The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 105

Garnett gripped his racket tightly, his eyes locked onto Charley's serving form.

Smack! Another ferociously heavy serve.

Garnett lunged desperately to save it, but he overextended. His leg gave out, and he stumbled hard, catching himself awkwardly.

The female hitting partner immediately jogged over, crouching beside him in a panic. "Mr. Harper, are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Garnett gritted his teeth, refusing to make a sound. He knew he had pulled a muscle, and the humiliation stung far worse than the injury. Forcing himself upright, he tried to stand.

The woman instantly wrapped her arm around his waist, wedging her shoulder under his armpit while her fingers grazed his wrist—an overly intimate gesture disguised as help.

Charley walked over, smoothly taking Garnett's weight off her. "I've got him," he said calmly.

The hitting partner pouted, clearly displeased.

Lavinia stood on the sidelines, watching the entire spectacle with ice in her veins.

Even as they reached the bench, the woman was still hovering, piling on the excessive concern. "Mr. Harper, you should really ice that as soon as you get back. It'll heal much faster. Let me help you—"

"That will be enough."

The voice cut through the air, sharp and cold.

Lavinia stepped directly in front of the hitting partner, her expression glacial. "Miss, I appreciate your dedication to the job, but I am his wife."

The woman stuck out her tongue and offered a coy, unapologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Harper. I was just worried about Mr. Harper. If a guest gets injured on my watch, the manager will be furious with me."

"Your service was exceptional, and the Harper family will compensate you handsomely for your time today. Now, will you step aside so I can assess my husband's injury?" Lavinia's face remained utterly blank.

Only then did the woman finally back off. She turned to leave, but after a few steps, she glanced over her shoulder and shot a blatant wink at Garnett right behind Lavinia's back.

Lavinia crouched down to examine Garnett's ankle. She pressed against the joint with experienced fingers and asked him to rotate it slightly.

"It's a pulled ligament. Nothing serious. You just need to rest it for a day."

Garnett looked down at her. "Is Mrs. Harper actually jealous?"

Lavinia didn't look up, continuing her makeshift examination. "We have guests."

An alert from StyleSphere had caught her eye.

She tapped on the photo. It showed Garnett holding Lavinia by the waist near the edge of the tennis court, both bathed in golden sunlight. The diamond clover necklace around Lavinia's neck caught the light, sparkling brightly in the lens.

Sigrid's gaze locked onto the image, paralyzed.

During their trip to Marina Island, there had been one night when Garnett went out alone. He hadn't brought her, and he hadn't brought Corinne.

When he returned, she had accidentally spotted a Van Cleef & Arpels gift bag in his room.

She had assumed he bought it for her, waiting for the right moment to surprise her. It had never even crossed her mind that he was buying it for that little girl.

She stared at the photo for a long time. The way Garnett was looking down at Lavinia—focused, gentle, and filled with a quiet patience she had never personally experienced from him.

Her fingers began to tremble. Not from the cold, but from an overwhelming, suffocating terror.

The Sloan family was ruined. She had plummeted from the clouds into absolute nothingness, left with nothing. Garnett was her one and only lifeline back into high society.