Chapter 179: Chapter 179: What on Earth Is Wrong with Him?

Tristan Lawson’s brow was tightly furrowed. He had traveled a great distance, despite his injuries, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding between him and Noelle Sutton.

’How could that drive her crazy?’

When a couple doesn’t communicate effectively for a long time, their problems only get worse.

Tristan Lawson emphasized, "I’m here to explain things to her."

Hugo Sterling spoke with grave sincerity. "Tristan, listen to me. Give her some time, let her relax. I may not have known her for long, but I can feel that she’s been constantly on edge. She’s in the hospital recovering now, and with the problem with her throat... can you imagine how she’ll react when she sees you?"

Tristan Lawson’s frown deepened.

That day, Noelle had been so afraid of his touch. The moment he’d reached out to caress her face, she had started to tremble uncontrollably.

But...

"Tristan, you two aren’t divorced yet, are you? There’s no rush. As for what happened that night... I don’t have to tell you how severely it affected her."

Hugo Sterling wanted to buy Noelle Sutton some time to rest.

Emotional distress would only hinder her recovery.

That sort of intimacy between a man and a woman, if not born from mutual passion and consent, is just incredibly damaging.

Tristan Lawson remained silent.

Hugo Sterling pressed on, "That day, I could barely restrain myself from stabbing you. Just imagine if she felt that way. Why else would there have been a fruit knife at her feet?"

Hugo Sterling’s words temporarily quelled Tristan Lawson’s urgent desire to see Noelle Sutton.

’If I go, it will only be an added mental burden for her.’

Tristan Lawson ended the call in silence.

He had his own medical team, so it didn’t make much difference whether he went to the hospital or not. He didn’t want to stay in one anyway; he hated the smell of disinfectant.

In the end, he decided to stay at his maternal grandparents’ house.

By the time Tristan Lawson arrived at the Hughes’ home, it was already the early hours of the morning.

When Old Mr. and Old Mrs. Hughes woke up and saw Tristan Lawson covered in injuries, Old Mrs. Hughes burst into tears.

Old Mr. Hughes, however, just frowned with worry.

’Did Tristan really come for Sophie, just as Old Master Lawson said?’

’He’s married, and his son is six years old. Can he still not let it go?’

The commotion downstairs woke Sophie Hughes. She came down from her room, and her eyes widened in an instant as she rushed toward Tristan Lawson’s bed.

"Tristan, what happened to you? How did you get hurt this badly?"

Sophie Hughes was so frantic she was on the verge of tears.

Tristan Lawson’s voice was faint. "Just a minor car accident."

"How could this be a minor accident?"

Sophie Hughes’s heart ached terribly for him, yet he spoke of it so nonchalantly.

Old Mr. Hughes cleared his throat. "Sophie, it’s quite late. You should get some sleep. Tristan just got off a plane and needs to rest and recover from his jet lag."

Although Sophie Hughes was very worried about Tristan Lawson, she took the hint from Old Mr. Hughes’s words and didn’t linger.

Old Mr. and Old Mrs. Hughes, along with the medical personnel, helped get Tristan Lawson settled in a first-floor bedroom.

Old Mrs. Hughes sat by the bed, gripping Tristan Lawson’s hand tightly. "How could you be so careless and get into an accident? And then, instead of staying at the hospital to recover, you fly all the way here in this state. Did you have something that important to attend to?"

"Noelle and I had a bit of a misunderstanding, a falling-out. She came over here, so I came to bring her back."

Hearing that Tristan Lawson was there for Noelle, the tension in Old Mr. Hughes’s expression finally eased. He added, "Even if you were in a hurry to find Noelle, you shouldn’t have dragged your injured body all the way here. You don’t know how to take care of yourself at all."

Old Mrs. Hughes, on the other hand, was all smiles. "My granddaughter-in-law is here? Oh, that’s just wonderful! Why don’t I make some arrangements tomorrow and send someone to bring her over? It’s been seven years, and I still haven’t met her."

Because of what happened back then, the Lawsons were furious and had a huge falling-out with the Hughes family. In a fit of anger, both families had vowed to cut off all contact.

But since Tristan Lawson and Tessa Lawson were their biological grandchildren, they still kept in touch.

As for Tristan Lawson’s marriage to Noelle Sutton, he had initially hidden it from them.

The Lawsons, no longer in contact, had never told them either.

And that girl, Tessa Lawson, had even helped hide it.

They only found out later, after the news broke that Tristan Lawson had a son.

When they found out, they had asked Tessa Lawson about it. Tessa said Tristan must have lost his mind, insisting on marrying a mute woman. She found it embarrassing, and since Tristan kept her hidden away at home and never let anyone see her, she couldn’t be bothered to tell people he was married.

The old couple of the Hughes family figured that even if she was a mute, she was the woman Tristan had chosen to marry. They had mentioned wanting to meet Noelle many times, but while Tristan said he would arrange it, he never made any progress.

Later, they had planned to come and meet her in person, but in their old age, one or the other was always being hospitalized, so they could never find a suitable opportunity to return to the country.

They still hadn’t had the chance to meet her.

If Sophie Hughes hadn’t brought Joshua Lawson back with her from Glenwater last time, they probably still wouldn’t have even met their great-grandson.

"Grandma, she’s angry with me. We’re at odds, so she definitely won’t come over. I’ll bring her here after she’s cooled down."

"That’s true," Old Mrs. Hughes said, her voice filled with concern. "But you can’t go explain things to her in this condition."

"It’ll be fine once I can get into a wheelchair in a few days."

The timing was unfortunate, but there was nothing to be done.

"I suppose that’s the only way. Now, you get some sleep."

Old Mrs. Hughes and Old Mr. Hughes left the bedroom.

Tristan Lawson wasn’t actually tired. He had been lying down on the plane and had slept for several hours.

In the dead of night, one’s mind inevitably wanders.

Thinking of that night, Tristan Lawson couldn’t help but rub his temples. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

’How did I lose control like that?’

He admitted her body held an attraction for him, but in seven whole years, no matter how much he desired her, it had never reached the point of that night—an uncontrollable need to force himself on her.

’What in the world was wrong with me?’

’Was it just because she kept refusing, leaving me so sexually frustrated that I lost all control?’

It truly had been an unbearably long time. On top of that, he had been in a foul mood and had drunk a great deal of red wine. He vaguely remembered it lasting until dawn... and the mess he’d made all over her body.

Tristan Lawson shut his eyes, then couldn’t resist pulling out his cigarette case. He took one out, lit it, and took a deep drag.

He didn’t dare let his thoughts linger there. If he did, the physical craving for her would become irrepressible again. The restless heat was agonizing, and thinking about it only made his torment worse.

He couldn’t explain it, but his physical need for her was truly growing more and more intense.

’Is it just that I’ve reached an age where the craving is stronger?’

Tristan Lawson took another deep drag on his cigarette and picked up his phone. He wanted to message Noelle and ask if her throat was feeling any better.

His actions had been too rough; that’s why she was hurt. He felt an unavoidable pang of heartache. He had subjected her to such humiliation, and physical injury on top of it.

He drafted and redrafted the message, still worried she would block him.

Just as he was about to toss his phone aside in frustration, his WeChat chimed.