.

Grandpa was annoyed, "Leaving in the middle of a meal, where are you going?"

As he spoke, Edward had already changed his shoes and was reaching for the door handle. Like this, he couldn't ignore Grandpa's question,

"A friend has a heart condition, I need to go check on them."

Clara Knox's heart skipped a beat, heart condition!

Grandpa saw through him,

"Don't use friends as an excuse with me, it's that woman, isn't it? I warn you, I recognize only one granddaughter-in-law for the Harper Family. You stay away from that woman. What kind of heart condition recurs constantly without resolving? Call 911 if she's ill, are you a doctor? In my opinion, she'd better check her brain first, clinging to a married man like that."

Now in a hurry, Edward didn't have time to argue with Grandpa and walked out the door.

The old man lost his appetite in his anger, and the air froze. No one dared to touch their food.

"Foolish boy, one day, the Harper Clan will be ruined by him and that woman."

The gathering meal was spoiled, the atmosphere destroyed.

Bella Harper seized the chance to pour oil on the fire, relishing this opportunity to humiliate Clara Knox,

"My brother probably won't come back tonight. Aria just returned to the country yesterday, so they probably have lots to catch up on. None of you knew, right? He even hosted a welcome party for her yesterday. Three years apart, yet their love survived; I'm genuinely touched."

Eager to vex Clara, she chatted recklessly, embellishing her words.

Chloe Thompson tried to pull her back, but it was in vain.

Grandpa threw his chopsticks down in anger, so furious his breath was unsteady, pointing at Bella Harper,

"You keep away from that woman too. You're grounded. Stay at home and learn how to talk properly."

Bella Harper finally fell silent.

The meal ended on a sour note.

Clara Knox wanted to slip away while Edward was out. Her luggage was still in Isaac Turner's car. But just as she formed the thought, Chloe Thompson pulled her into a conversation.

Chloe Thompson had a gentle elegance, and she spoke softly.

Clara couldn't comprehend how such a good-natured mother-in-law could have two children so distant and stubborn like Edward and Bella.

In-laws rarely interacted, resulting in little conflict. Chloe seldom disturbed the young couple at Brocade Garden.

Her mother-in-law's sudden warmth caught Clara off guard.

"Clara, don't leave tonight. Last time, I bought both you and Bella some pajamas while shopping. I'll get them for you to try."

"Thank you, mom."

The mention of a gift reminded Clara of the ruby necklace that Edward gave her in the car. Knowing Chloe loved red, she took the box from her bag and offered it,

"Mom, this is a new product Edward plans to release next season. It matches your elegance more."

Chloe's eyes lit up with joy at first sight.

"This pendant's style is quite different from the Harper's previous designs, even more stunning."

Clara grimaced slightly, "Edward brought in a new designer from abroad."

Uninformed, Chloe praised the necklace, lauding its designer to the skies.

Returning to her room that night, Clara stared blankly at the period-tracking app on her phone. Her period was delayed by over two weeks, and she hadn't realized.

She felt her lower abdomen, filled with unease.

Remembering Aria's pregnancy test results from before, all her subtle hopes vanished.

Even if she was pregnant, what difference would it make? He wouldn't care; he only awaited a child from Aria.

Chances were slim that Edward would return tonight.

Clara felt restless, heading to the rooftop terrace alone to catch some air.

In the northern May weather, the night still held a chill, prompting Clara to pull her shirt tighter around herself.

The night was like a drape, a crescent moon hanging in the sky, with a handful of stars visible.

The serene environment brought her thoughts back to her late mother; the mysterious car accident still left unexplained.

The police concluded it was brake failure, but Clara believed it was more complex.

The car was recently purchased, making such a basic malfunction nearly impossible unless sabotaged.

Engrossed in her thoughts, the sound of keys locking the door snapped her back to reality. Turning, she saw Bella Harper swinging the keys and making a face at her.

Suddenly realizing, she tried to push the terrace door but found it wouldn't budge.