Chapter 3 The Heartless Woman

She was only trying to force her back to the villa by locking her card; who would have thought that the usually gentle, soft-spoken woman could do something like this?

It truly surprised him how much a person could change overnight.

One hundred million—she really dared to ask for that!

Edward Harper stood up, buttoning the bottom of his suit jacket as he headed out, with Secretary Johnson quickly moving ahead to press the elevator button.

The car drove to the bank entrance just as Clara Knox and Isaac Turner were coming out, cursing under their breath because they couldn't get the money.

Just as they were about to get into the car, Edward opened his car door and rushed over.

"Are you planning to take the money and leave, cutting off all ties with me?"

Clara was forced step by step back by his overpowering aura until her back hit the car door.

Edward's right eyelid twitched incessantly, so angered by her. This woman was really so heartless; she planned to take the money and leave directly, with not a bit of attachment to this home.

A woman without a heart—did she plan to leave long ago?

Clara, temporarily stunned, questioned him,

"Wasn't it because you locked my card?"

"If you hadn't run away from home, would I have locked your card? Wasn't the good food and comfort at home enough, did you want to come out and suffer?"

"Well, you had no right to lock my card. Every penny in there was earned by me. Who gave you the right?"

Edward was momentarily taken aback. Married for three years, it was the first time he heard her speak to him so defiantly; she was usually as obedient as a rabbit.

"What money did you earn? Out of three hundred and sixty-five days a year, you spend three hundred at jewelry exhibitions."

His implication was clear—without him, she would have starved to death long ago.

Isaac Turner couldn't bear to listen anymore, "What nonsense are you talking about? Our Clara is—"

"A parasite, yes, I'm just a parasite."

Clara interrupted Isaac, anger surging in her chest.

She was an internationally renowned jewelry designer, publishing her work under an artistic alias. He just didn't know.

She had never deliberately hidden it and sometimes designed pieces at home, but he never cared about what she did or looked at her artwork. To him, it was just some random doodling on a whim.

In three years of marriage, she put her focus back on family and received nothing but disdain in return. In his eyes, apart from spending his money, she was good for nothing else.

Only now did Clara realize how conceited she had been before.

A sudden phone call broke the deathly still atmosphere.

It was grandpa calling.

"Clara, come back home for dinner with Edward tonight. The lobsters air-shipped from New Zealand just arrived. Grandpa remembers they're your favorite, and I saved them all for you, didn't let anyone touch them."

"Grandpa, I…"

Clara found it so hard to distance herself and be alone. She couldn't refuse grandpa; he was the one who loved her like his own granddaughter.

Edward grabbed the phone, "Grandpa, we'll come back tonight."

"Let's go. Why are you still standing there?"

After hanging up, Edward impatiently asked.

Clara stood there for a few seconds before Edward pulled her by the arm and shoved her into the car.

As she just settled down, Edward tossed a small, exquisite box at her.

Clara held the item he pushed at her, looking at him in confusion.

"It's the company's flagship product for next season. After the release conference, it will be sold in limited quantities. Take it and play with it."

Clara opened the box, and what was inside left her dumbfounded.

Wasn't this the gemstone pendant she designed last month? The unfinished draft had mysteriously vanished at eighty percent completion, and she'd turned her study upside down looking for it.

How did it transform into Harper's flagship product for the next season?

"Can I ask, who is the designer of this gemstone pendant?"

Edward was extremely pleased with her reaction,

"It was designed by Aria. She signed with Harper yesterday, becoming Harper Jewelry's chief designer. This necklace is her ace work ever since returning to the country, bound to be an instant hit."

After praising Aria Knight, he didn't forget to disparage her, "Look at it, quite a difference from the messes you draw."

Edward talked about Aria with an unintentional pride on his face, probably unaware of the underlying boast in his words, as if introducing some rare treasure to others.

Clara felt her scalp tingle, and her mind had only one thought—her work had been stolen. As for how that unfinished manuscript ended up in Aria's hands, she was utterly baffled.

Edward was notoriously proud and would disdain stealing and scoff at her drawings.

Yet her manuscript, placed in their home study, disappeared into thin air. Could it have grown wings and flown to Aria?

Lost in thought and probably carsick, Clara felt a wave of nausea forcing its way up; she covered her mouth and nose and retched dryly a few times.

Thanks to him, she had no money for lunch at noon, and her vomit-stirred stomach yielded nothing filthy.

Edward handed over a pack of tissues and asked, puzzled, "Are you… this month?"

Clara's body froze at his questioning; had her period come this month?

Her mind felt muddled, unable to recall when her last cycle was—just a distant memory.

Her discomfort was unbearable, "Carsick. Carsick."

"Hurk—"

Another wave of dry heaving followed her words.

She used the excuse of carsickness to brush it off, and Edward, laying his doubts to rest, instructed Secretary Johnson,

"Pull over for a moment."

Secretary Johnson found a place for temporary parking, and the moment the car stopped, Clara hadn't yet recovered when Edward's phone rang.

"Edward, I feel so uncomfortable, can you come over?"

The car was too quiet; the coquettish female voice swirled around the three people's ears, inserting another knife into Clara's already battered heart.

Edward glanced sideways at the disheveled woman who had just vomited, then turned and instructed Secretary Johnson,

"Drive, head to Jade Dragon Bay Apartments."

The car, just parked, turned back onto the main road, heading toward Jade Dragon Bay.

The car started, and Clara retched violently once more.

If she hadn't remembered wrongly, Edward had a luxury apartment at Jade Dragon Bay—a gift from Grandpa Harper when they got married, registered in both their names, vacant for three years, now used to house a mistress.

How amusing.

As the car moved, Clara vomited more violently; her eyes moistened, brows furrowed, nose covered with a fine sweat, looking pitiful.

Edward felt a rare pang of guilt towards her, extending a hand to soothe her back,

"It's hard on you, bear with it for a bit. Aria has a heart condition that can't be delayed. Or do you want to lean on me?"

Clara moved aside, away from him, pressing herself against the door, distantly and coldly.

"Please, let me out. I'm carsick and feeling terrible now."

Edward frowned, pulling her into his arms forcefully,

"What are you getting upset about? Why bother with someone with a heart condition—that's a dangerous ailment. It's not as simple as throwing up a few times."

Clara struggled a bit, trying to push him away, but the disparity in their strength was clear. Her attempts were as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree.

Edward looked at the restless person in his arms, leaning in to whisper,

"Is leaning uncomfortable? Or do you want to sit on my lap?"