《First love only ? i left him first now the ceo can't let go》 Mding 1

Cap¨ªtulo 1: Chapter 1: Revenge

Three years into their marriage, tonight was the first time Serena Jennings opened Caleb Lockwood¡¯s studyputer. 1 If it weren¡¯t for an urgent document she needed to send over, she might never have seen the spreadsheet before her eyes in her lifetime. All the folders on Caleb Lockwood¡¯sputer were named in Chinese characters, and just by ncing, it was clear they werepany projects. But there was one exception, named with just two letters: CS. Out of sheer curiosity, Serena double-clicked this folder. There was only one Excel spreadsheet inside, titled¡ª Revenge. Serena came from a single-parent family, and her mother was hospitalized. In terms of circumstances, marrying the heir of the listed Lockwood Group was indeed out of her league. Her encounter with Caleb Lockwood was like a soap opera, and what followed also resembled one. Back then, when Caleb had a car ident, the driver fled the scene, and it was she who carried him to the hospital, saving his life. Then one day, out of the blue, Caleb showed up at the entrance of her university. That day was Valentine¡¯s Day, and Caleb gifted her a bouquet of nine hundred and ny-nine pink roses, confessing his love to her. That year, the price of flowers had skyrocketed, even more so during the festival. Such a bouquet would cost at least tens of thousands, causing a sensation throughout the campus. Serena cherished that bouquet, cing it beside her bed, resulting in a hospital stay. Serena was allergic to pollen. However, she never told Caleb, so every time they met, Caleb would give her a bouquet of pink roses. Even before graduating from university, Serena married Caleb and became a housewife. Caleb was busy with work and needed a woman who could manage the household wholeheartedly. Her mother-inw also said that Caleb had stomach problems, and eating homemade food was healthier. After all, a helper could never rece a wife, whose duty was to manage the household, support her husband, and raise children, etc. During the day, Serena cooked, didundry, and took care of household chores. At night, she apanied Caleb in marital life. Their interactions were minimal. The spreadsheet before her seemed like a window into understanding Caleb, and as Serena opened it, photo after photo popped up. The spreadsheet had only two columns, with minimal text, filled entirely with photos. The top of the left column bore the file¡¯s name: CS. No matter how many times Serena looked, she couldn¡¯t guess which two words this stood for. Fortunately, the letters on the right were easy to guess¡ª SJ¡ª Serena Jennings. Her hand, holding the mouse, lightly trembled. Both columns recorded time and attached photos. In the CS column, the photos all featured the same girl. The first photo showed arge bouquet of vibrant pink roses, at least nine hundred and ny-nine, at the girl¡¯s feet; the second seemed to unt the sparkling diamond ne around her neck, with her arms still holding a bouquet of pink roses; the third had her smiling brightly with an Hermes bag in her hands, with a bouquet of pink roses on the dining table. With the pink roses in sight, Serena looked at the right column. All the photos were of herself. The first photo also had arge bouquet of pink roses in front of Serena, identical to those with the girl on the left. The second, an identical diamond ne, with pink roses. The third, an identical Hermes bag, with pink roses. The fourth, fifth, sixth¡­ Until the girl in the left photo held the pink roses, with a pink diamond ring on her left ring finger. On the same day, Caleb proposed to Serena with a pink diamond ring on the pink roses, and that spreadsheet finally ended. Serena quietly shut down theputer, seemingly understanding something. She always thought that Caleb loved pink roses, which was why he always gifted them to her. Even though Caleb had never worn or used anything pink, at that time, she still felt she had discovered a little secret of Caleb¡¯s unknown to others, which excited her for days. Turns out¡­ The one who loved pink roses was the girl in the spreadsheet. Serena couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night. Caleb didn¡¯te home tonight, as he had to stay up all night discussing a project with Meridia, but he assured her that it wouldn¡¯t affect their hospital visit tomorrow. Serena had been experiencing a dull pain in her lower abdomen these past few days, and Caleb had arranged an appointment with a specialist, set for nine in the morning. Actually, tonight¡¯s discovery didn¡¯t prove anything. Even if Caleb pursued her back then to take revenge on another woman, that was all before marriage. After marriage, Caleb wasn¡¯t particrly nice to her, but he wasn¡¯t unkind either, providing her with household and pocket money every month on time. On holidays or birthdays, he would take the initiative to give her gifts; this year¡¯s birthday, she received a Burberry pink outfit, even though she disliked pink the most. As the president of the Lockwood Group, he was always surrounded by other women, yet Caleb had been married to her for three years and never once got embroiled in any scandal. Only once did a marketing ount post a photo of him with a popr young actress, but Caleb urgently did PR to rify, forcing the marketing ount to deactivate overnight. Serena tossed and turned restlessly, trying to convince herself not to overthink. Caleb wasn¡¯t cheating, it¡¯s just that he might not love her as much as she imagined. Her mother often told her before that marriage is often apromise; if you marry someone you love, you must cherish that marriage even more. Serena treasured her marriage dearly. She loved Caleb. From the age of thirteen, she loved him for ten whole years. But Caleb never knew, even now. Serena picked up her phone and unlocked a private album with a password, an album she hadn¡¯t opened since she got married. The album contained only one photo, seemingly taken in a cafeteria, albeit with a somewhat oppressive environment and lighting, bringing to mind a prison. The main character in the photo was a young girl, visibly in her teens, with metal braces on her teeth and hair curled in a granny grey wave. No one would recognize this little girl as Serena at first nce, but everyone would surely recognize the spirited young man in the background corner as Caleb. It was the only photo Serena had with Caleb¡ª If it could even be considered a photo together. Serena fell asleep as dawn approached, only to be awakened by her rm clock less than three hourster. With panda eyes, she stood by the City Central Hospital entrance waiting for Caleb; the early spring morning wind was still chilly, making her nose run. At 8:59, Serena received a WeChat message from Caleb: Apany emergency project requires me to go on a business trip to Meridia, can¡¯t apany you, just go in by yourself, I¡¯ve already informed the specialist, I¡¯ll be home tonight. Serena wrapped her coat tighter and entered the hospital herself, leaving with an ultrasound report in hand. It stated she had been pregnant for two months, but with a threatened miscarriage. This was Serena¡¯s first pregnancy, her first child with Caleb. Serena touched her stomach, her face beaming with joy. The doctor said the threatened miscarriage wasn¡¯t very serious, but she still needed to take care of herself and the baby. She took out her phone, wanting to share the news with Caleb. The dial tone echoed, filling Serena with both excitement and nerves. Caleb¡­ should be happy, right? Beforest night, Serena didn¡¯t even need to ponder this question. Finally, the call connected. ¡°Hey darling, I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a meeting, don¡¯t bother me if it¡¯s nothing urgent.¡± The call ended immediately, leaving only the busy tone ringing in Serena¡¯s ear. The cold wind left her heart feeling empty, and as she lowered her phone, a news alert popped up¡ª Mding 2

Cap¨ªtulo 2: Chapter 2: Miscarriage

The Lockwood Group¡¯s young master appeared at the FY new productunch, spending a fortune for a beauty¡¯s smile. Serena Jennings¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The Lockwood Group¡­ there was only Caleb Lockwood as its young master. And the high luxury brand FY¡¯sunch was held in their very own City A. Serena¡¯s fingertips trembled because she felt a bit cold. She opened the news, and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s figure was clear as day in the apanying picture. Caleb Lockwood was naturally handsome and tall, with long, straight legs. His tailored suit was fitting and noble, the kind that never lost in photos. Every time she saw news about Caleb Lockwood before, Serena would stare at the picture for a long time. Because it was very pleasing to the eyes. But this time, she closed the webpage quickly. By a strange impulse, she checked her Moments, and Patrick Rhodes had just posted something new. Patrick Rhodes was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s high school ssmate. The ssic pink diamond ne, globally limited to ten pieces by FY, is now owned by our sister-inw! The photo only showed a woman¡¯s ivory swan neck, with the dazzling pink diamond ne hanging on it. No matter who Patrick Rhodes referred to as sister-inw, it certainly wasn¡¯t Serena. Putting away the ultrasound report, Serena called a cab home, her lower abdomen still faintly aching on the way. Upon returning home, she remembered she hadn¡¯t bought groceries today, so she went out for a big shopping trip, buying all of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s favorite foods. After returning, she washed, picked, and cooked, staying busy until evening. Around nine o¡¯clock, Caleb Lockwood returned. ¡°I forgot to tell you, I had a business dinner tonight, and I¡¯ve already eaten out.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was indifferent, and his brilliantly handsome face showed no expression. Serena took Caleb Lockwood¡¯s suit from his hands. In three years of marriage, this was the first time she saw Caleb Lockwoode back from an event without any hair gel left in his hair, looking freshly showered. The suit had no smell of alcohol, only a faint perfume, and it wasn¡¯t the same suit as in the news photo. Serena didn¡¯t ask anything, silently fetching Caleb Lockwood¡¯s pajamas, but then Caleb suddenly hugged her waist from behind. The pleasant mint scent from his hair filled her nose, and through the thin, slick silk pajamas, Serena felt Caleb Lockwood¡¯s increasingly restless hands. As a housewife, Serena rarely showed her face in public; asionally, when Caleb had to take her to the Lockwood family¡¯s banquet, Caleb would always remain distant in front of people. But it was quite different in bed. Caleb Lockwood was extremely passionate, with impable stamina and skills, possessing a mesmerizingly charming face, especially with his perfectly curved, smiling lips that made people lose their minds. Under normal circumstances, Serena had no qualms about Caleb¡¯s demands, and would amodate him. But with so much happening in the past couple of days, plus her pregnancy, she really wasn¡¯t in the mood. ¡°Husband, my stomach doesn¡¯t feel well, can we not tonight¡­¡± Before she finished, Caleb hoisted her up and tossed her onto the bedroom bed. ¡°I¡¯m preg¡­¡± Before she could utter ¡°nant,¡± Caleb¡¯s hefty body pressed down, silencing her lips with a forceful kiss. As he kissed Serena, he unbuttoned his shirt and undid his belt, his eyes looking down on Serena filled with burning mes. Feeling Serena, normally docile and obedient, resisting, Caleb unexpectedly smiled, using his belt to bind Serena¡¯s delicate wrists. ¡°Just fulfill your duties as a wife.¡± Another passionate kiss swallowed all the words Serena wanted to say to Caleb. Serena didn¡¯t understand what had gotten into Caleb tonight, causing her to faint. When she woke, the room was dark, Serena felt difort in her abdomen and below, intending to freshen up, only to hear Caleb on the phone in the living room. ¡°Brother Lockwood, sister-inw is drunk, you shoulde over now!¡± At such times, Serena couldn¡¯t help but thank Patrick Rhodes for his loud voice. In the living room, Caleb¡¯s tall, imposing figure stood like a bolt of lightning, the faint light casting clear shadows over his well-defined features, his deep ck eyes like an ink-spilled night sky. Serena was surprised to see a cigarette in Caleb¡¯s other hand. In her memory, Caleb didn¡¯t smoke, at least not at home. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, how long are you going to keep this awkward tension with sister-inw? Now that she¡¯s back, it¡¯s time to make up, isn¡¯t it?¡± The quieter the night, the clearer Patrick Rhodes¡¯s voice rang on the other end of the phone. Serena heard every word distinctly, holding her breath in her chest. ¡°Patrick¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s expression was severe, his gaze eagle-like. ¡°I¡¯ve already been married.¡± Like a heart-strengthening injection, Serena released a breath. ¡°So what if you¡¯re married? Can¡¯t you divorce? That haggard wife who can¡¯t even support herself without you can¡¯tpare to sister-inw.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to divorce.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t bear to.¡± Her eyes involuntarily moistened, and Serena almost couldn¡¯t hold back a sound. Caleb¡¯s words moved her more than any expensive gift he had ever given her. Three years of marriage can warm even the coldest heart. Besides, Serena never thought she didn¡¯t meet the mark. She never ckened in doingundry, cooking, or household chores. At night in bed, she could satisfy Caleb too. Serena felt her efforts weren¡¯t in vain, Caleb¡¯s feelings for her were deeper than she imagined, tonight¡¯s phone call proved it. Finally letting go of her racing heart, Serena turned to go back to the room. Eavesdropping was neither good nor necessary now. She loved Caleb. Caleb also loved her. ¡°Having a hard-working maid, of course, I can¡¯t bear to leave!¡± Serena¡¯s stepping foot instantly rooted to the ground. ¡°Although I¡¯m not short of money, the feeling between heartfelt and heartless is different.¡± ¡°And Serena isn¡¯t like ire. She has no skills¡ªno education, no career, just a housewife revolving around pots and pans all day long. My grandpa likes her, my mom finds her easy to handle, my whole family is satisfied, why should I leave¡­¡± ¡°Like this, she¡¯s suitable for being a wife at home. No need to invest too much, just a little sweetness and she¡¯s obedient.¡± At the other end, Patrick suddenly understood, ¡°Oh, I see, but about sister-inw¡­¡± ¡°Send me the address; I¡¯ll go over now.¡± After hanging up, Caleb hurried out the door. Only after hearing the door close did Serena dare to make a sound. She was crying. Tears poured like a breached dam, blurring her vision. Nausea washed over her in waves, and her stomach ached as if twisted by knives. Clutching her belly, she struggled to squat down, drenched in sweat from the pain, warm fluid trickling down her thighs. It was blood. A plunge into darkness¡­ When she opened her eyes again, Serena was already lying in a hospital. There was no one in the ward but a nurse. ¡°Excuse me, but why am I¡­¡± Serena croaked out, her voice hoarse. ¡°Miss Jennings, you¡¯ve had a miscarriage.¡± Mding 3

Cap¨ªtulo 3: Chapter 3: She Will Never Have Children Again

Serena Jennings stayed in the hospital for a month, dreaming every night. In her dreams, Caleb Lockwood visited her in the hospital, staying by her bedside day and night, smiling as he listened to the sounds of the baby in her womb. Every time she woke up, Serena¡¯s face was covered in tears. The child¡­ Was gone. Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t visited her even once. Caleb said he was on a business trip to Meridia, but he sent his assistant, Mr. Miller, to deliver flowers twice, both times pink roses, and settled the hospital bills. Several times, Serena wanted to give the flowers to the nurses, but each time she hesitated, preferring to sneeze every day. 1 Although she was only two months pregnant, the feeling of loss wasn¡¯t overwhelming, yet touching her belly from time to time became a habit. Whenever she thought of the short-lived life that was once inside her, her nose couldn¡¯t help but sting. This was her first child. The flesh and blood of the man she had loved for ten years. Just gone like that¡­ Serena cried herself to sleep every night, and her physical recovery wasn¡¯t going well. But she couldn¡¯t stay in the hospital forever, as they insisted she vacate her room to amodate new patients. In the empty hospital room, as Serena prepared to pack her things to leave, a stranger suddenly appeared. With delicate features and a wless makeup, she wore a Barbie pink velvet spaghetti strap bodycon dress, and a dazzling ne adorned her neck ¡ª The ne Serena recognized; it was the limited edition pink diamond ne from the high-end brand FY that Patrick Rhodes unted on his social media. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m ire Shaw, a high school ssmate of Caleb Lockwood.¡± The stranger introduced herself first, and Serena couldn¡¯t help but mull over the name. ire Shaw¡­ the initials are CS. No mistake there. Seeing ire reaching out her hand, Serena politely shook it. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Serena Jennings, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife. You can call me Mrs. Lockwood.¡± ire¡¯s smile faltered. But it was evident that she was someone who had seen much of the world, as her expression quickly returned to normal. ¡°I¡¯vee today to apologize to you.¡± ire bowed her head, her pitiful expression indeed had a way of stirring some sympathy. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were at the hospital for a pregnancy check-up that day. If I had known, I would never have asked Caleb to apany me to the FYunch¡­ And that night, I got drunk, it was all Patrick Rhodes¡¯ fault for insisting on calling Caleb, I truly didn¡¯t expect Caleb woulde to pick me up¡­ It led to your miscarriage¡­ It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± 1 Looking self-reproachful, ire offered a fruit basket to Serena. ¡°This is mypensation¡­ You must ept it, otherwise I¡¯ll feel even worse.¡± Seeing ire¡¯s convincing performance, Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°There¡¯s no issue in epting a 500-dor fruit basket, you aren¡¯t offering the ne around your neck aspensation.¡± ire showed a look of embarrassment, cleared her throat, ¡°I heard you¡¯re being discharged today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But I suggest you stay a little longer in the hospital¡­ because seeing you, Caleb will be reminded of the child that couldn¡¯t be saved, and he¡¯ll feel sad. During your hospitalization, he¡¯s been in a bad mood, I¡¯ve been apanying him, we traveled abroad, went yachting and fishing, watched the sun rise and set¡­¡± Watching ire act like she was in bliss, Serena didn¡¯t care if her words were true or exaggerated. ¡°Yes, my husband is a good man, values friendships, always takes good care of his high school ssmates, takes them yachting every week, he once gave my best friend a diamond ne worth ten million!¡± Though Serena wasn¡¯t fond of lying, if a lie could upset the conniving mistress, she didn¡¯t mind saying a few more words. ire clenched her fists, ¡°Since you¡¯re so generous, I¡¯m relieved¡­¡± With that, she turned to leave, but at the doorway, she turned back and said, ¡°By the way, Caleb can¡¯t pick you up from the hospital because he¡¯s exhausted and now resting at my ce.¡± 1 After those words, ire finally vanished from Serena¡¯s sight. Like a deted balloon, Serena now felt no anger, only confusion. She asked Mr. Miller and learned that Caleb Lockwood was currently at thepany. Which meant ire had lied. Serena didn¡¯t believe the conniving mistress¡¯s words, she wanted to find Caleb Lockwood and ask clearly. Before leaving the hospital, she went to the traditional medicine department to get some herbs. Caleb had stomach issues, his mother disliked Western medicine, so they always used traditional herbs, which Serena would personally brew, she knew well the precise dosage and timing. The herbs at home were about to run out, if not for the recent troubles, Serena would have stocked up long ago. Carrying arge bag of herbs, Serena arrived at The Lockwood Group. The receptionist recognized her since she¡¯d delivered meals to Caleb before, although back then the receptionist mistook her for a housekeeper. ¡°Miss Jennings, President Lockwood is in a meeting, you can leave the herbs with Assistant Miller, he¡¯s in the assistant¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Serena didn¡¯t care to emphasize to a receptionist that she wasn¡¯t ¡°Miss Jennings¡± but ¡°Mrs. Lockwood.¡± Taking the elevator to the top floor, Serena wasn¡¯t actually looking for Mr. Miller, but reached the general manager¡¯s office door. The frosted ss door wasn¡¯t shut tight, through the gap, Serena saw Caleb Lockwood inside the office, along with Patrick Rhodes. ¡°Brother Lockwood, you say you¡¯re not attached to her, yet you¡¯re ruthless enough to destroy your own child¡­¡± Just as Serena was about to knock, she froze in front of the door. ¡°It has nothing to do with ire¡­¡± ¡°Whether she returns or not, I wouldn¡¯t have a child with Serena anyway.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Energy is limited, having a child will change her. Besides, it¡¯s not just my grandfather that values her, my mother approves too, but once the child is born, things won¡¯t remain so simple.¡± Caleb Lockwood leisurely took a puff of his cigarette, for the first time his charming smile made Serena feel it was stark. ¡°Moreover¡­ Knowing she was pregnant, I intentionally acted aggressively, damaging her uterus, the doctor said she would never have a child in the future.¡± 1 A calm voice so cold it sounded indifferent to the point of cruelty, as if discussing something irrelevant. Outside the door, Serena was drenched in cold sweat. ¡°Brother Lockwood, being so harsh to that old hag, who will continue the Lockwood legacy in the future? It has to be her!¡± Caleb didn¡¯tment on Patrick¡¯s suggestion. Finishing his cigarette, he and Patrick concluded their conversation, and as he left the office, Patrick didn¡¯t notice, but Caleb did. It was a bag of herbs. Serene Meadows Nursing Home. Serena nearly fled in despair to this ce. She couldn¡¯t stand being in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office, at hispany, for a second longer. She wanted to vomit. Every word that came from Caleb¡¯s mouth made her nauseous. Turns out, this was the man she loved for ten whole years. He courted her and married her to exact revenge on another woman. Now he personally killed their child for another woman. Ten years of love, three years of marriage, were all a damn joke! Quickly wiping away her tears, Serena entered the nursing home. Since marrying Caleb, her mother had been transferred here from the hospital. Her mother¡¯s health was poor even before she became old, then a global virus led her mother into dementia. Although her mother no longer recognized her, there were things Serena still needed to tell her. Her mother¡¯s greatest wish was for her to have a happy marriage. So Serena wanted to tell her mother ¡ª She was an unfilial daughter. At dusk, Serena left the nursing home and went to a nearbyw office. As night descended, City A lit up, bustling with traffic. Returning home, Caleb Lockwood found the house dark. He turned on the lights, illuminating the herbs he held and a bunch of pink roses. In the empty,rge house, there were no warm, aromatic meals. Nor Serena. Mding 4

Cap¨ªtulo 4: Chapter 4: Divorce

Caleb Lockwood frowned, put down the flowers and traditional medicine, and calmly took out his phone to call Serena Jennings, but the call didn¡¯t connect. He never thought there¡¯d be a day when Serena wouldn¡¯t be home, but Caleb yed a record as usual, listening to his favorite Chopin Nocturne. An hourter, no one returned. Two hourster, no one returned. Three hourster, no one returned. Caleb got up and looked at the wardrobe; most of Serena¡¯s clothes were there, all given by him, all pink. But the two blue suits she had before their marriage were gone. Then, someone delivered a package. The recipient was him. Caleb didn¡¯t remember buying anything. This package was a huge cardboard box. He opened the packaging, and inside was an array of items¡ª eternal pink roses, a pink diamond ne, a pink Hermes bag, bright pink high heels, a pink evening gown, a pink diamond watch, gold ornaments, peach-colored silk scarves, luxury perfumes, a pink diamond brooch, car keys, a pink diamond ring¡­ Caleb¡¯s face grew increasingly grim, a storm silently brewing in his eyes. These¡­ were gifts he had given Serena when he was pursuing her. That pink diamond ring was the engagement ring. As Caleb casually rifled through, he found that despite many years passing, the tags on these gifts hadn¡¯t even been removed. The only thing in the box that didn¡¯t belong to him was a file folder. Caleb casually pulled out the document inside. City A¡¯s nightscape was beautiful, intoxicating. The old house on Vornath Street hadn¡¯t been lit for several years; today, against all odds, the lights shone from dusk tillte at night. Serena had spent half a day cleaning the room until it was spotless, though simple, yet clean, and quite cosy. But previously, she lived there depending on her mother, and now only she was left; iming she didn¡¯t feel lonely would be a lie. Serena held her phone, hesitating whether to call Lana Xavier. Lana was her best friend, from the same high school. But before she dialed, the doorbell suddenly rang, prompting Serena to hang up and answer the door. At the door stood Caleb Lockwood¡ªtall and upright¡ªa figure like a towering mountain blocking the way, startling Serena. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± With a crash, Caleb threw the divorce agreement in Serena¡¯s face. Serena¡¯s face turned red from the impact, witnessing Caleb¡¯s fury for the first time, she fearfully lowered her head. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Running away from home for no reason¡ªis that something a child does?¡± Caleb reached out to pull Serena, but she dodged backwards. ¡°Caleb, I want a divorce¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of ire, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hearing this, Serena raised her head to see Caleb, arms crossed, with that incredibly handsome face, like a person from a painting, adorned with a disdainful cold smile. This smile pierced Serena¡¯s eyes. Seeing Serena¡¯s acquiescence, Caleb found it amusing. Since ire Shaw had returned from abroad, their matters definitely couldn¡¯t be hidden, and he hadn¡¯t intended to hide them. ¡°Serena, have you also learned the tricks of ying hard to get? I admit ire was my first love, and when I proposed to you, it was to make her jealous, but still, in our three years of marriage, I¡¯ve never wronged you¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s ¡°never wronged you¡± made Serena¡¯s eyes turn red. She desperately wanted to question Caleb, ¡°What about the child? Wasn¡¯t it you who aborted the child?¡± However, she felt it was meaningless now. A heavy ache weighed down her chest, like a huge stone; Serena tried to take a deep breath. At this point, a divorce was the best conclusion for her with Caleb, ending her foolish and failed love and marriage. Serena watched as Caleb took out a cigarette, lit it, and sat on the narrow living room sofa, smoking while speaking with indignant righteousness. ¡°ire and I went to the same high school. After university, she studied abroad; now she¡¯s an overseas returnee, a rising star in jewelry design. If her hands weren¡¯t injured, she would have been a top international pianist by now¡­ Such an outstanding woman can¡¯t endure my mom, staying home as a wife would be too unfair to her, stifling her talents, so she¡¯s not suitable to be the Lockwood family daughter-inw¡­¡± Serena¡¯s face grew increasingly pale. ¡°But you¡¯re different. You don¡¯t have any talents, nor aspirations. You didn¡¯t graduate college; youck education and no diploma,petency either, your family conditions aren¡¯t good. You¡¯ve been a housewife for many years and are already out of touch with society. Without me, you¡¯re nothing; you can¡¯t even ensure basic sustenance. What qualifications do you have to divorce me?¡± The small house fell silent. Serena opened her mouth and inhaled the smoke Caleb exhaled, causing her to cough. ¡°Once you¡¯ve thought it through, pack your things ande home with me. I¡¯ll forgive you this once.¡± After smoking, Caleb couldn¡¯t find an ashtray but didn¡¯t litter. As he lifted his hand, Serena came over and voluntarily took the stub, throwing it in the trash. Caleb smiled, a charming smile appearing especially attractive as his lips curved. The mouth might say she wants a divorce, but the body was honest. Caleb changed his posture, crossing his legs. Serena had no money and no capability; she was utterly reliant on men. As long as she wasn¡¯t foolish, she¡¯d undoubtedly know which choice would benefit her the most. This time, she was merely provoked by ire¡¯s presence, ying hard to get with him. ¡°That¡¯s enough, I don¡¯t have time to y your games, as long as you manage the household as you did before, I¡¯ll keep supporting you.¡± Caleb coldly finished speaking and then saw Serena bow, hunched over, and picking up the scattered divorce papers one by one. ¡°If you don¡¯t sign, I¡¯ll send it to yourpany tomorrow, or send it to your mom¡­¡± Caleb stood up abruptly. ¡°Serena, don¡¯t give an inch and take a mile!¡± The person she loved for ten years was now so unfamiliar it terrified Serena. She opened the door. ¡°You should leave! Don¡¯te again.¡± Caleb never expected to face such cold rejection after lowering himself to personallye find Serena; he shrugged and chuckled amidst his anger. ¡°Alright, Serena, you got guts; if you regret itter, don¡¯te crying to me.¡± With a bang, the door mmed shut as Caleb stormed off. He didn¡¯t take the divorce papers with him. Late at night, Serena finally found her old bank card. This was her own card before marriage, always kept at this house untouched, without a penny from Caleb. Caleb wasn¡¯t wrongst night. Shecked education,cks diplomas, as a housewife for so many years, is out of touch with society. After divorce, she must find her own way to survive. After binding the bank card to mobile banking, the bnce quickly appeared¡ª 14,783,000 1 Even more than she imagined. Mding 5

Cap¨ªtulo 5: Chapter 5: Invitation Letter

This morning, Serena Jennings stayed in bed. Partly because she slepttest night, and partly because she didn¡¯t have to get up early to buy the freshest groceries at the morning market, nor did she have to get up early to make at least four dishes and a soup for Caleb Lockwood¡¯s breakfast. After cooking a packet of instant noodles at home, Serena ate with relish, filled her stomach, and went out to the bank to fill out a transfer check, transferring ten million to the other party, with a note saying it was for medical expenses. After leaving the bank, Serena went to Azure Cafe, where she had arranged to meet Lana Xavier for a meal. After getting married, she had almost cut off contact with all her ssmates and friends to devote herself fully to being apetent housewife for the Lockwood Family, and she hadn¡¯t seen her best friend Lana Xavier for three years. Thinking about her youth of thesest three years, Serena felt like showing herself the middle finger. Serena sat at the spot she had reserved in advance and waited for Lana Xavier. Lana Xavier was now a vocal teacher at a well-known training school in City A, and Serena guessed that besides wanting to catch up, Lana probably also intended to help her find a job. Sure enough, once Lana arrived, she quickly brought up her school¡¯s recruitment for a piano teacher. ¡°Lana, thank you,¡± Serena said with a rxed smile, waving her hand, ¡°But I¡¯ve sworn off ying the piano, and I¡¯ve already found a new job.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lana was curious, ¡°Is it a jewelry designpany? After all, that¡¯s your major!¡± Serena shook her hand again, ¡°Wrong! I didn¡¯t graduate from college, thosepanies all require degrees.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s hard to find jobs without degree requirements these days!¡± Lana whispered and couldn¡¯t help but express indignation for Serena, ¡°Caleb Lockwood is truly a scumbag; he cheated during the marriage, and you left the marriage with nothing. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied unless I squeezed a few million out of him for wasting my precious years!¡± Serena stifled augh, and just then, her phone lit up with a new WeChat message. ¡°It¡¯s definitely from Caleb! Give it to me, and I¡¯ll curse him to death!¡± Serena opened WeChat, and it wasn¡¯t from Caleb. While replying, she said to Lana, ¡°I actually don¡¯t have any evidence of Caleb¡¯s infidelity¡­¡± Regardless of whether Caleb physically cheated or not, his heart certainly had, to the point of even rejecting their own child. Thinking of that child who only lived for two months in her womb before dying at the hands of its own father, Serena¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°I just want to quickly get rid of Caleb Lockwood, get rid of my past life¡­¡± 1 ¡°So?¡± ¡°So I applied here.¡± Serena sent a webpage to Lana, who, seeing Serena so happy, thought Serena had found a good job, but when she opened it¡ª ¡°A Juvenile Correctional Facility?¡± Lana¡¯s eyes went dark, while Serena smiled brightly. With limited lunch break time, the two didn¡¯t manage to talk to their heart¡¯s content before being forced to part ways, and Serena returned home but didn¡¯t go inside; instead, she opened her parcel locker and took out an envelope. At this point, she received a new WeChat message, this time from Caleb. There was no text, just a picture of shredded paper scattered all over the ground. In the General Manager¡¯s office of The Lockwood Group. Caleb Lockwood supported himself on the edge of the desk and slowly sat down, with the divorce papers he had just torn up by hand at his feet. ¡°President Lockwood, I¡¯ve brought all the stomach medicine I could find¡­¡± Mr. Miller said nervously, only to see Caleb sweep all the stomach medicine on the desk to the floor with a wave of his hand. ¡°Absolutely useless, the more I take, the more it hurts.¡± Caleb clutched his stomach, beads of sweat from the pain forming on his forehead. He hadn¡¯t taken his herbal medicine for several days, and his stomach hadn¡¯t felt well. When he arrived at the office today to see the divorce papers Serena sent, his stomach hurt even more. Mr. Miller was anxious inside as he watched Caleb Lockwood. The herbal medicine Caleb drank was a special form from an old Chinese doctor, and only Serena knew how to brew it with the proper ratios, timing, and heat, and she was the only one who ever prepared it. ¡°Maybe, President Lockwood¡­ I should call Miss Jennings?¡± Mr. Miller tentatively suggested, only to see Caleb re at him with sharp eyes and retort: ¡°What did you call Serena?¡± ¡°Miss Jennings!¡± Mr. Miller was puzzled. Not just him, everyone around Caleb Lockwood, without exception, referred to her as ¡°Miss Jennings.¡± It was only at this moment that Caleb realized that, even after being married for three years, Serena had always been ¡°Miss Jennings¡± and not ¡°Mrs. Lockwood.¡± He picked up his phone, wanting to see how Serena would react upon seeing the torn-up divorce papers, but Serena hadn¡¯t replied. Instead, ire Shaw called him. In the evening, Serena arrived alone at the magnificent The Violet Auditorium in City A. She had changed her clothes. This blue Chanel-style suit was one of the more presentable outfits she owned before marriage. The doorman smiled politely at Serena; Serena returned the smile and was just about to open her handbag when a voice she didn¡¯t want to hear suddenly came from behind. ¡°Miss Jennings, what a coincidence, what are you doing here?¡± Serena turned around and saw ire Shawing towards her, arm-in-arm with two girlfriends. ire Shaw had clearly dressed with care today, wearing a pretty fairy dress in pink, the pink diamond ne around her neck still as eye-catching as ever. ¡°ire, who is she? Your friend?¡± Lily Sutton looked Serena up and down, ¡°Surely she can¡¯t be here to attend the FY celebration banquet, right?¡± ¡°No way,¡± Owen Warren frowned disdainfully, ¡°FY is a high luxury, international brand, and all its invitees are prominent figures. Look at what she¡¯s wearing¡­ probably here to deliver food!¡± Serena watched ire Shaw¡¯s two girlfriends speaking in unison, clearly aware of who she was. ¡°Lily, Owen, don¡¯t me Miss Jennings¡­¡± ire Shaw began to exin earnestly, ¡°I heard from Caleb that Miss Jennings dropped out of college to get married and has been a housewife for years, mostly wearing aprons and seldom going anywhere other than the market, so she definitely hasn¡¯t seen much of the world andcks sensitivity to fashion, unlike us designers working at FY.¡± ¡°You work at FY?¡± Seeing Serena so surprised, ire Shaw proudly took out her business card and handed it over. ¡°ire is now a rising star in the jewelry design world. Even FY¡¯s HR thinks highly of her!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a housewife; you probably don¡¯t even know what HR means!¡± Their ears were filled with Lily Sutton and Owen Warren¡¯s noisy taunts. Serena looked at ire Shaw¡¯s business card¡ª FY Jewelry Design Department Intern. ire Shaw originally thought seeing her business card would make Serena feel inferior, but Serena merely gave a faint smile. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re excellent.¡± Lily Sutton immediately rolled her eyes, ¡°What are you pretending to be calm for? You must be dying of jealousy inside!¡± Seeing Serena turning around to walk inside, Owen Warren shouted, ¡°Delivery people can¡¯t go that way.¡± ire Shaw couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth tough, giving Lily Sutton and Owen Warren a look, and the two immediately squeezed in, forcefully pushing Serena to the side. ¡°See that? Only those with invitations get in.¡± Lily Sutton showed her invitation, allowing ire Shaw to go in first. ire Shaw carefully lifted her pink dress, walking inside like a princess, head held high. ¡°Sorry, Miss, your invitation is for entering through the staff entrance.¡± The doorman stopped ire Shaw. ire Shaw felt embarrassed, but Lily Sutton and Owen Warren quicklypensated, ¡°ire is an FY employee anyway!¡± ¡°Exactly, exactly, going in through the staff entrance is still better than someone who can¡¯t even get in.¡± Finally, ire Shaw and her friends made way, and Serena once again proceeded to the VIP entrance, taking an envelope out of her handbag and handing it to the doorman. The doorman¡¯s eyes lit up, and his smile became more respectful. ¡°Miss Jennings, this way please¡­¡± Under the shocked gazes of ire Shaw and her friends, Serena walked into the auditorium through the VIP entrance. 1 Mding 6

Cap¨ªtulo 6: Chapter 6: Reduced to Delivering Takeout

ire Shaw originally nned to wait for Caleb Lockwood and also confidently walk through the VIP passage. Although Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t have an invitation, his identity and face were his pass. However, as the banquet was about to start and Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t arrived yet, she had no choice but to take Owen Warren and Lily Sutton through the staff passage. Upon entering the venue, she turned her head to search around, but there was no trace of Serena Jennings. ¡°That Serena Jennings must be here delivering food; the invitation definitely isn¡¯t hers.¡± ¡°Exactly, she didn¡¯t even graduate from university, how could the FY celebration banquet possibly invite her?¡± Lily Sutton and Owen Warren chimed in one after the other. ire felt a bit more at ease as her friends made a valid point. FY is among the top luxury brands worldwide, and this celebration banquet was held due to the piano series of jewelryunched four years ago, which employed industry-leading patented technology along with unique creativity and artistic sense, quickly bing a leading piece among high-end luxury jewelry, not only renowned within the industry but also performing outstandingly among consumer groups, reigning as the sales champion for four consecutive years. ¡°I wonder if I can meet the master designer of the piano series here tonight¡­¡± ire blinked her big, watery eyes, full of longing and admiration. ¡°I heard the master designer is very mysterious, no one even knows whether they are male or female.¡± ¡°ire, you¡¯re an FY employee now, don¡¯t you know?¡± Facing her friends¡¯ curiosity, ire regretfully shook her head, ¡°I only know the master designer signs as BYC; beyond that, even my boss doesn¡¯t know!¡± In the private room on the second floor, Serena Jennings met Peter. Peter is one of the founders of FY and currently serves as the executive director. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in three years, you¡¯ve be even more beautiful.¡± Peter handed Serena a cup of coffee. Serena knew Peter was just making polite talk. Married for three years, constantly upied with household chores, losing herself, no time to dress up, such a woman wouldn¡¯t be more beautiful but rather have her radiance and grace worn down by time. The most critical issue is, her husband doesn¡¯t love her. A married womancking the nourishment of love is left with nothing but chaos. And she, Serena Jennings, had it even worse. For three years she dutifully worked as a housewife, only for her husband to cheat with a mistress, leading to the loss of her unborn child because of the mistress. Thinking of her child, Serena¡¯s grip on the coffee cup tightened, her knuckles turning white. ¡°So, does the talented and brilliant BYC master of my dreams have any interest in returning to FY to work?¡± Peter¡¯s voice broke her concentration, Serena looked up at Peter, seeing the anticipation in his eyes just like four years ago. Only this time the word ¡°return¡± was used. Serena actually never worked at FY. She met Peter during her first year at University A, through a stroke of chance when Peter came to the university searching for talented new designers, and Serena sat quietly in the campus sketching jewelry inspired by piano. Serena¡¯s design concept moved Peter, inspiring her to develop new gemstone cutting and setting techniques to turn the concept into jewelry. At that time, Peter invited her to work at FY, suggesting she could start as a part-time to avoid interrupting her studies. But Serena refused. She herself had no passion for the jewelry industry and didn¡¯t want to be famous, thus adopting the pseudonym BYC to partake in the piano series¡¯ sales royalties. Unexpectedly, this series became an instant hit, and her pseudonym quickly transformed into the mysterious master designer in the jewelry world. Peter observed Serena¡¯s expression, easily guessing her marriage was unhappy, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to attend the celebration banquet today. ¡°Master, won¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± Serena was amused by Peter, ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating too much; back then the piano series design was just a sudden sh of inspiration, you know that I actually don¡¯t like jewelry design.¡± ¡°You are wasting your talent; do you realize how many FY designers dream of having even a tenth of your gift?¡± Serena smiled without responding. ¡°Anyway, you cane whenever you want; I¡¯ve already prepared the contract, feel free to fill in the sry, the royalties stay the same, FY¡¯s doors are always open for you.¡± Peter said, noticing Serena turning her head to look out the ss window. From the floor-to-ceiling window in the second-floor private room, one could see the situation in the downstairs venue. In the venue, Caleb Lockwood arrivedte, causing quite a stir. There are many business elites present, but few are as striking as Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood wore a tailored white suit today, paired with a ck shirt, the striking contrast of cold colors matched perfectly with his noble yet aloof aura, deliberately not wearing a tie added a hint of romance to his inherent restraint, his sharp features seemingly carved like a statue, yet his naturally smiling lips stirred an unspoken allure. As soon as he appeared in the venue, he elicited admiration from numerous women. ire Shaw deliberately stood in her ce, waiting for Caleb Lockwood to approach, like a princess awaiting her white knight. Countless envious and jealous nces turned towards her, making her another focal point of the banquet. ire¡¯s smile was proud. Though she was only an FY intern, she would definitely be the center of such asions. Serena Jennings hadn¡¯t expected Caleb Lockwood toe as well. She silently watched as Caleb Lockwood walked straight to ire Shaw. In her impression, during their three years of marriage, Caleb Lockwood had never proactively approached any woman. Serena naively thought it was because Caleb Lockwood loved her, that she was special. Now she understood that ire Shaw was the special one. The two stood together, showcasing a perfect match. Serena suddenly felt very unnecessary. Thest time she argued with Caleb Lockwood at home, the divorce agreement was torn up by him; unable to get a divorce, she was still Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife, yet the excitement and fitting scene below had nothing to do with her. ¡°You won¡¯t leave as soon as you arrive, will you?¡± Peter cautiously asked. He had his own intentions, persistently trying to draw Serena into FY. However, the scene downstairs was ring at Serena; if she wanted to leave early, he wouldn¡¯t stop her nor would he have a reason to. Serena stared fixedly at Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw speaking andughing, staying silent for a long time before looking at Peter. ¡°If I ask you for a present now, would you give it to me?¡± In the venue on the first floor, Caleb Lockwood presented arge bouquet of beautifully wrapped pink roses to ire Shaw, and ire smiled sweetly and shyly. Beside her, Lily Sutton and Owen Warren were almost mad with envy, praising Caleb Lockwood to the heavens. 1 ¡°To have such a handsome, wealthy, and excellent man like President Lockwood as a boyfriend, ire, you must have saved the gxy in your past life.¡± ¡°The key is that President Lockwood really dotes on ire, even rescheduled a significant meeting to apany her.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, ire is wearing thetest Elie Saab haute couture worth a hundred thousand US dors, which was a gift from President Lockwood.¡± ire held Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm, listening to her friends¡¯ praises, her smile wide and joyful. ¡°By the way, Caleb, I just saw Miss Jennings¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood raised his eyebrows slightly, naturally knowing which Miss Jennings ire referred to. ¡°The way she dressed was really unfit; she might be here to deliver food¡­¡± Seeing Caleb Lockwood remain silent, ire continued, ¡°After all, she¡¯s your nominal wife; her being reduced to delivering food is a bit pitiful¡­¡± ¡°She brought it on herself.¡± Caleb Lockwood said coldly. A woman without education or credentials, who had been a housewife for several years, what good job could she find? Delivering food was within his expectations. At this time,motion arose in the venue again. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s that stunning beauty next to Director Peter? Do you recognize her?¡± Mding 7

Cap¨ªtulo 7: Chapter 7: Found a New Patron

¡°Don¡¯t know her, is she the new rising star in the entertainment industry?¡± ¡°She looks way more beautiful than those other starlets.¡± More and more people started discussing the woman beside Peter. The woman stood beside Peter, exuding a strong presence. Her elegant body was perfectly entuated by a pure ck velvet strapless gown, her coiffed and dyed hair styled in an updo, adorned with ck and white diamond-studded hairpins from the most expensive piano series jewelry, sparkling so brightly it was hard to look away. Caleb Lockwood felt the woman¡¯s back looked a bit familiar until she turned around. ¡°Serena Jennings?!¡± ire Shaw, Lily Sutton, and Owen Warren were taken aback. Caleb Lockwood said nothing, but his eyes shone much brighter than before. It was the first time he saw Serena Jennings in a bold red lipstick. Her makeup was intense but not vulgar, whether it was the artistry of the stylist or Serena¡¯s own sophistication, it was hard to tell. ¡°I never thought, Miss Jennings has already found a new patron. I was worried about her before¡­¡± ire Shaw spoke softly, while the cold glint in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes flickered. Serena¡¯s ensemble tonight was all ¡®gifts¡¯ borrowed from Peter. She didn¡¯t want to see Caleb Lockwood showing affection with ire Shaw, but since she was already here, there was no reason to flee in embarrassment. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze fell on Serena only initially, and then he carried on with ire Shaw as if he never saw her. On that handsome model-like face, Serena saw a smile and tenderness that were never directed at her. The desire in Serena¡¯s heart to make Caleb Lockwood see her in a new light gradually turned into frustration. She went to the restroom to calm herself down. Since she had already decided on a divorce, why dwell on it? When she came out of the restroom, the pain in her feet had be unbearable for Serena to ignore. These weren¡¯t her usual heels, and they rubbed her feet badly. As she twisted her body to look at her heel, she nearly lost bnce, but thankfully someone caught her in time. Just as she was about to say ¡°Thank you,¡± her gaze met Caleb Lockwood¡¯s. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s smiling lips were charming, and his eyes were like deep gems. But now, facing those eyes up close, Serena felt an inexplicable nervousness in her heart. She wanted to pull her arm away, but Caleb Lockwood held it tightly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to such lengths to make me jealous.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was calm and cold, and Serena could hear a hint of mockery at the end. ¡°This method of retreat to advance is quite clumsy.¡± After saying that, Caleb Lockwood let go of her arm, handed her a band-aid, and walked into the restroom without looking back. Even if Serena wanted to exin, Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t give her a chance. She hesitated for a moment but ended up using the band-aid he gave her. The pain in her feet eased, but the stifling feeling in her heart intensified. Back at the venue, Serena was so preupied that she didn¡¯t notice she¡¯d been standing in front of the buffet table, motionless. ¡°Is it that you¡¯ve never seen so many delicacies that you don¡¯t know where to start?¡± Lily Sutton and Owen Warren walked over. ¡°Let me show you, these are fine caviars, to be eaten with Russian blinis.¡± Lily Sutton had just finished speaking when Owen Warren elbowed her, ¡°You gotta exin what caviar is first, in case she¡¯s never heard of it!¡± Serena couldn¡¯t be bothered to acknowledge them, but then ire Shaw blocked her path again. ¡°Lily, Owen, stop babbling. Serena¡¯s not from ancient times, how could she not have heard of caviar¡­¡± ire Shaw smiled sweetly, scooping a spoonful of caviar onto a blini and offering it to Serena. ¡°But this must be your first time trying it, me it on Caleb for not taking you out more often.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she can¡¯t be shown off? Remember back then, President Lockwood would often bring you, ire, to various events, but now look, President Lockwood must have terrible luck to marry someone with just a high school diploma as a wife.¡± ¡°Exactly, one a foreign-educated Ph.D., the other a housewife, I don¡¯t even understand how she has the face to show up at this kind of event and embarrass herself.¡± Surrounded by their harmonized taunts, Serena smiled indifferently. ¡°Since Miss Shaw is so well-traveled, don¡¯t you know the caviar you¡¯re serving is paddlefish caviar, meant to be savored alone or paired with champagne?¡± ire Shaw¡¯s fake smile froze. ¡°This Osetra sturgeon caviar is the one meant to be paired with Russian blinis.¡± As Serena spoke, she picked up a Russian blini,id a thinyer of smoked salmon on top, and then spooned some Osetra sturgeon caviar and sour cream, handing it to ire Shaw. ¡°This is the authentic Russian blini.¡± Comparing the blini in her hand with Serena¡¯s thinner version, ire Shaw¡¯s face turned green. ¡°Who are you pretending to be? Who knows if what you¡¯re saying is true or not,¡± Owen Warren moved in to support ire Shaw. ¡°Even if you¡¯re right, so what? Just because you cook a lot doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re exceptional!¡± Lily Sutton quickly backed ire Shaw. Serena ced the blini she prepared onto a te and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m certainly not that exceptional, but at least I¡¯m a bit better than you.¡± With that, she turned and left, just as Caleb Lockwood returned to ire Shaw. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look well, are you feeling unwell?¡± Caleb Lockwood asked, seeing ire Shaw shake her head, her eyes fixed on the caviar. ¡°Want to eat caviar?¡± He asked, picking up a te and preparing the Russian blini the same way Serena had earlier. At that moment, a guest approached the buffet table, hesitantly mumbling, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between all these caviars?¡± ire Shaw snapped back and immediately used the exnation Serena had just used to exin to the guest, receiving their gratitude and admiration. ¡°To know so much at such a young age, truly impressive.¡± ire Shaw demurred, ¡°I learned it all from my boyfriend.¡± The guest, seeing ire Shaw holding onto Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm, couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°What a perfect match, you two really are!¡± Caleb Lockwood looked at ire Shaw, his naturally smiling lips slightly curved, ¡°Could go the other way too.¡± ¡°The other way¡­ that would be her talents, his looks, President Lockwood, you¡¯re too ttering.¡± Lily Sutton and Owen Warren joined in the teasing, ire Shaw lowered her eyes, her smile shy, anyone would think she was the happiest woman in the world. Not far away, Serena actually heard ire Shaw¡¯s borrowed flowers to Buddha, but she wouldn¡¯t go and exin anything. Exnation wouldn¡¯t earn her Caleb Lockwood¡¯s appreciation anyway. Serena¡¯s heart was somewhat conflicted. On one hand, she had already decided on a divorce, and even if Caleb Lockwood started changing his attitude toward her, she couldn¡¯t turn back. But on the other hand, she was unwilling. 1 Why was it that only she remembered their past agreement, only she was trapped in it? Why did a marriage of three yearspare so poorly to the newly returned first love? Serena downed a ss of wine in one go. The fiery, spicy liquor bore through her gut, making her a bit more clear-headed. She stared at the empty wine ss in her hand, noticing something. Mding 8

Cap¨ªtulo 8: Chapter 8: Love and Lovelessness

The banquet tonight had been going on for nearly two hours, but Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t touched a drop of alcohol. Serena Jennings suspected that Caleb Lockwood¡¯s stomach issues were acting up. These past few days, she had been fighting with Caleb about their divorce, and she hadn¡¯t brewed the Chinese medicine that she used to meticulously prepare for him every day. Caleb probably hadn¡¯t taken it, either, because only she knew the exact proportions and timing for the brew. Let Caleb be in pain and die¡ªthis thought shed through Serena¡¯s mind. But in the end, she couldn¡¯t be that cruel. Serena took out her phone and wrote down every single detail about Caleb¡¯s stomach medicine, from the names of the medicinal ingredients to the proportions and brewing methods. Before sending it, she hesitated over whether to add some polite greetings, pleasantries, or exnations¡­ She typed and deleted several drafts, but in the end, Serena sent it off without adding a single extra word. The WeChat message was received on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone, but it wasn¡¯t Caleb who opened it. ire Shaw turned away, quietly memorized the content Serena had sent, and then deleted it all cleanly. Over on Caleb¡¯s side, he was still socializing. Although he hade tonight with ire Shaw, there were many people here who knew him, and socializing was unavoidable. But he hadn¡¯t touched a drop of alcohol, as his stomach pain had reached its limit. This left his entire aura much colder, as if he was dissatisfied with everything about the evening¡¯s banquet. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± As the banquet was about to end, Caleb saw ire Shaw bringing over a steaming bowl of herbal soup for him. The fragrance of the medicine was familiar to him, but back when he dated ire Shaw, his stomach had been fine. ¡°How did you know I have stomach issues? And about this medicine¡­¡± Caleb nced over in Serena¡¯s direction. ¡°I know your health issues well, and I got this prescription from an old Chinese doctor, guaranteed to be effective.¡± Actually, ire had Owen Warren and Lily Sutton buy the ingredients ording to the recipe Serena sent. Without time to brew it, they just quickly mixed the herbs, hoping it would help somewhat. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t been so willful back then, you wouldn¡¯t have had to be taken care of like this over the years¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s eyes filled with tears. Serena smelled the herbal fragrance, turned her head, and just happened to see ire Shaw resting against Caleb Lockwood¡¯s shoulder, while Caleb was feeding ire a piece of red velvet cake. Red velvet cake¡ªshe had baked it for Caleb Lockwood many times. Caleb had a sensitive stomach, couldn¡¯t eat spicy food, and couldn¡¯t eat things too sweet. He wasn¡¯t fond of sweet foods in general, but he had a particr liking for red velvet cake. Serena practiced hard to bake red velvet cakes with just the right sweetness to suit Caleb¡¯s taste, but Caleb was never truly satisfied. Now she realized. It wasn¡¯t the red velvet cake he was dissatisfied with¡ªit was her. On the way home, Serena kept thinking about how she could divorce Caleb Lockwood. Yet before she could finalize the divorce, an issue arose with her work at the juvenile detention center. ¡°It¡¯s like this: Your husband contacted us and has changed your start date for the job. I¡¯m calling to confirm this with you.¡± Serena was already at the downstairs entrance when she received the call from the detention center, and this is what was said. In her sight, a ck Maybach approached, and Serena knew it was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car. Hanging up the phone from the detention center, Serena saw the car window lower, and it was Caleb Lockwood driving, not Mr. Miller. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Serena questioned. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Caleb didn¡¯t say much, obviously having no intention to exin. Serena looked into Caleb¡¯s deep eyes but couldn¡¯t gauge his thoughts. She didn¡¯t get in the car. ¡°It¡¯s the family gathering today.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice came from behind her, cold and assured. ¡°But I have no reason to be there,¡± Serena turned her head and said. ¡°Grandpa has been mentioning for a long time that he hasn¡¯t seen you, and today¡¯s dinner is at the old Lockwood mansion.¡± Caleb¡¯s grandfather, Lance Lockwood, was the one who treated Serena the best after she married into the Lockwood family. Unlike Caleb¡¯s superficial kindness, Lance Lockwood¡¯s kindness was genuine. In the end, Serena halted her departing steps and returned. She walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and was surprised by who was sitting inside. 1 ¡°Miss Jennings, we meet again,¡± ire Shaw said with a sweet smile. Today, she was wearing a pink-gray suit, sweet yet sophisticated; the ne with pink diamonds was the one Caleb had gifted her, and it was certain that the bouquet of pink roses she held was also from Caleb. Serena recalled that in college when Caleb was pursuing her, he always sent her pink roses, and every date after they started dating came with pink roses. Back then, her roommates said she must look like a pretty rose in Caleb¡¯s eyes, which is why he always gave them. Looking back, people indeed aren¡¯t always clear-headed when in love, and the same goes for those around them. Serena tactfully sat in the car¡¯s back seat. ¡°Miss Jennings¡­ or perhaps I should just call you Serena! We¡¯re getting more acquainted, and always calling you Miss Jennings feels a bit strange.¡± Serena remained silent, but ire didn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°Oh right, don¡¯t misunderstand, my family and the Lockwood family have always been close, which is why Caleb specifically brought me along to the family gathering.¡± ire sneaked a peek through the rearview mirror at Serena sitting in the back seat, noticing how much paler Serena¡¯s face appeared even with light makeup. ¡°Caleb and I were high school ssmates. Back when we were dating, I would often visit the Lockwood house, and they were so kind, treating me like family.¡± ¡°Caleb, do you remember that time I clumsily broke Grandpa¡¯s favorite antique vase, and you took the me to prevent him from scolding me¡­¡± ¡°That was years ago¡­ and it was my fault that time. Grandpa¡¯s study was never a ce I should have taken you.¡± Caleb continued to drive, engaging in idle chit-chat with ire. Serena remembered that the first time she rode in Caleb¡¯s car, she tried to create conversations like ire was doing. Yet, no matter what she said, Caleb didn¡¯t respond to a single word. Later, she asked Mr. Miller about it, and Mr. Miller said, ¡°President Lockwood doesn¡¯t like to be distracted when driving; it¡¯s just his habit.¡± After hearing that, she stopped initiating conversations when riding in Caleb¡¯s car. The more Caleb chatted with ire, the more responses he gave, even initiating topics himself. So, habits can indeed be broken. It¡¯s just the difference between loving and not loving. Serena regretted getting into Caleb¡¯s car to some extent. To return to the Lockwood family for Grandpa, she could have simply taken a taxi herself. Before long, they arrived at the old Lockwood mansion, which was an estate. The Lockwood family wasrge and had many rtives. Serena followed Caleb and ire into the old mansion, seeing all the family members had gathered. ¡°ire? Oh my, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen you, and you¡¯re getting more beautiful!¡± ¡°I heard you just returned to the country recently and even got a PhD in Psychology; truly impressive.¡± ¡°Caleb mentioned that you¡¯re now working at FY? You¡¯re surely going to be the next globally renowned jewelry designer.¡± The rtives all surrounded ire, as if ire were the Lockwood daughter-inw. Only Lucy Warren noticed Serena. ¡°Hurry up and don¡¯t dawdle, the kitchen is overwhelmed, go and help out.¡± she said, throwing her apron over to Serena. Mding 9

Cap¨ªtulo 9: Chapter 9: Let ire Marry into the Lockwood Family

Serena caught the apron. The action was so familiar to her, it waspletely instinctual. However, holding the dirty apron, she didn¡¯t immediately tie it around herself as she used to. In the past, at every family gathering, Serena was always the busiest one. There were over thirty dishes in total, each one from washing, picking, cooking to ting was all her work. Grandpa felt for her and told her not to work so hard, after all, there were professional chefs and nannies at the old mansion. But Serena knew grandpa preferred meals she cooked with her own hands, so she always rushed to work. The other rtives, for the sake of grandpa, would alsopliment her lightly a few times. Afterwards, washing all the family dishes and tidying up was also Serena¡¯s job. Because her mother-inw said a woman should know how to manage household chores to be considered virtuous. Though Serena was tired, after a day of hard work, Caleb would thank her. Upon hearing the thanks, she didn¡¯t feel tired at all¡ª which was indeed foolish. ¡°What are you standing there for? Hurry up!¡± Urged by Lucy, Serena remained still and tossed the apron to the side. ¡°There are chefs and nannies in the kitchen, I¡¯d only be in the way if I went.¡± Lucy was taken aback. ¡°What are you saying? How can a daughter-inw of the Lockwood family not work?¡± ¡°Aunt, aren¡¯t you also a daughter-inw of the Lockwood family? Why don¡¯t you work?¡± This retort from Serena nearly caused Lucy to bite her tongue. ¡°How dare you speak like that, don¡¯t you know your manners? You¡¯re the younger generation, how can youpare to me?¡± ¡°Then as an elder, you should be more lenient, setting an example for juniors by taking the initiative to work, right?¡± Serena¡¯s words left Lucy stunned. Lucy had never seen Serena being so sharp-tongued before. ¡°Have you lost your mind today? Lilian,e,e here and look at your good daughter-inw!¡± Lucy called over Lilian Young. Lilian Young was Serena¡¯s mother-inw. Their argument drew the attention of others around. Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw the deep disappointment in Caleb¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s themotion?¡± The authoritative voice came from the second floor. Serena looked up, unsurprisingly seeing Caleb¡¯s grandpa, Lance Lockwood. If there was anything holding her back from divorcing Caleb, it was grandpa. Serena felt a little guilty, always feeling indebted to grandpa. ¡°Oh, Serena¡¯s here! Come,e, keep grandpapany and chat for a bit.¡± Lance Lockwood beckoned to Serena. In the entire Lockwood family, only Serena could make Lance¡¯s stern face break into a kind smile. After chatting with Serena, Lance turned to Lucy and said, ¡°If there¡¯s not enough help in the kitchen, just hire more staff.¡± Lucy dared not talk back, and Lilian lost her arrogance too. Now, no one in the Lockwood family dared to order Serena around. ire approached Caleb Lockwood and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Serena to have such authority in the Lockwood family, even the elders heed her.¡± Seeing Caleb¡¯s already tense brow furrow further, delight filled ire¡¯s heart, reaching her eyes. Serena chatted with Lance for a while until it was time to eat. The whole family gathered around the extra-long table, Caleb sat with Serena on his left, and ire on his right. At a table with dozens of people, Serena was invisible, like air, while everyone was inquiring about ire. From her psychology Ph.D. to her work at FY, ire patiently answered each question. Serena¡¯s knowledge of ire mostly came from Caleb¡¯sparisons. ire was a top graduate returning from abroad, a rising star in jewelry design, a piano master, and more, while she was just a housewife who didn¡¯t finish high school. So Serena thought ire must be quite remarkable. ¡°My thesis at that time was on Jung¡¯s collective unconscious. Jung proposed the iceberg theory in his 1923 article ¡®On The Rtion Of Analytical Psychology to Poetry¡¯. He divided the iceberg into three parts: consciousness, pre-consciousness, and unconsciousness¡­¡± ire continued to speak eloquently. ¡°Wow, psychology is so profound, you¡¯re really amazing, ire.¡± ¡°This is nothing; ire is knowledgeable and well-read, unlike a certain someone who is just a parasite relying on others.¡± Serena knew Lucy was talking about her. ¡°Aunt, actually¡­ someone unwilling to be self-reliant also has an exnation in psychology!¡± ire feigned mystery and went on with another analysis, making Lucy nod in admiration. ¡°Oh, Lilian, wouldn¡¯t it have been great if ire had married into the Lockwood family back then, at least she¡¯s presentable! Look at now¡­¡± Lucy said this while casting a contemptuous nce at Serena. Lilian, also embarrassed, cleared her throat and said, ¡°A woman¡¯s virtue lies in herck of talent¡­¡± ¡°Exactly, Serena does well in that aspect.¡± Caleb chimed in nonchntly, leaving it unclear whether it was praise or mockery towards Serena. Serena originally didn¡¯t care how Lucy or Lilian viewed her. But Caleb¡¯s words aroused her rebellious spirit. ¡°Jung proposed the collective unconscious theory in 1922, not 1923. The iceberg analogy was first proposed by Fechner, then borrowed by Freud. Jung was Freud¡¯s student, and he further divided Freud¡¯s unconscious into collective unconscious and personal unconscious¡­¡± As Serena spoke, ire¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°How could you get such basic information wrong? Did someone take your psychology exam for you?¡± ¡°Serena, stop talking nonsense!¡± Lucy saw that ire¡¯s eyes were turning red. ¡°Why don¡¯t you check it on your phone to see if I¡¯m talking nonsense?¡± Lucy promptly picked up her phone to do some searches, intending to prove Serena was making things up, but ended up falling silent. ire quickly covered herself by saying that she had been so busy with designtely that she had forgotten all about psychology. ¡°Forgotten yet unting it¡­¡± ¡°Serena, just say a little less. ire is our guest today.¡± Lilian clearly disapproved of Serena today, as if she had taken some stimnt,pletely different from her previously virtuous and obedient self. ¡°When Lucy mocked Serena earlier, why didn¡¯t you tell her to shut up?¡± Among the people at the table, only Lance stood up for Serena. 1 Lance was clearly delighted because he had discovered yet another new merit in Serena today. ¡°She¡¯s indeed the granddaughter-inw of my choice, good at cooking and well-versed in knowledge. Caleb, if you dare treat Serena poorly, like being swayed by some superficial vixen, I, as grandpa, will be the first to object.¡± As Lance said this, he looked not at Caleb, but at ire. ire hung her head, pretending to know nothing. ¡°Rest assured, grandpa.¡± Caleb nced at Serena through his peripheral vision, his charming and indiscernible smile on his lips, ¡°I treat her very well.¡± Serena looked up at Caleb and saw the mocking smile in his eyes. Perhaps to Caleb, he indeed thought he had given her enough! After the meal, Caleb left with Serena and ire. ire was visibly upset, even shedding tears as they approached the car. ¡°ire, grandpa wasn¡¯t targeting you,¡± Caleb consoled. ¡°Yes, I know¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I just wanted to leave a good impression on your rtives, as I hadn¡¯t seen them in years, but unexpectedly¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Caleb, I¡¯ve embarrassed you¡­¡± The more ire spoke, the more she cried, tears streaming like rain on a pear blossom. Serena saw Caleb intimately hold ire¡¯s shoulder, letting her into the car. She originally intended to tell Caleb not to drive her back; she¡¯d go herself, but Caleb beat her to it. Mding 10 10 Chapter 10: Jealousy 10 Chapter 10: Jealousy ¡°You take a taxi home yourself!¡± 1 Caleb Lockwood stared into her eyes with a calmness bordering on indifference. Completely different from the way he looked at ire Shaw. Even though it was expected, Serena Jennings¡® chest still ached. She abruptly turned, her arm suddenly grabbed from behind by Caleb Lockwood. Caleb¡¯s grip was quite firm, more than Serena imagined, causing her arm to sting a bit. Perhaps sensing Serena¡¯s resistance, Caleb eased his grip slightly. ¡°I just want to remind you, don¡¯t be so harsh to ire out of jealousy. She can¡¯t take your position as Mrs. Lockwood.¡± After saying that, Caleb sat in the driver¡¯s seat, leaving Serena to stare into the air, opening her mouth but losing the purpose to exin. Before the car started, the driver¡¯s window rolled down, and Serena saw Caleb slightly lean out. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t return to The Jade Pavilion. I won¡¯t being back tonight.¡± Caleb¡¯s deliberate reminder made Serena chuckle in anger. The Jade Pavilion is themunity where she and Caleb have their marital home. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to go there anyway.¡± Serena intended to take the opportunity to bring up divorce with Caleb again. She hadn¡¯t mentioned it before because ire was in the car, and she didn¡¯t want her to be too smug. But now seemed like a good chance, and she didn¡¯t want to miss it. However, Caleb seemed to have already seen through her intentions and blocked her from speaking before she could open her mouth. ¡°I won¡¯t divorce. You can drop that idea.¡± 14 13:24 10 Chapter 10: Jealousy The luxury car sped away, leaving the estate in silence. Serena tried to walk along the main road, but getting a taxi wasn¡¯t easy, even calling a ride¨Cshare app resulted in no drivers epting the request. Just then, a ck Passat stopped in front of her. ¡°Miss Jennings¡­¡± The driver was Caleb¡¯s assistant, Mr. Miller, to Serena¡¯s surprise. ¡°I had some business nearby, didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Where are you headed? I can give you a lift!¡± Mr. Miller¡¯s words left Serena a bit puzzled, as there was nothing around here besides The Lockwood Estate. ¡°Thank you for the trouble.¡± Serena didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with Mr. Miller; catching a lift was certainly better than walking alone down the road unable to find a taxi. Along the way, Serena spoke no more than necessary, nor did Mr. Miller ask anything, only driving Serena home as directed. Serena thanked him before getting out of the car. Mr. Miller didn¡¯t leave immediately but watched Serena¡¯s figure enter the building, waited until the light on the second floor came on, then took out his phone. ¡°President Lockwood, Miss Jennings has safely returned home.¡± The voice on the line didn¡¯t reveal Caleb¡¯s emotions, his response was only ¡°Good.¡± The next day, Serena got up early, bringing her documents to process her entry at the juvenile center. This time, without Caleb¡¯s interference, Serena breathed a sigh of relief. Her role was a youth counselor, a volunteer position, unpaid. Of course, Serena didn¡¯t need the money. The onboarding process was smoother than she expected, the headmaster personally showing her around the juvenile center, introducing basic information. 13:24 < 10 Chapter 10: Jealousy Serena didn¡¯t tell him she was quite familiar with the ce, having stayed here during her childhood. 1 Compared to ten years ago, theyout hadn¡¯t changed much, but clearly remodeled, bringing a refreshing feeling. Serena found this quite nice, maintaining the original state would instead evoke mixed emotions. Here was where her love for Caleb began. But trapped in this initial crush was only her, Caleb had long forgotten. ¡°If there¡¯s anything unclear, feel free to ask me, Ms. Jennings?¡± Serena snapped back to reality, nodding at the headmaster. Her decision to volunteer at the juvenile center wasn¡¯t to relive the sweetness of youthful love with Caleb or wallow in what has changed or stayed the same. She wanted to do something meaningful. Taking a deep breath, Serena was about to head into her office when she noticed something down the hallway. A group of students who appeared unruly were surrounding a pretty instructor. Since the students¡® uniforms differed from the instructor¡¯s, Serena could tell at a nce. Though the instructor¡¯s role was to discipline these troubled youths, his boyish looks made him seem too immature, surrounded by a crowd full of streetwise delinquency, only appearing as if he¡¯d be bullied. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Serena approached., The troubled students saw a professionally dressed beauty appear, one whistled, another warned Serena to mind her own business. ¡°You¡¯re all minors. Engaging in fights won¡¯tnd you in detention, but if any conflict arises with an instructor, I can contact your parents to extend your stay here for a few more years, ideally frittering away your prime youth in this ce.¡± Serena spoke lightly, but none of the troubled students appeared at ease. 13 24 315 10 Chapter 10: Jealousy The leader of the group scoffed, reluctantly leading them away. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Serena walked up to the pretty instructor. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks for earlier!¡± The instructor rubbed his neck, smiling bashfully, looking even more like a high schooler. He actively extended his hand to Serena. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Justin Nash. You¡¯re the new psychological counselor, right?¡± Serena shook hands with him, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Serena Jennings.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m new here too. I¡¯m a volunteer like you, part of my university¡¯s summer program.¡± Serena instinctively examined Justin Nash, who, despite wearing a uniform, indeed exuded a student vibe from head to toe. Justin Nash also stared at Serena, his eyes sparkling. ¡°Ms. Jennings, you¡¯re really pretty. You must have been the belle of your school, right?¡± Serena was amused, not thinking she appeared as youthful as a college student. ¡°So, you¡¯re only here until the end of this summer break?¡± ¡°Yeah, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not part¨Ctime. I¡¯m nning to stay long¨Cterm.¡± ¡°But this is volunteer work, no pay!¡± Seeing Justin Nash¡¯s curiosity, Serena only shrugged with a smile, not revealing much personal detail. After some casual chat, they parted for their respective duties. During lunch, Justin Nash proactively sought her out, saying he wanted to thank her for her help by treating her to a meal, and Serena couldn¡¯t refuse, following him to a mall restaurant. This was a self¨Cservice sushi restaurant. As Serena and Justin sat, they noticed ire Shaw, Lily Sutton, and Owen Warren at the adjacent table. Serena hesitated slightly but chose not to switch seats, unwilling to let ire think she feared her. 3-24 < 10 Chapter 10: Jealousy ire maintained her smile, secretly throwing a meaningful nce at her two friends. ¡°Oh dear, isn¡¯t this Miss Jennings! As a married woman, spending the hard¨Cearned money of your husband to treat a young stud to lunch, my, your cheek is thicker than the city wall.¡± Lily immediately raised her voice, attracting quite a few patrons to turn and gawk in their direction. Justin Nash asked Serena in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re actually married?¡± Comment 2 Post your firstment! Vote Mding 11 11 Chapter 11: She Bullies ire 11 Chapter 11: She Bullies ire ¡°Hmm.¡± Serena Jennings nodded to Justin Nash. Although she was in the middle of a divorce spat with Caleb Lockwood, the divorce wasn¡¯t final yet, so she was still a married woman. 1 The thought of divorce made Serena¡¯s mood a bit heavy. She sighed and then turned to Lily Sutton, saying, ¡°I¡¯m just having a meal with a colleague. There¡¯s now that says a married woman can¡¯t have a meal with a man, right? Are you still living in ancient times?¡± ¡°Colleague? Where does a housewife get colleagues?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you say ¡®ssmates¡®? You can¡¯t even make up a good lie.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have many ssmates either, right? Didn¡¯t she dropout before finishing college?¡± Seeing the two women at the neighboring table intentionally picking a fight, Justin Nash immediately defended Serena Jennings, ¡°Don¡¯t look down on people. Miss Jennings is actually a psychological counselor at the youth detention center now.¡± ¡°Psychological counselor at the youth detention center?¡± Lily Sutton rolled her eyes, ¡°How much can that even make?¡± ¡°Lily, look what I¡¯ve found.¡± At this moment, Owen Warren handed his phone to Lily Sutton. He showed Lily Sutton an online job posting for the youth detention center. ¡°Volunteer? Isn¡¯t that just a volunteer job? You don¡¯t earn a penny from that, what¡¯s there to brag about?¡± ¡°Exactly, and she calls herself a teacher? Who is she kidding?¡± Lily Sutton and Owen Warren continued their banter, making Justin Nash furious enough to want to hit someone, but he couldn¡¯t really hit women. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t really care about ire Shaw¡¯s friends provoking her; she simply thought that Justin Nash, who wanted to stand up for her and had clenched his fists tightly, was rather adorable. ¡°You guys stop talking, Serena¡¯s life is not easy.¡± > 11 Chapter 11: She Bullies ire At this moment, ire Shaw¡¯s sweet voice rang out, her face with exquisite makeup full of sympathy for Serena Jennings. ¡°After all, the youth detention center is not a good ce. It¡¯s filled with troubled students, almost like a prison. Someone like me, a psychology PhD from a prestigious university, would never apply to such a ce. So they can only hire volunteers from society¡¯s idle individuals, which saves costs and provides opportunities for those with no degree and ability who want to umte work experience.¡± ire Shaw¡¯s words may seem reasonable upon first hearing, but in reality, they belittled both Serena Jennings and the work at the youth detention center, which made Justin Nash even angrier. Serena Jennings silently opened her handbag and calmly took out several certificates. ¡°You can nder me, but the youth detention center isn¡¯t as unprofessional as you im. Psychological counselors there require having three certificates. Without even one, you can¡¯t even take the written test, let alone join.¡± Serena presented certificates including a practicing physician certificate, a social work certificate, and the basic training certificate for psychological counseling from the Institute of Psychology, Academy of Sciences. Lily Sutton and Owen Warren exchanged nces. ire Shaw¡¯s face briefly showed unease because she hadn¡¯t obtained any of those certificates.1 ¡°In this day and age, there aren¡¯t many people who make fake certificates online, are there? Who knows if these certificates are real?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, just bluffing, unlike ire¡¯s doctoral degree which has genuine merit.¡± Serena Jennings had not expected ire Shaw¡¯s friends to acknowledge her. She smiled calmly and was about to put the certificates away when the owner of this Japanese restaurant approached. The owner, a Japanese who married and moved to City A, could speak some English, though not very fluently. Upon seeing Serena Jennings¡® certificates, she excitedly mixed Japanese and English to ask Serena. Serena understood Japanese and directly conversed with her in it. It turned out the owner¡¯s child was preparing for a psychological counselor exam, had failedst time, and wanted to ask Serena for better study materials. 23:24 < 11 Chapter 11: She Bullies ire Serena rmended some books and emphasized some key points, earning praise from the owner for being excellent, attractive, and kind, which made Serena quite embarrassed. Lily Sutton and Owen Warren basically couldn¡¯t understand a single word, but both ire Shaw and Justin Nash understood Japanese, though they didn¡¯t speak it. ire Shaw¡¯s face looked unpleasant. Justin Nash, however, already viewed Serena Jennings as his idol, amazed that merely doing some social practice during the summer could lead him to meet an outstanding woman like her. The owner was delighted in the end, switching to English to offer Serena her meal for free, but Serena graciously declined. ¡°Serena, you don¡¯t need to pretend. Considering your tight finances right now, it¡¯s better to ept the owner¡¯s kind offer for a free meal. It¡¯s not shameful.¡± ire Shaw acted as if she had Serena Jennings¡® best interest at heart, which disgusted Serena Jennings. ¡°Miss Shaw and I are not familiar, so how do you know I¡¯m short on money?¡± Serena said, as she used her phone to pay. ¡°Oh, look at her being so generous, someone might think she¡¯s earning millions annually, but isn¡¯t she just spending her husband¡¯s money?¡± Mocked by Lily Sutton, Serena opened her mouth but didn¡¯t retort immediately. She wasn¡¯t using Caleb¡¯s money but rather the dividends Peter had given her over the years. Though she would spend a million dors annually on medical expenses, the FY piano series was sold worldwide, leaving her with a significant remaining bnce, an astronomical amount to ordinary people. Serena swallowed the exnation she was about to say, smiled instead, and said, ¡°Finding a wealthy and capable husband willing to support me reflects my own capability. You can ask Miss Shaw, wouldn¡¯t she want such a husband?¡± ¡°Serena!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push it too far!¡± 13:24 < 11 Chapter 11: She Bullies ire Owen Warren and Lily Sutton panicked, clearly understanding the meaning behind Serena¡¯s words. ire Shaw was twisting her handbag strap into knots. She¡¯d never felt so humiliated, her eyes ring with unmasked hatred towards Serena Jennings. Originally, she was just dining with friends today, but since Serena made her ufortable, she wouldn¡¯t let Serena have it easy either. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± ire Shaw fled in distress, while Justin Nash felt even more satisfied than Serena Jennings, giving her a thumbs up. As dish after dish arrived, Serena and Justin feasted heartily, noticing ire Shaw took a long time in the restroom, returning with eyes reddened, as if she¡¯d cried. Serena hadn¡¯t realized she had the ability to anger Caleb Lockwood¡¯s first love to tears, feeling rather pleased, until fragments of movements sounded from the restaurant¡¯s entrance. ¡°Who is this guy, he¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°Is he a celebrity!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know him? The CEO of The Lockwood Group, Caleb Lockwood.¡± Serena sprang up her head to see ire Shaw standing and waving. ¡°Caleb, I¡¯m over here.¡± Caleb Lockwood followed the voice, seeing ire Shaw just as he saw Serena Jennings, Next, his gaze fell on Justin Nash, sitting across from Serena. Caleb Lockwood and Justin Nash exchanged brief nces, both raising their eyebrows. Caleb Lockwood sat down at ire Shaw¡¯s table, naturally sitting beside her. ¡°I saw your post on social media, your eyes are red. Did something happen?¡± Caleb Lockwood asked softly. Serena Jennings, sitting at the neighboring table, heard Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words clearly, realizing what ire Shaw had done during her time in the restroom. 13.24 11 Chapter 11: She Bullies ire It wasn¡¯t her skill that led ire Shaw to tears; ire Shaw intended to cry for Caleb Lockwood¡¯s attention. ¡°It was Serena.¡± Owen Warren immediately pointed at Serena Jennings, indignantly, ¡°She bullied ire!¡± Comment Post your firstment! Vote 21 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 12 Terrible 12 Chapter 12: Miss Shaw¡¯s Boyfriend 12 Chapter 12: Miss Shaw¡¯s Boyfriend Serena Jennings instantly received the gaze shot over by Caleb Lockwood, a gaze filled with displeasure, judgment, and disdain. 1 Before she could speak, Justin Nash blurted out, ¡°What a case of the guilty party using first! Clearly, it was you all targeting Teacher Jennings from the get¨Cgo.¡± ¡°Teacher Jennings?¡± Caleb Lockwood found the term intriguing, seemingly more interested in this address than who bullied whom. ¡°I thought you were working as a cleaner at the juvenile center, never imagined you¡¯d be a teacher.¡± Mocked by Caleb Lockwood, the sashimi Serena Jennings was chewing with mustard suddenly lost its taste. Since Caleb Lockwood had previously helped her alter the employment start date at the juvenile center, it¡¯s unlikely he didn¡¯t know what job she applied for. The only possibility for saying this was that Caleb Lockwood believed the nonsense talked by ire Shaw¡¯s close friend, thinking she made ire Shaw cry, thus taking this approach to stand up for ire. Serena¡¯s grip on her chopsticks tightened. At ire Shaw¡¯s table, thanks to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arrival, spirits soared, especially for Lily Sutton and Owen Warren. ¡°Earlier, who knows who said it, having a husband to support her, leaving ire only envious.¡± Mocked by Lily Sutton, Serena lowered her head, saying nothing. ¡°Oh?¡± Caleb Lockwood got interested, turning to ask Serena, ¡°Did you say you have a husband supporting you?¡± Serena never expected the words she used to provoke ire Shaw would now backfire on her. Her cheeks growing hotter, Serena wished she could dig a hole and bury herself in it. ¡°It seems you¡¯re quite proud to have a husband supporting you.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s lips curled into a smile, even a mocking one possessed a deadly charm. 12 Chapter 12: Miss Shaw¡¯s Boyfriend Serena wanted to exin but words failed her, just then Owen Warren chimed in again, ¡°You¡¯re so capable, why didn¡¯t you call your husband to apany you? Look at ire, just posting a message on social media and President Lockwood came running; that¡¯s true love.¡± ¡°Alright Owen, enough.¡± ire Shaw touched her face. ¡°Feeling shy, feeling shy.¡± Owen Warren jeered. At this moment, someone from a flower shop delivered arge bouquet of flowers, beautifully packaged fresh pink roses. ¡°Wow!¡± Lily Sutton¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°It¡¯s ire¡¯s favorite, Roselle.¡± ¡°I was worried something might happen to you so I rushed out, the flowers I had Mr. Miller order for me, didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be delivered sote.¡± Hearing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s exnation, ire Shaw was moved to tears, cing therge bouquet of pink roses in the spot closest to Serena. She did it on purpose. This way, she could both block Serena¡¯s face and use it to provoke Serena. Serena was indeed provoked. Sitting beside such arge bouquet, the fragrance overwhelmed her, making her sneeze continuously. At the neighboring table, Caleb Lockwood heard Serena¡¯s sneezes and just felt she was using this way to gain attention in front of him, his smile bing all the more disdainful. ¡°Teacher Jennings, are you full?¡± Suddenly hearing Justin Nash asking this, Serena sniffed and nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go, leave this ce.¡± Without another word, Justin Nash grabbed Serena¡¯s hand, pulling her toward the restaurant¡¯s exit. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s deep and sharp gaze shifted from their backs to Serena¡¯s hand tightly held by Justin Nash, his hand clenching a teacup growing increasingly tense. 216 < 12 Chapter 12: Miss Shaw¡¯s Boyfriend ¡°Caleb?¡± ire Shaw, sitting beside Caleb Lockwood, naturally noticed his whitening knuckles. She discreetly lit up her phone, sending a WeChat message to someone. Outside the restaurant, after being pulled a long way by Justin Nash, Serena finally freed her hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Serena felt Justin Nash was behaving unusually. ¡°You¡¯re asking me what¡¯s wrong.¡± Justin Nash ced his hands on his waist, looking helpless, ¡°You¡¯re allergic to pollen, right?¡± Serena paused, shocked to ask, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Ever since those pink roses appeared, you¡¯ve been sneezing non¨Cstop; even a blind person could see that!¡± Serena burst into an awkwardugh. She was touched by Justin Nash¡¯s attentiveness and thoughtfulness, yet sighed at her past infatuation. Justin Nash said even a blind person could see she was allergic to pollen, yet in over three years from dating to marriage, Caleb Lockwood not only didn¡¯t know, he unfailingly gifted her pink roses every time they met. Because ire Shaw liked them. He was used to giving them to ire Shaw. On a hot day, Serena couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t blind, he just didn¡¯t love. And she was the blind one. Seeing Serena¡¯s face looking awful, like she was about to cry, Justin Nash was at a loss. ¡°You, are you really not feeling well because of the allergy?¡± Serena came back to her senses, shaking her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m not ufortable anymore¡­¡± Even if there was difort, it wasn¡¯t in her nose. Justin Nash and Serena walked along a tree¨Clined path, because of Serena¡¯s pollen allergy, he deliberately 13:24 12 Chapter 12: Miss Shaw¡¯s Boyfriend chose a path lined only with trees and no flowers. Serena was very grateful for Justin Nash¡¯s thoughtfulness. ¡°Although I shouldn¡¯t pry into your privacy¡­but I really am quite curious, what is the rtionship between you and the man in the restaurant?¡± Justin Nash asked cautiously, afraid of upsetting Serena. ¡°Is he that Miss Shaw¡¯s boyfriend?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my husband.¡± Time seemed to stand still for three seconds, Serena heard a deafening ¡°huh?¡± Noticing Justin Nash was genuinely shocked, Serena gave a bitter smile. ¡°Even you think Caleb Lockwood looks more like ire Shaw¡¯s boyfriend, right?¡± This was something even a blind person could see. Justin Nash said nothing, afraid of the wrong thing. sayin Serena¡¯s mouth opened and closed, as if she had a thousand words, yet couldn¡¯t articte them, couldn¡¯t express them. Eventually, she just told Justin Nash she had proposed a divorce to Caleb Lockwood, but the divorce agreement was torn to pieces by Caleb when it reached his hands. ¡°What¡¯s he thinking then? Not divorcing you yet cheating with Miss Shaw every day? Such a person is simply a pervert, a scumbag.¡± Justin Nash felt indignant for Serena. Serena herself didn¡¯t understand what Caleb Lockwood was really thinking. She once thought she understood Caleb Lockwood well, but after experiencing that form, after ire Shaw¡¯s return to the country, after her pregnancy and miscarriage, she realized she might have never truly known Caleb Lockwood. ¡°I don¡¯t know, all I want now is a divorce, as long as it can be done¡­¡± Seeing Serena was genuinely troubled, Justin Nash pulled out his phone, contacting someone he hadn¡¯t 38:24 < 12 Chapter 12: Miss Shaw¡¯s Boyfriend proactively reached out to in years. ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll ask for you.¡± Serena tilted her head in confusion watching Justin Nash, only to see him fiddling with his phone, after a while he suddenly snapped his fingers. ¡°Alright, expect news from me tomorrow. I know someone in the court, I¡¯ve set up a meeting for tomorrow to discuss, your situation shouldn¡¯t be difficult to handle.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, but¡­¡± Serena appreciated Justin Nash¡¯s kindness but also had her concerns. Comment 1 Post your firstment! Vote Mding 13 13 Chapter 13: Strip Her Bare After all, the power of The Lockwood Group is immense. Even if Justin Nash has friends in the court, they might not dare to help her. If they really helped her, they might offend Caleb Lockwood, which would mean she implicated them. 1 Serena Jennings thought these things in her heart but didn¡¯t say them out loud. However, just by looking at Serena¡¯s expression, Justin Nash could guess a bit. He didn¡¯t give Serena any promises, only said he would consult someone after meeting tomorrow, telling her not to feel burdened. The next day, Justin Nash didn¡¯t even go to work at the juvenile facility. Serena asked the director, who said Justin Nash took leave to go to the court for a matter concerning his life¡¯s happiness, which left Serena amused and frustrated. In the office, Serena organized the forms until lunch break, as the thunderstorm outside intensified. She wasn¡¯t afraid of thunder, but her office was rather isted, at the end of the second¨Cfloor corridor, and since it was lunch break, almost all the teachers had left. After all, the juvenile facility was essentially half a prison, quite oppressive, so even a short break was made use of by the teachers to get outside. Only two instructors stayed behind, but based on Serena¡¯s experience, they were likely taking a nap, which made the whole building eerily empty, so an unexpected thunderp was quite startling. Serena, as a counselor, needed to be on call at all times, so she didn¡¯t leave and ordered takeout for lunch. Checking the app, her delivery should have arrived. Serena was about to contact the delivery person when the office door suddenly knocked. ¡°Delivery.¡± Serena immediately opened the door, but the person standing outside wasn¡¯t the delivery man. At the same time, ire Shaw had taken leave today and was heading to The Lockwood Group. The thunderstorm made the already unsmooth traffic even more congested. ire Shaw drove while asionally checking her WeChat, but the chat wasn¡¯t with Caleb Lockwood. joker: Everything is arranged, you can head over anytime. 13 Chapter 13: Strip Her Bare ire Shaw replied with ¡°Okay,¡± put down her phone, stepped on the gas, and sped through the storm in her pink sports car. Juvenile facility. Serena Jennings was being cornered by a group of troubled students in her office. The leader was Sean Sanders, who had previously bullied Justin Nash. Sean Sanders was tall and sturdy, looking menacing even at age 16. As the counselor here, Serena had some understanding of these troubled students. Those in the juvenile facility were all minors who hadmitted offenses. Sean Sanders was among the worst of them; he had raped two ssmates at age 14, one of whom didn¡¯t even dare report it. Even after entering the facility, he frequently fought and formed gangs. Because of some influence at home, many in the facility turned a blind eye to his atrocities. Sean Sanders threw Serena¡¯s ordered takeout straight into the trash, then smirked malevolently at her. ¡°Hello, Miss Jennings!¡± Thest one to enter locked the office door with a click. It was clear these people had ill intentions. Serena was forced to the windows, silently gripping the thermos on her desk. ¡°What do you want?¡± Serena red at them, but as a girl, she had no authority over a group of strong boys. ¡°Nothing much; just wanted to ask if Miss Jennings has a boyfriend? How about considering me?¡± Sean Sanders pointed at his nose. Serena tried to maintain herposure and said decisively, ¡°I¡¯m already married.¡± ¡°Being a married woman is even better! Weck experience, maybe Miss Jennings can teach us¡­¡± 22-28 13 Chapter 13: Strip Her Bare Before Sean Sanders could finish talking, Serena swung the thermos hitting Sean¡¯s temple. Sean screamed in pain, and his followers immediately surged forward to try to subdue Serena. Serena had learned Sanda and self¨Cdefense techniques for a while as a child, so she could fend them off to some extent. Initially, Sean¡¯s followers couldn¡¯t gain much advantage over her. However, as a woman, she was inherently at a disadvantage in terms of strength and size, coupled with being outnumbered, it didn¡¯t take long for Serena to be bruised, her clothes torn, looking utterly humiliated. ¡°Damn it, get her, beat her up!¡± Sean Sanders cursed, pulling Serena¡¯s hair and pressing her head against the window frame. ¡°Quick, strip her!¡± Even with suchmotion from the office, no one came to check; Serena realized she couldn¡¯t rely on anyone to save her and had to save herself. She kicked Sean hard in the groin, swiftly opened the window, and without thinking, jumped straight down from the second floor. Outside, amidst thunderstorm, the sky was dark like a tipped¨Cover pot. Serena didn¡¯t know how she escaped the facility, terrified, running aimlessly, her mind nk. By the time she limped onto the main road, she noticed she was drenched from head to toe, looking like a wet chick. Fear and grievance made Serena cry, but mixed with the pouring rain, no one could tell. At this moment, a ck Maybach drove past, stopped, and sshed water all over Serena. The familiar license te number wouldn¡¯t be mistaken by Serena even amidst the rainstorm. The car window lowered, and Serena saw Caleb Lockwood sitting in the back seat. In an instant, she held her breath. Caleb Lockwood still looked the same, wearing a suit, exuding elite aura, with deep eyes like the sea, instantly engulfing her disheveled appearance. 13 Chapter 13: Strip Her Bare Serena felt fate was really ying tricks on her, letting her run into Caleb Lockwood at such a moment. Caleb Lockwood sized her up, his gaze like a snake crawling over her whole body, leaving slime. Neither disdain nor dislike, no surprise norpassion, Serena couldn¡¯t understand Caleb¡¯s gaze, only realizing that she looked very embarrassing right now. She wavered between exining and staying silent, Serena ultimately missed the chance to speak. ¡°Get in!¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was gentler than expected. Serena stood in the storm, her silhouette blurred and frail, trembling. Her long hair, wet and clinging to her scalp, looked even darker, making her makeup¨Cfree face particrly pale, her lips a worrying faint hue, her professional outfit visibly damaged, skin abraded. Caleb quietly regarded Serena; it was the first time he noticed how soaking wet Serena had a unique allure. Serena had no other option, was about to open the car door, when someone from the back seat suddenly leaned forward. ¡°Serena, why are you so wet? Get in quickly!¡± ire Shaw appeared genuinely concerned. Seeing ire Shaw in Caleb¡¯s car, Serena shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Yet, looking as she did, she really didn¡¯t want to be contrasted with ire Shaw. ire Shaw still wore her pink suit, the cor of her shirt intentionally unbuttoned one more notch, Serena didn¡¯t want to wonder who unbuttoned it. ire Shaw¡¯s makeup was always meticulously sweet, but at this moment, her lipstick was smudged; Serena didn¡¯t want to wonder who smudged ire¡¯s lipstick. ¡°What are you hesitating for? You¡¯ll catch a cold if you stay in the rain any longer.¡± ire Shaw invited again, ¡°Come on, Caleb won¡¯t mind you dirtying his car, there¡¯s space between us.¡±1 Mding 14 14 Chapter 14: Don¡¯t Go Home Tonight If Serena had been moved to get into Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car because of her situation earlier, now after hearing ire Shaw¡¯s words, she only wanted these two people to disappear from her sight quickly. ¡°No need, I can walk by myself.¡± Seeing Serena refuse, Caleb nced at her bleeding knee and said softly, ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Her thin body shivered indistinctly in the downpour. ¡°Caleb, are you really going to leave Serena behind? She¡¯s drenched like a wet chicken.¡± ire asked while taking the opportunity to ce her hand on Caleb¡¯s thigh. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to get in the car herself.¡± After saying that, Caleb told Mr. Miller driving the car: ¡°Let¡¯s go; don¡¯t dy ire¡¯s business.¡± A bolt of lightning tore the sky. The ck Maybach drove away from Serena¡¯s sight, followed by a thunderp exploding nearby. Serena squatted down at the roadside, unable to tell whether the physical pain or the heartache hurt more. She took out her phone and called the police first, then called Lana Xavier. At such times, the biggest relief was having her phone; otherwise, she¡¯d truly be clueless about what to do. Serena initially thought Lana Xavier woulde to her first, but it was an ambnce that arrived instead. The red and blue emergency lights remained striking even in the stormy weather. ¡°But I didn¡¯t call an ambnce!¡± Serena muttered to herself, thinking maybe Lana Xavier had called it for her. The rain intensified; the ck Maybach¡¯s wipers sped up. In the car¡¯s backseat, ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood were both scrolling through their phones. ire Shaw: How did you handle things? She¡¯s perfectly fine; not to mention being stripped and paraded, did that group even touch her? 2 14 Chapter 14: Don¡¯t Go Home Tonight joker: She knows how to fight, has some skills, so she escaped. ire Shaw tutted inwardly, quickly deleted the conversation, and when Caleb nced in her direction, she immediately pressed the power button to turn off the screen. ¡°I wonder if I can find new design inspiration at Bisophir¡¯s art exhibition.¡± ire sweetly asked Caleb. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Caleb¡¯s voice barely fluctuated but certainly encouraged ire, ¡°But¡­ you initially said this road was on the way to visit the juvenile center, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± ire¡¯s smile appeared somewhat unnatural. ¡°The juvenile center is, after all, where our fate began, but Bisophir¡¯s meeting is about to start¡­ honestly, if it weren¡¯t for running into Serena, it wouldn¡¯t have taken so long¡± 1 ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all her fault.¡± Caleb echoed ire¡¯s sentiments, remaining cold whenever Serena was mentioned, though ire couldn¡¯t discern any me from Caleb¡¯s expression. The Third Hospital of City A. After being brought here by ambnce, Serena was forced to cooperate with the doctors for a very thorough check¨Cup. She felt her injuries weren¡¯t too severe, mostly superficial wounds, and the psychological fright and trauma far outweighed the physical. Serena didn¡¯t quite understand why the doctors were so concerned about her physical state, as they arranged a first¨Css ward for her to rest and receive an IV. Lana Xavier arrivedte due to the bad stormy road conditions, with two parking tickets. Seeing Serena¡¯s pale face, wearing hospital garments and lying on a hospital bed coughing asionally, Lana¡¯s eyes immediately reddened. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Seeing Lana almost burst into tears, Serena hurriedly exined that she wasn¡¯t badly hurt. She briefly recounted her ordeal to Lana, who instantly became agitated. ¡°It¡¯s definitely that green tea mistress! She¡¯s the one who sent those thugs to molest you!¡± 14 Chapter 14: Don¡¯t Go Home Tonight Serena shushed Lana, offering a bitter smile: ¡°How do you know that? You have no proof.¡± ¡°I just know.¡± Lana vowed with conviction, ¡°Let me tell you, novels are written like this; it¡¯s reality mirroring fiction.¡± Serena wouldn¡¯t dismiss Lana¡¯s spection, though Sean Sanders and his crew had a history of harassing female instructors. Since she¡¯d previously provoked them due to Justin Nash, it was hard to say if this incident was rted to ire Shaw. Serena was just surprised to run into Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw at her most embarrassing moment; was it really such a coincidence? ¡°Caleb Lockwood is such a scumbag!¡± Lana said through clenched teeth, ¡°Even with you hurt like this, he drove off?! Taking that damn green tea with him¡­ He won¡¯t divorce, but will cheat; do you think he¡¯s mentally split?¡± 1 Lana¡¯s analysis of Caleb Lockwood elicited a bitter smile from Serena. Comparing the young Caleb Lockwood at the juvenile center to the current Caleb, she indeed had to agree with Lana. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset if I¡¯m badmouthing him!¡± Clearly considerate of Serena¡¯s feelings, Lana sighed. ¡°I¡¯m divorcing him; I won¡¯t side with him anymore.¡± ¡°You?¡± Lana nced at Serena, shaking her head, ¡°That¡¯s not certain.¡± Serena knew her love¨Cstruck personality was always what frustrated Lana the most. ¡°Miss Jennings!¡± Suddenly, the ward door was pushed open, and Justin Nash entered. Seeing Serena on the hospital bed with Lana beside her, Justin realized how rude he¡¯d been. ¡°Sorry, sorry, sorry, I should¡¯ve knocked first.¡± Serena wasn¡¯t about to me Justin, she introduced Lana and Justin to each other, and Lana immediately started matchmaking, trying to pair Serena and Justin. 13 250 14 Chapter 14: Don¡¯t Go Home Tonight ¡°I think this guy¡¯s good.¡± Lana pointed her thumb at Justin, ¡°Just the way he¡¯s worried about you, ran out of breath, is a thousand times better than your scumbag husband.¡± Praised, Justin smiled shyly and proudly, rubbing the back of his head. Serena felt a bit embarrassed, fearing Justin might take it seriously. ¡°Oh right, Miss Jennings, a friend from the courthouse mentioned you can get a divorce.¡± Serena¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened but then dimmed. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Rest assured, my friend is a judge; he says no matter the opposing power, as long as the infidelity evidence is irrefutable, you can divorce.¡± Justin¡¯s words injected Serena with confidence, though pondering the proof of infidelity, her chest throbbed painfully, more than her body wounds. That day, Serena¡¯s check¨Cup results came out, revealing no concern for the vital organs, but her leg injury needed care, having caught a cold. Doctors advised continued hospital observation. Caleb Lockwood apanied ire Shaw to the art exhibition and meeting, then took her shopping. ire liked pink, and looked good in it. Thus, ire tried many pink outfits and dresses. Caleb wasn¡¯t in a hurry, patiently waiting for ire to change, praising each outfit she tried on. asionally, he¡¯d lower his head to check his phone, until receiving a WeChat from Mr. Miller: President Lockwood, as per your instructions, the doctors checked Miss Jennings, mostly superficial wounds, but the leg injury is somewhat severe; coupled with a cold, she needs at least a week of hospitalization. The first¨Css ward will remain reserved for Miss Jennings. ¡°Caleb, how about this dress?¡± ire changed into a new dress to show Caleb, who put away his phone, charming smile lifting his lips. ¡°Nice, suits you well.¡± 14 Chapter 14: Don¡¯t Go Home Tonight In the end, Caleb paid for all the clothes ire tried on, and when he brought ire homete at night, the rain was still pouring. Caleb always escorted ire upstairs to her door. This time was no different. ¡°Rest early, good night.¡± As Caleb was about to turn around, ire suddenly grasped his hand. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± She pulled Caleb from outside the door into her apartment. ¡°It¡¯s raining hard outside, you know I¡¯m afraid of thunder¡­¡± ire¡¯s voice sounded sweet and soft, like cotton candy, with her delicately made¨Cup face reflected in Caleb¡¯s eyes in pink hues. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay over tonight, keep mepany, alright?¡± Comment 6 Post your firstment! Vote 21 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 15 15 Chapter 15: Serving Him 15 Chapter 15: Serving Him Serena Jennings didn¡¯t expect to stay in the hospital for five days. During that time, the police came to make a record and investigate. Because the juvenile detention center housed minors and Serena wasn¡¯t substantially harmed, Sean Sanders and the others merely had their detention extended. 1 In these five days, Caleb Lockwood never showed up. This was within Serena¡¯s expectations. When she had a miscarriage before, Caleb also didn¡¯t visit her. Not only did he note, but he also went sea fishing with ire Shaw on vacation. Serena blew on the warm water in her cup, took a sip, and felt an unbearable bitterness in her mouth. Mr. Miller, as usual, brought her Caleb¡¯s constion gift- A bunch of pink roses. When she was hospitalized due to the miscarriage, she had also received them; back then, she couldn¡¯t bear to throw them away. ¡°Lana, do me a favor.¡± ¡°Just say it.¡± Lana Xavier walked over. ¡°Help me throw this bunch of flowers into the trash can.¡± Serena handed the flowers to Lana without reluctance. 1 any ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that!¡± Lana hugged therge bundle of fresh flowers and walked out of the ward without a second thought. Lana knew well about Serena¡¯s pollen allergy, but she also knew that Serena was crazy about Caleb Lockwood. If it was sent by Caleb, even manure would be dly epted. Without flowers in the room, fresh air started to flow again. It¡¯s just a pity the peaceful hospital life was still disrupted. 15 Chapter 15: Serving Him Caleb Lockwood came- He brought ire Shaw along. 1 As ire Shaw passed through the corridor, she saw the pink rose bouquet stuffed in the trash can with a slight turn of her head. With packaging and flowers like these, it¡¯s obvious Caleb Lockwood had someone send them. ire Shaw stopped and looked regretful, ¡°Such beautiful flowers, throwing them away like this is too wasteful!¡± Only after hearing ire¡¯s words did Caleb notice the discarded flowers. When he sent flowers to ire, whether the variety or packaging, he personally selected them. Yet the ones he sent to Serena, he entrusted to Mr. Miller. However, Mr. Miller had been with him for a long time and knew his preferences and tastes, so Caleb immediately recognized the bouquet in the trash was sent to Serena, as he had directed Mr. Miller. Caleb said nothing, though his deep ey seemed to darken further, like ink. He walked ahead of ire, and as he entered the ward, he saw Justin Nash, sitting beside Serena¡¯s bed, peeling an apple. Justin¡¯s hands were skillful, shaping the apple into a small rabbit. Upon seeing Caleb enter, he immediately used a fruit fork to feed a piece to Serena. Actually, before Caleb arrived, Serena had been eating apples on her own, not having Justin feed her. Serena opened her mouth and took a bite of the apple, its taste a blend of sweet and sour. ¡°Is your injury on your hand?¡± Caleb asked coldly. Serena shook her head, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you eating by yourself?¡± Caleb¡¯s questioning suddenly made the temperature in the room drop several degrees. Justin originally intended to retort Caleb but saw Serena waving her hand. 42-1 < 15 Chapter 15: Serving Him ¡°I now feel like being pampered just like you,¡± Serena looked at Caleb, her gaze showing no hints of weakness. Caleb remained silent for a moment, a smile tugged at his lips. Serena had to admit, Caleb¡¯s appearance was indeed striking, especially his faintly smiling lips, carrying a natural allure. ¡°Are you reminding me not to forget your years of hard work and dedication?¡± Serena didn¡¯t mean that, but she was toozy to correct Caleb¡¯s misunderstanding of her. At this point, ire chimed in, ¡°Caleb works hard, earns money, and supports the family. As a wife, shouldn¡¯t one serve him devotedly?¡± 1 Serena looked at ire, grinning and showing her teeth, ¡°That¡¯s how you understand him, yet he doesn¡¯t even give you a chance to serve him. You¡¯re truly pitiful.¡± ire¡¯s face suddenly turned beet red, and Justin standing beside couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Mr. Nash, I have something to say to my wife, could you, as an outsider, please leave.¡± Driven out by Caleb, Justin was hesitant but had to leave due to his status as an outsider. Serena noticed that although Caleb asked outsiders to leave, he hadn¡¯t driven ire out. In the room were only Serena, Caleb, and ire. ¡°I¡¯ve resigned your job from the juvenile detention center.¡°¡± Caleb spoke confidently, and Serena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°On what grounds?!¡± ¡°Based on the fact that I¡¯m your legal husband.¡± Caleb¡¯s words left Serena momentarily speechless. ¡°You¡¯ve only been working for a few days and already stirred up the police and hospitals everywhere you go. You¡¯re not suited for public appearance; being a housewife suits you better. I won¡¯t let you suffer¡­¡± ¡°Caleb Lockwood, I¡¯ve already requested a divorce from you.¡± Serena interrupted Caleb through gritted teeth. 15 Chapter 15: Serving Him ¡°But I haven¡¯t agreed.¡± Caleb¡¯s response was firm and resolute. Standing aside, ire squeezed several creases into her pink dress. This conversation ended in another stalemate; Serena felt as if she had thrown a punch with all her might but Before leaving, Caleb even told her that if she didn¡¯t like pink roses, she could tell him in advance, and he would have Mr. Miller send different flowers next time. As they exited the hospital building, ire saw Caleb pull out a cigarette and light it. Inside the ward, smoking wasn¡¯t allowed, so Caleb had held back until now. ire knew that Caleb wasn¡¯t much of a smoker, only craving it when he was troubled. Several times, ire wanted to ask Caleb why he wouldn¡¯t agree to divorce Serena. But words that reached her lips were swallowed back. She believed Caleb still liked her deeply. However, Caleb was intensely vengeful and rational. ire couldn¡¯t help but regret that if she hadn¡¯t impulsively gone abroad and posted those moments on social media to provoke Caleb, he probably wouldn¡¯t have married Serena, and now he wouldn¡¯t be refusing a divorce. The doctor initially suggested Serena stay a few more days, but she hurried to discharge and found that her hospital fees had already been paid. In front of the King Detective Agency, Serena checked the address and name, ensuring she hadn¡¯t mistaken the ce. Lana was working, and Serena was embarrassed to have her keep taking time off to apany her, while Justin, upon hearing she had quit her job at the juvenile detention center, had also resigned. So apanying her today was Justin. Online, this detective agency was praised for its strong capability in catching infidelity, albeit at a hefty price. 13:26 15 Chapter 15: Serving Him Serena opted for the most expensive package, costing ten thousand, though Justin initially wanted to cover the expenses for her. Knowing Serena had been a housewife without an ie since marriage, rather than spending Caleb¡¯s money, it was better spent on his. But Serena herself swiped her phone, and from her expression, she wasn¡¯t spending the Lockwood family¡¯s money. Justin felt somewhat curious but refrained from asking. Since Serena hadn¡¯t brought it up, it wasn¡¯t his ce to inquire. After leaving the detective agency, Serena felt slightly relieved. ¡°Come on, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll treat you to dinner.¡± Upon hearing Justin say this, Serena shook her head, ¡°You¡¯ve apanied me deliberately today, so I should certainly be the one treating you.¡± ¡°No no, that Japanese mealst time was supposed to be on me, I then realizedter, and I must make up for it.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help butugh, feeling Justin¡¯s reaction time was extraordinarily slow. As the two were searching for a restaurant on the street, Serena¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Comment 5 Post your firstment! Vote 21 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 16 16 Chapter 16: Are You Working Here as a Janitor? The call was from Peter. 1 Justin Nash watched Serena Jennings talk on the phone, her expression growing more serious. His intuition told him their lunch ns were going to be canceled. As expected, Serena hung up the phone and, with an apologetic expression, said to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have something to deal with here, we¡¯ll have to reschedule.¡± ¡°No worries, your work takes priority.¡± Justin Nash watched Serena get into a taxi, and only when it drove away did he lower his waving arm, talking to the air, ¡°How can I make you realize I¡¯m trying to pursue you?¡± Following the location Peter sent, Serena took a cab to a Western restaurant. Through the bright ss windows, she could see Peter already waiting inside. ¡°Been waiting long? There was some traffic.¡± Serena sat across from Peter. ¡°No problem at all.¡± Peter took out a thick stack of drawings from a file bag. ¡°These are design drafts from the grade them.¡± Peter made a ¡°please please¡± gesture, which amused Serena to the point of tears. ¡°I haven¡¯t touched jewelry design in years. My taste must be outdated. Are you sure you trust me that much?¡± ¡°You must realize there are people who just adore your ¡®outdated¡® taste.¡± Serena smiled and began flipping through the design sketches Peter handed her. Since these were FY intern designs, ire Shaw¡¯s would certainly be among them, but the design papers had no names, so Serena couldn¡¯t tell. It wasn¡¯t that Serena wanted to make things difficult for ire Shaw; she was just curious. Caleb Lockwood said ire was a rising star in jewelry design, and ire certainly had the ability to get into FY. Serena was eager to see ire¡¯s talent and ability in design. 16 Chapter 16: Are You Working Here as a Janitor? After spending some time, she rated all the design drafts, then casually chatted with Peter over lunch. After they finished eating, Peter had matters at thepany to attend to, and he left first, reminding her as he left: ¡°Make sure toe and sign the contract next Monday. You can bete, but you must not be absent.¡± Serenaughed. That smile, Peter thought, was perhaps something Serena hadn¡¯t had in her three years of marriage! After leaving the restaurant, Serena intended to visit a jewelry store. Not only had she not touched design in three years, but she had also been constantly surrounded by pots and pans with no opportunity to dress up. It wasn¡¯t that Caleb Lockwood was stingy with her; he did gift her jewelry, but nine out of ten were pink diamonds. Serena never liked pink, and faced with endless chores every day, all the essories were set aside. She truly feared falling behind, especially since Peter held her in high regard, and she didn¡¯t want to disappoint him. However, a WeChat message from Lana Xavier disrupted Serena¡¯s ns. It was a call for help via WeChat. As night fell, Riverview Imperial was magnificent, its ss curtain walls sparkling with radiance. A group of people gradually walked through the crystal revolving door. There were two men and three women, but it was clear that the one being adored like a star was the woman in the pink silk fishtail dress. This evening, ire Shaw brought Caleb Lockwood, Patrick Rhodes, Lily Sutton, and Owen Warren to celebrate with her, marking her transition from an intern to a full¨Ctime employee at FY. ¡°ire, you look stunning, like a princess.¡± When Lily Sutton praised her, Patrick Rhodes waggled his finger, ¡°Terrible conversationalist, you should be Isn¡¯t that right, sister¨Cinw?¡± 13:2 16 Chapter 16: Are You Working Here as a Janitor? ire Shaw coyly pped a teasing Patrick Rhodes. Tonight, everyone was here to celebrate her; she had intentionally dressed mboyantly, with diamond essories from headband to ankle bracelet gifted by Caleb Lockwood¨Cthey were a luxurious pink diamond set worth a fortune. Riverview Imperial was one of the top luxury hotels in City A. Everyoneing here was either rich or noble, yet even so, ire Shaw was the center of attention. Holding onto Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm, ire Shaw raised her head and walked proudly like a noble, graceful swan. She knew Caleb Lockwood liked exceptional women, and only those outstanding enough qualified to stand by his side. Therefore, she never scrimped on her appearance. Caleb Lockwood walked beside ire Shaw, the usually sharp and icy lines of his face smoothed by a warm glow, as if melted in a tender haven, his slightly smiling lips perfect from any angle. He enjoyed bringing ire Shaw to such events because it boosted his esteem. ¡°Huh? I remember there used to be a grand piano here, why has it been reced by a dual keyboard?¡± ire Shaw pointed to the opulent hall center. ¡°Last week, when I came, it was still a grand piano¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood was also a bit curious. In the lobby of Riverview Imperial¡¯s first floor, there were musicians ying the piano. ¡°Could it be that the pianist was too poor, so they got fired?¡± Patrick Rhodes also focused on that dual keyboard. ¡°Brother Lockwood mentioned before, the piano was fine, but the pianist was mediocre and not a fraction as good as the sister¨Cinw.¡°. After speaking, he scratched his head and muttered, ¡°But if the pianist¡¯s bad, just change the pianist! Why swap the piano too? It makes no sense¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze fell on his arm, he was looking at ire Shaw¡¯s hand. ¡°If only your hand hadn¡¯t been injured¡­¡± 16 Chapter 16: Are You Working Here as a Janitor? Caleb Lockwood gently held ire Shaw¡¯s hand, his voice filled with regret. ire Shaw tried hard to keep her facial expression natural. ¡°A blessing in disguise perhaps, if my hand hadn¡¯t been injured, I might not be a jewelry designer now.¡± ¡°True.¡± Caleb Lockwood warmed ire Shaw¡¯s cooling hand with the heat from his palm. ¡°ire topped the intern ratings this time!¡± Owen Warren proudly eximed. ¡°Sister¨Cinw is blessed by heaven. Whatever industry she¡¯s in, she¡¯s always number one.¡± Patrick Rhodes gave ire Shaw a thumbs up. Caleb Lockwood nodded in agreement, ¡°ire¡¯s excellence has always been evident.¡±¡± As they walked, they got closer to the newly changed dual keyboard, beside which stood a staff member in a deep blue cleaning uniform, back turned as they hunched over to wipe blemishes on the dual keyboard with a tissue. Caleb Lockwood halted. ire Shaw also stopped, turning her head to see Caleb Lockwood frown, staring intently at the staff member¡¯s back. Until the staff member straightened up, they spoke in unison: ¡°Serena?¡± Serena turned around, among the crowd before her, the first person she saw was Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood wore a pure ck suit, with no need for deliberate styling, standing casually like a model, with a celebrity¡¯s face. However, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression was unpleasant, Serena felt he seemed angry. ¡°Oh my god, are you working as cleaning staff here?¡± It wasn¡¯t until she heard Owen Warren¡¯s exmation that Serena realized why Caleb Lockwood was upset. Looking down at her outfit, she really did resemble a cleaning worker. Mding 17 17 Chapter 17: Kissing Serena Jennings¡® Lips ¡°Look at our ire, she¡¯s be a full¨Ctime employee at FY with the score from the piano series design master. She¡¯s a white¨Ccor worker at a bigpany, carning hundreds of thousands annually. And then look at someone else, went from housewife to janitor¡­ Well, I guess that¡¯s progress too?¡± Lily Suttonughed so hard she nearly fell over. ¡°Comparing her to my sister¨Cinw is an insult to her, don¡¯t you think?¡± Patrick Rhodes looked at Serena Jennings with disdain. Serena had been indifferent towards Patrick, but since ire Shaw returned home, Patrick¡¯s two conversations with Caleb Lockwood hadpletely changed her impression of him to dislike. ¡°What, you¡¯re not convinced?¡± Patrick noticed Serena¡¯s hostility, rolling his eyes. He and Caleb Lockwood were high school ssmates, very close friends, and he knew that Caleb and ire Shaw were a match made in heaven back then. Their passionate love story was something he nearly witnessed first¨Chand, yet in the end, it was Serena Jennings whom Caleb formally married. Patrick felt Serena was just fortunate. If it hadn¡¯t been for the cold war between Caleb and ire, who was abroad at the time, he would have never pursued Serena. And Serena had no self¨Cawareness, yet she shamelessly married into the Lockwood Family. Patrick, like Caleb, both appreciated outstanding women. They were cultivated elites from high society, who would be interested in a woman who only knew how to do ¡°Here, let me show you what my sister¨Cinw designed!¡± Patrick showed Serena ire¡¯s design draft. ¡°I know you definitely won¡¯t understand her creativity, but at least you¡¯d realize you don¡¯t measure up, right?¡± Serena remained silent. She not only understood ire¡¯s creativity, she even understood the score in the upper right corner! It was what she had just graded today. ¡°Turns out you got third ce in FY¡¯s intern evaluation, congrattions.¡± Serena smiled, her voice calm, yet ire couldn¡¯t keep herposure after hearing this. How did Serena know she only got third ce?! Seeing the panic in ire¡¯s eyes, Serena was puzzled. Wasn¡¯t sheplimenting ire? She was genuinely giving praise, so why was ire panicking? ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Owen Warren shouted, ¡°ire got first ce, your jealousy is truly unsightly!¡± Serena recalled that if this design draft was indeed ire¡¯s, it wasn¡¯t the highest score she had graded at the time, she mustn¡¯t be mistaken. And because she wasn¡¯t mistaken, it precisely exined why ire was panicking. ¡°Ignore her, she doesn¡¯t know anything.¡± Caleb nced at Serena. That nce chilled Serena to the bone. Caleb gently patted ire¡¯s smooth hair, ¡°I know you¡¯re definitely the first ce.¡± ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ire was moved to tears. Serena felt stung, a suffocating blockage in her chest. She said nothing because she knew that nothing she said would make a difference. As long as Caleb believed ire, then whatever ire said was the truth. She turned to leave, only to find a wall had appeared out of thin air, blocking her path. Serena looked up to find herself face to face with Caleb. ¡°Take it off.¡± 215 17 Chapter 17: Kissing Serena Jennings¡® Lips Serena heard the displeasure and impatience in Caleb¡¯s voice. Seeing that Serena didn¡¯t move or speak, Caleb¡¯s tone grew heavier. ¡°I told you to take off this outfit and go home immediately.¡± Serena knew, Caleb felt embarrassed. Because she was a janitor. ¡°Exactly, you¡¯re not ashamed, but Brother Lockwood is!¡± Patrick fanned the mes on the side. Serena ignored Patrick, her eyes stared intently at Caleb, who was also staring intently back at her. This rebellious and condescending gaze was identical to the one he had at the juvenile detention center. Young Serena, blossoming into love, had no resistance to such a gaze, the memory of her infatuation was still vivid. But now¡­ Serena sighed, ¡°If you feel ashamed, sign the divorce papers, and after the divorce, what I do¨Cbe it begging on the street or collecting bottles¨Cwon¡¯t concern you.¡± Hearing Serena¡¯s words, Patrick exasperatedly rolled his eyes, ¡°Damn, can you be any more spineless, talking about begging and collecting bottles¡­ You don¡¯t find it disgusting to say it, but Brother Lockwood probably finds it puke¨Cworthy.¡± Finding Patrick annoying, Caleb pushed him aside, making him stay with ire and the others. Stepping forward, Caleb¡¯s imposing figure pearly loomed over Serena. Serena¡¯s hands, sped tightly behind her back. On usual days, she might step back. But today she felt a bit agitated, she didn¡¯t even know what she was mad about. Anyhow, she didn¡¯t step back. The two stood face to face, almost touching, if not for their strained expressions and defiant res, others might have thought there was something intimate going on. 13:26 17 Chapter 17: Kissing Serena Jennings¡® Lips ire watched from the sidelines, anxious. Caleb thinking Serena embarrassed him was fine by her, she wished Caleb would hate Serena. However, she disliked seeing Caleb so close to Serena, as if he could easily lower his head and press his lips against Serena¡¯s. Holding herself back, she nearly tore her fishtail dress, fearing that speaking at this moment might upset Caleb. Caleb¡¯s proximity overwhelmed Serena, her heart flipped in her chest, sweat beading on her forehead and temples. ¡°You¡¯d rather beg on the street or collect bottles¡­ just to divorce me?!¡± 1 Caleb¡¯s voice was low, and although his tone was mild, it gave Serena the impression that he might devour her. She felt he might p her at the very next next moment. Of course, Caleb had never hit her.1 Caleb wouldn¡¯ty a hand on a woman. Serena was sure of that. Even if Caleb stopped loving her, he wouldn¡¯t be an abusive husband. The long silence increased the pressure looming over Serena, finally, Caleb smiled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. ¡°Even if one day you were truly begging on the streets, collecting bottles, I would still be your husband.¡± Serena¡¯s skin crawled. She couldn¡¯t take Caleb¡¯s words as romantic, and of course, Caleb didn¡¯t mean them romantically. Serena was now certain that Caleb was intentionally preventing the divorce. He didn¡¯t love her yet refused to grant her freedom. Serena initially wanted to fight for the divorce a bit more, yet Caleb¡¯s phone rang with a business call. Talking 72.22 17 Chapter 17: Kissing Serena Jennings¡® Lips on the phone, Caleb left the hall. As soon as Caleb left, Serena felt deted, finally able to rx, though tiredness made her head throb. Nearby, Lily and Owen exchanged nces, noticing ire was down due to Caleb and Serena¡¯s rtionship, ready to throw some more jabs at Serena for ire¡¯s sake. Before they could get close to Serena, a uniformed clerk hurried over. ¡°Excuse me, are you Miss Serena Jennings?¡± Serena nodded, watching as the clerk handed her something. Comment 3 Post your firstment! Vote 21 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 18 18 Chapter 18: Losing Face ¡°Hello, I¡¯m a shop assistant from ZM. This is for you from our store manager.¡± 1 Hearing this, Serena Jennings realized that Sister Zhao had sent someone to deliver clothes to her. Sister Zhao is the manager of ZM and an old acquaintance of hers. ¡°But without knowing me, you could guess I¡¯m Miss Jennings? That¡¯s quite impressive.¡± Serena casually The assistantughed, ¡°Because the manager said I just need to deliver it. If I don¡¯t recognize Miss Jennings, it¡¯s fine. Just look for the most beautiful person in the hotel; she¡¯s definitely Miss Jennings.¡± Serena felt a bit embarrassed by thepliment, while ire Shaw and the others beside her looked displeased. Serena didn¡¯t bother with them, held the clothes, and turned to find a changing room. At that moment, the cleaningdy ran over to guide Serena while apologizing. ¡°Sorry about dirtying your clothes earlier. The manager asked me to take you to the changing room on the second floor.¡± And so, Serena left, leaving ire Shaw, Patrick Rhodes, Lily Sutton, and Owen Warren looking at each other. When Serena reappeared, the grand hall of Riverview Imperial was filled with amazement. Serena descended from the spiral staircase on the second floor. She was no longer in the cleaning uniform but in a luxurious, borate gown. Serena¡¯s slightly curled long hair shimmered with a metallic sheen under the light of the crystal chandelier. Her dress was a pure ck ball gown with intricate and luxurious dark red rose embroidery on the upper half, adorned with Swarovski crystals, dazzling and elegant. Each step she took was like a queen approaching her subjects, leaving everyone present in awe. Finally, Serena walked to the dual¨Ckeyboard piano in the center of the hall, sat down, and began to y. 18 Chapter 18: Losing Face ire Shaw couldn¡¯tprehend the situation in front of her. How did Serena suddenly transform from a cleaner to a pianist? And the gown Serena wore was from the ZM brand. Although it wasn¡¯t as expensive as hers, ZM is an emerging brand by a new designer in the gown industry, highly sought after by high societydies and very difficult to buy or borrow. It has gradually be a symbol of status and position. What right does Serena have?! ire Shaw absolutely refused to believe the dress was gifted by Caleb Lockwood. Meaning¡­ did Serena already find a new benefactor? ire Shaw was about to explode, with no mood to appreciate Serena¡¯s performance. Lily Sutton and Owen Warren couldn¡¯t appreciate it either, being too upied with jealousy. If anyone was the most shocked, it was Patrick Rhodes. He never knew Serena could y the dual¨Ckeyboard piano, and with such mastery. The ck and white keys were something Serena never wanted to touch again in her life. She was actually here tonight on a request from Lana Xavier to help out. Lana Xavier¡¯s rtive works as the lobby manager at this hotel. Tonight, his boss was hosting a pianist friend and needed a skilled pianist to perform, avoiding embarrassment in front of their guest. Lana Xavier searched around and finally found Serena. She knew Serena had sworn never to touch the piano again, but since she couldn¡¯t find anyone else, she sent a help message to Serena on WeChat, asking if she would consider it. Serena realized Lana was at her wit¡¯s end; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have asked. So she inquired if Lana could have her lobby manager rtive rece the piano in the hotel with a dual¨Ckeyboard one. The dual¨Ckeyboard can mimic piano sounds. Back when she was in the detention center with no ess to a piano, she used the only electric keyboard there as a diversion. 1 13:27 18 Chapter 18: Losing Face Thus, the piano was temporarily reced with a dual¨Ckeyboard. Unfortunately, a cleaner identally dirtied Serena¡¯s clothes, so Serena had to contact the ZM manager to send over a gown as an emergency measure. Before the gown arrived, she wore a work uniform since the cleaner took her dirty clothes to be washed. Serena grew up surrounded by music, gifted, and passionate about it. She was cleaning the dual¨Ckeyboard with a wet wipe when Caleb Lockwood and the others mistook her for a cleaner. It¡¯s been years since she touched the keys, and Serena was unsure about her ying. However, after her performance, she received endless apuse. Even the pianist friend of the hotel owner personally praised her, asking her to y more pieces. Seeing the excitement on their faces, Serena felt she must have done alright tonight, at least helping Lana Xavier. Outside the hotel hall, Caleb Lockwood stood in the hallway, on a long phone call. He was focused on his business discussion when he incredulously heard piano music through the blocked earphone. Caleb knew there was no piano in the hall, only a dual¨Ckeyboard. He was never particrly interested in this instrument, but the tantalizing piano sound was like raindrops on his heart, evoking distant memories for him. Caleb Lockwood felt an inexplicable longing, ending his crucial business call abruptly. Upon returning to the hall, he saw a middle¨Caged man seated at the dual¨Ckeyboard, a pianist with some repute in the music world. ire Shaw approached Caleb Lockwood, noticing the disappointment in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Caleb?¡± ire naturally took Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm. Caleb¡¯s eyes stayed on the pianist, ¡°Nothing, just that the piece he yed earlier felt a bit like how you yed before your hand was injured.¡± 1 18 Chapter 18: Losing Face ¡°He¡¯s a master level; how could Ipare!¡± ire sweetly leaned her head on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s shoulder. Caleb felt he must have been mistaken earlier. For listening to the pianist y the dual¨Ckeyboard now felt entirely different from his memories. The two returned to Patrick Rhodes and the others, and no one mentioned to Caleb Lockwood that Serena could y the dual¨Ckeyboard. ire Shaw wouldn¡¯t bring it up; neither would Lily Sutton, Owen Warren, nor, of course, Patrick Rhodes. Even if Serena could y the dual¨Ckeyboard, in Patrick Rhodes¡¯s mind, she could neverpare to ire Shaw. The group headed to the private room, and ire Shaw sensed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze searching for something, so she spoke up: ¡°Serena left a while ago, probably still feeling embarrassed!¡± Caleb didn¡¯t react much, only curled his lips, ¡°It¡¯s good that she knows she¡¯s embarrassed.¡± Monday, FY Headquarters. ire Shaw was promoted, transferred to a new department. FY was originally a luxury jewelry brand, but luxury goods sought higher status and fewer buyers. In recent years, the higher¨Cups didn¡¯t want to limit themselves to a single brand path, intending to expand the market andunch a mass¨Cmarket jewelry line this year, hence hiring a batch of interns. Ultimately, the top fiveprehensive scorers, including ire Shaw, stood out and joined the FY¨CPO department. ¡°ire, have you heard?¡± In the office, Chantelle Stone sidled up to ire Shaw. Although she scored higher than ire Shaw in the evaluation, ire¡¯s attire made her look wealthy, so she eagerly fawned over ire. ¡°Heard about what? Why so mysterious?¡± ire Shaw was curious. 25.52:27. 18 Chapter 18: Losing Face ¡°There¡¯s a neer joining our department today, directly as a formal employee without going through the internship training.¡± ¡°Who is so impressive?¡± Megan Ross also chimed in, joining the fun. ire Shaw wasn¡¯t interested in the rumored neer; whoever it was, they couldn¡¯t overshadow her. Just then, team leader Heather Monroe walked into the office, followed by a woman unfamiliar to the others. At the sight of her face, ire Shaw¡¯s expression changed instantly, Comment Post your firstment! 21 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 19 19 Chapter 19: Cheating ¡°This is our department¡¯s new colleague, who will be working with us on the PO product line. Let¡¯s all get along well,¡± Heather Monroe said as an introduction, then let the new employee introduce herself. 1 ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Serena Jennings. I¡¯ll be working with you from now on, so please take care of me.¡± The others apuded Serena Jennings, except for ire Shaw, who remained motionless. ¡°ire, do you know her?¡± Chantelle Stone noticed ire Shaw¡¯s unusual behavior. ire Shaw forced a smile and remained nomittal. She never expected that the new employee in their department would be Serena Jennings. ire Shaw knew that Serena had majored in jewelry design in college, but Serena didn¡¯t graduate, without a diploma or degree. How could FY hire someone like her? Even a top student from a prestigious university like herself had to go through two rounds of written tests and three rounds of interviews to be an intern and receive training, yet Serena¡­. ire Shaw was about to snap the pen in her hand. Suddenly, she recalled FY¡¯s recent celebration party and came up with an idea. Serena Jennings, unable to return to the juvenile detention center job, epted Peter¡¯s invitation. FY needed to develop a new product line, and Peter initially nned to make Serena the department manager, but Serena politely declined. Then he offered her a team leader position, which Serena refused again. In the end, Peter couldn¡¯t persuade Serena otherwise and had to let her be a regr employee. Serena had her own reasons. She knew that herck of a college degree couldn¡¯t be hidden forever, and coupled with not having undergone intern training or having actual work performance at otherpanies,nding a leadership role too easily would invite gossip. 19 Chapter 19: Cheating Serena also didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity as a master of piano series design, fearing the attention it would bring and questions about her inspiration. Even as a regr employee, she could still be of help to Peter. In the restroom, Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross were gossiping while washing their hands. ¡°I told you, how can someone with only a high school education work with us?!¡± ¡°Her work isn¡¯t like ours! We work hard like beasts while she easily makes it lying down¡­¡± ¡°Shh, aren¡¯t you being too blunt?¡± ¡°What are you afraid of?! If she dares to do it, is she scared of us talking? Everyone in thepany knows she got her position by sleeping around. At first, I thought she was some big shot, but turns out, I was naive.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t look any worse than she does, yet we can¡¯t bring ourselves to be as shameless!¡± Chantelle Stone patted Megan Ross¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Why bother joining apany after sleeping around? Just for that bit of sry?¡± ¡°Wants to package herself as a wealthy beauty! It¡¯s prestigious and makes it easier to hook someone else.¡± The automatic flushing startled Megan Ross and Chantelle Stone, making them realize they weren¡¯t alone in the restroom! Serena Jennings pushed open the stall door and walked out, making eye contact with Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross, who exchanged nces and subtly walked away. Though they didn¡¯t specify names, Serena guessed she was the only one in thepany with just a high school education. Serena sighed. Her trip to the restroom took no more than five minutes, yet when she returned to the office, Heather Monroe criticized her for taking too long and beingzy, and Chantelle Stone and others snickered behind theirputer screens. During lunch, ire Shaw spent a lot to order delivery from a Michelin¨Cstar restaurant for all the office colleagues- 19 Chapter 19: Cheating Except Serena Jennings. Including team leader Heather Monroe, everyone entered the meeting room, and through the bright ss door, Serena saw them chatting andughing, asionally ncing at her with evident mockery in their eyes. Serena sat at her workstation, editing her design drafts while nibbling on a burrito, feeling that her career path was unusually rocky. On her first day of work, she was asked to work overtime, and as the only employee doing so, Serena finished her tasks nearly an hour after the workday ended. ¡°Sorry, sorry, did I keep you waiting for long?¡± Serena rushed out of the FY office building, where Lana Xavier¡¯s car was waiting with hazard lights on. ¡°Get in, we can talk,¡± Lana Xavier beckoned to Serena, who normally would sit in the front seat, but Justin Nash was in the car too. Hearing that Serena had secured such a good job at FY, Justin Nash and Lana Xavier arranged to celebrate with her over dinner, though they didn¡¯t expect Serena to be forced to work overtime on her first day. Serena sat in the back seat with Justin Nash, while Lana Xavier joked about being their chauffeur. The three chatted andughed, lifting Serena¡¯s spirits. Stuck in traffic, it took nearly an hour to get to the restaurant, and it was already dark when they arrived. Lana Xavier kept clutching her stomach,ining about being starved, amusing Serena. Serena thought that celebrating with Lana Xavier and Justin Nash would involve a regr restaurant, and she would have been content with something like Pizza Hut. Instead, Lana Xavier and Justin Nash took her to Golden Harbor Nights. This was the same Michelin¨Cstar restaurant where ire Shaw hosted lunch and was affiliated with the hotel of the same name with three Michelin keys. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to splurge¡­ Serena wished to decline since Lana Xavier and Justin Nash had regr jobs with modest sries, and it 13:97 19 Chapter 19: Cheating wasn¡¯t necessary toe to such an expensive ce for her. If they really wanted to eat there, it should be her treat. However, Lana Xavier and Justin Nash insisted and said they had already made a reservation. The three sat down to eat, enjoying lively conversation. ¡°Come clean, what kind of luck did you have tond a job at FY? Did you know that even the top student at University A couldn¡¯t get in?¡± Lana Xavier clinked her ss with Serena¡¯s. ¡°The HR must have been dazzled by my looks!¡± Serena joked. ¡°That makes sense,¡± Lana Xavier agreed. After some casual chatting, Justin Nash joined the conversation, mentioning a detective agency that had contacted him. Since Serena feared her phone wouldn¡¯t get through, she¡¯d left Justin as her emergency contact. ¡°Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t capture evidence of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s infidelity.¡± Justin Nash showed Serena the photos the detective had sent him. All the photos were of Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw, always together, inseparable. Some even showed them with arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, entering different hotels. Serena squeezed her wine ss tightly. ¡°The detective said that this alone won¡¯t cut it. The two of them weren¡¯t even holding hands, and in every photo, ire Shaw was just holding Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm. If Caleb¡¯s defense team ims he¡¯s just treating her as a sister, it¡¯s hard to contest that, as weck concrete evidence of infidelity. Such photos would hold little sway in court¡­¡± Justin Nash was quite disappointed, as he had hoped that hiring a detective would surely help Serena get her divorce. Serena was lost in thought. But her thoughts differed from Justin Nash¡¯s. 13:27 476 19 Chapter 19: Cheating She was wondering¡­. Did Caleb Lockwood really cheat? What if Caleb hadn¡¯t strayed? Her heart was pounding; Serena couldn¡¯t exin why she felt so weirdly nervous and anticipatory. She pinched the back of her hand, trying to clear her mind, but couldn¡¯t control her chaotic thoughts, nor notice when the atmosphere at the table became excessively quiet. By the time Serena regained her senses, Caleb Lockwood had been standing by the table for quite a while. Comment 1 Post your firstment! Vote Mding 20 20 Chapter 20: If You Want to Vent, Go Find Your ire Shaw Seeing Caleb Lockwood was a shock for Serena Jennings. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s presence was so overwhelming that just standing there made Lana Xavier and Justin Nash silent as if facing a threat. Serena Jennings could tell Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t there identally; he seemed to havee specifically to find her. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t speak, just stared at her intensely, his eyes like needles making her anxious. ¡°You¡¯ve been investigating me¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was cold, giving no hint of emotion. Before Serena Jennings could confirm or deny, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the chair. Lana Xavier and Justin Nash naturally couldn¡¯t just watch as Caleb Lockwood dragged Serena Jennings away. ¡°I prefer to talk to my wife alone without outsiders present.¡± Caleb Lockwood countered casually, leaving Lana Xavier and Justin Nash speechless. The two were increasingly unable to keep up with Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jennings, who were walking ahead. Serena Jennings was continuously dragged along by Caleb Lockwood into the elevator. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s grip was strong, and she, couldn¡¯t break free. Even after entering the elevator, Caleb Lockwood held her arm tightly. Serena Jennings saw Caleb Lockwood press the button for the 77th floor, and she knew that there was a hotel above. She didn¡¯t ask Caleb Lockwood what he intended to do because she felt he wouldn¡¯t answer; asking would be pointless. It took a bit of time to reach the 77th floor, where Caleb Lockwood scanned a key card and pushed Serena 20 Chapter 20: If You Want to Vent, Go Find Your ire Shaw Jennings into a guest room. The room was astonishinglyrge, likely the most expensive presidential suite in this Michelin three¨Ckey hotel. Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help but sneeze as Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice emerged beside her: ¡°FY has incredibly high standards for employees; how did you get in?¡± Serena Jennings tilted her head slightly, avoiding Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sharp gaze. ¡°I applied normally.¡± Caleb Lockwood chuckled. ¡°What HR would hire someone with only a high school diploma?¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s hands gradually clenched into fists. Her limited education felt like a blemish on her life. ¡°Don¡¯t you know why I only have a high school diploma?¡± Caleb Lockwood paused for a moment, then inserted his hands in his pockets and shrugged with a smile, ¡°Are you saying yourck of education is my fault?¡± ¡°You asked me to give up my studies to marry you, saying you¡¯d take care of me¡­¡± ¡°So did I force you to agree to marry me?¡± Caleb Lockwood coldly interrupted Serena Jennings. ¡°Would you reject my proposal?¡± ¡°Would you disagree when I ask you to quit school?¡± ¡°1 11 ¡°And, haven¡¯t I provided for you in the three years of marriage?¡± Facing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s convincing arguments, Serena Jennings no longer wanted to say anything. 1/2017 20 Chapter 20: If You Want to Vent, Go Find Your ire Shaw In front of Caleb Lockwood, she seemed never to be in the right. Yes, Caleb Lockwood had done nothing wrong. She could only me her own hopeless romanticism. Serena Jennings¡¯s long nails dug into her palms, turning them red, but still couldn¡¯t suppress the pain in her heart. Seeing Serena Jennings¡¯s teary eyes, her slender body trembling, Caleb Lockwood sighed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not here to argue with you today¡­¡± His gaze fell to Serena Jennings¡¯s arm; her fair skin made the red marks stand out. Caleb Lockwood frowned, realizing he had held Serena Jennings too tightly earlier. Without a word, he walked into the suite and returned with arge bouquet of vibrant red roses. Serena Jennings now understood why she had sneezed upon entering this suite. ¡°Since you¡¯ve been investigating me, you should know I haven¡¯t cheated¡­¡± Hugging the bouquet of roses, Caleb Lockwood appeared incredibly romantic, yet his sculpted face remained stern. ¡°I don¡¯t care whose connections got you into FY, but if you dare betray me, I¡¯ll definitely make you pay.¡± Despite the harsh words, Caleb ockwood handed the flowers to Serena Jennings. ¡°Since you don¡¯t like pink roses, I bought red ones this time¡­ Also, you don¡¯t need topare yourself to ire; she got into FY because she¡¯s exceptional. It¡¯s natural that you¡¯re not as good, and I don¡¯t necessarily need an overly exceptional woman as a wife.¡± Seeing Serena Jennings not epting the bouquet, Caleb Lockwood forcibly shoved it into her arms and hugged her shoulder, leading her into the suite. This signal made Serena Jennings¡¯s body stiffen. She promptly returned the flowers to Caleb Lockwood and turned to leave. Caleb Lockwood certainly didn¡¯t give her this opportunity. 72-2 20 Chapter 20: If You Want to Vent, Go Find Your ire Shaw He pressed Serena Jennings against the wall and bent his head to kiss her. Serena Jennings struggled fiercely. In Caleb Lockwood¡¯s memory, Serena Jennings had never resisted him so much. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, I¡¯ve already asked you for a divorce, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡± Hearing the word ¡°divorce¡± once again from Serena Jennings¡¯s mouth, Caleb Lockwood felt quite annoyed. ¡°ying these tactics excessively bes pointless, Serena. I won¡¯t divorce. Meeting my needs is your duty as mywful wife.¡± Caleb Lockwood had said this to her more than once. Being a housewife was her duty. Providing him with release was also her duty. Serena Jennings still remembered the night of her miscarriage; Caleb Lockwood had forced her using ¡°duty.¡± And then, she lost her child. p! The presidential suite suddenly fell silent. Caleb Lockwood was unaware of how he got pped until the burning sensation slowly crept up his face. He looked at Serena Jennings, whose eyes were red, in shock. Serena Jennings¡¯splexion was a cool white, warm under the redness, and she was gazing angry defiance at him, her eyes bright with stubborn mes. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, I¡¯m not ying hard to get. Go vent on ire Shaw, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Serena Jennings roared, her voice growing hoarse. Caleb Lockwood nced at Serena Jennings¡¯s righteous indignation and smiled after a moment. This smile tightened Serena Jennings¡¯s chest. He pulled out his phone and made a call, his charming smile always curled upwards. 13:27 20 Chapter 20: If You Want to Vent, Go Find Your ire Shaw ¡°Caleb?¡± When the call connected, Caleb Lockwood pressed the speakerphone. ire Shaw¡¯s sweet voice came from the phone. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had a business dinner tonight? Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°The business is done. Just wanted to know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Caleb Lockwood spoke to ire Shaw, yet his eyes remained fixed on Serena Jennings. Serena Jennings¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°I¡¯m putting on a face mask right now!¡± ire Shaw said on the other end. ¡°So you¡¯ve already showered?¡± The question was asked so naturally by Caleb Lockwood, as if aware of ire Shaw¡¯s evening routine. This question seemed very sexually suggestive to Serena Jennings. After that, Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw continued chatting, but Serena Jennings didn¡¯t listen. ¡°I¡¯lle over to your ce now.¡± After ending the call, Caleb Lockwood exited the room without looking at Serena Jennings. The suite was left with only disheveled Serena Jennings and the crushed red rose scattered on the floor. Serena Jennings crouched down, tightly hugging her knees, her chest ached to the point of suffocation. Her hands trembled, and the phone on the ground vibrated. ¡°¡­Hello?¡± She picked the phone up, trying to sound calm. Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter, Mding 21 21 Chapter 21: Love Bite When Lana Xavier and Justin Nash reached the 77th floor, one of the guest room doors was open. They immediately ran over and, unsurprisingly, saw Serena Jennings. Serena had already tidied up her clothes and even redone her hair. However, Lana Xavier and Justin Nash could both tell that something had definitely happened between Serena and Caleb Lockwood; otherwise, they couldn¡¯t exin the scattered rose petals everywhere. They were worried about Serena, so they called her. Serena told them she was on the 77th floor but hadn¡¯t paid attention to the room number. Lana had put the call on speakerphone; even though Serena did a good job of pretending, both she and Justin could hear that Serena¡¯s voice had changed. ¡°Serena, where¡¯s that jerk?¡± Lana Xavier was ready to fight. Serena replied nonchntly, ¡°He left¡­ went to find ire Shaw.¡± ¡°Damn!¡± On the way down in the elevator, Lana Xavier kept cursing Caleb Lockwood. Serena was afraid Justin Nash might find it annoying, but Justin said he loved hearing people curse Caleb Lockwood and encouraged Lana. Lana Xavier didn¡¯t go home that night; she stayed at Serena¡¯s ce to keep herpany. Serena initially said there was no need for Lana to stay. She didn¡¯t want to trouble her friends as an adult. Serena admitted that Caleb Lockwood had given her a significant fright and hurt her a lot that night. However, she was an adult, not a child, and needed to solve her own problems. Moreover, Lana Xavier had work the next day, and staying here would be too far for her. But no matter what Serena said, Lana insisted on staying, and Justin also persuaded her to let Lana stay. Finally, Serena had topromise. This old house on Vornath Street wasn¡¯trge; though it was a suite, there was only one bed. ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Lana.¡± 13-29 21 Chapter 21: Love Bite ¡°What trouble? Sharing a bed with you is no trouble at all.¡± Serena was amused by Lana Xavier. Both had work the next day, but neither could sleep. Theyy in bed chatting, as if they were back in their high school dorm days. Back then, Serena often chatted with Lana at night, talking into the early morning hours, and neither of them wanted to get up when the rm kept ringing the next day. ¡°Tell me, Serena, what exactly do you like about Caleb Lockwood?¡± Lana turned over, curious. ¡°Besides being especially handsome, tall, fit, wealthy, capable, a CEO of a listedpany, and from a good family background¡­ does he have any other merits?¡± Serena was caught betweenughter and tears. She didn¡¯t know whether Lana¡¯s words were meant to demean Caleb Lockwood or praise him. The bedroom was silent. Serena thought for a while and said softly, ¡°Caleb Lockwood¡­ was my first love.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you meet him in college? He had a car ident, and you saved him¡­¡± 1 Lana remembered correctly, ¡°First loves are hard to let go of, but you were already an adult then. Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s why you¡¯re so devoted to Caleb Lockwood?¡± Serena shook her head, a hint of regret and me in her tone, ¡°I actually knew Caleb Lockwood long ago, but Caleb forgot about me.¡± ¡°Wow, he¡¯s been a jerk since he was young!¡± When Lana said this, even though it was dark around, she saw the bitter smile on Serena¡¯s face. ¡°He wasn¡¯t a jerk back then¡­ he was rather cool.¡± As the image of Caleb Lockwood, rebellious yet dignified in the reformatory, shed in her mind, the bitter smile on Serena¡¯s face grew shyer. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re inte¨Cstage love brain. How old were you then?¡± 17:20 21 Chapter 21: Love Bite ¡°About 13, I think!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly when the love¨Cbrain phase attacks.¡± Serena didn¡¯t deny Lana¡¯s words. She felt she was quite a love¨Cbrain; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have willingly been a housewife for three years for Caleb Lockwood. If it weren¡¯t for the idental discovery of that form, and if ire Shaw hadn¡¯t returned to the country, she might have continued like that, immersed in the fantasy of Caleb Lockwood deeply loving her, self¨Csatisfied. ¡°So in high school, you always refused Ethan White. I was wondering why, and now I understand it was because of Caleb Lockwood.¡± When Lana mentioned Ethan White, Serena felt a bit stuffy inside. The bedroom went quiet, and Lana patted her forehead. ¡°Sorry, sorry, my bad, let¡¯s talk about something else¡­ like Justin Nash? He¡¯s not bad¨Clooking; even if he¡¯s no Caleb Lockwood, he¡¯s still a young hunk.¡± ¡°A married woman seducing a college boy?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Why not? Your husband¡¯s still out there, not being a decent married man, hanging around with that conniving flirt every day.¡± Every time Caleb Lockwood was mentioned, Lana had nothing good to say. Serena picked up her phone to check the time and inadvertently opened her social circle. Caleb rarely posted in the social circle, but he posted something unprecedented tonight, with a photo. The picture was of a bedroom Serena didn¡¯t recognize with its decor and the conspicuous double bed in the middle. However, she understood Patrick Rhodes¡® reply below. Patrick Rhodes: ¡°Blew me off for a drink, turns out to be apanying the wife, prioritizing romance over friendship.¡± ¡°Your scummy husband again?¡± Lana immediately knew it had to do with Caleb Lockwood just from Serena¡¯s expression. 13:29 21 Chapter 21: Love Bite ¡°Nothing much, just Caleb made a post from ire Shaw¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Wow, seriously shameless! Taunting you?¡± ¡°Probably!¡± Serena sighed and briefly recounted to Lana what happened between her and Caleb in the hotel room. ¡°I was the one who told him to find ire Shaw, so maybe he posted that for me to see¡­?¡± Serena¡¯s tone became increasingly uncertain. Saving Caleb made the post for her, but does Caleb really care that much about her feelings? Maybe not! ¡°You too, can¡¯t let it go,¡± Lana couldn¡¯t help lightly tapping Serena¡¯s head, ¡°You two aren¡¯t even divorced. With someone as handsome as Caleb, you should be sleeping with him, then throw him two hundred bucks, tell him that¡¯s all his skills were worth.¡± 1 ¡°Lana, you read too many romance novels.¡± Serena was left speechless, yet amused. As expected, Serena and Lana both ended upte the next day. Joining them in tardiness was ire Shaw. In the office, Heather Monroe scolded Serena thoroughly, and when Serena returned to her desk, Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross were still mocking her. Meanwhile, ire Shaw was alsote, yet Heather Monroe only mildlymented, ¡°Even if you¡¯re in love, it shouldn¡¯t interfere with work!¡± 1 ¡°Sorry, team leader, I was too tiredst night¡­¡± ire Shaw blushed deeply, deliberately tugging at her shirt cor. Everyone in the office saw the red marks on ire Shaw¡¯s white skin. Including Serena. ¡°Are those love bites?¡± Chantelle Stone was keen for gossip with Megan Ross, ¡°Seeing how shy and happy ire looks, her boyfriend must be amazing in that department.¡± 13:29 21 Chapter 21: Love Bite ¡°Amazing and wealthy too. I heard all her branded stuff was gifted by her boyfriend.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I want a boyfriend like that too.¡± Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross were filled with envy. Meanwhile, the pen in Serena¡¯s hand remained motionless; the design inspiration that had once surged vanishedpletely. For the development of the new product line, Heather Monroe had all team members submit ten design drafts each. In the end, ire Shaw had three designs selected, while everyone else had one draft selected. Not a single one of Serena¡¯s was chosen. As soon as it was lunch break, she knocked on Heather Monroe¡¯s office door. Comment 3 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 21 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Mding 22 22 Chapter 22: How Long Are You Going to Make a Scene? Just as she entered the office, Serena Jennings immediately noticed the conspicuous paper bag on Heather Monroe¡¯s desk. 1 If she hadn¡¯t remembered incorrectly, ire Shaw had brought that paper bag into thepany this morning. It was a paper bag specifically for Chanel silk scarves. ¡°Do you need something?¡± Heather Monroe looked at Serena, her face full of impatience. ¡°Group leader, I just wanted to ask about my submitted designs¡­¡± Serena tried to carefully organize her words in her mind, ¡°I think my ten designs shouldn¡¯t all be rejected, so I want to ask the group leader where my designs have issues?¡± Serena¡¯s tone was humble, but Heather rolled her eyes. ¡°Instead of wasting time questioning me, why don¡¯t you try to improve yourself, look at ire. She¡¯s about the same age as you, both are neers, and howe she got three designs passed while you didn¡¯t get even one?¡± 11 11 ¡°You dare ask me where the problem lies; do you think I¡¯m your college professor? If you fail, find the reasons yourself, or go learn well from ire and raise your aesthetic level.¡± ¡°Group leader¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste my lunch break.¡± Heather waved her hand at Serena, ¡°You should take the lunch break to reflect on yourself.¡± After she finished speaking, Heather walked away, pushing Serena out of her office. During lunch break, everyone went out to eat in threes and twos, and then to stroll around nearby. Only Serena was left alone in the office. She couldn¡¯t eat. 22 Chapter 22: How Long Are You Going to Make a Scene? Although being criticized by her group leader put her in a bad mood, the bigger issue was that Serena couldn¡¯t find a reason why none of her ten designs were epted. She had also studied the three designs ire passed, but she didn¡¯t think hers were worse. ¡°Sigh, could it be that my taste is really outdated?¡± Serena fell into deep self¨Cdoubt. ¡°Working so hard that you¡¯re not even eating?¡± Serena turned her head towards the voice, and Peter was already standing behind her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the designs? You look so upset.¡± Peter bent down and stared at Serena¡¯sputer screen. Serena told Peter truthfully about how none of her ten design drafts had passed. ¡°I¡¯ve let you down, holding me in high regard, and now I can¡¯t even think about eating.¡± Serena propped her chin on her hands, seeing Peter¡¯s expression grow heavier, she thought Peter must be disappointed in her. Just as Chantelle Stone returned to the office to retrieve something, she saw Serena and Peter together right by the door. From her angle, it looked as though Peter was hugging Serena from behind. As a result, by the end of lunch break, Serena hadn¡¯t eaten a single bite, and her stomach hurt a bit from hunger. She saw a group of people gathered together discussing something when she went to make coffee, until a tall figure emerged from the crowd. Caleb Lockwood hade to FY today to discuss project cooperation. He knew Serena was now an employee at FY, so even if he ran into her, it wasn¡¯t surprising. Serena didn¡¯t greet Caleb, nor did Caleb acknowledge her. They passed by each other, appearing as strangers to outsiders. Serena saw that Caleb was holding a bouquet of pink roses, and without thinking, knew they were for ire 22 Chapter 22: How Long Are You Going to Make a Scene? Shaw. The coffee in her hand was already cold; she took a sip, and it tasted more bitter than usual. Upon returning to the office, she heard Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross chatting as soon as she reached the door. ¡°ire, your boyfriend is actually the President of the Lockwood Group?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve hidden it too well!¡± ire Shaw admitted nothing, simply hugging therge bouquet of pink roses Caleb had given her, smiling shyly. Serena didn¡¯t want to enter the office and turned to pretend to fetch documents from the meeting room, only to be stopped inside. Caleb Lockwood was in front of her like a tall wall, blocking Serena¡¯s way. Serena didn¡¯t understand what Caleb wanted. She guessed Caleb was here today to discuss business with FY, or to give ire Shaw the bouquet of pink roses, conveniently handling business. But either way, there was no need for him to appear before her. After the previous incident at the hotel, Serena was a bit resistant to being alone with Caleb in a confined space. In truth, she was both fearful and nervous. Her hands were behind her back, her nails digging into her palms, her gaze not meeting Caleb¡¯s. The air in the meeting room was inexplicably cold, Serena wasn¡¯t sure if it was the central air conditioning or Caleb¡¯s presence causing it. Caleb just silently blocked the door, leaving Serena puzzled and uneasy. ¡°I¡¯ve heard¡­¡± Finally, Caleb spoke. 22 Chapter 22: How Long Are You Going to Make a Scene? Serena raised her face, full of confusion. ¡°What have you heard?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only designer in your department whose designs didn¡¯t pass¡­Serena, don¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡± Serena was expecting Caleb to say something, but didn¡¯t anticipate this. ¡°Designers will definitely encounter situations where their designs are not recognized; if you can¡¯t bear this, I suggest changing careers.¡± Caleb chuckled at Serena¡¯s titudes, ¡°What kind of selffort is that? It¡¯s clear you¡¯re not cut out for design. Instead of insisting, why not admit you have no talent¡­?¡± These words made Serena furious. She didn¡¯t understand what Caleb was doing,ing here to specifically criticize her designs. The atmosphere between them was tense. Suddenly, Caleb grabbed Serena¡¯s arm. ¡°Serena,e home!¡± Serena was taken aback. ¡°If you still have any dignity, quit your job and obedientlye home.¡± Serena fiercely shook off Caleb¡¯s hand. Caleb¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°How long will you keep this up? You know I don¡¯t have much patience.¡± Of course, Serena knew. Because Caleb¡¯s patience had been given to ire Shaw. ¡°I won¡¯t go back to being a housewife.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only good at being a housewife.¡± Serena opened her mouth, but was momentarily speechless. 13:20 22 Chapter 22: How Long Are You Going to Make a Scene? At this moment, someone pushed open the meeting room door. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± Peter came in. Caleb coldly nced at Peter, ¡°Does Director Peter have the habit of eavesdropping on others?¡± Peter shrugged and smiled, ¡°President Lockwood, this is mypany.¡± ¡°So, do I need your consent to talk to my wife? Did she sign an employment contract or a servitude agreement?¡± Peter awkwardly scratched his head but didn¡¯t hold back verbally. ¡°It¡¯s apany, she didn¡¯t sign a servitude agreement, but she must abide bypany rules and corporate culture while at thepany. President Lockwood, if you want to discuss family matters, do it at home. Or is it that because she¡¯s divorcing you, you can¡¯t see her even at home?¡± Peter¡¯s sarcastic implication wasn¡¯t lost on Caleb, who turned to re at Serena, as if questioning why she shared their private matters with an outsider. The meeting room felt deprived of oxygen, making Serena feel suffocated. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here!¡± At this moment, someone else pushed the door open, it was Sophia Shepherd, the head of FY¡¯s design. department. Besides ¡°Piano,¡± all of FY¡¯s globally renowned jewelry series were her creation. Sophia Shepherd saw Caleb, turned and asked Peter with curiosity, ¡°Is President Lockwood also joining?¡± Caleb didn¡¯t know what they nned to do in the meeting room, but instinctively felt it had something to do with Serena, so he unhesitatingly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll join.¡± Comment 0 5854 Mding 23 23 Chapter 23: Improper Rtionship The conference room gradually filled up. All the high¨Clevel executives from various departments of FY and the employees from the PO department were present. Caleb Lockwood was a guest, and Peter had originally arranged a front¨Crow seat for him. However, upon seeing ire Shaw was present, Caleb voluntarily sat next to her, causing Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross to gossip in hushed tones. ire pretended not to care, but inside, she was secretly delighted. She couldn¡¯t wait for everyone in thepany to know Caleb Lockwood was her boyfriend. Peter pulled down the blinds, and the conference room wentpletely dark, except for the glow of the projector. Serena Jennings stood at the front, facing a crowd of people, with Caleb and ire still conspicuously whispering to each other. This meeting was specifically convened by Peter for Serena, projecting her ten designs onto the big screen for all thepany executives to score. Initially, Caleb dismissed Serena¡¯s designs with a sneer. He had heard from ire that none of Serena¡¯s designs had been approved, and keeping someone like her in apany full of elites was just self¨Chumiliation. As design after design appeared on the big screen, ire noticed Caleb wasn¡¯t talking to her anymore. His eyes were glued to the screen, and he didn¡¯t even notice when she tugged at his suit sleeve several times. When the presentations were over, Peter reopened the blinds, filling the conference room with light. ¡°Let¡¯s score now. Above 90 is considered passing.¡± As soon as these words were spoken by Peter, the designers from the PO department were in an uproar. Heather Monroe¡¯s requirement was that a score above 60 was passing, yet Serena couldn¡¯t even meet that, let < 23 Chapter 23: Improper Rtionship alone 90. Initially, many thought this scoring was just a show by Peter. Rumors were flying around thepany, saying Serena was Peter¡¯s fling, only there because she slept her way in,cking real talent, which is why her designs were stuck with Heather. But now, Peter¡¯s demand seemed iprehensible to them. Not just the design department, but the sales, PR, advertising, and operations departments ¨C all high¨Clevel leaders from every FY department scored Serena¡¯s designs. All ten designs scored above 90. This oue didn¡¯t surprise Peter at all, but Serena wore an expression of disbelief. However, people in the conference room weren¡¯t looking at Serena; they were all looking at Heather. Unable to withstand the pressure, Heather stood up to exin, iming that while Serena¡¯s designs were good, the PO product line primarily dealt with gold jewelry. The low hardness and soft texture of gold made tooplex designs and mounts too risky with current techniques. ¡°But as the head of the PO design group, your responsibility is to select the best designs. Whether the craftsmanship can realize them isn¡¯t your concern. You should submit the best designs to your leaders, who will determine their feasibility for production, not you.¡± Sophia Shepherd bluntly rebuked Heather, whose face turned red with embarrassment, leaving her at a loss for words except to apologize. ¡°Now that 5G technology for gold is maturing, while Serena¡¯s designs are somewhat challenging to achieve, they aren¡¯t flights of fantasy. They migh even drive ourpany¡¯s technological innovations. After all, gold jewelry has always been a weak spot for FY.¡± After Sophia spoke, Serena couldn¡¯t help but chime in. ¡°I have some thoughts on gold hardness and craftsmanship¡­¡± Serena began illustrating on the whiteboard, exining her newly invented technique to everyone. Unnoticed, people from other departments left the conference room, leaving only Sophia and a few design sub¨Cdivision heads. They were seriously discussing and researching the craft improvements for the new product line with 12:30 ( 23 Chapter 23: Improper Rtionship Serena. Even though Serena was part of the PO department, her colleagues there felt more embarrassed than proud. Including ire. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Caleb noticed ire¡¯s mood was off. ire suddenly grabbed Caleb¡¯s hand and pulled him into a corner. ¡°Caleb, I¡¯m only telling you¡­ actually¡­ the new technique Serena mentioned¡­ I came up with it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Caleb was taken aback. ire deliberately hushed him, ¡°Serena asked me for help with her designs. Without thinking much, I talked about this new technique I had in mind, never expecting her to present it as her own idea in the meeting¡­¡± Seeing ire¡¯s eyes redden, Caleb turned to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ire grabbed Caleb¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you get justice,¡± Caleb said resolutely. ¡°No¡­ please don¡¯t go¡­¡± ire held Caleb back desperately. ¡°You know, Serena¡­ has a close rtionship with Director Peter. There are rumors in thepany about their improper rtionship. A colleague even saw them hugging at her workstation during today¡¯s lunch break. I don¡¯t think anyone would believe us, and once you¡¯re gone, I don¡¯t know how Director Peter might target me¡­¡± The more ire spoke, the quieter her voice became. Just then, Serena finished her meeting and walked out of the conference room. Turning her head, she saw Caleb and ire in the corner, holding hands. Caleb was also looking at her, his eyes full of disdain. Serena had thought that after seeing her designs, Caleb would at least slightly recognize her capability beyond being a housewife. But now it seemed she had thought too much. 23 Chapter 23: Improper Rtionship Holding her stomach, Serena silently returned to her office. Calebforted ire for a while before leaving FY. Mr. Miller came by fashionablyte, carrying the millet congee and shrimp dumplings Caleb had asked him to buy. ¡°President Lockwood, this¡­¡± Mr. Miller handed the takeout to Caleb, noticing his boss¡¯s foul mood. This was not Caleb¡¯s usual fare. Mr. Miller knew it must be for someone else, though he wouldn¡¯t ask for whom. Caleb took the takeout and casually threw it into the trash can beside him. Mr. Miller was stunned but said nothing. Caleb had originally bought that takeout for Serena. During the meeting, he had heard her stomach growling and saw her rubbing her stomach multiple times. As someone with a stomach condition himself, Caleb assumed Serena was suffering from stomach pain and hadn¡¯t eaten lunch, prompting him to order the tummy¨Csoothing millet porridge. But after hearing what ire said, he felt his gesture had been unnecessary. FY eventually developed a new technique andunched Serena¡¯s ten designs to the market. The FY¨CPO series became a huge sess, selling worldwide. As a high¨Cend luxury brand, FY not only solidified its position in luxury jewelry but also made a significant impact in the mid¨Cto¨Chigh¨Cend gold jewelry market. However, within FY Company, rumors unfavorable to Serena continued to spread. Comment 0 16:30 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 24 24 Chapter 24: New Romance Revealed Rumors started circting within Serena Jennings¡¯s own PO department, with colleagues iming that the new craft was initially thought up by ire Shaw, and Serena giarized ire¡¯s ideas. 1 It¡¯s a lie to say Serena isn¡¯t bothered by this. But the rumors have already formed and are spreading vividly, and she can¡¯t exin it to everyone she meets. Even after exining, people wouldn¡¯t believe her and think she¡¯s making it worse. As the saying goes, prejudice in one¡¯s heart is like a mountain; no matter how hard you try, you can¡¯t move it. Serena knows very well that quite a few colleagues in thepany didn¡¯t like her right from the start. Still, the PO series is selling well, and she hasn¡¯t let Peter down. Serena feels no guilt herself. Today, Serena is working overtime again. The big IP modern urban fashion drama ¡°Surprise Life,¡± invested by Starlight Media, requires designing several sets of original jewelry. Seeing the sess of the PO series, they proactively partnered with FY, appointing Serena to take charge of this major project. Serena worked overtime until after 8 p.m. When she left FY, it was already pitch ck outside. Beep beep! A car honked at her from the roadside. This car was thetest Ferrari sports model, very eye¨Ccatching, with ssic and dazzling racing red metallic paint that makes people want to take another look. Serena couldn¡¯t recall anyone she knew driving such a car. Caleb Lockwood prefers luxury cars with a strong business feel rather than sports models. Thinking the person wasn¡¯t Caleb, Serena cautiously approached the car. ¡°Serena, it¡¯s me.¡± The top was open, and Serena saw Justin Nash sitting inside the car. 24 Chapter 24: New Romance Revealed Justin Nash looked the same as ever, wearing afortable sports outfit, with a fresh and bright expression and a radiant smile, looking every bit like a college student just stepping into the world- totally out of ce with this car. Serena froze, called up into the car by Justin Nash. Justin spoke that he was about to graduate and already found a new job with a bigpany, and he just bought this car. Justin¡¯s words were vague, and Serena didn¡¯t inquire further. However, in Serena¡¯s impression, it¡¯s unlikely that even a bigpany would offer a very high sry to fresh graduates. The dinner was Justin Nash¡¯s treat, and after finishing the meal, Serena proactively suggested going shopping at the mall with Justin, much to his surprise. ¡°You¡¯re now a member of society and have joined a bigpany, so you should have a good suit. I¡¯ll buy you one as a congrattory gift for graduating and securing a good job.¡± ¡°How could I ept, you shouldn¡¯t spend so much.¡± Seeing Justin¡¯s face turn red, Serena couldn¡¯t help butugh. In the mall, there¡¯s a suit shop Serena is quite familiar with, the suit quality is high there, having visited a few times previously. Back then, every visit was to pick out clothing for Caleb Lockwood. I remember just after getting married, Serena couldn¡¯t help but want to buy new clothes for Caleb. With a handsome, wealthy husband who loved her, Serena felt very proud and focused on being a good wife who supports her husband. But the store specializes in bespoke tailoring, and each time Serena messaged Caleb, hoping he¡¯d visit after work to get measured and try on clothes. Every time Caleb would make excuses. If it wasn¡¯tpany matters, it was a sudden business trip, or social engagements. 13:30 216 24 Chapter 24: New Romance Revealed Not willing to give up, Serena bought several non¨Ccustom versions, matching Caleb¡¯s size. Yet, once home they were either criticized by Caleb for the tailoring or despised for the material. Essentially, there wasint about everything. After hitting obstacles a few times, Serena gradually stopped buying, and the suits she did purchase still gather dust in the wardrobe today, never worn by Caleb. Originally, Justin Nash didn¡¯t want Serena to spend so much, even though her sry at FY was decent. But since she was quarreling with Caleb about the divorce, there were many future expenses ahead. Nheless, when Serena proactively offered to gift him a high¨Cend suit, he was so happy he could nearly shed tears of joy. They already reached the door of the suit shop, but then Justin Nash noticed Serena hesitated to enter. Serena was lost in thought. Her eyes were glued to the suits inside the store but her gaze went beyond the suits. Justin Nash observed Serena¡¯s face. Serena was truly beautiful, the most beautiful person he¡¯d ever seen. Yet at this moment, the expression on this angelic face made Justin Nash feel painful. To him, Serena had always been strong. But there¡¯s just one person who can make Serena, the strong woman, red¨Ceyed and heartbroken. Justin Nash clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re not buying the suit anymore.¡± Suddenly, Serena was pulled along by Justin Nash, holding hands as they walked. She was thoroughly bewildered, just like that, walked some distance hand in hand with Justin. ¡°Justin Nash, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Serena felt Justin seemed angry. 13.30 24 Chapter 24: New Romance Revealed ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s my fault, let¡¯s go back now and buy!¡± Serena misunderstood, thinking she angered Justin by dawdling too long. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, I¡¯m angry about¡­¡± Seeing Justin hesitate, Serena was bewildered. Suddenly realizing, her gaze fell onto Justin¡¯s hand. That hand till now was still holding hers. ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry, so sorry¡­¡± Justin hastily let go, his face turning red like a monkey¡¯s rear, his fingertips still carrying the cool and delicate touch. Eventually, Serena still took Justin back to the suit shop, bespoke tailored a suit for him. Justin originally wanted to save Serena¡¯s money, choosing the cheapest styles and materials. But Serena was adamant. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m the customer, I make the selection.¡± Serena was tough this time, ultimately spending over 200,000 on top¨Cgrade wool material. A material she once chose for Caleb, but sadly he didn¡¯t like it. As they left the suit shop, Justin was still worried if he¡¯d made Serena spend too much money, but seeing Serena¡¯s radiant smile, it seemed she felt quite pleased spending the money. Meanwhile, ire was in a beauty parlor getting a spa treatment when her phone buzzed with a message from Lily Sutton. Lily Sutton: Guess what I just saw? ire initially wasn¡¯t interested and was about to hit the screen¨Coff button when Lily suddenly sent several photos all at once. These photos made ire increasingly excited, with a progressively sinister smile blossoming on her face. 13:30 24 Chapter 24: New Romance Revealed The next day, as soon as Serena arrived at thepany, she noticed colleagues pointing and whispering about her. Not until Peter called her into his office did she learn she made the hot search. The hot search content was: ¡°New Starlight Media president¡¯s romance exposed! Wedding ns underway?¡± The apanying photos left Serena speechless. Those were taken while Serena was picking out suits for Justin. Justin holding her hand was given arge close¨Cup, along with shots of herparing different suit fabrics on Justin. These photos strung together did indeed look ambiguously like a couple readying to marry. Even more surprising to Serena, was a photo of the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony at Starlight Media in the news. The image of Justin was so unfamiliar Serena almost didn¡¯t recognize him. Justin was wearing the suit Serena gifted himst night, standing prominently among many leaders, slicking his hair back. Serena didn¡¯t know whether it was the suit or hairstyle change, but Justin transformed from a naive college student to a mature,posed executive. Calling him merely an executive was likely an understatement. From the introduction, Justin was actually the heir to one of the business giants, The Nash Group. And her identity was also exposed, the news alleging ¡°Surprise Life¡± coborated with FY because Justin misused his position for her. The hot search was fermenting. Meanwhile, Caleb, who was at thepany, specifically returned home. He rummaged through the closet at home, finally finding that suit he never wore. 13:30 516 Mding 25 25 Chapter 25: pping Serena Jennings in the Face The suits were bought for him by Serena Jennings, from a brand he wasn¡¯t familiar with, made of wool, very ssy.1 Caleb Lockwood found all six suits bought for him by Serena Jennings, then made a call to Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller hurried over to The Jade Pavilion, thinking it was an urgent matter for thepany, only to find Caleb handing him six suits. ¡°These clothes are for you, if you don¡¯t like them, you can give them away or throw them out.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone was cold; Mr. Miller felt Caleb was suppressing his rage. The suits looked like luxury items and seemed unworn, so naturally, Mr. Miller wouldn¡¯t throw them away. Full of doubt, he finally just said to Caleb, ¡°Thank you, President Lockwood.¡± After dealing with the annoying suits, Caleb thought he¡¯d feel relieved, but was still anxious enough to want to smoke. When he was on his third cigarette, he received a call from his father. Meanwhile, Serena Jennings, at FY, was about to contact Justin Nash, when several ck¨Csuited men burst into the conference room. Serena was taken aback. She recognized all these men in ck suits. They were the Lockwood family¡¯s bodyguards. Two hourster, Serena appeared at Arthur Lockwood¡¯s vi. Arthur Lockwood was Caleb¡¯s father, hence her father¨Cinw. In the vi were also her mother¨Cinw Lilian Young, her second aunt Lucy Warren, and Caleb. ¡°Serena, I, Lilian Young, must have been blind not to realize you were a snake in the grass!¡± Lilian mmed her phone on the coffee table in anger. 25 Chapter 25: pping Serena Jennings in the face The phone screen was on, showing a hot search topic about Serena. ¡°Tell me, with your poor family background, if it wasn¡¯t for you being Caleb¡¯s lifesaver back then, do you think I¡¯d have agreed to let you in?¡± ¡°Since you married into the Lockwood family, we¡¯ve given you good food and drinks, without needing you to go out and work, but here you are, not grateful, and daring to cheat, putting a green hat on our Caleb!¡± The more Lilian spoke, the angrier she got, pacing around the living room; if not for maintaining her image, she¡¯d have pped Serena a few times to vent. ¡°So kids should find a match from families of equal stature. If Caleb had married ire Shaw back then, wouldn¡¯t this scandal not have happened today?¡± Lucy chimed in while munching on sunflower seeds. Though Serena expected criticism from the Lockwood family on her way here, she didn¡¯t expect Caleb to be present, nor ire to again be used forparison. Whatever Lilian and the rest said didn¡¯t really matter to Serena; she just silently watched Caleb, wanting to see his reaction. But there was none from Caleb. His cold eyes were as calm as still water, as if it didn¡¯t matter even if she had truly cheated with Justin. Serena awkwardly averted her gaze, then heard Arthur ask her, ¡°Serena, what¡¯s going on here? Did you really cheat?¡± Serena opened and closed her mouth, debating internally how to respond. She wanted to divorce Caleb, and if she falsely imed she did, the divorce might actually happen. But she¡¯d bear the stigma of infidelity forever, which was unfair and to her disadvantage. Caleb was the one who actually cheated. Moreover, admitting would negatively impact Justin. Thinking it over, Serena decided to tell the truth: ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat; Justin Nash is just a friend. He found a new job, and I wanted to give him a congrattory gift¡­¡± < 25 Chapter 25: pping Serena Jennings in the Face ¡°Holding hands, yet you call it just friendship?¡± Lucy interrupted Serena, spitting sunflower seed shells. Arthur and Lilian¡¯s expressions grew worse. Beside them, Caleb remained indifferent. At least his face showed no emotion. ¡°These marketing ounts fabricate stories from nothing, exaggerating things, starting with one picture and making up the rest. I was about to slip, and Justin Nash just helped me, that¡¯s all.¡± Serena naturally wouldn¡¯t tell the Lockwood family she was absent¨Cmindedly thinking about Caleb when Justin pulled her away. After hearing Serena¡¯s words, Arthur felt relieved inwardly. He actually believed Serena. The Lockwoods had seen how much Serena loved Caleb. Back when Caleb had a car ident, Serena not only saved his life but also dropped out of school for him, became a diligent housewife after marriage, and managed the household¨Ca dutiful and considerate daughter¨Cinw. ¡°Even if today¡¯s hot search is fake, as Caleb¡¯s wife, our family¡¯s daughter¨Cinw, it was wrong for you to act inappropriately and pull with other men outside. Do you know how much the Lockwood Group¡¯s stock fell because of this hot search?!¡± Arthur ced me on Serena which she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Dad, no one online knows I¡¯m the Lockwood family¡¯s daughter¨Cinw, so the Lockwood Group¡¯s stock dropping shouldn¡¯t be my fault.¡± Arthur originally just wanted to scold Serena a bit, asserting authority as an elder, but hearing her response infuriated him. ¡°You dare talk back! If the stock¡¯s fall isn¡¯t your fault, whose is it? If you were truly beneficial to your husband, would our stock still fall?!¡± 1 Serena hadn¡¯t expected Arthur to erupt suddenly. 13:30 25 Chapter 25: pping Serena Jennings in the Face It seemed Lockwood recently wasn¡¯t doing well, and she¡¯s be the scapegoat. ¡°Serena really needs discipline; you¡¯ve been too indulgent with her,¡± Lucy chimed in. Lilian strongly agreed. ¡°me Serena¡¯s mom for not guiding her well! Speaking of her mom, who¡¯s had dementia for long and stayed in an upscale nursing home¨Cthe expenses are all covered by us, the Lockwoods. Serena and her mom are both leeches!¡± Caleb frowned at these words, just as he called out ¡°Mom,¡± Serena stepped forward. ¡°Quite the education indeed, Calebmitted adultery with his mistress, causing his wife¡¯s unborn child to perish. If you think I¡¯ve drained you financially, great, have your son sign the divorce papers quickly, so I can move on to my second spring.¡± 1 Serena¡¯s rapid¨Cfire words stunned Lilian Young. Beside her, Arthur and Lucy were also dumbfounded. ¡°Serena!¡± Caleb couldn¡¯t help but yell. But at this point, Serena had no reason to hide anything. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked your son for a divorce, but he¡¯s unwilling.¡± Serena dered resolutely. Lilian¡¯s face turned green, ¡°What did you say? You want a divorce from my son? You¡­you you you¡­¡± Unable to catch her breath, Lilian fainted from anger. Serena never expected Lilian to be so easily provoked. As Caleb shouted ¡°Mom¡± and rushed over to support the unconscious Lilian, Serena saw the resentment in Caleb¡¯s eyes directed at her. Lilian was taken to the nearby eighth hospital by ambnce. Feeling somewhat responsible, Serena also took a cab over. In the corridor, as Serena looked for the ward, she happened to see Calebing out, and they faced each other. 13.30 415 25 Chapter 25: pping Serena Jennings in the Face ¡°You have the nerve toe?¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was icy. Mding 26 26 Chapter 26: He Can¡¯t Bear to Let Go Either Serena Jennings¡® steps felt as heavy as a thousand pounds as she walked out; she suddenly felt she was being too presumptuous, that perhaps it would have been better if she didn¡¯t show up. 1 Turning around to leave, her wrist was abruptly grabbed by Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Caleb, you¡¯re hurting me¡­¡± Caleb finally rxed his grip a little when he saw Serena¡¯s features contorted in pain. ¡°You can still feel pain, Serena? My mom was so upset by you that she ended up in the hospital¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Serena apologized of her own ord. She truly hadn¡¯t expected things to escte to this point. Caleb stood in front of her, ring at her with such sharp eyes that it seemed he wanted to tear her apart. ¡°If anything happens to my mom, I¡¯ll make sure you pay for it.¡± Caleb¡¯s threat wasn¡¯t maliciously harsh, but it weighed so heavily on Serena¡¯s mind that she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Caleb!¡± At this moment, ire Shaw arrived. She was hurried and flustered, clearly very anxious; her makeup was simple and elegantpared to usual, and she held her Herm¨¨s bag in her hand rather than wearing it, the strap swinging from her running strides. Caleb immediately released Serena, the hand that was just gripping Serena¡¯s arm now being held by ire. ¡°Caleb, how is Aunt Young? I heard she fainted and immediately took leave toe over.¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. The doctor said she was just a bit shocked, and a few days of rest will do. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Caleb reassured, patting ire on the shoulder. Serena watched from the side, observing the stark contrast in Caleb¡¯s demeanor when facing her versus ire, silently turning away. 26 Chapter 26: He Can¡¯t Bear to Let Go Either ¡°Who said you could leave?¡± Caleb¡¯s low voice sounded behind her, and Serena turned her head. Their eyes met, and disappointment lingered in both their gazes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I upset your mom so much she was hospitalized and wanted me to pay for it¡­am I staying here without the fear of worsening her condition?¡± ¡°She¡¯s your mom too.¡± 1 Caleb¡¯s words left Serena stunned. ¡°Serena, was it you who upset Aunt Young so much that she fainted?¡± ire was shocked, ¡°You really need to be more careful; Aunt Young is your mother¨Cinw after all, and as a daughter¨Cinw, you should be more considerate and not so selfish¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to lecture me.¡± Serena red at ire, whose eyes instantly reddened. ¡°Sorry, I spoke too much¡­I¡­I just wanted to help you reconcile¡­¡± ire was on the verge of tears, snuggling into Caleb¡¯s embrace as he held her shoulder and said to Serena: ¡°You shocked my mom just now and now you¡¯ve made ire cry. Serena, I never knew you had such an impressive skill!¡± Under Caleb¡¯s fierce gaze, Serena opened her mouth with no words to utter. What more could she say? All the trouble was caused by her, and all the mistakes were hers. At least, that¡¯s how Caleb saw things. Rtives from the Lockwood family gradually arrived, and ire ordered delivery of various fruits and snacks, earning praises from the entire Lockwood n. Serena stood aside, feeling like an outsider. When discussing who would stay at the hospital that night, the rtives suddenly thought of her. 1 ¡°I know Caleb is filial, but in times like this, it must be the daughter¨Cinw¡¯s duty to stay!¡± 12:31 26 Chapter 26: He Can¡¯t Bear to Let Go Either ¡°Yeah, if the daughter¨Cinw doesn¡¯t step up, what¡¯s the point of the Lockwood family raising her all these years?¡± ¡°She was the one who made little Young ill. It¡¯s only right she takes on the responsibility of caregiving¡± The hospital room was full of chatter, while Lilian Youngy silently eating the apple ire fed her, tacitly agreeing. ¡°Aunt Young, how about¡­I stay to take care of you?¡± As soon as ire said this, Lilian Young was moved to tears. ¡°Look, look how considerate and understanding ire is¡­someone else should really learn from her.¡± Even with Serena¡¯s low presence, she couldn¡¯t escape Lilian Young¡¯s scornful look. ¡°But you have work, taking care at night would be too tiring, and if you don¡¯t sleep well, how would you go to work the next day?¡± Caleb¡¯s tone might still be indifferent, but everyone could sense his concern for ire. ¡°You see, ire, even if you want to, Caleb can¡¯t bear it.¡± Lucy Warren chimed in, and several rtives showered ire with praise, leaving ire blushing. The atmosphere in the hospital room was harmonious until Caleb¡¯s tall figure stood before Serena, Everyone instinctively fell silent, focusing their attention on Caleb and Serena. ire, who was peeling an apple, slowly tightened her grip on the fruit knife. She knew Caleb cared for her, but she genuinely wanted to stay to take care, not wanting to miss this opportunity to present herself well. Serena raised her face to see Caleb¡¯s deep eyes, like tequ with ice. ¡°You¡¯re staying tonight.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, nor a negotiation; Caleb used amanding tone. Serena clenched her fist. ¡°I have a job too, and I need to work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then quit.¡± 26 Chapter 26: He Can¡¯t Bear to Let Go Either Seeing Serena¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief, Caleb shrugged with a smile. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think your job is as important as ire¡¯s, right?¡± Many of the Lockwood rtives weren¡¯t aware that Serena was also a jewelry designer at FY. Though the trending news mentioned it, their focus was on the ambiguous photos of Serena and Justin Nash. Serena really wanted to remind Caleb that she and ire worked in the samepany, doing the same job. But the words remained stuck in her throat. Caleb couldn¡¯t possibly not know. It meant that in Caleb¡¯s eyes, even though she and ire were doing identical jobs, only ire was considered important. ire¡¯s work was indeed work, while hers could simply be resigned from. Serena felt suffocated. It¡¯s not like she refused to stay. After all, Lilian Young was hospitalized, and Serena had a responsibility; if Caleb and the Lockwood family weren¡¯t so biased, she would¡¯ve probably agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time. You have plenty of money; hiring a caregiver is not difficult.¡± Leaving those words behind, Serena turned and walked away. The entire corridor was filled with Lilian Young¡¯s dissatisfaction: ¡°Listen to that, is that even human speech? Our Lockwood family must be cursed for eight lifetimes to marry such a heartless thing!¡± Serena didn¡¯t look back, speeding up as she walked, unaware that Caleb was chasing her from behind. Caleb was about to catch up with Serena in a few steps when suddenly he stopped. He saw his grandfather arriving. Lance Lockwood only gave him one look, and Caleb understood what his grandfather meant. Serena didn¡¯t expect Lance Lockwood toe. 13:31 < 26 Chapter 26: He Can¡¯t Bear to Let Go Either However, with Lilian Young hospitalized, Lance Lockwood was obligated to visit her. Sitting together on the bench outside the hospital wing, Serena and Lance Lockwood sat. Though Lance Lockwood¡¯s hair was white, he always wore suits, possessing an aura stronger than Caleb¡¯s. Serena guessed that Lance must have learned of the trending news involving her and Justin Nash. Lance was likely aware of the proposal of divorce that led Lilian Young to faint. Her hands were clenched tightly. Serena knew that Lance had heart problems, and feared upsetting him, so she merely exined that she and Caleb had quarreled and didn¡¯t expect things to escte so much. After hearing Serena¡¯s vague exnation, Lance Lockwood sighed: ¡°Young people shouldn¡¯t be too impulsive.¡± ¡°Yes¡­Grandfather is right¡­¡± Serena knew she had disappointed Lance Lockwood. ¡°There¡¯s no marriage without arguments; it¡¯s all part of the process of adapting¡­I know you work hard to take care of Caleb, and Caleb, this child, he has a strong sense of career ambition. Busy with work, he might have neglected you at times, but try to understand him¡­¡± (1 Comment 3 Leave the firstment for this chapter, Vote Mding 27 27 Chapter 27: Shaken Her Resolve to Divorce Lance Lockwood was trying his best to persuade, but Serena Jennings was hearing none of it. Everyone wanted her to be considerate of Caleb Lockwood. She had been considerate! For three long years. And in return, Caleb Lockwood had personally forced her to lose their precious first child for the sake of his beloved. Serena¡¯s face grew paler, and her heart colder. Lance Lockwood was the most kind toward her among the Lockwood family, but he was still Caleb¡¯s actual grandfather, so he naturally spoke in favor of Caleb. Suddenly, Serena felt isted and helpless. Lance Lockwood spoke a lot about Caleb¡¯s difficulties, how challenging it was, making Serena¡¯s ears practically grow calluses. ¡°Consider it carefully again, give Caleb a chance, also a chance for yourself. But¡­if you ultimately decide to divorce Caleb, I will support you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lance¡¯sst sentence made Serena pause in surprise. ¡°So, Grandpa, you support my divorce from Caleb?¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s eyes widen in astonishment, a kindly smile spread across Lance¡¯s aged face. ¡°From my standpoint, I certainly don¡¯t wish for you two to divorce, but I won¡¯t impose my will and forcibly tie you down to the Lockwood family,¡± Lance understood that Serena and Caleb¡¯s divorce wasn¡¯t due to petty arguments. Yet, as Caleb¡¯s grandfather, he was obliged to advise. 13:31 27 Chapter 27: Shaken Her Resolve to Divorce When Caleb was in a car ident, everyone nearby watched coldly, not even making a call for an ambnce. Only Serena not only called for an ambnce but when she heard it was stuck in traffic, she personally carried Caleb and walked to the ambnce location. When Lance arrived at the hospital, he saw Serena, a young girl, anxiously waiting outside the operating room, flushed and drenched in sweat, her clothes dirty beyond belief. It was from then that Lance felt Serena had feelings for Caleb. After Caleb passed the critical period, he expressed gratitude to Serena. Regardless of her reason for rescuing Caleb, it was a life¨Csaving favor for the Lockwood family. However, Serena neither wanted money nor requested anything else. In today¡¯s materialistic society, Lance found girls like Serena rare. Not to mentionter, Serena also gave up her studies for Caleb. ¡°Caleb is lucky to have married you¡­if one day he loses you, it wouldn¡¯t just be his loss but a loss for the entire Lockwood family.¡± After saying this, Lance entered the inpatient building, leaving Serena alone on the long bench. If Lance¡¯s words had shaken her determination to divorce, it certainly hadn¡¯t. But in Serena¡¯s heart, there was a voice of regret: If only Caleb himself thought the same. In the end, Lilian Young was cared for by a nurse hired by Caleb, though every day ire woulde to make tea, water and tell jokes. ¡°I¡¯m really envious of you, having such a devoted daughter¨Cinw,¡± the patient in the next room said to Lilian Young. ¡°I see she feeds you all kinds of supplements daily, must cost quite a bit, huh?¡± Lilian Young¡¯s health was actually well restored, but with a nurse and ire taking care of her and continuous praise from others, she didn¡¯t mind staying in the hospital a little longer. ¡°Aunt Young, today¡¯s after¨Cmeal dessert is nourishing blood bird¡¯s nest,¡± ire said with a charming smile. 5-3357 27 Chapter 27: Shaken Her Resolve to Divorce Ever since Lilian Young was hospitalized, supplements were delivered daily, from ginseng soup to royal jelly, all high¨Cend brands from The Wellness Pavilion, each extraordinarily priced. But the sender left no name or contact, and the delivery person only knew it was for Lilian Young. Since the first time it was epted by ire, from then on, ire always had the delivery person bring it to the first floor of the inpatient building to personally fetch it. In the ward, ire snapped a photo of Lilian Young drinking the blood bird¡¯s nest and sent it to Caleb. At this moment, Caleb was at thepany. Every day, ire sends him photos of his Serena hadn¡¯t visited even once. mom, and while his mom had been in the hospital for ten days, In the office, Mr. Miller was organizing files. He didn¡¯t understand why Caleb¡¯s expression looked so terrifying when he saw his mom recovering well. ¡°Hello?¡± call, jublet Caleb voluntarily made a phone call. FY Headquarters. Serena never dreamt Caleb would voluntarily call her. She answered, but the receiver was silent. Finally, she took the initiative to ask, ¡°Caleb Lockwood, what do you want from me?¡± Still, no one spoke on the other end. Just as Serena was about to hang up, she finally heard Caleb¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Do you know where you fall shortpared to ire?¡± Serena¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Reason told her to hang up immediately, but emotions urged her to keep listening. She didn¡¯t hang up. 13:31 27 Chapter 27: Shaken Her Resolve to Divorce ¡°My mom¡¯s been hospitalized for ten days, ire¡¯s been there daily, and she¡¯s already been fired for it, but you haven¡¯te even once.¡± Serena thought Caleb would say something else. ¡°When I was hospitalized for a miscarriage, she didn¡¯t even visit me once, did she?¡± ¡°Did you need visiting?¡± Caleb¡¯s calm retort felt like a knife stabbing Serena¡¯s heart. That was a miscarriage¡­ Did he think he knew what a miscarriage felt like? Serena still remembered during her hospitalization, there was another patient in the next room who also had a miscarriage. Her husband would cook personally every day, feeding her brown sugar water by hand. Serena overheard them nning to have a baby again six monthster, with the husbandforting his wife that they were still young, and the baby cot already bought would certainly not remain unused. In fact, when Serena discovered her pregnancy, she had secretly searched for baby cots and baby items on her phone. Although she didn¡¯t know if it was a boy or girl yet, children¡¯s items were all so cute, she bookmarked quite a few. She once thought those things would eventually be used. But now, she didn¡¯t dare to open that collection even once. Caleb didn¡¯t expect his casual remark would leave Serena silent for so long. So long that he wondered if there was a problem with his phone. Before he could speak again, the busy tone came through the receiver. It was Serena who had unterally hung up. Caleb also put down his phone. Mr. Miller noticed that Caleb¡¯s expression was even more frightening than before. 2321 27 Chapter 27: Shaken Her Resolve to Divorce Another two days passed, and Lilian Young was discharged, with Arthur Lockwood using this as an excuse to host a party at The Lockwood Estate, inviting titans and celebrities from various social circles, aiming to reverse recent business setbacks for the Lockwood Group. Caleb naturally attended, with ire as hispanion. As Caleb was socializing, Lilian Young pulled ire¡¯s hand to whisper, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the old man stopping me, I would¡¯ve had Caleb divorce Serena long ago; Caleb should¡¯ve married you from the start.¡± ire smiled shyly, gazing affectionately at Caleb. Just then, Caleb turned, giving her a slight smile. ¡°Look, my son never smiled at Serena like that.¡± Lilian Young¡¯s words made ire more certain of Caleb¡¯s love for her. Amidst the clinking sses and lively banter at the party. Serena took a cab to the estate and was surprised to see the old mansion bustling with people and noise, momentarily thinking she had arrived at the wrong ce. Mding 28 28 Chapter 28: When Will You Get Married As she got closer, she could see that the men were dressed in suits and the women were dressedvishly. 1 It seemed they were hosting a cocktail party. Some guests at the party noticed Serena because she was the only one wearing a cheap t¨Cshirt and jeans. ¡°Oh my God, Serena, why are you dressed like this?¡± ire Shaw¡¯s sharp eyes spotted Serena immediately, and she eximed, quickly stepping over in high heels to stand face¨Cto¨Cface with Serena. Today, she wore thetest haute couture from Elie Saab, a nude pink silk strap dress embellished with Swarovski crystals, both graceful and noble. In contrast to Serena in jeans, the difference in ss was clear. ¡°Sister¨Cinw, why bother with her?¡± Patrick Rhodes approached ire Shaw, giving Serena a once¨Cover. ¡°This is such an important cocktail party, and you¡¯re dressed like this. You¡¯re intentionally trying to embarrass Brother Lockwood, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Patrick, don¡¯t say that. Serena isn¡¯t that kind of person!¡± ire Shaw exined in a soft and gentle voice. ¡°She¡¯s struggling out there on her own right now, cut off from the Lockwood Family¡¯s financial support. How could she afford a gown!¡± ire Shaw¡¯s face, made up like a Barbie doll, showed ¡°sincere¡± concern. She even wanted to take Serena¡¯s hand, but Serena dodged it. ¡°Serena, if you ever have difficulties, feel free to talk to me. It¡¯s just a dress, after all. Caleb has given me many, you can choose any you like.¡± ire Shaw¡¯s hypocritical attitude made Serena nauseous. She wanted to leave but was blocked by Patrick. < 28 Chapter 28: When Will You Get Married ¡°Sister¨Cinw is treating you so well, and you don¡¯t even say thank you. No wonder Brother Lockwood always thinks youck proper manners.¡± Among the guests, Peter and Justin Nash were also present. Peter was there representing FY, and Justin Nash was invited as the new president of Starlight Media. Neither of them expected to see Serena here. It might have been manageable if ire Shaw alone had blocked Serena¡¯s way, but now there was Patrick, a Patrick was still unting in front of Serena when someone suddenly grabbed him by the back of his cor. ¡°Brother Lockwood?¡± Seeing Caleb Lockwooding, ire Shaw immediately held onto Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm. Caleb Lockwood looked at Serena, sizing her up just like Patrick did, but his gaze was much sharper. ¡°Weren¡¯t you nning to divorce me? Yet, in a setting like this, you show up to y the hostess.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was still indifferent, and his mocking tone was as harsh as ever. ¡°Her? Hostess?¡± Patrick sneered, ¡°She¡¯s more like sister¨Cinw¡¯s maid.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t be bothered to acknowledge Patrick. Her clothes were indeed too simple, and could not ncing inadvertently, she noticed Lilian Young. Lilian Young happened to be looking her way too, and as their eyes met, she guiltily turned her face away. The reason Serena came to the old residence today was because Lilian Young called her. Said grandpa wasn¡¯t feeling well, and there was no medicine at home, asking her to get some. The old residence had caregivers specifically for grandpa and servants too. But since it was about grandpa, Serena didn¡¯t refuse. Now it seemed, Lilian Young did it on purpose. 28 Chapter 28: When Will You Get Married Intentionally arranged for her toe to the estate at this time, to contrast with thevishly dressed ire Shaw. Serena shrugged and smiled, unconcerned. ¡°I just love wearing cheap t¨Cshirts and jeans; none of you can control me¡­ Besides, I¡¯m not here for the cocktail party, it¡¯s because your mom asked me to bring medicine to grandpa.¡± Serena exined this to Caleb Lockwood, while Patrick waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t use others as an excuse, if you want to see Brother Lockwood just say so, if you can¡¯t afford a gown just admit it, this will only make Brother Lockwood dislike you more.¡± After speaking, Caleb Lockwood chuckled. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s alluring smile had never been so heart¨Cwrenching. Serena was speechless, she walked between Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw, striding towards the mansion. ¡°This Serena is so cunning, with such a big space not choosing to walk, she intentionally goes between sister- inw and Brother Lockwood.¡± Patrickined indignantly. Lance Lockwood didn¡¯t expect Serena toe today. After hearing the background, he realized that Serena had been tricked by Lilian Young. ¡°Serena, what brand of dress do you want? Grandpa will give you.¡± Lance Lockwood took out his phone to make a call, ¡°My granddaughter¨Cinw isn¡¯t someone to be belittled by some random people.¡± Serena quickly stopped him; she really didn¡¯t care about a dress, and she could afford it. She didn¡¯t care whether ire Shaw or Patrick looked down on her. As for Caleb Lockwood¡­ Serena sighed, changed the subject, inquired about grandpa¡¯s recent health, and reminded him to take his medication timely. Upon exiting the mansion, the cocktail party outside hadn¡¯t ended. ire Shaw was holding Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm, surrounded by several people. 28 Chapter 28: When Will You Get Married These people looked like ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s high school ssmates, also quite familiar with Patrick. ¡°When you two broke up after graduation, do you know how distressed we were?¡± ¡°Especially Patrick, he wanted to fly abroad to bring ire back for Brother Lockwood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, no point mentioning it. What¡¯s important is ire is back, it¡¯s like a broken mirror renewed.¡± ¡°When do you n to get married? You both aren¡¯t getting any younger.¡± Surrounded by envy and blessings from her high school friends, ire Shaw wore a blissful expression. Knowing Serena was nearby, she purposely said shyly, ¡°I have no objection, it¡¯s all up to Caleb¡­ Others, hearing ire¡¯s words, began to egg them on. ¡°Brother Lockwood, ire is nudging you!¡± ¡°Could it already be in the works?¡± ¡°No honest confession, and we won¡¯t give a red envelope!¡± ¡°Who are you scaring, Brother Lockwood isn¡¯t short of that red envelope money, right?¡± Serena listened silently as these people nearly set the wedding date for Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw, her fingertips growing cold. She and Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t married secretly. But when they did marry, it wasn¡¯t a grand affair¨Conly family rtives and a few friends were aware. Aside from Patrick, most of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s high school ssmates were abroad helping their families with business, so they didn¡¯t know Caleb Lockwood was already married. And Caleb Lockwood¡¯s behavior also didn¡¯t seem like that of a married man. Serena felt she was pathetic, eavesdropping on this for what? Elsewhere, Lilian Young approached with a cocktail, joining the conversation. < 28 Chapter 28: When Will You Get Married ¡°ire is indeed a good child, just for her buying supplements from The Wellness Pavilion for me while I was hospitalized, she deserves to be my daughter¨Cinw of the Lockwood Family.¡± ¡°The Wellness Pavilion¡­ is that the brand created by the world¡¯s top nutritionist?¡± Patrick was astounded, ¡°It¡¯s said their supplements are not only exorbitantly priced but also limited edition, you can¡¯t buy them with money alone!¡± ¡°ire, you¡¯re incredible!¡± The crowd followed suit, praising ire Shaw. Lilian Young felt proud, as if her daughter¨Cinw was being praised. ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± Suddenly, an elegantly dressed yet conservativedy interrupted: ¡°I have never sold supplements to Miss Shaw.¡± 1 12 Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote Mding 29 29 Chapter 29: Mistress and Paramour Patrick Rhodes originally wanted to retort with ¡°Who are you?¡°, but seeing the other person¡¯s exceptional attire, he dared not speak carelessly. 1 Lilian Young saw that thisdy was also unfamiliar and took the initiative to ask, ¡°May I ask who you are¡­¡± ¡°I am Faye Finch, the owner of The Wellness Pavilion.¡± Upon hearing this, ire Shaw¡¯s expression instantly changed, but with so many people around, she dared not show any signs of guilt. ¡°All the supplements from The Wellness Pavilion are my proprietary form and aren¡¯t sold to just anyone. In the past month, I¡¯ve only sold them to Serena Jennings.¡± Upon hearing Serena Jennings¡® name, Lilian Young was the most surprised one. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s chiseled face, however, revealed little emotion. ¡°Serena Jennings said a friend¡¯s mother was hospitalized due to a fright and needed some calming, health- boosting supplements. I didn¡¯t expect it was referring to Mrs. Lockwood.¡± The mention of ¡°a friend¡± by Faye Finch stirred waves in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s deep eyes. His grip on the wine ss tightened. Lilian Young forced a smile, ¡°Those supplements are indeed effective, truly living up to the reputation of a global brand.¡± At this moment, Arthur Lockwood came over, proudly saying, ¡°Ms. Finch, Serena is our Lockwood family daughter¨Cinw, she is so filial.¡± Only when they heard this from Mr. Lockwood did Caleb Lockwood¡¯s high school ssmates realize he was already married. ¡°Eh?¡± Faye Finch raised an eyebrow, ¡°Then is this Miss Shaw the mistress President Lockwood found outside?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s gaze at ire Shaw immediately turned strange. 29 Chapter 29: Mistress and Paramour ire Shaw tried her best to remain calm, her palms painfully wed by her own nails. ¡°Ms. Finch¡¯s words are rather harsh.¡± Caleb Lockwood coldly exined, ¡°ire is my high school ssmate.¡± Seeing Caleb Lockwood speak up for her, ire Shaw¡¯s smile regained some confidence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was a misunderstanding on my part. Faye Finch apologized verbally, but her face showed no sign of regret, ¡°Mainly because, in my understanding, married men shouldn¡¯t be overly intimate with other women, so it¡¯s not my fault for misunderstanding.¡± Caleb Lockwood opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Arthur Lockwood took over the conversation, ¡°Ms. Finch is right, it¡¯s all Caleb¡¯sck of propriety, it¡¯s my failure in teaching him right.¡± Although Faye Finch is just a nutritionist, her family background is quite extraordinary, and she is well- connected in the business circle. Arthur Lockwood considered it a great fortune to have invited Faye Finch today. Faye Finch originally did not want toe. But knowing Serena Jennings was the Lockwood family¡¯s daughter¨Cinw, she thought she might see Serena there. Serena Jennings was quite surprised to see Faye Finch at The Lockwood Estate. She was about to leave, but seeing Faye Finch made her stay a little longer. After perfunctorily talking to Arthur Lockwood, Faye Finch immediately went over to find Serena Jennings. The two of them walked to a spot away from the party for a private conversation, and from an outsider¡¯s perspective, they seemed very familiar with each other. ¡°Are you really not nning to go back to see your parents? They said they miss you.¡± Faye Finch advised earnestly, a stark contrast to her earlier confrontation with Caleb Lockwood. Serena Jennings¡® expression was colder than ever. She was silent for a long time, then gave a mocking smile. ¡°I have only one mother, and she is in a nursing home that I often visit.¡± Faye Finch hesitated before changing the subject. 13:32 29 Chapter 29: Mistress and Paramour ¡°That Caleb Lockwood¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m filing for divorce with him.¡± Noticing Serena Jennings didn¡¯t want to discuss Caleb Lockwood further, Faye Finch gave Serena¡¯s shoulder a pat, like a caring elder. Since realizing Faye Finch knew Serena Jennings, ire Shaw noticed the frequency and length of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gazes toward Serena Jennings increased. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± she clung to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm with both hands, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ while at the hospital, I didn¡¯t know those supplements were from Serena. She didn¡¯t leave a name. Although I suspected it might be her, Aunt Lilian was angry and frail then. I was afraid that mentioning Serena would upset her more. Caleb, you won¡¯t me me, will you?¡± With reddened eyes, ire Shaw lowered her head. ¡°You even lost your job to care for my mom, how could I possibly me you? I¡¯m grateful to you instead.¡± With those words from Caleb Lockwood, ire Shaw rested her head on his arm, relieved. ¡°But Serena is really capable, to be acquainted with the owner of The Wellness Pavilion. I heard The Wellness Pavilion has recently gotten quite close to the Nash Group, maybe it was introduced by the new president of Starlight Media!¡± Listening to ire Shaw, Caleb Lockwood noticed Serena Jennings, having finished her chat with Faye Finch, was now proactively seeking out Justin Nash and began a conversation with him. Caleb Lockwood used his thumb to rub the base of his wine ss. After a moment, he gave ire Shaw an alluring smile and said, ¡°Would you like to dance?¡± On the other side, when Serena Jennings proactively approached him, Justin Nash was ttered. After their rumors hit the trending searches, he was so busy he ran himself ragged. Eventually, the rumors were rified, and the attention died down. Justin Nash hadn¡¯t dared to meet Serena Jennings personally; he feared she would me him for deliberately hiding his identity. 29 Chapter 29: Mistress and Paramour Serena Jennings had received Justin Nash¡¯s exnatory message on WeChat on the night the hot search appeared. Justin Nash confessed to her that he was the eldest son of The Nash Group. He originally had a younger brother, but hemitted suicide during his rebellious youth, envious of Justin¡¯s future inheritance of the family business. Justin Nash felt very guilty, so he abandoned his identity as a Nash heir. He volunteered at juvenile detention centers, hoping to help wayward youths and make up for his inability to help his brother. Now, his return to Nash Group was indeed sparked by meeting Serena Jennings. To Justin Nash, only with sufficient status and position could he possibly win Serena away from Caleb Lockwood. Otherwise, Serena would forever see him as an immature kid. Serena Jennings still wasn¡¯t quite used to Justin Nash in a suit and slicked¨Cback hair, although the new look indeed made him much more handsome than before. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s dance.¡± Justin Nash took Serena¡¯s hand and led her into the dance floor, but Serena halted. Following her gaze, he saw Caleb Lockwood elegantly dancing a waltz with his arm around ire Shaw¡¯s waist. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not dance.¡± Knowing Justin Nash cared about her feelings, Serena Jennings shook her head with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright, let¡¯s just dance.¡± She took the initiative to hold Justin Nash¡¯s hand, and his face turned red immediately. Caleb Lockwood, while holding ire Shaw in his arms as they danced, subtly observed Serena Jennings. He never knew Serena could dance, and quite well at that. < 29 Chapter 29: Mistress and Paramour Beside them, Lucy Warren sidled up to Lilian Young and whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t Serena behaving too improperly? At a party full of big shots today, some of whom know she¡¯s Caleb¡¯s wife, she dares to openly dance with another man. And recently, wasn¡¯t there gossip about her with that man too? In my opinion, that gossip must be true. Lilian, you can¡¯t ignore this!¡± Lilian Young¡¯s face turned ugly, ring at Serena with malice. The Lockwood Group managed to regain some stock value through the business deals secured at this party. At FY, Serena Jennings has now been promoted to the team leader of the PO series, with Heather Monroe having been dismissed by Peter. ire Shaw was fired due to absenteeism, and Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross, who originally sided with her, could only keep quiet and bear the oue. Today, Peter brought Serena Jennings big news. ¡°The Lockwood Group has officially entered the jewelry industry,unching a new brand called LC to directly Even before this news was officially announced, Serena Jennings had already heard the gossip at the It was said that the CEO of the Lockwood Group founded the new jewelry brand to court a woman. 30 Chapter 30: Get Out Mding 30 30 Chapter 30: Get Out Serena Jennings knew that person was ire Shaw. ire Shaw neglected her job for days to take care of Lilian Young and was dismissed by FY Company. FY Company allows personal leave, but ire Shaw didn¡¯t apply for it. Now Serena Jennings understood ire Shaw did it on purpose to join The Lockwood Group. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your design absolutely won¡¯t lose, I have confidence in you.¡± Peterforted Serena Jennings, seeing her look a bit upset. Serena Jennings forced a smile. She was never worried about the design. In the following days, Serena Jennings buried herself in designing. Her husband had been taken away by ire Shaw, if her design couldn¡¯tpete, she felt as if the whole of her worth was being negated. However, the market recognized her design, and the box office of ¡°Surprise Life,¡± invested by Starlight Media, exploded, not only making the two lead actors famous but also the jewelry worn by the lead actress in the movie became hugely popr. FY Company took the opportunity to mass¨Cproduce them for the market, and sales were considerable. Today, Serena Jennings went to work as usual, getting up earlier than usual. Because her designed jewelry performed outstandingly in the market, Peter intended to promote her, but since she was still rtively inexperienced at FY Company, it required a joint interview from thepany¡¯s top departments. However, as soon as Serena Jennings got out of her car, she saw from afar that thepany¡¯s entrance was crowded with young people, and they hoisted a banner- Apologize, giarist Serena Jennings! Before Serena Jennings understood the situation, someone spotted her and immediately directed the young 30 Chapter 30: Get Out crowd towards her. ¡°giarist, apologize!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag my brother into this!¡± ¡°Cindy Lowell won¡¯t wear jewelry designed by a giarist!¡± Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t escape and was entangled by the troublemakers. Although she knew some martial arts, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to hit the seemingly underage boys and girls. Eventually, the security guard came to help, allowing her to safely enter thepany. It turned out that the jewelry she designed for ¡°Surprise Life¡± was reported as giarism, marketing ounts made a big deal out of it, and with the movie¡¯s lead actors Miles Morrison and Cindy Lowell just gaining fame, it sparked a fan war. Fans from both sides united to denounce Serena Jennings, leading to the scene at thepany this morning. In the director¡¯s office, Serena Jennings sipped the coffee Peter made for her to calm down, asking, ¡°Who reported my giarism? Where¡¯s the evidence?¡± ¡°It was Heather Monroe.¡± Serena Jennings was shocked. ¡°She went to Lockwood Group¡¯s newly established LC as a team leader after being terminated here.¡± After hearing Peter¡¯s exnation, Serena Jennings suddenly realized. It seemed Heather Monroe either bore a grudge against her for the termination or ire Shaw was using Heather Monroe against her. ¡°So who did she say I giarized?¡± Upon saying this, Peter couldn¡¯t help but chuckle helplessly and asked her back; ¡°Can you guess?¡± The Lockwood Group. 30 Chapter 30: Get Out President¡¯s office. Caleb Lockwood rarely looked at his phone. The phone showed today¡¯s hot searches, with an image of Serena Jennings at thepany entrance, her hair being pulled by Cindy Lowell¡¯s fans, gritting her teeth and grimacing. The coffee by his hand was already cold, and the door to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office was pushed open without knocking. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± The person was ire Shaw, and the displeasure on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face instantly dissipated. ¡°Look, your coffee is cold. I made you a new cup.¡± As ire Shaw reced Caleb Lockwood¡¯s coffee, she noticed he was looking at today¡¯s hot searches. ¡°Caleb, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should mention.¡± Caleb Lockwood looked up at ire Shaw. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal with me.¡± ire Shaw blushed and smiled, ¡°I know Serena Jennings giarized, and it has be quite a big issue¡­ Actually, it¡¯s quitemon for designers tock inspiration, you shouldn¡¯t me Serena Jennings too much, however¡­ she shouldn¡¯t have copied the Piano series, the Piano series¡® design is very unique and well¨Cknown both inside and outside the circle, her giarism is really easy to see¡­¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Caleb Lockwood sighed, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have your talent, she¡¯s actually not suitable for the design field.¡± ¡°So it¡¯d be best if she publicly admitted her giarism and apologized properly to resolve this issue quickly¡­ To be honest, I¡¯m actually the apprentice of the master designer of the Piano series¡­¡± 1 When ire Shaw mentioned this, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes shone brightly. 1 ¡°He really hates people giarizing him, if Serena Jennings doesn¡¯t apologize soon, I fear she¡¯ll be entangled inwsuits, facing hugepensations¡­¡± ire Shaw was full of concern for Serena Jennings, and Caleb Lockwood reached out to touch ire Shaw¡¯s 15710 30 Chapter 30: Get Out smooth hair, his gentle gaze seemed to praise ire Shaw¡¯s kindness. The hot search on Serena Jennings giarizing the Piano series continued to ferment, the fans didn¡¯t leave the FY Company entrance all day. It wasn¡¯t untilte at night, when the fans had dispersed, that Serena Jennings dared leave thepany, and when she got home it was nearly midnight. There was a person standing at her doorstep. Serena Jennings was startled, thinking her home address had been exposed, and fans came to block her. Serena Jennings was startled, thinking her home address Caleb Lockwood turned around, seeing Serena Jennings looking as if she¡¯d seen a ghost, frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me?¡± Serena Jennings didn¡¯t expect Caleb Lockwood to appear here. ¡°Honestly¡­¡± She spoke the truth, yet saw Caleb Lockwood smile, a look that was clearly disbelief. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°Speak inside.¡± usual, Serena Jennings opened the door, unwilling to let Caleb Lockwood in, yet Hismanding tone was a she felt she couldn¡¯t stop him. Caleb Lockwood entered ahead of her. Serena Jennings still remembered thest time Caleb Lockwood came, it was to return the divorce agreement to her. Could it be that Caleb Lockwood agreed to the divorce? Serena Jennings was anxious and saw Caleb Lockwood indeed take out a sheet of paper to hand to her. However, it wasn¡¯t a divorce agreement. ¡°This is the apology statement ire wrote for you.¡± 35 13:23 30 Chapter 30: Get Out ¡°What?¡± Serena Jennings didn¡¯t understand. Caleb Lockwood sat down on the sofa, a sarcastic smile tugging at the corners of his lips, as if mocking her ¡°ire is the apprentice of the master designer of the Piano series you giarized. She said if you publicly admit the giarism and sincerely apologize, her teacher won¡¯t pursue you civilly.¡± Serena Jenningsughed in anger. How could she not know when she epted ire Shaw as an apprentice? ¡°Caleb Lockwood, do you believe everything ire Shaw tells you?¡± Under Serena Jennings¡® angry gaze, Caleb Lockwood calmly replied, ¡°You already know the answer.¡± Yes, she already knew the answer. Serena Jennings smirked self¨Cdeprecatingly, feeling she was truly redundant. ¡°I didn¡¯t giarize, and I won¡¯t apologize.¡± She crumpled the paper Caleb Lockwood handed her and threw it into the trash can. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Serena Jennings, ire meant well, she wants to help you, don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡± As soon as he spoke, he saw Serena Jennings open the door. ¡°Get out.¡± This scene was all too familiar. Back then when he brought the divorce papers and sought her out, Serena Jennings also opened the door the same way to send him away. Being shown the door twice by Serena Jennings was quite novel for Caleb Lockwood. Thest time, he left. 12: 30 Chapter 30: Get Out This time¡­ Serena Jennings stood by the door waiting for Caleb Lockwood to get up, but Caleb Lockwood did stand up, only to remove his tie as he walked towards her. 31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So Long Mding 31 31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So Long 31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So Long Serena Jennings had a foreboding feeling, instinctively wanting to flee. 1 However, as she turned, Caleb Lockwood suddenly mmed the door behind her. Her slender body was lifted, and Serena struggled desperately, but she was still thrown onto the bed by Caleb. On the bed, Serena clutched her neckline tightly, her eyes red and wary of him. Caleb couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Serena, as long as we haven¡¯t divorced, you¡¯re mywful wife.¡± The Caleb before her seemed, in Serena¡¯s eyes, like a ravenous beast. She watched him take off his suit jacket, remove his shirt. 1 ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this, you can¡¯t force me!¡± Serena shouted at Caleb with all her might, but her voice trembled and distorted. ¡°Of course I can.¡± Without a word, Caleb lunged forward. Underneath him, Serena was like a frightened, trembling small animal, curled up tightly, even her toes clenching the sheets. After three years of marriage, Serena had always been sufficiently cooperative in matters of intimacy. So after a long time, it was inevitably tedious. But today, Serena was different, instead rousing his interest. ¡°What¡¯s this, using this method to seduce me, huh!¡± As Caleb removed her clothes one by one, unprecedented helplessness and terror caused Serena to shed tears. ¡°Haven¡¯t touched you for so long, hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Caleb gently kissed away her tears with the tip of his tongue, yet his hands left red marks on her wrists. 31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So Long After a buoyant night, Caleb got up quite early in the morning and had Mr. Miller bring over a new suit. Mr. Miller never asked unnecessary questions; after delivering the suit, he returned to the car to wait. When Caleb was dressed, Serena still hadn¡¯t woken up. He nced at Serena with the corner of his eye; her eyes were still swollen in sleep. Last night was the first time Caleb had seen Serena cry so intensely in the many years he¡¯d known her. As he moved, Serena cried. The mood at that time was high, yet after the passion cooled, Caleb felt Serena crying like that had no meaning. It wasn¡¯t the first time¡­ Caleb¡¯s chiseled face appeared just as cold as a sculpture. Casually mumbling ¡°so pretentious,¡± he left Serena¡¯s home. 2 In the afternoon, the originally bright sunny sky turned cloudy and overcast. When Serena awoke, her mind was nk as though she had been ckout drunk. The intense stimuli fromst night gradually revived her memories. Her nose tingled, and her eyes became wet again. She had slept with Caleb. Although she was forced, the two of them still had rtions. The most fatal thing was¡­ She still had feelings for him. 1 Serena ruffled her hair in frustration, wanting to throw a tantrum but couldn¡¯t. Suddenly she remembered something, grabbed her phone, and nced at the time. 31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So Long It was already one in the afternoon! The phone showed Peter had called her thirty¨Ctwo times and sent countless WeChat messages. Serena quickly called him back to exin. Originally, Peter nned to hold a press conference in the morning to clear up allegations of giarism against Serena. Heather Monroe used Serena of giarizing the treble clef element from the Piano Series while designing jewelry for ¡°Surprise Life.¡± In other words, it was Serena giarizing herself. However, using the treble clef element in design wasn¡¯t an original or exclusive feature of the Piano Series. Simply based on this, iming giarism against Serena was fundamentally unfounded. But the other side was obviously prepared, using inte trolls to stir up fan wars. Peter thought the quickest and most effective way to prove innocence was for Serena to admit she was the mastermind behind the Piano Series design. If possible, Serena had no intention of ever revealing herself. But now she had no other choice, so she agreed with Peter¡¯s suggestion. And then Caleb ruined it! Peter didn¡¯t me Serena, but this made Serena feel more guilty, and her anger towards Caleb increased. Due to Serena¡¯s dy, the press conference was postponed to the evening, but before the evening came, the online opinion suddenly shifted. Many jewelry designers, both domestic and abroad, came out to support Serena, citing past instances of simr elements to prove Serena¡¯s work wasn¡¯t giarized. Following this, Heather Monroe was exposed to negative scandals, including giarism, having an affair with her boss, and being a third party, diverting all theizens¡® attention onto her. Within a day, Serena felt she had experienced highs and lows, but at least her turmoil had temporarily subsided. 12-22 31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So Long Serena stayed home all day. Her eyes were too swollen. No matter how she tried to cover it with makeup, it was futile, and she angrily broke two boxes of shading powder. She initially thought to apply a few cucumber slices, hoping the swelling would subside by the next day. When it was almost dinner time, Justin Nash called her. ¡°I¡¯m here to im credit.¡± At Justin¡¯s words, Serena immediately understood; the change in online opinion must be because Justin hired some inte trolls. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Just a verbal thanks? Lacks sincerity, huh!¡± Serena was amused by Justin, ¡°Alright then, tell me how should I thank you?¡± ¡°What about being with me forever? How do you feel about that?¡± Justin asked jokingly. Serena fell silent. If it were a normal day, she would definitely joke back saying if there¡¯s no need for her to bring a dowry, she¡¯d consider it. But she had just gone through that affair with Calebst night, and Justin¡¯s ¡°being with me forever¡± inexplicably reminded her of Caleb¡¯s proposal to her. The silence on the line made Justin panic. ¡°I was just joking, don¡¯t be mad!¡± Serena snapped back to reality. It should be her inviting Justin for dinner, given he helped her so much. But Justin insisted on treating her, as long as she was willing to grace him with her presence.
  1. 13.
31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So Long The nightlife in City A was vibrant and morous. After arriving at the International Hotel, Serena first went to the restroom to check herself in the mirror repeatedly. She spent three hours applying makeup today, the longest and most carefully she¡¯d ever done in her life. To cover her swollen eyes, she rarely wore such heavy makeup and selected a deep V¨Cbackless ck sequin gown, which was sensual, elegant, and carried a hint of aggressiveness. When Justin saw Serena, he was so amazed his eyes were fixed. Justin too was dressed deliberately, in a tailored ck satin tailcoat, appearing like a noble gentleman. The International Hotel, a five¨Cstar establishment, had high consumption and was formal. Serena was d Justin invited her here; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to use this attire to disguise her eyes. The meal was delightful, and Justin reluctantly pulled Serena to apany him in enjoying the night view. The night view at Seacliff Bridge was gorgeous, the city¡¯s bustle coupled with the shimmering flow of the waters. Serena walked alongside Justin, and had they held hands, they¡¯d blend in seamlessly with the various couples around. After walking for a while, she suddenly heard Justin ask: ¡°Did something happen between you and Caleb Lockwood?¡± Serena¡¯s shoulders tensed. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have pried¡­¡± Justin awkwardly scratched his head. Although Serena looked stunning tonight and tried her best to cover it up, he still noticed her eyes were a bit swollen, and coupled with her unusual attire and makeup tonight, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess. Justin felt stifled. 31 Chapter 31: Haven¡¯t Touched You for So L Long He really wanted to ask Serena what she saw in Caleb. Good looks? He wasn¡¯tcking in that! Wealth? He had that too. ¡°Serena¡­¡± His arm unexpectedly caught hold of, facing Serena. Under the brilliant and bright lights of Seacliff Bridge, she saw Justin¡¯s face flushed, his ¡°I¡­ actually¡­ I towards you¡­¡± gaze intense. The phone rang at an ill¨Ctimed moment, showing an unknown number. Serena apologized and answered the call. ¡°Hello, is this Ms. Serena Jennings? This is the police department.¡± Comment 4 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 21 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts View All > ch.31 Mding 32 32 Chapter 32: Begging the One She Least Wants to Beg 32 Chapter 32: Begging the One She Least Wants to Beg Serena and Justin didn¡¯t even change their clothes and headed straight to the police station. As soon as they entered the room, Serena saw Lana sitting obediently in front of the desk with a ck eye. ¡°Lana!¡± Serena rushed over and hugged Lana tightly. ¡°How did you end up getting beaten like this!¡± Serena¡¯s eyes were zing with anger. She already learned from the police that Lana had been in a fight. And coincidentally, the opponents were Lily and Owen. As the saying goes, enemies are bound to meet. After work, when Lana was taking a walk and shopping, she overheard Lily and Owen badmouthing Serena behind her back, using incredibly harsh words. Unable to hold back, she confronted them, and the argument escted into a physical fight. The police brought all three back to take statements, but it was Lana who threw the first punch. Seeing Serena clenching her fists, Lana couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, this is the police station.¡± She knew Serena practiced martial arts and wasn¡¯t usually impulsive, but when she was, she was scarier than anyone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, those two bitches are more hurt than I am.¡± Serena, who initially didn¡¯t believe Lana, thought Lana was just trying tofort her. But when Lily and Owen came out, Serena almost burst intoughter. ¡°You did quite a number on them, turned them into pigs.¡± Receiving praise, Lana felt proud, even with a panda eye. 13.34 im 1 Fast Pass reward at the Mission Contert ¡°Lily! Owen!¡± Wants to Beg Suddenly, a familiar shout made Serena and Lana simultaneously stopughing. ire entered the police station, followed by Caleb. Caleb wasn¡¯t surprised to see Serena. When ire told him that Lily and Owen had been beaten by Lana, he had guessed he¡¯d see Serena there. However, he hadn¡¯t expected Justin to be there too. Caleb¡¯s gaze lingered between Justin and Serena. The other day, when he first saw Justin with Serena at the sushi restaurant, he knew Justin was the eldest Nash son. Their circle was so small, everyone knew who was who even if they hadn¡¯t met. He even knew Justin was having conflicts with his family at the time. So, Justin dressed like an ordinary college student, rarely wearing suits. Now, although he had regained his upper¨Css status, the formal tailcoat he wore today was clearly for a special asion- Like a date. Looking at Serena again, Caleb¡¯s gaze became more intense. Caleb had never seen this ck sequined dress on Serena before, it wasn¡¯t something he had bought her. He always bought her pink clothes, and Serena never bought clothes for herself. The reason Caleb always bought pink was because he was used to giving ire pink clothes back in high school. He didn¡¯t understand women¡¯s fashion, he only knew ire¡¯s preferences. He assumed all women loved wearing pink. So¡­ 13:34 32 Chapter 32: Begging the One She Least Wants to Beg Does Serena like ck? This question lingered in Caleb¡¯s mind for just a few seconds. Serena¡¯s ck dress was not only a color she didn¡¯t usually wear, its style was rare too. Deep V and backless¨Cif Serena dressed like this before, her mom would have definitely scolded her for being inappropriate. Yet, on Serena, it exuded a sexy elegance. Being stared at by Caleb made Serena ufortable, forcing her to turn away. Caleb noticed that even with heavy makeup, Serena couldn¡¯t hide her swollen eyes. As long as Justin wasn¡¯t blind or stupid, he should be able to guess what Serena and he didst night. Caleb smiled faintly, feeling better. Beside him, ire, seeing Lily and Owen¡¯s pig¨Cheaded state, cried pitifully. Caleb took out a tissue and gently wiped her tears away. ¡°Caleb, Lily and Owen are my best friends, you have to stand up for them!¡± ire sobbed as she held Caleb¡¯s hand. ¡°In public, you¡¯re holding the hand of someone else¡¯s husband, have you no shame?¡± Lana had long wanted to snap at ire, and she finally got the chance. Serena immediately tugged on Lana¡¯s sleeve, shaking her head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to offend ire; behind her was Caleb, and the Lockwood Group was influential. She didn¡¯t want Lana to end up with a criminal record because of her. ire bit her jelly¨Clike lips, trying to pull her hand back, but Caleb gripped it tightly. ¡°Jerk!¡± Lana couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Caleb held ire¡¯s hand while talking to the police, but his eyes remained on Serena. ¡°Sergeant Lee, lock this person up.¡± 19:34 < 32 Chapter 32: Begging the One She Least Wants to Beg ¡°You can¡¯t lock her up!¡± Serena was anxious, ¡°Officer, we can pay to settle this¡­¡± ¡°How much can you pay?¡± Caleb asked Serena with a smile, ¡°Whose money are you using?¡± ¡°Certainly not yours.¡± Justin pped a ck Card on the table. Lana didn¡¯t dare to make a sound beside them, her previous bravado gone. She was from an ordinary family, if Caleb really demanded a hefty amount, selling both her kidneys wouldn¡¯t suffice. As for Serena, she¡¯d been a housewife for years, spending only Caleb¡¯s money. As for Justin, he had money, but his interesty with Serena. Lana knew Serena currently had no such feelings for Justin and didn¡¯t want Serena owing him any favors. Serena bent down, returned the ck Card to Justin, then calmly told Caleb, ¡°I¡¯ve already mailed back all the money and things you gave me before. Now, none of the money I spend is yours¡­ Name your price, how much for a settlement¡­ Whatever you ask, I¡¯ll pay.¡± The police station suddenly fell silent. Everyone was staring at Serena. Including Caleb. He furrowed his brows slightly, feeling Serena wasn¡¯t just putting up a front. Serena was calcting in her mind. Her bank ount bnce was in the millions¡ªa fortune for ordinary people, but not even a minor target for Caleb. If Caleb really demanded billions for a settlement¡­ Serena gritted her teeth. She¡¯d have to turn to the person she least wanted to beg. After a long silence, Caleb let out a softugh, then asked ire beside him, ????I < 32 Chapter 32: Begging the One She Least Wants to Beg ¡°What do you think? I¡¯ll go with your decision.¡± ire delicately wiped her tears and told Caleb, ¡°We don¡¯tck money. I just want the perpetrator to receive the punishment they deserve.¡± This righteous statement pleased Caleb, and Serena saw the admiration in Caleb¡¯s eyes for ire. ¡°That¡¯s right, we don¡¯t ept a settlement, no matter the amount.¡± ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ¡°Serena, stop. If being jailed is the decision, so be it. Who says I¡¯m scared?!¡± Lana stopped Serena. But Serena still wanted to try one more time. ¡°Caleb, locking Lana up won¡¯t benefit you at all. Aren¡¯t businessmen supposed to seek returns?¡± As Lana was about to be taken away by the police, Serena picked up her phone. But before she could make the call, Caleb¡¯s low, indifferent voice came from behind. ¡°I don¡¯t have to lock her up unless¡­¡± The first ray of morning sunlight awakened City A, as white¨Ccor workers began another busy day. The Lockwood Group. CEO¡¯s office. Patrick was sitting across Caleb, sipping coffee. ¡°I say, Brother Lockwood, aren¡¯t you afraid of pissing off your wife by bringing that old hag into the Comment 0 12:25 Mding 33 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 33 Chapter 33: Passionate Scene Unfolds 33 Chapter 33: Passionate Scene Unfolds Caleb Lockwood buried his head in the documents and spoke indifferently, ¡°ire Shaw isn¡¯t Serena Jennings. She won¡¯t cause trouble without reason.¡± 1 Outside the office, Serena Jennings, holding a folder, stood stiffly like a pir. She was now an employee of the Lockwood Group. She worked as the general manager¡¯s secretary, assisting Mr. Miller, the special assistant. This was the condition Caleb proposedst night at the police station. As long as Serena resigned from FY and joined the Lockwood Group, he would agree to a settlement and not detain Lana Xavier. Lana Xavier had been adamant about not wanting Serena to agree to Caleb¡¯s terms, even if it meant she herself would be detained. But Serena agreed without hesitation. Compared to Lana Xavier¡¯s future, this condition seemed insignificant. Serena didn¡¯t know why she was secretly eavesdropping outside Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office. But she just couldn¡¯t help herself. She didn¡¯t quite understand why Caleb insisted on her working at the Lockwood Group. ire Shaw also worked there. A wife and a mistress working under the same roof¨Cwas this some kind of y? 1 Serena gave a bitter smile. Just then, Caleb¡¯s voice wafted out from the office. ¡°Let her work under me, and she¡¯ll eventually realize how easy it is to be a housewife.¡± Serena felt a chill in her heart. 33 Chapter 33: Passionate Scene Unfolds So¡­ this was the reason¡­ The unrealistic fantasies deep inside her had turned into disappointment, she let out a sigh. She should have awakened long ago. Caleb Lockwood could never have valued her abilities and wanted her in the Lockwood Group for that reason. In the office, Patrick Rhodes followed Caleb¡¯s words, expressing disdain for housewives. However, only those who have truly been full¨Ctime housewives understand the hardships involved. Like Serena. To buy the freshest vegetables, she¡¯d have to get up at five every morning to go to the early market. Her mother¨Cinw demanded she buy daily and cook fresh; leftovers were never allowed. Breakfast mustprise four dishes plus soup, ensuring bnced nutrition. Dinner was even more demanding¨Cnot full banquet size, but required no fewer than fifty kinds of ingredients. Calex Mired. It was just her and Caleb dining, and many times when Caleb had engagements outside and forgot to inform her, she wouldbor all day to set up a table¨Cfull of dishes, none of which Caleb tasted. She recalled when they first got married, her mother¨Cinw would frequently visit. To check if she had neatly folded the clothes in the wardrobe or whether there was dust in the corners of the house. Serena would be busy from morning till night, almost running herself ragged, sometimes not even getting a chance to drink a sip of water, or having to hold off using the bathroom for ages. Most crucially, her efforts were not recognized for their social value. ¡°Wait until that old hag finds herself unable to do anything right, she¡¯ll meekly go back to being a nanny at home.¡± Patrick¡¯sughter was crisp. 13:35 716 33 Chapter 33: Passionate Scene Unfolds Caleb responded with a faint ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± A sudden tap on her shoulder made Serena jump in surprise. Turning her head, she saw the smiling ire Shaw. ire, though smiling sweetly and expertly made¨Cup as always, had a visible hostility in her eyes. ¡°Serena, Caleb values privacy greatly. I advise you not to eavesdrop on conversations here next time; it¡¯s for your own good,¡± ire said. ire¡¯s words made Serena scoff. ¡°Seems you know my husband better than I do!¡± ire¡¯s expression wavered briefly but quickly resumed a subtle smile. ¡°Well, Caleb is more familiar with me!¡± ire said, proceeding to push open Caleb¡¯s office door without knocking, while reminding Serena: ¡°This is a special privilege Caleb gave just to me; only I can go into his office without knocking. Make sure you don¡¯t imitate this, or if Caleb gets mad, don¡¯t me me for not warning you.¡± Once ire went in, Serena no longer felt like eavesdropping, as if she really cared. Did she care? Of course she cared. Serena returned to her workspace, forcing herself not to care. Not long after, Patrick came out. Serena figured Patrick probably didn¡¯t want to be a third¨Cwheel between Caleb and ire. ¡°Mistress.¡± Passing by Serena¡¯s desk, Patrick suddenly uttered this word. Serena lifted her gaze, looking at Patrick with mild indifference and said: 13:35 33 Chapter 33: Passionate Scene Unfolds ¡°ire Shaw is the mistress.¡± Patrick was about to leave, but Serena¡¯s words made him turn back. He stood in front of Serena¡¯s desk, hands on her desk, leaning slightly forward, exerting an innate pressure on Serena sitting there. In the past, Serena mostly spent her time at home, busy with household chores and thus she only had a vague understanding of the friends surrounding Caleb. She thought his friends felt simrly towards her. But now she knew- Patrick really disliked her. ¡°The one who¡¯s not loved is the mistress.¡± Patrick spat out venomously, only to see Serena give a bright smile. ¡°The one who isn¡¯t married is the mistress.¡± ¡°You!¡± Patrick pointed his forefinger at her across the air. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep this up.¡± After Patrick left, Serena¡¯s shoulders drooped. On the love front, detaching everything else, it seemed true that the unloved one is indeed the mistress. Just as she was contemting this, she saw Caleb pull down the blinds in his office. Generally, it meant something private was about to happen when the blinds were drawn. And ire Shaw was still inside Caleb¡¯s office. Serena had always known Caleb¡¯s desires were intense, so an office drama starring him and his long¨Ctime love wasn¡¯t out of the question. Her heart felt restless as weeds grew, and Serena couldn¡¯t focus on her work, so she took out a notebook to sketch. > 33 Chapter 33: Passionate Scene Unfolds She also had conditions for leaving FY. Peter had truly been kind and was reluctant to see her go, even saying she always helped FY establish a series and then silently faded into the background. FY¨CPO was a new series she initiated, so Peter requested she continue designing whenever inspiration struck, not pushing her, merely treating it as a part¨Ctime job. Initially, Serena declined. After all, FY¡¯s jewelry brandpeted directly with Lockwood¡¯s, and designing for FY while at Lockwood didn¡¯t seem appropriate. But Peter persuaded her, reasoning that she worked as a secretary at Lockwood, not a designer, eventually winning her over. Immersed in her design, Serena gradually forgot to care about what Caleb and ire were doing in the office. Not that she truly forgot. But she forced herself not to care. Before she knew it, lunchtime arrived, and ire emerged from Caleb¡¯s office, deliberately leaving several of her shirt buttons undone. Upon emerging, she saw Serena had fallen asleep at her desk. eside l The newly¨Cdrawn design draftsy catching ire¡¯s attention. 1 When Caleb finished work and came out, there was no one outside but Serena. Serena was still asleep, seemingly exhausted. Caleb¡¯s lips curled upward. Each time his lips curled upward, it seemed to convey things he was toozy to say. Like this moment, it was as if he were saying, ¡°Just the first day at work, and already overwhelmed?¡± Mr. Miller had just finished his tasks and returned, seeing Caleb stand by Serena¡¯s desk, unsure of whether to enter or leave. 13: Caleb walked past him, saying nonchntly: ¡°The central air conditioning is too strong!¡± 33 Chapter 33: Passionate Scene Unfolds Mding 34 34 Chapter 34: Deliberately Mistreating Her 34 Chapter 34: Deliberately Mistreating Her ¡°I¡¯ll go shut it now!¡± Mr. Miller immediately grasped Caleb Lockwood¡¯s meaning and dashed off. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t dare to sleep too long; she set an rm and woke up before the lunch break ended. When she opened her eyes, there was only Mr. Miller, who had returned to his desk to work. 1 Serena noticed a nket on her shoulder, which she didn¡¯t know had been ced there. A gray¨Cck thin wool nket, soft to the touch. ¡°Thank you!¡± She handed the nket to Mr. Miller, proactively expressing her gratitude. Although Mr. Miller took the nket, he didn¡¯t understand why Serena was thanking him. Today was Serena¡¯s first day working at The Lockwood Group, and she had to work overtime that same night until ten o¡¯clock. For the following week, she didn¡¯t leave work on time even once. Lana Xavier would call her every day to inquire about the situation, and upon hearing about the overtime work, she would scold Caleb Lockwood for being a cold¨Chearted capitalist who was deliberately mistreating her. Serena knew Caleb was doing it on purpose. He wanted to force her to be a housewife. ¡°Serena, have you finished writing that price list I gave you earlier?¡± Someone called Christine Warren approached Serena¡¯s desk. She was from the General Department, and Serena knew she had a good rtionship with ire Shaw. ¡°Not yet.¡± 34 Chapter 34: Deliberately Mistreating Her Upon hearing Serena¡¯s response, Christine immediatelyined in disappointment: ¡°How is it not finished yet? I gave it to you three days ago, and it¡¯s needed by tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it done tonight,¡± Serena could only say. In fact, writing the price list wasn¡¯t her primary job; Christine handed it to her, but she didn¡¯t ept it. However, ire Shaw egged Caleb Lockwood on, and Caleb demanded that she take on the task. ¡°Christine, what¡¯s going on?¡± ire Shaw walked over at that moment. She was dressed in a pink suit, with exquisite makeup and luxurious jewelry, truly a beautiful, wealthy woman. Everyone in thepany knew that ire Shaw was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s high school ssmate, and they were well aware that the LC jewelry brand was established by Caleb for ire Shaw. Although the two never openly announced their rtionship, it was obvious to those with discerning eyes. Many, including Christine, regarded ire Shaw as the mistress of The Lockwood Group. ¡°ire, it¡¯s all Serena¡¯s fault; she hasn¡¯t finished the price list I gave her, and it¡¯s needed by tomorrow. If I fail to submit it¡­¡± ire Shaw patted Christine¡¯s shoulder tofort her: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if anything happens, I¡¯m still here!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so kind, ire.¡± Christine was moved to tears. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t me Serena. It¡¯s her first time doing this kind of work, so it¡¯s normal for her to not have the know¨Chow. You¡¯re a regr university graduate, while she doesn¡¯t have your degree¡­¡± After hearing ire Shaw¡¯s words, Christine looked puzzled. She could be said to have the lowest education level at The Lockwood Group. If Serena was even less qualified than her¡­ The next day, the news that Serena only had a high school education spread throughout The Lockwood Group. Previously, when Serena went to the cafeteria for lunch, she asionally bumped into colleagues who would 13:26 34 Chapter 34: Deliberately Mistreating Her sit at the same table with her. But ever since the entirepany learned she wasn¡¯t a college graduate, even eating lunch became something people avoided, as if she had a contagious disease. Serena couldn¡¯t exin to everyone she met, nor could she use a loudspeaker to announce that she hadn¡¯t Feeling unsatisfied with her meal, Serena returned to work early, and as soon as she got off the elevator, she ran into Caleb Lockwood. Caleb was still the same, dressed impably in a suit, with one hand in his pocket, exuding an unshakable aura of authority. ¡°Stop gossiping about things that harm you. Learn to keep quiet in thepany.¡± Caleb spoke to Serena as he entered the elevator. As soon as Serena opened her mouth, the elevator door closed. For a whole month, Serena worked overtime every day, yet no matter how many tasks were thrown at her, she always managed toplete them on time, and the results were satisfactory. This made Mr. Miller go from being impressed to admiring her immensely. Actually, Mr. Miller was well aware that many tasks shouldn¡¯t have been Serena¡¯s responsibility, but with Caleb¡¯s approval, he couldn¡¯t say much. He could only quietly ensure Serena received more recognition in her monthly performance report. Though Serena felt busy every day, she also felt fulfilled and neverined. One day, she was summoned to the meeting room. There were only two people in the meeting room- Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw. Serena noticed that Caleb¡¯s serious expression didn¡¯t suggest a personal conversation, but if it were about business, why was ire Shaw included? Is it love? 13.26 34 Chapter 34: Deliberately Mistreating Her Serena¡¯s chest tightened, and facing Caleb and ire alone made her uneasy. ¡°President Lockwood¡­¡± She called out. In thepany, he was professional with her, and she was likewise with him. ¡°Was it your doing?¡± Caleb threw the document he was holding in front of Serena. Serena was puzzled. ¡°Selling FY the information on LC¡¯s new products, Serena, even if you¡¯re dissatisfied with me, there has to be a limit. Thepany isn¡¯t a ce for frivolous games.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t aggressive, but his voice was icily cold. With icy fingers, Serena silently picked up the document and read it from beginning to end. Being scolded by Caleb didn¡¯t scare her. But having ire Shaw enjoy her embarrassment made her uneasy. ¡°Our LC¡¯s new quarterly release is identical to FY¡¯s, with the sameunch time. If it wasn¡¯t leaked by an insider to FY, how else could FY have gotten hold of my new design?¡± ¡°Your new design?¡± Serena nced at ire, who showed no signs of guilt. The design identical to LC and FY¡¯s, was originally created by Serena. She wasn¡¯t sure when ire copied it, or how, but copying was copying. ¡°This is my design.¡± Serena stated resolutely, seeing Caleb skeptically chuckle. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡± ¡°Believe what you want!¡± Unexpectedly, Serena¡¯s attitude was confrontational, causing Caleb¡¯s expression to turn cold. 13:36 34 Chapter 34: Deliberately Mistreating Her ¡°I thought¡­ if you admitted your mistakes properly, I might not pursue your responsibility this time.¡± ¡°Why should I admit mistakes when I¡¯ve done nothing wrong?¡± ire was surprised that Serena remained strong¨Cminded even facing Caleb, and quickly persuaded: ¡°Let it go, Caleb. With Serena¡¯s attitude¡­ let¡¯s leave it and consider ourselves unlucky.¡± ¡°Wait a second.¡± Serena stopped ire, who was about to leave, ¡°You might not pursue, but I will!¡± ire looked like a frightened good student facing a bad girl, with hunched shoulders, pale¨Cfaced. ¡°Calm down¡­¡± ¡°You copied my design and then turned around and used¡­¡± ¡°Serena¡­¡± Suddenly, Caleb¡¯s chilling voice interrupted Serena. ¡°You say ire copied you, where¡¯s the proof?¡± He wrapped an arm around ire¡¯s trembling shoulders and, seeing Serena speechless, smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re now an employee at Lockwood Group; even if the design truly is yours, selling it to apetitor vites the contract, you¡¯d still be held ountable.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m working here as a secretary, and the contract only prohibits working part¨Ctime outside in simr roles. I haven¡¯t breached the contract, or you could file awsuit and see if the Lockwood family¡¯swyers can win the case for you.¡± After speaking, Serena left the meeting room without looking back. Inside the meeting room. ire was genuinely surprised by the confused and curious expression on Caleb¡¯s handsome face. She felt a tightness in her chest and immediately grabbed Caleb¡¯s hand. ¡°Caleb, I didn¡¯t copy Serena¡¯s design; you must believe me!¡± Caleb¡¯s attention returned to ire. 13:36 676 < 34 Chapter 34: Deliberately Mistreating Her ire¡¯s tearful appearance was truly pitiful. He nodded, ¡°Of course, I believe you.¡± However, a weekter, The Lockwood Grouppletely recalled the LC jewelry that was identical to FY¡¯s. Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 21 Vote Mding 35 5 Chapter 35: Held in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Palm Serena Jennings immediately reached out to Peter after leaving the meeting room. 1 She wasn¡¯t hoping for Peter to prove anything; she was worried that ire Shaw might copy her design and cause losses to FY. However, Peter reassured her. It waster that she learned Peter had registered the design patent with the intellectual property department upon receiving her draft, which led to The Lockwood Group urgently recalling the new jewelry that had entered the market. Today, Caleb Lockwood took a day off. Serena could see the empty office of the president as soon as she looked
  1. up.
As Caleb Lockwood¡¯s secretary, she was very clear on his schedule every day. Including today. So she knew Caleb had gone to apany ire Shaw on a yacht for sea fishing. For this, he canceled all meetings and business. Serena still remembers that when she was hospitalized due to miscarriage, Caleb was also on a fishing vacation with ire and didn¡¯t visit her at all. ¡°Do you guys think President Lockwood is married to ire?¡± Christine Warren was gossiping with colleagues by the coffee maker. ¡°They probably aren¡¯t yet! Feels like they¡¯re still in the pursuit phase?¡± ¡°Probably almost there, otherwise why would LC¡¯s new model be recalled without President Lockwood saying anything or holding ire ountable!¡± ¡°Not only did he not me her, I heard from friends in the HR department that President Lockwood ns to give ire a raise!¡± 35 Chapter 35: Held in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Palm ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s called being favored and fearless.¡± Serena listened nearby, sipping her cold coffee. If it was her causing The Lockwood Group to recall the new product this time, Caleb might have handled it differently. Today she didn¡¯t have to work overtime, so after work, Serena wandered through the supermarket alone, unconsciously heading to the refrigerated section. A yogurt brand that was quite niche caught her eye. There are countless yogurts, and Serena thinks they all taste pretty simr, but Caleb preferred only this one. Previously, to buy this brand of yogurt for Caleb, she had to run to several supermarkets every day. In an inexplicable urge, Serena reached out her hand and grabbed a carton of yogurt, just as another hand sped hers. Serena turned her head, and her gaze met Caleb¡¯s eyes unexpectedly. Caleb was as usual, sharply dressed, looking like someone who wouldn¡¯t be shopping at a supermarket. Yet here he was, indeed at the supermarket. Serena saw Caleb pushing a shopping cart with his other hand, filled with items, including a fair amount of fresh produce. In her impression, Caleb surely couldn¡¯t cook, nor had he ever. So what was he buying so much fresh food for? Serena¡¯s first thought was someone else was going to cook for Caleb. Like ire. In the midst of thinking about this, she forgot to pull her hand back, letting Caleb hold it for a long while. The charming smile on Caleb¡¯s lips deepened. ¡°Caleb, I bought halibut.¡± 122 < 35 Chapter 35: Held in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Palm ire rounded the corner, seeing Serena instantly made her expression constrict. Caleb was the first to let go of his hand. It wasn¡¯t until Caleb let go that Serena realized he had been holding her hand. Her hand was burning with heat, making Serena embarrassed. She was afraid Caleb might misunderstand her feelings for him. However, she wouldn¡¯t mind if ire saw this scene. ¡°How about we buy some yogurt to drink?¡± Caleb suggested to ire. ¡°But I want to drink milk more.¡± ire stepped to Caleb¡¯s side and wrapped her arm around his. ¡°Let¡¯s buy milk then.¡± Serena watched as ire picked up a brand of milk Caleb never drank, but Caleb offered no opinions. This was a brand she once bought, only once, back when they first got married. But Caleb hadn¡¯t drunk a drop, and she eventually stopped buying it. Serena pushed her cart, walking past Caleb and ire. ¡°How long has it been since youst cooked for me? Tonight, I must indulge.¡± ire¡¯s words made Serena halt. Caleb can cook? She turned around, watching as their two figures drifted further from her, but the distance between them grew closer. So, Caleb knows how to cook¡­ She never knew. Her hands gripping the cart handle turned white from the pressure. Serena couldn¡¯t fathom that ire, despite being firmly used of giarism, was rewarded with yacht fishing, promotion, a raise, and Caleb personally cooking for her. 13:36 37 > 35 Chapter 35: Held in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Palm She had initially thought the forced product recall by The Lockwood Group indirectly proved her innocence, and she nned to cook an extra dish to treat herself tonight. But now, that mood and appetite were gone. Serena ced the ingredients back one by one in their original spots, ending up buying just two vegetable buns for dinner. On the other side, Caleb apanied ire back to her house and personally cooked a meal of four dishes and a soup, three meat, two vegetables, very nutritious. ¡°I haven¡¯t cooked in a while; my skills have gotten rusty.¡± Caleb ced thest dish on the table and said to ire, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Ellie.¡± ire froze for a moment, and Caleb then realized. During high school, he always called ire ¡°Ellie,¡± but before graduation, ire suddenly asked him to call her ¡°ire¡± from then on. ¡°Sorry, it slipped out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± ire¡¯s expression was a bit awkward, but she still sweetly leaned closer to Caleb, reaching both hands around to unfasten his apron. ¡°The fact that you are willing to believe I was framed by Serena and FY, and offer me so muchpensation, I¡¯m already content.¡± She nestled her face against Caleb¡¯s solid chest. Caleb replied with a faint ¡°Hmm.¡± The copyright department could only prove FY registered the design patent first, but could not prove who drew it initially. Between ire Shaw and Serena Jennings, Caleb had no reason to believe thetter. Thinking of Serena, his gaze wandered to the four dishes and soup on the dining table. Light shone from the old house on Vornath Street. 12.30 < 35 Chapter 35: Held in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Palm Serena finished her vegetable buns and received an audio message from Zhao Sister. Zhao Sister was the store manager of the emerging brand ZM and also a designer herself. ¡°Your group is having a year¨Cend party next week; stop by after work tomorrow to try the new gown, Ellie.¡± Serena, as an employee of The Lockwood Group, didn¡¯t even know about the year¨Cend party next week, but Zhao seemed to have more insider information. Picking up her phone, she replied: Call me by that name again and I¡¯ll cry for you. The next second, Zhao Sister withdrew the audio message. Serena couldn¡¯t hold back a chuckle, chatting with Zhao Sister on WeChat while also tapping on Lana Xavier¡¯s avatar. In the friend list, Caleb¡¯s avatar had been pushed way down. Even though this avatar used to be at the top for her. Serena hadn¡¯t blocked Caleb. Caleb hadn¡¯t blocked Serena either. But Caleb¡¯s avatar probably won¡¯t appear on her main screen on WeChat in the future, and she¡¯s quite alright with that. After finishing voice chats with Zhao Sister and Lana Xavier, just as Serena was about to sleep, someone else messaged her on WeChat. It was Caleb¡¯s avatar appearing on the top screen. Comment 0 Mding 36 36 Chapter 36: Madly in Love with ire Shaw Caleb Lockwood: What did you have for dinner? Serena Jennings stared at these few words for ten minutes, without replying. The drowsiness she felt disappeared, and she tossed and turned before finally falling asleepte. The Lockwood Group¡¯s annual g was scheduled at the Riverview Grand Hotel¡¯s 57th¨Cfloor revolving buffet. Employees were allowed to bring one or two rtives or friends to apany them. Serena only brought Lana Xavier, considering Justin Nash¡¯s current status, it didn¡¯t seem appropriate for him toe to the Lockwood Group. Tonight was Lana Xavier¡¯s first time wearing a formal gown, and she was so thrilled she nearly twisted her ankle. The gown was a gift from Serena, who selected the off¨Cshoulder style most suitable for Lana. The strapless blue velvet dress Serena wore was also from ZM. ording to Lockwood Group¡¯s tradition, the host invites Caleb Lockwood to deliver a speech every year, as the opening of the g. However, this year, the format changed. It turned into Caleb Lockwood inviting ady to dance the opening dance. The person Caleb invited was naturally ire Shaw, who was even more luxurious and dazzling today with her makeup, hairstyle, and gown, and though also pink, it exuded a sense of brilliance that overshadowed others. The two held hands and embraced each other¡¯s waists, dancing gracefully in front of the entirepany. ¡°What¡¯s the difference from an official announcement?¡± Serena heard Christine Warren say behind her. ¡°Official announcement what official announcement, do you know¡­¡± 36 Chapter 36: Madly in Love with ire Shaw Before Lana could turn around and finish speaking, Serena immediately shushed her. She didn¡¯t want anyone at thepany to know about her rtionship with Caleb Lockwood. Even though the divorce had been unterally dyed by Caleb, as long as the two lived separately for two years, she still had the opportunity to file for divorce. Since divorce was inevitable sooner orter, there was no need to let more people know, especially those in thepany. Otherwise, Caleb would undoubtedly think she was deliberately exposing her identity, iming she wanted a divorce when actually, she had no intention of leaving. Before her were Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw, dancing. Serena had to admit that ire danced this waltz exceptionally well, her steps were precise, her demeanor elegant, like a beautiful swan. After the dance ended, ire sat at a ck grand piano on ge and yed Tchaikovsky¡¯s ¡°The Seasons¡°. The piano sound was elegant and fluent, moving and receiving countless apuse. ire was exceptional. Serena agreed. Since ire was so outstanding, what was Caleb still hesitating about? (1 Why not divorce her earlier and formally bring ire into the Lockwood Family? Serena felt a bit agitated. Seeing others get lost in the piano performance, her inner turmoil doubled. Squeezing out from the spectators, she and Lana initially wanted to find a quiet spot for some drinks, but unexpectedly Lily Sutton and Owen Warren arrived. ¡°See that? ire truly exemplifies a nobledy. She¡¯s grade ten in piano; someone else ying on a dual keyboard was just sheer luck.¡± Lily stood with her hands on her hips, disying an arrogant demeanor. Lana, now itching to hit them upon seeing both Lily and Owen¡¯s faces, had already caused Serena trouble 36 Chapter 36: Madly in Love with ire Shaw once and dared not hit anyone again. Serena looked at Lily, then at Owen, and smiled. ¡°Congrattions, your faces have recovered pretty nicely.¡± The memory of being beaten to a pulp resurfaced instantly, making Lily and Owen¡¯s expressions change drastically. ¡°Don¡¯t be so arrogant!¡± Owen clenched the high¨Cstemmed ss in his hand, ring at Serena, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re some wealthydy? Let me tell you, in President Lockwood¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re just a nanny, ire is his true love.¡± ¡°Exactly, the shameless mistress, upying the nest.¡± ¡°How low must one be to stay despite knowing the person has a true love.¡± ¡°Just look in the mirror and see if a yellow¨Cfaced woman like you deserves someone like President Lockwood.¡± Being pointed at and insulted by Lily and Owen, Serena indeed understood why Lana couldn¡¯t resist hitting them. This was still at the Lockwood Group¡¯s g; undoubtedly, the insults were worse privately. Lana wasn¡¯t great at verbal sparring, and she couldn¡¯t hit anyone now, intending to pull Serena away from this troublesome ce. Unexpectedly, Serena quietly stood her ground until Lily and Owen¡¯s insults stopped. ¡°Are you done?¡± Serena¡¯s face remained calm, as she unhurriedly took a sip of her drink, and said to Lily and Owen: ¡°You say Caleb truly loves ire, then why won¡¯t he marry her? I can at least be a nanny; is ire not even fit to be a nanny?¡± ¡°Also, Caleb and I have a marriage certificate, what do ire and Caleb have? Whatever it is, I wee you to provide it as Caleb¡¯s extramarital affair evidence.¡± ¡°I advise you two, rather than waste time insulting me here, you¡¯d better try persuading Caleb. By the time ire is old and still a mistress, you two will only be stray dogs.¡± 36 Chapter 36: Madly in Love with ire Shaw Serena finished her rebuttal cheerfully, but then Owen sshed wine all over her. Before she could speak, Lana beside her cried out in surprise. Themotion attracted the attention of many, including Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw. ¡°Ayo, what¡¯s going on?¡± ire¡¯s concern for Owen was expressed verbally, but the triumph in her eyes was obvious upon seeing Serena soaked in wine. Serena originally thought she¡¯d definitely be despised by Caleb in such a sorry state. However, Caleb was the first to offer her a napkin. Caleb¡¯s gaze was gentler than she expected, and his handsome face was dazzlingly handsome from any angle. Taking the napkin from Caleb¡¯s hand, Serena hesitated slightly but still said, ¡°Thank you.¡± This incident indirectly involved Caleb, but she could noty the me on him. ¡°Sorry, Serena, Ayo didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ire apologized, nervously clutching Caleb¡¯s arm as if fearing Serena would pursue the matter. ¡°Whether it was intentional will be clear once we check the surveince.¡± Serena replied coldly. ¡°How about this? How much is your dress? I¡¯ll rece¡­ Before she finished the word pensate,¡± Caleb calmly took over, ¡°I¡¯llpensate.¡± The disturbance drew many onlookers, and as Caleb offered topensate on ire¡¯s behalf, the onlookers¡® focus notably shifted. ¡°President Lockwood and ire must be dating, right?¡± ¡°I heard President Lockwood¡¯s pursuing ire.¡± ¡°His first love and true affection, President Lockwood¡¯s been after her for years without sess!¡± The gossiping crowd spected noisily. Here, ire feigned courtesy with Caleb, her face as red as a ripe apple. Serena felt as though she was once again a pawn in Caleb and ire¡¯s y. 36 Chapter 36: Madly in Love with ire Shaw Caleb initially used her to retaliate against ire, and now was using her in his pursuit of ire. To think she¡¯d felt a moment of hesitation when Caleb handed her the napkin, Serena mocked herself. ¡°Tell me, how much is your dress?¡± ¡°Three million.¡± Once Serena said this, the ce erupted in shock. ¡°Serena, isn¡¯t that asking for too much?¡± Christine Warren was the first to step out, pointing at Serena indignantly, ¡°How much is your monthly sry? Less than ten thousand, right! Can you afford a three¨Cmillion dress? Do you think anyone believes what you¡¯re saying?¡± Prompted by Christine, others began to point fingers at Serena. ¡°Isn¡¯t she President Lockwood¡¯s secretary? Daring to extort her own boss, she doesn¡¯t want the job anymore?¡± ¡°Three million, well worth resigning once she actually gets it!¡± ¡°The one they said only has a high school degree is her, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No wonder¡­ She probably had that in mind from the start.¡± Lana beside her was so tense she couldn¡¯t move. She absolutely didn¡¯t expect Serena¡¯s gown gift to be from a store that expensive! She believed Serena wasn¡¯t lying. But where did Serena get so much money? ¡°Alright, three million, I¡¯ll pay.¡± Caleb agreed readily. While manymented that Caleb was deeply in love with ire, they suddenly saw Caleb lift Serena and carry her on his shoulder, striding out of the buffet. Mding 37 37 Chapter 37: Checking Her Body Until Caleb Lockwood tossed her into a room at the Riverview Grand Hotel, Serena Jennings did not resist. 1 After all, it was thepany¡¯s annual party, and no matter what grudgesy between her and Caleb Lockwood, she didn¡¯t want to make a big scene and have the people in thepanyugh at her. However, now there were only her and Caleb Lockwood in the room, Serena couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Caleb Lockwood looked at Serena like she was a hedgehog with its spikes raised, and smirked slightly. ¡°Is this dress worth three million?¡± He looked Serena up and down. He was familiar with the ZM brand, but formal dresses usually cost around a hundred thousand. Serena could guess what Caleb was thinking. She and Lana Xavier¡¯s dresses were the ZM limited edition new releases; she was not exaggerating. ¡°What, President Lockwood can¡¯t afford three million?¡± Serena knew that even if she exined, Caleb wouldn¡¯t believe her. ¡°I can afford it.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone was calm yet firm, ¡°Not just three million, even thirty billion I could afford.¡± Serena¡¯s hands sped tightly behind her back. For ire, Caleb really would spare no expense. ¡°I just wanted to remind you that if you want to make money next time, think of a more clever way.¡± Caleb¡¯s words made Serenaugh out of anger, but she didn¡¯t say much more. After all, she took the three million with a clear conscience. Once she collected the money and wanted to leave, a waiter delivered a new gown. ¡°You don¡¯t feel embarrassed dressing like that, but I do. Don¡¯t forget whose secretary you are.¡± Caleb Lockwood brought the new dress to Serena. < 37 Chapter 37: Checking Her Body The area where Serena had wine spilled on her was her chest, and the color of the strapless gown had darkened, making it quite noticeable. Knowing that Caleb Lockwood was staring at her chest, Serena felt ufortable and reached out to him. ¡°Give me the dress; I¡¯ll change myself.¡± ¡°Turn around.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice remained indifferent, but his tone was undeniablymanding. Serena was a bit annoyed, but being alone with Caleb in the room, it was no benefit to anger him. In the end, she obediently turned around, her back to Caleb. As the dress zipper was pulled down, the cool air rushed in, along with the heat of Caleb¡¯s knuckles. Serena¡¯s body stiffened. She didn¡¯t know what Caleb intended to do to her. The previous memories of being forced made her feel a fright deep in her heart, her hair standing on end. ¡°Just helping you change clothes, no need to be so tense. You¡¯re not that attractive.¡± Caleb¡¯s cold voice brushed past her ears. The dirty dress waspletely removed, yet Serena¡¯s face flushed. Even though she and Caleb Lockwood had been married for three years, and every part of her body had been seen by him, she didn¡¯t understand why she was embarrassed, let alone that she wasn¡¯t wearing nothing underneath the dress anyway. The room was dead silent. After helping Serena remove the dirty dress, Caleb didn¡¯t move. He stood with one hand in his pocket, staring at Serena¡¯s back as if admiring an art sculpture. Serena felt Caleb¡¯s intense gaze, like an inspection of her body. In the 57th floor revolving buffet restaurant. 13:37 ¡± 37 Chapter 37: Checking Her Body The employees of the Lockwood Group were gossiping about why Caleb Lockwood had taken Serena away, and why they hadn¡¯t returned after so long. ¡°Is there something going on between President Lockwood and his secretary¡­?¡± ¡°I heard that Serena was parachuted in and only has a high school diploma¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that just fit the pattern.¡± ¡°Even if she is involved with President Lockwood, she¡¯s just the other woman. Look at how generously President Lockwood spent on ire, there¡¯s no question who¡¯s the real wife, right?¡± ¡°President Lockwood is so outstanding; rich, handsome, it¡¯s normal for some women to throw themselves at him.¡± The colleagues gathered in small groups, eagerly gossiping, finding this year¡¯s annual party far more interesting than previous ones. Serena had long predicted the rumors about her and Caleb. With everyone present, being taken away by Caleb for so long, rumors about her and Caleb would definitely spread throughout thepany. However, Serena didn¡¯t expect the rumors about her and Caleb to involve ire, with her cast as the. despised third party. ¡°ire, you really don¡¯t mind? That Serena is so shameless, right?¡± Christine Warren and ire stood by the coffee machine, their voices loud as if intentionally letting Serena hear. ¡°Knowing President Lockwood loves you and is pursuing you, yet she still dares to cling on.¡± Hearing this, ireughed helplessly, ¡°Nothing can be done, Caleb is just too excellent!¡± In the entire Lockwood Group, only ire addressed Caleb Lockwood so intimately. ¡°Oh dear, look at you being cozy with President Lockwood.¡± Christine teased ire, who blushed and sneaked a nce toward Serena¡¯s desk. Serena usually didn¡¯t care much about rumors. 37 Chapter 37: Checking Her Body Especially since she would sooner orter divorce Caleb, and the wholepany believed Caleb and ire were a pair, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin. However, she couldn¡¯t ept beingbeled as a homewrecker. Serena thought this kind of gossip would die down in a few days as everyone sought novelty. But for some reason, the gossip only intensified. More and more people in thepany were standing up for ire, even the canteen cashier told her, ¡°I don¡¯t serve homewreckers. If you want to eat, go buy it yourself!¡± Serena didn¡¯t me the cashier, understanding everyone despises homewreckers. But she couldn¡¯t let these rumors continue to ferment as it was too damaging to her reputation. It was ire who was the homewrecker, so why should she bear the disgrace! ¡°Auntie, you¡¯ve misunderstood, I¡¯m not a homewrecker, I have a boyfriend actually. My boyfriend is very aplished and considering my conditions, even if I wanted to marry a rich man, there are plenty out there, why should I be a homewrecker!¡± Hearing that, the cashier thought there might be some truth to what Serena was saying. She actually quite liked Serena. Serena was pretty, and very polite, always thanking her proactively. But with the wholepany spreading that Serena was desperately clinging to Caleb as a homewrecker, ruining Caleb and ire¡¯s rtionship, it was so vivid that she started believing it. ¡°Exactly, with your conditions, you can find someone easily. Young girls like you, be careful not to step down the wrong path.¡± Serena smiled bitterly, It was obvious the other party was only half¨Cconvinced by her exnation. ¡°Wait till I bring my boyfriend here, and then you¡¯ll believe me.¡± ¡°I really want to see¡­¡± The sudden voice from behind Serena made her jump. 37 Chapter 37: Checking Her Body Turning around, she saw Caleb Lockwood¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Who might the secretary¡¯s boyfriend be?¡± Caleb¡¯s piercing gaze with a hint of mockery made Serena feel guilty. ¡°Come to my office after lunch.¡± After issuing the order, Caleb turned and left. Serena watched as Caleb naturally sat next to ire, having lunch together and drawing attention from all the employees in the cafeteria. Lunchtime was a dull affair for Serena, as the table next to hers was abuzz with gossip about her, ire, and Caleb¡¯s rtionships. After lunch, she knocked on Caleb¡¯s office door, receiving no response. As his secretary, she had a key to his office, so she let herself in. Caleb had told her toe to the office after lunch, yet he was an hourte himself. Serena knew Caleb wasn¡¯t one to bete without reason. The only reason for Caleb to be an hourte to work was probably ire. Caleb arrivedte, stunned for a moment upon seeing Serena in the office, yet said nothing as if waiting for him for an hour was only right. He sat down in his chair, casually flipping open a file, while nonchntly saying to Serena: ¡°This Saturday, I need you to go back to the old house to cook.¡± Comment Mding 38 38 Chapter 38: Putting on a Show for Grandpa Serena Jennings froze.1 She didn¡¯t expect Caleb Lockwood to discuss personal matters with her at thepany. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, we are already¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not divorced yet, and surely you haven¡¯t forgotten what day Saturday is!¡± Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t even look up. Of course Serena remembered what Saturday meant- Saturday was Grandpa¡¯s seventieth birthday. Without Caleb exining, she understood exactly what he meant. Every time Lance Lockwood celebrated his birthday, his oldrades and friends would alwayse, and what they praised most was Serena¡¯s cooking. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± 1 Knowing that with Grandpa¡¯s birthday, Serena would never refuse, Caleb smiled slightly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else, you can leave!¡± Serena left Caleb¡¯s office. Returning to her desk, her mood remainedplex. Even though she¡¯d decided on divorcing Caleb, she still couldn¡¯t escape him, couldn¡¯t escape the Lockwood family. On Friday night after work, Serena prepared to return to the Lockwood old estate. After all, it was Lance Lockwood¡¯s seventieth birthday, the Lockwood family valued it, and so did she. During her lunch break, Serena drafted a menu. For some of the ingredients not needed from morning market shopping, she went to the big supermarket after work. 38 Chapter 38: Putting on a Show for Grandpa With tworge bags of ingredients in each hand, Serena stood by the roadside to hail a cab. A ck Maybach pulled up in front of her. The window lowered, as Serena expected, it was Caleb Lockwood. ¡°I¡¯m heading there too, let¡¯s go together!¡± Caleb knew where Serena was going-the Lockwood Estate. Every year for Grandpa¡¯s birthday, Serena always prepared in advance. Serena stood there for a while, then decided to get in the car. Since Caleb was also returning to the estate, going separately would make Grandpa worry more. At least at the crux of Lance Lockwood¡¯s birthday celebration, Serena didn¡¯t want to make him unhappy. Originally, Serena put the groceries into the car trunk and habitually walked to the passenger seat, but after opening the door, she didn¡¯t sit down. She remembered how naturally she opened the passenger door before, only to find ire Shaw sitting inside. Though no one was in the passenger seat this time, she still closed it and obediently sat in the back seat. She thought that Caleb¡¯s current passenger seat should be ire Shaw¡¯s exclusive spot. Whether it was or wasn¡¯t, Serena inexplicably didn¡¯t want to sit there. Caleb watched silently as Serena opened and closed the car door and finally sat at the back without saying a word, merely curling his lips slightly. The car started; their destination was the Lockwood Estate. Serena remained as silent as usual because Mr. Miller had told her before that Caleb didn¡¯t like distractions when driving. ire Shaw could chat with Caleb, that was ire¡¯s privilege. Serena did not have that privilege. The drive from downtown to the Lockwood Estate was long. 13.18 276 38 Chapter 38: Putting on a Show for Grandpa. The low pressure in the car made Serena ufortable and bored, not even absorbed in her phone. From time to time, her gaze would drift to Caleb driving. As expected, Caleb remained silent the whole time, as if the person previously chatting effortlessly with ire in the car wasn¡¯t him. Serena dozed off briefly, and when she woke up, the car had already stopped steadily. She noticed an additional nket draped over her that she didn¡¯t know when it appeared. The nket was gray-ck, made of thin wool, soft to the touch. This nket seemed very familiar to Serena. Before, when taking a nap at her desk, she woke up covered with a nket identical to this one. So, was this Caleb¡¯s nket? Serena¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but race. But then she considered she might be overthinking. Perhaps thepany had previously issued such nkets, one for each employee. Taking a deep breath, Serena stopped herself from overthinking and got out of the car. Caleb had already removed all the groceries she bought from the trunk. ¡°Let me carry that!¡± Serena approached Caleb, reaching out her hand. Three years of marriage, the groceries were always her responsibility, no matter how many she bought, she carried them all. Caleb nced at her but ignored her. The two walked side by side into the estate, where Lance Lockwood was watering his garden vegetables. Seeing Caleb and Serena arrive together, and Caleb helping with the groceries, Lance¡¯s face showed a gratified smile. 13:38 38 Chapter 38: Putting on a Show for Grandpa Serena greeted Lance voluntarily, realizing from his smile why Caleb suddenly became considerate. It was all for show for Grandpa. Serena and Caleb stayed to chat with Lance a bit, then Serena went to the kitchen to get busy. Although the birthday feast required lots of dishes with various styles, the old estate had chefs and servants to help her, making it easier than cooking at her own home. Of course, that home was no longer hers now. While Serena was busy in the kitchen, Caleb was apanying Lance with chess. ¡°This is right, treat Serena well, girls like her are hard to find these days.¡± Caleb quietly let Grandpa make an extra move on the board, calmly replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Busy until ten at night, Serena prepared everything needed for the next day¡¯s feast. She emerged from the kitchen to find Lance surprisingly still awake, still ying chess with Caleb. ¡°Grandpa, have you taken your medicine?¡± Serena reminded. The caregiver nearby looked upset. Seeing the caregiver¡¯s expression, Serena realized Grandpa again refused his medication. Lance, besides having a heart condition, had various ailments typical of old age, and ording to the doctor¡¯s instructions, he was supposed to take many medications daily. But as people age, their mindset changes too, and Lance often thought taking too many medicines would shorten his life, so sometimes he would throw tantrums, refusing to take them. No amount of persuasion from the Lockwood family would seed. Yet the old man listened to Serena. ¡°Let me finish this round of chess with Grandpa!¡± Upon hearing Serena¡¯s words, Lance eagerly waved Caleb away. ¡°Quick, quick, quick, let Serena rece, Caleb can¡¯t y well at all.¡± 72531 38 Chapter 38: Putting on a Show for Grandpa Serena smiled wryly. She knew Caleb always intentionally allowed Grandpa to win. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll y chess with you, but if you lose, you have to promise me one thing.¡± ¡°No problem, Serena, I¡¯ll agree to whatever you say.¡± Lance agreed readily, and lost just as readily. Whenever ying chess with Lance, Serena never showed mercy. Lance wasn¡¯t as skilled as Caleb, but he wasn¡¯t bad either. Caleb was unexpectedly astonished not only could Serena y chess, but she yed quite well. ¡°I lost, Serena, you didn¡¯t even let Grandpa have a chance.¡± Lance might have said this, but he was genuinely pleased inside. Serena understood Lance didn¡¯t like being treated softly. ording to their agreement, Lance obediently took his medicine and went to sleep. A satisfied smile hung on Serena¡¯s face. If there was anywhere within the Lockwood family where Serena felt at ease, it was solely with Lance. The clock showed it nearing midnight, Serena had to sleep, otherwise she feared she couldn¡¯t wake up tomorrow. Previously staying overnight at the old estate, she always slept alone. However, tonight, Caleb was there too. Of course, Caleb and she shared a bedroom. The bedroom came with its own closet and bathroom. ¡°You go wash up first!¡± Caleb, working on hisptop, said this to Serena. Mding 39 39 Chapter 39: Stirring Those Thoughts 39 Chapter 39: Stirring Those Thoughts Serena actually didn¡¯t want to take a bath first. 1 She was cautious about Caleb Lockwood. In this old residence of The Lockwood Family, if Caleb truly wanted to do something to her, it would be hard for her to resist, even for the sake of her grandfather. Moreover, thest time Caleb forced her, she had fought desperately, but it was still to no avail. Caleb was typing on the keyboard, and seeing Serena not moving for a while, he nced at her. The moment their eyes met, Serena felt like her thoughts were exposed. Caleb smiled, his always indifferent eyes curved into crescents, seductive and gauzy ¨C A dangerous aura filled the air. Before Serena could speak, he stood up and entered the bathroom first. The sound of water came from the bathroom, and Serena breathed a sigh of relief. ¨C This time Caleb was taking longer than usual for his bath; Serena had finished a design sketch and found Caleb still not out. Moreover, the sound of water had ceased from the bathroom, as if no one was there at all. She was somewhat worried, fearing Caleb might have fainted in the pool, though it seemed unlikely for something like that to happen to Caleb. ¡°Caleb Lockwood?¡± Serena approached the bathroom door and knocked. ¡°Are you okay?¡± There was no response from the bathroom. Serena twisted the doorknob, discovering that it wasn¡¯t locked, and pulled the door open directly. 39 Chapter 39: Stirring Those Thoughts Caleb¡¯s tall figure happened to block her view. Serena nearly collided with Caleb¡¯s chest. Caleb, having bathed, was wrapped only in a towel below, his upper body naked. The solid eight-pack abs showcased masculine strength, while the wet hair dripping with water added a touch of seductive charm. Serena froze. Caleb saw Serena at the bathroom door, his eyes also showing surprise. ¡°In a hurry?¡± he asked. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Only when she heard the familiar woman¡¯s voice did Serena realize Caleb was holding a phone. ¡°Nothing,¡± Caleb said to the person on the phone, then to Serena, ¡°Make way.¡± Only then did Serena realize she was blocking Caleb¡¯s path and stepped aside. She entered the bathroom and, while closing the door, noticed Caleb still on the phone. So, Caleb had spent all that time in the bathroom not bathing or fainting in the pool but probably chatting on WeChat! Chatting wasn¡¯t enough for him, and he ended up making a call. Serena recognized the voice on the phone as ire Shaw. Thinking of how she had irrational fears earlier, worried that bathing and wearing pajamas would arouse Caleb¡¯s other thoughts. Yet now it seemed Caleb¡¯s thoughts were only focused on ire Shaw. Serena managed a bitter smile, cursing herself for being overly sentimental. She spent a long time bathing, so long that Caleb must have already gone to bed. Serena changed into her pajamas and walked out of the bathroom. 216 39 Chapter 39: Stirring Those Thoughts Perhaps it¡¯s at Grandpa¡¯s order, or perhaps the servants took the liberty to prepare a white silk camisole style sleepwear for Serena, with the chest area adorned with delicatece. Dressed like this, Serena was actually quite embarrassed, thankfully Caleb had long since gone to bed, his back to her. By this time, it was past midnight, and Serena felt somewhat sleepy. Shey down on the other side of the bed. The bed wasrge enough that although Serena and Caleb were sharing it, there was a distance between them, neither touching the other. Serena turned off the bedsidemp, plunging the bedroom into darkness. Next to her, Caleb¡¯s breathing was steady, indicating he was deeply asleep, yet exhausted from the day, Serena couldn¡¯t fall asleep. The next day, Serena was awakened by the rm she had set, looking somewhat drained. Caleb woke up along with her; she wondered if it was the rm that disturbed him. In the past, she used to do the same, set the rm to get up first, prepare meals, iron Caleb¡¯s suits, and polish Caleb¡¯s shoes before waking him. Serena was putting on makeup, trying her best to conceal her dark circles. At that moment, Caleb ced a steaming cup of coffee on the dressing table. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what kind of coffee you drink, so I asked Ma Wang to make the mostmontte.¡± Serena thanked him, finding Caleb acting a bit unusual today. Previously, Caleb might give her pocket money or gifts during the holidays, but he would never serve her a cup of coffee. Serena thought perhaps it was because they were in the old residence that Caleb had to put on some semnce of pretense! After drinking the coffee, she felt more invigorated and began busying herself for the birthday banquet. 39 Chapter 39: Stirring Those Thoughts As time approached noon, guests began arriving one after another. These guests were no different from previous years, and Serena knew them all. The guests also knew Serena as Lance Lockwood¡¯s granddaughter-inw. The only difference was that this year, an extra person was invited to the banquet. That person was invited by Caleb. ¡°Caleb, I¡¯m notte, am I?¡± ire Shaw walked into the residence, her smile blossoming like a flower. Today, she had deliberately dressed up, swapping her usual sweet style for a more mature Morandi pink dress, with smooth cuts and clean lines, the fabric draping nicely, looking very sophisticated. The jewelry she paired was no longer shy and eye-catching, but rather small and exquisite, serving as the finishing touch. Serena could tell that ire Shaw¡¯s outfit was intended to please Lance Lockwood. ¡°Grandpa, this is my gift for you.¡± ire Shaw handed a beautifully packaged gift box to Lance Lockwood. Although one would normally not hit a smiling face, Lance Lockwood showed not a hint of friendliness towards ire Shaw. ¡°Ma Wang, put the stuff over there.¡± Lance Lockwood was celebrating his birthday and had received numerous gifts, all piled up in the storage room. ire Shaw¡¯s smile faltered slightly. Lunch time arrived. Lance Lockwood wasn¡¯t ustomed to Western food, preferring Chinese cuisine, and his friends had simr tastes, so Serena prepared Chinese dishes, ones Lance loved. ¡°Lance, your granddaughter-inw¡¯s culinary skills are world-ss chef worthy.¡± 39 Chapter 39: Stirring Those Thoughts ¡°That¡¯s why I said before, Lance doesn¡¯t have many good traits, except his great judgment in picking grandchildren-inw.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Look at Serena, then look at my granddaughter-inw who can¡¯t even crack an egg, sigh!¡± Lance Lockwood¡¯s friends couldn¡¯t stop praising Serena. ¡°Now, most young people are the same, few know how to cook because they¡¯re busy working!¡± Arthur Lockwood chimed in. ¡°Isn¡¯t that true, Serena doesn¡¯t work¡­¡± Before Lilian Young could finish, her father-inw rebuked her. ¡°Do you work? Yet you still don¡¯t know how to cook, do you?¡± Lilian Young¡¯s face couldn¡¯t hold up, knowing the old man favored Serena, as he was the one who first suggested Caleb marry Serena. ¡°Serena is more diligent than the average young person, willing to take on responsibilities; that¡¯s why they say children from poor families mature early!¡± If it had been in the past, hearing Lilian Young speak like that would have moved Serena to tears, thinking that her mother-inw acknowledged her efforts and hardships. But now, she only sensed that Lilian Young was mocking her for not being well-off, thus only capable of being a housewife. ¡°Serena is currently employed at The Lockwood Group as Caleb¡¯s secretary¡­¡± Lance sensed Lilian¡¯s undertone and spoke up for Serena, ¡°Caleb, isn¡¯t Serena quitepetent at work?¡± Caleb, while serving soup, replied indifferently, ¡°Her main work involves coordinating with Assistant Zhang, we don¡¯t interact much.¡± Comment De 13.38 Mding 40 40 Chapter 40: Breakup ¡°You dare say that? Serena has lost weight; surely you¡¯ve been bullying her at thepany.¡± Lance Lockwood stood up for Serena Jennings. 1 Caleb Lockwood gave a wry smile, ¡°Grandpa, there¡¯s really nothing like that.¡± He ced the bowl of ck chicken soup in front of Serena Jennings. Serena softly thanked him. It was only at the old estate that she could drink the soup personally served by Caleb Lockwood. ¡°It¡¯s a matter between them as a couple; you, old man, should stay out of it.¡± Lance Lockwood¡¯s old war buddy couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°Exactly, see how attentive Caleb is to his own wife.¡± ¡°Caleb and Serena; they¡¯re a perfect match¡­ even at their wedding, I said they had a special connection.¡± Serena Jennings felt a bit embarrassed by thepliments. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s charming smile formed slightly on his lips. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, no one could imagine that these two were actually getting divorced and had already been separated for a long time. During the meal, someone asked who ire Shaw was. Caleb Lockwood introduced her as his high school ssmate. Ever since she returned to the country, whenever someone asked Caleb Lockwood about her identity, he answered with ¡°high school ssmate.¡± They indeed broke up upon graduating. Under normal circumstances, ire Shaw wouldn¡¯t be too upset about this title. However, at this moment,pared to Serena, who was his wife, she appeared as the sole outsider. 40 Chapter 40: Breakup ¡°ire, why aren¡¯t you eating? Is the food not to your taste?¡± Lilian Young asked ire Shaw. ire Shaw forced a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have an appetite; I¡¯m just worried¡­ not sure if Grandpa likes the gift I brought.¡± Upon hearing ire Shaw say this, Lilian Young immediately called Wang Ma to bring over ire Shaw¡¯s gift and opened it on the spot. ire Shaw¡¯s birthday gift for Lance Lockwood was a carved ¡°Longevity as the Southern Mountains¡± piece made from top¨Cgrade Mutton Fat Jade, intricately crafted and visibly expensive. ¡°ire, you¡¯ve spent way too much; this carving costs at least several million!¡± Lilian Young eximed in awe. ¡°The craftsmanship is rare indeed, surely a work by a master.¡± Arthur Lockwood also praised ire Shaw¡¯s well¨Cchosen giftvishly. Seeing the attention return to herself, ire Shaw pretentiously flicked her hair. ¡°I invited master sculptor Sylvia Lowell from the country; she took three months to carve it. I did the design myself; just hope Grandpa likes it.¡± After hearing ire Shaw¡¯s words, a few of Lance Lockwood¡¯s friends also started praising ire Shaw¡¯s thoughtful efforts. ¡°By the way, Serena, what kind of birthday gift did you get for Grandpa?¡± Upon hearing ire Shaw ask her this, Serena felt that ire Shaw went to such lengths for Grandpa¡¯s gift not just to please him, but also to set her up as aparison. ¡°Serena is family; family shouldn¡¯t be so formal.¡± Lance Lockwood¡¯s words clearly categorized ire Shaw as an outsider. ¡°But Caleb also gave a gift; does that mean Serena is more of a family than Caleb?¡± Lucy Warren couldn¡¯t help but interject. Caleb Lockwood indeed gave Lance Lockwood a birthday gift, a Richard Mille watch worth thirty million. Before Lance Lockwood could rebuke Lucy Warren, suddenly someone rang the doorbell of The Lockwood Estate. 40 Chapter 40: Breakup Wang Ma went to open the door and shortly returned with arge box in her hands. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a courier delivery saying it¡¯s for the young madam.¡± The ¡°young madam¡± Wang Ma referred to was naturally Serena Jennings. Serena hurriedly took the box and presented it to Lance Lockwood. ¡°Grandpa, happy birthday, this is my gift to you.¡± Serena¡¯s earnest blessing surprised Lance Lockwood. In previous years, Serena had never given him a gift. Because she and Caleb were family, anything Caleb gave was assumed to carry Serena¡¯s sentiment as well. Moreover, every year on his birthday, Serena would carefully prepare his favorite dishes; her culinary skills were something he showcased to his old friends. So he never felt he needed a gift from Serena for his birthday. But this time, Serena did give something. While touched, Lance Lockwood also felt a bit sentimental. He always felt that this was Serena¡¯s way of defining clear boundaries with Caleb. ¡°What did she send that required a courier? Could it be takeaway?¡± Lucy Warren couldn¡¯t refrain from mocking. The others were also curious about this tardy birthday gift. Except for Caleb Lockwood. Since Serena mentioned divorce and moved out from The Jade Pavilion, he hadn¡¯t given her a penny. Serena never asked him for any either. Caleb Lockwood guessed that what Serena gave was likely something she crafted herself. This kind of gift is economical, yet meaningful. Like handmade scarves or baked cakes,mon in novels and TV dramas. 13.39 40 Chapter 40: Breakup ire Shaw thought along the same lines as Caleb Lockwood. Although curious about Serena¡¯s gift, she didn¡¯t have high expectations. It surely wouldn¡¯tpare to hers. Lance Lockwood carefully unwrapped the package and opened the gift box. Inside the box was another box. A violin case. Lance Lockwood¡¯s eyes brightened. It was a violin case, naturally containing a violin inside. Lance Lockwood¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°Serena, you actually remember Grandpa¡¯s old dream¡­¡± Lance Lockwood learned the violin as a child; his dream was to be a violinist. However, he ended up joining the army, doing business, gradually moving away from a path aligned with music for the sake of earning money. After Serena joined the Lockwood Family, on a random asion, he had mentioned this unfulfilled dream to her. He never imagined Serena would remember. When Lance Lockwood took the violin out of the case, the guests were stunned, Including Caleb Lockwood. Though they might not all understand violins, given their backgrounds, they had some knowledge of top¨Ctier collectibles. ¡°Serena, is this violin that one, you know¡­¡± Lance Lockwood¡¯s old buddy stammered, struggling with his words. ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®MacDonald¡® Stradivarius.¡± 13.844 40 Chapter 40: Breakup Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze shifted from the violin to Serena Jennings. The ¡®MacDonald¡® Stradivarius is currently known as the world¡¯s most expensive violin. Not only is it astronomically priced, but it has never been publicly auctioned, always traded privately, leaving many collectors yearning for the chance to splurge. ¡°Serena, how did you manage to buy this violin? It¡¯s¡­ so valuable¡­¡± Lance Lockwood¡¯s eyes were moist, overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°Grandpa ys violin so well; naturally, he deserves a good violin. I got it through a friend, with a discount.¡± Serena smiled casually, speaking lightly. With this top¨Ctier violin, Lance Lockwood was as happy as a child, and he spontaneously performed, receiving apuse from everyone. Caleb Lockwood noticed Serena fiddling with her phone under the table, seemingly chatting with someone on WeChat. Serena was indeed chatting with someone on WeChat. Dn Shaw: Teacher, I even sold my looks to get this for you. When can I hear you y the piano again? Serena Jennings: Sold your looks? Do you even have any? Dn Shaw: ??? Serena Jennings: Really, thanks a lot this time. I stopped ying the piano long ago, but when you return, I can y the double keyboard for you. Dn Shaw: You can only y for me, alone. Serena finally sent an OK emoji, ending the conversation. She looked up and found Caleb Lockwood watching her. 516 Mding 41 41 Chapter 41: Let¡¯s Get Back Together 41 Chapter 41: Let¡¯s Get Back Together Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze carried a hint of scrutiny, and Serena Jennings guiltily avoided eye contact.1 Giving the ¡®MacDonald¡® Stradivari in public was indeed a bit shy, but the opportunity was too good to pass
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For her grandfather¡¯s sake, even if Caleb Lockwood suspected the source of the money, she was willing to ept it. Recently, Serena Jennings had received arge sum from Peter. Besides the piano series dividends, there were also design fees for a new series, and the piano series recently caught the attention of the Xylos royal family, bing their official jewelry, earning a substantial sponsorship fee. Serena had wanted to give her grandfather a violin for many years. Without thisrge sum, she truly couldn¡¯t afford it. Just as the funds were avable now, she contacted Dn Shaw. Although Dn Shaw was young, he was currently the most popr pianist, considered the top among globally renowned pianists. He was well¨Cconnected and influential in the circle. And he- Was Serena Jennings¡® apprentice. Eventually, Serena spent fifty million USD, converting to roughly 360 million RMB, to purchase the ¡®MacDonald¡® Stradivari. Now, there¡¯s only a few million left in her ount, but Serena thought this was enough. Her daily expenses were no different from those of a regr employee; as long as she had enough to cover medical expenses, it would do. At the birthday banquet, apart from the birthday star himself, Serena and the violin she gifted were the most < 41 Chapter 41: Let¡¯s Get Back Together eye¨Ccatching. ire Shaw¡¯s face had already turned ashen like ayer of soot. Initially, Lilian Young and Arthur Lockwood were full of praise for the mutton fat jade piece she gifted. But once Serena¡¯s gift appeared, no one mentioned ire¡¯s gift anymore. ire Shaw was also a discerning person; even conservatively, the ¡®MacDonald¡® Stradivari must be worth over a hundred million. Where did Serena get so much money! While angrily watching Serena bask in attention, ire Shaw feigned indifference while observing Caleb Lockwood. The only constion for her tonight was that Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t praised Serena all evening. Even after seeing the billion¨Cworth birthday gift Serena gave, Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t show much reaction. After the birthday banquet ended, Caleb Lockwood was summoned to the study by Lance Lockwood. To Caleb Lockwood, his grandfather¡¯s study was a dedicated ce for discussing business and serious matters. Thest time he was called over was three years ago. Back then, his grandfather had said to him in the study, ¡°Since you and thedy who saved your life, Miss Jennings, are in love, you should start nning for marriage!¡± The room was filled with the scent of agarwood as Caleb Lockwood saw Lance Lockwood seated sternly at the desk, watching him. ¡°Grandfather, what do you wish to discuss?¡± Caleb Lockwood proactively asked. Lance Lockwood wasn¡¯t in a hurry, slowly sipping West Lake Longjing tea, saying, ¡°Not much¡­ You¡¯ve grown up, you¡¯re an independent adult now, I¡¯m old, and I originally didn¡¯t want to interfere with you younger ones¡­¡± 15:56 < 41 Chapter 41: Let¡¯s Get Back Together Lance Lockwood barely began, but Caleb Lockwood already sensed the ending. ¡°Grandfather merely wishes to remind you¡­ Love, as you age, starts to feel less significant¡­ Your grandfather mightck many things, but he¡¯s still sharp at judging people¡­ Some people, even if you don¡¯t love her, might still be the most suitable for you, suitable to be your wife, capable of bringing you good fortune¡­ That¡¯s called having a ¡®luck¨Cbringing spouse¡°.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand your words.¡± Caleb Lockwood maintained a respectful attitude, yet his gaze remained cold. ¡°You¡¯re a clever child, you understand everything grandfather said¡­¡± Lance Lockwood took another sip, this time his tone carried a hint of coercion. ¡°Moreover¡­ No matter what stage you and Serena reach, that ire Shaw¡­ as long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll never let her in the family, I hope you¡¯re aware of this, don¡¯t me your grandfather for not giving you a heads up.¡± Outside the Lockwood Estate, Serena Jennings gradually bid goodbye to Lance Lockwood¡¯s friends and was about to leave. ire Shaw stood nearby, seemingly idle, but not leaving. Serena knew she was waiting for Caleb Lockwood. Except forst night when she returned with Caleb Lockwood to prepare ahead for the birthday banquet, the rest of the time, ire Shaw was always inseparable from Caleb Lockwood. Finally, Caleb Lockwood walked out from the manor; the sky had already turned dark. Serena initially intended to approach Caleb Lockwood to say goodbye. Today, she was still considered the daughter¨Cinw of the Lockwood Family, and when leaving, she had greeted Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young, so she felt it necessary not to leave out Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, I¡¯m leaving¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± Serena was taken aback. Caleb¡¯s handsome face showed no emotion as he spoke to her, then he turned to ire Shaw who 15.56 41 Chapter 41: Let¡¯s Get Back Together approached and said, ¡°Mr. Miller will arrive soon, I¡¯ll have him take you home.¡± ire Shaw¡¯s eyes widened. This incredulous expressionsted only briefly. ¡°Hmm, I understand¡­¡± She bowed her head, unable to hide her disappointment. Even Serena thought that the pitiful ire Shaw could easily evoke one¡¯s protective instinct. ¡°Caleb, I understand you, so I won¡¯t make it difficult for you.¡± ire Shaw said, lifting her face and gazing affectionately into Caleb¡¯s eyes. She guessed that Lance Lockwood must have said something to Caleb. Not long after, Mr. Miller arrived. For the first time, Caleb Lockwood had a car but didn¡¯t take ire Shaw home, instead asking Mr. Miller to do
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Although he didn¡¯t take ire Shaw home, he apanied her to Mr. Miller¡¯s car. Their reluctant farewell fell within Serena Jennings¡® sight, making her lose interest in riding with Caleb. It wasn¡¯t until Mr. Miller¡¯s car drove far that Caleb returned to find Serena. ¡°I can go myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you Caleb Lockwood calmly emphasized, Serena looked at Caleb¡¯s cold expression and knew he wasn¡¯t willing to take her; it was likely her grandfather¡¯s request. She sighed inwardly, understanding her grandfather¡¯s good intentions, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. Neither for her nor Caleb Lockwood. Serena, as always, nned to sit in the back seat, but Caleb insisted she sit in the front. 15:56 475 < 41 Chapter 41: Let¡¯s Get Back Together ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± After saying this, Caleb opened the passenger door for her. Serena had no choice but to sit in. The ck Maybach drove swiftly. Ten minutes had passed without a word from Caleb Lockwood; the atmosphere inside the car was tense. The air¨Cconditioning made her sneeze. ¡°Let¡¯s reconcile!¡± Serena, covering her mouth, heard those words and immediately turned to look at Caleb. Caleb was driving, eyes on the road. Serena thought she was hearing things until Caleb suddenly repeated: ¡°Let¡¯s reconcile!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Caleb abruptly braked; Serena, fortunately, had her seatbelt on, or she would have been thrown out. The ck Maybach stopped by the roadside. Without the streetlights, it blended with the surrounding darkness. Inside the car, Serena felt scared. The area around the Lockwood Estate was deste; now it waste at night, and she was alone with Caleb in a confined space. Moreover, despite his words about reconciling, Caleb¡¯s face showed no expression of reconciliation, his aura chillingly cold, ¡°Caleb Lockwood, there¡¯s no need for us to reconcile. Let¡¯s spare each other and proceed with the divorce formalities quickly¡­¡± ¡°Constantly talking about divorce with me, yet spending big money to curry favor with grandfather, so he¡¯d put pressure on me¨CSerena, you really know how to y your hand.¡± 16:56 > Mding 42 42 Chapter 42: Make You Hurt Even More Serena finally saw a smile on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face, but it was filled with sarcasm. 1 ¡°I didn¡¯t deliberately try to please grandpa¡­¡± ¡°Oh? So that ¡®MacDonald¡® Stradivarius wasn¡¯t a gift from you?¡± ¡°I..¡± Serena¡¯s wrist was suddenly grabbed by Caleb Lockwood. ¡°That violin is worth billions at the very least, Serena. Where did you get the money? How much more are you hiding from me?¡± Serena felt as though her wrist was about to be crushed by Caleb. With her seatbelt fastened, she found it difficult to resist. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± Before Serena could break free from Caleb¡¯s grip, he unbuckled his seatbelt and pressed closer. His maic voice was like a snake¡¯s hiss, licking Serena¡¯s ear. ¡°I can make it hurt even more. Want to try?¡± Serena struggled frantically, and the more she moved, the more aggressively Caleb restrained her. She didn¡¯t understand what madness had overtaken him again. The two of them wrestled, neither willing to give in. Serena bit Caleb¡¯s lip hard enough to draw blood, and the metallic taste filled her own mouth. Just then, a piercing car horn interrupted their struggle, Approaching the ck Maybach was a shy red Ferrari sports car. Caleb knew whose car it was. Unconcerned, he lowered the passenger window and saw none other than Justin Nash sitting in the red 15:56 < 42 Chapter 42: Make You Hurt Even More sports car. Justin saw Caleb pressing against Serena, the two of them not only close but also in an intimate position. Serena¡¯s clothes and hair were a mess. Serena never expected to see Justin Nash here. She hurriedly pushed Caleb away, unbuckled her seatbelt, and tried to get out of the car. But the door wouldn¡¯t open¨Cit was locked. At this moment, Caleb, having returned to the driver¡¯s seat, calmly unlocked the car and took out his phone to call Mr. Miller. ¡°Mr. Miller, have you taken ire home yet?¡± Standing by the now¨Copen car door, Serena stiffened. She turned to nce at Caleb. Unlike the furious Justin Nash, Caleb¡¯s expression was calm, even bearing a faint, enigmatic smile on his lip. ¡°Then take her to The Seaside Vi instead. I¡¯m heading there now.¡± Serena knew The Seaside Vi was a property of The Lockwood Family. After hanging up the call, Caleb looked at Serena without a care and said: ¡°Go ahead.¡± Serena got out of the car and into Justin Nash¡¯s car. It wasn¡¯t until the red Ferrari drove off with Serena that Caleb¡¯s expression slightly changed. His eyes were darker than the night. The red sports car raced through the night. Inside the car, Serena, her nerves finally calming, asked Justin what brought him here. ¡°I was running some errands and happened to pass by.¡± ¡°Are you here for a driving test?¡± 15.54 < 42 Chapter 42: Make You Hurt Even More Justin was amused by Serena¡¯s words. He knew that Serena, being so smart, wouldn¡¯t believe it, as this area was so deste, and aside from a driving test, there wasn¡¯t much reason for anyone to be driving here around this time. So he told the truth. It turned out that Justin had heard from Lana Xavier that Serena was visiting The Lockwood Family estate today. Concerned Serena might be bullied, he had been driving around since 6 PM, hoping to ¡°identally¡± run into her. Serena felt warmth in her heart upon hearing this. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done without you tonight¡­¡± Otherwise, who knows what Caleb Lockwood might have done to her. Justin drove Serena home, all the way to the doorstep, hesitating to leave. ¡°Is there something else?¡± Serena asked proactively. Scratching the back of his neck, Justin turned red. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s nothing¡­ Just¡­ If you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯d like to stay with you tonight¡­¡± The moment those words were out of his mouth, Justin saw a change in Serena¡¯s expression. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I don¡¯t mean anything else¡­ It¡¯s just that Caleb Lockwood¡­ I¡¯m afraid he might bother you again¡­¡± Serena gazed into Justin¡¯s eyes. His eyes were clear, unlike Caleb¡¯s, like a stream where everything was visible. So she knew Justin wasn¡¯t lying, not using it as an excuse. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Caleb won¡¯te looking for me tonight.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± 15.56 376 42 Chapter 42: Make You Hurt Even More Justin still felt uneasy, while Serena managed a small smile. ¡°Because he¡¯s gone to find ire Shaw.¡± The Seaside Vi. When Caleb arrived, the vi lights were on. He had just opened the door when he saw ire Shaw standing at the entrance. ire had changed into her nightwear, a pale pink silk nightgown that outlined her curvaceous figure beautifully. She tiptoed and reached out to help Caleb untie his tie. At the same time, Caleb actively took off his suit jacket. 1 The next day, Serena arrived at thepany early, waiting outside the president¡¯s office. She waited until almost noon. Caleb finally showed up, casting her a lukewarm nce. ¡°Got something to say?¡± Serena followed Caleb into his office, handing over her resignation letter. Caleb took the resignation letter, tore it into four pieces, and tossed them in the trash. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ¡°What did you call me?¡± Caleb sat down in his boss chair. Serena corrected herself, ¡°President Lockwood¡­ I¡¯m not resigning impulsively because of you going to find ire Shawst night.¡± She genuinely wanted to stay away from Caleb. Caleb gave a smile without any warmth. ¡°I don¡¯t care why; I only remember promising not to have Lana detained on the condition that you work at 15.66 A < 42 Chapter 42: Make You Hurt Even More Lockwood Group. So now you¡¯re going back on your word? Did President Nash offer you a better deal?¡± Serena realized Caleb used ¡°President Nash¡± deliberately, mocking her. ¡°It has nothing to do with Justin Nash.¡± ¡°Then who does it have to do with?¡± Serena was at a loss for words and left Caleb¡¯s office dejectedly. She had lunch in the cafeteria and saw Christine Warren and several colleagues surrounding ire Shaw with questions. Apparently, ire had arrived at thepany in Caleb¡¯s car today. The two were inseparable, and both werete. ¡°What, what? The Seaside Vi? Oh my god, so romantic¡­¡± ire immediately covered Christine¡¯s mouth, blushing furiously. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense here at thepany!¡± The news spread, and by the afternoon, everyone at Lockwood Group heard that ire Shaw had spent the night at Caleb¡¯s vi. ¡°So the president finally got her?¡± ¡°Looks like it, right?¡± ¡°I heard they¡¯ve been living together for a while now!¡± All afternoon, the gossip wouldn¡¯t leave Serena¡¯s ears; she tried to focus on work but found it difficult to concentrate. ¡°Where¡¯s my coffee?¡± Serena snapped back to reality when someone knocked on her desk, seeing Caleb had appeared beside her at some point. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll get it right away¡­¡± 15.56 0 < 42 Chapter 42: Make You Hurt Even More Serena stood up, remembering Caleb had asked her to make coffee three times. But she had forgotten. ¡°No need to trouble Serena.¡± At that moment, ire Shaw approached, carrying a steaming cup of coffee. ¡°I made your favorite Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.¡± ¡°But making coffee for me is Serena¡¯s job.¡± Caleb looked at Serena with a gaze full of disappointment. ¡°I see¡­ So this cup of coffee is wasted then¡­¡± ire Shaw lowered her head, looking dejected. ¡°Who said I wouldn¡¯t drink it?¡± Caleb took the coffee from ire¡¯s hand with a faint smile. ire¡¯s eyes lit up again, and she followed Caleb into his office. Serena watched as the office blinds were pulled down once more. 1 Comment 3 Post your firstment! Vote 22 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 43 43 Chapter 43: Charity Today, once again, Justin came to pick her up after work. 1 Last night, Justin helped her out so much that Serena offered to take him out for dinner. However, as soon as the car reached the mall, a sudden issue at Justin¡¯spany required him to return and take charge. ¡°Will you really be okay on your own?¡± By the roadside, Justin asked Serena reluctantly. Serena couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry. ¡°I¡¯m not a child, and besides, the mall in City A isn¡¯t that dangerous.¡± Serena wasn¡¯t ready to go home yet; since she was already there, she asionally liked to shop. Every time she visited a high¨Cend mall, Serena always couldn¡¯t resist stopping by FY¡¯s counter to see how her jewelry designs looked in the disy. The piano series had now be FY¡¯s gship collection and representative element. Using patented cutting technology, the sparkling ck and white diamonds maximally showcased the fire of the diamonds,plemented by upgraded hidden setting techniques, with no visible prongs to enhance the overall beauty. Serena had crafted five different designs for this collection- Stave, Treble Clef, Eighth Note, Piano Keys, and Grand Piano. Among them, the ¡°Grand Piano¡± was the most luxurious and expensive. It featured 300 top¨Cgrade colorless diamonds from Botswana and 700 top¨Cgrade ck diamonds from Central Africa, with a unique design that shone brightly upon release, causing a sensation in the jewelry world and high society. ¡°Wow¡­ Is this the legendary Piano Queen Pendant?¡± < 43 Chapter 43: Charity Lily stood in front of the separate disy cab, lost in its beauty. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one.¡± ire stood beside her, looking proud as if she had designed the Piano Queen Pendant herself. ¡°It¡¯s so magnificent, my eyes feel almost blinded.¡± Owen shielded his eyes, equally awestruck. ¡°Although I currently design jewelry at Lockwood Group and am apetitor to FY, this is only limited to the gold product line; as for high¨Cend diamond jewelry, no one can rival FY!¡± Upon hearing ire¡¯s words, Lily and Owen couldn¡¯t help but marvel: ¡°FY is that impressive?¡± ¡°Previously, in the high¨Cend jewelry world, FY and KDY were about equal, but since FY released the piano series, its sales and status quickly surpassed KDY.¡± ¡°So ire, your teacher really aplished something great!¡± Owen nudged ire with his elbow, causing her proud smile to widen even more. ¡°If someone could give me a ne like this, I¡¯d marry him immediately.¡± Seeing Lily so charmed, ire exined, ¡°This Piano Queen Pendant is different from other jewelry in the piano series; it can only be purchased by FY¡¯s highest¨Clevel ck diamond VIP clients¨Cjust having money isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°So don¡¯t daydream! Of the three of us, only ire might have a chance.¡± Owen teased. ¡°Speaking of which, ire, haven¡¯t you always liked this Piano Queen Pendant? Why not have President Lockwood give it to you? He¡¯s surely able to afford it.¡± ¡°Well..¡± ire¡¯s gaze shifted to Serena, who was walking towards them. Serena hade to witness the splendor of the Piano Queen Pendant. Although she created the design, nothing couldpare to the brilliance of the actual piece. She hadn¡¯t expected to encounter ire and the others while shopping, nor had she anticipated their keen 1667 < 43 Chapter 43: Charity admiration for her jewelry designs. ¡°Serena, why are you here?¡± ire initiated the conversation, her tone questioning Serena¡¯s right to browse the jewelry counters. Serena walked over withposure, smiled at ire, ¡°I¡¯m here to buy jewelry.¡± In fact, she hadn¡¯t intended to buy anything. ¡°You? Can you afford it?¡± Owen raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Have you already forgotten the matter of paying three millionpensation?¡± As soon as Serena brought that up, Owen¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°That time was your extortion!¡± ¡°Do you think Caleb, with his intelligence, would be extorted and still obediently pay?¡± This silenced Owen. ire, standing beside, also furrowed her brows. She couldn¡¯t understand where Serena got so much money, with multimillion¨Cdor dresses and billion- dor gifts. However, she wouldn¡¯t allow Serena to be so smug. ¡°I¡¯m so envious of you, having to buy jewelry for yourself, unlike me, all my jewelry is gifted by Caleb¡­ By the way, Serena, after all these years of doingundry and cooking for Caleb, hasn¡¯t he given you even one piece of jewelry?¡± Serena¡¯s initially uplifted lips gradually dropped. Caleb had gifted her many pieces of jewelry, but they were all pink diamonds- ire¡¯s preference. Seeing Serena lose her spark, ire smirked triumphantly. ¡°Serena, Caleb will be here soon; he¡¯s made an appointment with me to pick out jewelry. However, I¡¯m generous; whatever you fancy, I¡¯ll ask him to give you one too.¡± 15:57 715 < 43 Chapter 43: Charity The moment ire said this, Lily and Owen chimed in, praising her kindness, unlike someone else. Serena turned around to leave, only to identally cross paths with Caleb. Caleb brushed past her as though he didn¡¯t see her, heading straight to ire. Caleb intended to buy the Piano Queen Pendant for ire. The thought of her most popr design hanging around ire¡¯s neck made Serena feel nauseated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. You are not yet one of our FY ck diamond VIPs and are not qualified to purchase this piece of jewelry.¡± Caleb was dumbfounded. Beside him, ire, Lily, and Owen all appeared embarrassed. Serena had intended to leave, having seen ire¡¯s sheer annoyance with her presence, and watching Caleb and ire disy affection only added to her irritation. Yet, upon hearing the clerk¡¯s words, she turned back to watch the spectacle. Caleb raised his gaze at Serena¡¯s crispughter, his eyes cold. ¡°What¡¯s so funny as if you could afford it?¡± Owen couldn¡¯t help but retort Serena. Serena didn¡¯t care whether she could afford it; she just wanted to ridicule Caleb for not being able to purchase it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Caleb, it¡¯s my fault¡­¡± ire expressed genuine apology, clutching Caleb¡¯s arm. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just choose another piece of jewelry!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ire obediently chose a pink diamond floral ring. While checking out, Caleb suddenly asked Serena: ¡°Do you want it? If you do, I could gift you one too.¡± 15:57 415 43 Chapter 43 Charity ire¡¯s expression briefly turned grim, but she quickly resumed her smile, ¡°Serena, is there anything you fancy? If you need help choosing, I can assist As Serena watched ire and Caleb sing in harmony, she felt like a stray cat or dog waiting for charity alongside the road. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ve never liked pink diamonds.¡± Caleb showed a hint of surprise when Serena said this. ¡°When I gave you pink diamond rings in the past, you were moved to tears, and now you¡¯re acting all aloof.¡± Caleb¡¯s sarcasm awakened Serena¡¯s deeply buried memories. The time she was moved to tears was precisely when Caleb proposed to her with a pink diamond ring So¡­ Caleb thought her tears of gratitude were for that seven¨Ccarat pink diamond engagement ring. < Mding 44 44 Chapter 44: Drowning Sorrows in Drink Serena¡¯s face carried a faint smile of self¨Cmockery, but inside, her heart twisted in pain. If she hadn¡¯t mistaken Caleb¡¯s love for her at the time, and had just been moved to tears by the diamond¡¯s size, it would have been better. Without further exnation, Serena turned and left. Letting Caleb misunderstand her as coveting his money wasn¡¯t all bad. ¡°Miss Jennings!¡± Suddenly, someone called her from behind. Serena turned her head, surprised and wide¨Ceyed. The person had blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in designer clothes, obviously ady of high status. ire had been boasting to her best friend about her pink diamond flower ring when Caleb headed towards the unfamiliardy. ¡°President Lowell, it¡¯s been a while. You still look as beautiful as ever.¡± Caleb proactively greeted Vester Lowell. ¡°Long time no see, President Lockwood.¡± Vester Lowell reached out to shake hands with Caleb. They exchanged a few pleasantries, but Vester Lowell¡¯s attitude towards Caleb was not particrly warm, just basic courtesy. When Caleb returned to his side, ire couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Caleb, who is thatdy?¡± ¡°Vester Lowell, the only daughter of an oil tycoon, and wife of the domestic real estate giant, CEO of the Li Group.¡± ire covered her mouth in shock, not expecting the other party to have such a big background, no wonder Caleb would approach her proactively. < 44 Chapter 44: Drowning Sorrows in Drink In Caleb¡¯s impression, Vester Lowell was proud, unimpressed by many wealthy and influential figures in the business world. However, he saw Vester Lowell enthusiastically grab Serena¡¯s hand. ¡°Miss Jennings, I never expected to meet you here, are you also here to buy jewelry like me?¡± Vester Lowell turned her head and immediately spotted the Piano Queen Pendant in a separate disy case. ¡°Oh, I get it, you want that, don¡¯t you?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t stop it in time, Vester Lowell had already swiped her card to buy the ne and personally ced it on Serena¡¯s neck. The Piano Queen Pendant¡¯s brilliance was blinding. Watching helplessly as the diamond jewelry she loved and wasn¡¯t qualified to buy, not even Caleb could purchase, now hung around Serena¡¯s neck, ire gritted her teeth in hatred but had to maintain a facade of serenity. Serena waspletely stunned. ¡°Mrs. Lowell, this¡­¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, right? I¡¯ll treat you. What do you like to eat? I know a very delicious ce!¡± Vester Lowell forcefully pulled Serena into the elevator. ire and others left behind exchanged nces. ¡°It seems¡­ Serena has met quite a few big names since following President Ning!¡± ire whispered while sneakily observing Caleb¡¯s reaction. Caleb¡¯s handsomely unmatched face was cold as ice, indifferent and expressionless. Not angry, nor looking at Serena with newfound respect. ire secretly breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s go have dinner!¡± She linked her arm with Caleb¡¯s. ¡°Alright.¡± Caleb and ire walked ahead, his eyes remained cold. 15 57 276 < 44 Chapter 44: Drowning Sorrows in Drink By the time Serena walked out of the mall, it waspletely dark outside. The darker it got, the more dazzling the city lights appeared. Tonight, she unexpectedly benefited from misfortune. Vester Lowell was a VIP client of FY ck diamonds and a devoted supporter of the piano series. One of the few who knew Serena as the master designer of the piano series. Serena had met Vester Lowell three years ago. Vester Lowell admired the piano series designer immensely, regarding her as an idol. Because of her good rtionship with Peter privately and being a VIP client Peter had to maintain, Peter pleaded with Serena to meet her. Serena did not refuse and upon meeting, requested that her identity be kept secret. Vester Lowell kept her promise. Serena thought Vester Lowell would have forgotten her, but didn¡¯t realize her enthusiasm remained unchanged. Vester Lowell treated her to dinner, Serena didn¡¯t hold back, and courtesy was useless. But the Piano Queen Pendant was indeed too valuable and she resolutely couldn¡¯t ept it, but Vester Lowell said if Serena didn¡¯t ept it, she would divorce her husband. Serena felt helpless and couldn¡¯t understand how these two were logically linked. Ultimately, she epted the jewelry but didn¡¯t wear it, to avoid being too shy. She hailed a taxi at the curb, and before the car arrived, her phone rang. The caller ID was an unknown number, but the number had sequential digits, indicating it was bought with money. Serena hesitated but answered the call. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± 1542 < 44 Chapter 44: Drowning Sorrows in Drink ¡°Serena,e quickly!¡± It was Patrick Rhodes¡¯s voiceing through the receiver, and Serena¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Seeing that Serena didn¡¯t respond, Patrick continued: ¡°Brother Lockwood is drunk. We¡¯re at the club now! Brother Lockwood said if you don¡¯te, he¡¯ll drink himself to death here.¡± 1 Serena really wanted to ask Patrick, where¡¯s ire? However, she was first pulled up by Vester Lowell into the elevator, so wasn¡¯t sure if Caleb stayed with ire afterward. Even if Caleb wasn¡¯t with ire, why would he go to a club to get drunk? Is there a need to drown in drink? Serena couldn¡¯t understand. Surely it wasn¡¯t because he saw her close to Vester Lowell, and felt upset? Serena smiled bitterly, thinking she might be overthinking. ¡°If he¡¯s drunk, just take him home or call Mr. Miller.¡± Serena finished speaking and hung up the phone. Less than three secondster, the same number called again. It was still Patrick. ¡°Serena, please be kind, Brother Lockwood really wants to see you, no one else is able to persuade him!¡± Serena hung up again. Then Patrick called a third time. ¡°You know Brother Lockwood¡¯s temper. I don¡¯t know what happened between you two, but Brother Lockwood is really drunk because of you this time, he insists on seeing you, only you can take him home.¡± Patrick¡¯s tone through the receiver grew increasingly anxious and tense, and Serena¡¯s grip on her phone tightened. < 44 Chapter 44: Drowning Sorrows in Drink Late at night. The taxi stopped in front of Modern Times. Inside the club, the lighting was poor, the corridor wasn¡¯t narrow, but some guests stood in it cuddling scantily dressed beauties. This was Serena¡¯s first time here. She threaded through clusters of guests, searching for a long time before finally finding the private room Patrick told her about. Opening the door, the first thing Serena saw was Caleb sitting on the sofa. Caleb seemed rxed, not only having loosened his tie but also the top three buttons of his shirt, revealing his elegantly defined corbone. He had his legs crossed, holding a half¨Csmoked cigarette in one hand, and embracing ire with the other- He didn¡¯t look at all like the drunkard mentioned in Patrick¡¯s call. Caleb, seeing Serena, though the room was dimly lit, Serena caught the smile in his dark eyes. ¡°Damn! Losing again!¡± Beside him, a man stomped his foot hard. Meanwhile, Patrick wasughing heartily, pping his thigh. ¡°Hahaha! What did I say? I told you I would win, didn¡¯t I?¡± Serena stood at the door, instantly understanding- Comment 1 16.68 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 45 45 Chapter 45: Let Big Brother Help You Undress She was yed! Serena Jennings turned her head to leave, but was stopped by Patrick Rhodes. ¡°You¡¯re already here, why leave?¡± Beside him, the person who lost the bet with Patrick also chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s right, as soon as you heard Brother Lockwood drank too much, you came running. If I knew you were this spineless, I wouldn¡¯t have bet with Patrick on it.¡± The one speaking was named Zachary Aldrin, whom Serena wasn¡¯t familiar with. ¡°I told you, our Brother Lockwood is quite charming! Women are all over him, especially this old hag.¡± Patrick spoke while casting a look at Serena. Although the box was dimly lit, Patrick could clearly see the anger on Serena¡¯s face. Caleb Lockwood, after dining with ire Shaw, happened to receive a call from Patrick and came to Modern Times together. Zachary Aldrin knew that Serena and Caleb were going through a divorce, so halfway through drinking, he started making fun of Serena, betting with Patrick that Patrick couldn¡¯t get Serena toe over. The loser would have to drink the entire whiskey tower in front of them. ¡°Come on, sit down, no one¡¯s forcing you to stand.¡± Patrick, a bit drunk, grabbed Serena¡¯s arm and pulled her over to the sofa. Serena forcefully shook off Patrick¡¯s hand. Patrick clicked his tongue, ¡°You obviously care about Brother Lockwood, so why act all high and mighty? If you¡¯re going to be shameless, you might as well go all the way, right guys?¡± The room erupted inughter. Caleb Lockwood calmly stubbed out his cigarette and nced at Serena. 45 Chapter 45: Let Big Brother Help You Undress The mix of shame and anger on Serena¡¯s face amused him slightly. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m not drunk, so you can leave now.¡± As Caleb finished speaking, the room burst intoughter again. ¡°Caleb, don¡¯t chase Serena away!¡± ire Shaw tugged at Caleb¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Serena cares so much about you, rushing over from so far¡­ Besides, after all these years of hard work for you, even if not meritorious, she¡¯s put in hard efforts!¡± ¡°Look how generous our sister¨Cinw is!¡± Patrick praised ire, then Zachary chimed in: ¡°Exactly, one is the hostess, the other is a maid. How can they be the same?¡± The group was thoroughly entertained mocking Serena, as Caleb took a sip of tequ handed by ire and nonchntly told Serena, ¡°Do as you please then!¡± The room was filled withughter and joy, but all Serena could hear was the sound of her dignity being crushed. She wished she could p herself. How could she be so foolish to fall for Patrick¡¯s trick? Turning around to leave, this time no one stopped her. Patrick was energetically encouraging Zachary to drink the whiskey tower. Serena had reached the door of the box but suddenly stopped. Only Caleb noticed Serena came back. His gaze casually followed her as she picked up a ss of whiskey and walked over to Patrick. ¡°A bet¡¯s a bet, drink it up, hurry hurry, if you don¡¯t finish¡­¡± Woosh! A full ss of whiskey was poured all over Patrick¡¯s face. The room fell silent. 15:58 < 45 Chapter 45: Let Big Brother Help You Undress This was the first time it had been so quiet here tonight. Patrick wiped his face, staring in shock as Serena turned and strode out of the box. In the corridor, Serena¡¯s pace quickened. Though she had sshed Patrick with whiskey, it didn¡¯t make her feel satisfied. She just wanted to get out of there quickly, but in her rush, she bumped into someone. ¡°You blind or something?!¡± The other party was a middle¨Caged man, potbellied, with malice in his features, and a stench of alcohol. Serena immediately apologized, but the man was relentless. ¡°You think a sorry is enough? My shoulder is bruised from you bumping into me! Such force, I wonder if you¡¯re just as capable in bed!¡± Serena didn¡¯t want to entangle with this foul¨Cmouthed drunk. Seeing that Serena wanted to leave, the man grabbed her wrist. ¡°Did I say you could go! You¡¯ve hurt me, you owe me an exnation!¡± Serena struggled desperately, but even when people passing by saw her being harassed, no one intervened. Serena guessed this drunk was probably a regr here. ¡°Wearing such conservative clothes at a ce like this, aren¡¯t you hot? Let brother help you take them off!¡± The man¡¯s hand reached for Serena¡¯s cor, and she took the chance to wrench his wrist and give a swift kick to hisher region. Screams echoed endlessly, as Serena ran out of the venue, sprinting down the main road for a long stretch until she saw the bustling crowd, then gradually stopped. By making it here, that drunk likely wouldn¡¯t catch up¡­. Serena shuddered, trembling with fear. She regretted more than ever going to Modern Times tonight. 10:00 < 45 Chapter 45: Let Big Brother Help You Undress Not only did she humiliate herself, but she was also nearly assaulted. Tears welled up in her eyes unbidden. Though tears brimmed in her eyes, Serena managed to hold them back, not letting them fall. The next day, Caleb Lockwood did not go to thepany, and ire Shaw also took a leave of absence. Some said Caleb went on a date with ire. Others said Caleb took ire to try on wedding dresses. In any case, as long as both Caleb and ire were absent from thepany, everyone would connect their whereabouts together. The Jade Pavilion. Caleb Lockwoody on the big bed in the master bedroom, hungover and gued with a splitting headache. ¡°Caleb, here¡¯s the hangover soup I made for you. Drink it while it¡¯s hot!¡± ire came in with steaming hangover soup. She wore a silky nightgown, all pink and fragrant with the scent of body wash after a bath. She helped Caleb up, scooped up a spoonful of the soup, tasted it with the tip of her tongue to test the temperature, and fed it to Caleb by hand. ¡°Not going to the office?¡± Caleb asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already taken leave. With you so drunk, of course, I¡¯d stay to take care of you!¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Caleb drank the hangover soup, The entire bowl was fed to him by ire spoon by spoon. After finishing, he softly said thanks, theny back down to sleep again. ire sat by the bed for a while, then suddenly lifted the quilt and slid into bed with Caleb. Shey next to Caleb, her silk nightgown gliding smoothly even under the covers. 15.56 < 45 Chapter 45: Let Big Brother Help You Undress After a moment, she heard the even sound of Caleb¡¯s breathing. ire realized Caleb had fallen asleep, a look of disappointment on her face. At that moment, she received a message on WeChat: joker: Got good news, wanna hear? ire: I¡¯m not in the mood for your games. joker: It¡¯s about Serena. ire¡¯s meticulously painted lips spread slowly into a grin, and her eyes grew brighter. The Lockwood Group. After lunch, Serena returned to her desk, only to find several uniformed men surrounding her workspace. ¡°Hello, are you Serena?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Serena nodded, watching as the other party skillfully showed their credentials. ¡°We are from Nanning Police Station. Someone reported you for assaulting a manst night at Modern Times nightclub. Pleasee with us to assist in the investigation.¡± Among whispers from co¨Cworkers, Serena followed the police officers to Nanning Police Station. As soon as she entered, she saw the drunk man who had harassed her in the corridor of the club the previous night. Mding 46 46 Chapter 46: She Wasn¡¯t Wearing Anything The drunken man¡¯s name is Dn Quinn, though he wasn¡¯t drunk today, his gaze at Serena Jennings was still so lewd it made her ufortable. 1 No matter what, Serena couldn¡¯t have imagined he would be the first to make the false usation. ¡°You were the one harassing me, and that¡¯s why I hit you. Officer, there are surveince cameras in the club, you can pull them up and see for yourself.¡± Even after hearing that, Dn Quinn still crossed his arms smugly, confident in his stance. ¡°We¡¯ve already watched the surveince; we didn¡¯t see him molest you, we only saw you kick him.¡± The officer¡¯s words stunned Serena. Even if the footage had been tampered with, the police should have been able to investigate and find out. This only proved the police were in cahoots with Dn Quinn. Serena faced detention, and the officers required her to inform her family. Clutching her phone, Serena¡¯s knuckles turned pale with tension. Her family¡­ Her mother had Alzheimer¡¯s and was in a nursing home. Other than that¡­ The only one left was Caleb Lockwood. Serena really didn¡¯t want to inform Caleb Lockwood about her impending detention. This issue would have a massive impact on her career and reputation. Even if she wanted to divorce Caleb Lockwood, she couldn¡¯t gamble with her own life. ¡°Mr. Quinn, I think we can settlest night¡¯s incident privately. How much medicalpensation do you want? I¡¯ll pay.¡± < 46 Chapter 46: She Wasn¡¯t Wearing Anything Serena took the initiative to approach Dn Quinn. Clearly, it was Dn Quinn who was being a creepst night she wasn¡¯t in the wrong. But the world isn¡¯t just ck and white, and Serena couldn¡¯t afford to suffer immediate losses. If money could solve it, she wouldn¡¯t be stingy. Dn Quinn looked Serena up and down, grinned, ¡°Then just buy me a meal, once we¡¯re done, all ounts. squared.¡± That simple? Serena was suspicious. The day they reached the settlement, Serena along with Dn Quinn went to the restaurant specified by him. It was quite an upscale hotel. No matter how upscale, Serena was confident she could afford it, so she had no objections to whatever Dn Quinn ordered. This meal was not just the two of them; it also included the chief of the Nanning police station. Serena guessed Dn Quinn was probably afraid she¡¯d slip away. Serena could handle her drink, but she wasn¡¯t immune to its effects. During the meal, Dn Quinn knocked back quite a few drinks with her, and knowing his intentions weren¡¯t good, she sought to leave beforepletely losing her senses. ¡°Hey, pretty girl, the meal isn¡¯t over yet, you can¡¯t leave!¡± Dn Quinn blocked Serena¡¯s path, raising his arm to try and grab her waist. Feeling hazy, Serena grabbed the bottle from the table and smashed it down hard onto Dn Quinn¡¯s head. The hotel suddenly erupted into chaos. Serena, her head heavy, took the opportunity to run out, her stomach churning, and could not help but squat by the roadside to vomit. 15:58 217 46 Chapter 46: She Wasn¡¯t Wearing Anything Vomiting, she reached for her phone, intending to call Lana Xavier. The police were untrustworthy, she could only rely on friends. However, foggy¨Cheaded from vomiting, she unknowingly dialed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s number. Caleb Lockwood was currently dining with ire Shaw. His phone was on vibrate, buzzing incessantly. ¡°Who is it? Is it work¨Crted?¡± ire Shaw asked curiously. Caleb Lockwood nced at the phone, a flicker of emotion crossed his eyes. ¡°Nothing, just a spam call.¡± Caleb Lockwood hung up the call. In front of the hotel, Serena saw Lana Xavier wasn¡¯t picking up, she decided to try getting a taxi by herself. Yet she felt that in her current state, taking a taxi alone wasn¡¯t safe. Finding a long bench, she sat down, her body slumping to one side, and unknowingly fell asleep. During this nap, she had an exceptionally chaotic dream. In the dream, Serena was fighting with someone and being chased. She ran desperately but couldn¡¯t shake off the pursuer. When she opened her eyes, she was covered in cold sweat. Serene was jolted awake from fright. Memory gaps quickly filled in, Serena remembered she had fallen asleep on an outside bench. But now she was in a room, lying in a bed. This wasn¡¯t Lana Xavier¡¯s ce. Nor was it her own home. However, the familiar ceiling was not foreign to her. 15.68 < 46 Chapter 46: She Wasn¡¯t Wearing Anything Because that crystal chandelier was chosen by her mother¨Cinw. This was The Jade Pavilion- The marital home she shared with Caleb Lockwood. Serena¡¯s mind struggled to process the current situation. She nced under the covers. She wasn¡¯t wearing anything. ¡°You vomited all over yourself, so I threw away your clothes.¡± Caleb Lockwood appeared at the master bedroom door, Serena shivered at the sound of his voice. Caleb¡¯s dark eyes carried a hint of ink, as he walked in, handing Serena some pajamas. Serena put on the pajamas under the covers, provoking a coldugh from Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Afraid I¡¯ll see?¡± Serena didn¡¯t answer, she heard Caleb Lockwood snicker once more. She didn¡¯t know how she got here. Did Caleb Lockwood bring her back? Caleb Lockwood said she vomited all over herself, she somewhat remembered. But there was no foul smell on her now, instead she smelled the clean scent of shower gel. The scent was minty. Caleb Lockwood liked using mint¨Cscented shower gel, which was why she always bought it. Did Caleb Lockwood help bathe her when she was drunk? After all, The Jade Pavilion unlike The Lockwood Family¡¯s old manor, had no servants. Serena¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly, with a belly full of questions for Caleb Lockwood. But when the words came to her mouth, she didn¡¯t know how to ask them. 15:58 414 < 46 Chapter 46: She Wasn¡¯t Wearing Anything In the end, it was Caleb Lockwood who spoke first. ¡°Do you know who the man you hit with the bottle is?¡± Serena was startled, she hadn¡¯t exined the cause and effect. Since Caleb Lockwood knew about it already, given his influence, he could figure out the details even without her exining. ¡°I only know his name is Dn Quinn.¡± Serena answered truthfully. Caleb Lockwood shrugged with a smile, ¡°Dn Quinn is the president of Riverbend Properties, which partners with Lockwood Group on a project¡­ now Dn Quinn is hospitalized after your encounter, and the project with Lockwood Group is temporarily on hold¡­¡± Serena¡¯s face turned increasingly grim. But she saw no me or reproach in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s exceptionally handsome face. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t linger long in the bedroom. Serena¡¯s behavior made him feel she wouldn¡¯te out from the covers while he was there. As he reached the door, he nonchntly turned back and asked Serena: ¡°Mr. Quinn ims you seduced him.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Serenaughed with incredulity, retorting to Caleb Lockwood, ¡°Do you believe him?¡± Caleb Lockwood shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re bad at other things but you have good taste in men.¡± This statement didn¡¯t feel like apliment to Serena, only Caleb Lockwood¡¯s narcissism. Serena didn¡¯t want to stay in this house for too long, After lunch, she went to work. 15.58 617 < 46 Chapter 46: She Wasn¡¯t Wearing Anything Once she reached thepany, she overheard ire Shaw boasting to Christine Warren and the others that Caleb Lockwood had taken her to a very authentic, hard¨Cto¨Cbook Sichuan restaurant for lunch. But in Serena¡¯s memory, Caleb Lockwood never ate spicy food due to his gastritis. This was something his mother repeatedly warned Serena about. It seemed, Caleb Lockwood could change anything for ire Shaw. The busy day for the working crowd always ended with the sun sinking to the west. The evening glow bathed the ss curtain walls of The Lockwood Group¡¯s office building, changing their color. Serena was busy until nearly the end of the workday when she sensed something unusual. Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯te out of his office all afternoon, nor had he asked her to make coffee. This made Caleb Lockwood seem rather strange, Serena approached his office, and through the clean frosted ss window, she didn¡¯t see a shadow of Caleb Lockwood. ¡°President Lockwood?¡± She called from the doorway. There was no response from inside. ¡°President Lockwood! Are you there?¡± Serena knocked strongly. The silence inside remained unchanged, eerily quiet as if no one was there. An inexplicable sense of foreboding rose up, Serena directly pushed the door open. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter Mding 47 47 Chapter 47: Sessfully Divorced Caleb Lockwood was lying on the ground. 1 His face was pale, his expression twisted, drenched in sweat, and he was incoherent. ¡°Caleb Lockwood!¡± Serena Jennings quickly helped Caleb up, calling his name several times, but he didn¡¯t regain consciousness. She immediately called an ambnce, but it was rush hour, and they said it would take at least thirty minutes to arrive. To save time, Serena helped Caleb out of the office and coincidentally ran into ire Shaw. At first, ire¡¯s expression changed when she saw Serena supporting Caleb. But she quickly realized something was wrong with Caleb. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Caleb?¡± ¡°He probably has a stomachache, it¡¯s painful.¡± ¡°Why is it so painful all of a sudden?¡± Serena cast ire a sidelong nce. It¡¯s because Caleb went with her to have Sichuan cuisine; otherwise, how could his stomach condition be this severe? Toozy to bicker with ire, Serena helped Caleb to the elevator entrance, only to find that the elevator was under maintenance. The general manager¡¯s office was on the topmost floor, with the rooftop garden above it. And there¡¯s only one elevator serving from the 71st to the 79th floors. ¡°What do we do now? Isn¡¯t the ambnce here yet?¡± ire was as anxious as a cat on hot bricks. Serena said: ¡°Help me out by letting him lie on my back, and I¡¯ll carry him.¡± < 47 Chapter 47 Sessfully Divorced ¡°What good will it do if you carry him?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want Caleb to suffer to death, do as I say!¡± Shouted at by Serena, ire unwillingly helped and let Caleb lie on Serena¡¯s back. Serena carried the unconscious Caleb to the emergency stairway. ire followed alongside and was shocked when she realized what Serena intended to do. ¡°Are you kidding? This is the 79th floor! Are you seriously going to carry Caleb down 79 floors?!¡± ¡°I only need to carry him down 8 floors. Once we reach the 71st floor, we can use another elevator.¡± Serena said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly and began descending the stairs. ire had no other option and followed along, constantly reminding Serena to watch her step, making sure Caleb wasn¡¯t identally dropped. Serena remained silent. Although she had practiced martial arts, carrying a grown man down eight floors was exhausting enough to take half her life. By the end, she had no energy left even to enter the elevator. ¡°Let me take it from here, Caleb!¡± ire took Caleb, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, from Serena¡¯s hands and helped him into the elevator. The elevator descended from the 71st floor to the 1st, precisely when the ambnce arrived. The timing was perfect. Serena¡¯s legs wouldn¡¯t move, and she knelt at the elevator entrance for a while, catching several curious nces from passing colleagues. When she finally could move, she hailed a cab to the hospital. Seated in the cab, Serena thought to herself she shouldn¡¯t have gone. 1 15.59 216 < 47 Chapter 47: Sessfully Divorced Caleb had ire beside him; he didn¡¯t need her at all. But reason lost to emotion, and she just wanted to go to the hospital to see Caleb, ensuring he wasn¡¯t in danger. Upon arriving at the hospital, Serena hadn¡¯t seen Caleb yet but first encountered Lilian Young. ¡°You actually have the nerve to show up!¡± Lilian immediatelyshed out at Serena. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but bad luck. Since my son married you, nothing good has happened! Our Lockwood Family has pampered you with good food and drinks, and yet, you go around flirting and even dare to fuss about divorce. You caused my son to end up like this¡­ Let me tell you, Serena, if anything happens to my son, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Lilian¡¯s curses echoed down the hospital hallway. Serena couldn¡¯t help but think she indeed came to the wrong ce. ¡°Caleb¡¯s stomach pain is because he went to eat Sichuan cuisine with ire. So ire is the one who harmed your son, not me¡­ Plus, if you dislike me that much, you might as well persuade your son to divorce me soon. Then whatever happens to the Lockwood Family afterward won¡¯t be med on me.¡± Serena coldly said, turned around, and left, ignoring Lilian¡¯s tantrums behind her. Inside the hospital room, Caleb woke up. ire was peeling an apple and noticed Caleb¡¯s gaze scanning the room, seemingly searching for someone. Lilian returned just in time, upon seeing Caleb awake, she immediately cared for him and didn¡¯t forget to praise ire. ¡°Did you know your fainting exhausted ire? She carried you down eight floors herself and followed the ambnce all the way here, watching over you without sleep or rest! If not for ire, I can¡¯t even imagine what might have happened to you¡­¡± ¡°Aunty Young, please stop. I didn¡¯t really do anything.¡± ire shyly lowered her head. Caleb looked at ire, his gaze as deep as the sea. 16 FC 316 < 47 Chapter 47: Sessfully Divorced ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ire immediately gripped Caleb¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°It¡¯s what I should do.¡± Caleb only stayed in the hospital for two days before being discharged. His stomach condition was an old ailment, not worth making a fuss over, and there were alwayspany matters needing his attention. Now the wholepany was talking- ire carried the unconscious Caleb down eight floors, bing his savior. They even said the two were mutually loving each other. Serena heard it so often she became numb. Initially, she hesitated about whether she should reveal the truth. Butter, she felt it wasn¡¯t necessary. Even if she told the truth, people might not believe her. Besides, the public perceived her and Caleb as having no rtionship, so why would she carry Caleb down eight floors? As for Caleb¡¯s perspective¡­ Serena hade to terms with it. Letting Caleb misunderstand that ire saved him was fine; it was an opportunity for her to bring up the divorce. As the workday ended, Serena brought out the divorce agreement she¡¯d prepared the night before and knocked on Caleb¡¯s office door. ¡°President Lockwood, please sign.¡± She handed the divorce agreement to Caleb as she would apany document. 15.69 47 Chapter 47. Sessfully Divorced Caleb didn¡¯t even raise his head, signing another document, skipping over hers. ¡°We don¡¯t discuss personal matters in thepany.¡± The detachedment left Serena speechless. Serena had no choice but to take back the divorce agreement, and that¡¯s when ire entered with medication for Caleb, so she left. Today, Justin Nash came to pick Serena up after work. As the car started, she suddenly received a WeChat message from Caleb, asking her to return to The Jade Pavilion to continue discussing the personal matter she¡¯d wanted to discuss after work. In other words, divorce, Serena initially didn¡¯t want to go back. But thinking this time she and Caleb might sessfully get divorced, she asked Justin to take her back to The Jade Pavilion. Justin dropped her off at the doorstep. ¡°I¡¯ll wait right here. If he dares to bully you, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson.¡± Seeing Justin ready for action, Serena was amused. Divorce was between her and Caleb; she didn¡¯t want to involve Justin. No matter how much she tried to persuade him, Justin refused to leave. Serena took out her key and walked inside. She¡¯d once returned this key, but Caleb¡¯s grandfather gave it back to her. There was the sound of running water inside. When the water stopped, Serena saw Calebing out of the bathroom, only a towel wrapped around his waist. Serena averted her gaze, extending the divorce agreement to him. Caleb reached out, but instead of taking the divorce agreement, he grasped her wrist. 15.50 516 47 Chapter 47: Sessfully Divorced Serena was pulled into Caleb¡¯s embrace with force. His deep voice resonated in her ears. ¡°Why insist on divorcing me? You clearly love me so much.¡± ¡°Who says I love you?¡± Serena struggled. ¡°If you don¡¯t love me, you wouldn¡¯t have carried me down eight floors.¡± Mding 48 48 Chapter 48: Marrying a Divorced Woman The body of Serena Jennings stiffened in Caleb¡¯s arms. 1 Caleb Lockwood squinted, a smile that was both charming and wicked on his lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Nash family¡¯s eldest son at the door?¡± Serena was picked up and thrown onto the bed by Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Clearly in love with me, yet stringing along that innocent young man. Might as well let me break his heart.¡± His strong body pinned Serena down tightly; she looked at Caleb in horror, her face pale. ¡°Let him listen to the sounds of our love¨Cmaking. What do you think, isn¡¯t it a good idea?¡± Outside the door, Justin Nash paced back and forth until he heard the sound of something shattering from inside. ¡°Serena! Serena, are you okay?¡± He knocked on the door hard. There was no response from inside. Justin panicked and took out his phone intending to call the police. At that moment, the door opened, and Caleb Lockwood stood at the entrance, his lip bleeding. Justin noticed Caleb was shirtless, only a towel wrapped around his waist, and his anger red up instantly. ¡°What the hell did you do to Serena!¡± Caleb nonchntly smiled at Justin. ¡°I¡¯m her husband. I can do whatever I want with her, it¡¯s none of your business.¡± In the bedroom, Serena quickly tidied her clothes and ran out, only to find Caleb and Justin already fighting. Unable to separate them, she had no choice but to call the police. The three of them ended up at the police station together. < 48 Chapter 48: Marrying a Divorced Woman (6) Although Justin was beaten the worst, he was the one who had started the fight, so he was responsible. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, it¡¯s all my fault. Can¡¯t you not hold Justin responsible?¡± Seeing Serena humble herself for Justin, Caleb sneered. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Serena, don¡¯t beg him. I¡¯m fine. I just regret not beating him to death.¡± Justin continued to talk tough, but Serena couldn¡¯t bear to see him left with a criminal record because of her. ¡°If I don¡¯t mention divorce anymore and move back to The Jade Pavilion, will you let Justin off?¡± After Serena said that, the police station fell silent. Justin looked at Serena incredulously. He knew Serena was prepared to file for divorce after two years of separation, and if she went back now, it would all be for nothing. Just as he was about to persuade Serena, Caleb spoke first: ¡°You really think you¡¯re that important.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was calm, but the impact on Serena was immense. She looked at Caleb, whose deep eyes were cold enough to scrape off frost. ¡°Am I afraid of you getting a divorce? Are you deluded enough to think you can leverage it against me¡­¡± Serena lowered her head in embarrassment. At that moment, people from both the Lockwood and Nash families arrived, along with ire Shaw, crowding the police station instantly. Lilian Young was the most emotionally unstable of them all. One momentmenting Caleb¡¯s injuries, the next cursing Serena for being a jinx, bringing nothing but trouble. Arthur Lockwood and Nn Nash stood together, seemingly chatting pleasantly despite the circumstances. 15:50 < 48 Chapter 48: Marrying a Divorced Woman ire Shaw stayed by Caleb Lockwood¡¯s side, shedding tears as if she were the one beaten up. Serena left the police station. With Justin¡¯s mother. This was Serena¡¯s first meeting with Justin¡¯s mother, a dignified and graceful woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ it¡¯s all my fault that Justin got involved¡­¡± Serena apologized proactively. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, it¡¯s Justin who¡¯s too impulsive.¡± Feelingforted, Serena was a bit surprised. The two walked outside the police station for a while, and Iris Irving found a bench to sit on. Serena knew the other party had something to say to her. ¡°Miss Jennings, I hope you won¡¯t have any more contact with Justin in the future.¡± Iris¡¯s voice was gentle, her demeanor kindly. However, Serena was acutely aware that she had no choice but toply. ¡°I¡¯m aware of your rtionship with President Lockwood; as a married woman, your affairs with your husband shouldn¡¯t involve a third party. Even if one day you get divorced, I wouldn¡¯t be able to allow Justin to marry a divorced woman¡­ do you understand?¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s face change subtly, Iris furtherforted her: ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being blunt, for Justin is still young and immature; as parents, we all wish our children avoid the hard road¡­ Miss Jennings, you are beautiful andpassionate, I¡¯m sure you can empathize with my feelings¡­ of course, I¡¯m also deeply grateful to Miss Jennings for helping Justin return to inherit the family business¡­¡± Serena saw Iris take out a bank card from her purse. ¡°Since Miss Jennings is President Lockwood¡¯s wife, offering too little for gratitude would seem insincere.¡± She handed the card to Serena. ¡°There are fifty million here, Miss Jennings, rest assured that this money has been notarized at the notary 15.50 318 < 48 Chapter 48: Marrying a Divorced Woman office as a personal gift to you, unrted to President Lockwood.¡± In other words, this fifty million didn¡¯t count as marital property. Serena never expected Justin¡¯s mother, despite her serene appearance, to be so astutely calcting. What she feared was Serena pestering Justin after a divorce. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t see Justin anymore.¡± Serena felt like she¡¯d swallowed bitter medicine. After all, Justin was a sincere friend she¡¯d made. ¡°But the money isn¡¯t necessary,¡± she declined. ¡°Well, it still is.¡± Iris insisted, ¡°I won¡¯t be at ease unless you ept it?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it.¡± To buy her reassurance, Serena didn¡¯t refuse any further. By the time they returned to the police station, Justin had already been taken away by Nn Nash. Serena didn¡¯t even get the chance to say goodbye, feeling a sense of loss. Beside her, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression was unkind. Yet, given the nature of their circles, there wasn¡¯t much he could do to Justin in the end. Arthur Lockwood at least managed to secure tangible benefits for Lockwood Group through all this, not a total loss. Caleb¡¯s gaze fell on Serena¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what Justin¡¯s mother said to Serena. Seeing Serena¡¯s deste expression, he turned to ire and asked, ¡°Want to go fishing at sea?¡± ire looked surprised, ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± 15.59 416 < 48 Chapter 48: Marrying a Divorced Woman ¡°But your injury¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m in a good mood now.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± ire smiled brightly, sping Caleb¡¯s arm, and walked past Serena. But Serena didn¡¯t notice, remaining trapped in the inevitable grief of losing Justin as a friend. Outside the police station, Caleb drove with ire in silence, a fact ire found unusual. Justin was brought home and informed by his mother that Serena had epted fifty million from their family, aspensation for severing ties. Justin didn¡¯t believe it and made a fuss wanting to see Serena, but was guarded at home, with bodyguards monitoring him all day for reflection. Despite feeling reluctant, Serena deleted Justin from her social media. Lana Xavier, upon hearing the news, cursed both the Lockwood and Nash families all night. ¡°That¡¯s why none of the rich are good people!¡± Serena thought the rich were innocently implicated. ¡°Not necessarily?¡± ¡°Then tell me, which rich person is good?¡± Serena thought of herself. With tens of millions in savings and annual dividends in the millions, she was considered wealthy, right? After chatting with Lana Xavier, she felt better, but her good mood didn¡¯tst long before it was shattered by a job transfer notification. 15.59 Mding 49 49 Chapter 49: Dismissing Serena Jennings ¡°This won¡¯t do¡­ I looked it over, let¡¯s change it back to the original version!¡± 1 ire Shaw stood by Serena Jennings¡¯s workstation, giving orders. This was Serena¡¯s new workstation. She had changed jobs, no longer Caleb Lockwood¡¯s secretary, but a member of the design department at The Lockwood Group. A subordinate of ire Shaw. Serena wasn¡¯t sure if this was ire¡¯s decision or Caleb¡¯s. She had prepared her resignation letter, but hadn¡¯t submitted it yet. Thest time she mentioned resigning to Caleb, he had left her speechless. After all, her working at The Lockwood Group was part of the deal for Caleb letting Lana Xavier off the hook. Even if she raised the resignation issue again, there was a more than 90% chance Caleb wouldn¡¯t agree. Moreover, Serena herself was also hesitant about whether to resign. She didn¡¯t want to work under ire Shaw. But she even more didn¡¯t want ire to think she was afraid of her. In the end, Serena¡¯s prepared resignation letter still wasn¡¯t submitted. On the first day of transfer to the design department, as Serena expected, it was another overtime session. A design that was revised over eighty times ended up reverting to the first version; she couldn¡¯t use ire of targeting her. After all, such situations in the design world were quitemon. Fortunately, Serena had no aversion to overtime; as they say, habit bes second nature. More ufortable than the overtime itself was seeing Calebing in person to the design department to < 49 Chapter 49: Dismissing Serena Jennings pick up ire after work. Thest time at The Jade Pavilion, Caleb had made it clear- He knew that it was her who carried him down eight flights of stairs. Serena didn¡¯t understand how Caleb knew. Clearly, the outside world was spreading that it was ire who carried him down. Perhaps¡­ Even though Caleb was unconscious at the time, he might have had some awareness! But Serena didn¡¯t want Caleb to know about this at all. She would rather have Caleb see ire as his savior. Considering their current tangled, unresolved divorce situation, the more her feelings were exposed to Caleb, the more awkward and painful it was for her. Serena buried her head, pretending to work, acting like she didn¡¯t notice Caleb¡¯s gaze. ¡°Are you looking at Serena?¡± ire linked arms with Caleb and tantly asked him. ¡°Yes.¡± Caleb straightforwardly admitted. ¡°You said she¡¯s a design graduate, better suited for the design department¡­ but can she really handle it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ire tugged on Caleb¡¯s arm, deliberately leaning into his ear to whisper. Because she knew Serena could see them from the corner of her eye, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside!¡± ire led Caleb away, taking him outside thepany building. 15.59 7-216 < 49 Chapter 49: Dismissing Serena Jennings Outside, the sun was setting, and the streets were bustling. ¡°I think Serena isn¡¯t quite up to it¡­¡± ire said with a worried look to Caleb, ¡°I originally thought she¡¯d be more adept at design, but as you can see¡­ others canplete their work in eight hours, but she needs overtime¡­ I think¡­ maybe Serena isn¡¯t suited to work at The Lockwood Group? Ourpany¡¯s intensity is too high, the demands are steep, and someone like Serena¡­ might struggle to keep up¡­ the strain might be a huge blow to her self¨Cesteem¡­¡± She earnestly advised, watching Caleb slightly frown. ¡°Then let¡¯s let her try for two months first¡­¡± ire¡¯s lips slightly curled upward. ¡°If it really doesn¡¯t work, I can transfer her back again.¡± The smile on her lips instantly dropped, but before Caleb could notice, ire¡¯s expression returned to normal. ¡°Caleb, why is it necessary for Serena to work at The Lockwood Group? Wasn¡¯t she doing quite well at FY before?¡± Walking arm in arm with Caleb, ire asked as if making small talk. Caleb chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just want her to go through some hard times.¡± So she could realize the joy of being a full¨Ctime housewife. He didn¡¯t say thetter half, but ire had already guessed it. ¡°Actually Serena might just be adjusting to the new department, give it some time and she might get better.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Noticing Caleb agree, ire let out a small sigh of relief. She certainly couldn¡¯t let Serena return to being Caleb¡¯s secretary. Since Caleb didn¡¯t intend to fire Serena no matter what, it was more convenient to keep her under her 16:00 < 49 Chapter 49: Dismissing Serena Jennings supervision than in other departments. In the following week, Serena worked overtime every day. To her confusion, Caleb unexpectedly also worked overtime daily. And whenever Caleb had to workte, ire would be there with him. This did make Serena feel somewhat bnced; at least she wasn¡¯t the only one suffering. That evening, when the office was empty except for Serena and ire, Serena continued to work on her designs, and saw iree out, carrying a bowl of medicine. The medicine was for Caleb¡¯s stomach treatment. The Lockwood Group provided decent employee benefits, with several simple kitchens installed, and ire would use thepany¡¯s induction cookers to prepare Caleb¡¯s medicine daily. ¡°You haven¡¯t boiled this long enough; the heat is also off¡­¡± So the medicinal effect wouldn¡¯t show. Serena wanted to say this for a long time, but every time she was about to say it, the words were swallowed back. She didn¡¯t want to meddle. But this matter was like a thorn stuck in her throat. Tonight she finally spoke out, but she regretted it immediately after. ire came over to her workstation with the bowl of medicine, smiling, which was not what Serena had imagined. ¡°I¡¯m indeed not as skilled as you in brewing medicine, so from now on, you can handle brewing Caleb¡¯s medicine¡­¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t refuse! Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m your manager.¡± 1 16.00 210 < 49 Chapter 49: Dismissing Serena Jennings Just like that, Serena¡¯s already heavy workload had another addition¨Cbrewing medicine for Caleb. Standing by the induction cooker, inhaling the scent of herbs, Serena cursed herself internally: Damn your loose tongue! Damn your foolishness! Unlike ire, she wouldn¡¯t just muddle through the medicine. ording to the doctor¡¯s original instructions, the medicine had to be brewed for at least two hours, or the duration and heat would affect its effectiveness. Serena suddenly thought that thest time when Caleb¡¯s stomach hurt so badly, it wasn¡¯t just the spicy food; perhaps the improperly brewed medicine ire made also contributed. ire had just pushed open the little kitchen¡¯s door when she smelled the rich scent of the herbs. It was different from hers. ¡°Is the medicine ready yet?¡± ¡°Almost there.¡± Watching Serena sweat on her forehead, ire couldn¡¯t help butugh and ask, ¡°Were you like this at home too? Working so hard, did Caleb pay you more?¡± Serena turned off the heat, poured the medicine, and gave ire a gentle smile. ¡°Making medicine for my husband isn¡¯t hard, nor do I need extra pay; his money is my money anyway.¡± Seeing ire¡¯s smile stiffen, Serena felt a sense of satisfaction. However, ire didn¡¯t get upset and picked up the bowl of medicine. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, get back to work!¡± Serena left the small kitchen and returned to her desk, stunned. Before she went to make the medicine, there were only two folders on her desk. But now that she¡¯d returned, there were at least ten additional folders on her desk. 16:00 < 49 Chapter 49: Dismissing Serena Jennings ¡°Serena, these projects are urgent, Manager ire said you need toplete them all tonight.¡± A colleague nearby reminded her. At this moment, ire was bringing Serena¡¯s brewed medicine to Caleb. Caleb took a sip of the medicine and stopped mid¨Caction. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ire asked, her false eyshes slightly lifting. < 50 Chapter 50: Living Together Mding 50 50 Chapter 50: Living Together ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Caleb Lockwood drank an entire bowl of medicine, and his stomach felt much better immediately. Seeing the rxed expression on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face, ire Shaw smiled, ¡°You really need to take good care of your stomach, if you end up in the hospital again, it¡¯ll scare both Aunt Yun and me to death.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡± Caleb Lockwood looked at ire Shaw with the same gentle gaze as before. ire Shaw felt reassured. Even though Caleb Lockwood hasn¡¯t divorced Serena Jennings yet, she believes it won¡¯t be long before they do. All afternoon, ire Shaw didn¡¯t return to her department. She stayed in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office the whole time. She¡¯s the only one in The Lockwood Group who has such a privilege. At the end of the workday, ire Shaw had ns to go shopping with her best friend, and Caleb Lockwood drove her to the mall. On the way back, as they passed The Lockwood Group¡¯s office building, the entire dark ss facade had only one light on. It was particrly striking. The car Caleb Lockwood was driving sped past the office building in an instant. However, at the traffic light ahead, the ck Maybach suddenly made a U¨Cturn and drove back. The Design Department- The only department in The Lockwood Group with lights still on at 10 PM. Caleb Lockwood walked in silently and saw Serena Jennings sleeping on her desk. < 50 Chapter 50. Living Together There were stacks of folders next to Serena Jennings. On other people¡¯s desks, there were only daily necessities andputers. Caleb Lockwood picked up the sleeping Serena Jennings. He thought Serena Jennings would wake up, but she remained asleep, even beginning to snore. He frowned, feeling that Serena Jennings seemed to have lost a lot of weight. The underground parking lot. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t wake up until Caleb Lockwood ced her in the car. The unfamiliar environment and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s handsome yet dangerous face made her shiver. ¡°Where is this? How did I get here?¡± Serena Jennings¡® obvious panic made Caleb Lockwood curl his lips, his eyes even colder. ¡°I came back to thepany to fetch some documents and saw you asleep. This is the underground parking lot.¡± As Caleb Lockwood provided an answer, Serena Jennings realized what had happened. ¡°Sorry, I was too tired.¡± Serena Jennings rubbed her throbbing temples. ¡°Now you understand the benefits of being a full¨Ctime housewife?¡± Hearing Caleb Lockwood say this suddenly made Serena Jennings freeze. Btedly, she realized that Caleb Lockwood probably thought she couldn¡¯t handle the work of a designer, rather than ire Shaw deliberately making it difficult for her. Before she could open her mouth to exin, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s body suddenly leaned in. Serena Jennings smelled the Terre d¡¯Herm¨¨s fragrance on Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood fastened her seatbelt. ¡°Actually¡­¡± His voice was deep, with a faint smile on his lips. 16.00 278 < 50 Chapter 50: Living Together ¡°As long as you don¡¯t long for my heart, my person is still yours.¡± A scorching kiss was about tond, and Serena Jennings immediately turned her face away. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone suddenly rang, making a clear sound in the quiet underground parking lot. Missing the kiss, Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t show any disappointment in his eyes. He calmly straightened up and answered the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± While unfastening her seatbelt, Serena Jennings heard the faint but unmistakable voice of ire Shaw, ¡°Caleb, my neighbors seem to be renovating, lots of banging noises, and I feel both disturbed and a bit scared, can youe pick me up?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Caleb Lockwood agreed without hesitation. ¡°I want to go to The Jade Pavilion.¡± Serena Jennings¡® grip on the seatbelt tightened immediately. Caleb Lockwood had many properties, but ire Shaw chose their matrimonial home. ¡°The Jade Pavilion is closer to the office, I don¡¯t want to bete for work tomorrow¡­¡± Before ire Shaw could finish exining, Caleb Lockwood said again: ¡°Okay.¡± Serena Jennings had already unbuckled her seatbelt. She didn¡¯t say goodbye to Caleb Lockwood and got out of the car to walk towards the exit. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t stop her. As she approached the exit, the ck Maybach drove past Serena Jennings¡® side, Caleb Lockwood rolled down the window and gently remarked to Serena Jennings: ¡°Thanks for making the medicine.¡± 16:00 310 50 Chapter 50. Living Together Serena Jennings¡® shoulder trembled. In her sight, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car moved further and further away until it disappeared. She gradually slowed her steps, not knowing if it was the weight of her steps or her mood. By now, it waste at night, almost 11 PM, and the subway had stopped running. Serena Jennings hailed a cab on her own, noting down the license te number. After driving for a while, the driver suddenly asked her. ¡°Miss, do you see that car behind us? Is it someone you know?¡± Serena Jennings turned to look and saw only a vague shadow of a ck car following them. But it definitely wasn¡¯t Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Maybach. ¡°I don¡¯t know them¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange, I feel like it¡¯s following us!¡± The driver¡¯s words made Serena Jennings wary. She called Lana Xavier, asking her toe out and meet her when she was near, then she gave the driver a new address to head to Lana Xavier¡¯s ce. Forty minutester, Lana Xavier finally saw Serena Jennings downstairs. Lana Xavier grabbed Serena Jennings¡® hand, craned her neck to look around, not seeing any suspicious ck car. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks, Lana.¡± ¡°If you keep thanking me like this, I¡¯ll get angry.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, is there anything to eat at home? I¡¯m really hungry.¡± ¡°Just instant noodles.¡± ¡°Or you could order me some takeout? I¡¯m craving Japanese food.¡± < 50 Chapter 50: Living Together ¡°Then you¡¯d better be polite to me!¡± Laughing and chatting, the two of them went upstairs. Under the not¨Cso¨Cbright streetmp, a ck car slowly drove out from the corner. It was a Passat. The Jade Pavilion. Caleb Lockwood opened the door, letting ire Shaw go in first. Then he followed inside with a suitcase. The suitcase was from Rimowa, a sophisticated pink. ¡°Thank you, Caleb.¡± ire Shaw took the pink suitcase from Caleb Lockwood, unpacking her clothes. ¡°No problem.¡± Caleb Lockwood replied offhand, taking out his phone and opening WeChat. Mr. Miller: Miss Jennings went to her friend Lana Xavier¡¯s ce, I saw them go upstairs. Caleb Lockwood: Okay. As expected, after receiving this reply, Mr. Miller drove his ck Passat away from Lana Xavier¡¯s neighborhood. Clearly, ire Shaw had wanted to stay at The Jade Pavilion to avoid beingte for work the next day. Yet she was stillte. Now, working in ire Shaw¡¯s department, Serena Jennings heard more than enough gossip regarding ire Shaw. Especially those involving Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Did you know? Manager Shaw has already moved in with President Lockwood!¡± Serena Jennings put down her graphics tablet, watching her colleagues chatter away, especially the female colleagues, who seemed more excited than if they themselves had moved in with Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Really? So is the wedding date set?¡± 16.00 < 50 Chapter 50: Living Together ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! Manager Shaw is really close with Christine Warren, and that¡¯s who I heard it from. Manager Shaw has moved into President Lockwood¡¯s home; it might not be long before she¡¯s not called Manager Shaw, but Shaw President.¡± ¡°No, no, she should be called Mrs. Lockwood, right?¡± Her female colleagues continued to babble about names. Serena Jennings stood up to get a cup of water from the dispenser. She was actually Mrs. Lockwood. But no one ever called her that. Thinking about howst night Caleb Lockwood said to her ¡°his person is still hers,¡± only to cohabit with ire Shaw in their marital home that very night. Serena Jennings stood by the water dispenser, drinking water, the more she drank, the more bitter her mouth became, and the more her stomach ached. Mding 51 51 Chapter 51: Stripping for ire Shaw to See On the sea, the luxury cruise ship Cupid was sailing. Today, The Lockwood Group was organizing apany retreat, a five-day, four-night cruise trip. Usually, Caleb Lockwood would not participate in suchpany retreats in the past years. But this year was an exception. The entirepany knew Caleb was doing this for ire Shaw. ¡°Serena, aren¡¯t you going to change into a swimsuit?¡± In the cabin, ire Shaw had changed into her pink polka-dot bikini swimsuit, and asked Serena Jennings. Serena and ire were assigned to the same room this time. ire didn¡¯t request to change rooms. Serena also didn¡¯t want to bring it up herself. She wasn¡¯t afraid of anything. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going right now,¡± Serena replied. ¡°What a pity! The water park up there is really fun.¡± After ire said that, she happily left. Of course, Serena knew that therge water park on the deck was the highlight of the Cupid Cruise. But she knew well enough that if she went, she would see ire and Caleb unting their affection openly. She didn¡¯t want to watch. Caleb was never someone who enjoyed water parks. At least, in Serena¡¯s memory, he wasn¡¯t. Back in college, when Caleb was pursuing her, she had mentioned wanting Caleb to apany her to y in a water park. < 51 Chapter 51: Stripping for ire Shaw to See Caleb refused. Even so, she naively thought Caleb loved her at that time. The afternoon sun was abundant, it really wasn¡¯t a suitable time to keep herself cooped up in the room. Serena hesitated for a moment but still went up on deck to sunbathe. On the deck, therge water park was bustling with people, even though the cruise had only The Lockwood Group¡¯s staff aboard, the pool was as crowded as dumplings in a pot. Among so many people, Serena spotted Caleb at a nce. In all the time since she and Caleb got married, this was the first time she had seen Caleb in a swimsuit. Perhaps, as the CEO of The Lockwood Group, he was mindful of his position and didn¡¯t want to be too bare in front of employees. Today Caleb wore a set: a ck swimsuit with swimming trunks. Even without exposure, his physique was impressive beyond words. Beside him, ire was yfully sshing water at him with a smile. Caleb was not to be outdone and picked up a water gun to retaliate against ire. Their yful and bantering interaction made them seem like a couple in the throes of romance to any observer. Serena had never seen this yful side of Caleb before. In their three years of marriage, it seemed their interactions were limited to the bedroom. Was she too boring? Or was it simply because Caleb didn¡¯t love her? Serena sighed lightly and turned to leave. On the first day of the sea cruise, the evening event was a g party. Serena hadn¡¯t prepared a new dress; she brought the one she had worn at thest annual party. 18 48 217 < 51 Chapter 51: Stripping for ire Shaw to See But it wasn¡¯t the three-million-dor dress from ZM. That dress had wine spilled on it by Owen Warren, leaving a stain at the chest that was unremovable. Back then, Caleb gave her a new one. Serena had never been too concerned about dresses, she didn¡¯t want to buy dress after dress unless necessary, so she brought the one Caleb gave her this time. With the dress prepared, Serena went into the bathroom to take a shower and then blow-dried her hair. When she came out, the dress was still hanging in the closet, but the skirt had been cut with a pair of scissors into arge gash. Only she and ire were in this room. Serena hadn¡¯t expected ire to do something so childish. In the banquet hall, the cocktail party had started. Everyone from The Lockwood Group was there. Except for Serena. ire, dressed to the nines, stood alongside the suited Caleb, they were the perfect couple. Inside the Cupid Cruise, there was also an indoor pool, and Serena was swimming there now. Unable to enjoy the water park and not able to attend the party, shouldn¡¯t she at least be able to swim without being disturbed? And so it was. Serena couldn¡¯t remember how long she had been swimming, when suddenly someone appeared in thene next to hers. The person had on a swim cap and goggles, and with her peripheral vision, Serena couldn¡¯t tell if it was a man or a woman. The person was swimming freestyle. So was she. 18 AR < 51 Chapter 51: Stripping for ire Shaw to See For no apparent reason, Serena felt a sense ofpetition arise. She began to pick up speed. The other person seemed to understand Serena¡¯s intention and began to elerate too. The two ended uppeting, and in the end, Serena was a step behind. Emerging from the water, Serena removed her goggles, looking over at the adjacentne. The person in thene also took off their goggles, revealing their face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Seeing Caleb, Serena widened her eyes, ¡°You didn¡¯t attend the party?¡± ¡°The party ended a while ago.¡± Upon hearing Caleb say this, Serena realized she had been swimming for quite a long time. Caleb in the water, unlike during the day at the water park, wasn¡¯t wearing a top, just swim trunks. His bare upper body was muscr and well-proportioned, looking like a smooth marble sculpture in the blue pool. Serena hadn¡¯t expected she had just beenpeting with Caleb. Her loss was understandable, after all. Serena got out of the pool. Although Caleb was in the water, his gaze followed Serena as she stepped out. Serena was wearing a sporty one-piece swimsuit, Not at all sexy, very conservative, not revealing anything that should or shouldn¡¯t be seen. However, the sleek design of the ck one-piece swimsuit perfectlyplemented her already excellent figure, with its high-quality material and tailoring, creating a unique allure. Caleb¡¯s eyes flickered with light. ¡°You¡¯re done swimming?¡± 18 18 < 51 Chapter 51: Stripping for ire Shaw to See ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Because of me?¡± Serena¡¯s steps paused as she was about to leave. Before she could reply, Caleb asked again: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the party tonight?¡± This time, Serena turned to face Caleb in the pool. ¡°Because the dress I brought got ruined by someone.¡± Caleb¡¯s eyelids lifted slightly. ¡°ire is sharing a room with me; she¡¯s the prime suspect.¡± After saying this, Serena saw the suspicion in Caleb¡¯s eyes turn into a sneer. She knew Caleb wouldn¡¯t believe it. Just as Serena was about to leave the pool, Caleb called out to her again. She didn¡¯t understand why Caleb was so talkative tonight. ¡°Serena, do you like ck?¡± Serena didn¡¯t reply. Three years of marriage, and he knew nothing about her. Just as she closed the pool door, Serena ran into ire. ire had changed into another swimsuit, still pink, but the style was even more sultry and seductive than the one from earlier, especially the bikini bottom, which could fall off with a tug at the thin string. Seeing Serena, ire gave a smug smile. ¡°Caleb¡¯s in there, right? He and I nned to swim together, Serena, why don¡¯t you join us too!¡± Serena also wondered why, with no outsiders around, ire was putting on a show for whom! 18.48 547 < 51 Chapter 51: Stripping for ire Shaw to See ¡°I¡¯ve finished swimming, you two enjoy!¡± Serena discreetly left. She realized Caleb wouldn¡¯t juste to the indoor pool without reason, he had nned it with ire. So he specifically wore only swim trunks, removing his swimsuit top, just to show off to ire. Serena felt a bit nauseated. The next three days of the itinerary were all about going ashore for sightseeing and shopping. Under normal circumstances, unless colleagues were particrly close, everyone defaulted to moving around with their roommates. Yet from start to finish, Serena was alone. Because ire was constantly apanied by Caleb. Though it was called apany retreat, Serena felt this cruise was essentially a tool for ire to unt her romance with Caleb. At night, Serena was yet again alone keepingpany with the empty room. ire was her roommate in name. But ire hadn¡¯t spent a single night sleeping in this cabin. She knew whose room ire went to. She just didn¡¯t understand why, if they were going to sleep together, they weren¡¯t arranged to room with each other from the start! The phone chimed once, Serena looked, it was a friend request. The note read: Sales Department Xiao Li. 18.48 < Mding 52 52 Chapter 52: You Secondhand Goods 52 Chapter 52: You Secondhand Goods After midnight, there might still be people in the bar, but there was no one on the deck. 1 Except for Serena Jennings. Serena arrived as promised and saw Jeffrey Lowell. Jeffrey was that little Lee from the sales department. After adding her on WeChat, he imed that he took some photos for her while sightseeing during the day and wanted to send them to her. Serena always felt this was just an excuse to connect on WeChat. The two of them chatted aimlessly, and he suggested meeting on the deck to enjoy the sea view. Serena refused three times, and he initiated a video call, leaving her no choice but to agree. ¡°You¡¯re insisting on meeting me, is there something you want to talk about?¡± Serena asked directly. Jeffrey looked honest and his smile was quite sincere. ¡°Serena, actually I¡¯ve been noticing you at thepany for a long time.¡± This opening made Serena think Jeffrey was about to confess his feelings. ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m no match for President Lockwood¡­¡± When he suddenly mentioned Caleb Lockwood, Serena¡¯s face changed. ¡°But next month, I¡¯ll be promoted to department manager, with performance bonuses, I can earn about 400,000 a month, enough to support you without any problem.¡± Serena: ??? At the cabin entrance, ire had discovered Serena was not in the room. Curious, she came out and unexpectedly saw Serena standing on the deck with Jeffrey. ¡°President Lockwood marrying ire Shaw is just a matter of time, you should also n for yourself earlier. I¡¯ve got a good temper, don¡¯t hit women, no bad habits, as long as you agree to be with me, I¡¯ll give you at 18 < 52 Chapter 52: You Secondhand Goods least 100,000 as pocket money every month¡­¡± The more Serena listened to Jeffrey, the more she felt something was amiss. This didn¡¯t sound like a confession, more like¡­. ¡°So, you¡¯re already married?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been separated from that shrew a long time ago.¡± Jeffrey¡¯s words made Serenaugh in anger. Turns out, Jeffrey didn¡¯t like her and wasn¡¯t trying to pursue her. There were still people in thepany who misunderstood her as Caleb Lockwood¡¯s mistress, so Jeffrey thought he could get a piece of the pie. Seeing Serena turn to leave, Jeffrey panicked and increased his offer: ¡°Then 200,000, surely 200,000 is fine?¡± Serena forcefully shook off Jeffrey. ¡°Serena, don¡¯t think you¡¯re that attractive, who else would want you, you secondhand goods!¡± Behind her, Jeffrey shouted furiously, and Serena returned to her room, too angry to sleep all night. During the five-day, four-night cruise, Serena felt she did not enjoy the trip, but instead ended up with a mess. On the first day back to work after the team-building trip, Serena hadn¡¯t even warmed her seat when a stranger barged in. The woman, with an aggressive demeanor, stormed straight towards her. ¡°May I ask what you are¡­¡± Before Serena could finish her sentence, the woman pped her in the face. ¡°You bitch! How dare you seduce my husband!¡± The woman went crazy and started pulling Serena¡¯s hair. 38 48 1216 < 52 Chapter 52: You Secondhand Goods Serena realized this woman must be Jeffrey¡¯s wife. Even though the whole thing was a misunderstanding, this shrew wouldn¡¯t listen to any exnation now. Serena wasn¡¯t polite either and shoved the woman back with force, pping her in return. Probably not expecting the mistress to be so bold, the woman started crying on the ground. Crying and cursing both Jeffrey and Serena. Although she was quickly taken away by security, the negative impact had already spread in thepany. Half of Serena¡¯s face burned in pain, and the other half burnt from the colleagues¡¯ pointing. The design department was surrounded by all thepany¡¯s employees until Caleb Lockwood appeared. ¡°Come with me.¡± Caleb said to Serena. His face was still expressionless as always, his gaze just as cold as usual. Serena, with her swollen face, followed Caleb Lockwood under the scrutiny of the entirepany. ire hid in the crowd until Christine Warren found her. ¡°ire!¡± Christine was extremely excited, but ire held her back. ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± ¡°Now that Serena will definitely be fired by President Lockwood, it¡¯s such a relief!¡± ire neither agreed nor disagreed with Christine¡¯s words. Last night she had sent the photos she secretly took of Jeffrey and Serena to Christine, On the surface, she was asking Christine, didn¡¯t Jeffrey have a wife? What¡¯s going on with him and Serena? Sure enough, the next day Jeffrey¡¯s wife came to thepany causing a scene with Serena. Serena¡¯s reputation in thepany was getting worse and worse, if she could be fired by Caleb Lockwood because of this, andpletely leave the Lockwood Group, that would be perfect. 18:48 > 52 Chapter 52: You Secondhand Goods However¡­ ire saw that Caleb didn¡¯t take Serena to the meeting room, but rather to the elevator. In the elevator, Serena also thought Caleb was going to fire her. Instead, Caleb took her to the B2 parking garage. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Serena stood beside the ck Maybach, not getting in. Caleb¡¯s gaze fell on her swollen face. A calm andposed look, not one that would make Serena mistakenly think he was pitying her. Serena turned her face away. She knew she looked disheveled and didn¡¯t want Caleb staring. Caleb opened the passenger door himself. Whether this was the first time Caleb opened the car door for her, Serena couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Are you feeling sorry for me?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Do I look that free?¡± Caleb went to the driver¡¯s seat, and Serena had no choice but to get in the car. After driving for a while, suddenly, Caleb spoke: ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Serena turned to look at Caleb, thetter was focused on driving. This was the first time Caleb spoke to her while driving. Her face hurt for sure, the woman hit hard. But more than pain, Serena felt wronged. She wasn¡¯t a mistress at all, yet always carried the me. 18.48 < 52 Chapter 52: You Secondhand Goods Her gaze at Caleb was filled with more resentment. If only Caleb would publicly acknowledge her as his legal wife, no one in thepany would dare gossip about her anymore. But Caleb wouldn¡¯t do it. Serena¡¯s chest tightened slightly. To think she still expected Caleb to give her a status now was really foolish. ¡°President Lockwood, can this be considered a work-rted injury?¡± Hearing Serena¡¯s feigned indifference, Caleb chuckled a little. ¡°It can.¡± The ck Maybach parked in the city center hospital¡¯s parking space. Caleb and Serena got out of the car. Serena had guessed Caleb might take her to a hospital, but didn¡¯t expect it to be here. Caleb started walking but noticed Serena didn¡¯t follow. He turned back and heard Serena say coldly: ¡°I don¡¯t want to go in.¡± ¡°Why are you being so stubborn?¡± Serena knew Caleb didn¡¯t have much patience for her. Him willingly bringing her to the hospital today was already something unheard of. ¡°Just think I¡¯m being stubborn, I¡¯m not going in, I¡¯ll find another ce to have my face checked.¡± Caleb didn¡¯t pressure Serena for long and conceded: ¡°As you wish, but remember to keep the receipt and submit it to HR for the work injury im.¡± Serena watched as Caleb got into the car, and the ck Maybach drove past her, leaving. The sky grew overcast. 18 48 RIA < 52 Chapter 52: You Secondhand Goods The cool breeze carried away the heat from her face. Serena pulled her coat tighter around herself. Thest time she came here, it was the same weather, the same cool breeze. She was also alone, pulling her coat tighter around herself. Serena didn¡¯t want to think if Caleb really cared for her. Maybe he would care the same for another employee who got hit, after all, he had a good reputation as a leader. But, one thing she surely didn¡¯t get wrong- Caleb didn¡¯t remember she was diagnosed pregnant in this hospital, nor the miscarriage she had here. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 23 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 18 48 Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts ch.52 Terrible < Mding 53 53 Chapter 53: Apologize to Mr. Qian 53 Chapter 53: Apologize to Mr. Qian Serena Jennings eventually went to a small clinic and got some medicine for reducing swelling and pain. Surprisingly, Caleb Lockwood gave her five days of paid sick leave, without deducting wages based on percentage. 1 She wouldn¡¯t think this was Caleb Lockwood showing concern for her. Although her face wouldn¡¯t take five days to recover, giving her extra leave helped quellpany gossip. When Serena returned to work, the number of people pointing fingers at her indeed decreased. Initially, she was puzzled, butter she found out that Jeffrey Lowell had been fired. Given her educational background andpany tenure, the one who should have been fired was obviously her. However, Caleb Lockwood personally filled out Jeffrey Lowell¡¯s termination notice, and no one in the Although they were curious about the rtionship between Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jennings, they restrained themselves for fear of getting involved. Today, ire Shaw unexpectedly didn¡¯t leave her office. Usually, during the eight-hour workday, she spent at least seven hours in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office. ire Shaw locked her office door and focused on chatting on WeChat. The joker¡¯s avatar kept appearing on her phone¡¯s home screen. With fewer rumors around, Serena Jennings finally felt her work environment was peaceful, and her work efficiency increased significantly. That day, just before leaving work, Caleb Lockwood suddenly came to the design department. His visit was unsurprising, as he often came before, usually assumed to see ire Shaw. ¡°Change into this, I¡¯ll take you somewhere tonight.¡± < 53 Chapter 53: Apologize to Mr. Qian Caleb Lockwood came to Serena Jennings¡¯ workstation and said to her. Confused, Serena Jennings took the item Caleb Lockwood gave her and went to the changing room. It was a dress. A pure ck satin dress, adorned with a circle of pearls at the neckline. The design was conservative but streamlined, and the cut was very on point, giving Serena Jennings an elegant and graceful look. Serena looked at herself in the mirror, feeling puzzled. If she remembered correctly, it was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s first time giving her a ck dress. Serena¡¯s color preference wasn¡¯t absolute, leaning towards cool and dark tones. She particrly disliked pink. Thinking of the past three years of marriage, with a wardrobe full of pink dresses from Caleb Lockwood, Serena found it amusing. But now¡­ Caleb Lockwood actually knew to give her a ck dress. Could this be a change Caleb Lockwood made for her? Moreover, giving it to her in front of office colleagues, he wasn¡¯t afraid of rumors. What if ire Shaw misunderstood? Serena felt a bit unsettled. She stayed in the changing room for quite a while, and when she came out, the office was almost empty. Caleb Lockwood merely nced at her indifferently, his expression calm, showing no emotion. ¡°Touch up your makeup after getting in the car.¡± Serena paused for a moment and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± This feeling¡­ 18:48 216 < 53 Chapter 53: Apologize to Mr. Qian As if she was going on a date with Caleb Lockwood. This time, however, Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t driving; it was Mr. Miller. Sitting in the back seat of the ck Maybach, Serena inexplicably felt nervous. She frequently stole nces at Caleb Lockwood beside her. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression was normal, silent. Several times Serena wanted to ask Caleb Lockwood where they were going. But when the words reached her lips, she felt it unnecessary to ask. No matter where Caleb Lockwood wanted to take her, even if it was to hell, she didn¡¯t have the right to refuse. The car drove all the way to The Sierra Grand Hotel. In Serena¡¯s impression, this hotel wasn¡¯t a usual spot for Caleb Lockwood. However, she had some connection with this ce. Or rather, a bad connection. Thest time she smashed a bottle on Dn Quinn and sent him to the hospital, it was here. Intuition told Serena that Caleb Lockwood bringing her here wasn¡¯t a coincidence. The initial anticipation turned into apprehension. Mr. Miller parked the car and also followed, walking behind Caleb Lockwood and Serena, holding a briefcase. Serena realized something and turned to ask Caleb Lockwood, ¡°Are you bringing me to discuss business?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Caleb Lockwood also turned and met Serena¡¯s gaze. ¡°Did you expect me to bring you here for a date?¡± Serena saw the yful look in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes and hastily turned away. 18.48 < 53 Chapter 53: Apologize to Mr. Qian Caleb Lockwood¡¯s charming smile tugged at the corners of his lips. The three walked into the hotel and went to the designated private room. This hotel, unlike most high-end hotels, had a strong Chinese-style decor. Serena followed Caleb Lockwood into the private suite. This suite was a duplex. The outside resembled arge private room in a Chinese restaurant, with a sufficientlyrge ss turntable dining table. And inside the suite looked more like a hotel guest room, equipped with a wardrobe, bed, etc. ¡°President Lockwood arrived early!¡± Serena¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She turned and saw Dn Quinn strolling towards her, making her skin crawl. Dn Quinn was beaming, seemingly recovered, but a scar remained on his head. Serena wanted to leave. ¡°President Quinn is a valuable partner for our Lockwood Group. You offended him before; this time, you should properly apologize.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words seemed to remind Serena not to disrupt his business due to personal grudges. Serena reluctantly sat by the dining table. At first, Dn Quinn and Caleb Lockwood discussed business matters. Serena quietly ate, appearing to eat continuously, but in truth, she hardly tasted anything. Dn Quinn¡¯s lewd nces toward her were too nauseating to have any appetite. Later, as the business discussion was nearly over, Dn Quinn¡¯s conversation shifted toward her, ¡°Miss Jennings is truly worthy of being by President Lockwood¡¯s side. You beat someone to the point of hospitalization, not evening personally to offer apologies, let alone say ¡®sorry! Such arrogance¡­ is this 18.48 < 53 Chapter 53: Apologize to Mr. Qian perhaps the corporate culture of The Lockwood Group? Hahaha!¡± Dn Quinn spoke in a joking tone, but his intention wasn¡¯t humorous. Caleb Lockwood indifferently nced at Serena. That look made Serena feel chilled to the bone. The evening was named a business talk, but Dn Quinn¡¯s real intent was to force her to apologize. Caleb Lockwood was aware and therefore deliberately brought her here. Being calcted by a thug and her own husband together, Serena gripped her wine ss tightly and stood up voluntarily. ¡°President Quinn is correct, it was my fault for taking actionst time. I apologize to President Quinn, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Seeing Serena apologize voluntarily and drink, Dn Quinn appeared exceedingly pleased. ¡°At that time, I truly didn¡¯t realize you were so fragile, President Quinn. A young girl could beat you into hospitalization. My suggestion is¡­ if you don¡¯t want to get beaten, don¡¯t sexually harass others. Otherwise, self-inflicted injuries lead to unavoidable consequences, and if one day you¡¯re really punished by heaven, it¡¯s self-deserved and not the fault of others.¡± Never did Dn Quinn expect Serena to dare insult him while apologizing, he red discontentedly at Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood remained expressionless, impossible to discern his thoughts. ¡°Miss Jennings is sharp-tongued and witty; I admire that¡­¡± With Caleb Lockwood present, Dn Quinn couldn¡¯t lose his temper. He raised his ss toward Serena, ¡°Come on, Miss Jennings, I toast to you. Our acquaintance was rough, but we¡¯ll undoubtedly cross paths again in the future.¡± Seeing Serena unmoved, Dn Quinn¡¯s face fell. 526 53 Chapter 53: Apologize to Mr. Qian ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Jennings, you¡¯re not giving me face!¡± At the dinner table, it¡¯s hard to refuse such exchanges, so Serena filled her ss to the brim. Mding 54 54 Chapter 54: It¡¯s Cooler Without Clothes 54 Chapter 54: It¡¯s Cooler Without Clothes Before she could drink, the ss was snatched by Caleb Lockwood. 1 ¡°She¡¯s just a low-level employee; for Mr. Quinn to deal with her is to lower his status.¡± Caleb Lockwood downed the drink in a single gulp. ¡°Ah, yes, yes, President Lockwood is right, I¡¯ll penalize myself with a drink.¡± Dn Quinn also drank a ss. The two of them continued drinking ss after ss, while Serena Jennings sat idly by. Every time Dn Quinn tried to get her drunk, he was stopped by Caleb Lockwood. Serena never imagined that Caleb Lockwood would actually help block drinks for her one day. However, it might also be because he feared the trouble of taking care of her if she got drunk. At this moment, a waiter knocked on the private room¡¯s door and brought in a new dish. ¡°I specially ordered this for Miss Jennings, papaya stewed with snow frog, great for beauty enhancement, Dn Quinn urged after seeing Serena Jennings hadn¡¯t started eating: ¡°Miss Jennings doesn¡¯t favor what I¡¯ve ordered? Think it¡¯s too cheap?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± Serena Jennings picked up the spoon and took a sip. Papaya stewed with snow frog tasted good, but once linked to Dn Quinn, she couldn¡¯t help feeling nauseated. At this moment, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone rang, and Serena could clearly hear Patrick Rhodes¡¯s loud voice. ¡°Brother Lockwood, bad news! Your wife had a car ident!¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face changed. 18.49 < 54 Chapter 54: It¡¯s Cooler Without Clothes The shocked and worried expression was genuine, while Serena watched silently beside him, the sweetness of the snow frog gone. Caleb Lockwood told Dn Quinn that he had an urgent matter, and the meal would have to end. But Dn Quinn was not yet satisfied. ¡°President Lockwood is a busy man, you go about your business! Having Miss Jennings and Assistant Miller here with me will be enough.¡± Seeing Dn Quinn say this, Caleb Lockwood hesitated slightly but finally agreed. ¡°But President Lockwood, you¡¯ve been drinking, you can¡¯t drive-let me take you there instead!¡± ¡°No need.¡± Caleb Lockwood tly rejected Mr. Miller. ¡°Your job is to stay here, apany Mr. Quinn¡­¡± His deep gazended subtly on Serena Jennings and quickly withdrew. ¡°Then escort Serena home.¡± Mr. Miller immediately understood Caleb Lockwood¡¯s intentions. Serena never thought Caleb Lockwood would dare drink and drive just for ire Shaw. If caught while drunk driving, even though Caleb might have the means to suppress the matter, there¡¯s no wall in the world that doesn¡¯t let the wind through, The Lockwood Group¡¯spetitors could very well exploit this. After all, these days, public opinion battles are crucial. The impact wouldn¡¯t be limited to Caleb Lockwood; the entire Lockwood Group would be affected. Serena couldn¡¯t believe Caleb wouldn¡¯t understand this. But in front of the woman he loves, everything bes insignificant. If not at Dn Quinn¡¯s dinner, Serena would¡¯ve downed several bottles of drinks herself. As a result, after Caleb Lockwood left, it was Mr. Miller who ended up drinking excessively. 18.69 216 54 Chapter 54: It¡¯s Cooler Without Clothes Serena couldn¡¯t understand how Mr. Miller offended Dn Quinn, who forced him to drink relentlessly, soon leaving him drunk and unconscious. ¡°Mr. Quinn, that¡¯s enough, isn¡¯t it? Mr. Miller is a favored assistant of President Lockwood, if you continue to make him drink, he¡¯ll be unable to work, and President Lockwood won¡¯t be pleased.¡± Serena said, moving to support Mr. Miller up. ¡°Miss Jennings, rest assured, I¡¯ll take responsibility for Assistant Miller and have him sent home.¡± Dn Quinn put down his phone; soon, two men entered and took Mr. Miller away. Serena nned to leave with them but was blocked by Dn Quinn. ¡°Mr. Quinn, what do you mean by this?¡± Serena¡¯s mind sounded the rm. Before her, Dn Quinn¡¯s face was flushed from drinking, staring at her lecherously. ¡°It¡¯s veryte now, there¡¯s a bed here; why doesn¡¯t Miss Jennings sleep here tonight!¡± Serena realized Dn Quinn¡¯s sinister intentions and turned to run, but his bulky body blocked her path. She wanted to smash a bottle against Dn Quinn as before, but the bottle slipped from her grip, crashing to the ground. Serena looked at her hand; itcked strength and was seeing double. ¡°It¡¯s finally working, so slow¡­¡± Dn Quinn¡¯s fuzzy voice sounded in her ear, and Serena felt her consciousness fading. She had been drugged! Now realizing it was already toote, Serena regretteding to this dinner. The whole world was spinning, as though she was burning inside, Serena was drenched in sweat, her face flushed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hot? Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll help you undress¡­ it¡¯ll be cooler without clothes¡­¡± 18 49 < 54 Chapter 54: It¡¯s Cooler Without Clothes Dn Quinn rubbed his hands together and embraced Serena, who was kneeling on the ground. Hospital. Inpatient department. ire Shawy on the hospital bed wearing patient clothes. ¡°Patrick exaggerated; it¡¯s just a few scratches, you drove over, what if you got checked?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Caleb Lockwood poured a cup of warm water and handed it to ire Shaw, ¡°As long as you¡¯re okay.¡± ire Shaw¡¯s eyes shone with tears of gratitude. She knew Caleb Lockwood rushed over to the hospital without regard for drunk driving once hearing she¡¯d had an ident. ¡°I¡¯ll go see if the report is ready.¡± Caleb Lockwood left ire Shaw¡¯s hospital room. ire Shaw didn¡¯t stop him verbally, but she knew all test results and reports for inpatients would be directly handed to the attending doctor, so there was no need to fetch them herself. At the end of the corridor, Caleb Lockwood ced a call to Mr. Miller. No one answered. The Sierra Grand Hotel. 2408 Presidential Suite. Serena Jennings tried her best to resist but was still thrown onto the bed. She was not only tortured by drugs, burning like being cooked, She was pped several times by Dn Quinn, her face stinging painfully. Only the pain barely kept her conscious. She felt¡­ She heard something. 18:49 54 Chapter 54: It¡¯s Cooler Without Clothes But she couldn¡¯t move. She couldn¡¯t muster strength, her mind clouded further by rising lust. Until someone touched her, she instinctively protested: ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± The person did not stop, instead, intensified stripping her clothes off one by one. ¡°No¡­¡± Help me¡­ Someone help me¡­ Serena kept calling for help in her heart. The violencebined with the drug push Serena¡¯s mind and body into agony. Serena had no other option¡­ Tonight, she couldn¡¯t escape. She¡¯d be subjected to Dn Quinn¡¯s¡­ The man¡¯s heavy body pressed against hers, tears involuntarily flowed from her eyes. In a sh of losing consciousness, Serena shouted: Save me! Caleb Lockwood¡­ In the darkness, the room in the hotel opposite The Sierra Grand Hotel¡¯s same floor, facing room 2408, had no lights on. But someone was inside. That person stood at the window, holding a camera. The next day, several people from The Lockwood Group didn¡¯t report to work. < 54 Chapter 54: It¡¯s Cooler Without Clothes Mr. Miller because of hangover. ire Shaw because of the ident. Though both had requested leave. Serena didn¡¯t show up until lunchtime either, nor did she request leave; colleagues called and texted her, but none were answered. So, they just considered it absenteeism. Afternoon. Serena woke up on therge hotel bed. Covered by a quilt but not clothed, the bed was messy, evident traces of an affair everywhere. Mding 55 55 Chapter 55: Bed Photo Exposed 55 Chapter 55: Bed Photo Exposed Eternity Gym. 1 Serena Jennings spent an entire afternoon boxing inside. She had practiced some boxing back when she was learning kickboxing, but eventually grew rusty. The heavy bag swung back upon impact, hitting Serena¡¯s face, leaving it bright red. Serena sat on the floor, unable to stop her tears from falling. She had been drugged and assaulted! And it was by someone like Dn Quinn, who was overweight and repulsive. The hatred made Serena¡¯s teeth grind, while disgust and pain filled her heart. After leaving the hotel, she hadn¡¯t gone back to thepany or applied for leave; instead, she went straight to a gym to vent, which she¡¯d been doing ever since. Yet, no matter how much she vented, she couldn¡¯t shake the lingering sensation left on her. In the evening, as Serena left the gym, a stranger added her as a friend. She normally never added strangers, but this person had noted: Wanna see what I capturedst night? The specific mention of st night¡± gave Serena a foreboding feeling. She epted the person¡¯s request, who immediately sent her a photo. In the photo, she was lying on a hotel bed. A man was pressing down on her. From the photo¡¯s angle, only her face and the man¡¯s back were visible. Though all crucial body parts were covered by the man, it was clearly evident that both of them were Serena¡¯s hand began to tremble slightly. 18.49 10 < 55 Chapter 55: Bed Photo Exposed In the darkness, her face was devoid of any color, and her lips, bitten by her own doing, bled. In just one night, it was as if her world had copsed. Not only had she been defiled by Dn Quinn, but now there was a photo threatening her as well. Despair, indeed, came to this. Staring at the snapshot on her phone, she wished to smash it. But the arm raised high eventually lowered. Smashing her phone wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Things hade to this point; she needed to calm herself down. Serena decided to make a voice call to the person. By the time she returned to the old house on Vornath Street, it was nearly midnight. There was someone standing downstairs. This person, in a suit and exuding a distinguished elegance, seemed out of ce amid the surrounding old buildings. Serena stopped in her tracks. In the streetlight, the man¡¯s handsome features were distinctly clear against the light and shadow- It was Caleb Lockwood, Serena couldn¡¯t just pretend she didn¡¯t see Caleb. Since he came looking for her, he must have something he wants to say. She walked over and faced Caleb directly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to work today? You didn¡¯t even request leave.¡± Caleb asked calmly. Serena gazed intently at Caleb. 18:43 < 55 Chapter 55: Bed Photo Exposed She aimed to discern something from his face. However, regrettably, she saw nothing. Caleb¡¯s sharply defined face remained like a cold sculpture, masking his inner thoughts. ¡°I skipped work. If you have the guts, fire me.¡± After saying this, Serena saw Caleb handed her a photo. ¡°Is it about this?¡± The photo was identical to the one she had seen on her phone. ¡°Does he know about our rtionship?¡± Serena asked. Otherwise, why send her bed photo to Caleb? ¡°He probably doesn¡¯t know,¡± Caleb shook his head, ¡°Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t dare to even mention a price¡­ However, he must have researched you, knows there¡¯s gossip about us at thepany, and fears your mishap might implicate me. So he tested my reaction with this photo.¡± Serena shrugged and sneered. It seemed the photographer who took her bed photo was quite the businessman, selling the photo multiple ways for profit. When Caleb received the photo at night, he guessed that Serena, being directly involved, must have received it too. He expected that tonight, when he saw Serena here, she would speak to him for help. The summer night breeze carried more coolness than the daytime. Caleb, unusually patient, waited for a long time. Yet Serena remained silent. ¡°I can help you resolve this matter.¡± He ended up speaking first, unable to hold back. < 55 Chapter 55: Bed Photo Exposed Serena¡¯s reaction remained indifferent. ¡°What are your conditions?¡± ¡°Resign and return home, never bring up divorce again, continue being my wife, just like before.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone was equally indifferent. This time, Serena was silent for a longer period. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want a divorce, you certainly won¡¯t allow this photo to be exposed.¡± Serena looked Caleb in the eye, and for the first time saw surprise in them. ¡°If the photo gets out, regardless of your wishes, your parents and all the Lockwood family will force us to divorce, and it will cause immeasurable bad impact on the entire Lockwood Group.¡± ¡°So even if I don¡¯t agree to your conditions, you¡¯ll still have to handle this matter.¡±¡± Serena¡¯s incisive analysis made Caleb unexpectedly smile instead of getting angry. ¡°Serena, do you really think I¡¯m so unwilling to let you go?¡± Serena was startled. ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate yourself.¡± Caleb ended his mocking smile, his face darkening, his voice cold, ¡°I and the Lockwood family have plenty of ways to clear our namepletely from this incident¡­ But you, if the photo is exposed, your entire future will be destroyed¡­¡± ¡°The photo won¡¯t be exposed.¡± Serena maintained herposure, ¡°If he took my fifty million and still dared to expose the photo, he must not want to stay in this business.¡± Serena chuckled self-mockingly and began to walk away. Before entering the building, she stopped again, turned around, and asked Caleb: ¡°Caleb, the man in the photo¡­ it¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± < 55 Chapter 55: Bed Photo Exposed Having been discovered by Serena, Caleb¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change one bit. He neither confirmed nor denied. It was essentially an admittance. Serena¡¯s eyes reddened involuntarily. She should be grateful to the photographer for capturing the bed photo. If it hadn¡¯t been for seeing the man¡¯s back in the photo, she might have truly believed she had been drugged and assaulted by Dn Quinn. However¡­ Dn Quinn didn¡¯t have that physique. Serena was too emotional before, as anyone would feel despair to the point of wanting to die if they encountered such a situation. But she forced herself to calm down. Then she realized the man¡¯s back in the photo bore a striking resemnce to Caleb¡¯s. Earlier, when Caleb showed her the bed photo, he was calm as usual. Because he knew very well, the man in the photo was himself. Not someone else. Seeing Serena¡¯s eyes red and swollen, Caleb curiously asked: ¡°Are you angry? Why?¡± He was genuinely puzzled. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be grateful I stepped in to save the day?¡± Caleb¡¯s serious question made Serena clutch the photo in her hand tighter and tighter. ¡°If that person wasn¡¯t me at the time, but Dn Quinn, have you ever wondered what your situation would be like now?¡± 38.49 55 Chapter 55: Bed Photo Exposed ¡°It was you who took me to the engagement¡­¡± Serena¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°That was for business.¡± ¡°It was you who left me midway¡­¡± For ire! ¡°But I left Mr. Miller to apany you.¡± ¡°So I should be grateful to you, shouldn¡¯t I?!¡± Seeing Serena in such a hysterical state was rare; Caleb was taken aback. ¡°Serena, I didn¡¯te here to fight.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t recognized the man¡¯s back in the photo, were you nning to keep it from me all along, letting me believe I had been defiled by Dn Quinn?¡± Caleb didn¡¯t answer this question upon seeing the surging tears in Serena¡¯s eyes. Mding 56 < 56 Chapter 56: Tainted Woman 56 Chapter 56: Tainted Woman He just wanted to know if Serena Jennings would feel guilty after mistakenly thinking he had been with another man. 1 Serena threw the photo of the bed onto Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face and turned to enter the building. Tears only streamed down after she entered the building. Back home, Serena¡¯s chaotic emotions gradually calmed down. Although that photographer took on the task of secretly photographing for money. And she did indeed pay him a high price of fifty million. Logically, he wouldn¡¯t expose the photos. Otherwise, how would he extort money from others through secret photography in the future? However, not exposing the photos doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t keep backups. After much contemtion, Serena still dialed someone¡¯s number. ¡°Ellie?¡± The voice from the receiver was a man¡¯s, very pleasant, like the clear sound of a spring. After Serena remained silent, the man changed his address: ¡°Serena, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Only then did Serena begin to make her request. After listening to Serena¡¯s words, the man didn¡¯t ask a single unnecessary question. ¡°If you¡¯re tired, rest first. If not, wait for me for half an hour.¡± Serena chose to wait. Half an hourter, she received his call. ¡°I¡¯ve hacked into all his electronic devices, including his phone,puter, and camera. He did keep backups = F < 56 Chapter 56: Tainted Woman on his homeputer. Rest assured, I¡¯ve deleted all of them, and I didn¡¯t look at the contents.¡± Serena believed the man wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Actually, you coulde back¡­¡± Before he could finish, Serena hung up the phone. The issue with the photos waspletely resolved. Although she spent fifty million and owed someone a favor, the matter didn¡¯t escte, and her reputation wasn¡¯t harmed. Serena believed the money wasn¡¯t wasted. The problem is¡­ Dn Quinn didn¡¯t seed this time, and she¡¯s unsure if he¡¯ll try to repeat the scheme in the future. Serena tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, and eventually thought of Caleb Lockwood. Her heart was not only chaotic but also began to ache. She didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore, so she yed a luby to force herself to sleep. The next day, Serena Jennings went to work as usual, while ire Shaw was still on sick leave. The office was abuzz with stories about Caleb Lockwood tirelessly caring for ire Shaw in the hospital. Serena didn¡¯t care. But during lunch break, Mr. Miller suddenly came looking for her, inviting her to lunch together. Seeing Mr. Miller¡¯s serious expression, Serena guessed he wanted to discuss matters not convenient to talk about at thepany. So she chose a restaurant slightly far from thepany, with prices ordinary workers couldn¡¯t afford. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Jennings.¡± 12:50 56 Chapter 56: Tainted Woman Mr. Miller solemnly apologized to Serena Jennings. That night, he was so drunk by Dn Quinn that he didn¡¯t even know how he got home. He woke up only the next morning. Even now, he doesn¡¯t know what happened after that dinner. Especially between Serena and Dn Quinn. Mr. Miller¡¯s self-reproach surprised Serena. She waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault for failing to fulfill the responsibility assigned to me by President Lockwood.¡± ¡°The responsibility given to you by President Lockwood?¡± Serena found it amusing. That night, Caleb Lockwood was preupied with worrying about ire Shaw, even indifferent to drunk driving. She knew well that Mr. Miller was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s most trusted assistant, so she didn¡¯t badmouth Caleb in front of him. Since Mr. Miller apologized, she epted it. During their meal, Mr. Miller said ¡°sorry¡± or ¡°apologize¡± more than ten times. Serena noticed that Mr. Miller was indeed exceptionally responsible. However, she also realized that Mr. Miller was subtly probing about what happened that night and whether anything transpired between her and Dn Quinn. Serena didn¡¯t divulge anything. Even to Mr. Miller, there was no need to mention past events. The meal ended with Serena footing the bill. She knew Caleb Lockwood paid Mr. Miller well. 14 CO 56 Chapter 56: Tainted Woman However, since she chose this expensive restaurant, a meal cost several tens of thousands, and she didn¡¯t want Mr. Miller to spend so much. ¡°Let¡¯s consider you owe me a meal! You can invite me next time when you get a chance.¡± Mr. Miller couldn¡¯t refuse Serena. Though he always called Serena ¡°Miss Jennings,¡± it didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t recognize her as Mrs. Lockwood. Watching Serena swipe her card to pay, Mr. Miller wondered: Where did Serena get the money? She and Caleb Lockwood were embroiled in a divorce, and Caleb hadn¡¯t given her any money since. Even though she worked at the Lockwood Group, her sry was that of an ordinary designer. But seeing Serena pay a hefty bill with ease, it didn¡¯t look like she was pretending to be rich. Caleb Lockwood also had questions about Serena¡¯s assets. Serena could afford a three-million dress and own a billion-dor collection of violins, even spending fifty million to buy photos. Previously, he assumed Serena got the money from Justin Nash. But now Justin Nash was in confinement,pletely cut off from Serena. How could he give Serena money? If not Justin Nash, where did Serena get her money? After apanying ire Shaw at the hospital, Caleb Lockwood had someone investigate Serena¡¯s bank ounts en route back to thepany. But Serena¡¯s personal ount had the highest level of protection, and even he had no authority to inquire. After three years of marriage, this was the first time Caleb Lockwood found Serena intriguing. However, this curiosity was soon washed away by his own conclusions. Sitting in the office, Caleb Lockwood looked at the quarterly sales report. 18.50 56 Chapter 56: Tainted Woman The Lockwood Group¡¯s new brand was once again overshadowed by FY. ¡°Peter¡­¡± He took a sip of coffee. The coffee tasted nder than usual. At the hospital, ire Shaw had been discharged, looking even worse than when she was admitted. After Caleb Lockwood left, she threw an enormous fit in the hospital room. Initially, her scheme was wless. Riverbend Properties and the Lockwood Group had a project coboration. She contacted Dn Quinn via joker, asking him to insist Caleb bring Serena to a dinner under the guise of business talks, secretly drug Serena¡¯s papaya and snow hashirma soup, and while Serena was under its effects, fake a car ident, knowing Caleb would surely rush to the hospital in panic over her well-being. This way, Dn would have the chance to assault Serena. Moreover, she had joker arrange a photographer in advance to take candid shots of Serena and Dn. Once the scandalous photos were exposed, Serena would no longer have the face to be Caleb¡¯s wife, and the Lockwood Family would never ept a tarnished woman like her. Everything proceeded smoothly, and the incriminating photos were taken. But the photographer suddenly demanded a high price, increased from the agreed million to ten million. The photographer discovered Serena and Caleb¡¯s scandal and assumed the photos were worth more than the original price. ire only hesitated for a single night. Suddenly, joker informed her that the photographer¡¯sputer malfunctioned, and all photos were lost. With no photos, there was no weapon to bring Serena to ruin, and all her efforts were in vain. ire was furious. She wanted to curse, asking what kind of useless individuals joker found! 18:50 < 56 Chapter 56: Tainted Woman But knowing she would still need joker for future tasks, she could only vent her anger alone in the hospital room. She contacted her colleagues, who told her that Serena was at work, behaving normally. Although she enjoyed Caleb¡¯s care while she was hospitalized, he still spent more time at thepany, which made her uneasy. The next day, ire returned to work, and everyone in the office scrambled to offer her well-wishes. The gifts included flowers and some rather expensive items, like luxury perfumes and jewelry, more like opportunistic ttery than mere condolences. Serena didn¡¯t gift anything. The whole office knew the two didn¡¯t get along, so she didn¡¯t bother with pointless pretense. In the pantry. Serena had just walked in when she saw ire follow. Mding 57 57 Chapter 57: Putting on a Show for Friends 57 Chapter 57: Putting on a Show for Friends ¡°Serena, why didn¡¯t you show up the day before yesterday? If somethinges up, you should request leave in advance or on the day. Even though I¡¯m hospitalized, you can always message me on WeChat.¡±61 ire casually asked Serena while making coffee. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll pay attention next time.¡± Serena replied lightly and left the break room with her coffee. ire noticed Serena seemed to want to y down the incident with Dn Quinn, pretending it never happened. She took out her phone and contacted joker. The coboration project between Lockwood Group and Riverbend Properties is progressing smoothly. The Grand Culinary Center officially opened today, and thepany broadcast the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the big screen. In the cafeteria, many people watched the live broadcast while eating because Caleb Lockwood on the screen was indeed pleasing to the eye. Serena continued eating quietly, her head down. Caleb Lockwood, fully aware that Dn Quinn wanted to drug her and came close to seeding, still stood beside him as if nothing had happened, smiling while cutting the ribbon. The braised pork in the cafeteria used to be delicious, Serena used to polish it off without leaving a drop. However, this time she barely touched her food, wasting it all. In the afternoon, Caleb Lockwood sent Serena a WeChat message calling her to the general manager¡¯s office. Serena thought that Caleb didn¡¯t use the internal phone because the design department¡¯s internal calls all went through to the leader, ire. Caleb probably didn¡¯t want ire to know he was looking for her. Maybe he was afraid ire would misunderstand? Serena arrived at Caleb¡¯s office door, took a deep breath before entering. TRAN < 57 Chapter 57: Putting on a Show for Friends Actually, she didn¡¯t really want to see Caleb. At least not recently. Thest time they had a falling out at her doorstep, meeting again now would only make both feel awkward. ¡°President Lockwood, I¡¯m here.¡± Serena knocked before pushing the door open and walking in. Caleb looked at her as usual, merely ncing before continuing his work. Serena felt a tightness in her chest. Rightfully so, Caleb didn¡¯t care about Dn Quinn¡¯s attempt to vite her, so how could he care about their previous argument. ¡°Join me at Royal Oasis tomorrow.¡± Caleb said casually. Serena knew Royal Oasis was a high-end golf club. ¡°Caleb, we seem to have just had a fight¡­¡± Her reminder finally made Caleb lift his distinguished head. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m trying to please you?¡± Serena shook her head. This much self-awareness she did possess. Caleb chuckled, ¡°Mason Warren and Vera Vance areing here on a business trip, invited us to y golf.¡± Serena was not unfamiliar with these names. They were the children of Lance Lockwood¡¯srades, among the few who knew Serena was Caleb¡¯s wife. No wonder Caleb needed her for the social event. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me you¡¯re not going, are you?¡± 216 < 57 Chapter 57: Putting on a Show for Friends Caleb¡¯s words, though casual, had a hint of threat. Serena would go for her grandfather¡¯s sake. But only for her grandfather¡¯s sake. ¡°Do we need to stay overnight?¡±. After she asked, Caleb snickered. ¡°Are you looking forward to it?¡± Caleb¡¯s gaze had no warmth, yet the mischievous smile curling his lips made her heart restless. Serena turned and left, with Caleb¡¯s voice trailing behind her. ¡°Remember to pack a change of clothes.¡± Closing the office door, Serena couldn¡¯t help but regret agreeing so hastily. At closing time, Caleb appeared as usual at the entrance of the design department. ire gathered her things and, under the envious gaze of colleagues, was cheerfully picked up by Caleb. Serena wanted to leave too, but received a WeChat message from Caleb asking her to wait for him at the She replied: business or personal? Caleb: personal. So Serena didn¡¯t wait. She nned to take thepany shuttle or subway home, but before she could decide, a ck Passat appeared before her. The driver was Mr. Miller. ¡°Miss Jennings, please get in the car!¡± ¡°No need,¡± Serena replied politely, ¡°I can take the subway myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not offering you a ride.¡± 1R 50 C 416 < 57 Chapter 57: Putting on a Show for Friends Mr. Miller¡¯s words puzzled Serena. ¡°President Lockwood instructed me.¡± Serena¡¯s expression changed slightly. Though she didn¡¯t want to be beholden to Caleb, she didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for Mr. Miller either, so eventually, she got in the car. Mr. Miller took Serena to a mall and directly to the store Caleb had specified. Seeing Caleb arrivete made Serena find it funny. Caleb could have simply picked her up while dropping ire off at home. But perhaps he worried about ire¡¯s reluctance or feared misunderstanding at thepany. Ultimately,pared to ire as the mistress, she, the legitimate wife, was delivered to the mall by the assistant. More like a mistress. Seeing Serena slightly unhappy, Caleb proactively spoke, ¡°Pick anything you like from here, I¡¯ll buy them for you.¡± His consistently indifferent attitude, yet perpetually charismatic. Serena knew Caleb was buying her clothes for tomorrow¡¯s meeting with friends. The shop¡¯s clothes were expensive, although she could afford them, since it was for Caleb¡¯s social event, it was fitting for him to spend. Serena didn¡¯t hold back and tried on many outfits. Caleb waited on the sofa, saying nothing. He had bought clothes for Serena before, knowing her sizes well. asionally, he would take Serena to try on clothes personally. But Serena never expressed her opinions or preferences; he made all the decisions. 18:50 5418 < 57 Chapter 57: Putting on a Show for Friends So he chose clothes for Serena ording to ire¡¯s taste. All pink. Even though Serena didn¡¯t fit the sweet-looking mold like ire. Yet Serena¡¯s features were elegant and prominent, standing out even among beautiful women. She could pull off any color or style. Caleb never considered whether Serena liked or suited pink. In the end, he saw Serena pick out a Morandi gray suit, a dark green dress suitable for daily wear and cocktail parties, and a red polo shirt with ck stretch capris for golfing attire. ¡°So you don¡¯t prefer ck?¡± Caleb¡¯s murmur made Serenaugh. ¡°Not everyone is like ire, only wears pink clothes.¡± ¡°Is that so!¡± Caleb¡¯s reaction was quite t. Serena felt mentioning ire herself was pointless, as if she was jealous. Saturday, Royal Oasis Golf Club. Mason Warren and Vera Vance were proficient at golf, and Caleb yed well too. Serena stood by as a mere essory. Though she learned many things growing up, she wasn¡¯t proficient at everything. For example, golf wasn¡¯t her strong suit. The four had lunch together, then Serena and Caleb walked hand in hand afterwards. That intimate disy was naturally for their friends to see. ¡°Look over there! That girl just holed in one!¡± 18.50 57 Chapter 57: Putting on a Show for Friends Mason shouted excitedly. The entire golf course buzzed with excitement. Caleb looked in that direction too, and in that girl¡¯s moment of turning, he naturally let go of Serena¡¯s hand. Mding 58 58 Chapter 58: You Two Should Just Get Divorced 58 Chapter 58: You Two Should Just Get Divorced Although Serena Jennings wasn¡¯t a particrly skilled golfer, she knew that a hole-in-one was one of the most exciting moments in golf. But she never expected that the person to achieve this highest honor would be ire Shaw. ¡°Caleb!¡± ire Shaw waved her golf club excitedly in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s direction, yet didn¡¯t take a step. It was Caleb Lockwood who took the initiative to walk toward ire Shaw. Standing on the lush green hillside, ire Shaw wore a pink and white cored polo shirt paired with a matching pink and white golf skirt, her hair in a ponytail, looking both sweet and exuding a healthy athletic vibe. Plus, with her stunning hole-in-one, she became the brightest star in the entire club. Mason Warren and Vera Vance also followed Caleb Lockwood to stand in front of ire Shaw. ¡°Caleb, do you know this beauty?¡± Mason Warren asked curiously. ¡°Yes,¡± Caleb Lockwood nodded, ¡°Her name is ire Shaw, she¡¯s a high school ssmate of mine and now also works at the Lockwood Group as the head of the design department.¡± ¡°So young and already a head of department!¡± Mason Warren was surprised. ¡°She¡¯s young and even scored a hole-in-one!¡± Vera Vance nudged Mason Warren. ¡°Impressive! Impressive!¡± Mason Warren gave ire Shaw multiple thumbs up. ire Shaw blushed bashfully, ¡°No, I¡¯m just an amateur, that was just by chance.¡± Seeing ire Shaw¡¯s humility, Mason Warren and Vera Vance couldn¡¯t help but praise her again. Serena Jennings watched from a distance, not joining in the excitement. Since ire Shaw appeared suddenly, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes never left her. ire Shaw was praised, and there was a look of pride on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face too. 18.50 118 < 58 Chapter 58: You Two Should Just Get Divorced Serena Jennings suddenly thought, if she left quietly now, probably no one would notice! Dinner turned into a gathering of five, with ire Shaw included. ire Shaw hade alone. She said she was eager to y golf but couldn¡¯t find friends to apany her. Whether others believed that excuse or not, Serena Jennings certainly didn¡¯t. City A was sorge, with countless golf clubs of all sizes, so why did ire Shaw end up alone at the club where she and Caleb Lockwood were! Moreover, she performed a public hole-in-one exhibition. Of course, ire Shaw¡¯s hole-in-one was genuine, and Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t say anything about it. The conversation over dinner revolved around golf, and Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t find a chance to join in, so she just yed the role of a silent decoration. Every time ire Shaw delivered her eloquent speeches, Serena Jennings could see the strong admiration in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes. In a daze, Serena Jennings recalled Caleb Lockwood¡¯s evaluation of ire Shaw: Too outstanding. She was too outstanding, so she wasn¡¯t suitable to be the Lockwood family¡¯s daughter-inw. Meanwhile, the reason Serena was suitable to be the Lockwood family¡¯s daughter-inw was precisely because she wasn¡¯t so outstanding. Serena Jennings felt an overwhelming mix of emotions during that meal. Tonight, they nned to stay overnight there; regardless of her golf skills, as Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife, they naturally shared a room. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t want to share a room with Caleb Lockwood. She was still nning to use their two-year separation as evidence for their divorce litigation. Also, an unattended couple alone in a room could easily lead to inappropriate situations. 18.50 < 58 Chapter 58: You Two Should Just Get Divorced Such things were not unheard of with Caleb Lockwood. After returning to the room, Serena Jennings took a shower and changed into her pajamas before lying on the bed, letting her thoughts wander uncontrobly. If Caleb Lockwood returnedter¡­. As she thought on, she fell asleep. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t return all night. It wasn¡¯t until the next day that Serena Jennings learned Caleb Lockwood had spent the night in ire Shaw¡¯s room with Mason Warren and Vera Vance, ying bridge all night. Serena Jennings sat in her chair, mocking herself for her arrogance the previous night. Now Caleb Lockwood, ire Shaw, Mason Warren, and Vera Vance were all off ying golf, leaving just her behind. Caleb Lockwood had made a show of inviting her along, but in the face of ire Shaw¡¯s superior golf skills, she¡¯d only embarrass herself, so there was no need to self-humiliate. So today, she didn¡¯t even bother to change, wearing not golf attire but the Morandi gray suit Caleb Lockwood had given her. On the hillside, ire Shaw handed Caleb Lockwood a towel, which he used to wipe ire Shaw¡¯s sweat. Serena Jennings averted her gaze. Bored to death, she¡¯d rather find something productive to do than watch others unt their affection. So she took out some paper and pen and started sketching. Although design wasn¡¯t her preferred subject, inexplicably, she found it easy to focus on her drawings. She was so engrossed in her sketching that she hadn¡¯t even noticed someone had sat down beside her table. Until she finished and looked up to see a round, pudgy face. Serena Jennings jumped up, her face turning pale. ¡°Miss Jennings, we meet again.¡± 16.50 < 58 Chapter 58: You Two Should Just Get Divorced Serena Jennings never imagined she would run into Dn Quinn here. Dn Quinn was still the same, staring at her with interest. ¡°Are you alone?¡± Serena Jennings stayed silent, her mind racing for a way to escape Dn Quinn¡¯s harassment. ¡°Look, we have quite the connection, I¡¯ve heard a bit about your rtionship with President Lockwood, but if he can afford it, so can I. I won¡¯t mistreat you. Why don¡¯t you name your price? After all, if President Lockwood always neglects you, I can offer double, how about you stick with me?¡± When Dn Quinn reached out to touch her, Serena Jennings turned to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, let¡¯s talk this out. It¡¯s just money, right?¡± Her wrist was caught by Dn Quinn, and she couldn¡¯t break free. Before she could call for help, rapid footsteps of high heels approached, and Dn Quinn suddenly let go; instead, Serena Jennings was grabbed by the cor. ¡°I¡¯ve finally caught you, you vixen!¡± The other person was a woman but robust and aggressive. As she cursed, she tore at Serena Jennings¡¯s clothes. ¡°Like taking your clothes off for men, huh? Let me help you strip then!¡± With a ripping sound, Serena Jennings¡¯s suit was torn open, revealing half her bra strap. Panic-stricken, Serena Jennings kicked the woman hard without hesitation. She didn¡¯t hold back, and the woman flew backward, crashing into the ss partition door. Crash! The ss shattered, and the shards cut the woman, leaving her bloodied and screaming in agony. Serena Jennings was stunned. The situation hadpletely spiraled out of her control. < 58 Chapter 58: You Two Should Just Get Divorced Dn Quinn stood in shock beside her. Themotion gradually drew the attention of people on the golf course, and more and more onlookers gathered around. A fleeting smile crossed ire Shaw¡¯s face. She grabbed Caleb Lockwood, who was about to walk over, and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s happening over there? Seems like Serena?¡± The woman was taken away by ambnce, and soon a new headline exploded online¨C Wife beats mistress, but ends up hospitalized instead, justice prevails! This woman was named Laura Sanders, Dn Quinn¡¯s wife, with some connections. In no time, the inte was flooded with criticisms against Serena Jennings. Others dug up past rumors, iming Serena had a fling with a Nash heir, that she sold herself, and had been involved in giarism-branding her as a woman with a criminal record. Mistress, escort, delinquent, giarist, all sorts of disgracefulbels were pinned on Serena Jennings, turning her into a punching bag for people to vent their negative emotions online. This incident naturally reached the ears of the Lockwood family. Evening. Caleb Lockwood was summoned to Veridia Vi. Arthur Lockwood was waiting for him in the study. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here,¡± Caleb Lockwood saw Arthur Lockwood looking stern, with a documentid out in front of him. ¡°Caleb, have you seen the recent headlines?¡± Arthur Lockwood¡¯s voice was steady. ¡°I have.¡± Caleb Lockwood replied just as steadily. Arthur Lockwood picked up the document in front of him and handed it to Caleb Lockwood. 18:51 < 58 Chapter 58: You Two Should Just Get Divorced Seeing the words ¡°Divorce Agreement,¡± Caleb Lockwood raised his gaze slightly, without a hint of surprise on his face. ¡°No matter the truth, such a public uproar is ultimately unfavorable for the Lockwood Group. After thinking it over, it¡¯s best if the two of you divorce.¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 23 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Loft To Continue > Send Gifts ch.58 Terrible < Mding 59 59 Chapter 59: Coming Out Naked 59 Chapter 59: Coming Out Naked These days, Serena Jennings was so busy that she felt as if she were running in circles. She was either rushing to the hospital ormuting between the police station and the courthouse. As the perpetrator, even though there were reasons behind it, she had indeed injured Laura Sanders quite severely. Laura had hired awyer and was demanding an apology pluspensation from her. An apology was fine, but Serena refused topensate. After all, the cause of the incident was Dn Quinn harassing her first. Dn and Laura had some influence, but not enough to control everything; legally, evidence was still required. However, the same didn¡¯t hold true on the inte. Serena had disconnected her inte these days. She knew full well how viciously she was being cursed online, with unspeakable words. Although part of it was due to inte trolls hired by Laura, idleizens who didn¡¯t care about the truth also excelled at adding fuel to the fire. She hadn¡¯t taken leave from thepany. The Lockwood Group¡¯s policy was that being absent for three days could lead to the termination of an employment contract. She was waiting for Caleb Lockwood to passively fire her. Since this incident hit the trending topics, Caleb Lockwood seemed to have vanished from her life. He neither scolded her for being impulsive nor stood up for her, not even sending a single WeChat message. Serena suspected Caleb was using this way to distance himself from her. Whether it was Caleb¡¯s own thoughts or those of the Lockwood family, in any case, this time, the family 18.51 < 59 Chapter 59: Coming Out Naked wanted a clean break from her. After all, previously, when the inte dug up past issues between her and Justin Nash, Nash Group¡¯s stock hit the limit down on that day. Serena felt quite sorry for Justin Nash; even though they had cut all ties, he still got implicated by her. Today was already her fifth day of absence, yet there was still no dismissal notice from the HR department. Feeling restless, Serena took her resignation application to thepany in person. ¡°It¡¯s her, it¡¯s her!¡± A group of middle-aged women swarmed towards her, throwing rotten eggs and pebbles at Serena. Upstairs, ire Shaw stood in her office by the window, holding a steaming cup of coffee. With her professional lotus pink outfit and exquisite makeup, she looked every part the sessful and privileged woman. The scene of Serena being pelted with rotten eggs reflected in her eyes, pleasing her view. After watching for a while, she returned to her seat, picked up her phone, and sent a WeChat message to joker: You did quite well this time. Downstairs, Serena removed her outerwear stained with the stinking egg liquid and tossed it directly into the trash bin. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to clean the dirt from her face and hair; even with wet wipes, it wasn¡¯t enough. With people bustling around thepany, she didn¡¯t want to be ogled in such a sorry state. Just as she turned around, she saw a ck Maybach parked by the roadside. She didn¡¯t know when the car arrived or how long it had been there. But she knew exactly who was inside. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Caleb Lockwood rolled down the window. 18 51 < 59 Chapter 59: Coming Out Naked At this moment, thest person Serena wanted to see was Caleb Lockwood. Yet she always seemed to be seen by him at her most miserable. ¡°I¡¯ll only say it once.¡± Serena hesitated but heard Caleb start the car engine. It wasn¡¯t the time for her to insist on saving face; staying here would only attract more onlookers. Serena got into the car and sat in the passenger seat. She hung her head, avoiding eye contact with Caleb. She feared seeing disdain and mockery in his eyes. ¡°Not afraid of me dirtying your car?¡± Serena knew she didn¡¯t smell good at that moment. ¡°If it gets dirty, I¡¯ll just switch cars.¡± Caleb replied while driving. Serena stayed silent. The car was filled with the stench radiating from her, a smell so foul even she couldn¡¯t stand it, so she opened the window. ¡°My dad wants us to get a divorce.¡± The noise of the wind made Caleb¡¯s calm voice unclear. Serena turned her head, unsure if she had misheard. Caleb fixed his gaze ahead, his striking face like a calm, windless sea. Serena opened her mouth and took a breath of fresh air. In the end, she asked nothing. Caleb drove to The Jade Pavilion. 18:51 < 59 Chapter 59: Coming Out Naked Right now, in her current state, there was really nothing to fuss over. Although she didn¡¯t want to return here, since she was already there, she might as well clean up. She recalled that ire Shaw and Caleb were living together. In this very new house of hers and Caleb¡¯s. As expected, when the door opened, she saw that ssh of pink that didn¡¯t belong there. Piercingly pink. Caleb observed the resistance in Serena¡¯s eyes but said nothing, handing her a pink nightgown. The nightgown wasn¡¯t one of Serena¡¯s. It seemed ire Shaw didn¡¯t want to see any clothes that belonged to Serena in here. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear it.¡± Serena outright refused. ¡°It¡¯s new, I just bought it.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t want to wear it.¡± ¡°Then juste out naked!¡± Caleb withdrew the pink nightgown. Serena dashed into the bathroom, realizing there were only two bathrobes: one male and one female. One belonged to Caleb, so the other must have been ire Shaw¡¯s. Her stomach turned more than when she smelled rotten eggs; with each second she stayed here, the more nauseous she felt. She finished her shower as fast as she could, only to find she couldn¡¯t get out. ¡°Caleb, are you there?¡± There was no response from outside the bathroom. ¡°Caleb?¡± Serena gingerly opened the door. 18:51 < 59 Chapter 59: Coming Out Naked Outside, there was no Caleb, and the curtains were all drawn. Serena breathed a sigh of relief, stepped outpletely naked. However, her original clothes weren¡¯t wearable anymore; Caleb had thrown them away. Even though she and Caleb weren¡¯t officially divorced yet, the home had be so alien, there was not even a single piece of her clothing left. As Serena was distressed, the sound of the door opening made her shudder. Caleb walked in, holding new clothes, with her naked body reflected in his eyes. Serena froze. Just as she was about to turn, her shoulder was suddenly gripped by Caleb. Caleb deliberately lowered his gaze, sweeping it over Serena¡¯s body. Serena felt her face burning. ¡°Afraid of me seeing? We¡¯re an old married couple¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re about to be divorced, aren¡¯t we?¡± Serena spoke resolutely, and the teasing in Caleb¡¯s eyes turned cold instantly. ¡°So, you orchestrated everything, let Dn Quinn harass you, to blow things up for a divorce, right?¡± Serena angrily broke free from Caleb, her eyes reddening. ¡°Being put on the trending list, being cursed non-stop, getting pelted with rotten eggs just for a divorce?¡± She snatched the clothes from Caleb, turned, and headed for the dressing room. Once dressed, she emerged looking presentable atst. This time, Serena had her hair up in a bun, making the wound on her forehead even more visible. She only discovered the cut on her forehead while looking in the mirror. It must have been caused by the stones those women threw. ¡°Thanks for your help¡­¡± 10.53 59 Chapter 59: Coming Out Naked No matter what, this time, thanks to Caleb¡¯s appearance, Serena took the initiative to thank him and turned to leave. As she reached the door, Caleb suddenly said: ¡°Don¡¯t you want the divorce papers?¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s surprise, Caleb shrugged with one hand in his pocket andughed. ¡°Serena, haven¡¯t you brought all this up just for this? Why aren¡¯t you interested now?¡± Caleb tossed the three copies of the divorce agreement to Serena. ¡°I¡¯ve already signed them, just waiting for yours.¡± Mding 60 60 Chapter 60: See You at the Civil Affairs Bureau 60 Chapter 60: See You at the Civil Affairs Bureau Serena Jennings clearly saw Caleb Lockwood¡¯s signature on the divorce agreement. The handwriting was carefree and beautiful. Finally¡­ She was going to divorce Caleb Lockwood. After the divorce, she would have no further ties with Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood could be openly together with ire Shaw. No. Even if Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t divorced her, he was already openly together with ire Shaw. ¡°What, regretting it now?¡± Serena Jennings lifted her head and saw naked mockery in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes. ¡°No¡­¡± Serena Jennings shook her head. She did not regret it. It¡¯s just that when she actually got the divorce agreement with Caleb Lockwood¡¯s signature, she wasn¡¯t as excited and thrilled as she had imagined. Perhaps because this divorce was initiated by Caleb Lockwood. Because he didn¡¯t want to be dragged down by her. ¡°Do you have a pen?¡± Serena Jennings asked. ¡°No.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s answer left Serena Jennings stunned. If she remembered correctly, Caleb Lockwood had a habit of carrying a fountain pen with him. 18.51 177 < 60 Chapter 60: See You at the Civil Affairs Bureau ¡°Do you think I said that on purpose, to give you an excuse not to divorce?¡± Serena Jennings realized that Caleb Lockwood still didn¡¯t believe she truly wanted to leave him. Caleb Lockwood was arrogant. But Caleb Lockwood certainly had the capital to be arrogant. ¡°I¡¯ll find a pen at home and sign it.¡± Serena Jennings put the divorce agreement away. ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet.¡± Caleb Lockwood pulled Serena Jennings into the kitchen. ¡°Before we divorce, make me onest batch of medicine, my stomach hurts.¡± ¡°ire Shaw won¡¯t make it for you after work?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be tired after work.¡± The reason Caleb Lockwood gave made Serena Jennings amused, yet she didn¡¯tugh. In the end, she left The Jade Pavilion alone without making Caleb Lockwood that final batch of medicine. Caleb Lockwood stood at the kitchen door for a long time, his face dark, rubbing his aching stomach. Serena Jennings hailed a taxi. Just in case, she wore a mask. Sitting in the taxi, she took the three copies of the divorce agreement out of her bag and only then realized that a paperclip was attached to the divorce agreement. There was also a very inconspicuous, easily overlooked band-aid on the paperclip. Serena Jennings¡¯ heart suddenly raced. This band-aid¡­ Could it be intentionally given to her by Caleb Lockwood? 417 < 60 Chapter 60: See You at the Civil Affairs Bureau Serena Jennings instinctively touched the wound on her forehead. Was she overthinking it? Or was it because they were getting divorced that Caleb Lockwood was offering her onest bit of kindness, for a good parting? Looking at the divorce agreement with Caleb Lockwood¡¯s signature on it, Serena Jennings felt conflicted. Sitting in the taxi, she had read through the three copies of the divorce agreement several times; there were no excessive uses, but she didn¡¯t get a penny. She was leaving with nothing. However, Serena Jennings didn¡¯t care about money, so when she got home, she signed her own name on it. She sent Caleb Lockwood a message: I¡¯ve signed all three copies of the divorce agreement, see you at the civil affairs bureau at eight tomorrow morning. Is this time convenient for you? Caleb Lockwood replied quickly: Convenient. Serena Jennings breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that no one in this world had a harder divorce than her, right? But fortunately¡­ It¡¯s finally over. Unintentionally seeing her reflection on the phone screen, Serena Jennings touched the band-aid on her forehead and sent Caleb Lockwood another message: Is your stomach pain better? Have you taken the medicine? At that time, Caleb Lockwood had already returned to the office, listening to Mr. Miller¡¯s report. The phone vibrated, and ire Shaw picked it up beside him. 16-51 377 60 Chapter 60: See You at the Civil Affairs Bureau Serena Jennings hadn¡¯t been sleeping well these days. Though the online hot searches were still fermenting, at least she could divorce Caleb Lockwood tomorrow, which could be considered a blessing in disguise. As shey on her bed to take a nap, she received a reply from Caleb Lockwood: No need for you to meddle. From tomorrow, you and I are two unrted people. The sharpness and coldness between the words instantly made Serena Jennings, who was originally sleepy, be alert. She touched the band-aid on her forehead. Clearly, the band-aid was applied, but the wound inexplicably hurt even more. The Lockwood Group. General Manager¡¯s Office. After listening to Mr. Miller¡¯s report, Caleb Lockwood noticed ire Shaw holding his phone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, just a spam message. I helped you delete it.¡± ire Shaw returned the phone to Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t even look, cing the phone on the desk. Serena Jennings originally thought she would sleep soundly, but instead, she was tormented by nightmares, waking up several times, and in the morning, her head felt like it was about to explode. She tore off the band-aid on her forehead; the wound had already scabbed over. But it still hurt. Applying a simple and elegant light makeup, she put on a formal suit. Today, was the day she went to the civil affairs bureau to get her divorce papers. More solemn than when she went to get the marriage certificate, With the divorce certificate, her ten-year love should end. 18.51 < 60 Chapter 60: See You at the Civil Affairs Bureau Serena Jennings opened the private album in her phone with a password. Inside was that old photo. She wanted to delete it. She should delete it. After hesitating for a long time, Serena Jennings pressed the delete button. After hesitating for a long time, she pressed cancel. Let¡¯s wait until after getting the divorce certificate! Serena Jennings admitted she wasn¡¯t someone who could easily let go. Arriving ten minutes early, she reached the civil affairs bureau. Caleb Lockwood also arrived. This time the driver was Mr. Miller, indeed changing cars, no longer the ck Maybach but the imperial blue Bentley Flying Spur. As soon as Caleb Lockwood got out of the car, he saw Serena Jennings eagerly hand him the three copies of the divorce agreement, as if showing him she had signed them, truly wanting to divorce him. A graceful smile lifted into a shallow yet cold arc. He nced down, seeing Serena Jennings¡¯s name signed on all copies. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s smiling lips became stiff. Before they entered the civil affairs bureau, Mr. Miller suddenly shouted, ¡°It looks like there are reporters over there.¡± Serena Jennings indeed saw several people far away rushing over with gun-type microphones. Looking back at Caleb Lockwood, he had already sat in the car. Mr. Miller hit the gas, and the imperial blue Bentley sped away like the wind. Serena Jennings felt inexplicably baffled. 18:51 617 < 60 Chapter 60: See You at the Civil Affairs Bureau They hadn¡¯t processed the paperwork yet! But it¡¯s truly not the time to process the divorce paperwork now. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t know why these reporters were here, whether they were here for her and Caleb Lockwood. But she was now half a ¡°inte celebrity¡± and didn¡¯t want to be caught by reporters at the entrance of the civil affairs bureau. Unlike Caleb Lockwood with a luxury car, Serena Jennings had to hide in a nearby caf¨¦. Ordering a cup of coffee, she browsed her phone. Dn Quinn was in trouble! Riverbend Properties was caught evading taxes and even suspected of embezzling state-owned assets, not only exposing Dn Quinn for keeping many celebrities and inte personalities, but also facing a divorce with Laura Sanders and jail time. Serena Jennings felt the world was so surreal. Just a few days ago, Dn Quinn and Laura Sanders were still so arrogant. However, no matter how big Dn Quinn¡¯s issue was, it still couldn¡¯t grab the number one hot search spot. Currently, Serena Jennings being a mistress had been removed from the hot search, but her name was still trending, and had be the top entry- Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jennings have been married all along?! Mding 61 < 61 Chapter 61: Not Getting Divorced 61 Chapter 61: Not Getting Divorced Both of their namescked any identity qualifiers, Serena Jennings never imagined she¡¯d be so famous one day. 1 She never dreamed she could actually see her wedding photo online- A wedding photo with Caleb Lockwood. The photo wasn¡¯t the traditional studio wedding photo; it was a candid shot from their wedding. Serena Jennings was wearing a pearl-white off-shoulder satin wedding dress, exchanging rings with Caleb Lockwood in his custom ck suit. This photo was genuine, Serena was certain of it. She knew that only a few people in the entire Lockwood Family had this photo. However, the resolution of the online photo was low, and it was only possible to vaguely make out the bride and groom. Serena Jennings is actually the Lockwood Group¡¯s young mistress?! Photoshopped! Obviously fake at first nce. The timing of this leak makes it hard not to overthink! The resolution clearly avoids revealing any ws. Photoshopped, disperse everyone! If Serena Jennings is really Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife, I¡¯ll eat fifty pounds of crap live! Online, people were saying anything and everything, except that Serena was Dn Quinn¡¯s family¡¯s homewrecking mistress. Serena was helplessly amused. That¡¯s online these days, starting with one photo, content all made up, reversals happen quickly, but the spectators don¡¯t care about the truth, they only focus on the gossip. 1652 176 < 61 Chapter 61: Not Getting Divorced Following this hot search, Serena saw that ten minutes earlier, a suspected bot ount exposed that Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car was parked near the civil affairs bureau. ¡°That¡¯s probably why the reporters are here!¡± Serena muttered to herself while drinking her coffee. The Lockwood Group has its official ounts on major tforms. After her and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wedding photo was released, the number ofments below the official ounts surged, but the official remained eerily silent, thus more and moreizens believed the wedding photo was fake. The hot search trended for half a day and then was withdrawn. Few people believe Serena and Caleb Lockwood are married, but the numbers shouting Serena as a homewrecker of Dn Quinn¡¯s family visibly dropped. More people started focusing on how much Dn Quinn and Riverbend Properties embezzled, and how many years Dn Quinn was sentenced. Serena finished her cup of coffee and sent a WeChat message to Caleb Lockwood: Did you do it? After a while, she received Caleb Lockwood¡¯s reply: What? Serena didn¡¯t reply. The timing of the hot search and this wedding photo is too coincidental, making her romantically suspicious that Caleb Lockwood might be secretly helping her. However, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s reaction seemed oblivious. The signed three-copy divorce agreement clearly came from her father-inw, Arthur Lockwood. So Arthur Lockwood couldn¡¯t possibly be helping her. Lilian Young was even less likely. 18.62 218 < 61 Chapter 61. Not Getting Divorced Using the process of elimination, Serena finally thought of Grandpa. Lance Lockwood did say to her that if she was dead set on divorcing Caleb Lockwood, he wouldn¡¯t stop her. However, Serena was very aware that Lance Lockwood actually didn¡¯t want her and Caleb Lockwood to divorce. So the person who brought down Dn Quinn and leaked the wedding photo might not be Lance Lockwood. Serena still doesn¡¯t understand what Lance Lockwood sees in her. But one thing is certain- Lance Lockwood genuinely doesn¡¯t like ire Shaw. Serena knows very little about ire Shaw. She only knows that ire Shaw was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s high school ssmate and his first love and muse. Logically speaking, ire Shaw was smart, beautiful, excellent, her family background also seems good, she knows Caleb Lockwood well and matches him in status, she should be the ideal candidate for marriage. Thinking of ire Shaw having so many advantages, Serena sighed. Lockwood Group. Even though Serena Jennings and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wedding photo didn¡¯t trend for long, it spread widely, and many people in thepany saw it. Although Caleb Lockwood and the Lockwood official ount never came forward to acknowledge it. They also didn¡¯t publicly refute it. Compared to generalizens, some Lockwood employees were more inclined to believe the expos¨¦ was true. After all, they had all personally witnessed Caleb Lockwood taking Serena Jennings away. It¡¯s just that due to Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw¡¯s rtionship, they all assumed Serena was the mistress. But what if this time the wedding photo released online is real? 18:52 376 < 61 Chapter 61: Not Getting Divorced ¡°How could it be real!¡± Christine Warren in her department¡¯s office stood up for ire Shaw, ¡°That photo was so clearly photoshopped, Serena is really shameless, ire is already cohabiting with President Lockwood.¡± Christine Warren¡¯s words were not wholly unreasonable. However, if Serena was from the start the legitimate wife, then theplex rtionship between Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings, and ire Shaw could still be established and rified. The only difference would be, who was the actual mistress? In the hallway, ire Shaw encountered two colleagues from another department, their gazes at her were noticeably different from before. She encountered such looks countless times all day, ire Shaw knew it was due to that hot search. Arriving at the general manager¡¯s office door, she tidied up her appearance before pushing the door open, her face restored to its usual sweet smile. ¡°Caleb, I cut some fruit for you, it¡¯s your favorite Yubari melon.¡± As ire Shaw approached Caleb Lockwood with the fruit tray, she caught a glimpse inside the shredder with her peripheral vision. Although the document was shredded, the title was still clearly visible. It was a divorce agreement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, why do you look so grim?¡± Caleb Lockwood picked up a piece of melon with a fork, bringing it to ire Shaw¡¯s lips. ire Shaw avoided it. Caleb Lockwood paused slightly. ¡°Caleb¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t go on like this¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s eyes turned red instantly. She looked heartbroken as she was about to cry. Caleb Lockwood, very rarely, took the initiative to hold ire Shaw¡¯s hand and pulled her to his side. 18 62 418 < 61 Chapter 61: Not Getting Divorced ¡°What happened? Who bullied you?¡± ire Shaw shook her head. ¡°No one¡¯s bullying me¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ everyone in thepany is calling me the mistress behind my back, I¡­¡± ire Shaw took the opportunity to dive into Caleb Lockwood¡¯s embrace, her tears wetting Caleb Lockwood¡¯s shirt. Caleb Lockwood gently wiped her tears with a tissue. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± In the caf¨¦. Serena Jennings hid until the kindergarten was almost time for dismissal. Through the ss window, she watched as groups of parents gradually took their children from the teachers¡¯ hands. Every family was radiating happiness. If she could have given birth to the child with Caleb Lockwood¡­ She realized that her hand subconsciously touched her empty abdomen again, and Serena¡¯s eyes became moist. They say time heals all wounds. Perhaps she¡¯s an exception! Serena Jennings looked out, no longer seeing any reporter¡¯s shadow. She picked up the phone and directly dialed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s number. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was as indifferent and impatient as ever. But this ¡°What¡¯s up¡± left Serena inexplicably baffled. ¡°Of course there¡¯s something, the civil affairs bureau is about to close, you should make it if you rush over 18.52 616 < 61 Chapter 61: Not Getting Divorced now, no reporters outside anymore.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve been waiting outside?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice had a hint of ridicule. Feeling mocked, Serena retorted: ¡°I don¡¯t have a luxury car. ¡°Just let me know next time when you want to hitch a ride.¡± Unsure if Caleb Lockwood was intentionally diverting the topic, Serena directly stated: ¡°Caleb Lockwood, I¡¯m waiting for you toe over and file our divorce paperwork together.¡± Caleb Lockwood, sitting in his office, nced at the shredded divorce agreement in the shredder, his gaze was icy. The silence on the phonested so long that Serena nearly thought the line had dropped. Finally, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice reappeared: Mding 62 < 62 Chapter 62: Wrapping an Arm Around ire¡¯s Bare Back Serena Jennings took a moment to react to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words. Her hand holding the phone was tense. ¡°What do you mean? What does ¡®not getting divorced¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°Just what it says.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s indifferent tone infuriated Serena Jennings. She had waited all day just to wait for the reporters to leave, so she and Caleb Lockwood could proceed with the divorce. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, are you ying with me?¡± ¡°Grandpa is hospitalized.¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Because¡­of me?¡± The only response Caleb Lockwood gave her was a coldugh. Thisughter carried two meanings for Serena Jennings. One was to me her for making so much noise and agitating Grandpa. The other was to mock her for thinking too much of herself, being self-important. Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t tell which one it was. ¡°Anyway, you haven¡¯t been to work for several days, and you don¡¯t need toe in today either. I¡¯ll send Mr. Miller to pick you up, and we¡¯ll go see Grandpa together.¡± ¡°¡­Alright¡­¡± In the end, Serena Jennings agreed. She had no choice but to agree. 173 < 62 Chapter 62: Wrapping an Arm Around ire¡¯s Bare Back Even if she could disregard Caleb Lockwood¡¯s well-being, she couldn¡¯t disregard Grandpa¡¯s. Soon, Mr. Miller came to pick up Serena Jennings in the imperial blue Bentley. Serena Jennings got in the car and casually asked, ¡°No need to pick up Caleb Lockwood?¡± ¡°President Lockwood has someone to send him.¡± Mr. Miller¡¯s answer was vague, but a clear image appeared in Serena Jennings¡¯s mind. It should be ire Shaw! Driving the car, Mr. Miller nced at Serena Jennings and noticed her expression looked unpleasant, reflecting on whether he had spoken too much. Meanwhile, Caleb Lockwood was seated in a shy pink sports car. ire Shaw was driving, taking Caleb Lockwood to The Summit Springs Sanatorium. Lance Lockwood was hospitalized here for convalescence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood got out of the car, looking apologetically at ire Shaw. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s health isn¡¯t good, you know that, I can¡¯t bring you in.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­I know Grandpa doesn¡¯t like me¡­¡± ire Shaw lowered her head, forcing a bitter smile that was close to tears. ¡°ire¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Caleb, you don¡¯t need to feel guilty¡­I don¡¯t want you to have a falling out with Grandpa over me¡­¡­.just being by your side is enough for me¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s eyes reddened, her voice trembled, as she hugged Caleb Lockwood¡¯s waist. Caleb Lockwood remained silent for a moment, slowly reaching out to draw ire Shaw¡¯s exposed back. Beside the imperial blue Bentley, Serena Jennings stood quietly, as if she didn¡¯t exist. Mr. Miller got out of the car and saw Serena Jennings staring nkly ahead, puzzled, until he saw ire Shaw 7.7 < 62 Chapter 62: Wrapping an Arm Around ire¡¯s Bare Back intimately embracing Caleb Lockwood. His expression turned awkward, words of advising Serena Jennings not to watch lingered on his lips. At this moment, embracing ire Shaw, Caleb Lockwood turned his head, his dark eyes reflected Serena Jennings standing by the Bentley. Serena Jennings thought Caleb Lockwood, seeing here, would let go of ire Shaw. However, Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t. He remained motionless, arms still around ire Shaw, and his eyes did not even blink upon seeing her. Serena Jennings suddenly realized it was herself who was arrogant. Time seemed to stand still. At the entrance of The Summit Springs Sanatorium, four people stood still like immobile utility poles. Only when ire Shaw let go did Caleb Lockwood retract his arms. ire Shaw turned her head, pretending she had just noticed Serena Jennings, and walked over, holding Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hand. ¡°Serena, I¡¯m leaving Caleb to you. Don¡¯t forget to brew his medicine.¡±¡± Herment suggested Caleb Lockwood belonged to her; Serena Jennings remained silent. ire Shaw didn¡¯t mind, went back to the car, and took out arge bouquet of fresh flowers. ¡°These are a token of goodwill for Grandpa, Serena, could you help take them inside?¡± Serena Jennings did not take them. ¡°I¡¯m not a servant.¡± ire Shaw deliberately paused, awkwardly looked at Caleb Lockwood, Caleb Lockwood took the flowers. ¡°Grandpa will like them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, then I¡¯m leaving.¡± 1063 62 Chapter 62: Wrapping an Arm Around ire¡¯s Bare Back ire Shaw waved to Caleb Lockwood, reluctant to part. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t wave but kept his gaze on ire Shaw. ¡°Drive safe, text me when you get home.¡± ¡°Hmm, I will.¡± He watched ire Shaw get in the car and the pink sports car disappear at the road¡¯s end. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Caleb Lockwood finally spoke to Serena Jennings proactively, but the oversized bouquet blocked his face, making it impossible for Serena Jennings to see his expression. She followed Caleb Lockwood, stepping into the vi, sneezing multiple times due to the pollen. But Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t notice or ask. The scenery here was beautiful, the air was fresh, perfect for a vacation. As the sky darkened, the three-sided mountain-surrounded spa resort lit up, bing even more tranquil. Caleb Lockwood remained silent, seemingly with nothing to say to Serena Jennings. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, the matter of the divorce¡­¡± Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help but speak, seeing Caleb Lockwood move the bouquet blocking his face aside. This time, she finally saw Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression. Caleb Lockwood had naturally smiling lips, even when not smiling, his lips naturally curved upwards, giving a faint smile impression. Yet, at this moment, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s lips were drooping. This expression looked more like he was angry. ¡°If you don¡¯t want Grandpa to be infuriated to death, don¡¯t mention a word.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t heavy, and remained as indifferent andcking emotion as always. Serena Jennings knew very well what Caleb Lockwood meant by ¡°don¡¯t mention a word.¡± 18.6.3 4175 62 Chapter 62: Wrapping an Arm Around ire¡¯s Bare Back Divorce¡­ Today it wasn¡¯t happening. The civil affairs bureau had long closed. Serena Jennings sighed inwardly. Though it was hospitalization, the spa rehabilitation center wasn¡¯t a hospital, and the room Lance Lockwood stayed in bore no resemnce to a ward, but rather resembled a luxurious pce. In the room, both Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young were present. If it were usual times, neither of them would show Serena Jennings a good face. Especially Lilian Young. Either criticizing her for arriving toote or scolding her foring empty-handed. Yet this time, unexpectedly to Serena Jennings, Lilian Young didn¡¯t scold her, even proactively grabbed a chair, letting her sit by Grandpa¡¯s bedside. Arthur Lockwood also broke character, handing her a tissue considerately when she sneezed. Serena Jennings was astounded. Three years in marriage, such treatment had never urred, moreover before today, Arthur Lockwood had personally prepared her and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s divorce agreement. ¡°Grandpa, how do you feel?¡± Lance Lockwood immediately sat up upon hearing Serena Jennings had arrived. Serena Jennings observed Lance Lockwood, though weak, his spirits were fine, and gradually felt relieved. ¡°Serena¡­have you been wronged these days?¡± Serena Jennings didn¡¯t know if Lance Lockwood¡¯s ¡°wronged¡± referred to the baseless online insults, or Arthur Lockwood¡¯s demand that Caleb Lockwood divorce her. Perhaps, both. 1853 17 < 62 Chapter 62: Wrapping an Arm Around ire¡¯s Bare Back ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa is old, not dead!¡± While saying this, Serena Jennings distinctly noticed Lance Lockwood fiercely ring at his own son. Arthur Lockwood looked embarrassed. Therefore, surely the change in Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young¡¯s attitude towards her was due to the old man¡¯s pressure. Serena Jennings was grateful to Lance Lockwood for standing up for her, but presumed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s saying the marriage wouldn¡¯t end was due to this. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Lance Lockwood¡¯s kind voice disrupted Serena Jennings¡¯s stray thoughts. ¡°This time, the Lockwood Family owes you, request anypensation you wish for, even if it¡¯s the moon, Grandpa will find a way to give it to you.¡± Serena Jennings was amused by Lance Lockwood¡¯s earnestly pledged promise. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything, I don¡¯t needpensation¡­all I want is for you, Grandpa, to be healthy, stronger than anything.¡± ¡°You have the sweetest mouth, much better than that Caleb kid.¡± Lance Lockwoodughed with Serena Jennings, easing the formerly tense atmosphere in the room. ¡°However, someone went too far this time, even Grandpa couldn¡¯t bear it, you must bepensated, tell me, what do you want?¡± Realizing Lance Lockwood was serious, Serena Jennings¡¯s smile waned. ¡°I want¡­¡± Divorce. Raising her eyelids, she nced at Caleb Lockwood. 677 < Mding 63 63 Chapter 63: Resignation and Preparing for Pregnancy 63 Chapter 63: Resignation and Preparing for Pregnancy Caleb Lockwood was also watching her, his eyes filled with a tant warning towards her. Serena Jennings thought, if she brought up divorce in public right now, Lance Lockwood would definitely not refuse. Even if he didn¡¯t want to, he would respect her choice. But¡­ Serena couldn¡¯t say it. It wasn¡¯t because of Caleb¡¯s previous warnings to her. It was because Lance was currently hospitalized for recovery and couldn¡¯t handle too much stress. Lance had a weak heart, and his hospitalization this time was probably not because of her trending on social media. After all, Lance wasn¡¯t someone who often surfed the inte. He must have learned about Arthur Lockwood preparing a divorce agreement for her and Caleb, and was so upset that he ended up in the hospital. Serena couldn¡¯t agitate Grandpa any further. If something really happened to him because of her, she would regret it for the rest of her life. ¡°I want to¡­ resign.¡± Serena solemnly made her request. Beside her, Caleb¡¯s eyes flickered with emotion. ¡°Resigning is a great idea!¡± Lilian Young immediately pped in approval. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been working in the first ce. The Lockwood Family can certainly support you. After you quit, just like before, stay home and take care of the household¡­ You had a miscarriage because of your inexperience before, but be careful this time. Your health has recovered now, so it¡¯s time to prepare for a 18 53 child.¡± ¡°Your mother is right.¡± Arthur Lockwood echoed, ¡°Just in time for you to resign and stay home to prepare for a baby.¡± As Lilian and Arthur went back and forth, Serena listened silently, feeling like a freshly healed scar was being ripped open again. She realized that it seemed no one in the Lockwood Family knew Caleb intentionally caused her miscarriage back then. Actually, if she hadn¡¯t eavesdropped at the time, she wouldn¡¯t have known either. Moreover, Caleb not only deliberately ended their first child but did so in a way that made it difficult for her to conceive again. Without children, she would never be a mother, let alone the mistress of the Lockwood Family. Instead, she was just a diligent, hardworking nanny. Serena¡¯s hands, clenched behind her, trembled with fists. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m right, Caleb?¡± Lilian and Arthur, after speaking to themselves, finally remembered to ask Caleb¡¯s opinion. As for Serena¡¯s opinion, it was never needed. It had been like this for the past three years. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll try.¡± Caleb nodded calmly. Watching Caleb lie with a straight face, Serena felt a chill run through her chest. She could tell everyone that Caleb caused her miscarriage, making her unable to have children. But¡­ Given the situation now, what would be the point of saying it? If she revealed it now, Lance might not agree to the divorce. 12 54 216 63 Chapter 63: Resignation and Preparing for Pregnancy Because he would think she had been wronged by the Lockwoods. Even if just topensate her, he would keep her as the young mistress of the Lockwood Family permanently. Serena didn¡¯t want sympathy or pity anymore. The marriage would end someday. Separated for two years, the court would likely grant it. By then, Grandpa would have recovered, and she¡¯d have no more worries. ¡°My resignation¡­ is to leave the Lockwood Group¡­¡± The room suddenly fell silent, and all eyes focused on Serena. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go home. I want to find another job.¡± Hearing this, Lilian instantly became anxious. ¡°How can you¡­¡± Before she could finish, Arthur tugged at her sleeve, silently gesturing not to speak recklessly in front of the old man. Arthur had indeed nned for Caleb and Serena to divorce. As the Lockwood Family daughter-inw, Serena was quite unqualified. With the Lockwood Family¡¯s status, any marriage should be with someone of equal standing in high society. Just like he did back then. Besides, Caleb never really loved Serena. The marriage happened because the old man favored her; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed. Given Serena¡¯s family¡¯s circumstances, marrying into the Lockwood Family was quite a climb. If Serena had continued staying at home as a full-time housewife like before, managing the household, Arthur wouldn¡¯t have said much. 18:54 316 < 63 Chapter 63: Resignation and Preparing for Pregnancy But now Serena had changed, bing like an unruly rabbit stirring up trouble everywhere. Arthur¡¯s current thinking aligned with Lilian¡¯s; he favored ire more. However, ire wasn¡¯t quite suitable to be a wife, which they were also aware of. But she was definitely better than Serena, who had caused several negative headlines. For thepany¡¯s image, stock prices, and the Lockwood Family¡¯s reputation, Arthur was determined for Caleb and Serena to divorce. Caleb agreed as well. However, when news somehow reached Lance¡¯s ears, it angered him, causing a heart attack on the spot. The Lockwood Group was Lance¡¯s creation. While new industries were handled by Caleb, the older ones were under his management, with clients being friends Lance had made over the years. In that circle, the authority and foundation belonged more to Lance than the Lockwood Group. Lance made it clear that if they divorced because of him, he¡¯d take back all those industries, removing Caleb from his managerial position. ¡°Serena, you should think carefully. Working hard outside as a young woman can be very tough, and there¡¯s no need..¡± ¡°I support Serena.¡± Before Arthur could finish, Lance spoke up. ¡°Caleb, since Serena no longer wishes to work at the Lockwood Group, help her with the resignation procedures!¡± ¡°Understood, Grandpa. I¡¯ll have HR handle her resignation tomorrow.¡± Upon hearing Caleb¡¯s words, Serena felt a weight finally lift from her heart. At least she could take this chance to leave the Lockwood Group, without having to deal with ire¡¯s moods, listen to gossip, or watch Caleb and ire showing off their love. THI. AIG < 63 Chapter 63: Resignation and Preparing for Pregnancy +29 ¡°No need to rush¡­¡± Lance waved to Caleb, ¡°Serena¡¯s been through a lot. She should rx a bit. Caleb, don¡¯t go to thepany for the next couple of days, stay here at the hot spring vi with Serena. What do you think, Serena?¡± Serena wanted to refuse. Right now, being alone with Caleb wouldn¡¯t be rxing; her nerves were tenser than when she drew. But seeing her grandpa¡¯s hopeful gaze, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to decline. Just think of it as a vacation. ¡°Alright.¡± Serena agreed, seeing Lance breathe a sigh of relief. Lance likely still hoped to see her reconcile with Caleb. Hoping she would find something good in Caleb and change her mind about the divorce. Caleb certainly had good qualities. At least back in juvenile detention, he treated her well. So much so that she couldn¡¯t help but fall for him, deeper and deeper, unable to extricate herself. But now, Caleb¡¯s kindness was all for ire. Serena felt heavy-hearted. She still couldn¡¯t follow Lana Xavier¡¯s earlier advice to treat Caleb like a pleasant-looking duck, casually sleep with him, toss two hundred bucks, and walk away. It wasn¡¯t a bad deal. This hot spring vi covered a vast area, divided into four main zones: east, south, west, and north. Lance stayed in the eastern zone, having booked the entire area, so apart from staff, it was just him recuperating, along with Caleb and Serena. Arthur and Lilian went home. 18 54 < 63 Chapter 63: Resignation and Preparing for Pregnancy Serena followed Caleb into the ptial room. As soon as the door closed, she heard Caleb say to her: ¡°What else can you do, besides using Grandpa to seek benefits for yourself?¡± Mding 64 < 64 Chapter 64: Flesh Against Flesh 64 Chapter 64: Flesh Against Flesh Serena Jennings silently watched Caleb Lockwood. She was somewhat curious whether, in his eyes, she was just a woman who was mercenary and of little value. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression was as calm as a windlesske, giving no hint of anger at her request to resign. ¡°After you resign, do you n to go back to your sponsor?¡± Serena was stunned and countered: ¡°Who¡¯s my sponsor?¡± Caleb Lockwood smiled silently, as if saying: You know it in your heart. With that, Serena even if she wanted to exin, didn¡¯t know where to begin. In this room, there was a spacious ss sliding door, and once opened, outside was the private hot spring pool, surrounded by partitions made of bamboo, providing good privacy. Caleb Lockwood pulled off his tie, slid the door open, and the sound of crickets outside immediately became clear. ¡°I¡¯m going to soak in the hot spring. Want to join?¡± ¡°No.¡± Serena refused swiftly and decisively, Caleb just curled his lips indifferently, did not invite her again, nor did he force her. At this moment, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone on the entrance cab by the door rang. Serena was nearby and instinctively picked up the phone to hand it to Caleb. Turns out, she saw ire Shaw was calling Caleb Lockwood via video. Caleb was in no hurry, changed into swim trunks first, then took the phone, and casually soaked in the hot spring while video chatting with ire Shaw. 18:64 < 64 Chapter 64: Flesh Against Flesh Serena also changed into her swimsuit, but not to soak in the pool Caleb was in. Staying in the room would only mean listening to Caleb and ire Shaw chatting away, it might be better to be alone for a while, and possibly get some new design inspiration. Serena went outside. The night was deep and quiet. Through a grove of bamboo, arge hidden pool glimmered faintly. This pool was originally a public hot spring pool, but at this moment, the entire east area had been reserved by The Lockwood Family, so naturally, no one else was around. Serena entered the pool, soaking was veryfortable and alleviated the physical and mental exhaustion she had umted over time. But her mind couldn¡¯t quiet down. Since resignation was a certainty, she ought to n her next step ahead. Picking up her phone, she soaked in the hot spring while checking the angel investment group for suitable candidates. This group was rmended to her by Lana Xavier. She dropped out of university early and had littleworking in her alumni circle, relying only on Lana Xavier. After watching for a while, Serena felt a bit dizzy, and put her phone down. She didn¡¯t know when she had fainted, When she vaguely regained consciousness, Serena felt something pressing firmly against her chest. Like a hand. And her lips had a flesh-to-flesh contact sensation, as if kissing someone. Suddenly, Serena realized someone was taking advantage of her. Seizing the opportunity to touch her chest and kiss her lips. 18.54 < p! 64 Chapter 64: Flesh Against Flesh Serena reflexively gave the person a p, sat up, and saw Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face burning red close by. Caleb Lockwood coldly looked at her, somewhat disgruntled. ¡°You fainted in the pool.¡± He didn¡¯t offer any more exnation. Serena finally realized Caleb Lockwood must have been performing artificial respiration and CPR on her. Yet she thought Caleb was taking the chance to take advantage. Serena blushed and softly said: ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Why did you go so far away to soak? If I hadn¡¯t happened to show up, this ce is so secluded, even if you died inside no one would have found you.¡± Caleb¡¯s words were devoid of warmth, leaving Serena unable to discern whether Caleb was concerned about her. ¡°Because you were on the phone¡­¡± Serena started but then closed her mouth. She didn¡¯t want Caleb to misunderstand she was jealous of ire Shaw. As expected, Caleb chuckled. Serena opened her mouth, realizing any exnation would only make things worse, She stood up wanting to leave, but her leg gave way, instinctively supporting herself on Caleb, Her hand felt like it was stung by a scorpion, she withdrew it right after touching, Caleb¡¯s eyes darkened, lips coldly curled. He picked up Serena and carried her back to the room, letting Serena rest on the bed, and handed Serena a sports drink and a chocte. 10-FA < 64 Chapter 64: Flesh Against Flesh Serena dazedly epted these snacks from Caleb¡¯s hand. Married for three years, this seemed like the first time Caleb had shown such visible care and concern. Whether it was the hot spring or another reason, Serena felt her body warming up unexpectedly. ¡°Feeling better?¡± Caleb asked. Serena avoided Caleb¡¯s gaze. She felt Caleb¡¯s current gaze was unexpectedly gentle. She wasn¡¯t quite ustomed. ¡°Mm, much better.¡± Serena finished speaking, only to see Caleb pick up his phone and video call ire Shaw again. ire in the video asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly hang up earlier?¡± Caleb replied, ¡°Nothing much, saved a stray cat that fell into the water.¡± As he spoke, he left the room without looking at Serena again. Serenay on the bed, her body that had warmed up turned cold again. Lance Lockwood originally hoped Serena and Caleb would stay here longer, actually wanting to give them a chance to develop their rtionship. He knew Serena was deeply in love with Caleb Lockwood. However, Serena was insistent on leaving, he couldn¡¯t forcefully keep her. After leaving the hot spring vi, Serena went to The Lockwood Group to handle her resignation process. The HR department followed the regr resignation procedures, including an HR interview and financial settlement, which wouldn¡¯t take many days. However, for the work handover, ire insisted she must continue until the end of the month. Serena didn¡¯t understand why ire wanted to keep her, her early resignation would mean fewer entanglements with Caleb Lockwood. 19 54 110 < 64 Chapter 64: Flesh Against Flesh But on the other hand, she was in the design department, not like before as Caleb¡¯s secretary, in thepany she didn¡¯t intersect with Caleb much, far less than ire. ire might have wanted her to work a few more days, to see Caleb and disy their romance. Weekend. The design department was having a department gathering, throwing a party. Serena hadn¡¯t officially resigned yet and was required by ire to attend. The location for the party was familiar to Serena, none other than The Jade Pavilion- Serena and Caleb¡¯s former marital home. Where ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood now lived together. Upon seeing ire post the address of The Jade Pavilion in the department group, Serena finally understood why ire had been so attentive these past few days. This party was only for the design department, a benefit granted by Caleb for ire¡¯s sake. Serena didn¡¯t want to offend ire while on the verge of resignation, any issues arising might affect her resignation. Hence, she timed her arrival at The Jade Pavilion. ¡°Everyone¡¯s waiting for you,e in!¡± ire Shaw warmly opened the door for her, like thedy of the house. Serena sighed inwardly, bracing herself as she walked in, A room filled with the scent of flowers greeted her. All her favorite pink roses. The curtains, sofas, and tableware, all her favorite pink. Compared to thest time she came, the ce felt even more unfamiliar. Colleagues from the design department were either ying games, singing, eating snacks, or on their phones 18.5-4 < 64 Chapter 64: Flesh Against Flesh Really, no one was actually waiting for her. Serena wanted to find a quiet corner to be alone, almost bumping into someone. The person was walking out of the kitchen, carrying freshly made fried fillet, wearing an apron. Serena froze. < Mding 65 65 Chapter 65: Homewrecker Specialist 65 Chapter 65: Homewrecker Specialist This was the first time she saw Caleb Lockwood wearing an apron. Whether it was when they were young and depended on each other in the juvenile detention center, orter when he courted her at the university gate, in Serena Jennings¡¯ memory, Caleb was someone who had nothing to do with the kitchen. In their three years of marriage, Caleb never once cooked. In fact, if it weren¡¯t for thest time she saw him and ire Shaw in the supermarket by chance, Serena wouldn¡¯t have known Caleb could cook. Serena couldn¡¯t help but sized Caleb up. The apron wasn¡¯t pink but deep blue, made of canvas, thick and wide, not very new- Clearly specially prepared for Caleb. This suggested that Caleb was the one who usually cooked, rather than deliberately putting on a show for this party. Serena couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint what was bothering her, but the ufortable feeling was definite. ¡°Serena, you haven¡¯t tasted Caleb¡¯s cooking yet, have you? Try it, it¡¯s very tasty.¡± ire walked over, pretending to hand Serena a pair of chopsticks. Serena didn¡¯t take them. ¡°Serena, you¡¯re about to resign, but ire still specially invited you here, you better not be ungrateful!¡± Christine Warren shouted from behind. Originally, she wasn¡¯t qualified to attend this party held by the design department, but she came to join the fun because of her good rtionship with ire. Serena took the chopsticks and picked up a piece of deep-fried pork, The deep-fried pork was delicious, not much inferior to her cooking, 16.54 < 65 Chapter 65: Homewrecker Specialist However, she didn¡¯t like eating it. Seeing Serena frown, ire deliberately asked, ¡°What, is it not tasty? Maybe I¡¯m just used to eating dishes cooked by Caleb.¡± Seeing ire lean her head happily on Caleb¡¯s shoulder, the deep-fried pork in Serena¡¯s mouth became even more tasteless. This party was specially requested by ire from Caleb. The previous trending topic made too many people in thepany mistakenly think she was the third party in Caleb and Serena¡¯s marriage. But ire never considered herself the third party. She was the one who first met Caleb. She was Caleb¡¯s first love too. If it weren¡¯t for her insistence on going abroad, if Caleb wasn¡¯t trying to get back at her, would it have ever been Serena¡¯s turn? From the beginning to the end, Serena was just a part of the game between her and Caleb. Now she is back home, back by Caleb¡¯s side. Even if Caleb hasn¡¯t divorced, what does a marriage certificate prove anyway! Caleb has never admitted Serena¡¯s status outside. ire believes she understands Caleb quite well. She dumped Caleb back then, so now that she turns back, Caleb still hasn¡¯t agreed to marry her. Likewise, Serena has proposed a divorce, intending to retreat in order to advance, naturally Caleb won¡¯t let Serena off easily. ire is eager to see who willst between them. ¡°Speaking of which, I got a shock when I saw the wedding photo of President Lockwood and Serena online. I really thought you two got married!¡± 18 54 976 < 65 Chapter 65: Homewrecker Specialist A colleague, a bit tipsy from the rxed party atmosphere and Caleb¡¯s unusual appearance as a homemaker in an apron, recklessly blurted out. In an instant, the spacious house fell silent. Everyone was petrified. The atmosphere was so awkward that the employee¡¯s alcohol sobered up considerably. Caleb remained silent, and ire didn¡¯t say anything either. Only Serena endured all the curious gazes from everyone present. After a while, they heard Serena speak up: ¡°No¡­ that photo isn¡¯t real¡­¡± ire secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She knew Serena would never have the courage to admit the wedding photo was real. Caleb slightly lifted his gaze. When her eyes met Caleb¡¯s, Serena took a deep breath and confidently lied, ¡°I¡¯m unmarried, but I have a boyfriend.¡± Upon hearing this, colleagues expressed disbelief in the online rumors. ¡°Then call your boyfriend over to join the fun!¡± Suddenly hearing Caleb say this, Serena widened her eyes. Caleb¡¯s charming smile twitched slightly as he looked at Serena and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, is there some inconvenience?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Before Serena could speak, Christine immediately egged on from behind. ¡°Yeah, yeah, call him over! We have so many people here, won¡¯t make a difference with one more.¡± Serena helplessly lowered her gaze. 18:55 376 65 Chapter 65: Homewrecker Specialist She imed to have a boyfriend to quell thepany¡¯s rumors about her and Caleb, not expecting to have shot herself in the foot. ¡°Serena, you don¡¯t really not have a boyfriend, do you?¡± Christine couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Then could it be as the rumors say, that you¡¯re specializing in being a mistress?¡± A few peopleughed along with Christine. Serena nced at Caleb, seeing him nonchntly carry the deep-fried pork to the dining table, as if her being misunderstood as a mistress had nothing to do with him. ¡°Serena, actually¡­ you don¡¯t need to pretend so hard.¡± ire tried tofortingly pat Serena¡¯s shoulder, but Serena dodged away. ¡°ire, why bother with her?¡± Christine walked over and pulled ire to her side, ¡°You, you¡¯re too kind, there¡¯s really no need to give her a way out.¡± Everyone was watching Serena, waiting for her to embarrass herself, including Caleb. Serena¡¯s face turned grim as she took out her phone and sent a WeChat to someone. ¡°Oh oh oh, there really is a boyfriend, isn¡¯t he hired temporarily!¡± Christineughed and bent over backwards. Ten minutester, the doorbell rang. Serena opened the door, and a man walked in. In the previous moment filled with mockery, the house instantly quieted down. Caleb saw Peter, and his eyes showed no surprise. But the others were not soposed. ¡°Hey hey, isn¡¯t this person one of the founders of FY, the current Executive Director¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I think he¡¯s called Peter.¡± ¡°Is he really Director Peter? I¡¯ve admired him for a long time.¡± ¡°How could¡­ is he Serena¡¯s boyfriend?¡± L 18.65 < 65 Chapter 65: Homewrecker Specialist Most employees in Lockwood¡¯s design department had heard of Peter, some had even seen Peter in person. ¡°Hello everyone, I am Serena¡¯s boyfriend, you can just call me Peter.¡± Peter introduced himself openly, raising his hand to hug Serena¡¯s shoulder. Peter¡¯s smile was natural, his demeanor casual. But beneath Peter¡¯s embrace, Serena appeared somewhat unnatural. She WeChated Peter asking him to help by pretending to be her boyfriend, but didn¡¯t expect Peter to be so into the act. Caleb¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, yet his gaze was like sharpening a knife, focused on Peter¡¯s hand. Noticing Caleb¡¯s change in gaze, ire feigned surprise, asking Serena, ¡°Serena, so your boyfriend is Director Peter! You¡¯re really not being a friend, why didn¡¯t you say anything back when we were both in FY! No wonder you got promoted within two months of joining thepany.¡± Upon hearing this, the others started whispering. Serena knew ire couldn¡¯t say anything nice. ¡°FY has a fixed promotion system; one must meet performance conditions to get promoted, even I, as an executive director, can¡¯t randomly promote anyone who doesn¡¯t meet the criteria, even if it¡¯s the chairman; since you worked at FY, howe you don¡¯t know this? Or are you trying to spread rumors about FY in front of me, an FY director, expecting me to sit idly by?¡± Unexpectedly, Peter confronted ire under everyone¡¯s gaze, making ire awkwardly lower her head and hide behind Caleb. Caleb stepped forward. ¡°Today is a party, everyone is here to have fun, why bring up business matters, Director Peter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unclear who first brought up the business.¡± ¡°So are you suggesting ire needs to apologize before you let it go, Director Peter?¡± ¡°I just hope President Lockwood is reasonable and doesn¡¯t be too hypocritical.¡± 18:55 65 Chapter 65: Homewrecker Specialist The living room fell silent again; others didn¡¯t dare to breathe heavily. Serena watched Peter confronting Caleb and was quite surprised. < Mding 66 66 Chapter 66: Exposing Her Lies 66 Chapter 66: Exposing Her Lies She wasn¡¯t very familiar with Peter, but she¡¯d known him for some years. 1 In her mind, Peter had always been affable, with an elegant demeanor, rarely showing anger. But Serena quickly realized that Peter was acting. To appear like her boyfriend, he was deliberately trying to protect her. And Caleb Lockwood¡­ Wasn¡¯t acting. Caleb genuinely protected ire Shaw. The originally fun party atmosphere became intense and confrontational. Caleb Lockwood and Peter faced off for a while, before Caleb chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m just that much of a hypocrite.¡± His words were subtle, but everyone understood the implication: So what could you do to me about it? Indeed, Peter couldn¡¯t do anything against Caleb Lockwood. Especially since¡­ the matters between Serena and Caleb Lockwood were essentially private affairs; he had no right to intervene. ¡°You guys carry on, I¡¯ll take my girlfriend away first; the floral scent here is too strong and she¡¯s allergic to pollen.¡± Of course, when Peter said ¡°girlfriend,¡± he was referring to Serena. Serena saw Caleb Lockwood curl his lips coldly. The smile was something she understood. Caleb thought Peter was just finding an excuse to take her away first. 18:55 66 Chapter 66: Exposing Her Lies Little did Caleb know¡­ She really was allergic to pollen. Caleb didn¡¯t stop them, and neither did ire Shaw. Her intention for hosting this party was simply to let her colleagues witness firsthand how Caleb Lockwood treated her. And how he treated Serena. To wash away thebel of being a third party in the affair. She believed that after today, thepany would be rife with rumors about Caleb Lockwood living with her, even cooking for her personally. Peter left The Jade Pavilion with Serena, but before they even got out of the neighborhood, Caleb Lockwood surprisingly chased after them. Without his apron and despite not wearing a suit jacket, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s presence was strong and undeniable. ¡°President Lockwood, do you still have something to discuss?¡± Peter asked. Caleb nced at Serena¡¯s shoulder. Peter¡¯s arm was still around her shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s no one else around, so I just want to remind you-she¡¯s a married woman; mind your hands.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone was calm, yet it made Peter¡¯s hand suddenly awkward. ¡°Why not remind her in public?¡± Caleb smiled lightly, ¡°It¡¯s Serena herself who ims she¡¯s unmarried; I¡¯m simply reluctant to expose her lie.¡± ¡°And what about you, President Lockwood?¡± Peter asked solemnly, with a hint of reproach, ¡°Do you consider yourself married or unmarried?¡± Caleb nced at Serena but didn¡¯t reply. Inside the house, the party continued, but people¡¯s focus had shifted away from food and entertainment. 18.55 216 < 66 Chapter 66: Exposing Her Lies ¡°I mean¡­ why did President Lockwood chase after them?¡± ¡°Exactly, Peter isn¡¯t Serena¡¯s boyfriend, right? So why is President Lockwood¡­¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s something fishy here.¡± ¡°Shh, keep it down.¡± Several colleagues gathered in small groups, whispering quietly. Their voices were low, but ire could hear them. She was distributing snacks to everyone, acting nonchnt, yet her heart felt restless. Why did Caleb Lockwood leave? Did he chase after Serena? ire didn¡¯t believe it. If Caleb Lockwood truly had feelings for Serena, he wouldn¡¯t be indifferent to Peter¡¯s presence. Moreover, in front of the department colleagues, Caleb didn¡¯t show any bias towards Serena. ire gradually rxed her inner conflict and regained her confidence. Soon enough, Caleb Lockwood returned, empty-handed. ¡°Caleb, didn¡¯t I ask you to buy soy sauce?¡± ire pouted. Caleb hesitated briefly, then a remorseful smile appeared on his face, ¡°Sorry, I forgot. I¡¯ll go get it now.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll just order delivery!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After hearing ire and Caleb¡¯s exchange, those who initially thought Caleb left to chase after Serena began to question again internally, Serena got into Peter¡¯s car. As soon as she got in, she first thanked and then apologized. 1066 < 66 Chapter 66: Exposing Her Lies She hadn¡¯t intended to involve Peter, but the situation reached a point where she needed a fake boyfriend, so she had to trouble Peter. ¡°No need to be so polite,¡± Peter waved his hand with a smile at Serena, ¡°Pretending to be a beautiful woman¡¯s boyfriend is a win for me!¡± Serena chuckled silently. Peter started the car, saying, ¡°If you ever need anything, feel free to reach out anytime.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing this for free; I have conditions.¡± Peter turned to Serena, noting her confused expression but no sign of caution. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll ask for something difficult, like offering yourself?¡± Serenaughed even harder. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Even though Serena wasplimenting Peter, he couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly and sigh internally. ¡°Serena,e back to work! I know you¡¯ve resigned;e back to FY, I can offer you a better future.¡± Peter spoke these words without looking at Serena. He was staring ahead, focused on driving. But his tone was serious enough that Serena would consider it a formal job offer. Of course, there was another underlying message in his words, which Serena couldn¡¯t grasp just yet. The car plunged into brief silence. ¡°Thank you, Peter¡± Serena¡¯s opening wasn¡¯t promising for Peter. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry; though I appreciate your good intentions, I have my own ns.¡± ¡°Oh? Even I can¡¯t know?¡± 1060 < 66 Chapter 66: Exposing Her Lies Peter was curious, but now wasn¡¯t the right time. ¡°Once I finalize my ns and everything¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The car drove into the old neighborhood of Vornath Street. Serena assumed Peter would leave after dropping her off downstairs, but Peter followed her upstairs. She was a bit embarrassed, feeling that Peter was too deep into his role as her boyfriend. ¡°You should go back early; thank you so much for today.¡± Standing at the door, Serena said goodbye to Peter. ¡°No trouble at all; if you need me, I¡¯ll be there anytime.¡± Before leaving, Peter pulled something out from his suit pocket. ¡°By the way, this is a gift for you to congratte your resignation.¡± Before Serena could take the item, Peter uncharacteristically stuffed it directly into her hands. ¡°This isn¡¯t apany sample; although I designed it, I paid for it, and I think you¡¯ll like it.¡± Peter said with a smile and then turned to leave. Serena closed the door, standing there, feeling inexplicably stirred. She opened the gift from Peter. Inside the jewelry box was a brooch. Set with rubies and diamonds, it sparkled brilliantly. Downstairs, inside a ck Passat. Mr. Miller finally saw Petere downstairs and get into the car. President Lockwood, Peter has left Miss Jennings¡¯ house. He sent the above message to Caleb Lockwood. The Jade Pavilion. 18.56 66 Chapter 66: Exposing Her Lies Caleb received Mr. Miller¡¯s message on WeChat, calm as usual. He saw ire reaching for the crab, so he graciously handed one to her. Just then, Mr. Miller sent another message: President Lockwood, Miss Jennings has nowe downstairs, changed outfits, and hailed a cab. I don¡¯t know where she¡¯s heading. Caleb¡¯s attention was all on his cellphone, even failing to notice when the crab¡¯s sharp shell pricked ire¡¯s hand. ire¡¯s hand was bleeding, but with so many colleagues watching, she couldn¡¯t show pain, only praise Caleb¡¯s thoughtfulness. In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly. Serena¡¯s taxi stopped in front of Blue Dream Bay. < Mding 67 67 Chapter 67: She Didn¡¯t Suspect Me, Did She? 67 Chapter 67: She Didn¡¯t Suspect Me, Did She? This is a private club. (1 Serena Jennings fixed her appearance. She changed into a ck professional outfit, feeling a bit like a college student going for an interview, and indeed, her mood was quite simr to that. In fact, Serena had some psychological shadows regarding clubs. Because it was in a club before that she got herself into trouble with Dn Quinn, causing herself considerable problems. This time, Serena was here to meet an angel investor. She had wanted to leave the Lockwood Group for a long time, but she never thought about going back to FY. She decided to start her own jewelry design studio and create her own brand. When it came to design, Serena considered herself somewhat seasoned, but being a boss was her first time. Regarding money, she had a bit, but long-term investment in a jewelry brand made her funds seem like a drop in the ocean. Not to mention, she had huge medical bills to pay. From the group of angel investors that Lana Xavier introduced her to, she contacted a few suitable candidates, but they showed little interest in her and her project. Serena understood that the beginning of everything is difficult and had mentally prepared herself for it. However, luck still favored her. Holding a briefcase, Serena found the designated room. This Blue Dream Bay was very different from Modern Times. Although called a club, its interior decoration and atmospherecked any sense of entertainment, filled instead with a strong business vibe. No drunkards like Dn Quinn openly flirting with women in the corridors either. 18.56 12175 < 67 Chapter 67: She Didn¡¯t Suspect Me, Did She? Serena felt slightly relieved. Initially, she wanted to meet at a restaurant, but the other party mentioned the risk of confidential information leakage with the n, so they came here instead. After knocking on the door, Serena entered the room, and the other party was already waiting inside. This angel investor¡¯s surname was Lee, and he wasn¡¯t in the group that Lana Xavier introduced her to, but he took the initiative to find her. Serena didn¡¯t believe in such windfalls and probed several times, but the other party¡¯s performance exceeded her expectations and was knowledgeable. This investor Lee had also invested in several emerging designers before. He was quite familiar with luxury goods and enthusiastic about achieving a win-win with young and innovative entrepreneurs. Serena talked with him for almost five hours, and he expressed interest in her brand positioning and development ns but said he needed to think carefully about the investment amount. The two left Blue Dream Bay together, and he offered to give Serena a ride home, which she declined. Serena took a taxi home, while Lee drove to the CBD of City A. The CBD at night, with its towering buildings, was brightly lit, giving an impression of a steel forest with its Among them, the 120-story Nash Group Tower stood out. Matthew Lowell clocked in and entered, taking the elevator to the general manager¡¯s office. ¡°President Nash, I¡¯vepleted everything you instructed.¡± Justin Nash stood by the window, back straight, gazing at the dazzling night scene of the CBD. ¡°She didn¡¯t suspect it was me behind it, did she?¡± Justin Nash asked softly. Matthew Lowell thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Probably not¡­ I felt I didn¡¯t show any ws. Given that the Nash Group has its own venture capitalpany and the resume I showed Miss Jennings is real, she wouldn¡¯t suspect I was sent by you, President Nash, to help her.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± 10:C6 < 67 Chapter 67: She Didn¡¯t Suspect Me, Did She? Justin Nash breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt a bit blocked in his heart. Serena didn¡¯t suspect it was him secretly helping, perhaps not only because Matthew Lowell acted naturally, but also because she had long forgotten about him! Upon hearing Justin Nash emit an exasperated sigh, Matthew Lowell asked, ¡°President Nash?¡± Justin Nash turned around to face Matthew Lowell. Even though he was significantly younger than Matthew Lowell, dressed in a custom-made high-end suit with slicked-back hair at the moment, he looked much more mature, giving off amanding presence. ¡°You did well. From now on, assist Serena in her entrepreneurship as an angel investor; that will be your task for now. Do it well and you won¡¯t miss out on the performance bonus.¡± ¡°Thank you, President Nash.¡± With everything arranged, Justin Nash was left alone in the office once more. He took a nce at his phone, where his mother had sent him a photo on WeChat. Serena was in an exceptionally good mood today. The resignation process at the Lockwood Group finallypleted, and now she was free. Although her marriage wasn¡¯t free yet, having freedom in work was better than having nothing free at all. Investor Lee contacted her to say the first round could invest thirty million, with the condition that Serena¡¯s unique brand must qualify to participate in this year¡¯s LD Jewelry Fashion Week. Serena readily agreed, dispelling her initial doubts about Matthew Lowell. If Matthew Lowell, as an investor who approached her proactively, had no demands, then that would truly mean he had other intentions. At the BMW 4S dealership, Serena was car shopping. Now with her own studio, not having her own car was truly inconvenient, so Serena decided to buy one. She originally scheduled to look at cars with Lana Xavier, but just after browsing two dealerships, Lana received a call from work and had to leave. 316 < 67 Chapter 67: She Didn¡¯t Suspect Me, Did She? Serena continued to shop alone, not expecting to run into ire Shaw at the BMW 4S dealership. ire Shaw, naturally, was not alone. Serena initially thought the person apanying ire Shaw would surely be Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Sister-inw, what are you looking at?¡± Patrick Rhodes followed ire Shaw¡¯s line of sight and only then noticed Serena. Serena was surprised to see Patrick Rhodes apanying ire Shaw to buy a car, even more so when Patrick Rhodes saw her and his eyes widened even more than hers. ¡°You¡¯re here to buy a car?¡± Patrick Rhodes strode over to Serena, ¡°Can you afford it?¡± Then he waved his hand, ¡°No, wait, can you even drive?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t be bothered with Patrick Rhodes and turned to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t go, I¡¯m talking to you! Does Brother Lockwood know you¡¯re buying a car on your own?¡± Just as Patrick Rhodes was about to grab Serena¡¯s arm, ire Shaw held him back. Patrick Rhodes blushed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°Patrick, don¡¯t tell Caleb about this. Serena¡¯s worked hard for the Lockwood Family for so many years, it¡¯s understandable that she wants to spend some money now.¡± ¡°Sister-inw, you¡¯re too kind. It¡¯s Brother Lockwood who works hard to earn money, so what does she have?¡± From Patrick Rhodes¡¯ words, Serena deduced that Caleb Lockwood must have had work today, which was why he couldn¡¯t apany ire Shaw. Not wanting to argue with someone like Patrick Rhodes, Serena continued to look at cars and quickly settled on a white BMW 3 Series. It¡¯s fairly standard, not too shy, and suitable for a fledgling personal studio designer as it wouldn¡¯t be underestimated during business talks. On ire Shaw¡¯s side, she¡¯d also finished choosing her car-a newest limited edition soft-top convertible < 67 Chapter 67: She Didn¡¯t Suspect Me, Did She? coupe with custom metallic pink paint. Just after Serena finished paying, she heard ire Shaw calling Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Caleb, I finally chose this one. I think it suits me pretty well, how about you?¡± ¡°No need to save money for me, as long as you like it.¡± ire Shaw¡¯s face beamed with happiness. Serena noticed that ire Shaw deliberately nced her way. < Mding 68 68 Chapter 68: Racing Goddess Chloe Linton 68 Chapter 68: Racing Goddess Chloe Linton For Caleb Lockwood, a BMW sports car worth a few million is really no big deal. Serena Jennings also didn¡¯t mind Caleb Lockwood spending money on ire. After all, the pink diamond ne Caleb gave ire, one of the ten worldwide limited editions by FY, wasn¡¯t cheaper than this sports car. Serena¡¯s attention was wholly on ire, who was on the phone with Caleb Lockwood, and she didn¡¯t notice when Patrick Rhodes appeared beside her. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re really showing off, getting a BBA!¡± Patrick Rhodes scoffed at Serena, who had already signed the car purchase contract. Serena nced up at Patrick Rhodes. ¡°Did I spend your money? So obnoxious.¡± Patrick Rhodes crossed his arms,ughing in anger. In his impression, Serena was always meek and submissive. ¡°What, just because you started working you think you¡¯re not a housewife anymore? With what you earn, you might not even afford a BMW¡¯s run-t tire!¡± Serena stood up, not angry but smiling, ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m not a woman who spends someone else¡¯s husband¡¯s money to buy herself a sports car.¡± Over there, ire was signing a purchase contract with the shop assistant. Upon hearing Serena¡¯s words, the assistant gave ire a strange look. ire¡¯s once triumphant smile became awkward, ¡°Serena, you¡¯re too much, it¡¯s you who¡¯s actually the intruder!¡± ¡°Patrick Rhodes, you¡¯re also going overboard. Haven¡¯t you sobered up from thest time I sshed wine on you?¡± Mentioning the wine incident made Patrick even more furious. 18.66 416 < 68 Chapter 68: Racing Goddess Chloe Linton Because of that wine, he was mocked by Zachary Aldrin and his group the whole evening. The 4S shop had existing stock of the three series, and Serena took home the car on the same day with a temporary license te. Sitting in the car, she suddenly noticed a vehicle modification shop not far away. Tonight, City A¡¯s international racetrack was buzzing with noise. In the audience seats, Caleb Lockwood sat with ire and Patrick Rhodes. Originally, he wasn¡¯t very interested in racing, but Patrick Rhodes loved it, and tonight¡¯s event was something Patrick had nned long ago, inviting him and ire to watch. ¡°Brother Lockwood, can¡¯t you change your outfit? That suit is really out of ce here.¡± Criticized by Patrick, Caleb Lockwood furrowed his brows, ¡°I just finished work and came here to apany you. Be content!¡± ¡°Come on, really? You¡¯re here for a romantic time with her, I know it.¡± Patrick waved him off. you leave?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you Being retorted by Caleb made Patrick pout, ¡°I paid for tonight¡¯s tickets, can¡¯t you be a bit gentler with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already gentle enough, haven¡¯t I asked for your opinions?¡± ¡°Brother Lockwood¡­¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t help butugh. ire smiled blissfully sitting between the two. The feeling was¡­ Like being back in high school. At that time, Caleb Lockwood and Patrick Rhodes often bickered. It was more Caleb bullying Patrick than mutual teasing. And she, as Caleb¡¯s girlfriend, often sat in between them, amused toughter. Back then, Caleb was even more doting on her¡­ 12.56 < 68 Chapter 68: Racing Goddess Chloe Linton ire felt¡­ This is how it should be now. To her left was Caleb Lockwood, who loved her deeply. To her right was Patrick Rhodes, who considered everything for her. And she¡­ Was their center. Was the focus. Was adored by all. Was the heartthrob. It seemed nothing had changed. ire happily rested her head on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s shoulder. Compared to before, the only difference¡­ Was the addition of Serena Jennings. The PY Cup officially kicked off, with the host animatedly announcing to all the audience present: ¡°Tonight, the audience is in luck! We have a new contestant joining in. Can you guess what big shot has earned such a special privilege topete? Who could it be?¡± The host raised the microphone. ¡°Who could it be?¡± The atmosphere in the venue was gradually being stirred up by the host. ¡°Quickly, say who!¡± Patrick was overly anxious. Even ire was piqued by curiosity. 68 Chapter 68: Racing Goddess Chloe Linton Only Caleb Lockwood remained unfazed.- Whoever it was didn¡¯t concern him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give everyone a hint¡­¡± The host retracted the microphone. ¡°This racer¡­ is a female.¡± The PY Cup is a personal event, with no restrictions on gender, only focusing on drifting skills and speed. Thus, the host¡¯s clue was still too broad. ¡°This female racer¡­ debuted in the racing world at 14 years old and clinched the JS Cup championship on her first try with an astonishing performance¡­¡± With more precise details from the host, Patrick¡¯s expression became more and more shocked. ¡°No way, really¡­¡± ¡°Three years ago, on DDS track day, she broke the Drift Prince¡¯s highest record with a time of 1 minute 14.887 seconds¡­ That¡¯s right, after three years, our racing goddess Chloe Linton is back!¡± The entire venue was in an uproar. ¡°Oh, oh, oh! Chloe! It¡¯s really Chloe!¡± Seeing Patrick so thrilled, ire was a bit displeased. She didn¡¯t really like seeing other women in the limelight. ¡°Just like you¡­ both have ¡®Chloe¡¯ in their names!¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s calm voice made ire¡¯s heart skip a beat. If there was any part of her life where she was most fortunate¡­ It was having the surname Chloe. ¡°Yes, Chloe as a surname or a first name is quitemon.¡± ire finished speaking only to see Caleb Lockwood shake his head. 10-56 < 68 Chapter 68: Racing Goddess Chloe Linton ¡°No¡­ Yours is special.¡± Caleb¡¯s words were tender, akin to a love confession, but ire didn¡¯t feel sweetness in her heart. ¡°Tonight, Chloe Linton is making her debut at our City A PY Cup; let¡¯s see what surprises she brings after three years. Let¡¯s stay tuned!¡± After introducing Chloe Linton, the host started introducing otherpetitive contestants. However, on the audience seats, discussions about Chloe Linton remained prominent. Patrick couldn¡¯t find a shared racing topic with Caleb Lockwood and ire, so he started chatting with the nearby car enthusiasts. ¡°So you definitely came to watch the race tonight, just for Chloe Linton?¡± ire asked. Patrick gestured, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know she waspeting.¡± ¡°Then why are you so excited?¡± ¡°When I started watching racing, she had already retired, but her legend continued to spread. So I really want to see how beautiful she is.¡± Patrick¡¯sment made Caleb Lockwood show a hint of disdain, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be looking at her racing skills?¡± ¡°Ah, right, right.¡± Patrick grinned. Caleb Lockwood sighed. The race was about to start, and ire suddenly noticed that Chloe Linton¡¯s car was exactly the same as the one Serena bought today. Both being white BMW three-series. ire herself doesn¡¯t race but has some knowledge. For instance, the BMW three-series is rear-wheel drive, and can be modified to participate in drift races. So, it¡¯smon to see this type of car on a racetrack. Being identical to Serena¡¯s purchase must be coincidental. 16.56 ALPR < 68 Chapter 68: Racing Goddess Chloe Linton But¡­ ire furrowed her brows. The white BMW three-series of racing goddess Chloe Linton was also a brand-new car. Since it had a temporary license te affixed. < Mding 69 69 Chapter 69: What Does She Look Like 69 Chapter 69: What Does She Look Like Three years after shest entered a racingpetition, Serena Jennings originally thought she could just get a ranking and earn the lowest tier of prize money. 1 This was also her initial intention for participating in this race. Unexpectedly, she won the championship again and broke the record. The cheers from the audience were explosive. Even Caleb Lockwood, who had little interest in racing, couldn¡¯t help butment: ¡°The driving skills are not bad.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®not bad¡¯? That¡¯s exceptionally brilliant! Transcendent!¡± Patrick Rhodes excitedly spat, spraying ire Shaw¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve decided!¡± Patrick Rhodes pped his palms together, and said earnestly to Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw: ¡°From now on, this racing goddess Chloe Linton is my idol!¡± Caleb Lockwood shrugged, ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen what she looks like yet. What if she¡¯s a monster¡­¡± ¡°She would still be my idol.¡± Patrick Rhodes patted his chest, righteously dering, ¡°There are plenty of big- breasted, brainless women, but I, Patrick Rhodes, am not that vulgar. Just based on Chloe Linton¡¯s skills and courage¡­ Even if she¡¯s covered in e, I¡¯d still like her!¡± Caleb Lockwood merely listened to Patrick Rhodes¡¯ words. However, Patrick Rhodes wasn¡¯t wrong in praising Chloe Linton¡¯s skills and courage. The track is highly challenging in drift races, with two turns being particrly dangerous if speed isn¡¯t reduced. Other drivers are somewhat fearful. Only Chloe Linton is willing to risk her life to execute extreme drift turns. The most impressive part is that she seeded. 1079 A < 69 Chapter 69: What Does She Look Like Everyone present was awestruck by her daring courage and fine driving skills. This was the first time Caleb Lockwood was curious about a woman¡¯s appearance. He wanted to know what Chloe Linton, the racing goddess who returned after three years and immediately won the championship, looked like. ¡°Here ites, the awards ceremony is here, I¡¯m finally going to see what my goddess looks like.¡± Patrick Rhodes was as nervous as if he were going on a blind date. Next to him, ire Shaw also craned her neck. Three racers came to the podium, but one did not remove their helmet. It was Chloe Linton. Chloe Linton wore a tight-fitting pure ck racing suit, giving a stable yet cool impression. Yet her slender, curvy figure added a hint of alluring sexiness to her cool demeanor. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t my goddess show her face? Is she too gorgeous?¡± Even though he hadn¡¯t seen Chloe Linton¡¯s face, Patrick Rhodes already imagined her as a stunning beauty. ¡°Hopefully, she¡¯s not too ugly!¡± ire Shaw joked, truly hoping that was the case in her heart. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s deep gaze followed Chloe Linton¡¯s figure. Judging by her figure alone, he thought Chloe Linton shouldn¡¯t be unattractive. Chloe Linton¡¯s tall and full figure reminded him of Serena Jennings, Even upon stepping onto the champion¡¯s podium, Serena Jennings did not remove her helmet. This was a pre-arranged request she made to the organizers, who agreed, Not that she wanted to be mysterious, as she had shown her face normally when she first participated in races at the age of 14. Back then, she was Chloe Linton. And now, she had be Serena Jennings. < 69 Chapter 69: What Does She Look Like The cheers in the venue rose wave after wave. Yet until the awards ceremony ended, Chloe Linton didn¡¯t reveal herself, leaving Patrick Rhodes inevitably disappointed. ¡°The design on her helmet¡­ Is it a piano?¡± ire Shaw pointed at Chloe Linton¡¯s helmet. ¡°It is! I remember reports saying Chloe Linton has always used this design.¡± Patrick Rhodes replied. ¡°This piano design¡­ feels somewhat simr to the style of the master designer from the FY piano series¡­ Guess it wasmissioned then!¡± ire Shaw muttered to herself. In the backstage, Serena Jennings picked up her 500,000 prize money, just for tonight¡¯s event alone. Recently, the PY Cup is held weekly, and Serena Jennings has agreed with the organizer to participate whenever she has time. She hasn¡¯t participated in races many times, only a handful. However, she won every single time, and being a woman, her presence easily heated up the atmosphere, hence the organizers always weed her participation. It waste by the time she left the international circuit. Hungry, Serena Jennings found a nearby izakaya to eat. Upon entering, she saw a row of people seated right beside the door ¨C Caleb Lockwood, ire Shaw, and Patrick Rhodes came into her view. They saw her too. Leaving immediately would seem too deliberate, as if she were afraid of them. Serena Jennings briefly hesitated and pulled up a chair to sit beside Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood said nothing, merely lifted the corners of his lips lightly. ire Shaw frowned but said nothing, inwardly cursing an ever-present nuisance. Patrick Rhodes should be the one who likes to publicly rant on Serena Jennings the most, but tonight his attention was nowhere near Serena Jennings. < 69 Chapter 69: What Does She Look Like ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how handsome my goddess was.¡± Not satisfied with boasting only to Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw, Patrick Rhodes turned to the izakaya owner, eagerly narrating the just-concluded racing event. At that time, Serena Jennings had no idea Caleb Lockwood and the others were present. She didn¡¯t even realize Patrick Rhodes was praising her until he mentioned the name Chloe Linton. Serena Jennings never expected that the newfound fan after her racingeback would be the person who extremely disliked her, Patrick Rhodes. Thete-night meal was a silent affair for Serena Jennings. Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw beside her kept chatting merrily, while Patrick Rhodes continued to praise Chloe Linton. Serena Jennings shared the same row with the three yet seemed as if in a different world. She ate faster than the three of them, and upon finishing, prepared to pay the bill, when suddenly Caleb Lockwood spoke: ¡°You didn¡¯t return to FY¡­¡± He certainly wasn¡¯t asking ire Shaw. Serena Jennings casually retorted: ¡°Why would I go back?¡± ¡°For your boyfriend. Didn¡¯t he offer you a high sry?¡± Caleb Lockwood deliberately emphasized the word ¡°boyfriend.¡± Serena Jennings knew this ¡°boyfriend¡± referred to Peter. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Serena Jennings was telling the truth; after all, Peter¡¯s dividends from the piano series were already high. Patrick Rhodes chimed in nosily. ¡°Wow, what a show-off, as if you¡¯re not short of money.¡± 1857 < 69 Chapter 69: What Does She Look Like Serena Jennings didn¡¯t bother to respond to Patrick Rhodes, paid the bill, and wanted to leave. A lukewarm voice from behind caught her attention. ¡°It¡¯s toote; let Patrick Rhodes take you home!¡± Patrick Rhodes didn¡¯t want to take her but changed his words right up to the moment he spoke: ¡°Since Brother Lockwood said so, reluctantly I¡¯ll take you home, Brother Lockwood wants to take hisdy, so don¡¯t think about it.¡± Serena Jennings nced at Patrick Rhodes, who looked full of disdain, contrary to his praises for Chloe Linton. Having such a fan, Serena Jennings was amused yet helpless inside. ¡°You forgot, I have a car.¡± What she said surprised Caleb Lockwood. ¡°You can drive?¡± ¡°What, would I drive without a license?¡± Serena Jennings retorted. Caleb Lockwood had always known nothing and cared little about her matters. After Serena Jennings left, Caleb Lockwood and the others finished their meal, coincidentally seeing Serena Jennings getting into her car outside the izakaya. It was a white BMW 3 series, newly purchased, still unregistered, Caleb Lockwood lifted his eyelids. Comment 38.571 Leave the firstment for this chapter Ente < Mding 70 70 Chapter 70: Admitting They Are Husband and Wife 70 Chapter 70: Admitting They Are Husband and Wife ¡°Isn¡¯t this exactly the same as my goddess¡¯s car!¡± Patrick Rhodes eximed in surprise, ¡°But my goddess¡¯s car is a modified racing car, Serena Jennings can¡¯tpare.¡± 1 The white BMW 3 Series sped off, the temporary license te on the ss was unclear under the night sky. ire Shaw noticed that Caleb Lockwood was constantly staring in the direction Serena Jennings¡¯s car had gone, the surprise in his eyes seemingly glowed under the streetlights. ¡°Serena drives pretty well!¡± ire Shaw proactively expressed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Just average!¡± Caleb Lockwood remarked indifferently. ¡°Yes, yes, just average, my goddess is still the best.¡± Patrick Rhodes chimed in from the side. The three exchanged quick farewells, Patrick Rhodes drove his own car, while Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw were together. The emperor blue Bentley sped away, going in the opposite direction of the white BMW. After buying the car, Serena Jennings became busier. Days on end, she was busy searching for a suitable location for her studio. Too remote wouldn¡¯t do, and she couldn¡¯t afford one in the city center. Finally, it was Matthew Lowell, the investor, who introduced her to a good ce. Azure Tower is located around the high-tech industrial park, although its location is not as prestigious as the CBD, because it¡¯s close to the industrial park,muting is more convenient, and the environment is very nice. The most important thing is that Matthew Lowell knows someone and offered her a discount. Serena Jennings was very tempted, but the only drawback was- The Lockwood Group is located within the industrial park, and she didn¡¯t want her studio to be too close to 1967 116 > 70 Chapter 70: Admitting They Are Husband and Wife the Lockwood Group. Guided by Matthew Lowell, Serena Jennings spent the whole morning looking at office buildings and was unable to make a decision. For lunch, she chose a very stylish restaurant outside the industrial park. It was a bit expensive, but since Matthew Lowell helped her so much, treating him to something good was right and proper. Just after Serena Jennings and Matthew Lowell walked into the restaurant, she saw Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood was alone. Serena Jennings thought Caleb Lockwood had arranged to meet someone for a meal here, but instead, Caleb Lockwood walked straight toward her. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Standing by the table, Caleb Lockwood took the initiative to greet Serena Jennings. Serena Jennings was momentarily awkward. She didn¡¯t want Caleb Lockwood around while she was dining with her investor. ¡°Is ire Shaw not with you?¡± Instinctively, she nced behind Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood replied without changing his expression, ¡°Are she and I conjoined twins?¡± Serena Jennings was speechless. In her memory, wherever Caleb Lockwood was, ire Shaw would inevitably be there too. Caleb Lockwood scanned Matthew Lowell lightly and asked Serena Jennings, ¡°Mind if I join you?¡± ¡°And if I mind?¡± Serena Jennings stiffened her face, using a warning look at Caleb Lockwood. Regardless of whether Caleb Lockwood knew she had ventured out to start her own studio, she was aware Caleb Lockwood fundamentally didn¡¯t support her working independently. 216 < 70 Chapter 70: Admitting They Are Husband and Wife So, it¡¯s possible Caleb Lockwood intentionally wanted to disrupt her project. ¡°Then just tolerate it.¡± Caleb Lockwood naturally pulled open the chair and sat beside Serena Jennings. The originally two-person table now turned into three. A bit cramped. Serena Jennings looked displeased, secretly observing Matthew Lowell, worried to upset the investor. However, Caleb Lockwood openly asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me?¡± ¡°This is Matthew Lowell, my angel investor.¡± Serena Jennings candidly stated. Caleb Lockwood smiled slightly, extended his hand to him, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings¡¯s husband.¡± Matthew Lowell¡¯s eyes widened, but his facial management was quite good, and he immediately shook hands. with Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Hello President Lockwood, I¡¯ve long admired your name.¡± Matthew Lowell knew Caleb Lockwood. But Matthew Lowell didn¡¯t know Caleb Lockwood was Serena Jennings¡¯s husband. So¡­ Did Justin Nash know about this? Matthew Lowell pondered. If Justin Nash didn¡¯t know, then all his efforts in pursuing Serena Jennings amounted to nothing. If Justin Nash knew¡­ Then he was pursuing a married woman? And the woman was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife. This¡­ 18:57 70 Chapter 70: Admitting They Are Husband and Wife It was shocking! Matthew Lowell wiped the sweat off his forehead. Serena Jennings was surprised beside him. In the three years of marriage, this was the first time Caleb Lockwood had proactively acknowledged their rtionship outside of necessary asions. Serena Jennings felt Caleb Lockwood was plotting something. Outside the restaurant. When Mr. Miller saw Caleb Lockwood pull out a chair to sit beside Serena Jennings, he knew Caleb Lockwood¡¯s meal with Mr. Sun wasn¡¯t going to happen. Although Mr. Sun¡¯s status was vastly inferiorpared to Caleb Lockwood, Caleb Lockwood was originally scheduled to have a meal with him this noon. When he apanied Caleb Lockwood out of thepany, Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t changed his mind. But when Caleb Lockwood saw a white BMW 3 Series at the entrance of this restaurant, things changed. Mr. Miller watched Caleb Lockwood stop by this car and, after a moment, entered the restaurant. Seeing Caleb Lockwood had no intention of leaving, Mr. Miller immediately contacted Mr. Sun to cancel the lunch. Inside the restaurant, Matthew Lowell found an excuse to leave early. He needed to consider whether to inform Justin Nash about this. He also didn¡¯t want to have lunch in such a pressure-filled atmosphere. Serena Jennings escorted Matthew Lowell to the restaurant door, arranging to eat together another day. After Matthew Lowell left, Serena Jennings also lost her appetite. She felt Caleb Lockwood had ruined her chance to strengthen her rtionship with the investor. However, Caleb Lockwood called her back, saying he had something to tell her. 1867 < 70 Chapter 70: Admitting They Are Husband and Wife Serena Jennings sat back next to Caleb Lockwood, waiting for him to speak. But Caleb Lockwood first summoned a waiter to order, getting a Royal ck Truffle Filet Steak set for both himself and her. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Caleb Lockwood said. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Just after Serena Jennings spoke, her stomach gave an untimely growl. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯tugh at her, but his eyes squinted slightly, disying a kind of ambiguous teasing. Feeling watched by Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings was ufortable all over. Even just being alone with Caleb Lockwood during broad daylight in the restaurant, she felt tension like a stretched spring. The steak arrived, with a tempting aroma. Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t resist eating. She hadn¡¯t really eaten properly these days due to her busy schedule. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight.¡± A light, fleeting remark brushed her eardrum; Serena Jennings looked up, seeing Caleb Lockwood elegantly cutting his steak, looking picturesque. She must have misheard him! Serena Jennings lowered her eyelids. Caleb Lockwood couldn¡¯t possibly care about her, And having her heart race because of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s casual concern was even more unthinkable. Seeing the meal set almost finished, Serena Jennings finally awaited Caleb Lockwood¡¯s serious talk. ¡°Are you starting your ownpany?¡± 18 67 < 70 Chapter 70: Admitting They Are Husband and Wife ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± The knife and fork in Serena Jennings¡¯s hand ttered onto the te. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Mding 71 71 Chapter 71: Hard to Speak Out She knew Caleb Lockwood had a reason for showing up here today. 1 ¡°So you deliberately scared away my investor¡­¡± Facing Serena Jennings, who was questioning him with wide eyes, Caleb Lockwood replied unhurriedly while eating his steak, ¡°Do I look that frightening? Besides, he just didn¡¯t have dinner with you; he didn¡¯t say he¡¯d withdraw the investment.¡± Serena pursed her lips. ¡°I must open the studio.¡± ¡°Grandpa supports you in having your own career, so I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words relieved Serena. ¡°However, ire Shaw is also opening her jewelry design studio; you¡¯ll bepetitors.¡± Caleb Lockwood had finished his meal and stood up. His gaze at Serena was proud and lofty. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good. With ire as yourpetitor, you don¡¯t stand a chance. But if you don¡¯t appreciate it, then suit yourself.¡± After saying this lightly, Caleb Lockwood left the western restaurant. Serena was left alone at the table. Feeling a bit empty. Serena picked up her knife and fork again, then put them down. She clearly wasn¡¯t full, but she had no appetite. Knowing that ire Shaw was also opening a studio for jewelry design and bing herpetitor, Serena wasn¡¯t afraid. She and ire Shaw had worked together for quite a long time. ire Shaw had some talent and strength in design, but her design concepts and style were not Serena¡¯s preferred type. She didn¡¯t believe she¡¯d lose either. What bothered Serena was that she initially thought bing independent and opening her own studio would mean no further ovep with ire Shaw. However¡­ Sighing, Serena didn¡¯t want to waste anything, so she packed the remaining food. When she went to pay, the server told her that her bill had already been settled by the gentleman she dined with. 15 09 71 Chapter 71: Hard to Speak Out Serena realized it was Caleb Lockwood. Could this be Caleb Lockwood showing some consideration for her? Knocking her head lightly, Serena decided that instead of overthinking, she¡¯d better put up some recruitment ads. In the end, she chose Azure Tower rmended by Matthew Lowell as her office location and posted the information on major recruitment websites. Sitting in the newly renovated office with all the windows open for venttion, Serena felt a peculiar sense of pride. Remember when she married Caleb Lockwood, she only wanted to be a supportive wife, manage the household, and be apetent full¨Ctime housewife, a supportive partner to Caleb Lockwood. Standing by the window, Serena took a deep breath. The beautiful and elegant scenery of the industrial park was in full view. Now, she had her own career too. Thinking of her career, Serena took out her phone. It wasn¡¯t the time for her to rx yet. She considered herself a seasoned jewelry designer, but as a boss, she was aplete novice. She wanted to call Peter to get some guidance. Before she could make the call, Peter¡¯s call came in first. Auspice Manor. This was a standalone vi district with a traditional Chinese garden design. Peter drove the car into the underground parking lot. Serena sat in the passenger seat. Peter was more informed than she had imagined, having already learned that she had established her own jewelry design studio before she could tell him. Serena felt a bit embarrassed about going solo in front of Peter. Because she still held a position at BYC, setting up her own studio put her in apetitive rtionship with FY. However, Peter was very supportive of her going solo and even promised to provide resources for her. The premise being she continues to release new products in the Piano series. After the car was parked, Peter led Serena to the ground level. This was the home of jewelry collector Ronan Ross. Generally, when jewelry designers open a personal studio, due to issues like funding chains and scale, it¡¯s challenging topete for 15.09 215 < 71 Chapter 71: Hard to Speak Out market share with established major brands. Therefore, most would focus on design concepts and target the niche collector market with high¨Cend custom routes. That was Serena¡¯s n as well. At least initially she would build her reputation in the high¨Cend custom field before strategizing the next step. Peter agreed with Serena¡¯s n, and this time he brought Serena to meet Ronan Ross to pave the way for her. As they walked, Ronan Ross¡¯s grand vi was already in sight. However, Serena stopped in her tracks. Peter also stopped, and they stood silently looking at the vi entrance of Ronan Ross. Two people were standing there. Peter nced at his watch. ¡°We arrived half an hour early; didn¡¯t expect he had another meeting before us.¡± The vi door opened, and Ronan Ross, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, came out. ¡°President Lockwood, is this the emerging designer you rmended?¡± Ronan Ross looked at ire Shaw, who was beside Caleb Lockwood. ire Shaw was wearing a conservatively elegant, somewhat mature pink¨Cgrey professional suit today. Her light makeup was a style favored by the elderly. ¡°Hello, Mr. Ross, my name is ire Shaw.¡± ire Shaw proactively extended her hand to shake hands with him. From a distance, Serena watched this scene and realized that both Caleb Lockwood and Peter wanted to use this collector as their stepping stone. Only Peter was helping her, while Caleb Lockwood was assisting ire Shaw. Just as Ronan Ross was about to invite Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw inside, his eye caught Peter and Serena. ¡°President Peterson, why are you here so early?¡± Being noticed, Peter simply walked over with Serena. The vi entrance suddenly became crowded with four people, ¡°President Lockwood, what a coincidence.¡± Peter took the initiative to greet Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Hmm,¡± Caleb Lockwood replied ndly, his gazending on Serena. Today, Serena was wearing an asymmetrical chiffon blouse paired with a stylish high¨Cend bow tie and ck wide¨Cleg pants. It had some formality but exuded more of a designer¡¯s vibe. 16.09 < 71 Chapter 71: Hard to Speak Out Caleb Lockwood raised an eyebrow. In his memory, Serena rarely dressed like this before. ¡°Is this the girlfriend you mentioned on the phone?¡± Ronan Ross asked while looking at Serena. As soon as he said this, a brief silence fell over the air. Peter was the first to show a smile, casually replying: ¡°Yes!¡± Since Peter said so, Serena couldn¡¯t deny it. She thought, with Peter introducing her to Ronan Ross this way, it was probably to smooth the way for her. Instinctively, she sneaked a nce at Caleb Lockwood. She wanted to see how Caleb Lockwood would react. Caleb Lockwood showed no reaction. As if he hadn¡¯t heard Ronan Ross and Peter¡¯s conversation. As if it didn¡¯t matter who she was dating. Serena¡¯s heart sank a bit. Then she thought this was exactly Caleb Lockwood¡¯s way of doing things. Beside her, ire Shaw pinched the hem of her skirt. Peter saying Serena was his girlfriend didn¡¯t bother her much. However, even Peter could say Serena was his girlfriend, yet when Caleb Lockwood introduced her, he only referred to her as his high school ssmate, a promising new designer he valued. The atmosphere among the four of them was somewhat subtle, and Ronan Ross sensed something amiss, asking Caleb Lockwood, ¡°So, President Lockwood, are you here to rmend your girlfriend as well, like President Peterson is doing?¡± Caleb Lockwood smiled gently. Neither confirming nor denying. Serena saw ire Shaw shyly lower her head and take Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hand proactively. 15:09 Mding 72 72 Chapter 72: Chose ire Shaw¡¯s Design Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t brush off ire Shaw¡¯s hand. 1 This was expected by Serena Jennings. Although Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t acknowledged ire Shaw¡¯s identity, the fact that he allowed ire Shaw to hold his arm and never shook it off spoke volumes. Ronan Ross looked at Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw with a hint of ambiguity in his eyes. He invited all four of them inside and instructed his assistant to prepare tea. Though Ronan Ross wasn¡¯t the president of the Jewelry Collection Association, he had an established habit: every year, he would pick a new designer to rmend to the association. This was why both Caleb Lockwood and Peter chose him. Since Peter had arrived early with Serena Jennings, Ronan Ross directly asked his assistant to collect Serena Jennings¡® designs along with ire Shaw¡¯s. Every designer visiting him was expected to bring a piece of jewelry they designed, as long as it showcased their design philosophy. ¡°You all can go back and wait for the results! Once I¡¯ve made a decision, my assistant will inform you.¡± Ronan Ross chatted with the four for most of the day before asking his assistant to see them out. The assistant, returning, identally bumped into the corner of a cab, knocking off the name tags affixed to two jewelry boxes. In her haste, she picked up the name tags and reaffixed them, identally cing Serena Jennings¡® name tag on ire Shaw¡¯s jewelry box, and vice versa. ¡°Little Ai, bring me the designs of the two of them!¡± The assistant picked up the two jewelry boxes and handed them over to Ronan Ross. Serena Jennings returned to her studio, feeling uneasy. After Caleb Lockwood informed her that ire Shaw had also opened a studio, she anticipated that she and ire Shaw might eventually face off. But she didn¡¯t expect the confrontation toe so swiftly. However, Serena Jennings wasn¡¯t entirely without confidence. On her way back, Peter drove past a mall, where Serena saw the jewelry prominently disyed in the windows were all her designs. Peter informed her that the Lockwood Group¡¯s sales had doubled in the past two months, surpassing FY¡¯s. Being a designer himself, Peter could instantly recognize the new collections Lockwood Group released were Serena Jennings¡® designs, even though she had resigned. 15:10 < 72 Chapter 72: Chose ire Shaw¡¯s Design ¡°Those were my designs that were shot down by the lead designer back then.¡± The ¡°lead designer¡± Serena referred to was clearly ire Shaw. She hadn¡¯t expected that after her resignation, ire Shaw would showcase those designs and contribute such astonishing sales to Lockwood Group¡¯s jewelry brand. Serena Jennings waited a full week before finally receiving the results. Peter was the one who called to inform her. ¡°Unfortunately, Ronan Ross chose ire Shaw¡¯s design.¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s heart plunged like a roller coaster, hitting rock bottom. ¡°Serena? Are you okay!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine¡­¡± By the tone of Serena Jennings¡¯s voice, Peter instantly knew how disappointed she was. ¡°But the other party did praise your design, just that they admired ire Shaw¡¯s concept more.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Serena knew Peter was trying tofort her, but right now, Serena couldn¡¯t muster any spirit. Her studio¡¯s first step resulted in a loss, entirely her responsibility. Seeing Serena silent for so long, Peter changed the topic: ¡°How about I treat you to dinner tonight?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already helped me so much, I can¡¯t let you spend even more.¡± ¡°No, this time you¡¯re helping me. I need you to be my dance partner.¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s eyes widened, realizing that Peter¡¯s dinner invitation might be quite significant. The Royal Elysian Banquet Hall. Lavishly decorated, sses clinking. Ronan Ross was enthusiastically rmending ire Shaw to Leo Grant, the president of their Jewelry Collection Association. ¡°President Leo, this emerging designer has great potential, her design philosophy is incredibly innovative¡­ Ronan Ross was full of praise for ire Shaw: ¡°The crystal button that flows, which she designed, is something I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Initially, ire Shaw¡¯s face was full of smiles as she received the praises. However, upon hearing ¡°crystal button,¡± her smile froze unexpectedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± 15:10 216 < 72 Chapter 72: Chose ire Shaw¡¯s Design Standing beside, Caleb Lockwood noticed the subtle change in ire Shaw¡¯s expression. ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± ire Shaw shook her head, ¡°Just thought Mr. Ross was exaggerating¡± ¡°Not at all, a small button, not only is it intricately and three¨Cdimensionally designed, but the crystal cut is dazzlingly perfect and meets the most essential elements of jewelry, the flowing metal within conveys an aura of grandeur and sophistication.¡± Ronan Ross continued praising. But ire Shaw couldn¡¯t endure another word of it. She hadn¡¯t even designed a button! At that time, because Caleb Lockwood told her Ronan Ross favored traditional Chinese styles, she chose prime Mutton Fat Jade to create a gold¨Ciid jade thumb ring. Initially, upon hearing from Caleb Lockwood today that Ronan Ross selected her design, she was delighted and felt assured of her design prowess. Yet what was this¡­ Could it be Ronan Ross mistaking her design for Serena Jennings¡¯s! ire Shaw felt both angry and terrified. Angry at Ronan Ross¡¯sck of discernment. Afraid that if this matter got out and reached Serena Jennings, it would be a scandal. ¡°Caleb, let¡¯s go over there and dance, it¡¯s a bit stifling here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Caleb Lockwood walked with ire Shaw towards the dance floor, when two people appearing at the banquet hall entrance caught his attention. Caleb Lockwood paused, and ire Shaw followed suit, looking towards the entrance. Serena Jennings noticed many people casting their gaze on her, feeling surprised. ¡°Is there something on my face? Or did I not wear my dress properly?¡± Serena asked Peter beside her. Peter, dressed in a ck tailcoat, looked quite elegant and very British. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you¡¯re too beautiful, they¡¯re all astonished by you.¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s cheeks med, thinking, Peter was too good at givingpliments. ¡°I think having you as a boyfriend would be quite delightful.¡± Peter was momentarily stunned, only to hear Serena Jennings continue: ¡°Because you¡¯re so good at sweet¨Ctalking!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating the truth.¡± Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. 15.10 < 72 Chapter 72: Chose ire Shaw¡¯s Design However, her smile quickly faded away. Because she saw Caleb Lockwood with ire Shaw. Caleb Lockwood walked towards Serena Jennings, and ire Shaw had no choice but to follow. Serena Jennings noticed Caleb Lockwood nce down and examine her, his gaze icy. ¡°Did he give it to you?¡± Upon hearing Caleb Lockwood¡¯sposed voice, Serena Jennings paused, realizing he was likely referring to the white pearl gown she was wearing. Serena Jennings nodded. Caleb Lockwood observed Serena Jennings¡¯s confused expression and realized she had no idea Peter had gifted her a gown that was FY¡¯s store treasure, adorned with over a thousand top¨Cgrade Australian white pearls, and a collectible luxury with only two pieces worldwide. One was custom¨Cmade for the Ydris Queen¡¯s coronation banquet. And the other, was currently worn by Serena Jennings. Serena Jennings had no expertise in haute couture gowns nor any interest in them. But ire Shaw did. Earlier, she just realized Ronan Ross had chosen Serena Jennings¡¯s design, and now, she was outdone by Serena Jennings even in terms of attire. ire Shaw nearly crushed the red coral bracelet on her wrist. ¡°Wow¡­ Is that the haute couture gown identical to the Queen¡¯s?¡± Serena Jennings turned around at the sound, seeing a slender, elegant young woman wearing a ck fishtail dress. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t recognize the woman, but the malepanion beside her was familiar. < Mding 73 73 Chapter 73: Bringing Humiliation Upon Oneself Serena Jennings never expected her reunion with Justin Nash to happen in such a setting. 1 Justin Nash seemed equally surprised to see her. Time had passed, and Justin Nash¡¯s once youthful face had grown more mature, exuding a robust masculinity. Particrly in a suit, his entire demeanor and aura had transformed from a fresh college graduate to a dominating figure in the business world. ¡°Justin, do you know thisdy?¡± Cynthia Fulton asked Justin Nash. Justin Nash¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Serena Jennings, his lips parting slightly as if hesitating over his words, not immediately answering the question. It was Peter who introduced Serena Jennings to Cynthia Fulton. ¡°Miss Fulton, this is Serena Jennings, my girlfriend.¡± Serena Jennings stared wide¨Ceyed at Peter, her look clearly questioning why Peter would introduce her as his girlfriend to everyone. Justin Nash, trying hard to maintainposure, could not help but change expressions. Just days ago, Matthew Lowell had hinted to him that Serena Jennings was already married, and her husband was Caleb Lockwood. It suggested that Serena Jennings and Caleb Lockwood had not divorced yet. 1 So, what was going on with Peter now? Justin Nash silently clenched his fists, wanting to ask but unable to. The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and Peter casually added, ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, she¡¯s my friend.¡± Cynthia Fulton nced at Justin Nash beside her, sensing a wave of relief in him after Peter¡¯s words. ¡°Justin, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me?¡± Prompted by Cynthia Fulton, Justin Nash finally spoke: ¡°This is Cynthia Fulton¡­my fianc¨¦e.¡± The word ¡°fianc¨¦e¡± shocked Serena Jennings. However, she quickly realized her reaction was overdone. Given Justin Nash¡¯s family background, finding a well¨Cmatched fianc¨¦e made perfect sense. Justin Nash observed Serena Jennings¡® expression. The surprise on Serena Jennings¡® facested only a moment. 115 < 73 Chapter 73: Bringing Humiliation Upon Oneself Other than surprise, there was nothing else, disappointing him as his expectations crumbled. Meanwhile, Caleb Lockwood was also watching Serena Jennings. ire Shaw¡¯s palms were sweating with anxiety. She could tell that both Peter and Justin Nash had some interest in Serena Jennings. Although Caleb Lockwood did not like Serena Jennings, men naturally have apetitive streak, and she feared Serena Jennings having new suitors might spark Caleb Lockwood¡¯s possessiveness. However¡­ Caleb Lockwood¡¯s dark eyes were as calm as a winter night¡¯s sea, revealing nothing. ire Shaw breathed a slight sigh of relief. Over there, Serena Jennings and Peter continued chatting with Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton, while Caleb Lockwood had already started walking. ¡°Weren¡¯t we going to dance?¡± ire Shaw¡¯s attention was drawn by Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice. Caleb Lockwood bent his arm, signaling her to take it. ire Shaw, in high spirits, took Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm and headed to the dance floor. It seemed she was worrying unnecessarily, as Caleb Lockwood truly had no interest in Serena Jennings. Both ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood danced gracefully and magnificently, quickly bing the center of attention. ¡°Is that President Lockwood¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°I heard President Lockwood is pursuing her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s pretty and dances well.¡± ¡°Her background seems good too; she went to high school with President Lockwood and is now a jewelry designer. Even Ronan Ross is impressed with her design philosophy; you know how rare it is for Ronan Ross to praise neers. Miss Shaw is truly remarkable.¡± ¡°A perfect match, made in heaven, talented and beautiful!¡± Serena Jennings listened silently to these gossipers, her makeup failing to cover her pallor. Ultimately, she couldn¡¯tpete with ire Shaw in love. Nor in career. Serena Jennings felt overwhelming self¨Cloathing. Now, Justin Nash had taken his fianc¨¦e to dance as well. Despite the usual civilities, Serena Jennings could sense Justin Nash distancing himself from her. 15:10 215 < 73 Chapter 73: Bringing Humiliation Upon Oneself After all, she had been the one to cut ties with Justin Nash initially. In Justin Nash¡¯s eyes, she was probably seen as a gold¨Cdigger who gave up friendship for fifty million. ¡°Serena, care to dance?¡± Peter asked, noticing the hurt expression on Serena Jennings¡® face, realizing he had hit a nerve. ¡°Sorry, I misspoke.¡± Serena Jennings shook her head. She understood that Peter brought her to this gathering to introduce her to connections, to help her integrate into this circle. ¡°I¡¯d like some time alone; you carry on.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Though concerned, Peter didn¡¯t want to upset Serena Jennings. Serena Jennings slipped away to the balcony of the banquet hall to catch some air. She needed to be clear and calm. ¡°Ronan Ross finally chose ire¡¯s design; you should have received the notice.¡± Apanied by the faint scent of a masculine cologne, Serena Jennings heard a familiar voice. Caleb Lockwood had approached her, holding a ss of ice¨Ccold tequ. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t acknowledge Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t love her, only ire Shaw. Her decade¨Clong crush felt like a joke. Even her marriage with Caleb Lockwood was at its end. This¡­ She epted. After all, love could not be forced. Yet, the career failure was a harsh blow. Serena Jennings had to admit, she was deeply hurt. ¡°Are you here just to mock me?¡± Serena asked coldly. ¡°I warned you before, you can¡¯tpare with ire, so why keep humiliating yourself?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was calm, devoid of warmth, betraying no emotion. Serena Jennings turned and stared at Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sharp profile. 16.10 315 73 Chapter 73: Bringing Humiliation Upon Oneself Under the lights, his face was clear and defined, a masterpiece so perfect it spurred envy at nature¡¯s unfairness. ¡°So¡­ should I shut down mypany and obediently go back to being your maid then?¡± Caleb Lockwood nced at Serena Jennings indifferently, seeing the anger and defiance on her face. He didn¡¯t answer. It was acknowledgment enough. Serena Jennings gritted her teeth in frustration. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, since you love ire Shaw so much, why not marry her?¡± She tried to keep her voice steady and cold. Caleb Lockwood smirked, his eyes showing a hint of impatience, as if her question were redundant. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? Because I don¡¯t want ire to give up her career.¡± ¡°Fine, you don¡¯t want ire Shaw to be a housewife, but there are plenty of good maids; it doesn¡¯t have to be me!¡± Serena Jennings¡® words, tinged with resentment, only deepened Caleb Lockwood¡¯s faint smirk. Suddenly, he leaned in closer, casting a shadow over Serena Jennings, his tall and strong frame seeming to envelop her entirely. Serena Jennings stiffened. Her ears tingled with the warmth of his breath, involuntarily causing her to squint. At that moment, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s maic voice whispered into her ears. ¡°There are many maids, but not every maid loves me like you do.¡± Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 29 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 15.10 Mding 74 74 Chapter 74: Help Me Think of a Solution 74 Chapter 74: Help Me Think of a Solution Serena felt as if her heart had been stomped on mercilessly. 1 She abruptly pushed Caleb Lockwood away. The wine in Caleb¡¯s hand spilled, drenching him. His white shirt was stained and his suit was soaked, but the calm, confident smile on his lips remained unwavering. Serena red at Caleb Lockwood, her hands clenched into fists. It was always like this. Caleb could easily provoke her emotions, yet he remainedposed himself. Serena bit her lower lip. Themotion drew the attention of Peter and ire Shaw. Cynthia Fulton noticed that Justin Nash, who was with her, kept ncing towards the balcony, as if there was something¨Cor someone- he cared about deeply there. Cynthia also looked over. She saw Peter stand beside Serena and ire stand beside Caleb. ire immediately pulled out a handkerchief to help Caleb wipe his clothes and contacted Mr. Miller to prepare a new set. Peter looked Serena up and down. He was concerned that Caleb might have done something to hurt Serena. However, Serena¡¯s clothes were neat, and her hair wasn¡¯t disheveled, only her face looked bad, and her eyes were slightly red. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Peter asked softly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Serena¡¯s chest was still heaving with agitation. It was hard to tell whether her anger was directed at Caleb or at herself. Peter observed Serena for a moment, then told Caleb, ¡°I canpensate for President Lockwood¡¯s loss.¡± Caleb looked as usual, first ncing at Serena, then turning to Peter. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Serena will help me clean it,¡± he said. Peter¡¯s expression changed. 16.10 74 Chapter 74: Help Me Think of Solution Serena retorted sarcastically, ¡°Has President Lockwood¡¯s business failed recently that you need to be so frugal?¡± ¡°Because this suit was a gift from ire, I can¡¯t bear to throw it away,¡± Caleb said confidently, without changing his expression. ire¡¯s gaze flickered slightly but didn¡¯t expose Caleb¡¯s lie. This suit hadn¡¯t been a gift from her. However, she was pleased to see Serena provoked by it. Serena tugged Peter¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Caleb¡¯s gaze fell on Serena¡¯s hand. But it was only for a fleeting moment. Serena and Peter returned to the banquet hall, where Peter introduced her to many influential figures in the jewelry collection world. It was then that she overheard Leo Grant, the president, giving ire a challenge. ¡°Since Ronan has such high hopes for you, and I happen to have an opportunity to showcase your talent,¡± Leo said.. Upon hearing Leo¡¯s words, ire¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Next month is my wife¡¯s and my wedding anniversary. I¡¯ve given her countless pieces of jewelry, and she¡¯s grown tired of them all, so I want tomission you to design a piece that will truly catch her eye. How about it? Are you willing to give it a try?¡± ¡°I am, of course I am,¡± ire readily agreed. ¡°President Grant, could you also give me this opportunity to try?¡± Suddenly, Serena interjected. She knew this might seem rude and could potentially provoke animosity from the other party. However, she needed this opportunity. The condition Matthew Lowell set when investing in her studio was that she participate in this year¡¯s LD Jewelry Fashion Week. She had checked, and the LD Jewelry Fashion Week granted only two slots to new brands each year. One of these slots had already been reserved by a newly joined investor. This meant there was only one slot left. And the president of the Jewelry Collectors Association, Leo Grant, held this slot in his hand. As long as she got his rmendation, she could participate in this year¡¯s LD Jewelry Fashion Week. 15.10 214 < 74 Chapter 74: Help Me Think of a Solution Leo Grant eyed Serena for a moment. The number of designers eager to curry favor with him was countless, and he couldn¡¯t possibly give everyone a chance. However, Serena was wearing FY¡¯s gship piece, indicating she likely had some connections with FY¡¯s upper management. ¡°You are¡­¡± Serena handed her business card to Leo. The name and brand on the card gave Leo some impression. ¡°Mr. Peter mentioned you to me.¡± Serena was taken aback and instinctively nced at Peter, her heart filled with gratitude towards him. Peter, who was socializing with others, sensed Serena¡¯s gaze and raised his wine ss toward her. Caleb watched Serena exchange looks with Peter from afar, his knuckles on the hand holding his wine ss bing increasingly prominent. Ronan Ross introduced to Leo Grant, ¡°Miss Jennings is actually Mr. Peter¡¯s girlfriend, her design level is very high, but personally, I still admire Miss Shaw¡¯s designs more.¡± Once again beingpared to ire Shaw in public left Serena feeling uneasy. However, the fact that she couldn¡¯t surpass ire¡¯s works was established reality, and feeling bad wouldn¡¯t help. For now, she had to create new opportunities for herself and seize them with all her might. ¡°Miss Jennings has no technical issues, but design is about the collision of inspiration. Miss Jennings¡® designs are too rigid, like textbooks, whereas Miss Shaw¡¯s designs are more spirited, as if born with it, perfectly integrated, showing me the designer¡¯s unique soul and the limitless heights of talent,¡± Serena listened to Ronan Ross¡¯s evaluation and saw Caleb give her a cold, mocking smile. Eachpliment for ire was like a reminder of Caleb¡¯s previous warningsing true. Caleb showed little interest in Ronan¡¯s words. He was merely watching Serena. Watching how she would react after hearing these evaluations. Serena listened intently, with humility. Caleb lowered his gaze, his deep eyes filled with unfathomable,plex emotions. ire Shaw maintained a smile on her face, but it had long since frozen. Among the people present, only she knew that Ronan Ross had confused her and Serena¡¯s designs. In other words, all of Ronan¡¯s praise at this moment was actually directed at Serena. 15 11 < 74 Chapter 74: Help Me Think of a Solution ire dug her nails into her palm behind her back. In the end, after Serena¡¯s persistence, Leo Grant still gave her a chance. The day after the banquet, before dawn, Serena drove to City C to find the most famous gemstone supplier locally, AOD. AOD wasn¡¯t thergest miningpany, but it had a good reputation in the industry, consistently sourcing rare and unique gemstones. Serena made contact with them and personally went to the factory to select, choosing a top¨Cgrade Buran star ruby. This level of ruby wouldn¡¯t be very rare for Leo Grant¡¯s wife, but internally there was a rare heart¨Cshaped fissure, which Serena believed would make it a suitable wedding anniversary gift. However, the other party made an exorbitant demand, and Serena didn¡¯t have sufficient funds, so she paid a deposit to have them hold the raw stone for three days for her. That afternoon, ire Shaw also arrived here apanied by Caleb Lockwood. ¡°I¡¯ll take the ruby with the heart¨Cshaped fissure inside,¡± ire told AOD¡¯s people. ¡°Sorry, this stone has already been reserved.¡± Although AOD¡¯s people didn¡¯t disclose the other party¡¯s information, ire realized who it was, ¡°Caleb, help me figure something out!¡± she coquettishly tugged at Caleb¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Caleb patted ire Shaw¡¯s shoulder and turned to ask AOD¡¯s people: ¡°Is the person who reserved this stone Serena?¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 75 75 Chapter 75: You Don¡¯t Even Remember Your Own Birthday? 75 Chapter 75: You Don¡¯t Even Remember Your Own Birthday? Serena Jennings visited five gem suppliers in one day; although there were better sources than AOD, none of them were distinctive. 1 Seeing that tomorrow is thest day AOD promised to hold the rough stone for her, she must make a decision. Once, Serena thought that having assets worth millions made her genuinely rich. But after opening her own studio, she realized that money was easily spent, especially in the jewelry business. If she purchased that marked¨Cup rough stone and still couldn¡¯t surpass ire Shaw¡­ Sitting in the car, Serena shook her head vigorously. She couldn¡¯t back down before even starting. Just as Serena was feeling troubled, her phone rang; it was a call from Caleb Lockwood. Serena held her phone, hesitating between answering and not answering. In the end, she answered the call. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you take so long to answer the phone?¡± Caleb¡¯s voice from the other end wasn¡¯t questioning; his gentle tone sounded more like he cared about her. Serena was stunned. Like her, ire has her own studio, but with Caleb Lockwood as her backing, she never worried about sources of funding. Serena fell into a long silence, and Caleb¡¯s voice came through the phone again: ¡°Are you encountering difficulties?¡± Serena¡¯s heart tightened. ¡­No¡­¡± Even if she did have difficulties, she wouldn¡¯t seek help from Caleb. Even if she asked, Caleb wouldn¡¯t help her. ¡°Prepare yourself for tomorrow. I¡¯ll pick you up to go back to the old mansion.¡± ¡°What?¡± Serena was puzzled, and then heard a lightugh on the phone. ¡°You haven¡¯t even remembered your own birthday?¡± Only after Caleb¡¯s blunt reminder did Serena realize. Tomorrow is her birthday. 16 17 < 75 Chapter 75: You Don¡¯t Even Remember Your Own Birthday? ¡°Grandpa is setting up a banquet at the old mansion to celebrate for you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go through so much trouble¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s sincere wish.¡± Caleb¡¯s words left Serena without room to refuse without seeming disrespectful to Lance Lockwood. After marrying into the Lockwood Family, she received birthday gifts every year. One was from Lance Lockwood, and the other was from Caleb. Every time she received a gift from Caleb, she would be moved to tears. She thought it was something Caleb had carefully prepared for her. She believed it was a sign of Caleb¡¯s love for her. But now she understood. The only person who truly remembered her birthday was Grandpa. Caleb had Mr. Miller, his assistant, who reminded and prepared everything for him. ¡°No need for you toe pick me up; I¡¯ll drive there myself.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± After hanging up Caleb¡¯s call, Serena sighed. On her birthday, she dressed simply, not too gloriously but not casually either. This was her respect for Lance Lockwood. Serena thought that the so¨Ccalled birthday celebration was just the chefs and servants at the old mansion cooking a few extra dishes she liked, and then she could leave after dinner. However, as Serena drove over to the Lockwood Family¡¯s private property, she saw from a distance a huge hot air balloon. The hot air balloon wasn¡¯t airborne, but because it was sorge, its eye¨Ccatching presence couldn¡¯t be concealed even among the surrounding woods. As she drove to the manor, Serena saw birthday decorations prepared for her everywhere, made of colorful balloons with her name and ¡°Happy Birthday¡± written on them. Was this prepared by Grandpa? Serena knew she shouldn¡¯t expect anything else, but she couldn¡¯t help letting her mind wander. After parking her car, Serena got out, her attention captured by the hot air balloon in front of the old mansion when suddenly thousands of balloons soared into the sky. Macaron¨Ccolored balloons rained against the azure sky, like a grand midday meteor shower. 15.11 345 < 75 Chapter 75: You Don¡¯t Even Remember Your Own Birthday? Serena was in shock and smelled a sweet scent at the tip of her nose. Caleb pushed a three¨Ctiered cake out from behind the hot air balloon, softly singing an English version of the birthday song. The song¡­ Was beautiful. Theck of music made it even more beautiful. Briefly, Serena felt transported back to when she was 13. Serena felt like she was dreaming. She blinked, finding it hard to believe what was happening before her eyes. Even during the time when Caleb actively pursued her in college, he never prepared such a romantic surprise for her. Caleb came up to Serena, smiling, his affectionate eyes like the shimmering surface of the sea. Serena felt as if she was being drawn into Caleb¡¯s eyes. She held her breath, unable to control her erratically beating heart. ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± Caleb spoke, his voice like the strings of a cello vibrating with deep resonance. Serena stood face to face with Caleb while the rain of balloons danced above their heads. The grand Lockwood mansion next to them and the enormous hot air balloon seemed to be the most luxurious backdrop. Serena¡¯s heart was restless as she looked at Caleb in surprise and confusion, seeing him draw a delicate gift box from his suit pocket. ¡°For you.¡± Serena took the gift box but didn¡¯t open it on the spot. Even now, she still felt a sense of unreality. Were these¡­all deliberately prepared for her? To celebrate her birthday? Breathing deeply, she tried to maintain herposure, Even if all these were arrangements by Caleb, they were probably Grandpa¡¯s instructions. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Serena was about to walk past Caleb, but he grabbed her arm. ¡°I¡¯m here, where are you going?¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was deep yet tender. 15:11 375 < 75 Chapter 75: You Don¡¯t Even Remember Your Own Birthday? Serena felt that the patch of skin where her hand connected with Caleb¡¯s felt like it was burning. ¡°I¡­I want to see Grandpa¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one else here, just the two of us.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Serena was surprised. Caleb¡¯s smile lifted slightly, seeing through Serena¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Grandpa wanted to celebrate your birthday, but I said to leave it to me, so¡­these were all my arrangements.¡± ¡± Serena opened her mouth. She wanted to ask Caleb why? Why did he do all this for her? He didn¡¯t love her. Would Caleb really do something with no gain? ¡°Peter mentioned before that you¡¯re allergic to pollen, so I didn¡¯t use a single flower in the decoration, just balloons, Caleb helped the bewildered Serena onto the hot air balloon. The hot air balloon rose slowly, like an ark weing happiness. Serena and Caleb sat inside, with Caleb taking the initiative to cut a piece of cake for her. At that moment, Serena was the happiest woman in the world- If it weren¡¯t for that spreadsheet on Caleb¡¯sputer, if it weren¡¯t for ire Shaw. But¡­ There was no ¡°if¡°, The houses and trees below them became smaller, and the colors around them changed from sky blue to orange¨Cyellow. The sunset cast a crimson glow, illuminating Caleb¡¯s strikingly handsome profile. Serena never voluntarily spoke to Caleb. Caleb didn¡¯t say anything to her either. Both of them kept silent, only the cake on the te reached its end. Night had fallen. Stars became more numerous and dazzling. 1621 75 Chapter 75: You Don¡¯t Even Remember Your Own Birthday? Serena wanted to say to Caleb, ¡°Let me down.¡± No matter how romantic today¡¯s birthday was, it didn¡¯t sweep her off her feet. She still remembered today was thest day AOD would hold the rough stone for her. She had decided to buy that rough stone. So she had to leave. Bang! A loud explosion rang in her ear. Serena¡¯s eyes widened with glittering colors. Firework after firework, surrounded their hot air balloon in splendid colors. Amid the crackling of fireworks, Caleb¡¯s maic voice was so distinct. ¡°Don¡¯t go back tonight.¡± 2 < Mding 76 76 Chapter 76: Remembering Their Past 76 Chapter 76: Remembering Their Past It¡¯s deep into the night. 1 There are only stars in the night sky, no fireworks. Outside The Lockwood Estate, a hot air balloonnds on the ground. The old mansion is lit up. Caleb Lockwood just finished his shower and stepped out in a bathrobe. On the highway leading to City C, a white BMW 3¨CSeries speeds by, leaving streetlights and forest behind. Serena Jennings is driving. Time is running out. She calls someone from AOD using her Bluetooth headset. ¡°I want that raw stone, I¡¯m on my way, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Sorry, Miss Jennings, we¡¯ve already sold that raw stone.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Serena almost hits the brakes. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be reserved for me until today?¡± ¡°Your husband bought it, he said it was a gift for you.¡± In Serena¡¯s mind, images of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s unusual demeanor tonight sh by. She doesn¡¯t know if Caleb suddenly had a change of heart or was pressured by his grandfather. All she knows is, Caleb was very kind to her tonight. Gentlemanly, considerate, romantic, When Caleb asked her to stay at the mansion overnight, she thought all his actions were for this request tonight. Caleb hasn¡¯t touched her for quite a while. But Caleb doesn¡¯tck outlets for his desires, especially when he¡¯s living with ire Shaw. Serena isn¡¯t sure if Caleb really wants to sleep with her, dedicating all these efforts for it. In the end, she didn¡¯t agree to Caleb¡¯s request. Given Caleb¡¯s temper and ways, she thought Caleb would force her, and she remained wary until the hot air balloonnded. However, Caleb didn¡¯t. 1571 175 76 Chapter 76: Remembering Their Past Caleb only told her to drive carefully, pay attention to safety, and didn¡¯t say anything else. Serena exits the highway and pulls the car over to the side. Her mind was in chaos. She couldn¡¯t figure out what Caleb truly wanted. Could it be¡­ Caleb remembered her? Remembered her from the juvenile detention center¡­ Serena carefully took out the gift box Caleb gave her and unpacked it. Although Caleb¡¯s behavior didn¡¯t seem as though he remembered the past, if what AOD said was true, then the birthday gift Caleb gave her should be that ruby raw stone with a heart¨Cshaped fracture she fancied. Serena felt her breath quaver. If¡­ Caleb really remembered her, remembered the promise from back then¡­ The packaging was unwrapped, revealing a jewelry box, palm¨Csized, just enough to fit a raw stone. Serena¡¯s anticipation reached its peak. She opened the jewelry box. Inside was a raw stone. But it wasn¡¯t the ruby raw stone with a heart¨Cshaped fracture. Serena was stunned. She felt something was off and decided to contact Caleb before reaching out to AOD. The call rang for a while before it was answered. ¡°Hello, Caleb Lockwood¡­¡± ¡°Why, changed your mind?¡± On the other end, Caleb¡¯s voice showed no sign of sleepiness, very awake. ¡°You can still make it if youe back now¡± This remark irritated Serena, but she didn¡¯t want to divert the topic. ¡°I heard from AOD¡¯s people you bought the raw stone I reserved¡­¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Caleb only gave this single¨Cword response. Serena was growing anxious. 276 < 76 Chapter 76. Remembering Their Past ¡°They said you bought it as a gift for me.¡± There was a long silence, and finally, Serena heard Caleb¡¯s voice again. A chuckle. ¡°ire fancied that raw stone too.¡± When Serena heard Caleb say this, it felt like she was struck by a thunderbolt. ¡°I was the one who fancied it first¡­¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t buy it.¡± ¡°But I reserved it.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Caleb¡¯s retort left Serena speechless. In the old mansion, hey on the bed, talking to Serena while ncing at the antique clock on the bedroom wall. It was past midnight. It was no longer Serena¡¯s birthday. ¡°Serena, now that you¡¯ve opened a studio, you¡¯re the boss now. Consider this raw stone a lesson from me; in business, there is no first Caleb¡¯s voice returned to its usual coldness. Serena sat in the car with the windows closed, her fingers cold from gripping her phone. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve given youpensation.¡± After saying this, Caleb hung up. The word pensation¡± suddenly made Serena sober up- It dawned on her that Caleb¡¯s borate efforts to celebrate her birthday were neither due to grandfather¡¯s pressure nor him remembering their past. But because Caleb took the raw stone she fancied. Gave it to ire Shaw. ¡°Compensation¡­ Serena fiercely gripped the steering wheel, the veins on the back of her hands standing out clearly. In City A, the bar district. Patrick Rhodes never imagined he would see Serena here when he stepped out of the private room. 16-11 375 < 76 Chapter 76: Remembering Their Past Serena seemed to have drunk a lot, already too intoxicated to be aware. If she was on the table instead of lying on the sofa, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed. The thought to call Caleb flickered through his mind and vanished. ¡°I¡¯m sick, aren¡¯t I?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but curse himself. Even if Serena was legally Caleb¡¯s wife, so what. Caleb doesn¡¯t care for her. Perhaps Caleb is heatedly involved with ire Shaw right now! Patrick shook his head, trying to pretend he didn¡¯t see. After all, Serena drank herself into this state; he didn¡¯t get her drunk, so he wasn¡¯t responsible. Patrick started to walk past the drunken Serena. Then he returned. With an annoyed look, he helped Serena up. Serena was lighter than he expected, it wasn¡¯t hard to support her. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have run into me, really¡­ Why do I always meddle in others¡® business?¡± Patrick muttered to himself, supporting Serena out of the bar. His attention was fully on Serena, missing Mr. Miller who had already stood up when Serena passed out in the dimly lit corner of the bar. Watching Patrick take Serena away, Mr. Miller pulled out his phone to report to Caleb. ¡°Follow them.¡± Caleb instructed Mr. Miller this way. Patrick had driven there but had drank, so he ordered a driver service for the trip back, He knew where Serena lived now, so he instructed the driver to head to Vornath. While helping Serena, Patrick rummaged through her bag for the keys, opened the door, and entered. Originally, he nned to toss Serena on the bed and leave. Patrick turned on the bedroom light andid Serena t on the bed. After a slight hesitation, he helped Serena take off her shoes. The bedroom wasn¡¯trge, and most of the space was filled with books. He was surprised that people still loved reading physical books in this day and age. 15.11 476 < 76 Chapter 76: Remembering Their Past Casually flipping through them, they were all rted to design. ¡°Is it necessary to work so hard¡­¡± Patrick muttered to himself. He knew Serena had opened her jewelry design studio. However, he thought Serena was just putting in appearances, trying to prove to Caleb she was as excellent as ire, merely imitating her. Yet¡­ Patrick sat down at Serena¡¯s desk. There were many drawings, all hand¨Cdrawn designs. There were some designs Patrick found familiar, simr to the new blockbuster piecesunched by Lockwood Group; he had praised ire for her role in salvaging the performance of Lockwood Group¡¯s gold product line. ¡°Could these have been drawn by Serena?¡± Patrick thought it impossible. Serena must be giarizing ire¡¯s designs. Mding 77 77 Chapter 77: Divorce Is Set in Stone Patrick Rhodes found Serena Jennings quite repulsive. He initially wanted to put down the design draft he was holding, but he inadvertently nced at it a few more times and noticed traces of multiple revisions. It didn¡¯t look like giarism but rather seemed to ¡°No way¡­¡± Could it be that the recent hits by the Lockwood Group were really all designed by Serena Jennings? Patrick drew a question mark in his mind, not feeling as strongly disgusted by Serena as before. After a night of heavy drinking, Serena woke up with a splitting headache and a memory gap. When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on her familiar bed at home, not even having changed her clothes. Although everything around her indicated she hadn¡¯t encountered any danger after getting drunk, now that she was sober, Serena still felt somewhat frightened. Last night, she was too impulsive and emotional. Just because Caleb Lockwood threw her a romantic birthday party aspensation for taking her original gemstone, she drank to drown her sorrows in a fit of rage. It really wasn¡¯t worth it. If she had run into bad people¡­ The consequences would have been unimaginable. Serena rubbed her aching head and stepped out of her bedroom to pour herself a ss of water. When she turned her head, she saw Patrick Rhodes snoring on the sofa. Serena was taken aback. Patrick also woke up and briefly exined what happenedst night to Serena. ¡°So be grateful! If it weren¡¯t for mest night, who knows what could have happened to you! Why on earth were you drinking so much? Trying to make Brother Lockwood feel sorry for you?¡± Patrick¡¯s tone with Serena was as fierce as ever, with an attitude of looking down on her. Usually, Serena would retort to Patrick, but since he had sent her homest night, she felt both emotionally and rationally that she should thank him. ¡°Patrick, thank you for not abandoning mest night.¡± As she thanked him, Serena poured two sses of water, one for herself and one for Patrick. ¡°Don¡¯t get it wrong, I¡¯m not doing it for you, I¡¯m doing it for Brother Lockwood. You¡¯re his wife, and if anything happened to you, it would 16 12 < 77 Chapter 77: Divorce Is Set in Stone affect his reputation.¡± Serena believed Patrick was telling the truth. She wouldn¡¯t fool herself into thinking Patrick took her home because he cared about her. ¡°Still, thank you. In the end, you did help me¡­¡± Patrick took the water from Serena¡¯s hand. It was just in water, but when he drank it, it tasted a little sweet. Patrick couldn¡¯t help but take a few more sips, listening to Serena say, ¡°I don¡¯t like being indebted to anyone, especially you. If there¡¯s something you want, or if you want me to treat you to a meal, just say so.¡± Serena, standing in front of him, had a flushed face from the hangover, as if she had applied blush. Her naturally fair skin now looked even more radiant and smooth. Her eyes were a bit swollen but didn¡¯t look bad at all; they appeared moist and endearing, unlike her usual self. Patrick couldn¡¯t understand why he was staring at Serena. In his eyes, Serena had always been a dull and unattractive woman. But even though Patrick mocked Serena as being dull, deep down, he knew clearly¡­ Serena was very beautiful. Extremely beautiful. Based on looks alone, she was the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever seen, in a league of her own. But he just couldn¡¯t stand Serena. Because Serena had taken the ce that rightfully belonged to ire Shaw. His dislike for Serena was justified. But what about Caleb Lockwood? After all, they had shared the same bed for three years, so why did Caleb also dislike Serena so much? ¡°I think you, as a woman, should learn how to charm a man. Look at our sister¨Cinw¡­ Patrick¡¯sparison of Serena to ire Shaw made her ufortable. Serena walked to the door and opened it. ¡°You can leave now¡± Patrick realized Serena was kicking him out. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you didn¡¯t want to owe me and wanted to repay me? Howe now¡­¡± Before Patrick could finish, Serena had already pushed him out the door. ¡°Call me when you¡¯ve decided, I won¡¯t owe you¡± < 77 Chapter 77: Divorce Is Set in Stone Serena mmed the door shut, leaving Patrick outside scratching his head, feeling a bit disappointed. He drove back to thepany and, on the way, stopped at a small market to buy a Chinese pancake for sustenance. He felt like he had done a good deed, yet Serena wasn¡¯t appreciative and he didn¡¯t gain anything. Having skipped breakfast and having such a simple lunch, Patrick returned to thepany intending to have his secretary arrange a dinner reservation. But his secretary informed him that Caleb Lockwood was waiting in his office. ¡°Brother Lockwood, what brings you here?¡± Seeing Caleb Lockwood, Patrick inexplicably felt a bit guilty. He had spent the night alone with Serena in the same house, and Serena was indeed Caleb¡¯s wife. But he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Besides, Caleb¡¯s marriage to Serena had long been a fa?ade, with divorce imminent. Patrick cleared his throat, pretending to be calm. Caleb set down his coffee and casually asked, ¡°Zachary Aldrin said you were out messing aroundst night and ignored his calls, so he asked me to check up on you today.¡± ¡°Zachary¡¯s really got some nerve, hasn¡¯t he? Even dares to order you around, Brother Lockwood?¡± Patrick sat across from Caleb, pretending to look at some files. ¡°I was out on businessst night, had some social engagements.¡± ¡°Our unorthodox Mr. Rhodes finally seeing the light?¡± Teased by Caleb, Patrick clicked his tongue, ¡°I do have apany to manage, you know? If you¡¯re the talented heir, Brother Lockwood, I should at least count as the hardworking type!¡± Caleb gave a faint smile, the mirth not reaching his eyes. His phone was right in front of him. An hour ago, he had received a WeChat message from Mr. Miller, Last night, Mr. Miller had stayed outside Serena¡¯s apartment all night. He hadn¡¯t seen Patricke out. It wasn¡¯t until noon today that he saw Patrick leave Serena¡¯s apartment. Caleb didn¡¯t remain at Patrick¡¯s office long. After sending Caleb off, Patrick turned to ask his secretary. ¡°So what exactly was Brother Lockwood¡¯s visit all about?¡± Serena hadn¡¯t eaten all day. Though she wouldn¡¯t be getting the heart¨Cshaped cracked Ruby, that didn¡¯t mean she was giving up on the opportunity Leo Grant < 77 Chapter 77: Divorce Is Set in Stone provided. Now she regretted going to drink at the bar, thinking she should have used that time to find other gemstones. But after looking around, even as the sun set, she hadn¡¯t found a gemstone to spark her inspiration. Or rather, her inspiration was still fixated on that heart¨Cshaped cracked Ruby. Serena fretted in her studio. She thought about her wedding anniversary. Every time, Caleb would give her jewelry. But every piece, whether ne, earrings, or bracelet, was encrusted with pink diamonds. If Serena received such a gift now, she would sell it. But back then, she genuinely cherished it and was moved. So it wasn¡¯t the jewelry that was important, but the love. Serena suddenly had a sh of inspiration. Over the next three days, she buried herself in her studio, working on her design. Just as she was nearingpletion, she received a call from Patrick Rhodes. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve waited three days for your repayment. Surely, you haven¡¯t forgotten?¡± *I¡­ ¡°Tonight at nine, Heart of the Ocean, your treat, don¡¯t bete.¡± Serena was exasperated but didn¡¯t decline Patrick¡¯s request. She also wanted to quickly repay the favor Patrick did for herst time. In a suitable outfit, Serena arrived punctually at Heart of the Ocean ¨C a seafood restaurant surrounded by a 360¨Cdegree undersea tunnel. The reservation was made by Patrick, and when Serena arrived, Patrick was already seated, but he wasn¡¯t alone. Comment $ T6 12 Mding 78 78 Chapter 78: All for Nothing 78 Chapter 78: All for Nothing If Serena Jennings knew that she was repaying Patrick Rhodes with this dinner, plus Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw were there, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have agreed. 1 ¡°Yo, Serena, you¡¯re here!¡± Patrick waved at Serena. Now that she¡¯s here, Serena had no choice but to brace herself and sit down. She sat across from Patrick. Beside her was Caleb. The two were clearly next to each other, yet it felt as if an invisible barrier separated them. The atmosphere at the table was bizarre. ire spoke first: ¡°Patrick, you really are something. Serena¡¯s studio is just starting, and it¡¯s not developing smoothly. How could you choose this restaurant? Serena¡¯s spending so much!¡± Serena gave a chilly nce at the already ordered menu. ¡°Since you know I¡¯m spending too much, you shouldn¡¯t havee, especially after ordering French Blue Lobster, top¨Cgrade tuna belly, spider crab, and caviar.¡± With Serena¡¯s words, ire¡¯s face grew increasingly unpleasant. ¡°Those were ordered by me, me me, not her!¡± Patrick spoke up in defense of ire. But those dishes really weren¡¯t ordered by him. In fact, this restaurant wasn¡¯t even his initial choice; it was rmended by ire. The ce had just opened and none of them had been there before. He originally only invited Serena, not expecting to encounter Caleb and ire. ire suggested dining together, which led to this scene. ¡°ire¡¯s share will be on me.¡± Caleb¡¯s voicecking warmth came from beside Serena. ¡°And your own share too, Serena reminded. ¡°Okay,¡± Caleb agreed readily. Patrick nced at Serena, then at Caleb, feeling the exchange between them was inexplicably cold. 15 17 < 78 Chapter 78: All for Nothing Had something happened? Patrick was curious but didn¡¯t dare to ask. The seafood was served; each dish was top¨Cquality, fresh, and expensive. ire poured a ss of champagne and raised it. ¡°Serena, this ss is my apology to you¡­¡± Serena was using crab scissors to cut open the crab legs, without lifting her head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have snatched the rough stone you liked¡­ However¡­ there was only one rough stone, and Caleb said that even if you bought it, failing to create jewelry that would please President Leo would waste the stone, so I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, it was my fault..¡± It was predictable that ire would bring up this matter, but Serena no longer cared because she had new inspiration. Even without that stone, she was determined to win. ¡°However, don¡¯t me Caleb; he feels quite guilty, which is why he tried his best topensate you. Caleb spent a lot of money on your birthday party!¡± ire observed Serena¡¯s reaction while speaking. With her head down, Serena quietly ate crab, expressionless. ire knew well that Serena was putting on a brave face. The reason she mentioned this in public was to ensure Serena knew that the romantic surprise Caleb prepared for her was merely However, judging by Serena¡¯s reaction, she seemed already aware of it. ¡°That stone was rightfully yours; you don¡¯t need to apologize to Serena,¡± Caleb turned to ire and said. Patrick continued eating his lobster while listening to gossip. ¡°Serena, since you left, Lockwood Jewels¡® sales have multiplied, all thanks to ire¡­ Good materials should go to good designers, meets the pursuit of optimal utilization and resource optimization.¡± Caleb spoke methodically and formally. ire sipped champagne, her smile radiant. She didn¡¯t believe Serena couldn¡¯t hear the favoritism for her in Caleb¡¯s words. This conflict over the stone strengthened her belief that Caleb had no feelings for Serena. which Even though she had never received such a romantic hot air balloon trip prepared by Caleb for her birthday, Caleb¡¯s actions weren¡¯t for Serena. They were for her. 15.12 214 < 78 Chapter 78: All for Nothing Her pinkish lips smiling sweetly, ire tried not to let anyone see the triumph in her heart. The only thing missing now¡­ was that divorce agreement. Even though Serena initiated the divorce, Caleb hadn¡¯t agreed. Caleb¡¯s concern was offending his grandfather, not reluctance to let go of Serena. That old geezer really was a hindrance¡­ ire chewed the lobster meat until it had no taste. Patrick felt a bit anxious beside her. If what he saw that night was correct, the hit designs for Lockwood should have all been Serena¡¯s creations. He wanted to speak up but felt it wasn¡¯t his ce. Several times he nced toward Serena, but she remained focused on eating crab. Of course, Serena knew ire had stolen her achievements. But she didn¡¯t want to exin anymore. Given Caleb¡¯s favoritism and trust in ire, even if she exined, Caleb may not believe her. What¡¯s more, since she was going to divorce Caleb, it seemed better if Caleb had a worse impression of her. Rationally, Serena thought this way, but emotionally she couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt. Rather than the designs she left at Lockwood as an employee, she now valued seeding in Leo¡¯s challenge more. Returning home tonight, she would be able to finish the jewelry with no embedded gemstone or pearl. ¡°Oh right, Serena¡­¡± ire¡¯s voice made Serena look up. ¡°I¡¯ve already secured the participation qualification for this year¡¯s LD Jewelry Fashion Week.¡± ¡°What?¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°President Leo wrote me a rmendation letter. His wife really liked the ne I made with that Ruby, so she gave me thest spot. I¡¯m telling you this so you don¡¯t end up working for nothing.¡± As soon as ire spoke, Serena¡¯s finger was pierced by the crab shell, drawing blood. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re bleeding¡± she eximed while grabbing Caleb¡¯s hand, ¡°Caleb, what should we do? Do you have a bandaid?¡± Caleb didn¡¯t carry bandaids as a babit. Even if he did, with ire grabbing his hand, he couldn¡¯t take one out, Just as he was about to call Mr. Miller to buy bandeids, Patrick suddenly stood up. 15.12 < 78 Chapter 78: All for Nothing ¡°How can you be so careless; you¡¯re such a klutz.¡± Patrick quickly moved to Serena¡¯s side, helped her squeeze out the blood, and called the waiter, asking for alcohol wipes or iodine. Patrick¡¯s attentiveness puzzled Serena. ¡°It¡¯s not deep, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know seafood has bacteria?¡± Though Patrick¡¯s tone was as unpleasant as ever, Serena could still sense his concern for her. Caleb remained silent, his hand gripping the crab scissors perhaps for too long, feeling slightly stiff. ire blinked her mascara¨Clined eyes, surprisingly watching Patrick. What was up with Patrick tonight? It was one thing not to coldly mock Serena, but how could he be the one getting anxious about Serena? ire frowned, unable to hide her displeasure. Officially a friend of Caleb, Patrick was actually just like Caleb¡¯s little sidekick in her eyes. Also her little sidekick. Back in high school she sensed ¨C Patrick liked her. ¨C Comment 1 Post your firstment! Vote 20 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average 53 Send Gifts View All > ch.78 The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Mding 79 79 Chapter 79: Wedding Invitation The restaurant staff really brought over alcohol wipes and gauze. After Patrick Rhodes bandaged Serena Jennings¡® injured finger, he quickly went back to his seat. 1 He didn¡¯t understand why he was so nervous about Serena just now, as if possessed. And it was right in front of Caleb Lockwood. No matter how much Caleb didn¡¯t like Serena, she was still the wife on his marriage certificate. Patrick felt uneasy, so to cover it up, he buried his head in eating lobster. ire Shaw felt relieved seeing that Patrick didn¡¯t take further action towards Serena. She might not like Patrick, but Patrick couldn¡¯t dislike her. Even if he really developed feelings for someone else, it definitely couldn¡¯t be Serena. In ire¡¯s eyes, Serena was undeserving of anything, only fit to serve as her contrast, showcasing her own excellence to everyone. The meal went on, with Serena eating absent¨Cmindedly. In the end, she still couldn¡¯t secure thest spot for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. All her efforts went to waste. To say she wasn¡¯t a bit discouraged would absolutely be a lie. However,pared to Caleb eventually giving the raw stone to ire, the blow now seemed much lighter on her. After the meal, Serena paid the bill. She only paid for her own and Patrick Rhodes¡® share. Caleb paid for the rest. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve returned the favor,¡± said Serena, turning to leave. Patrick wanted to catch up to her. He himself didn¡¯t even know what he wanted to do once he caught up. Maybe he wanted to apologize to Serena, as he didn¡¯t mean for her to spend so much. Or maybe he wanted to find an opportunity to treat her back next time. However, Patrick ultimately didn¡¯t catch up to Serena It was ire Shaw who called him to a stop. ¡°Patrick, what favor does Serena owe you?¡± 73 17 178 < 79 Chapter 79: Wedding Invitation ¡°Well¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood saw Patrick dragging out his words and gave him a nce first. ¡°We ran into each other on the street by chance before. Her tire was t, and I just helped out a bit. It¡¯s nothing major.¡± Patrick spoke quickly, unsure if his demeanor appeared natural. ire couldn¡¯t discern truth from falsehood, just responded ndly, ¡°I see¡­¡± She subconsciously nced at Caleb Lockwood. Caleb was expressionless, his deep ck eyes seemed either to fully believe Patrick¡¯s words or not care at all. ire thought she was probably overthinking it. Neither Caleb nor Patrick truly cared about Serena. Serena didn¡¯t drive home but returned to her studio instead. She was not in a good mood tonight, having just missed out on the only spot for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. However,pared to her birthday night, she was much calmer now. Returning to the studio, she wanted toplete the unfinished design. Even though it was no longer necessary, she still wanted to be responsible for her work. The lights were on in the office. The finished design quietlyy next to Serena¡¯s hand. Now she was asleep. These days, she¡¯d been exhausted trying to prove herself in design. She originally intended to take a short nap, but she ended up sleeping until daylight. Peter¡¯s face appeared in Serena¡¯s sleepy eyes. ¡°Good morning¡± Peter greeted her with a smile. Serena stood up, realizing there was still Peter¡¯s suit jacket draped over her shoulders. ¡°Sorry for making a fool of myself¡± Serena returned the suit jacket to Peter. ¡°Didn¡¯t see any fool, just some drool¡± Hearing this, Serena quickly wiped her mouth, only to see Peter grinning from car to car. ¡°What are we going to do if you¡¯re this easily tricked?¡± Serena realized Peter was just teasing her! 16.12 235 79 Chapter 79: Wedding Invitation ¡°Peter¡­¡± Serena smiled bitterly, ¡°Do you know your image now doesn¡¯t match your past image at all¡­¡± ¡°What was my image in your eyes before?¡± Peter said, offering Serena the breakfast he had bought, ¡°A stiff and boring vampire capitalist who only knew how to push you for FY¡¯s performance?¡± Peter¡¯s self¨Cmockery made Serenaugh. Though not as exaggerated as Peter said, the Peter in her memory indeed wasn¡¯t as fun and rxed as he is now. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. I¡¯ll tell you something once we¡¯re done.¡± Peter¡¯s hand casually rested on Serena¡¯s shoulder. The two of them shared a simple breakfast in the office, and afterward, Peter informed Serena that the list of designers and brands for this year¡¯s LD Jewelry Fashion Week had been released. ire Shaw was on the list. Serena Jennings was not. Serena realized that Peter came over early in the morning, bought her breakfast, and tried to amuse her probably because of this. Peter was worried she would be sad. However, she had known about this for a long time and had made peace with herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± Seeing Serena was still able to smile, Peter breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re not beaten down,¡± Peter said, giving Serena¡¯s shoulder a gentle pat. ¡°I¡¯m carrying the pressure from the investors, I don¡¯t have the luxury to be down,¡± Serena smiled wryly. Even if Peter hadn¡¯te today, she would have gone to seek guidance from him. Now that Leo Grant¡¯s rmendation was off the table, she had to find another way. A weekter, Serena rented thewn outside the White Pce Gardens to hold the opening ceremony of her studio. Her studio temporarily hired three employees. Although it still looked like a makeshift team, the basic conditions were well in ce. advised Peter advised her to hold the opening ceremony because if she wanted to be invited to the LD Jewelry Fashion Week under special circumstances, her brand¡¯s influence needed to reach a certain level in the industry. Hosting an opening ceremony would help expand influence, increase exposure, and maintain clients. Serena believed Peter¡¯s reasoning, so she and her three employees, along with Lana Xavier who came to help, prepared for a week. With Peter present, the stream of visitors to her event was endless. Yet Peter didn¡¯t look pleased. The attendance could have been higher. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Serena. It¡¯s my fault..¡± 15:13 < 79 Chapter 79: Wedding Invitation Seeing Peter¡¯s bitter face, Serena handed over a ss of soda water. ¡°Why are you like me, always taking the me on yourself?¡± Serena sat down beside Peter. Prepared chairs actually only filled up two¨Cthirds of the way. Because ire Shaw also held an opening ceremony the same day. In terms of influence in the business world, Peter indeed couldn¡¯tpare with Caleb Lockwood. But Serena would never me Peter. As for whether Caleb and ire did it deliberately, Serena didn¡¯t want to delve deeper; even if they did, she was powerless to stop it. ¡°Serena, guess who sent you a congrattory gift?¡± Lana Xavier excitedly ran over to Serena, presenting her with an exquisite and expensive gold pixiu ornament. Serena took the ornament and saw Justin Nash¡¯s name on it. She hadn¡¯t actually informed Justin Nash about her studio¡¯s opening. That night at the banquet hall, running into Justin was purely by chance, an act of fate. Since she had promised Justin¡¯s mother not to contact him anymore, she couldn¡¯t break her promise. Moreover, she had received fifty million from them! Serena smiled at her own irony, noticing that the ornament also bore Cynthia Fulton¡¯s name alongside Justin Nash¡¯s. Now she knew- Cynthia Fulton was Justin Nash¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Serena wondered, next time she received something from Justin, would it be a wedding invitation with Cynthia? The opening ceremony proceeded smoothly, except for the fewer guests and fields covered aspared to the original n. Someone arrivedte, only after the ceremony was halfway through. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 80 80 Chapter 80: Why Are You Here 80 Chapter 80: Why Are You Here Serena Jennings was surprised to see Patrick Rhodes. 1 Especially since Patrick Rhodes was sweating profusely, panting heavily, and his tie was crooked, clearly he had rushed to get here. ¡°Why are you here? I didn¡¯t invite you¡­¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s attitude made Patrick Rhodes extremely angry. ¡°Just because you didn¡¯t invite me, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯te, right? I¡¯m not empty¨Chanded¡­¡± As he spoke, he stuffed the paper bag he was holding into Serena Jennings¡¯s hands. Serena Jennings initially thought Patrick Rhodes was giving her a grand opening gift. Generally, grand opening gifts are rted to prosperity and business. For example, Justin Nash and his fianc¨¦e jointly sending her a golden Pixiu ornament. But the paper bag Patrick Rhodes gave her contained a dress. A floaty light bluece shirt dress, Valentino¡¯s new summer release. Compared to a grand opening gift, this gift seemed more personal. Seeing Serena Jennings¡¯s puzzled expression, Patrick Rhodes cleared his throat and quietly added: ¡°The one I gifted you is more expensive than the one I gave my sister¨Cinw.¡± This remark only made Serena Jennings even more confused. Since he was a guest and even brought a gift, Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t ask Patrick Rhodes to leave, so she arranged a seat for him. Once seated, Patrick Rhodes wore a proud smile, as if he were a prestigious guest invited by Serena Jennings. The final step of the opening ceremony was the dinner. Patrick Rhodes left early after only a few bites because he received a call from ire Shaw. Serena Jennings had reason to suspect that Patrick Rhodes had sneaked out during ire Shaw¡¯s grand opening ceremony to attend hers. As for why, she couldn¡¯t fathom. After all, her rtionship with Patrick Rhodes wasn¡¯t close enough to warrant him sneaking out. The night was deep, the ceremony and dinner were over, The guests had long since departed, leaving Serena Jennings alone on thewn. She was organizing the documents, doing the final wrap¨Cup work. 15.13 175 < 80 Chapter 80: Why Are You Here ¡°Why are you here alone?¡± Her fingers trembled, and the documents in her hand suddenly scattered with a rustle. She raised her eyelids, and in her eyes appeared Caleb Lockwood, who had somehow shown up in front of her. Caleb wore a suit today that she hadn¡¯t seen before. It must be newly bought. Or perhaps ire Shaw bought it for him. For the opening ceremony of ire Shaw¡¯s studio. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t understand why Caleb Lockwood appeared here. At this time of night. ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Ie to see you without a reason?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s retorts always left Serena Jennings feeling choked. ¡°Isn¡¯t today the opening ceremony of ire Shaw¡¯s studio? Aren¡¯t you going to apany her?¡± After hearing Serena Jennings¡¯s words, Caleb Lockwood shrugged with a smile. ¡°I did apany her! I spent the whole day with her, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that her ceremony ended, I wouldn¡¯t havee to find you.¡± Serena Jennings knew that speaking with Caleb Lockwood only increased her difort. She bent down to pick up the documents that had fallen to the ground, surprisingly Caleb Lockwood, unexpectedly helped her pick them up, and even faster than her. Most of the documents were in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hands, but it seemed he didn¡¯t intend to return them to her. ¡°Caleb Lockwood¡­¡± Serena Jennings extended her hand toward Caleb Lockwood, signaling him to give the documents back. Caleb Lockwood squeezed the documents, not only did he not have the intention to return them, but he raised his hand higher. Serena Jennings frowned, but did not stand on her tiptoes to reach for them. ¡°Are you really so immature?¡± Rather than getting angered by Serena Jennings¡¯s jab, Caleb Lockwood smiled and casually tossed the documents into the nearby garbage bin. ¡°Caleb Lockwood!¡± Serena Jennings shouted, but Caleb Lockwood remained calm, hands tucked in his pockets, he lifted his chin toward the trashcan. 278 80 Chapter 80: Why Are You Here ¡°If you look now, you¡¯ll probably find them.¡± Serena Jennings stared at Caleb Lockwood in disbelief. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s behavior tonight seemed purely aimed at finding trouble. She didn¡¯t even understand what she had done to offend Caleb Lockwood. If anything, shouldn¡¯t it be the opposite? She fancied a raw ruby with a heart¨Cshaped crack, but ire Shaw took a liking to it too, and Caleb Lockwood helped ire Shaw snatch the stone she had reserved. Today she held her studio opening ceremony, as did ire Shaw, and Caleb Lockwood helped ire Shaw steal the clients she had originally reserved. It was clearly Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw who offended her, yet she hadn¡¯t gone to bother them, but Caleb Lockwood was here making trouble first. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, what on earth are you trying to do?¡± Serena Jennings asked directly. Caleb Lockwood stepped forward, closing the distance between them,pressing the cool air. Caleb Lockwood is a man with a strong sense of oppression. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t want to show weakness and did not step back. Their bodies finally pressed closely together, face¨Cto¨Cface. Add to confrontation, an undeniable ambiguous aura. ¡°Serena Jennings, the bestselling jewelry from Lockwood Group right now is designed by you¡­¡± Serena Jennings was startled. The tone at the end of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sentence, although not a question, was not entirely certain. Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t discern whether Caleb Lockwood was questioning her or stating a fact. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face was close, illuminated distinctly by the streetlight. Serena Jennings met Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze, but she didn¡¯t see any appreciation or surprise for her design talent in his eyes. ¡°Those bestsellers are indeed designed by me.¡± Even with Serena Jennings¡¯s admission, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t change. If anything, it became even colder. ¡°If you want to showcase your brilliance to me, just say it. No need to use Grandpa to remind me. That¡¯s rather dull, Serena¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was cold, his sharp lips seemed frostbitten. Serena Jennings felt inexplicably confused. 12 13 315 < 80 Chapter 80: Why Are You Here When did she ever use Grandpa to remind him? Rather, she was more curious about how Grandpa found out. She wanted to ask Caleb Lockwood what was really going on, but then Caleb Lockwood spoke first: ¡°Come with me on a trip!¡± Before Serena Jennings could decline, he added: ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s request.¡± Serena Jennings felt uneasy. Even if Grandpa wanted to see her, he rarely demanded her to do something. Despite her doubts, Serena Jennings followed Caleb Lockwood to the imperial blue Bentley. Faced with the choice of sitting in the passenger seat or the back seat, Serena Jennings hesitated once more. Finally, she settled into the back seat, Caleb Lockwood had no objections to that. The imperial blue Bentley drove out of White Pce Gardens. Not far away, under the streetlights, Justin Nash stood alone beside his red Ferrari sports car. Today, he arrived an hour early. And stood there the entire time. Watching the men beside Serena Jennings change from Peter to Patrick Rhodes, and then from Patrick Rhodes to Caleb Lockwood. Yet he felt he had no ce there. Justin Nash clenched his fist, punching the hood of the red sports car. The Seaside Vi. Serena Jennings was bewildered upon getting out of the car. ¡°Is Grandpa here?¡± Caleb Lockwood did not answer her. The lights at the Seaside Vi were on, but in Serena Jennings¡¯s memory, this was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s property, Grandpa had never visited here before. Caleb Lockwood courteously let Serena Jennings walk ahead. Serena Jennings was the first to enter the vi, she looked around and found it empty. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡± While she was puzzled, a sharp ¡®click¡® sound came from behind her- 16.47 475 < 80 Chapter 80: Why Are You Here It was the sound of Caleb Lockwood locking the door. ¡°I never said Grandpa was here.¡± 2 Mding 81 < 81 Chapter 81 Fighting a Divorce Case 81 Chapter 81: Fighting a Divorce Case The Lockwood Group. 1 ire Shaw was in the general manager¡¯s office. Even though she had her own studio now, she still visited Caleb Lockwood¡¯spany every day like clockwork. ¡°Caleb, is there anything special about these two bills?¡± ire stood beside Caleb, her slender hand resting on his shoulder, her face brimming with curiosity. Since she first arrived, Caleb had been fiddling with the bills in his hand. They were two in and ordinary banknotes¨Cneither brand new nor ancient, unblemished by marks or scribbles, seemingly genuine. ire couldn¡¯t fathom what made such unremarkable bills so captivating to Caleb, prompting him to examine them repeatedly all morning. ¡°Nothing special.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was calm and indifferent, as always. However, ire noticed the deepening curve of his smile, an enigmatic grin. No matter how she asked or expressed her curiosity, Caleb didn¡¯t exin the origin of the bills, nor did he put them away. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t go to the studio today. She drove to The Lockwood Estate to deliver some health supplements to Lance Lockwood. In the past, she would visit Serene Meadows Nursing Home weekly to see her mother and call Lance to check in. Recently, she¡¯s been preupied with her ownpany¡¯s affairs, neglecting these gestures. Serena first visited the nursing home, arriving at The Lockwood Estate around noon. The old residence usually housed only Lance Lockwood and the servants, so upon hearing of her return, Ms. Wang immediately came to assist her, and Lance instructed the cook to prepare several of her favorite dishes. For Serena, the old residence felt more like a warm home than The Jade Pavilion. ¡°Only Serena still thinks of me. But next time, don¡¯t buy anything. This is your home; you don¡¯t need to bring gifts when youe home.¡± Lance offered Serena a steamed egg with sea urchin using serving chopsticks. ¡°Here, eat more. You¡¯ve lost weight recently.¡± ¡°Grandpa, you really should take care of yourself!¡± Serena said while instructing Ms. Wang to give Lance the supplements she brought regrly. She had purchased these products from Faye Finch, trusting only The Wellness Pavilion for health items. 14 14 763 81 Chapter 81: Fighting a Divorce Case They chatted andughed casually for a while, and as the meal was winding down, Lance asked Serena: ¡°By the way, Serena¡­ has Caleb apologized to you?¡± Serena¡¯s chopsticks trembled in her hand before she tightened her grip. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± If sleeping together counts as an apology, then Caleb certainly has apologized. Last night, at The Seaside Vi, she and Caleb did. Serena originally thought it was her grandfather who needed her, but it was Caleb who, under the guise of her grandfather, tricked her intoing to The Seaside Vi. In the entire vi, it was just her and Caleb, and she couldn¡¯t resist him. 1 ¡°Grandpa said I stole your credit and your business, so I should apologize.¡± As Caleb was undressing, he said this. Regardless of how Lance learned that the popr jewelry under Lockwood was her design and that Caleb had taken her raw stones, asking Caleb to apologize was out of goodwill. Yet Caleb¡¯s chosen method of apology left Serena speechless. ¡°Stop pretending to be virtuous; when I sleep with you, you don¡¯t lose out. I know your response better than anyone.¡± Caleb tossed her onto the bed; when she resisted, he tied her hands with a tie. Yet the entire process wasn¡¯t rough; it was gentler, more patient than before, as if truly serving her. After it was all done, when Serena woke up, despite feeling hurt inside, she didn¡¯t want to be seen as weak by Caleb outwardly. She was d she had two hundred¨Cdor bills on hand at that time. In the morning, after showering and dressing, she waited for Caleb toe out of the bathroom and deliberately tossed the two hundred dors onto the bedside table in front of him. For a fleeting moment, Serena felt she saw a sh of humiliated anger in Caleb¡¯s eyes. She hadn¡¯t expected Lana Xavier¡¯s advice on throwing money as a form of payment worked surprisingly well. Serena decided that she needed to read more novels. At the dining table, Lance scrutinized Serena¡¯s face. From her expression alone, he could see that she and Caleb hadn¡¯t reconciled. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Lance put down his chopsticks, speaking earnestly, ¡°Do you still want to divorce Caleb?¡± Serena¡¯s hand holding the chopstick felt tense, as did her chest. ¡°Hmm¡­ 16:15 < 81 Chapter 81: Fighting a Divorce Case She nodded at Lance, hearing him sigh. She came here today, essentially to sound out Lance¡¯s opinion. Serena¡¯s worst¨Ccase scenario had been to wait for the two¨Cyear separation period; if Caleb didn¡¯t agree, the court would likely grant her a divorce. Yet her intentions were seen through by Caleb. Last night, Caleb told her: ¡°Don¡¯t think you can divorce after two years of separation. As long as we continue being intimate, the court won¡¯t rule for it.¡± Serena was genuinely afraid. She feared that after two years, she still couldn¡¯t divorce Caleb. Furthermore, during the marriage, Caleb wouldn¡¯t make her life any easier; such incidents asst night would likely ur again. She had to consider other options. But she didn¡¯t want to upset her grandfather, so she came first to prepare him mentally. Fortunately, Lance¡¯s sigh wasn¡¯t one of disappointment toward her but of helplessness and regret. Serena spent the afternoon chatting with Lance, but she clearly felt his mood decline after she expressed her continued desire to divorce Caleb. However, when she left the old residence, Lance clearly expressed to her that no matter what decision she made, he would support her. Serena searched online forw firms specializing in divorce cases. Yet as soon as they heard the opposing side was Caleb¡¯s team, they immediately backed away. Serena knew not to have high hopes. She was fully aware that with Caleb as her adversary, things wouldn¡¯t be easy to resolve, otherwise their divorce wouldn¡¯t have dragged on this long. Sitting by the roadside, Serena nibbled on some bread as she gazed at the bustling street before her, full of neon lights. Up to now, she couldn¡¯tprehend why Caleb was dead set against divorcing her. Since her grandfather was unconcerned, the reason obviously wasn¡¯t with him. Could it be her caregiving was so superb that Caleb was reluctant to let go? Serena found it both funny and frustrating. Tonight, City A¡¯s international racetrack was hosting a race. Ever since he became fascinated by the mysterious racing goddess Chloe Linton, Patrick Rhodes seemed obsessed, showing up here every day. 314 < 81 Chapter 81: Fighting a Divorce Case Whenever there was a race, he came, regardless of whether Chloe was participating. Persistence paid off, and finally, he managed to catch sight of her. Tonight, Chloe suddenly participated again and imed victory. But Patrick didn¡¯t stay for the award ceremony. He had already been lurking around the driver¡¯s changing room. Patrick knew his behavior was somewhat creepy. Yet his curiosity was overwhelming. No matter what, he wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity tonight. He¡¯s determined to catch a glimpse of Chloe! 82 Chapter 82: Bed Partner 82 Chapter 82: Bed Partner Mding 82 82 Chapter 82: Bed Partner Serena Jennings received her award and only removed her helmet when she reached the changing room door. 1 The women¡¯s changing room and the men¡¯s changing room were separate, and besides her, there was no one else here. Serena walked in wearing her racing suit, and came out having changed into her own clothes. Apart from the prize money, racing allowed Serena to relieve stress. The thrill of extreme cornering and the sense of aplishment when crossing the finish line first, even when reminiscing after the race ended, still excited her. At this point, night had already fallen. Outside the international racetrack, spectators who had watched the race were graduallying out, and the number of people dwindled until there was not a single figure left. The yellow Lamborghini Orion parked by the roadside had remained. Patrick Rhodes had been sitting inside it for almost half an hour. The image of Chloe Linton removing her helmet at the changing room door kept reying in his mind, his heart pounding all the way till now. ¡°How is it possible¡­¡± He muttered to himself, unable to make sense of it. ¡°Chloe Linton¡­ how could she be Serena Jennings?¡± The next day, Serena did not head to the office first; she drove to Tristan City. There¡¯s aw firm in Tristan City, rumored to have a partner, Felix Shepherd, who has never lost a divorce case. Serena had hit a wall in City A, so she nned to try her luck in Tristan City. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Jennings, even for a consultation there¡¯s a need to schedule in advance, and Lawyer Felix¡¯s appointments are already booked till the beginning of next year.¡± ¡°Booked till the beginning of next year?¡± Serena was shocked. Indeed, divorce cases are what keep these big and smallw firms alive, indicating just how many people want to divorce each year yet encounter difficulties. After wasting a trip, Serena drove back to City A, returning to her studio, ¡°Mr. Reed called, saying there¡¯s a social gathering tonight with big shots from the collectibles sector, and he wanted you to attend.¡± The person speaking to her was Quentin Xavier, fresh out of college, with little experience, doing odds and ends for her. ¡°I told you, just use my name. 26 16 < 82 Chapter 82: Bed Partner To Quentin, Serena was the boss. However, Serena really couldn¡¯t get used to people calling her this manager or that director, especially those she worked closely with, always feeling she hadn¡¯t reached that status yet. ¡°Ser¡­Serena?¡± Quentin tried tentatively, his cheeks reddening. Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Help me decline Mr. Reed¡¯s gathering tonight!¡± Though Mr. Reed was indeed a big fish in collectibles, Serena didn¡¯t think much of him. ¡°Ser¡­ena¡­¡± Quentin struggled a bit with the new address, ¡°Though I can tell you don¡¯t like socializing, we¡¯re just starting the studio; shouldn¡¯t we be a bit more proactive? You might think I¡¯m meddling, but I genuinely hope our studio thrives¡­ If we start off by offending Mr. Reed, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Serena understood the rest without Quentin needing to say it. ¡°¡­ Alright, just call Mr. Reed for me, tell him I¡¯ll be punctual at the social gathering tonight.¡± After speaking, she noticed Quentin¡¯s eyes light up. Perhaps it¡¯s because this was Quentin¡¯s first job, hence his enthusiasm! Serena smiled wryly, internally monologuing that Quentin might be worried the studio would copse right after its start. Quentin returned to his workstation, took out his phone, and secretly sent a WeChat message, using theputer monitor as cover. ire Shaw was driving when her phone beeped. While waiting at a red light, she picked it up to nce, seeing Quentin had sent her two words: 1 Done. Nighttime in City A was a dazzling disy. The so¨Ccalled social gathering by Mr. Reed and his group was actually in a karaoke bar. As Serena pushed the door open and entered, she immediately saw several scantily¨Cd ¡°princesses¡± apanying Mr. Reed¡¯s group, drinking and ying finger¨Cguessing games. The guests were all men, not a single woman. Serena felt like she hade to the wrong ce. ¡°Ah, President Jennings is here,e sit over here.¡± Mr. Reed pped his thigh with a sleazy smile. Serena chose a seat as far away from the group as possible. 15 15 244 82 Chapter 82 Bed Partner Though Mr. Reed wasn¡¯t overly pleased, he also knew Serena wasn¡¯t the type to sell out for money or resources. ¡°President Jennings, I mentioned at your studio¡¯s opening that AMS wants to customize a batch of pocket watches as gifts for its VIP customers, requiring a jewelry designer for intricate iys on the dials¨Ca highly skilled job¡­ I have high hopes for you¡­ and I¡¯ve already contacted AMS¡­¡± Mr. Reed¡¯s words stirred Serena¡¯s heart. However, Serena didn¡¯t rush to thank Mr. Reed, as such windfall opportunities rarely fall so simply onto one¡¯sp. Seeing Serena¡¯s calm expression with no reaction, Mr. Reed raised an eyebrow and continued: ¡°But¡­CL has also reached out to me, wanting this opportunity¡­¡± CL was indeed ire Shaw¡¯s studio. ¡°As you know, ire was rmended by President Vincent and has a dubious rtionship with Caleb Lockwood, the scion of The Lockwood Group. Even if I favor you more, I can¡¯t overlook the facades for President Lockwood and President Vincent¡­¡± As Mr. Reed spoke, he patted his thigh once more. ¡°So President Jennings, you have to show some sincerity to make me feel my introduction of this business wasn¡¯t in vain, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Serena knew such social gatherings were not devoid of veiled sexual implications. ¡°Then forget it!¡± She stood up to leave. ¡°Hey, President Jennings, don¡¯t be in such a hurry, sit down, sit down.¡± Mr. Reed lifted a ss of wine and handed it to Serena. ¡°At least drink a ss of wine with me, right?¡± With so many people watching, Serena couldn¡¯tpletely deny Mr. Reed even a ss of wine, so she tilted her neck and finished it. ¡°Great drink!¡± Mr. Reed¡¯s friends apuded collectively, and another ss of wine followed one after another before Serena. Serena stayed in that private room for an entire hour, drinking and singing until her throat felt hoarse and her stomach ached from the alcohol. Mr. Reed attempted several times to take advantage of Serena, but her refusals were so obvious that he dared not force himself. After all, Serena and Peter had a unique rtionship; some said Serena was Peter¡¯s girlfriend, others imed they were merely bed If it were thetter, Mr. Reed certainly wanted a piece of the pie. 76 15 324 < 82 Chapter 82: Bed Partner ¡°Mr. Reed, I really can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Serena staggered to her feet. This time, she had made a significant sacrifice, but ultimately secured the opportunity with AMS from Mr. Reed. Mr. Reed initially nned to seize the chance to send Serena home, but before he got close, Serena suddenly forced the door open and dashed out. She felt nauseous. Being unfamiliar with this KTV, and feeling mentally foggy from the alcohol, she vomited uncontrobly before reaching the restroom. Only after vomitingfortably did she notice the tip of a pair of men¡¯s leather shoes constantly in her view. Serena wiped her mouth with a tissue, straightening up and looking up. The man standing in front of her was unfamiliar to Serena, but the face was one she had seen before today, on a poster. Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 29 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts View All > ch.82 Mding 83 Terblo 83 Chapter 83: Sleep With Me Once 83 Chapter 83: Sleep With Me Once Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help but stare at the man¡¯s face, her eyes going wide. 1 Felix Shepherd chuckled. ¡°Am I really that handsome?¡± Serena finally realized she had been rude, and withdrew her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡°You vomited on my shoes like this, and all you have to say is sorry?¡± The man¡¯s attitude was unfriendly, and Serena furrowed her brow. So the famouswyer Felix Shepherd of Tristan City, who had never lost a divorce case, was this kind of person. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I drank too much. How much are these shoes? I¡¯ll pay you double.¡± Serena offered her business card to Felix Shepherd. Felix took the card, nced at it, and raised an eyebrow lightly. ¡°No need for you to pay, just kneel down and clean them for me.¡± Serena was stunned, sobered up considerably. ¡°Mr. Shepherd, if you talk like that, I¡¯ll call the police.¡± ¡°You know myst name is Shepherd?¡± Serena covered her mouth, while Felix Shepherd stood with his hands on his hips, chuckling with triumph. ¡°Oh, I remember now, you¡¯re the one who came to my firm today seeking advice for divorce litigation, right?¡± Indeed, Serena had registered at the front desk earlier that day, but she hadn¡¯t expected Felix to remember. Felix had returned to the firm and casually nced at the registration book, noticing Serena¡¯s name and phone number. It matched the contents of the business card Serena had given him. Felix eyed Serena up and down. Few peoplee to KTV dressed as if attending an interview, and even fewer with a stunning appearance like Serena. Felix licked his lips. ¡°Do you know how many peoplee to me for divorce cases?¡± ¡°The front desk said the queue is already up to early next year.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Felix walked briskly forward, and Serena instinctively moved back. 15-16 179 > 83 Chapter 83: Sleep With Me Once The KTV corridor was narrow, and Serena was cornered against the wall. ¡°Is your husband difficult to deal with?¡± Felix took another step closer, nearly pressing Serena against the wall. Seeing Serena silent, he assumed she tacitly agreed. ¡°I can make an exception for you.¡± ¡°Under what conditions?¡± Serena didn¡¯t believe Felix Shepherd was so kind¨Chearted. ¡°Sleep with me once.¡± Felix said his condition with such conviction that Serena found him unreasonable. She pushed Felix away. ¡°Others who want to cut the queue at least sleep with me for a week!¡± Felix¡¯s shout echoed behind her, making Serena feel sick. ¡°You¡¯re not even a virgin anymore, and you¡¯re going through a divorce¨Cwhat¡¯s this, trying to erect a chastity monument for your ex- husband?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t endure it any longer, turning back around. Felix thought Serena had agreed to his terms. He began to smile, only to be met with a hard p across the face. Serena didn¡¯t hold back, using her full strength for the p. Felix was stunned. He wiped his mouth with his thumb, which was immediately stained red with blood. Serena had thought Felix would finally behave, but instead, he took out a business card. It seemed Felix initially intended to tuck the card into Serena¡¯s chest. She was wearing a shirt buttoned all the way up from the first to thest button. Perhaps because he had been pped, or maybe due to Serena¡¯s conservatively buttoned shirt, Felix was left with nowhere to ce the card. In the end, he stuck his card on Serena¡¯s purse, ¡°Come find me if you change your mind¨Csleep with me once and you can rid yourself of your troublesome husband for life. Oh, and I can give you a discount on the litigation fees; it¡¯s quite a bargain.¡± Serena rolled her eyes internally but didn¡¯t discard Felix Shepherd¡¯s business card. Though the unpleasant incident with Felix left Serena quite annoyed, she soon became busy with AMS¡¯s orders and put the matter < 83 Chapter 83: Sleep With Me Once behind her. AMS is a high¨Cend fashion brand, and this batch of custom pocket watches for VIP clients could be the key for Serena¡¯s brand J Jewelry to break into the market. Serena valued this opportunity dearly and contacted Peter to reach FY¡¯s confidential factory for the Piano Series¡® iy work. On this end, AMS had just approved the sample Serena submitted, while elsewhere, Peter brought more good news ¨C The LD Jewelry Fashion Week organizers will hold the first New Star Jewelry Design Competition early next month, and the winner will qualify to participate in LD Jewelry Fashion Week. Without consulting Serena, Peter had already signed her up. Designers backed by one of the world¡¯s top ten jewelry brands could skip the preliminary selection and directly enter the semifinals. Serena thanked Peter profusely over the phone, eventually inviting him to dinner. Despite only securing the semifinal qualification, Serena was as happy as if she¡¯d won thepetition. However, this good mood didn¡¯tst long. Serena¡¯s studio only had a few employees. Besides Quentin Xavier, the other two were women, named Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young. The group often chatted andughed together, creating a rxed work atmosphere. But just now, the office suddenly went quiet as a mouse. Serena couldn¡¯t fathom why Caleb Lockwood would appear in her studio. Caleb came alone. Neither Mr. Miller nor ire Shaw was with him. Thest time Serena met Caleb was at The Seaside Vi, where after spending the night together, she had thrown him two hundred dors as payment. Since then she hadn¡¯t actively contacted Caleb, nor had Caleb sought her out. Serena thought perhaps she¡¯d offended or upset him with that two hundred dors. Quentin, Sharon, and Nancy weren¡¯t aware of Serena¡¯s marital rtionship with Caleb. However, they all knew Caleb was thepetitor CE¡¯s or ire Shaw¡¯spany 1 backing The office air conditioning hadn¡¯t changed temperature, but Caleb¡¯s arrival inexplicably made everyone shiver. Caleb walked straight to Serena¡¯s desk, his gaze ignoring everyone else. Serena couldn¡¯t discern Caleb¡¯s purpose for visiting. If it was due to those two hundred dors, she thought Caleb¡¯s reaction time was overly long. 15:15 < 83 Chapter 83: Sleep With Me Once ¡°What brings you here?¡± Serena asked business¨Clike, while Caleb replied with a cold chuckle. ¡°I missed you¡­ How¡¯s that for a reason?¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened. The three staff members beside her were also stunned. They all pretended to be busy working but were actually sneaking nces at Serena and Caleb. ¡°Did you take the wrong medicine today?¡± Serena asked Caleb. ¡°Did you take explosives today?¡± Caleb asked back. If Caleb¡¯s previous words led Sharon and the others to mistakenly think that he and Serena were romantically involved, their current demeanor confused them further. ¡°I heard¡­ you¡¯ve entered the semifinals of the New Star Jewelry Design Competition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Withdraw.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone matched exactly when he told her not to open her own studio. ¡°President Lockwood, you¡¯re an investor in CL, not J Jewelry, so I don¡¯t seem to have any obligation to obey you!¡± Seeing Serena opposing him, Calebughed. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re more confident speaking in your own territory¡­¡± Suddenly, he leaned in to whisper in Serena¡¯s ear: ¡°Where was that assertiveness on the bed?¡± Comment 0 chapter,ETSZINEER Leave the firstment for this chapter 20 ~ Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Send Gifts 971 Mding 84 84 Chapter 84: Agreeing to Divorce Me Serena¡¯s face flushed. 1 ¡°Quentin, why don¡¯t you take Sharon and Nancy out for some market research?¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­okay¡­¡± Even though Quentin was a beat slow in reacting, he understood Serena¡¯s intention and immediately took Sharon and Nancy out of the office. Now with no one else in the office, Serena didn¡¯t have to worry about her rtionship with Caleb Lockwood being exposed or someone seeing her blush. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, what exactly are you here for today?¡± Serena demanded. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say? You should withdraw from thepetition!¡± Caleb¡¯s tone left no room for negotiation; it was an order. Serena found it amusing. The golden opportunity she had waited so long for, and Caleb says to withdraw just like that?! In Serena¡¯s dark, grape¨Clike eyes, Caleb saw intense resistance. ¡°Withdrawing¡­ is to save your face because you won¡¯t win.¡± Serena still remembered thest time Caleb said something simr was when ire also started her own studio. ¡°Are you saying ire is participating in this New Star Jewelry Design Contest too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Caleb¡¯s answer was both within Serena¡¯s expectations and seemed illogical to her. ¡°Didn¡¯t ire obtain an introduction letter from President Grant, securing the opportunity to participate in the LD Jewelry Fashion Week?¡± Serena finished asking and just heard Caleb chuckling softly. Theughter was disdainful. As if mocking her ignorance. ¡°ire is different from you. Your goal is just a small jewelry fashion week, but ire¡¯s aim is to make CL. the number one jewelry brand globally.¡± Caleb vividly described ire¡¯s ambitious goals, but Serena found itughable. Even FY wouldn¡¯t dare im they could be the number one jewelry brand globally. 16 16 476 < 84 Chapter 84: Agreeing to Divorce Me However, with The Lockwood Group as her backing, ire does have some possibility. Winning the jewelry design contest could indeed bolster ire¡¯s personal resume. ¡°Since she¡¯speting, all the more reason for me not to withdraw.¡± The words were meant more for herself to hear than for Caleb. ¡°So how many times do you have to lose to ire before you give up?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t answer Caleb¡¯s question. As far as her memory served, she always seemed to lose to ire. She lost whenpeting for Caleb. She lost the rmendation from Ronan Ross. She also lost the anniversary gift for Leo Grant. Serena¡¯s face went pale, while Caleb¡¯s lips curved upward. ¡°Serena, it¡¯s important to know oneself.¡± Caleb¡¯s words ended there. Serena¡¯s embarrassment peaked. At this moment, Caleb received a phone call, not a business call, but one from ire. ¡°Caleb, I have a social event tonight. Can you apany me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But then you¡¯ll have to drink on my behalf again. I feel so sorry for you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s my duty.¡± Listening to Caleb unting his affection for ire on the phone, Serena recalled how she had drunk to the point of vomiting to secure an AMS order with Mr. Huang. Later, she went to the hospital for a check¨Cup and nearly had a stomach perforation. The person who took her home was Lana Xavier. Where was Caleb? Probably apanying ire! Serena suddenly realized that Caleb only thought of her asionally when he wanted to vent his desires. A chill surged through her, and she sighed just as Caleb finished his call. Caleb was looking into Serena¡¯s eyes. Serena¡¯s eyes were beautiful. 15.16 < 84 Chapter 84: Agreeing to Divorce Me Yet the gaze wasplex. There was anger, disappointment, pain¡­ Soplex it was indescribable. Caleb spoke softly, ¡°What, are you jealous?¡± Serena remained silent. Having nothing more to say, Caleb turned to leave. Just as he was about to walk out of Serena¡¯s office, Serena¡¯s clear voice suddenly spoke from behind: ¡°Caleb¡­do you really want me to withdraw?¡± Caleb turned his head. With no verbal response, it was taken as agreement. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we make a bet!¡± This bet made a rare hint of interest sh in Caleb¡¯s deep, cold eyes. ¡°What kind of bet?¡± Serena saw that Caleb¡¯s appetite had been whetted, so she said, ¡°A bet on who will win the New Star Jewelry Design Contest between ire and me. If I win¡­you agree to divorce me.¡± Caleb¡¯s deep eyes seemed to stir like a hurricane when he heard the word ¡°divorce¡± from Serena¡¯s mouth. Despite Serena¡¯s calm exterior, internally she was a bundle of nerves. What she feared wasn¡¯t losing to ire in the jewelry design contest. What she feared was Caleb not epting this bet. The silence in the office stretched longer than Serena had anticipated, Serena wasn¡¯t sure how long the wordless stare between her and Calebsted until finally, she saw Caleb slightly move his thin lips: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bet After he spoke, Caleb left Serena¡¯s office without turning his head. Serena slumped in her chair, her heart pounding. Caleb actually¡­epted? Serena touched her chest, feeling no sense of reality. The previously resistant Caleb now epted her bet about the divorce, leaving Serena uncertain whether it was because Caleb was overly confident in ire winning or for some other reason. 1516 < 84 Chapter 84: Agreeing to Divorce Me However, regardless of the reasons, the stagnant divorce between Caleb and Serena finally took a fresh step forward. For Serena, whether to advance her brand or finally divorce Caleb, this New Star Jewelry Design Contest was something she had to win; losing was not an option. After leaving Serena¡¯spany, Caleb went to ire¡¯s studio. Stopping first at a flower shop to buy a bouquet of pink roses. ¡°Are you saying Serena is also participating in the New Star Jewelry Design Contest?¡± When Caleb brought this news to ire, ire was surprised. ¡°Serena is just ridiculous; despite hitting walls so many times before, why does she keep copying me!¡± ire pretended to be regretful, ¡°I open a studio, she opens one; I seek collectors, she seeks them; I want to go to LD Jewelry Fashion Week, she also wants to go¡­now I¡¯ve entered the contest and she¡¯s registered too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s called imitating.¡± Caleb¡¯s words made ire stifle augh inside. As long as Serena¡¯s image remained this way in Caleb¡¯s mind, the position of Mrs. Lockwood would soon be hers. ¡°Serena has bypassed the preliminary selection and entered the first round through Peter¡¯s connections. Although Lockwood Group is not among the top ten global jewelry brands, leave this matter to me, and I¡¯ll ensure you¡¯re also in the first round¡­whatever Serena has, you¡¯ll have too.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was as indifferent as ever, yet his tone was confident. ire believed Caleb would keep his word. The two chatted for a while longer about this contest, but Caleb said not a single word to ire about Serena¡¯s bet on the divorce. Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. 29 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Send Gifts < 85 Chapter 85: Burn All the Fabric Covering Serena Jennings¡¯s Legs Mding 85 85 Chapter 85: Burn All the Fabric Covering Serena Jennings¡¯s Legs With the bet made with Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings was more motivated. 1 The preliminary topic of the Nova Jewelry Design Competition was ¡°The Ocean¡°. The first impression of the ocean is blue, so Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young both suggested that Serena design a piece with sapphires or blue diamonds. Serena could tell that they still had a romanticized image of the Heart of the Ocean from Titanic. Though Heart of the Ocean is a ssic, because it already exists, Serena felt that it was difficult to exceed it in design. At worst, new designs could be used of giarism and imitation. Serena thought for an entire day before starting to draw. When she got tired of drawing, she would sleep on her desk. Surprisingly, the drawing process went smoother than she had imagined. Over at CL, when ire Shaw learned that Serena was also participating in the Nova Jewelry Design Competition, she tasked Quentin Xavier to obtain Serena¡¯s designs for the preliminary round at any cost. Quentin, originally her employee and utterly devoted to her, was secretly ced in Serena¡¯s studio. This way, ire could keep tabs on Serena¡¯s activities. In the general manager¡¯s office, ire Shaw was drawing. The jewelry she was drawing looked very much like the Heart of the Ocean at first nce but even more luxurious. Around the heart¨Cshaped main stone, ire drew three full circles of small diamonds, believing they not only fit the ¡°Ocean¡± theme but also showcased her design as a reinvention and enhancement of the past Heart of the Ocean. Just as the sketch wasplete, her phone rang. When she saw that it was a picture from Quentin, ire¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. She opened the image eagerly, but the smile on her lips gradually froze. The Nova Jewelry Design Competition only allotted a week for each participant to prepare their preliminary designs. A weekter, participants had to submit their designs and photos of their finished pieces on thepetition¡¯s official website, and two weekster, the list of designers advancing to the semi¨Cfinal and their scores would be published online. Serena was confident she would advance to the semi¨Cfinal. As she expected, two weekster, she saw her name on the list announced online. Of course, she also saw ire Shaw¡¯s name there. Even till now, Serena did not think her design skills were inferior to ire¡¯s. However, in the previous two direct confrontations, it had always been ire who won decisively, which made Serena reluctant to 15.16 < 85 Chapter 85: Burn All the Fabric Covering Serena Jennings¡¯s Legs underestimate ire¡¯s capabilities. In this preliminary, out of twenty designers who passed, only Serena and ire did not use sapphires to represent the ¡°Ocean¡± theme. They used pearls. When Serena saw ire¡¯s design disyed on the official website, she was astonished. ¡°ire has such a telepathic connection with me?¡± Serena furrowed her brows. She chose top¨Cquality Australian white pearls as the main stone and used sapphires and small diamonds as side stones to create a wave- patterned brooch. Simrly, ire also used Australian white pearls, but instead of a brooch, she designed a pendant. Upon carefulparison, Serena found that ire¡¯s pearl pendant, also primarily an Australian white pearl with sapphires and small diamonds as side stones, initially looked like an olive branch. But upon close inspection, was cleverly designed and could also be interpreted as waves. The concept was exactly like Serena¡¯s brooch. However, Serena¡¯s brooch scored lower than ire¡¯s pendant. Coincidence? Serena drew a question mark in her mind. What if it wasn¡¯t a coincidence? Serena remembered, back when she was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s secretary at The Lockwood Group, she was also an FY designer. And her designs¡­ had once been giarized by ire Shaw. Serena wasn¡¯t someone who cared deeply about design. Because design was never her passion. But now that she had decided to rely on design for a living, she couldn¡¯t afford not to care. In the office, Quentin brought a steaming cup of coffee to Serena¡¯s hand. His job here was ratherplex, frequently bringing tea and water for Serena, so even though he had been more attentive recently, it hadn¡¯t aroused suspicion. Quentin believed Serena was unfit to be a designer. Serena¡¯s drawings were always scattered around the office; even someone with ulterior motives like him couldn¡¯t miss them. Even a bank employee sneaking in to persuade them to open ounts could see them. If someone as disrespectful to design as Serena could be a designer, Quentin thought then he could also be one. 15.16 < 85 Chapter 85: Burn All the Fabric Covering Serena Jennings¡¯s Legs ire promised him that as long as he did well as an undercover agent at Serena¡¯s, she would promote him to lead designer and provide him with resources. In other words, the day Serena lost the semi¨Cfinal would be the day he made a name for himself. ¡°Serena, I haven¡¯t seen you preparing for the semi¨Cfinaltely. The deadline is approaching!¡± For several days, Quentin noticed that Serena either reviewed documents or was on her way to review documents, not moving a pen. He couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already submitted my final work.¡± After Serena spoke, instead of seeing surprise or congrattions on Quentin¡¯s face, she noticed a hint of panic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Quentin shook his head, and forced a smile at Serena, ¡°If you¡¯re all set, that¡¯s good to hear.¡± Making an excuse, he left the studio and urgently contacted ire. Three dayster, the Nova Jewelry Design Competition website updated the list, showing ten designers had passed the semi¨Cfinal and entered the finals. Both Serena and ire advanced. This semi¨Cfinal¡¯s topic was ¡°Cabbage¡°. Ny percent of designers chose to design a jade cabbage ornament, including ire. Only Serena designed a diamond ring. This time, Serena finally didn¡¯t see her design concept reflected in ire¡¯s work. Whereas her only difference this timepared tost was- Not drawing in the office. Serena closed the webpage and sighed. The Lockwood Group. Caleb Lockwood was sitting in his office, viewing the Nova Jewelry Design Competition website. He knew that ire Shaw had advanced to the finals. Knock knock! With two knocks on the door, Mr. Miller walked in. ¡°President Lockwood, tonight¡¯s agenda is to have dinner with Mr. Li. The location is at The Londer Hotel¡± After Mr. Miller spoke, he didn¡¯t receive a response from Caleb Lockwood. Rarely did he see Caleb so intently focused on staring at his phone, 324 7810 < 85 Chapter 85: Burn All the Fabric Covering Serena Jennings¡¯s Legs His left fingertip remained on the phone screen. ¡°President Lockwood?¡± Mr. Miller called again. This time, Caleb responded, finally scrolling past the diamond and emerald¨Cframed cabbage¨Cshaped ring image on the screen. At night, at The Londer Hotel. Serena got out after parking her car, her ck professional attire exuding a sense of elite white¨Ccor professionalism. As she walked into the hotel, she saw Felix Shepherd waiting for her from a distance. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to dress a bit nicer?¡± Felix looked Serena up and down, his gaze almost hooking onto her. ¡°Aren¡¯t I dressed nicely now?¡± Serena asked coldly. ¡°You are nice, just a bit too buttoned¨Cup.¡± Felix squinted, his M fabric covering them. lingered fervently on Serena¡¯s long legs, as if wanting to burn away the Comment O Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 86 86 Chapter 86: I Can Show You the Marriage Certificate ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a professional outfit like this usually be paired with a pencil skirt?¡± 1 Ever since Felix Shepherd started sizing her up, Serena Jennings¡¯s skin crawled. But she acted calm. ¡°I changed into pants just for you. How does it feel? Does it make you all warm and fuzzy?¡± Felix heard Serena¡¯s sarcasm, hinting he was a lecher. ¡°What, do you think I¡¯m a real womanizer?¡± ¡°I never said that.¡± Felix shrugged and smiled, gentlemanly pulling out a chair for Serena. Serena sat down. She was meeting Felix tonight because he had proactively contacted her, saying he could advise her on filing for divorce. Serena was well aware that Felix had ulterior motives, but she still wanted to hear what Felix had to say. After all, she couldn¡¯t be sure that if she won her bet, Caleb Lockwood would ept the oue. ¡°Lust is a man¡¯s nature¡­ Take your husband, for example. He probably cheated because he thinks you¡¯re not sexy, not feminine enough, Felix drank wine while eloquently exining. Serena hadn¡¯t told Felix why she wanted a divorce, nor had she revealed that Caleb Lockwood was her husband. She hadn¡¯t even mentioned infidelity. Butwyers always have their ways, and Serena couldn¡¯t say how much Felix knew about her. ¡°I just want to know how I can divorce my husband.¡± Serena was in no mood to hear Felix¡¯s nonsense, so she cut straight to the chase. Felix smiled and offered her a drink, which she downed in one go. Seeing Serena drink so readily, Felix also responded candidly. ¡°If an uncontested divorce doesn¡¯t work out, you¡¯ll have to go the litigation route. To improve the chances of a favorable court ruling, you¡¯ll need to provide more evidence of your husband¡¯s wrongdoing¡± ¡°Wrongdoing¡­¡± Serena recalled how she¡¯d once spent a fortune hiring a detective to follow Caleb, but had still failed to obtain solid evidence of his infidelity. ¡°If you can¡¯t prove wrongdoing, you¡¯ll have to show that your rtionship has indeed broken down.¡± Felix continued. 15.16 < 86 Chapter 86: I Can Show You the Marriage Certificate Serena listened intently, not noticing the gaze from another table. Mr. Li noticed Caleb had been distracted all evening, intermittently ncing at the corner. Curious, he craned his neck to look, seeing a man and a woman engaged in conversation. ¡°Does President Lockwood know Attorney Shepherd?¡± Mr. Li asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Caleb nodded. ¡°No wonder President Lockwood keeps looking over there.¡± Mr. Li finally understood why Caleb was so absent¨Cminded tonight. ¡°Attorney Shepherd is great atwsuits, highlypetent, but I remember he never does corporate legal work, not even nominally.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Caleb nodded again. ¡°I guess the woman sitting opposite him must be looking to hire Attorney Shepherd for a divorce case!¡± This time, Caleb didn¡¯t say ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Attorney Shepherd specializes in divorce cases, hasn¡¯t lost a single one in ten years. But don¡¯t be fooled by his respectable appearance; he¡¯s quite the yboy in private. Almost every woman who hires him for a divorce ends up sleeping with him. This one¡¯s quite pretty¡­ President Lockwood, should we¡­¡± Before Mr. Li could finish his sentence, Caleb, who had been sitting opposite him, was nowhere to be found. Serena was in the middle of her consultation when suddenly a man sat next to Felix. Serena froze. Felix was also taken aback. ¡°President Lockwood, what brings you here¡­¡± Seeing Caleb, Felix¡¯s face briefly showed confusion, but soon he understood. ¡°I see, President Lockwood suddenly sat over¡­ because he¡¯s interested in me?¡± At this point, he suddenly turned to look at Serena sitting opposite. ¡°Surely he¡¯s not interested in my client here!¡± Caleb neither confirmed nor denied, calmly countering: ¡°Did you take her case?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± ¡°Then she¡¯s not your client¡± Felix opened his mouth but found himself unable to argue. The atmosphere at the table became awkward, yet Caleb remainedposed and coolly spoke: ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, carry on.¡± 15.16 < 86 Chapter 86: I Can Show You the Marriage Certificate Serena: ¡­ Felix: ¡­ The three exchanged silent nces until Felix answered a phone call. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ I¡¯ll head over now.¡± After hanging up, Felix looked at both Serena and Caleb. ¡°My client has some issues, so I¡¯ll be going. I¡¯ve covered the meal, take your time chatting.¡± On his way out, he bent down to whisper in Serena¡¯s ear: ¡°We¡¯ll get in touchter.¡± With that, Felix left, but Serena felt Felix was making an excuse to leave because his phone hadn¡¯t rung once, not even vibrating. Unless Felix and his client had telepathic powers. Serena could tell Felix was already suspicious about her rtionship with Caleb, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have stared at Caleb while whispering in her ear. After Felix left, the silence between Serena and Caleb grew deeper. Serena had been drinking tonight and couldn¡¯t drive, so she thought of calling for a driver. Just as she started dialing, Caleb snatched her phone. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Serena was a bit annoyed. Caleb ended the call and returned her phone. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll drive you home, using your car.¡± ¡°No need to trouble President Lockwood, I can call a driver.¡± ¡°Hiring a driver is expensive. Since you¡¯re looking to hire Felix for a divorce case, that¡¯ll cost a lot, I¡¯m just helping you save money.¡± Caleb¡¯s words amused Serena, who chuckled coldly, ¡°Drivers are expensive, so is President Lockwood cheap?¡± ¡°Very cheap, two hundred a trip.¡± Serena was taken aback by the figure of two hundred. She felt it wasn¡¯t just sensitivity, Caleb seemed to still be resentful over the time she threw him two hundred as payment. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Caleb. Since Caleb wanted to be her driver, she let him. Caleb drove Serena¡¯s white BMW Series 3, while she sat in the passenger seat. ¡°Did you modify this car?¡± Caleb asked while driving, but Serena didn¡¯t answer. 15 17 37 < 86 Chapter 86: I Can Show You the Marriage Certificate Caleb didn¡¯t push further but changed the subject. ¡°You¡¯re looking for Felix because you¡¯re not confident in winning the championship?¡± Serena remained silent, hearing Caleb¡¯s mysterious chuckle. As the car neared her apartment, Serena gripped the seatbelt. She felt slightly tense. Whenever she was alone with Caleb, she felt nervous, especially in enclosed spaces like cars, rooms. Serena knew Caleb always had women around. But when Caleb wanted to vent, he still sought her out, and she found it hard to resist Caleb, both in terms of identity and strength. ¡°Not inviting me in for a sit?¡± Caleb asked as he parked the car, turning to Serena. ¡°Why should I invite my driver in?¡± Serena retorted, sending Caleb a red envelope. Caleb epted; inside was two hundred. ¡°Besides being your driver, I¡¯m also your husband. If you¡¯ve forgotten, I can show you the marriage certificate.¡± Comment O Leave the firstment for this chapter 29 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Average Mding 87 < 87 Chapter 87: Are You Afraid of Me Touching You? 87 Chapter 87: Are You Afraid of Me Touching You? ¡°Soon it won¡¯t be.¡± 1 Serena Jennings unfastened her seatbelt, and Caleb Lockwood did the same. This action made Serena¡¯s already tense body even more rigid. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Suddenly, Caleb leaned over and propped himself against the passenger door. Serena found herself trapped between the seat and Caleb¡¯s arm, holding her breath. ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Caleb¡¯s slightly upturned smile had a fatal attraction, and his gaze was like brilliant stars in the night sky. Serena¡¯s chest tightened even more. ¡°Are you afraid I¡¯ll touch you?¡± Seeing the panic in Serena¡¯s eyes, Caleb chuckled and released her, taking out his phone. ¡°Mr. Miller, have you arrived?¡± Serena faintly heard Mr. Miller¡¯s response on the other end of the phone: ¡°Yes, I¡¯m right behind Miss Jennings¡® car.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Caleb hung up the phone and turned to Serena, ¡°I can hardly drive your car back, can I?¡± In other words, Caleb unfastened his seatbelt to get out and return to his own car, not with any improper intentions towards Serena. Serena¡¯s face burned with embarrassment. Not only did Caleb guess her thoughts, but she also misunderstood him. Bathed in Caleb¡¯s mocking gaze, she seemed to hear him say: ¡°You overestimate your charm.¡± Both Serena and Caleb got out of the car, with Caleb heading to the back and Serena to the front. As they passed each other, Caleb¡¯s maic voice, like a cool summer breeze, brushed past Serena¡¯s car. ¡°Good luck with the finals. I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± It sounded like encouragement, but Serena wouldn¡¯t interpret it as Caleb encouraging her. ¡°Of course, I will do my best!¡± 53 87 < 87 Chapter 87: Are You Afraid of Me Touching You? Turning around, Serena called out to Caleb¡¯s tall figure, ¡°To be able to divorce you.¡± Caleb¡¯s steps suddenly halted. Under the streetlight, his shadow stretched long and lonely. Serena watched his back. She watched Caleb not turn around as he calmly got into the imperial blue Bentley. The next day, the official website of the New Star Jewelry Design Competition announced the theme for the finals. The theme was Al. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too difficult?¡± Sharon Sandersined. ¡°Al and jewelry design¡­ they seem worlds apart, and we can¡¯t just design a robot, can we?¡± Nancy Young stroked her chin, troubled. In reality, thispetition had nothing to do with them, but they were as spirited as if they¡¯d had a shot of adrenaline, since Serena was zing through to the finals. If she won, their studio would soar to sess. Even if she didn¡¯t win, cing in the top three would still mean prize money. Serena wasn¡¯t a stingy boss, and they¡¯d surely receive performance bonuses then. Quentin Xavier rarely joined the conversations between Sharon and Nancy; he brewed a cup of coffee and brought it to Serena¡¯s desk. Serena was engrossed in sketching,pletely focused. The requirements for the finals were slightly different from the initial rounds; the preparation time was a whole month, and only sketches needed to be submitted online. Later, on the day of the finals, they would personally create the final work on¨Csite. Quentin stood silently beside Serena, like air. He watched as Serena sketched and modified her drawings until a distinct outline of a robot appeared on paper. So, it is a robot¡­ Quentin sneered. It seemed that Serena was only at that level. Although, when Al was mentioned, his first thought was also a robot, but he expected Serena to have different ideas. Initially, Quentin applied to ire Shaw¡¯s studio because he had seen the Lockwood Group¡¯s recent hits. At that time, ire was still the manager of the Lockwood Jewels design department In Quentin¡¯s eyes, ire was very talented. Moreover, ire was beautiful, and Quentin thought any healthy man would like a woman as beautiful and talented as ire. And ire considered Serena her rival. 16 17 314 < 87 Chapter 87: Are You Afraid of Me Touching You? So Quentin thought Serena should have some exceptional qualities. Not until Serena finished her sketch did she notice Quentin standing by her side. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Quentin snapped back and was about to hand over the coffee but found it had gone cold. ¡°No¡­¡± Quentin awkwardly took a sip of his cold coffee and said, ¡°I saw you were so focused on drawing that I didn¡¯t want to interrupt you. Isn¡¯t this final¡¯s theme too abstract? So, are you nning to design a robot? Won¡¯t everyone else think the same? Besides, a robot isn¡¯t really jewelry!¡± Quentin thought he sounded natural, and there was no way Serena would suspect anything. ¡°I¡¯m not designing a robot but rather robot earrings, with a bit of a futuristic feel¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about shing designs with others?¡± ¡°No,¡± Serena shook her head, her face brimming with confidence. ¡°The robot earrings I¡¯m designing are meant to be paired with headphones, to highlight both futurism and technology.¡± Hearing Serena¡¯s words, Quentin realized for the first time that Serena was a worthy opponent for ire Shaw. ¡°Oh, here you go, for brainpower,¡± Quentin gave Serena a piece of chocte, and as it was lunchtime, he went out to grab some food. ire Shaw was worried about the finals. After thest round, she found her ideas often resembled others¨Cunless she copied Serena. This Al theme surely led many to think of robot elements; without standing out, winning would be tough. She¡¯d already secured a spot at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, so this win wasn¡¯t crucial for her. However, she couldn¡¯t bear to see Serena win. Especially in front of Caleb Lockwood. ire bit her pen in frustration, seeing Quentin¡¯s messages an hourter. During thest round, Serena didn¡¯t sketch at the studio, so naturally, Quentin couldn¡¯t get his hands on her designs. ire almost believed Quentin had beenpromised! But now¡­ ire gazed at her phone, the screen illuminating the glee in her eyes. Blue Ocean International Convention Hall. For the general public, a jewelry designpetition may seem niche, but insiders took it very seriously. 344 < 87 Chapter 87: Are You Afraid of Me Touching You? This final attracted both domestic and international experts, especially since designers would craft their works by hand on¨Csite, testing not just design prowess but craftsmanship as well. Designs were pre¨Csubmitted to the website, and materials were the designers¡® responsibility. Serena brought no assistant, pushing her wheeled luggage towards the convention hall entrance. ¡°Serena!¡± Upon hearing her name, Serena turned to see ire Shaw. ire, like Serena, had no assistant. But she wasn¡¯t exactly alone. Caleb Lockwood stood beside her, pushing a suitcase. ¡°Why are you by yourself?¡± ire intentionally nced around, ¡°You¡¯re a boss now, why not bring an assistant to help?¡± Serena could see that ire was unting Caleb¡¯s presence. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 88 88 Chapter 88: ire Has This in the Bag Serena Jennings gave a slight smile and asked ire, ¡°How much did Ms. Shaw spend to hire President Lockwood as an assistant, is it also two hundred?¡± 1 The word ¡°also¡± from Serena made ire¡¯s smile slightly stiffen. She proactively took Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm, ¡°Caleb, why would Serena talk about you this way, how could you be so cheap?¡± ¡°Anyway, he only charged two hundred to drive,¡± Serena deliberately brought up this matter. Judging from ire¡¯s reaction, she clearly didn¡¯t know that Caleb drove Serena home that night. Serena was going to divorce Caleb. But it didn¡¯t stop her from enjoying seeing ire ufortable. ire¡¯s gaze at Caleb was clearly curious about what the deal was with the two hundred between him and Serena. Unfortunately, Caleb¡¯s gaze remained on Serena¡¯s face all along. ¡°I charge two hundred not only for driving but also for sleeping together.¡± Caleb said this casually, and now it was Serena who felt a bit uneasy. However, the one who felt the most ufortable was ire. She barely maintained her smile but inside she wished she could tear Serena apart. Why was it that, even though Serena and Caleb had been separated for so long, Caleb still wanted to sleep with her? ire gripped Caleb¡¯s arm too tightly, drawing his attention. ¡°ire, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ire came back to her senses and shook her head, ¡°Maybe the sun is affecting me.¡± Caleb reached out his hand to shield ire from the sun. Watching the shadow of Caleb¡¯srge hand cast on ire¡¯s face, akin to a blooming smile, Serena pushed her suitcase and silently stepped away. ¡°Isn¡¯t Peter here for your finals?¡± Not expecting Caleb to still be speaking to her, Serena casually replied, ¡°He has a meeting in the afternoon.¡± Peter initially wanted toe, but as a director of FY, he couldn¡¯t skip a board meeting just for Serena. ¡°Let me take that!¡± Without waiting for Serena¡¯s agreement, Caleb took her suitcase away. 118 17 14 88 Chapter 88: ire Has This in the Bag He held a suitcase in each hand and walked into the hall first. ire and Serena faced each other. ¡°Caleb is just so thoughtful.¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s my husband, who else would he be thoughtful for if not me.¡± Serena¡¯s retort made ire¡¯s expression change suddenly. ¡°Serena, Caleb doesn¡¯t love you; the one he loves is me!¡± ire proimed fiercely. Serena felt nothing inside. After all, she already knew this long ago; it was nothing new. ¡°Wait until he actually marries you, then it¡¯s not toote to say that.¡± After leaving this remark, Serena walked into the hall. Today was the finals; it wasn¡¯t worth getting distracted by ire and Caleb. All ten finalists were in arge enough preparation room; Caleb handed one suitcase each to Serena and ire. At that moment, Leo Grant and Ronan Ross arrived. Seeing Caleb, they were not surprised. ¡°President Lockwood is sessful in business and still so considerate to his girlfriend.¡± Leo teased Caleb. Caleb smiled politely without saying much. They didn¡¯t specify who the girlfriend was, but Serena knew well that Caleb¡¯s public girlfriend was definitely not referring to her. ¡°I¡¯m about to catch a flight, contact Mr. Miller if you need anything, I¡¯ve left him here.¡± Caleb said softly to ire. Serena recalled that Caleb used to bring Mr. Miller, his special assistant, on every business trip; unexpectedly, he made an exception this time for ire. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want, just send me a message on WeChat, I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°No need, I don¡¯t want anything, plus you¡¯ve already given me so many things.¡± ¡°This time is different¡­ it¡¯s to celebrate your victory¡­¡± As Caleb spoke, he nced at Serena, meeting her gaze unexpectedly. Serena immediately withdrew her gaze, pretending to organize her luggage. 15.17 710 88 Chapter 88: ire Has This in the Bag Caleb¡¯s smile widened. Leo and Ronan both felt that Caleb and ire¡¯s reluctant¨Cto¨Cpart look was just like a young couple in love, marveling at the beauty of youth. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ the one Peter rmended¡­¡± It was only at that moment that Leo noticed Serena. ¡°Chairman Grant, Mr. Ross¡­¡± Serena greeted them proactively, but Leo¡¯s gaze at her was full of disdain. ¡°You were the one who actively asked me for a chance, but ended up not even submitting a final product.¡± Leo¡¯s words took Serena¡¯s memory back to when her uncut ruby gemstones were taken by Caleb. After modifying her design back then, she thought there was no point in submitting a finished product since she heard Leo had already given a rmendation letter to ire. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Serena apologized sincerely, but Leo didn¡¯t ept it. Even Ronan sighed in disappointment as he brushed past her. They each gave ire words of encouragement before leaving the preparation room with Caleb. Seeing Serena¡¯s unpleasant expression, ire¡¯s eyes once again filled with the joy of victory. The finals began. The ten designers entered the stage one by one, bringing with them their prepared materials. In the audience, Quentin Xavier sat with Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young. The dim lighting made Quentin¡¯s smug smile less obvious. This time, ire was destined to win! Quentin had already foreseen the result. He was well aware of the other designers¡® level through the preliminary and semi¨Cfinal rounds. And Serena¡­ Quentin looked up at ire Shaw, who was shining on stage. Quentin had been sending ire Serena¡¯s designs meant for the finals, from the first draft all the way to the thirty¨Cfirst. With each revision, he sent it to ire. As long as ire perfected and supplemented Serena¡¯s final design with some unique creativity, like in the preliminaries, then Serena¡¯s final score definitely wouldn¡¯t surpass ire¡¯s. 214 < 88 Chapter 88: ire Has This in the Bag ire was preparing her necessary materials when she inconspicuously looked up, and even in the dim audience, she immediately spotted Quentin. When Quentin saw ire throw him a bright spring¨Clike smile, he felt his heart melt. These days pretending to be a double agent by Serena¡¯s side was worth it. Since crafting a high¨Cend jewelry piece takes a lot of time and effort, the finals require making finish products not entirely from the ground up. The final round was set for five hours. Participants had toplete their brought semi¨Cfinished pieces within these five hours. ire prepared her assorted auxiliary stones and finally took out her pre¨Cmade semi¨Cfinished work- A robot earringpatible with headphones. She was extremely curious if Serena would be able to continue when she saw her design mirrored in ire¡¯s. The ranking positions for the ten designers on stage were based on thest semi¨Cfinal scores. Serena was first, ire was second. Thus, their worktables were adjacent. ire couldn¡¯t resist turning her head to look at Serena. Finally seeing her take out her own semi¨Cfinished piece from a box. 89 Chapter 89: yed by Serena Jennings 89 Chapter 89: yed by Serena Jennings ¡°Go Serena!¡± 1 Even before the semi¨Cfinished product was presented, the audience started cheering for Serena Jennings. Serena looked up and saw Patrick Rhodes standing in the audience, waving his arms at her. She was taken aback, and then saw Patrick being warned by the staff, sheepishly sitting back down. Already shocked that Patrick came to watch the jewelry designpetition, she didn¡¯t expect him to cheer for her in public, making Serena even more perplexed and bemused. At the adjacent workstation, even with a sweet and exquisite makeup, ire Shaw couldn¡¯t hide the dissatisfaction on her face. What does Patrick mean? Only cheering for Serena? She couldn¡¯t believe that with her standing on stage, right next to Serena, Patrick could miss seeing her. ire was aware of the change in Patrick¡¯s attitude towards Serena. However, she believed that the moment she won the championship, Patrick¡¯s eyes would no longer entertain Serena, leaving only her. With a smirk on her pink lips, ire¡¯s mood lifted again, casting a disdainful nce at Serena, Serena¡¯s semi¨Cfinished robot earrings, no matter how refined the craftsmanship was, couldn¡¯t possiblypare to her perfected design. As Serena took out her semi¨Cfinishedpetition piece from the box, the sly smile on ire¡¯s lips gradually froze. In the audience, Quentin Xavier instantly stood up. ¡°Quentin, what¡¯s wrong? Need to go to the restroom?¡± Sharon Sanders asked curiously. ¡°Oh, no¡­ nothing¡­¡± Quentin slowly sat down. Fortunately, the convention hall was dark, with the lights focused on the stage, or he would have a hard time exining his surprised and unsettled expression to Sharon and Nancy. Instinctively, Quentin nced at ire Shaw, whose face turned ghastly, ring at him as if she wanted to kill him. Quentin immediately lowered his head, not daring to look again. Being close to ire Shaw, Serena could catch the changes in ire¡¯s expression from the corner of her eye. While others were earnestly working on their jewelry, ire repeatedly exchanged nces with someone in the audience. Serena knew exactly who that person was¨CQuentin Xavier. ¡°Our boss¡¯s design¡­ wasn¡¯t a robot after all?¡± Sharon Sanders widened her eyes. < Mding 89 89 Chapter 89: yed by Serena Jennings ¡°What is that? A scarf?¡± Nancy Young tilted her head. ¡°Looks like it, but it¡¯s not quite¡­ there¡¯s no fabric, seems all metal.¡± Sharon analyzed while watching Serena¡¯s design on stage. At this moment, Quentin Xavier fully understood- He had been yed by Serena. Serena¡¯spetition piece was nothing like the robot earrings designed to pair with headphones. These past days, her constant revisions in front of him were all an act. Quentin tightly clenched his fists, seething with anger. Even if Serena had turned the tables on him, Quentin didn¡¯t believe ire Shaw would lose. Considering the previous hitsunched by The Lockwood Group, ire had that capability. Though his anxious heart gradually calmed, Quentin still felt annoyed. He thought Serena wasn¡¯t particrly skilled but rather scheming. Fixing a hard stare on Serena, he wanted to see what she would ultimately design. Among the ten designers present, except for Serena, all were conforming robot forms to fit the AI theme. Some designed robot pendants, some robot rings, others robot watches, and some simply added robotic elements to conventional jewelry styles. Only Serena¡¯s semi¨Cfinished work left people puzzled. It indeed looked like a scarf. The silvery white noble metal shimmered elegantly under the lights, crafted with multiple techniques like brushing, weaving, and hollowing to create ace texture, delicate and luxurious, withplex patterns, densely iid with countless small diamonds and sapphires, the gems absurdly small but densely set, dazzling and eye¨Cblinding. As far as jewelry is concerned, Serena¡¯s scarf stood out the most. Quentin Xavier watched Serena closely using a microscope on stage, the more he watched, the more his brow furrowed. ¡°I never knew our boss had such skill?¡± Sharon elbowed Nancy Young. ¡°Am I seeing things? How is she setting the stones? There¡¯s no metal prong.¡± Nancy Young was equally shocked. In the front row, sitting in the VIP seats, Leo Grant and Ronan Ross each had their thoughts. ¡°This Serena Jennings¡­ Leo spoke first, his gaze unwavering on Serena. Ronan Ross felt something was off, his expression shifting repeatedly. The live demonstration of jewelry making was actually quite tedious for outsiders; Patrick Rhodes, restless after two hours, was about to 15 18 89 Chapter 89: yed by Serena Jennings leave. But to see Serena, he endured to the four¨Chour mark without a single nap. As thepetition approached its finale, Patrick Rhodes couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. He wanted to use the restroom. In the distant CBD, inside The Nash Group Tower, Justin Nash was secretly watching the live broadcast on his phone- He had been watching for a whole four hours. ¡°Justin, are you busy?¡± The office door suddenly opened, and Justin quickly turned his phone screen down on the desk. Though he acted swiftly, Cynthia Fulton saw it. Cynthia moved beside Justin nonchntly, massaging his shoulders. ¡°If work is too busy, we could postpone visiting the bridal shop.¡± ¡°No, we fixed today, so let¡¯s stick to that!¡± Justin said, but his face showed no trace of the joy of apanying his bride to try on wedding dresses. ¡°Alright, since you insist, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Cynthia smiled sweetly, ¡°Oh, by the way, Director Zhao seemed to be looking for you just now.¡± ¡°Probably about the West Coast project¡­¡± ¡°Should I step out?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go find him!¡± Justin stood up, leaving his office. Leaving Cynthia alone in the room¡­ And Justin¡¯s phone. Cynthia flipped over the phone lying screen down on the desk, and it was still lit, the live stream ongoing. ¡°What is this, a jewelry designpetition?¡± Cynthia tugged the corner of her mouth, puzzled. ¡°Why is Justin interested in this kind of thing?¡± Could it be he was picking jewelry for her to wear at their wedding? Thinking of this, Cynthia smiled knowingly. She was about to turn the phone screen down again when the live broadcast camera suddenly focused on a person. She recognized this person. 15.18 < 89 Chapter 89: yed by Serena Jennings Watching Serena Jennings engrossed in jewelry creation on screen, Cynthia¡¯s smile gradually faded. The Blue Ocean International Convention Hall. The New Star Jewelry Design Competition officially entered the evaluation and scoring phase. Though things hadn¡¯t unfolded as ire Shaw had schemed, she¡¯d do her utmost to perform under the circumstances. ¡°The earrings I designed use PT950 tinum and perfectly cut South African diamonds, crafted with 3D printing and high¨Cpolish techniques, creating a cat¡¯s eye effect, integrating modern headphone functions while embodying futuristic and tech vibes, matching the Al theme, striking a bnce between aesthetics and practicality.¡± After ire Shaw finished answering, the judges awarded her a high score of 90. It was the first and only score above 90. Next, it was Serena¡¯s turn. Serena¡¯s designed scarf was truly luxurious and unparalleled. If others¡® designs were jewelry pieces, Serena¡¯s was a top¨Ctier collectible. However¡­ ¡°Contestant number one, please exin how your design piece rtes to the Al theme?¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter 20 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 90 90 Chapter 90: Serena Jennings Is Mine Tonight Peter rushed to the Blue Ocean International Convention Hall after finishing a board meeting, nearly running a red light in the process. He checked his watch, calcting the time, and sprinted out of the car. As he pushed open the hall door, Serena Jennings was just taking her designedpetition piece off the model¡¯s head on stage. This headscarf was not symmetrical. When Serena fastened the dangling metalce ends together, the headscarf instantly transformed into a three¨Cdimensional model. Peter smiled knowingly. Serena had won! Even though the scores had not been announced, he could already predict the result. Thunderous apuse erupted from the audience. Patrick Rhodes, who had just rushed back from the restroom, stood up excitedly and pped. Not far away, Quentin Xavier was also pping, his expression full of disbelief. Serena said nothing, silently presenting her work to the judges. She believed the work itself could answer the judges¡® doubts. On stage, ire Shaw trembled with rage. How could this be¡­ How could Serena have such creativity! Besides ire Shaw, other contestants couldn¡¯t help but apud Serena. ire Shaw¡¯s reaction was a beat slow, reluctantly pping to keep up appearances. Serena¡¯s design, when worn on the head, was a priceless, dazzling 22K white gold headscarf fully encrusted with gemstones. And when taken off and fastened, it became a model of a human brain. One side featured a Ruby, while the other side had a Sapphire, perfectly forming the left and right brain. In Serena¡¯s view, Al is far more than what a robot can epass. It is theputer system¡¯s simtion of human intelligence, applied across various areas of everyday production and life. What it embodies is the magnificent are of human wisdom. The perfectly cut colored gemstones she employed, paired with countless small diamonds, and using her innovative hidden setting technique to maximize the fire of the gemstones, was precisely to express the brilliance of human wisdom. 15:18 175 < 90 Chapter 90: Serena Jennings Is Mine Tonight Serena didn¡¯t utter a single word of this. Yet everyone present understood thisyer of meaning through her work. In the end, thepetition jury awarded Serena¡¯s work a perfect score of 100. Serena triumphed over all and won the New Star Jewelry Design Competition championship. The prize money goes without saying, but Serena most valued obtaining the participation qualification for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, which she finally received, a true win¨Cwin. On stage, Serena was epting her award. Peter gazed intently at Serena, unaware of when Leo Grant hade up beside him. ¡°Mr. Peter, that¡¯s not very fair of you.¡± Peter snapped out of his daze, looking at Leo Grant with confusion, ¡°President Leo, I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Leo Grant chuckled, pointing at Serena on stage. ¡°This Serena¡­isn¡¯t she your FY piano series design master BYC, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Peter¡¯s mouth fell open, taking a sharp breath, neither confirming nor denying. Leo Grant saw Peter¡¯s dilemma and added: The hidden setting technique Serena showcased on stage, isn¡¯t that unique to the piano series? And her cutting technique is also¡­ highly unusual¡­ plus that unique design concept¡­ Leo Grant regretted more and more as he spoke. He shouldn¡¯t have been so hasty as to immediately write ire Shaw a rmendation letter after seeing her design. This was partly Ronan Ross¡¯s fault, who initially strongly rmended ire Shaw, iming Serena couldn¡¯tpare. But hearing is misleading, seeing is believing; the finalpetition tonightpletely overturned his previous impression of Serena. Yet Leo Grant thought, if not for those earlier events, Serena might not have participated in thispetition, and he wouldn¡¯t have seen such outstanding design. And because of this misfortune, he guessed BYC¡¯s true identity. ¡°Does Serena have something she can¡¯t reveal? If she had disclosed she was Master BYC earlier, she wouldn¡¯t even need topete; LD Jewelry Fashion Week would be rushing to invite her.¡± ¡°Well¡­there are indeed unspeakable reasons..¡± Peter scratched his head, unable to exin. Because he also didn¡¯t know why Serena disliked fame so much. 15.18 715 < 90 Chapter 90: Serena Jennings Is Mine Tonight But one thing he¡¯s sure of- is that Serena¡¯s piano series design inspiration didn¡¯te from a good thing. And that bad thing, Serena refuses to speak of. Leo Grant promised Peter not to disclose that Serena is BYC. After the award ceremony, Serena was surrounded by media, collectors, and industry leaders, leaving no space around her. The other designers packed up and left, leaving ire Shaw standing on stage in a daze. But no one noticed her. Watching Serena win and be a darling of many, ire Shaw¡¯s face twisted with anger. She pulled out her phone, checked the time, and called Caleb Lockwood. In the still of the night, the lighting in the Blue Ocean International Convention Hall was gentle like a nocturne. It wasn¡¯t untilte that Serena finally had time to pack up her things. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Seeing Peter, Serena¡¯s face lit up with a big smile. ¡°I finally did it! At leastpleted the initial requirements of the investors,¡± Serena said, feeling how being a boss was much more stressful than being an employee. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to ate¨Cnight snack.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Suddenly, Serena heard Patrick Rhodes¡¯s voice, surprised that he hadn¡¯t left yet. ¡°With me here, where do you get off treating her? Serena ising with me tonight.¡± Peter knew who Patrick Rhodes was, but wasn¡¯t familiar with him. He turned to Serena, ¡°Your friend?¡± ¡°My¡­husband¡¯s friend.¡± Serena¡¯s introduction made Patrick Rhodes anxious. ¡°What do you mean your husband¡¯s friend? I¡¯ve had meals with you, I took you home when you were drunk, I bandaged your hand when it was injured, and you¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, you¡¯re my friend¡± Serena couldn¡¯t handle Patrick Rhodes. She felt Patrick Rhodes¡¯s attitude towards her had recently improved tremendously, but she couldn¡¯t figure out why.
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< 90 Chapter 90: Serena Jennings Is Mine Tonight Peter, watching from the side, didn¡¯t look too happy. He always felt that Serena was more rxed when talking to Patrick Rhodes than with him. Unintentionally, Serena¡¯s gaze slipped between Peter and Patrick Rhodes, spotting Quentin Xavier standing at the doorway. Quentin Xavier¡¯s expression at that moment was much more genuine than when facing her usually. Serena said nothing, watching Quentin Xavier turn and leave the convention hall. Ultimately, Serena didn¡¯t ept either Peter¡¯s or Patrick Rhodes¡¯s invitation, but both were noted down, each owing her a meal. Serena drove herself to a KTV, finding a designated small room. ¡°Congrattions to our returning design master!¡± Bam! Bam! Lana Xavier set off party poppers, startling Serena. ¡°Congrattions, I knew you could win!¡± Lana Xavier presented Serena with the pre¨Cordered cake, along with a prepared gift. ¡°Lana, you really shouldn¡¯t have gone to such expense.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t extravagance, and you¡¯re being too modest.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Serena was deeply moved. The reason she declined Peter¡¯s and Patrick Rhodes¡¯s invitations tonight was because she promised Lana Xavier long ago to celebrate her victory with her. The two ate cake, sang songs, and had a bit of low¨Calcohol champagne. Serena was very happy, but she didn¡¯t forget the important business. She sent Caleb Lockwood a WeChat message: Caleb Lockwood, I won thepetition, is our bet still valid? Comment Q Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 91 91 Chapter 91: The Lockwood Family¡¯s Legal Team 91 Chapter 91: The Lockwood Family¡¯s Legal Team Holding the phone, Serena Jennings felt her heart race with anxiety. 1 As long as Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t change his mind, she could finally draw a clear line with him this time. After Lana Xavier finished singing two songs, Serena finally received a WeChat message from Caleb Lockwood. ¡®It counts.¡¯ Caleb Lockwood only replied to her with these two words. Serena frowned, wanting to discuss the details of the divorce further, but then she received another text from Caleb: ¡®We¡¯ll talk when I¡¯m back in the country.¡® The text was brief, the attitude was indifferent. Serena sighed. She just hoped nothing would go wrong this time. The next day, Serena went to work as usual. In the studio, Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young were both there. Quentin Xavier didn¡¯t show up. Serena called Quentin. ¡°Are you taking a day off today? If you don¡¯t, it¡¯ll count as absenteeism.¡± Quentin was actually downstairs at Azure Tower, just not going up. A silence fell over the line; just when Serena thought there was a signal problem, she finally heard Quentin¡¯s voice: ¡°You still want me to go to work? Haven¡¯t you already found out that I¡¯m working for CL?¡± ¡°So whether you want to quit or not, you need toe in to formallyplete the resignation procedures.¡± Serena¡¯s tone was businesslike, Quentin opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. Half an hourter, he appeared in front of Serena, Serena took Quentin to the conference room, the heavy atmosphere between them left Sharon and Nancy puzzled. In the conference room, Serena had already organized Quentin¡¯s resignation paperwork, social insurance, and remaining sry. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize.¡± Quentin suddenly said this for no apparent reason. Serena looked up to see Quentin with a severe expression, as if upset about something. 09:47 < 91 Chapter 91: The Lockwood Family¡¯s Legal Team ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s no need to apologize, but you came to me as a corporate spy, and I didn¡¯t even get mad, so why are you upset?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Quentin hesitated, eventually admitting: ¡°Originally, if I did well this time, ire Shaw promised to promote me to the design team leader, but now¡­¡± ¡°She fired you?¡± Quentin stared at Serena in disbelief. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Just a guess.¡± Serena stapled the resignation documents and handed them to Quentin. Although Quentin took the documents, he didn¡¯t leave for quite some time. He was now unemployed. Even though it was his fault for failing toplete the mission ire Shaw gave him; he thought he could return to work at CL after his identity was exposed. This morning, he received a package sent by ire Shaw, which contained a dismissal letter. He called ire, only to find his number had been blocked. This was the first time Quentin realized how heartless ire Shaw could be. Serena was about to leave the conference room, seeing Quentin not moving, she reluctantly returned. ¡°You actually came to apologize to me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Suddenly hearing Serena say this, Quentin¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°You know you owe me an apology, but you¡¯re afraid I won¡¯t forgive you¡­ Actually, you don¡¯t want to resign because it¡¯s hard to find a job now¡­¡± Serena bluntly pointed out Quentin¡¯s thoughts, making his face alternately red and white. ¡°Sigh!¡± Serena sighed and handed a contract to Quentin. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Quentin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Your new contract, with a six¨Cmonth probation period, half the sry. If you perform well, you can be made permanent and get a raise after the probation. If you find a better opportunity during this time, that¡¯s fine too. Of course, your work content will remain the same, 09:47 2150 < 91 Chapter 91: The Lockwood Family¡¯s Legal Team but I can¡¯t trust you as much as I did initially. If you think you can ept this, then sign it.¡± Serena spoke smoothly; the contract was already prepared. ¡°Did you n this from the start?¡± Quentin frowned at Serena. Serena smiled without answering. Her studio was short¨Cstaffed, and funds were barely enough to keep it going. Finding someone experienced,petent, and not demanding a sry was nearly impossible. Coincidentally, Serena thought after all this, ire Shaw certainly wouldn¡¯t want Quentin anymore. Keeping Quentin would save her some sry, which seemed a win¨Cwin. In the end, Quentin signed the probation contract, and even after signing, he couldn¡¯t resist teasing Serena: ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be grateful just because you gave me this job.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to be grateful. I¡¯d be content if you don¡¯t talk badly about me behind my back.¡± Blushing, Quentin left the conference room. Serena shrugged and gave a bitter smile, thinking Quentin might inherently be a bit of a tsundere. Serena waited all day but never got news of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s return. She contacted Mr. Miller several times, and he informed her that Caleb was indeed still abroad, although the business had been concluded. That night, Serena identally saw Caleb post on his Moments. The photo showed a yacht at sea, with a bikini¨Cd beauty beside him. Although the woman¡¯s face wasn¡¯t visible, her pink bikini made Serena immediately recognize it was ire Shaw. So it turned out Caleb hadn¡¯t returned because ire was apanying him. It seemed like ire had lost apetition and had gone with Caleb to rx. Serena turned off her phone screen andy down on the bed, gently closing her eyes. Once Caleb returned with ire, she would be able to formally divorce him¡­ Palmyria. The seaside was brightly lit at night. The yacht was docked at the shore, and Caleb and ire returned to Garden Hotel. ¡°Feeling better now?¡± Caleb asked ire proactively. ¡°Much better, thank you, Caleb.¡± ire hooked her arm around Caleb¡¯s, deliberately brushing it a couple of times. ¡°This was my fault. I never expected Serena would manipte Peter to ensure a win.¡± 09.48 < 91 Chapter 91: The Lockwood Family¡¯s Legal Team ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. I didn¡¯t expect Serena would go to such lengths either¡­¡± ire sighed as if regretful, ¡°Those judges all have connections with FY. If Peter hadn¡¯t set things up in advance, how else would they have all given Serena perfect scores?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Caleb nodded. They arrived at the guest room door. They were the only ones staying in the entire Garden Hotel, and there were plenty of rooms. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ire¡¯s eyes sparkled, as if illuminated from within. She gazed at Caleb with deep affection, the invitation evident. Caleb gently smoothed ire¡¯s tousled hair and opened the door. ¡°Good night.¡± ire entered the bedroom. The door closed. Caleb didn¡¯t join her. Facing the closed door, ire¡¯s expression could no longer hold, seething with anger. She took out her phone and contacted joker- Isn¡¯t Felix Shepherd supposed to start acting yet? On the day Caleb returned with ire, Serena directly blocked the entrance of The Lockwood Group. Seeing Serena, a hint of surprise shed in Caleb¡¯s eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He took Serena via the general manager¡¯s dedicated elevator to a rarely used conference room. Inside the conference room, people were already waiting, As soon as Serena opened the conference room door, she saw a group of men and women in suits- They were the Lockwood Family¡¯s legal team. Comment O Leave the firstment for this chapter Mding 92 92 Chapter 92: 30 Billion Divorce Settlement This grandeur was something Serena Jennings had never encountered before. She silently took a deep breath and walked in. 1 Caleb Lockwood sat down, with the team ofwyers standing only behind him. ¡°Miss Jennings, this is the divorce agreement that President Lockwood has prepared for you.¡± Lawyer Coleman, the chief of thewyer team, pushed a document towards Serena Jennings. They called it a document, but it was actually a thick stack. It was much thicker than the divorce agreement Arthur Lockwood had previously prepared. Serena had a bad feeling. She furrowed her brows and picked up the thick stack of the divorce agreement, carefully reading word by word from the beginning. The meeting room was dead silent. Serena read for a long time, and Caleb Lockwood was in no rush, sitting across from her patiently waiting for her to finish, his enchanting smile unchanged. Serena nearly read for an entire hour before finishing the divorce agreement. ¡°How is it? If everything¡¯s fine, go ahead and sign it!¡± Seeing Serena put down the divorce agreement, Caleb Lockwood said calmly. However, Serena couldn¡¯t remain calm at all. Her face turned ashen, clenching her teeth, and she red angrily at Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood had agreed to the divorce. His signature was already on the divorce agreement, However, ording to the contents of this divorce agreement, Serena needed to pay Caleb Lockwood a divorce fee of 30 billion as Serena was so angry she almostughed. She had agreed to leave with nothing, yet Caleb Lockwood still wouldn¡¯t let her go. He wanted her topensate 30 billion! ¡°Caleb Lockwood, are you ying with me!¡± Furious, Serena grabbed the absurd divorce agreement and threw it in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face with a loud swoosh. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s handsome face turned red from the hit. 09:48 < 92 Chapter 92: 30 Billion Divorce Settlement Beside him, Lawyer Coleman immediately threatened Serena, ¡°Miss Jennings, by assaulting my client publicly, thepensation fee will increase¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood waved his hand, stopping Lawyer Coleman from continuing. Lawyer Coleman stepped back. Even though the Lockwood Family¡¯swyer team was numerous, they seemed to blend into the background and had no presence in this meeting room. Compared to thewyer team, the oppressive aura of Caleb Lockwood himself was much stronger on Serena. ¡°Serena, you were the one who filed for divorce, not me.¡± Caleb Lockwood spoke slowly, his voice like aged tequ with ice, mellow and chilling. ¡°You were also the one who wanted to bet, not me.¡± As he spoke, he leisurely pushed the divorce agreement back in front of Serena. ¡°I agreed, and I honored it. I prepared what you wanted¡­ The ims on this divorce agreement are fair, reasonable, and legal. If you can¡¯t ept it, that¡¯s your own problem¡­¡± With that, Caleb Lockwood stood up. Lawyer Coleman took the initiative to open the door for Caleb Lockwood. After Caleb Lockwood left, the group ofwyers gradually exited the meeting room one by one. Serena was left behind. Along with the divorce agreement. Serena must admit, she was careless. Or perhaps she underestimated Caleb Lockwood. No matter if Caleb Lockwood purely wanted to go against her, or for some other reason. In any case, she could see that Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t want to divorce her. Or to put it more urately- Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t want to set her free. ¡°30 billion¡­ To Serena, who only had assets of a few million, it was an astronomical figure. Serena gritted her mrs tight. Even if she added the prize money from the jewelry designpetition, plus the recent orders she received, and the prize money from racingpetitions¡­ it was nowhere near enough. 09 48 ¡± 92 Chapter 92: 30 Billion Divorce Settlement Serena closed her eyes, feeling helpless, suffocated as if drowning in seawater. Could it be¡­ She really had to beg those two people? Beg them to lend her 30 billion? 30 billion¡­ Though those two could afford it, would they lend it to her, she was unsure. And even if they did lend it to her, the mocking and ridicule would definitely follow. On one side was divorcing Caleb Lockwood, on the other, pleading with people she never wanted to ask for help. Serena found herself in a dilemma, messing up her own hair. After leaving the Lockwood Group, Serena called Felix Shepherd. At first, the call didn¡¯t connect, likely because Felix Shepherd was busy with a case. By evening, Felix Shepherd called back. City A¡¯s nights were vibrant and dazzling. Serena arrived at the door of suite 9108 at The Violet Hotel. This was where Felix Shepherd had specifically asked to see her. Serena held the divorce agreement Caleb Lockwood gave her in her arms. Before she could knock, the door opened on its own. It was Felix Shepherd who opened it from inside. ¡°Come on in!¡± Serena saw Felix Shepherd wearing a white hotel robe, with his hair still dripping water, clearly just done showering. She didn¡¯t want to go in. Her intuition told her that Felix Shepherd had ulterior motives for her. Felix Shepherd leaned against the doorframe with one hand. Seeing Serena hesitating at the door, heughed, ¡°Now you need a favor from me, not me eager to take your case. If you don¡¯te in, I¡¯ll shut the door? Before the door closed, Serena reached out and held it back, walking in. Felix Shepherd appraised Serena from head to toe. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to wear something sexier? Why are you still in such formal attire, it¡¯s after work hours.¡± Felix Shepherd indeed had said this to Serena on the phone. 69:48 376 < 92 Chapter 92: 30 Billion Divorce Settlement But precisely because she wasing to meet Felix Shepherd, and at a hotel, she deliberately didn¡¯t change her clothes. ¡°Forget it, forget it.¡± Felix Shepherd waved his hand, taking the divorce agreement from Serena¡¯s arms and gave it a quick read. ¡°The Lockwood Family¡¯swyer team is quite formidable.¡± Now Felix Shepherd knew, the person Serena wanted to divorce was indeed Caleb Lockwood. Though he wasn¡¯t surprised. Thest time they had dinner, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s initiative to join them had exined everything. ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s quite a tough case. From what I¡¯m seeing, the divorce is doable, but you¡¯ll have to bleed a little.¡± Felix Shepherd handed the divorce agreement back to Serena. ¡°But if you ask me to handle it, you definitely won¡¯t have to pay such an exaggerated 30 billion in divorce fees.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s face light up with excitement, Felix Shepherd smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get too happy yet. I haven¡¯t agreed to take your case! You know how busy I am, and besides, I have a fondness for beauty. To cut the queue, you have to sleep with me. My condition is straightforward. One night, and I¡¯ll handle your case without charging any legal fees. It¡¯s a groundbreaking offer.¡± Felix Shepherd¡¯s words didn¡¯t anger Serena, nor did they surprise her. Rather, someone like Felix Shepherd, whoid everything on the table, was easier to deal with. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep with you, think of another condition, maybe money¡­ I can raise the price.¡± Serena finished speaking and saw Felix Shepherd shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not short of money, I only want you.¡± As he spoke, he leaned closer to Serena, but instead of touching her, he tugged at his robe. Serena realized that Felix Shepherd was seducing her. ¡°I think I look pretty good. Althoughpared to Caleb Lockwood, there¡¯s a slight difference. But since you¡¯re divorcing him, it proves that he¡¯s probablycking in that aspect, so¡­ why not give me a chance?¡± Comment 0 Mding 93 93 Chapter 93: Cuckolded When Felix Shepherd leaned down to kiss her, Serena Jennings decisively pushed him away. 1 ¡°There are no problems with Caleb Lockwood in that regard.¡± Feeling that Serena was defending Caleb Lockwood, Felix Shepherd chuckled. ¡°So, no matter what, the reason you want to divorce him is because he has someone else outside, right?¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Serena didn¡¯t believe that Felix Shepherd waspletely unaware of her marital situation. ¡°ire Shaw¡­ She¡¯s Caleb Lockwood¡¯s high school ssmate, also his first love. After graduating high school, Caleb was unterally broken up with by ire Shaw. She went abroad, and now she¡¯s back. Caleb not only created a new jewelry product line for her but also opened a studio. If you say there¡¯s nothing between them, I bet even you wouldn¡¯t believe it?¡± Felix Shepherd, being a renownedwyer, gathered so much information; Serena was not surprised. ¡°I once tried to catch evidence of him cheating with ire Shaw, but unfortunately, I failed.¡± ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t cheat¡­ his actions can still serve as grounds for the breakdown of your marriage.¡± Felix Shepherd¡¯s words made Serena lift her eyes, enlightened. Still, Felix Shepherd stopped there and pulled the topic back. ¡°Since Caleb Lockwood is keeping a mistress outside, you don¡¯t want to make him really wear that big green hat?¡± Serena knew, to Felix Shepherd, she was like a piece of meat delivered to his mouth but still out of reach. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still love him even now.¡± Serena was taken aback, seeing Felix Shepherdugh so hard he rocked back and forth. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be so pathetic!¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want Caleb Lockwood to turn around and use me of cheating during marriage.¡± Serena dered righteously. Felix Shepherd shrugged, knowing well that Serena was making excuses. ¡°Since you won¡¯t agree to sleep with me, then please go!¡± Serena was a bit surprised; she didn¡¯t expect Felix Shepherd to let her go so easily. ¡°What, you thought I would force myself on you?¡± Felix Shepherd poured himself a drink, ¡°Rape is a crime; I¡¯m a good citizen who abides by thew. Even if I sleep with someone, there¡¯s a contract between me and my client, mutual consent, fair trade.¡± 09:48 93 Chapter 93: Cuckolded Serena found itughable and felt that Felix Shepherd truly lived up to being awyer. Just as she was about to leave, the door suddenly opened, and a man rushed in. Seeing Felix Shepherd dressed in a bathrobe, disheveled while drinking on the sofa, the man wasted no words and threw a punch at Felix¡¯s face. The scene turned chaotic for a while; Serena hurried to intervene. She never would have imagined Patrick Rhodes appearing here. ¡°He truly didn¡¯t do anything to you?!¡± Patrick Rhodes pointed angrily at Felix Shepherd, who was bruised and battered. After Serena quickly exined the backstory, the murderous aura around Patrick gradually faded. Felix Shepherd wiped his bloody nose. ¡°How did you get in here?¡± ¡°This hotel is owned by my family.¡± Patrick Rhodes answered self¨Crighteously. ¡°Got it, I won¡¯t be staying here again.¡± Felix Shepherd entered the wardrobe, changed his clothes, and left the room like a defeated soldier. Now, Serena was left alone in the room with Patrick Rhodes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± Serena expected Patrick would console her, but instead, he yelled at her unrestrainedly. ¡°You¡¯re a woman, meeting a man alone in a hotel at night; don¡¯t you have any sense? Besides, do you know who he is? That Felix Shepherd¡­ the number of women he¡¯s been with could circle the globe. You¡¯re looking for him to handle a case, like a sheep entering a tiger¡¯s den. If I hadn¡¯te here for work checks and spotted you, do you know what could¡¯ve happened to you tonight?!¡± Serena¡¯s ears were nearly deafened by Patrick Rhodes¡¯s booming voice. She saw Patrick passionately scolding her, out of breath, and face flushed, so she poured him a ss of water. Patrick still wanted to continue scolding but softened seeing Serena pour water for him. ¡°Growing up, you¡¯re no child anymore, how can you still have no sense of precaution? There are manywyers out there, but you chose the one with the worst character¡­¡± After drinking some water, Patrick, who initially had a dry mouth, suddenly found in water sweet. Serena stared at the chattering Patrick for a while, then suddenly asked: ¡°Patrick, why has your attitude towards me changed so much recently? Did something happen?¡± 09 45 < 93 Chapter 93: Cuckolded Patrick reacted with a shiver. ¡°Did I? I didn¡¯t!¡± Though he said he didn¡¯t, Patrick¡¯s face turned increasingly red, as red as a monkey¡¯s bottom. Intuition told Serena Patrick was hiding something from her. Silence fell between them, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. Patrick isn¡¯t the type who can keep things to himself, and in the end, he couldn¡¯t hold back, asking Serena: ¡°Serena, do you¡­ know how to drive?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Serena nodded. What kind of question was that? Didn¡¯t Patrick see her pick up the car and notice her driving several times? ¡°No, I mean¡­ car racing¡­¡± Serena widened her eyes. At this point, Patrick finally met Serena¡¯s gaze. He suddenly grabbed Serena¡¯s hand, which startled her. ¡°Serena, I saw it that day, saw the racing goddess Chloe Linton take off her helmet¡­¡± Before Patrick finished, Serena understood everything. No wonder Patrick¡¯s attitude towards her improved recently. ¡°You¡¯re Chloe Linton¡­¡± Clearly a statement, yet Patrick used a questioning tone, leaving Serena speechless withughter. Patrick probably found it hard to believe this truth even now! ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Chloe Linton.¡± Serena admitted directly, and Patrick was surprised and delighted, his face beaming. ¡°Goddess, could you sign my shirt?¡± Seeing Patrick remove his T¨Cshirt from under his suit right in front of her, Serena felt a little awkward. ¡°Once you sign it, I won¡¯t wash this shirt anymore.¡± While signing, Serena thought to herself: It should be washed! After the signing Patrick benniks E < 93 Chapter 93: Cuckolded ¡°Why do you use a pseudonym to enter car races anyway?¡± Patrick was puzzled. ¡°A pseudonym¡­¡± Serena didn¡¯t exin, merely murmuring softly. The names Serena Jennings and Chloe Linton¡­ Which one is truly the pseudonym, it¡¯s hard to say! Patrick walked Serena to the hotel downstairs, originally intending to send her home personally, but Serena said she had a car and she¡¯d be fine. ¡°Then, remember to text me to let me know when you get home safely.¡± Serena was already in the car, but Patrick still reminded her. Patrick¡¯s excessive attentiveness and enthusiasm left Serena at a loss. It almost felt like Patrick was her boyfriend. Just as the white BMW 3 Series drove away, Patrick turned around and bumped into Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood looked at Patrick as if seeing a ghost. ¡°Am I really that scary?¡± ¡°Ah, no. Brother Lockwood, why are you ¡°You invited me.¡± here?¡± After Caleb Lockwood answered, Patrick felt even more awkward. ¡°Oh right, I invited you, I forgot!¡± Caleb Lockwood cast a deep gaze towards where the white BMW 3 Series disappeared. ¡°What were you just doing?¡± ¡°Nothing, really, just a pretty girl asking for directions.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s reaction was indifferent, it was hard to tell from his eyes what he felt. They entered the hotel one after the other, and Patrick suddenly asked: ¡°Brother Lockwood, are you going to divorce Serena Jennings?¡± 09:48 Mding 94 94 Chapter 94: Court Summons¨CHearing at Ten O¡¯Clock ¡°How did you know?¡± Caleb Lockwood retorted. 1 ¡°I just guessed¡­ Your sister¨Cinw has been back for quite some time, shouldn¡¯t you and Serena have gotten divorced by now?¡± Patrick Rhodes asked while carefully observing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s reaction. Back when ire Shaw first returned to the country, Patrick Rhodes felt Caleb Lockwood should divorce Serena. But Caleb Lockwood couldn¡¯t bear to part with Serena, who was like a nanny, so the divorce was dyed until now. While being observed by Patrick Rhodes, Caleb Lockwood was also subtly observing Patrick Rhodes.. This was the first time since he¡¯d known Patrick Rhodes for so long that he¡¯d seen such a fervent and hopeful look in his eyes. ¡°Do you really want me to divorce Serena?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Patrick Rhodes responded without hesitation, noticing a cold gleam in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just because I¡¯m thinking about your sister¨Cinw. She¡¯s been with you for so long, without any title or position¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood remained silent. Your sister¨Cinw has actually cried secretly to me several times, saying she doesn¡¯t want to keep being like a mistress¡­¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°So this time¡­ you are truly nning to divorce Serena, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Caleb Lockwood responded, hearing Patrick Rhodes whispering, ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± The storm in his eyes came swiftly and left quickly, as Caleb Lockwood calmly curved his lips into a smile, a smile full of deeper meaning. Serena has taken leave. The studio is temporarily managed by Sharon Sanders, and over three days, she visited seven detective agencies. This time, Serena intends to investigate not Caleb Lockwood, but Felix Shepherd. The onlywyer she could think of who might help her win the divorcewsuit is Felix Shepherd. ording to the current divorce agreement Caleb Lockwood provided, her repeated requests for divorce had caused The Lockwood Group various losses. She thought it might be difficult to leave Caleb without paying a cent. She also realized that this was just Caleb Lockwood¡¯s way of making things difficult for her, trying to force her to give up. 09.48 116 < 94 Chapter 94: Court Summons¨CHearing at Ten O¡¯Clock Serena was willing to pay up, as long as she could divorce Caleb smoothly. But three hundred billion is absolutely impossible; she¡¯s not a fool. The most crucial aspect of a divorcewsuit is to find a goodwyer, Serena detests Felix Shepherd but acknowledges his credentials. Just as Serena was about to step into the eighth detective agency, her phone rang. The caller ID showed a familiar number, but she wasn¡¯t inclined to answer. The ringtone went on for quite some time before Serena finally pressed the answer key. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Serena¡­¡± The person on the other end corrected himself quickly, avoiding unnecessary conversation. ¡°Why did you suddenly decide to call me?¡± Serena asked directly. ¡°Are you investigating awyer named Felix Shepherd?¡± Serena raised her eyelids slightly. Seeing her silent acknowledgment, the man on the phone exined: ¡°I discovered it by ident, not deliberately spying on your privacy.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°If you want to investigate him for something, I can help.¡± Though Serena didn¡¯t want to trouble him, she had actually relied on him forst time¡¯s bed photo incident. After a moment¡¯s silence, Serena replied with two words: ¡°Evidence.¡± ¡°Understood, leave it to me.¡± As evening fell, the sun set. After parking his car, Felix Shepherd passed by the yground in themunity and casually spotted Serena among a group of yful children. Serena was handing a bubble machine to a little girl. Felix Shepherd walked over, facing Serena directly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re here by chance, so are you here topensate for medical expenses?¡± Felix Shepherd pointed to his face, where the marks could still be seen. ¡°The person who hit you was Patrick Rhodes, not me.¡± 09:40 216 < 94 Chapter 94: Court Summons¨CHearing at Ten O¡¯Clock ¡°Makes sense.¡± Felix Shepherd shrugged, seeing a group of kids trying to pull Serena into ying with them. ¡°You really are quite liked by children!¡± Serena smiled and said nothing. ¡°If you love kids so much, why don¡¯t you have one yourself?¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s face change suddenly, Felix Shepherd realized instantly that he had said something wrong. Leaving the yground, on the way to Felix Shepherd¡¯s house, Serena handed a folder to Felix Shepherd. ¡°Help me with the divorcewsuit, and what¡¯s inside, pretend I don¡¯t know.¡± Felix Shepherd initially scoffed at Serena¡¯s threat. He thought the leverage Serena could hold against him amounted to those dubious bed transactions with his former clients. ¡°You might indeed not fear being known as a scoundrel, as those seeking you value your ability over your character, but¡­ academic fraud, degree fabrication¨Call these scandals would harm your career more.¡± Felix Shepherd halted, with all his usual nonchnce gone from his face. ¡°I¡¯ll take your case. Come to my office tomorrow to discuss.¡°¡± ¡°Straightforward.¡± Serena smiled. Caleb Lockwood quickly got wind of it- Serena hadmissioned Felix Shepherd to handle her divorce case. That Lawyer Shepherd¡­¡± In the General Manager¡¯s office, Mr. Miller hesitated to speak. He felt like he was overstepping. The matters between Caleb Lockwood and Serena were not his to meddle with. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. Upon hearing that Serena had be Felix Shepherd¡¯s client, Mr. Miller saw Caleb Lockwood remain silent, his face colder than ice, brimming with bloodthirsty aggression. Caleb Lockwood was surely aware of Felix Shepherd¡¯s behavior. He feared Caleb might wrongly assume Serena was a promiscuous woman. At the same time, he was concerned Serena might end up suffering because of her dealings with Felix Shepherd for thewsuit. After all, Felix Shepherd¡¯s private life was notably chaotic, especially with female clients. 0n 20n < 94 Chapter 94: Court Summons¨CHearing at Ten O¡¯Clock Many times, Mr. Miller wanted to say something to Caleb Lockwood, but he never quite knew what was appropriate. ¡°Leave this matter to Lawyer Coleman and the others.¡± Caleb Lockwood instructed Mr. Miller this way. A few dayster, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s legal team received a court summons for Redridge District Court, with the hearing scheduled for next Monday at ten. Events had already deviated from Caleb Lockwood¡¯s initial ns. Originally, he had deliberately told Lawyer Coleman and the others to draft a divorce agreement requiring Serena topensate with an enormous divorce fee, aiming merely to make Serena realize- This marriage couldn¡¯t end. At least not at her whim. But now¡­ In The Jade Pavilion, Caleb Lockwood was lying alone on the sofa in the living room, resting. Now, everything in this house had returned to its original state. No trace of pink. No sign of ire Shaw ever having lived here. Originally, ire Shaw was just temporarily staying here because her neighbor was renovating and it was too noisy. Now the ce looks exactly as it did before Serena left. The only difference is, Serena isn¡¯t here. Caleb Lockwood thought he was exhausted and would soon fall asleep, yet hey awake all night. People can stop, but time won¡¯t. Monday arrived as scheduled. Both Serena¡¯s and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sides were fully prepared for the divorce case, However, before they managed to reach the court, it was already surrounded by news media, inte celebrities, women¡¯s rights groups, and more. As both Serena and Caleb Lockwood got the news, the inte was already aze with trending topics. Rich Family Scumbag! Head of The Lockwood Group Caleb Lockwood cheats on wife with mistress, original wife sues for divorce! That day, The Lockwood Group¡¯s stock plummeted 57%, its market value evaporating nearly 80 billion. Mding 95 95 Chapter 95: Jumped Off the Building All day, Serena Jennings stayed home to avoid the media. 1 Online, the only news was about Caleb Lockwood¡¯s marital infidelity and his divorcewsuit with his wife. However, the wife¡¯s identity was not explicitly revealed. Yet, it was clearly stated that Felix Shepherd was the wife¡¯swyer. Serena believed that they knew Caleb¡¯s wife was her. Initially, the public opinion was solely directed at Caleb. But once the issue heated up, new trending topics followed one after another- Caleb¡¯s wife is infertile, is the divorce her fault? Is the divorcewsuit just a facade? Caleb¡¯s wife has an affair with the malewyer. Regardless of how she looked at it, Serena felt that this hot search storm was orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. Going to court at this crucial moment would only get her caught by waiting media reporters, so Serena instructed Felix to request a postponement from the court. There was no news from Caleb¡¯s side at all. Serena understood that Caleb hadn¡¯t contacted her because he was busy dealing withpany matters. This scandal can be considered the biggest since the Lockwood Group¡¯s founding. Serena read online that Lockwood Group¡¯s stock price plummeted within a day, its market value evaporated, and it suffered significant losses. Subsidiaries began massyoffs, and some people even jumped off buildings over losing their jobs. Although the police and ambnce arrived early and caught the person with intable rescue cushions when they jumped, the person was still injured, and their mental state was extremely unstable when sent to the hospital. Serena hadn¡¯t foreseen things getting so out of hand. She called Felix directly questioning if he had leaked the information. ¡°Miss Jennings, please don¡¯t doubt my professionalism. What benefit would leaking client and case information bring me? Not to mention that applying for a confidential court hearing is in the contract. If I breach the contract, not only will I have to pay a hefty penalty, but my reputation will also be damaged. I admit I amscivious and morally deficient, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to ruin my career.¡± Felix abruptly hung up the phone from his end. Serena could tell Felix was also quite angry. 09.49 < 95 Chapter 95: Jumped Off the Building Thiswsuit was something she coerced Felix into taking; surprisingly, before even starting the case or earning the legal fees, it turned into a mess. Holding her phone, Serena agreed with Felix¡¯s reasoning: leaking this hearing wouldn¡¯t benefit him. Generally, court hearings are public; however, given Caleb¡¯s special status, to avoid unnecessary trouble and stabilize thepany stock, both she and Caleb submitted requests for a confidential hearing, which were approved by the court. ¡°So who is it, and for what purpose?¡± Serena muttered to herself, hesitating whether to contact Caleb proactively while holding her phone. At CL Studio. In the general manager¡¯s office. ire Shaw didn¡¯t have much of an appetite all day, staying updated on the Lockwood Group and online developments. At first, she deliberately had Quentin Xavier persuade Serena to attend Mr. Wang¡¯s drinking party because joker had told her that Felix Shepherd could be utilized. Felix was both experienced and famous in handling divorce cases, yet he was also very fond of women. ire¡¯s original n was either for Felix to be entangled with Serena or vice versa. Since Serena wanted a divorce, she wouldn¡¯t give up on Felix as her trump card. And upon meeting Serena, Felix would undoubtedly be enamored by her beauty. No matter if anything happened between them or not, as long as Serena became Felix¡¯s client, Caleb would develop aversion and suspicion towards her. And once thewsuit trulymenced, with Felix¡¯s professional ability, even against Lockwood Group¡¯s legal team, Serena had high odds of winning. What ire desired was indeed Serena¡¯s victory. Because she wanted Caleb and Serena to divorce, taking away the ¡°Mrs. Lockwood¡± title from Serenapletely. Initially, the n was still under her control. However, she learned from joker that today¡¯s court hearing¡¯s Judge Liu was Caleb¡¯s old friend. Judge Liu¡¯s only son was once involved in overseas trouble with insurmountable people, and it was Caleb Lockwood himself who resolved it and safely brought him back to Judge Liu unharmed. Judge Liu was thus eternally grateful to Caleb. 09 490 234 95 Chapter 95: Jumped Off the Building The originally scheduled judge for today was not Judge Liu; the change was purposeful. The purpose of the change was self¨Cexnatory. Realizing that, even with Felix¡¯s eloquence, Judge Liu would never rule for Caleb and Serena¡¯s divorce, ire had to take a risky gamble. She had joker leak the matter to social media, then hired inte trolls and streamers to blow up the issue. Only by making it a big deal would Caleb be forced to go through with the divorce. Now, with the Lockwood Group in disarray from trending chaos, the impact on the Lockwood Family was severe. Yet, ire believed Caleb would turn the tide. Additionally, if things went smoothly, Caleb would attribute the losses of Lockwood Group to Serena, as would Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young. Furthermore, now that everyone knew Caleb was married and yet she publicly spent time with him, her image would only have two possible interpretations: either the rightful wife or the mistress. Caleb felt protective of her. She didn¡¯t believe that Caleb would remain indifferent if she tearfullyined to him about being mistaken as a mistress. ire was well aware; Caleb still harbored resentment over her leaving him for abroad, so despite being good to her, he had yet to marry her. ire wanted Caleb¡¯s love, and she also wanted the title of Mrs. Lockwood. The night was deep, like a pitch¨Cck cloth with no gaps. Late summer transitioning into early autumn, a cool evening breeze blew. Serena wrapped her coat tighter around herself. This was her first time at the rooftop of Lockwood Group¡¯s office building. The ce was expansive and empty. Except for her¡­ and Caleb, who stood by her side. The Lockwood Group building was eighty stories high, with a rooftop garden designed with floral arrangements¨Ca decent spot for sightseeing, though it seemed inappropriate amid the heated divorcewsuit. Serena didn¡¯t know why Caleb summoned her to such a ce sote, 119:40 95 Chapter 95: Jumped Off the Building yet she still came. When they took the elevator up together, Caleb said nothing. Neither did he speak while they walked upstairs to the rooftop. Even though Caleb was so silent, Serena sensed his anger. With 80 billion evaporated in one night, no one would be in a good mood. After reaching the rooftop, Caleb didn¡¯t stop his steps. One hand was in his suit pocket, the other hung naturally, his gaze straight ahead as he walked elegantly. Serena, at a loss, instinctively followed behind Caleb. She waited for him to speak. Only when they reached the edge of the rooftop, did Caleb finally stop. The Lockwood Group building was high enough, overlooking the entire city, the dazzling night of City A in full view. Serena gazed at Caleb; his eyes calm and solemn. ¡°Did you know, Jordan Sanders jumped from here.¡± Startled, Serena was suddenly pushed by the unexpected force from Caleb Lockwood next to her. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter, Mding 96 29 < 96 Chapter 96: Can¡¯t We Just Not Get Divorced? 96 Chapter 96: Can¡¯t We Just Not Get Divorced? Serena staggered and thought Caleb was going to push her off the building, breaking out in a cold sweat. 1 However, Caleb quickly held her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. Serena was stunned, her heart pounding. Caleb¡¯s embrace always had the pleasant scent of men¡¯s perfume. And it was the same now. But he had changed his perfume. This one now smelled more like melting cier snow, crisp and sharp, with a seductive and dangerous scent in theter notes. Serena knew very well that her elerated heartbeat was not because of Caleb¡¯s embrace. It was the lingering fear and unsettled nerves. Caleb held her, still standing at the edge of the rooftop, only one wrong step or imbnce away from them both falling off together. Falling from the 80th floor to the ground, turning into pulp. Serena dared not move recklessly and had no choice but to let Caleb hold her. The wind grew stronger. Yet time seemed to slow down. ¡°Is this the oue you wanted?¡± Caleb¡¯s cold voice seemed capable of scraping off ayer of frost. Serena didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Filing for divorce, causing the Lockwood Group¡¯s market value to evaporate, forcing its employees to jump off buildings.¡± Before Caleb finished speaking, Serena suddenly pushed him away, Caleb felt a jolt in his chest and reflexively grabbed Serena¡¯s hand. Pushing and shoving on the rooftop edge did seem like a death wish, but Serena was infuriated by Caleb¡¯s usation. ¡°How would forcing your employees to jump off benefit me? If I were to force anyone, it should be you jumping!¡± Caleb shrugged with a smile as he watched Serena bristled like an angry cat. ¡°Angry words? Or truth?¡± ¡°Truth.¡± After Serena spoke, seeing Caleb smile even more, she knew Caleb certainly didn¡¯t believe her. 09 490 96 Chapter 96: Can¡¯t We Just Not Get Divorced? ¡°Regardless of your intentions or who leaked it, as long as we reach the stage of filing for divorce, we¡¯ll face such consequences¡­ Serena, the one who jumped today, Jordan Sanders, is a rtive of Mr. Miller¡­¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fortunately, he was saved, but¡­ thoseid off, those with their sries halved, those demoted, aren¡¯t just Jordan¡­ How many employees are affected by the Lockwood Group¡¯s trouble, and how many families are involved? Have you thought about it?¡± ¡°So what exactly are you trying to say? You¡¯re saying this is all my fault, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we not divorce?¡± Caleb¡¯s words still carried a faint tone, yet they weren¡¯t as cold or assertive as usual. For a moment, it even gave Serena the illusion that Caleb was pleading with her. The cooling evening wind lingered between the two, stealing away each other¡¯s warmth. Serena clenched her fists. Once, she never thought she and Caleb would end up like this. At least, back when she married Caleb, she never thought it woulde to this. ¡°Everything started when ire Shaw returned to the country, and from the moment I miscarried¡­ you should have realized, this marriage¡­ must end.¡± 1 Serena looked at Caleb, at the face before her, more mature and handsome than she remembered. Perhaps the wrong one was her! She fell too deep. ced too much weight on youthful promises and agreements, on the emotions and sweetness of first love. To this day, the filter of the young man who risked everything for her in the juvenile detention center hasn¡¯tpletely shattered. Yet the girl from the detention center had long disappeared from Caleb¡¯s river of memories. ¡°We can divorce, but not now, and not through litigation.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice, back to its cold tone, pulled Serena from the past to the present. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you asking for an exorbitant 30 billion, I wouldn¡¯t have resorted to such measures.¡± Serena didn¡¯t want to take the me for everything. ¡°I¡¯m a businesswoman; pursuing profit and being calctive is my nature.¡± Serena was toozy to argue with Caleb, knowing Caleb always believed whatever he did was right, with full justification. ¡°I think it¡¯s better to cut the pain short rather than suffer indefinitely. Let¡¯s take this chance, with all thismotion, and get divorced. Your parents surely think so too.¡± 09:49 315 < 96 Chapter 96: Can¡¯t We Just Not Get Divorced? After the incident, Arthur Lockwood indeed sought out Caleb, telling him that the Lockwood Family couldn¡¯t keep a daughter¨Cinw who constantly threatened divorce, causing billions to evaporate from the family¡¯s market value. Caleb and Serena stood on the rooftop, buffeted by the cold wind, leaving their hair a bit messy. Serena thought her mind was rtively clear. Whether Caleb was calm or not, she couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, I can withdraw thewsuit, but you have to redo the divorce agreement. I don¡¯t want your money, just don¡¯t make me pay anypensation.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Caleb agreed more readily than she imagined. ¡°Once the Lockwood Group¡¯s stock price stabilizes, we¡¯ll visit the civil affairs office.¡± This time, Serena noticed Caleb hesitated slightly, not responding as quickly as before. ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing Caleb still agree, Serena breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling nothing more needed to be discussed with Caleb, Serena turned to leave. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s calm voice came from behind her. ¡°Your reason for wanting a divorce at any cost¡­ Besides ire Shaw and the child, is there another reason?¡± Serena¡¯s footsteps froze. She took a deep breath. ¡°Because you don¡¯t love me.¡± The tail end of her words trembled a bit, and Serena¡¯s heart trembled along. The divorce was indeed what she wanted. But in the game of love, she lostpletely. ¡°Understood.¡± Caleb only said those three words to her. Hot topics arise quickly and disappear just as swiftly. But the dire effect had already been caused, and even though the Lockwood Group conducted urgent PR to refute rumors, the stock price couldn¡¯t return to its original height immediately. No more jumping from buildings was already a blessing amidst misfortune. 09:50 < 96 Chapter 96: Can¡¯t We Just Not Get Divorced? ire Shaw didn¡¯t get the news of Caleb and Serena¡¯s divorce but received a message from joker. He would temporarilyy low. Because Caleb had already found out that this matter was secretly manipted by a foreignpany. Lockwood Group. General Manager¡¯s office. ire Shaw walked in carrying two thermoses. ¡°Caleb, I¡¯m here¡­¡± Seeing ire Shaw, Caleb¡¯s icy expression eased a bit. He knew ire Shaw came to bring him food and medicine. Since the Lockwood Group was thrust into the spotlight, ire Shaw had been delivering meals for Caleb three times a day. Everything she brought was homemade Chinese cuisine and herbal remedies specially prepared by ire Shaw. ¡°You¡¯ve been exhausted these days; eating out is unhealthy and unhygienic, don¡¯t ruin your stomach, home¨Ccooked is better.¡± ire Shaw said as she took out the food one by one. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been working hard these days.¡± After Caleb spoke, he saw ire Shaw¡¯s eyes redden. ¡°All this effort is nothingpared to being gossiped about¡­¡± The softer ire Shaw¡¯s voice became, the lower she bowed her head. Caleb knew what ire Shaw meant. Though it didn¡¯t escte, there were indeed people online implying that ire Shaw was his mistress during the marriage. ¡°ire..¡± Caleb¡¯s calm voice made ire Shaw look up. Their eyes met. ¡°If I divorce Serena, I can give you a position¡­¡± Comment 1 View All > < Mding 97 97 Chapter 97: Withdrawal of Lawsuit 97 Chapter 97: Withdrawal of Lawsuit ording to the agreement, Serena Jennings withdrew thewsuit. 1 Although online trending searches had been removed for a long time, it still needed some time for the fervor topletely die down. Just at this time, Serena Jennings could focus on her newly epted orders. Caleb Lockwood also had ample time to let the elitewyer team draft a reasonable and highly executable divorce agreement. Although thewsuit route for divorce didn¡¯t work out, formalizing the divorce through an agreement was still not a bad thing for Serena Jennings. That day, Serena Jennings received a phone call from Peter who talked not about private affairs but business. ¡°You remember Ronan Ross, right?¡± Peter asked. Serena Jennings naturally remembered. The first jewelry collector that Peter introduced to her was Ronan Ross. It was also the first time Serena Jennings and ire Shaw had a direct confrontation in design. As a result, Serena Jennings was defeated miserably. ¡°How could I forget the first setback in my career?¡± Serena Jennings replied with mixed feelings. ¡°Ronan Ross is hosting a banquet at his house this Saturday, it seems to be a celebration for his youngest daughter¡¯s academic advancement, and he wants to invite you to attend.¡± Serena Jennings uttered an ¡°Ah¡± in surprise. She couldn¡¯t even be considered a casual friend of Ronan Ross, so why invite her to such an event? She was about to refuse, but Serena Jennings realized Peter hoped she would ept; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have called her. This was also a kind of social interaction within the circle, and ultimately, Serena Jennings agreed. ¡°I knew you were made to be a boss, knowing how to seize opportunities.¡± Peter praised. ¡°You previously said I was made to be a jewelry designer!¡± ¡°And it proved I was right, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help butugh; ¡°In your eyes, am I versatile, suitable for anything?¡± ¡°At the very least, in my view, you are an excellent designer, an ambitious boss, and will be a good wife.¡± Thestment from Peter made Serena Jennings puzzled. na 500 < 97 Chapter 97: Withdrawal of Lawsuit ¡°Are you saying I¡¯ll be a good wife someday? I¡¯m curious as to who my husband will be.¡± Serena Jennings teased casually with Peter, hearing him reply. ¡°What if it¡¯s me!¡± Serena Jennings was taken aback by the expression on her face. ¡°Just kidding, hope you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°No¡­ no¡­¡± Peter¡¯s tone was rxed, and Serena Jennings also knew she shouldn¡¯t overthink it. On the day of the academic advancement banquet, Serena Jennings dressed in a conservative and elegant long¨Csleeved satin gown, with refined and delicate jewelry. She found that Ronan Ross¡¯s banquet was much more luxurious than typical academic advancement celebrations, unique in style, dressed among them. Peter first led Serena Jennings to meet Ronan Ross. Initially, Serena Jennings thought she might not have left a good impression on Ronan Ross, as previously, Ronan Ross had praised ire Shawvishly in front of her and ire Shaw, and said she wasn¡¯t as good as ire Shaw in all aspects. But this time, Ronan Ross was especially enthusiastic towards her. Serena Jennings was ttered. Even though she previously won the championship in the New Star Jewelry Design Competition, ire Shaw¡¯s performance was also ¡°Miss Jennings¡¯s presence is already a great honor for me, no need to be so formal and bring gifts.¡± While Ronan Ross was speaking polite words, he didn¡¯t refuse Serena Jennings¡¯s congrattory gift. In this kind of asion, refusing gifts would only embarrass the sender. Serena Jennings wasn¡¯t very familiar with the etiquette of jewelry collectors, but knew that any typical academic advancement banquet would require gifts, and since she couldn¡¯t directly give cash to Ronan Ross, she chose to design and create two cufflinks herself. ¡°Such thoughtfulness!¡± Ronan Ross¡¯s eyes brightened at the sight of the cufflinks. Today, he received many gifts, most of which were expensive, but when he saw these two cufflinks, he knew they were designed by Serena Jennings herself. ¡°Frankly speaking, Miss Jennings, initially, I intended to keep this banquet simple, but considering a grand event would allow me to invite more prominent people and introduce you to them, I decided to make itvish.¡± Upon hearing Ronan Ross¡¯s words, Serena Jennings was amazed. 09:500 274 97 Chapter 97: Withdrawal of Lawsuit Ronan Ross exined with a smile, ¡°My main intention is to make up for you in this way¡­¡± ¡°Make up for me?¡± ¡°Remember the designs you and ire Shaw originally submitted to me? I only realized after I saw the logo on the boxter that my assistant had mixed up your two design works.¡± Serena Jennings was speechless. ¡°This is my fault, otherwise, the person I rmended back then should have been you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not Mr. Ross¡¯s fault¡­¡± Serena Jennings hurriedly waved her hand, her mind unsettled. So, the person who actually won back then¡­ Was actually her? Thinking back to Ronan Ross¡¯s different evaluations of her and ire Shaw¡¯s works, Serena Jennings¡¯s heart surged with emotions. At this moment, Peter came to her side and handed her a ss of champagne. ¡°Feeling happy?¡± Serena Jennings touched her face, unable to hide the delight that surfaced on her face. Nothing made her happier than having her meticulously designed work recognized and praised. ¡°That¡¯s why I said years ago, your design talent is unmatched.¡± Once again hearing Peter¡¯s exaggerated praise, Serena Jennings smiled knowingly, no longer underestimating herself. Halfway through the banquet, Serena Jennings was surprised to discover that ire Shaw was also there. Amid the crowd dressed in finery, ire Shaw in a silk smoky pink strappy gown didn¡¯t stand out. Serena Jennings was puzzled. She remembered that no matter the asion, ire Shaw would always appear stunningly prominent, with an intense presence, This time, ire Shaw had been meticulously groomed, wearing luxurious, dazzling jewelry and styled hair. Yet, for some reason, this time ire Shaw seemed like an invisible person. Serena Jennings noticed that even the guests present didn¡¯t interact much with ire Shaw, probably due to Ronan Ross ignoring her, Turning to look around, Serena Jennings saw only ire Shaw, not Caleb Lockwood. So, it wasn¡¯t ire Shaw whomanded presence; it was Caleb Lockwood. Without Caleb Lockwood by her side, ire Shaw was no longer as noticeable as before. Suddenly, Serena Jennings understood this. 09 500 97 Chapter 97: Withdrawal of Lawsuit The banquet was unsettling for ire Shaw. She learned that Ronan Ross was hosting an extravagant banquet, having invited virtually all the prominent figures within the circle. Even Serena Jennings was invited, so ire Shaw believed she couldn¡¯t be left out. However, until the day of the banquet, she hadn¡¯t received any notice. Ronan Ross did not invite ire Shaw; she came on her own. Without an invitation, she was stopped by the servants at Ronan Ross¡¯s home, causing the situation to be awkward. In the end, Ronan Ross let her in, but his attitude towards her remained extremely cold, leaving ire Shaw perplexed. ¡°Mr. Ross, if I¡¯ve offended you in any way, I hope you can tell me clearly so I can apologize and make amends.¡± Unable to bear it, ire Shaw approached Ronan Ross to ask. Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter Vote Mding 98 98 Chapter 98: The New Divorce Agreement 98 Chapter 98: The New Divorce Agreement Ronan Ross actually couldn¡¯t care less about ire Shaw, but since she asked, he answered bluntly. 1 ¡°That day, Imented on both your and Serena Jennings¡® designs. You should have known early on that I mixed up your designs, yet you epted the privileges that should have belonged to Serena.¡± ¡°1¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ire Shaw was at a loss for words. ¡°If you truly want to apologize and make amends, it should be to Serena, not me.¡± ¡°Young people, you can¡¯t walk far by taking shortcuts.¡± After being lectured by Ronan Ross, ire Shaw rolled her eyes inwardly. It was Ronan Ross who mixed up the designs, not her. Why me her for his mistake? ire Shaw felt aggrieved and then saw Serena Jennings handing a piece of jewelry to President Leo Grant. It was a hairpin. Pure gold hairpin, with no iys but using ancient techniques, filigree, and enamel. The craftsmanship was exquisite, definitely not an ordinary piece. This hairpin was the work Serenapleted but didn¡¯t submit at the time. ¡°I found online that President Grant and his wife are having a traditional wedding, so I guessed your wife might prefer traditional¨Cstyle jewelry. That¡¯s why I chose pure gold material, and the design of the hairpin replicates the ce where President Grant proposed back in the day ¨C The Moonlight Grotto Resort.¡± Leo Grant put the hairpin in the box and smiled as he thanked her. ¡°Chairman Grant¡­ what do you think of my design?¡± Serena Jennings asked cautiously. She thought her creativity and craftsmanship would amaze Leo Grant. Yet Leo Grant¡¯s reaction was calm, making Serena nervous. ¡°If it were before, I would have been astonished and full of praise at seeing this. But now¡­¡± Leo Grant shrugged with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s just your usual level. Serena Jennings was filled with confusion. 135 < 98 Chapter 98: The New Divorce Agreement What Leo Grant said, she didn¡¯t quite understand! Leo Grant also didn¡¯t expect Serena to understand. Now he saw Serena not just as Serena but also as the mysterious, master designer BYC from FY, who was taking the world by storm. However, since Serena didn¡¯t like drawing attention to herself, he pretended to know nothing. After chatting with Leo Grant, Serena Jennings turned and came face to face with ire Shaw. She could tell ire Shaw had specificallye to find her. ¡°You had quite the spotlight tonight.¡± ire Shaw started with this opening line. Serena saw ire Shaw standing with her arms crossed, looking confrontational, aspletely unlike when Caleb Lockwood was around her. Serena Jennings grinned slightly. ¡°It could¡¯ve been even more morous.¡± ¡°You!¡± ire Shaw almost bit her tongue. Such confidence from Serena, she must already know that Ronan Ross initially mixed up their designs. Which means, from the start, the winner was Serena. ire Shaw bit her lower lip as the anger on her face turned into a smile. ¡°I just came to tell you¡­ A few days ago, Caleb told me¡­¡± ire Shaw deliberately spoke slowly, watching Serena¡¯s reaction as she spoke. Although Serena didn¡¯t say anything, her gaze was clearly drawn to ire¡¯s words. ire Shaw knew that the one thing that could truly strike Serena was always Caleb Lockwood, ¡°Caleb said he¡¯s going to give me a legitimate status.¡± These words didn¡¯t surprise Serena much, She and Caleb were about to get a divorce. This time, it was really close, just a few months at most, possibly even a few days. ire Shaw is Caleb¡¯s first love and also his true love, now constantly around him, inseparable. It would be surprising if Caleb didn¡¯t give ire Shaw a legitimate status. But even though it was expected, hearing it directly from ire¡¯s mouth, Serena still couldn¡¯t remainpletely unaffected. 09.50 316 < 98 Chapter 98: The New Divorce Agreement On the surface, she was indifferent. But her heart still ached. Just not as much as at the beginning. Serena viewed this as a good sign. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Serena said. ire Shaw sneered, ¡°Fake.¡± After the banquet, Serena Jennings returned home. After much hesitation, she finally sent a WeChat message to Caleb Lockwood: Caleb, how is the preparation of the new divorce agreement going? Caleb was holding an all¨Cnighter on a transnational video conference with Meridia. He nced at his phone. Previously, Serena rarely messaged or called him during work. asionally, she had urgent or important matters and contacted him, but he would decisively hang up. Serena dared not disturb him further. ¡°President Lockwood¡­¡± Seeing Caleb Lockwood getting distracted, Mr. Miller gently reminded him. Caleb nced at the big screen showing his business partners and said in fluent English: ¡°You made a mistake with your calctions; it should be 29.67344 billion. Would you mind calcting it again? I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± After speaking, Caleb stood up and left the meeting room. Mr. Miller noticed Caleb taking the phone that had been on the long conference table with him. Outside the meeting room. Caleb went to the break room, drinking coffee while fiddling with his phone. In the old house on Vornath Street, Serena was lying in bed, almost about to fall asleep. At that moment, she groggily heard the phone ring, shaking off some of her sleepiness. Picking up her phone, Serena found out Caleb had actually replied to her WeChat. At this hour, she didn¡¯t expect a reply from Caleb. Caleb: Do I need to report the progress of the divorce agreement to you at any time? The tone of the message made Serena wonder if she¡¯d angered Caleb, 09 60 98 Chapter 98: The New Divorce Agreement Serena: That¡¯s not what I meant, just feeling a bit anxious. After sending this message, Serena waited a long time before Caleb¡¯s reply came through: The divorce will definitely happen, you don¡¯t need to rush. Who¡¯s pressuring you, Peter, Patrick Rhodes, or Justin Nash? The string of names made Serena frown. Serena: Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯ve been unfaithful. Aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s in a hurry to make ire Shaw official? At the Lockwood Group, in the break room. Caleb downed cup after cup of coffee, but the WeChat conversation continued. ire Shaw told you? Yes. Serena replied quickly, and Caleb¡¯s charming smile curled into a slight arc. Next time, you can just admit you¡¯re jealous. No need to beat around the bush. Also, I¡¯m in a meeting, don¡¯t waste my time. When Serena received this reply from Caleb, she was so furious she almost blocked him. She cursed Caleb once, and he didn¡¯t reply again. In the meeting room, everyone had been waiting for twenty minutes. Recalcting the incorrect data didn¡¯t take that long. Caleb finally returned and set his phone back on the table, Beside him, Mr. Miller silently observed Caleb, feeling that his mood seemed improved. Serena didn¡¯t sleep wellst night and woke up with huge dark circles, To not look too haggard, she carefully applied makeup for two hours and chose a stylish yet fitting outfit. Today, she had a crucial business meeting and couldn¡¯t afford to appear disheveled. Mding 99 99 Chapter 99: Having Them Work Together 99 Chapter 99: Having Them Work Together Serena Jennings arrived at The Wyvern Hotel, Peony Room. 1 Inside, there were already quite a few people seated, all dressed formally in suits, with Vester Lowell being the only woman present. Vester Lowell was also the only person Serena knew. This business deal was introduced to Serena by Vester Lowell, and it was said to be a major government project. Serena didn¡¯t dare to ck off, appearing very formal in her dress, appearance, and demeanor. Initially, after Serena arrived, Vester Lowell thought everyone was present, but Director Lowell said to wait a bit longer, as he had invited another group. ¡°Who is it? Howe I don¡¯t know?¡± Just as Vester Lowell finished speaking, Serena saw the door of the room open. Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw entered Serena¡¯s sight. Upon seeing Serena, both Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw were taken aback. Neither party was aware that the other was also attending the dinner today. ¡°What does Director Lowell mean by this!¡± Vester Lowell looked displeased, ¡°I wasn¡¯t told that the person I introduced would have apetitor.¡± Although Director Lowell held the title of director, he didn¡¯t dare offend Vester Lowell, and quickly smiled apologetically: ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped, it¡¯s what the higher¨Cups wanted¡­ Miss Jennings and Miss Shaw are both City A¡¯s top emerging designers, and the leadership¡¯s intention is for them to cooperate on this project, leveraging each other¡¯s strengths!¡± Serena and ire Shaw looked at each other simultaneously. It was obvious Director Lowell¡¯s leadership didn¡¯t know about their rtionship, or they would never have asked them to coborate. Despite Director Lowell¡¯s assurances, Vester Lowell still looked sullen, appearing to stand up for Serena. Because Vester Lowell knew Serena was BYC, ire Shaw¡¯s level couldn¡¯tpare to Serena¡¯s. Country A nned to hold the Brilliant Star ¨C New Silk Road International Cultural Exchange in November, with 60 countries in attendance. The cultural department wanted Serena and ire Shaw to coborate to create 60 pieces of jewelry as gifts for the foreign dignitaries, each reflecting the cultural character of Country A. Neither Serena nor ire Shaw wanted to miss this prime opportunity to showcase their studio¡¯s capabilities, so both agreed to coborate. ¡°Alright, alright, cooperation it is¡­ But what¡¯s President Lockwood here for? Have you started learning jewelry design?¡± CUN C4 < 99 Chapter 99: Having Them Work Together Vester Lowell sarcastically quipped at Caleb Lockwood. She wasn¡¯t clear on the exact rtionship between Serena, Caleb Lockwood, and ire Shaw, but from her sixth sense, she had a rough idea. Thus, she didn¡¯t have a good impression of Caleb Lockwood or ire Shaw. ¡°President Lockwood is clearly the gant knight here! As far as I know, wherever Miss Shaw is, President Lockwood is never absent,¡± Director Lowell said with augh. Caleb Lockwood smirked slightly, without saying a word, seemingly in agreement. Yet his gaze inconspicuously fell on Serena. Serena didn¡¯t look at him, nor did she look at ire Shaw. Serena didn¡¯t look at anyone, focused only on eating, as if she hadn¡¯t heard Director Lowell¡¯s words at all. Or perhaps she heard them and simply didn¡¯t care. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyebrows furrowed unintentionally. ¡°If you want them to cooperate, surely there must be primary and secondary roles, right? Where will they normally work? All this back- and¨Cforth won¡¯t waste time?¡± Seeing Vester Lowell¡¯s assertive attitude, Serena knew Vester Lowell hadn¡¯t given up, still wanting her to independently handle this government project. However, Vester Lowell¡¯s concern wasn¡¯t unfounded; cooperation meant coboration between two studios, requiring frequent meetings and discussions, so the office location was indeed a problem. ¡°Well¡­¡± Director Lowell rubbed his balding head. Seeing Director Lowell¡¯s troubled expression, both Serena and the others realized that neither Director Lowell nor his bosses had thought things through. ¡°Why not split the difference and choose The Lockwood Group?¡± Caleb Lockwood suggested, his deep maic voice sounding more like he was making a firm decision. Director Lowell didn¡¯t have any better solutions, so he epted Caleb Lockwood¡¯s suggestion. Throughout the next month, Serena had to go to The Lockwood Group every day. The employees at The Lockwood Group weren¡¯t surprised to see ire Shaw, since she often visited anyway. No matter whether ire Shaw was the wife or the mistress, everyone essentially epted ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood as being together. So initially, when they saw Serena, they were all stunned. Serena often overheard The Lockwood Group¡¯s staff gossiping behind the scenes, debating whether she or ire Shaw was the mistress. -213 < 99 Chapter 99: Having Them Work Together In the end, they concluded: No matter who was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s real wife, Caleb Lockwood would ultimately be with ire Shaw. Even if Serena was the wife, she would face being abandoned by her husband, with the mistress taking over in the end. Whenever she heard this, Serena felt both amused and helpless. In reality, she was indeed going to divorce Caleb Lockwood, and ire Shaw was about to get the status she dreamt of. Originally, Serena thought her coboration with ire Shaw would progress poorly. But ire Shaw cooperated unexpectedly well, and they both submitted their designs to the higher¨Cups, who chose Serena¡¯s design, with ire Shaw helping to refine it, without any sabotage but offering constructive feedback instead. Naturally, Serena couldn¡¯t fully trust ire Shaw, but since ire Shaw wasn¡¯t disruptive, her progress was quicker. Finally, the design was finalized, and less than a month remained for the manufacturing process. Serena¡¯s design was a jade stamp, Jade Seal¨Csized, which could serve as an actual stamp or a decorative piece. Recently, a rare top¨Cgrade jade mine was discovered near the YN border, with icy green hues and great rity. Serena suggested using this newly discovered jade as the raw material, to which ire Shaw agreed, even volunteering to handle the transportation channels. The project progressed smoothly until the day of pickup. ¡°What did you say?¡± In The Lockwood Group¡¯s building conference room, Serena¡¯s face suddenly changed as she held the phone. Nearby, ire Shaw and several others involved in the project were also present. Serena¡¯s gaze fell on ire Shaw after hanging up. However, ire Shaw blinked herrge innocent¨Clooking eyes, staring at Serena in perplexity. ¡°The driver said the vehicle broke down just after hitting the road and it¡¯ll take a week for repairs.¡± After Serena spoke, ire Shaw was visibly shocked. ¡°How could this happen? What should we do now? I¡¯ll see if I can arrange for another vehicle.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ve inquired, and given the recent rainy days, all vehicles have been dispatched; not a single one is back.¡± Serena waved her hand, her gaze still fixed on ire Shaw. How could the vehicle coincidentally break down on the day of pickup, and so severely? Serena had reasons to suspect ire Shaw was behind it, but she had no evidence, and now wasn¡¯t the time to investigate. She contacted several other transport agencies, but none had a vehicle avable to send to YN immediately. 09:51 Mding 100 99 Chapter 99: Having Them Work Together ¡°Since the materials can¡¯t be transported for now, why not¡­ use my design?¡± ire Shaw said as she presented her design work. < 100 Chapter 100: Trailing All the Way 100 Chapter 100: Trailing All the Way ire Shaw also designed a seal, about the size of a Jade Seal, which could serve as an actual seal or an ornament. However, her design features two dragons ying with a pearl, whereas Serena Jennings¡¯s design uses camels and Oashia to symbolize the Silk Road. ¡°Director Lowell, what do you think?¡± ire handed over a finished product to Director Lowell. Although it was made of jade, it was several grades lower than the high ice yang green requested by Serena. As a gift for foreign guests, it¡¯s eptable but not perfect in every aspect. Director Lowell was also in a dilemma, but as of now, Serena¡¯s designcks the raw materials to produce a finished product, making any brilliant idea nothing more than empty words. ¡°I¡¯ll drive there now.¡± Serena turned to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Caleb Lockwood had just entered the conference room, only to see Serena moving like a headless fly, almost bumping into him. ¡°If I drive to the factory over in NY now, I can still make it.¡± ¡°Do you know how heavily it¡¯s raining outside?¡± Caleb asked. Serena certainly knew. ¡°But I must go.¡± Meeting Serena¡¯s determined gaze, Caleb shrugged with a smile. ¡°Are you really that unwilling to use ire¡¯s design?¡± This made it seem like Serena was persistently insisting due to some personal grudge. Serena opened her mouth, wanting to retort but realized it would be endless. She didn¡¯t have much time to waste right now. ¡°I was originally nning to go with the car; the jade materials must be personally selected by someone knowledgeable.¡± After a simple exnation, Serena threw out one line to everyone: ¡°Contact me anytime if needed.¡± Then she bypassed Caleb and walked out of the conference room. Caleb followed her out. 01051 < 100 Chapter 100: Trailing All the Way ¡°Let Mr. Miller take you!¡± Serena turned around at the sound. She saw Caleb holding out his car key, his expression as indifferent as ever. ¡°It¡¯s slippery when wet; it¡¯s safer if Mr. Miller drives.¡± Serena looked at Caleb, unsure if this was his concern for her or his distrust. ¡°I appreciate the offer.¡± Serena shook her head, refusing. ¡°Mr. Miller¡¯s driving skills aren¡¯t as good as mine.¡± After saying this, she turned and left without looking back. Just then, Mr. Miller walked over, and Caleb turned to him and said, ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Mr. Miller nodded, feeling caught betweenughter and tears. He considered himself a decent driver; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be Caleb¡¯s chauffeur. ¡°Miss Jennings must be stubborn.¡± He said ndly. ¡°You think so too?¡± Caleb said, then started walking, following the path Serena took. Mr. Miller didn¡¯t follow; although he didn¡¯t know where Caleb was going, he had a hunch that Caleb didn¡¯t want him to follow. Serena had already gotten into her car. The torrential rain kept pouring; the closer she got to YN, the heavier the rain. Following the navigation, she drove quickly, entirely focused on driving, unaware of a car consistently following her. The Lockwood Group. ire Shaw searched around but couldn¡¯t find Caleb Lockwood in the building. ¡°Mr. Miller, do you know where Caleb went?¡± Mr. Miller shook his head. He truly didn¡¯t know. ire felt inexplicably anxious. Serena was off to get the raw materials, but what about Caleb? Could he possibly have apanied Serena? ire shook her head vigorously. She directly dialed Caleb¡¯s phone. ¡°Hey Caleb, where are you? I couldn¡¯t find you at thepany.¡± 09:51 < 100 Chapter 100: Trailing All the Way ¡°I went out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ what are you doing out there?¡± ire seldom questioned Caleb¡¯s whereabouts, but this time, she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Washing the car.¡± Caleb said and hung up right after. ire was left bewildered. Washing the car¡­ why not let Mr. Miller do it? What car was so important that Caleb had to wash it himself? The emperor blue Bentley sped through the torrential rain. The heavy rain indeed washed away all the dust from the car. Caleb was chasing the white BMW 3 Series in front, but the more he chased, the more distance there was. Caleb hadn¡¯t expected that his car couldn¡¯t catch up with Serena¡¯s. He also hadn¡¯t anticipated that Serena¡¯s driving skills were so good. But he didn¡¯t like seeing Serena driving at such high speeds. To save time, along the way, Serena didn¡¯t book a decent hotel, instead making do with highway service area motels. In this way, four dayster, Serena arrived at the factory to pick up the raw stones. The selection of jade raw materials is particrly crucial, and Serena didn¡¯t think this trip was particrly exhausting; she had nned to travel with the transport vehicle to personally select the raw stones. After choosing the raw stones and loading them, they could only fit in her car¡¯s trunk. The rain continued, and Serena¡¯s car wasn¡¯t a professional transport vehicle. Halfway through, the dashboard indicated a malfunction. Serena had no choice but to park on the highway emergencyne. Without rain gear in the car, she got out to check and became drenched like a drowned rat. After the onset of autumn, an autumn rain brought a chill. The cold rain hit Serena, and goosebumps rose all over her body. Now her hair and clothes werepletely soaked, raindrops streaming down her forehead, blurring her eyes. With limited tools in the car, she could only perform simple repairs. Serena had done her utmost, yet she couldn¡¯t get the car to start. Even contacting a tow truckpany, what about the raw stones in her car? 09.510 100 Chapter 100: Trailing All the Way As darkness loomed, Serena stood alone on the highway emergencyne, watching vehicles stream past, feeling helpless, as if drowning in a sea of despair. Then, headlights suddenly shed at her. The alternating high and low beams seemed to deliberately irritate her eyes. Squinting, Serena saw the car slowing down and stopping on the emergencyne alongside hers. Despite the downpour, the car was unmistakably striking. Serena¡¯s heart raced when she recognized the emperor blue Bentley in front of her as Caleb¡¯s. Caleb got out of the car, holding a ck umbre. Rain sttered loudly on the umbre. Serena knew the man before her wasn¡¯t a figment of her imagination. Facing each other, neither spoke. Serena felt her breathing go slightly awry. She wanted to ask why Caleb was here. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Before Serena could ask, Caleb spoke first and tilted the umbre over her head. Instantly, the rain hitting Serena lessened. Serena noticed Caleb¡¯s suit getting drenched by the rain. ¡°I need to get the raw stones.¡± Serena wasn¡¯t pretentious and epted Caleb¡¯s timely help. ¡°I¡¯ll get them; you get in the car,¡± Caleb held the umbre for Serena, letting her sit inside first before retrieving the jade raw stones from her car trunk, The raw stones were heavy; back at the factory, Serena had needed assistance from the staff to load them into her car. Caleb¡¯s help saved her considerable trouble. When Caleb got into the driver¡¯s seat, his suit was entirely wet. For a moment, Serena was unsure whether to apologize, so she started with a ¡°thank you.¡± Caleb didn¡¯t react, quietly driving. Serena¡¯s car was towed away, while she and the jade raw stones were in Caleb¡¯s car. The car remained silent; the Bentley¡¯s soundproofing shut out the heavy rain, making the interior unusually quiet. 09:51 100 Chapter 100: Trailing All the Way ¡°Why are you here?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Just happened to pass by.¡± Caleb, eyes on the road, replied. ¡°I see¡­¡± There was no disappointment in Serena¡¯s voice; she simply found it unbelievable. Then Caleb took the initiative to ask: ¡°You don¡¯t think I drove all the way following you to pick you up, do you?¡± < Mding 101 101 Chapter 101: Slept on the Same Bed 101 Chapter 101: Slept on the Same Bed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was neither cold nor warm, always making it hard for Serena Jennings to discern his emotions. 1 ¡°Of course not.¡± She answered. She and Caleb Lockwood would be getting divorced in just a few days, she wasn¡¯t going to delude herself. The emperor blue Bentley pulled into the service area, and Serena realized Caleb intended for them to spend the night here. ¡°You don¡¯t really need to inconvenience yourself like this.¡± Upon hearing Serena¡¯s words, Caleb turned his head, his cold eyes showing a hint of puzzlement. Serena quickly exined, ¡°I mean¡­ you probably won¡¯t befortable staying here¡­ so you don¡¯t have to force yourself to apany me to a ce like this.¡± ¡°Then where should I stay?¡± Caleb asked indifferently. From what Serena knew of Caleb, staying at a simple motel in the service area was beneath him. ¡°A five¨Cstar hotel?¡± After Serena spoke, she heard Caleb let out a light chuckle. The sky was dark, clouds thick, but there were signs that the rain was diminishing. Before entering the motel, Serena opened the umbre first, and then the car trunk. Caleb had appeared behind her at some point and took the umbre from her hand. Serena turned her head. Behind her, Caleb said nothing, quietly holding the umbre for her despite his own shoulder getting wet. Serena felt a strange pang in her chest, took a deep breath, and smelled the cool, damp scent of rain. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The conversation was very formal and polite, yet Caleb¡¯s tone was gentle, much like the way they had been respectful towards each other before the discovery of the form. Serena sighed silently, bending down to carefully check the jade stone in the trunk. ¡°I want to move it into the room¡­ As she spoke, she looked at Caleb, instinctively seeking his opinion. < 101 Chapter 101: Slept on the Same Bed ¡°Why?¡± Caleb asked. ¡°This stone is very important and expensive, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll get lost¡­¡± After Serena spoke, she saw Caleb lower his eyes and smile wryly. ¡°Do you think this little motel is safer than my car?¡± Serena opened her mouth, realizing she was being overly worried. ¡°Besides, the cultural department¡¯s leaders have already decided to use ire¡¯s design.¡± As soon as Caleb finished speaking, Serena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Disappointed?¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± Serena lowered her head slightly, her face unable to hide her disappointment. When closing the trunk, Caleb saw Serena still looking uneasy. ¡°Still not giving up?¡± Serena was stunned and forced a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ve given up¡­ since they¡¯ve decided to use ire Shaw¡¯s design¡­¡± ¡°So you shouldn¡¯t have bothered from the start.¡± Caleb¡¯s calm voice didn¡¯t sound like he was mocking her, and Serena replied softly with ¡°Hmm.¡± The two entered the motel to check¨Cin, when asked if they needed a single room, Serena answered ¡°No,¡± while Caleb answered ¡°Yes.¡± Caleb nced at Serena and told the receptionist, ¡°One room.¡± ¡°Would you prefer a king bed or twin beds?¡± Serena originally wanted to say ¡°twin beds,¡± but Caleb spoke first again: ¡°King bed¡± Serena looked at Caleb, but Caleb didn¡¯t look at her. As a result, the two people who were about to divorce ended up sleeping on the same bed in a small motel at a highway service area. Although Serena had been wary, she didn¡¯t think Caleb would want to do anything to her in such a ce. Indeed, she was right. Caleby on the bed motionless after taking a shower. Serenay on the other side. The small king bed room was silent. Serena seemed to hear her heartbeat. 09.52 215 < 101 Chapter 101: Slept on the Same Bed She turned over and forced herself to sleep. Just as she thought Caleb had fallen asleep, she heard a light ¡°Good night¡± from behind. Unbeknownst to her, Serena fell asleep; perhaps she was too exhausted from traveling these past few days, she overslept untilte morning. When she woke up, Caleb was already dressed and had brought breakfast. ¡°There¡¯s only the KFC meal here, make do with it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s really fine.¡± Serena wouldn¡¯t look down on a KFC meal, even if it was a premade meal. She was more concerned that Caleb wouldn¡¯t befortable with it. The two ate burgers face to face in the narrow guest room. Several times, Serena wanted to ask Caleb if his stomach problems had resurfacedtely. But when the words got to her mouth, she thought she was being too concerned; Caleb had ire Shaw taking care of him, she needn¡¯t bother. She and Caleb¡­ Could only be described as a fateful encounter. After the meal, the two continued on their journey. The rain had stopped, and Caleb was speeding up the car quite a bit, though Serena¡¯s heart no longer felt anxious. Because the project no longer required her stone. One round trip, after more than a week had passed, when Serena again saw ire Shaw at the Lockwood Group, ire¡¯s eyes gleamed with triumph. ¡°The leaders have already decided to use my design; it¡¯s a shame you made a pointless trip.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to regret.¡± After Serena spoke and was about to leave, ire blocked her way, ¡°I know it was Caleb who brought you back.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Serena reacted indifferently, making ire grit her teeth. ¡°Caleb just happened to be on a business trip out of town, you really got lucky to bump into him.¡± Serena didn¡¯t intend to engage with ire, but seeing how much ire cared about this, a n formed in her mind. ¡°Do you really believe Caleb just identally bumped into me?¡± 09 52 101 Chapter 101: Slept on the Same Bed ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seeing ire taking the bait, Serena smiled brightly, her whole demeanor exuding aposed and confident aura. ¡°Caleb deliberately came to pick me up; he was worried for my safety.¡± ¡°Impossible! You two are about to divorce!¡± ire indeed became anxious, and Serena calmly countered: ¡°What if we don¡¯t get divorced?¡± Watching ire¡¯s expression twist into an ugly grimace as if she¡¯d eaten a bug, Serena felt great. She and Caleb were definitely going to divorce. But before that, letting ire suffer was quite enjoyable. Serena¡¯s words indeed stirred significant turmoil in ire¡¯s heart. If Caleb did start caring for Serena and didn¡¯t divorce her¡­ Biting her thumb, ire paced back and forth in the meeting room, troubled. She hadn¡¯t slept all night, and just past eight the next morning, she came alone to City A¡¯s First High School- Her alma mater. Also Caleb Lockwood¡¯s alma mater. In the golden autumn, City A¡¯s First High School celebrated its centennial anniversary, inviting Caleb Lockwood, one of their most outstanding graduates, to give a speech, receiving a warm wee from teachers and students. After the speech, Caleb left the auditorium. The two rows of lush ginkgo trees in front of the auditorium had turned yellow, their leaves rustling down, like a thin golden velvet carpetid on the stone steps. Unintentionally, Caleb noticed a figure. A woman. The woman was cycling down the ginkgo tree¨Cshaded path. She wore a ponytail and was dressed in a beige sports outfit, her smile bright, radiating an incongruous youthful aura. Comment n Leave the firstment for Mding 102 102 Chapter 102: Serena Jennings Really Is a Seductress In a daze, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s memories were pulled back to his high school days by the scene before him. 1 ¡°Caleb, what are you doing here?¡± ire Shaw stopped her bicycle in front of Caleb Lockwood. Caleb came back to his senses and retorted, ¡°I should be asking you that. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I arranged toe see the teacher with my ssmates; it¡¯s the school¡¯s anniversary today!¡± ire quickly revealed her well¨Cprepared excuse. Today, she changed from her usual sweet and elegant attire, looking youthful and vibrant like a high school student. She knew Caleb Lockwood was watching her, staring intently. ¡°You¡¯re here to see the teacher¡­ without inviting me?¡± ¡°I thought you might be busy!¡± ire apologetically smiled. ¡°Fortunately, I was invited to give a speech, or I wouldn¡¯t have seen this side of you!¡± Hearing Caleb say this, ire knew her sleepless nights over the past few days were worth it. In fact, she had suggested to the principal to invite Caleb Lockwood as a guest speaker for the anniversary. She wanted to ¡°identally¡± meet Caleb Lockwood in the school where they had once dated. As ire expected, the familiar scene stirred up Caleb¡¯s memories. Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw strolled under the avenue covered with ginkgo leaves. In the past, their high school dates had been just like this. ¡°Caleb, are you still willing to give me a ride on your bicycle?¡± Meeting ire Shaw¡¯s hopeful eyes, Caleb nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Despite wearing a suit that was inconvenient for biking, he pedaled away, with ire sitting on the back seat. He was handsome; she was beautiful. Together, they became the most unique sight on campus. Many students paused to admire them, including Serena Jennings. Serena was here because a fellow designer had asked her to help inspect the high school stadium, preparing for an outdoor jewelry exhibition over the weekend. Unexpectedly, she saw Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw. 09:52: < 102 Chapter 102: Serena Jennings Really Is a Seductress The two appeared like high school sweethearts, with the boy pedaling the bike and the girl holding his waist, radiating sweetness and youth. Serena wasn¡¯t mistaken; Caleb wore a smile on his face. It wasn¡¯t his usual mysterious and ambiguous smile. This time, Caleb¡¯s smile was rxed. For a moment, she felt Caleb had be younger. Seeing Caleb and ire seeking their first love feeling in their alma mater, Serena abruptly turned away. ire naturally knew that Serena was there. In fact, she had intentionally led Caleb Lockwood to bike near the stadium at this time to be seen by Serena. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ireid her face against Caleb¡¯s strong back, closing her eyes in intoxication. ¡°You will get a divorce¡­ won¡¯t you¡­¡± The wind swept past ire¡¯s ear. Bringing Caleb¡¯s calm voice: ¡°Yes.¡± At the same time, a white BMW 3 Series circled the road, passing by the juvenile detention center. Serena paused briefly by the roadside, then continued driving. That night, she asked Caleb again about the divorce papers, but he didn¡¯t answer. A weekter, she came to The Lockwood Group again. In the meeting room, Director Lowell and those involved in the cultural exchange gift project were all present, and only ire looked the worst. ¡°Serena, the leaders have decided to use your design for the seal. ire¡¯s double dragon design isn¡¯t suitable since some visiting countries have cultural conflicts with dragons. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, your design is more appropriate. Director Lowell gestured for ire to step forward as he spoke. ¡°From now on, including ire, everyone will fully support you. The raw materials are ready, and you should be able to finish on time, right?¡± ¡°Yes, though it¡¯s a tight schedule, I canplete it.¡± Serena agreed readily. As she left the meeting room, Serena suddenly heard Caleb say, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect all the effort wasn¡¯t ineffective!¡± 216 < 102 Chapter 102: Serena Jennings Really Is a Seductress She understood Caleb was referring to her journey to retrieve the raw stone in the rain. ¡°It was also thanks to your help at that time.¡± After hearing Serena¡¯s words, Caleb nodded slightly. Beside her, ire angrily picked off the gel polish she had just applied. She had painstakingly arranged for Caleb to experience their first love at their alma mater, and Serena saw it too. Knowing she and Caleb were high school sweethearts, but Serena still flirted with him publicly ¨C Serena was such a vixen! Shameless! ire cursed Serena furiously in her mind. Yet, regardless of her curses, Serena¡¯s jade seal design dazzled at the Starry New Silk Road International Cultural Exchange, earning unanimous praise, and her studio received governmentmendation as a result. Upon hearing this good news after returning from a business trip, Peter invited Serena to dinner that night. Serena headed straight to the restaurant after work, wearing her professional attire. As soon as she entered, she froze. Unlike usual steakhouses, this restaurant only had two¨Cperson seats, designed in heart¨Cshaped semi¨Cclosed booths, adorned with fresh red roses, and each table set with romantic candlelight. Clearly, this was a couple¡¯s restaurant. Looking around, all the women were dressed in evening gowns, except Serena who wore professional attire. Serena felt somewhat embarrassed. If Peter had informed her earlier, she could have changed beforeing. However, if Peter had told her in advance the restaurant was for couples, she might have refused. At their designated seat, she saw Peter. Peter usually wore a suit and tie, as he did today. Yet, Serena felt something was different about Peter today, though she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what. Perhaps the suit was better fitted? Or maybe he had a more suitable hairstyle? Peter¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Serena, and he stood up to take her purse. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte, and I didn¡¯t change my clothes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, none of that matters. Your presence is what¡¯s important.¡± Serena sat down, and they ordered together. The menu was full of couple¡¯s meals, making Serena somewhat uneasy. 6950 275 102 Chapter 102: Serena Jennings Really Is a Seductress Eventually, she ceded the decision to Peter. Peter ordered the most expensive set, and delicate dishes gradually appeared on the table. Before Serena could pick up the cutlery, a phone call suddenly interrupted. The caller ID showed Caleb Lockwood. Seeing Serena¡¯s changed expression, Peter slowly put down his cutlery. He knew the call was undoubtedly from Caleb. Peter never doubted Serena¡¯s determination to divorce Caleb. But he was also well aware that Caleb held an irreceable ce in Serena¡¯s heart. For instance, at this moment, only Caleb¡¯s call could make Serena show such a hesitant and preupied expression. ¡°¡­Hello?¡± Serena answered the call. ¡°Look to the left behind you.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice directed on the phone. The sound wasn¡¯t cold, but the pressure remained palpable. Serena turned to look behind her left side, and when she saw Caleb sitting alone in a heart¨Cshaped booth, she was shocked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Peter followed Serena¡¯s gaze and saw Caleb too. Caleb held the phone in one hand, casually resting the other on his raised leg as he met Peter¡¯s displeased gaze with a slight smile. At that moment, Serena heard Caleb issuing anothermand over the phone: ¡°Sit with me now.¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. < 103 Chapter 103: You Don¡¯t Really Want to Divorce Me Either Mding 103 103 Chapter 103: You Don¡¯t Really Want to Divorce Me Either 103 Chapter 103: You Don¡¯t Really Want to Divorce Me Either Serena Jennings stared intently at Caleb Lockwood. 1 Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression and voice were both very calm, leaving her unable to guess what he was up to. After a moment of silence, she spoke: ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Caleb was slightly taken aback, but unhurriedly took something out of his briefcase- It was a document. The distance between Serena and Caleb was neither too close nor too far. Although she couldn¡¯t see the exact content of the document, her intuition told her it had a lot to do with her. ¡°If you don¡¯te over, I¡¯ll throw this away.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice came through the receiver as calm as a windlesske. But a wave surged in Serena¡¯s heart. ¡°What is that?¡± she asked. ¡°What you¡¯ve always dreamt of,¡± he replied. Serena raised her eyelids slightly. As expected, what Caleb held should be the newly drafted divorce agreement. Serena instinctively tightened her grip on her phone. ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with a friend. We¡¯ll discuss the document after I¡¯m done.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Serena didn¡¯t want to see the divorce agreement immediately, but once she sat down with him, she might not be able to return, and that would be too impolite to Peter. Instead of showing anger, Caleb chuckled and said leisurely, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not really keen on divorcing me, ying hard to get and still not tired of it?¡± Seeing Caleb ce the document down, Serena nearly jumped up in urgency. Whether she was ying hard to get or not, she believed Caleb knew perfectly well Even though Caleb was a narcissist and had reasons to be so However, with their repeated arguments about divorce during this period, even a blind eye should see she¡¯s serious. Serena was well aware that Caleb was trying to provoke her 09 63 146 > 103 Chapter 103: You Don¡¯t Really Want to Divorce Me Either Seeing that Serena genuinely didn¡¯t walk over, Caleb¡¯s thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, unintentionally. ¡°Serena, miss tonight and I won¡¯t just tear this divorce agreement; I won¡¯t discuss this matter with you ever again in the future.¡± Caleb gave Serena an ultimatum over the phone, leaving her agitated. Just then, she heard Peter beside her say, ¡°Go on, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I know what he wants to discuss with you, go ahead!¡± Peter gave Serena a reassuring smile. Serena thanked and apologized to Peter before standing up and walking toward where Caleb was seated. Peter watched Serena¡¯s slim figure as she walked away, his smile slowly fading. At that moment, he caught Caleb¡¯s gaze. Caleb¡¯s eyes were always cold and distant, with a certain sharpness that seemed to see through everything. Although the gaze wasn¡¯t smug or challenging, Peter knew full well that Caleb choosing this restaurant and this time to discuss divorce with Serena was intentional. Facing a table full of exquisite dishes, Peter had no appetite at all. Without a femalepanion, this meal lost its appeal. Peter¡¯s hand reached into his trouser pocket, touching the box inside. Serena arrived beside Caleb and sat down. ¡°You¡¯re on a date with Peter, why are you dressed like this? Does he like the OL style?¡± Caleb¡¯s question received no response from Serena. He gave a slight smile, called for the waiter, and ordered the most expensive set meal. ¡°I¡¯m not here to dine with you.¡± Serena emphasized. ¡°Then what are you here for if not to eat? To discuss divorce?¡± ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, talk while we eat,¡± Caleb ced the divorce agreement aside. Serena felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, yet she could only let Caleb manipte her. When they married, she was led by the nose by Caleb, unaware that he¡¯d already had someone else in his heart. 09:53 0 215 103 Chapter 103: You Don¡¯t Really Want to Divorce Me Either Now with the divorce, she still had to listen to Caleb; without his agreement, she couldn¡¯t manage a divorce on her own. Serena pinched her palm painfully. The food was served, exactly like what she had with Peter. Feeling guilty towards Peter, Serena was about to nce back at him when Caleb¡¯s cold voice suddenly echoed. ¡°Take a look; it¡¯s thetest.¡± The divorce agreement was finally handed to her. Serena took it and began to read from the first page. Next to her, Caleb quietly continued his meal. Serena concentrated intensely, focusing all her attention on the divorce agreement, only realizing the extra food on her te when she came to. Her te was piled with slices of ck truffle Kobe beef, caviar, French foie gras, and skan Emperor Crab meat. Serena blinked. Were those all given to her by Caleb? ¡°It won¡¯t taste good if it gets cold.¡± ¨C Caleb casually said while eating his own meal. Originally not intending to eat, Serena realized she was a bit hungry, and it would be wasteful not to eat since it was already on her te. Seeing Serena finally pick up her fork and knife, Caleb¡¯s lips curved slightly. He didn¡¯t say anything. Serena didn¡¯t speak either. They became the quietest diners in the restaurant. While eating, Serena continued reading the divorce agreement. This new version was not thin, Compared to thest one, which demanded 30 billion inpensation, it was much slimmer. Having learned from the previous experience, Serena was mentally prepared this time. While Caleb might not be as outrageous as asking for 30 billion again, he was bound to set some traps to make her pay. If it were a few million, Serena figured she could afford it The first dozen pages of the divorce agreement were nothing special, with no mention of any losses Caleb wanted her topensate for. However, from the 17th page onward, Serena felt increasingly uneasy. < 103 Chapter 103: You Don¡¯t Really Want to Divorce Me Either Serena was absorbed, focusing intensely on the divorce agreement. Next to her, Caleb kept adding delicacies to Serena¡¯s te. As soon as Serena¡¯s te was empty, he promptly replenished it. After reading through the entire divorce agreement, Serena realized that Caleb had been feeding her throughout the meal. Caleb¡¯s steak was long cold. ¡°Finished reading?¡± ¡°Finished.¡± Clutching the divorce agreement tightly in her hands, Serena red at Caleb. That look puzzled Caleb. ¡°Why are you angry?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Serena didn¡¯t answer Caleb¡¯s question but asked directly. ¡°The literal meaning.¡± Seeing Caleb unwilling to exin further, Serena felt turmoil within. ¡°What¡¯s your reaction? Last time, when I asked for 30 billion, I understood why you were angry. This time, I didn¡¯t ask for any money, and even offered you 80 million inpensation; you should be happy.¡± Caleb spoke lightly. Serena wasn¡¯t being picky about the 80 million. Caleb was wealthy; if he wanted to give, she wouldn¡¯t refuse. Back then, she lost her most precious child, and Caleb shouldpensate her. The problem was¡­ ¡°Thest five pages of this divorce agreement¡­ you¡¯re transferring 10% of the Lockwood Group shares to me, what is your intention?¡± Comment 0 Mding 104 104 Chapter 104: Truly Loves ire Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hand paused momentarily as he held his knife and fork, then he proceeded to cut another piece of cold steak and stuffed it into his mouth. 1 Cold steak doesn¡¯t taste good. But those he gave to Serena Jennings were warm; they should taste pretty decent. ¡°Just see it as me being impulsive!¡± ¡°You want to use your status as The Lockwood Group¡¯s shareholder to tie me down after the divorce.¡± Serena said firmly. No matter what, she wanted to divorce Caleb Lockwood just to draw a clear line between them, separating her career and life She didn¡¯t understand why Caleb would transfer such crucial shares of The Lockwood Group to her if he didn¡¯t love her and had promised ire Shaw to grant her the status. Ten percent of the shares is quite a lot. Once Serena owns ten percent of The Lockwood Group¡¯s shares, it means she can participate in any major decisions and projects of The Lockwood Group, attend shareholder meetings, have voting rights, receive profit dividends, ess confidentialpany documents, etc. Such significant rights should be given to ire Shaw, not her. Seeing the shock and suspicion in Serena¡¯s eyes, Caleb spoke leisurely, ¡°Why would I use The Lockwood Group to bind you? Do you really think you¡¯re so beautiful that I¡¯d use a shareholder meeting as an excuse just to see you?¡± Unexpectedly, Caleb joked with her, but Serena couldn¡¯t bring herself tough. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, whatever your purpose is, I¡¯m not epting The Lockwood Group shares.¡± As soon as Serena finished speaking, Caleb picked up the divorce agreement. ¡°Okay, then no divorce, ¡°What?¡± Serena grabbed the other end of the divorce agreement. Both held a part of the divorce agreement, refusing to back down, caught in a stalemate, Serena couldn¡¯t decipher what Caleb was up to. Thest time their attempt at a divorce agreement failed was because Caleb demanded three billion, which was too much. ¨C This time, their attempt at a divorce agreement was failing because Caleb was giving too much ten percent of The Lockwood Group shares to her without any justification. (10:53 < 104 Chapter 104: Truly Loves ire ¡°Caleb, do your parents know you¡¯re transferring so many shares to me?¡± Understanding what Serena meant, Caleb smiled faintly. ¡°You can tell them; I don¡¯t mind.¡± Serena frowned. ¡°Does ire know?¡± ¡°Does she need to know?¡± Caleb¡¯s counter¨Cquestion left Serena momentarily stunned. Sometimes Serena couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether Caleb truly loved ire. Noticing Serena¡¯s confusion, Caleb lightly added: ¡°I gave her something more important than shares.¡± Serena¡¯s heart sank. True. Caleb gave ire¡­.. Caleb¡¯s love. Indeed, it¡¯s far more important than ten percent of The Lockwood Group¡¯s shares. Once Caleb divorces her, he would certainly marry ire, and by then, the entire Lockwood Group would belong to ire. Would she still care about that ten percent of shares? Serena thought for a moment. She probably would care! Caleb silently observed theplex and ever¨Cchanging expressions on Serena¡¯s face for a while, then released his grip. Serena took back the divorce agreement. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that once I get ten percent of The Lockwood Group shares, I¡¯ll turn around and sell them to yourpetitors?¡± Caleb shook his head, his voice calm yet utterly confident as he replied: ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Serena suddenly felt a bit panic¨Cstricken. She didn¡¯t ask Caleb why he trusted her so much. She felt like she hadn¡¯t yet escaped from the maze of emotions, like a wreck. Serena bowed her head, looking at the divorce agreement in her hands. 215 < 104 Chapter 104: Truly Loves ire As long as she epted the ten percent of The Lockwood Group shares that Caleb offered her, she and Caleb would definitely seed in a divorce agreement this time. Suddenly, Serena felt the divorce agreement in her hands growing heavier. Her hand tightened involuntarily, and each protruding knuckle appeared pale. ¡°Caleb Lockwood¡­¡± Upon hearing Serena call his name, Caleb realized Serena wasn¡¯t looking at him. Serena lowered her eyelids, her gaze fixed on the divorce agreement. Three years of marriage¡­. Ten years of love¡­ Back then, when Caleb had a car ident, she carried Caleb on her back and took him to the hospital. After Caleb emerged from danger, as his savior, she was allowed by The Lockwood Family¡¯s bodyguards to enter the ward to visit Caleb. At that time, Serena was full of hope and trembling. The scene she imagined would follow was a mutual recognition, an emotional reunion, and then naturally being together, dating, marrying, having children, growing old together¡­ But Serena was afraid of being too abrupt. ¨C After all, Caleb hadn¡¯t seen her for so many years; she had changed a lot and feared Caleb wouldn¡¯t recognize her. However, Caleb had once told her that no matter when or where, as long as he saw her again, he would definitely recognize her. As it turned out, when Serena entered the hospital room, the first words Caleb said upon seeing her were: ¡°Who are you?¡± In that moment, Serena realized ¨C Caleb didn¡¯t recognize her. Later, she overheard Patrick Rhodes say to Caleb, ¡°Sister¨Cinw has already gone to Meridia.¡± Not only did Caleb not recognize her, but he also already had a girlfriend. Afterwards, Serena learned from Patrick Rhodes, through indirect inquiries, that Caleb¡¯s girlfriend was his first love, For many years, Serena had believed that she was Caleb¡¯s first love. So rather than Caleb not recognizing her, it¡¯s more urate to say he didn¡¯t remember who she was. ¡°Caleb, do you remember when you were in juvenile detention in middle school¡­¡± Serena¡¯s voice was drowned out by the ringing of Caleb¡¯s phone. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± 00 ¡ê2 < 104 Chapter 104: Truly Loves ire Caleb stood up to take the call. After a while, the phone call ended; he returned to his seat and asked Serena: ¡°What did you want to say just now?¡± Serena put the divorce agreement into her handbag. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯ve taken this. I¡¯ll consider the matter about the shares.¡± ¡°Alright, take your time to consider.¡± Serena and Caleb finished their meal, and their divorce discussion was also over.. Serena nced at Peter¡¯s booth; Peter was no longer there. Caleb had already reached the door, and seeing Serena hadn¡¯t followed, he turned to look. When he saw Serena gazing at the empty booth that Peter had been at, the shadow in his eyes deepened. Serena got into her car, casually touched her handbag. Inside was the crucial divorce agreement. She thought, perhaps the person giving her ten percent of The Lockwood Group shares wasn¡¯t Caleb. But rather Lance Lockwood. ¡°I should go ask Grandpa at the old mansion someday!¡± Serena mumbled to herself. If Lance Lockwood insisted on giving her the shares, she might still have a chance to make Lance change his mind. As long as she removed the part about transferring shares, the divorce agreement would be perfect for her, Serena took a deep breath and made a call before starting the car. Comment 0 Mding 105 105 Chapter 105: Giving a Ring 105 Chapter 105: Giving a Ring One Night Drunk is a rather inconspicuous small bar, but it operates on a membership basis. 1 Serena Jennings wasn¡¯t a member. As soon as she got out of the car, she saw Peter already standing at the bar entrance waiting for her. ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± Serena walked up to Peter. ¡°No, it¡¯s just perfect timing.¡± Peter led Serena into the bar and sat down in a booth. The drinks were already ordered by Peter, and he handed Serena a margarita. While drinking, Serena apologized to Peter, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about today, such a nice meal got ruined. I¡¯ll treat you to another one someday.¡± ¡°Alright, sounds good!¡± Peter epting Serena¡¯s apology without being polite. ¡°Did Caleb Lockwood find you¡­ to talk about the divorce?¡± Peter asked casually, but sitting next to him, Serena could sense his cautiousness. Serena felt that Peter had invited her for drinks here probably just to ask about this. ¡°Yes¡± Serena nodded. Regarding the divorce, she actually didn¡¯t want to talk much. But she could tell Peter seemed very curious. ¡°Did he make it difficult for you?¡± Peter asked with concern, ¡°No, he used to make things difficult, but not this time.¡± Serena shook her head, squeezing out a bitter smile, ¡°Not only did he not make it difficult, but he also wants to give mepensation of 80 million!¡± Serena initially thought 80 million was already a lot, and Peter would be surprised upon hearing it. However, Peter replied calmly, ¡°Yes, he should give it¡­. even if the unit was changed to a billion, I wouldn¡¯t think it¡¯s too much.¡± Serena was speechless. She didn¡¯t consider herself worth that much money, Especially to Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Since he didn¡¯t make it difficult for you and you¡¯re okay with the money, what are you still worried about?¡± Serena was startled, looking at Peter in surprise. 09:53 < 105 Chapter 105: Giving a Ring Did she really look so worried? Originally, to Serena, Peter was just a work partner, like a colleague or boss. Even though they¡¯ve known each other for a long time, they couldn¡¯t be considered close friends. Serena never thought she¡¯d have a day of getting so close to Peter. Without concealment, she straightforwardly told Peter about Caleb Lockwood transferring 10% of the Lockwood Group shares to her in the divorce agreement. Peter was dumbfounded andughed. ¡°Do you know how many people are desperate to get Lockwood Group¡¯s shares!¡± ¡°But I really don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Just take it, you¡¯re not losing anything.¡± Serena understood what Peter meant, but she always felt that with the shares involved, she and Caleb Lockwood would still have to be colleagues even after the divorce. The more she thought about it, the more troubled she felt. She tilted her head back and drank the margarita in her ss all at once. Sitting next to her, Peter propped his chin with one hand, staring intently at Serena. His emotions were hard to hide. ¡°Serena¡­¡± When Serena looked over, Peter quickly withdrew his gaze. He took out a gift box from his pants pocket and handed it to Serena. ¡°This¡­ I wanted to give it to you during dinner.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t ept without a reason¡­¡± Serena wanted to refuse, but Peter said: ¡°Just a congrattory gift, to celebrate your stamp design¡¯s great sess at the exchange meeting.¡± Since Peter put it like that, Serena couldn¡¯t refuse, She opened the gift box. The size of the box looked a bit like a ring box. Serena opened it and found that it really was a ring inside. She looked at Peter with some surprise. She remembered that previously, when she resigned, Peter gifted her jewelry too, but it was a brooch instead of a ring. A man giving a woman a ring as a gift always seemed to invite spection. Serena saw Peter¡¯s usual expression, guessing Peter might be desensitized from dealing with jewelry all the time! 09 530 214 105 Chapter 105: Giving a Ring ¡°Don¡¯t feel burdened.¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s hesitant face, Peter exined: ¡°My specialty is jewelry, and besides jewelry, I don¡¯t know what gifts are suitable for girls. This ring design is very casual, a daisy style, not expensive, but the craftsmanship is nice. I think it should be suitable for your daily work wear.¡± With Peter saying so much, Serena didn¡¯t know how to respond for a moment, so she simply said ¡°Thank you.¡± Actually, Peter¡¯s original n was to gift Serena custom high¨Cend jewelry. But when he recalled Serena had never worn the brooch he gave her, as far as he knew. Besides special asions, Serena¡¯s daily attire and makeup were very simple, with not a single piece of jewelry. Hence, Peter changed his mind and picked a daily wear design. Still, to leave a special impression of this casual design in Serena¡¯s heart, he took the risk of choosing a ring. Serena originally wanted to put the ring away, but seeing Peter repeatedly suggest it was suitable for daily wear, hinting indirectly that she could wear it now, she ended up just keeping the ring box and putting the ring on her left middle finger. About the different meanings of wearing rings on different fingers and hands, Serena never paid attention to or cared about them. She didn¡¯t wear it on her right hand simply because she¡¯s right¨Chanded and uses her right hand for work. Today is the Double Ninth Festival. Serena brought a box of osmanthus cake, two roast chickens, a case of milk, and her homemade tomato beef stew and steamed prawns to Serene Meadows Nursing Home. Her mother Audrey Jennings has been living here. Before founding her studio, Serena visited her mom weekly, but since starting her own business, she could only visit once a month. It¡¯s a holiday today, so Serena rarely cooked. On one hand, she¡¯s bringing her mom some of her homemade dishes; on the other hand, she¡¯s here to settle the nursing home¡¯s fees. This nursing home was originally found by Caleb. It is the most expensive and best nursing home in City A, with both facilities and staff very professional. Even after divorcing Caleb, Serena doesn¡¯t n to move her mom. Only the money won¡¯te from Caleb anymore. Knock, knock! Serena knocked on the door. ¡°Mom, I¡¯vee to see you,¡± The door opened wide, and Serena saw the people in the room- Besides her mother Audrey Jennings, there was another person. 09.54 < 105 Chapter 105: Giving a Ring The other person saw her, stood up, and walked over to take things from her. ¡°Mom, see, Serena¡¯s here now.¡± Being called ¡°Serena¡± by Caleb, Serena felt like she was dreaming. Rather, the fact that Caleb was here made her feel unreal. In the past years, Caleb had apanied her to visit her mom, but since her mom had Alzheimer¡¯s and didn¡¯t remember her, Caleb didn¡¯t have to pretend in front of her mom. ¡°Oh Serena, I told you, how could you let Calebe alone.¡± Audrey Jennings squinted her eyes, smiling kindly. Serena went from bewildered to utterly surprised. ¡°Mom, you recognize me?!¡± Audrey nodded awkwardly, ¡°Of course I recognize you, you silly child, what are you saying!¡± Serena felt incredibly incredulous. She wanted to ask Caleb, but saw Caleb was already taking out the dishes she brought and then patting the chair beside him. ¡°Come sit, Serena,¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 30 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. 2 Send Gifts Mding 106 106 Chapter 106: The Divorce Agreement Has Already Been Signed 106 Chapter 106: The Divorce Agreement Has Already Been Signed Being called ¡°Serena¡± by Caleb Lockwood made Serena Jennings¡¯s skin crawl. 1 But in front of Audrey Jennings, she couldn¡¯t show that she was in the midst of a divorce with Caleb Lockwood. She moved over, sitting next to Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood considerately served dishes to both her and her mother. ¡°Serena¡¯s cooking is still so good¡­ But Caleb must be tired of eating your food all the time, right?¡± Audrey Jennings said, patting Serena¡¯s shoulder and advised earnestly, ¡°You need to change the recipes asionally and try something new. Caleb works hard outside, and you, as his wife, should prepare avish dinner for him when hees home. Otherwise, you¡¯re not a qualified wife.¡± ¡°I know, Mom, no need to worry.¡± Serena agreed verbally, but felt ufortable inside. Audrey Jennings was a very traditional and virtuous woman, and she had educated Serena with such principles. Initially, Serena agreed with this. Especially since she loved Caleb Lockwood. Because she loved Caleb so deeply, she was willing to give everything for him. She could forgo graduating from university, she could do without a degree. Moreover, because she didn¡¯t have a job and was supported by Caleb, she always thought that it was her duty to do hisundry and cook meals every day. Just as her mother said, she had to serve Caleb well to be considered a qualified wife. For three years, she neverined. However, her efforts and hardships were unseen by Caleb Lockwood, and even more so by the Lockwood family. Even¡­ Serena watched Audrey Jennings continuously serve dishes to Caleb Lockwood. She felt her mother couldn¡¯t see it either. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, Serena¡¯s cooking is very delicious, no matter how much I cat, I won¡¯t get tired of it.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was as calm as always,cking the usual oppressive feeling, at this moment indeed appearing as a filial son¨Cin- The rtionship between him and Serena appeared as a loving couple, 09:54 715 < 106 Chapter 106: The Divorce Agreement Has Already Been Signed Serena had to admit that Caleb Lockwood¡¯s acting skills exceeded her expectations. But also because his acting was so good, it was difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Like when he pursued her, she didn¡¯t realize he was actually seeking revenge on another woman. The meal went smoothly, at least the smile on Audrey Jennings¡¯s face never disappeared. Although Serena knew all this was an illusion, being able to make Audrey Jennings smile like that, did it matter whether it was fake or not? After the meal, Serena and Caleb Lockwood apanied Audrey Jennings for a walk, following which the caregiver took Audrey Jennings back to her room for a nap. In the courtyard, Serena and Caleb Lockwood walked side by side, casually strolling, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, there was no sign that the two were about to divorce. Serena learned from Caleb Lockwood that Audrey Jennings had suddenly gained rity that morning. It wasn¡¯t totally clear though, sometimes she was cognizant, and sometimes confused. There were times when Audrey Jennings recognized Serena, but shortly thereafter, she would start talking nonsense again. This time, Audrey Jennings insisted on seeing Serena, but the caregiver had Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone number, so they contacted him. ¡°She thinks we were married not long ago¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s still a bit confused.¡± Serena sighed. ¡°At least it¡¯s not worsening.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The conversation between Serena and Caleb Lockwood temporarily ceased. When it resumed, Serena started: ¡°Thank you for today¡­ In the future, if anything like this happens, just have the caregiver contact me.¡± ¡°No need for thanks, it wasn¡¯t troublesome¡± Without Audrey Jennings around, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s demeanor and aura reverted to his usual indifference. But his words surprised Serena. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to asionally stop by and see her.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Serena blurted out. She and he were about to divorce, and after the divorce, she would no longer be his wife, and her mother naturally would have nothing 09.54 < 106 Chapter 106: The Divorce Agreement Has Already Been Signed to do with him. Caleb Lockwood nced at Serena ndly. ¡°Just pretend I want to eat the food you cook.¡± With Caleb Lockwood¡¯s mention of it, Serena suddenly realized that Caleb hadn¡¯t tasted her cooking in a long time. ¡°After eating for three years, wouldn¡¯t you have been tired of it long ago? Changing the taste is good for the stomach.¡± Detecting the implicit meaning in Serena¡¯s words, Caleb Lockwood remained silent, pausing before he spoke: ¡°Taking stomach medicine on time is good for the stomach.¡± Serena shrugged. She didn¡¯t care whether Caleb Lockwood understood her words or not. She initially wanted to go to the finance office to settle the ounts and arrange for her mother¡¯s hospitalization fees to be paid by her in the future, but with Caleb Lockwood always by her side, she felt it wasn¡¯t convenient, so she decided to handle it another day. The two stood at the Serene Meadows Nursing Home entrance, ready to part ways. ¡°You¡¯re going to see Grandpa next, right?¡± Caleb Lockwood saw Serena¡¯s eyes open wide as if asking him ¡°How did you know?¡± and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Serena felt that Caleb Lockwood¡¯s smile seemed to say: ¡°Your thoughts.are easy to predict.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ want to go together?¡± After asking, Serena realized her words sounded like an invitation to Caleb Lockwood. Though she didn¡¯t mean it that way. ¡°No thanks.¡± Caleb Lockwood shook his head. ¡°You go by yourself; I need to head back to the office first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Serena breathed a sigh of relief, She actually didn¡¯t want Caleb Lockwood to apany her to see Lance Lockwood because she didn¡¯t just intend to celebrate the festival but mainly wanted to ask about the ten percent share matter. If Caleb Lockwood were there, it would be challenging to bring it up. Serena turned to look for her car, suddenly, Caleb Lockwood grabbed her wrist. Serena¡¯s body trembled, Caleb Lockwood raised her left wrist, confusing her. ¡°I wanted to mention this back in the house¡­ It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you wearing a ring¡­¡± 09:54 315 < 106 Chapter 106: The Divorce Agreement Has Already Been Signed At this point, Caleb Lockwood probably felt inadequacy in his words and added: ¡°Except on the wedding day.¡± Serena then understood Caleb Lockwood grabbed her wrist to see the ring on her left middle finger. This ring was so much smaller than the engagement ring Caleb Lockwood gave her back then, it was inconspicuous, she hadn¡¯t expected Caleb to notice it. Serena remained silent. She didn¡¯t know what to say to Caleb Lockwood. Nor did she know what Caleb Lockwood wanted to hear from her. Caleb Lockwood continued holding her wrist, remaining silent for a long stretch. ¡°Did you buy it yourself?¡± ¡°A friend gave it.¡± ¡°Male or female?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you!¡± Exerting some force, Serena managed to free her hand from Caleb Lockwood¡¯s grip. Caleb Lockwood unintentionally furrowed his brow but quickly rxed it, raising his lips slightly as he turned to leave. Serena drove to the old residence, buying a gift for Lance Lockwood. Lance Lockwood, having served in the military, was in good health, and he maintained himself well, with good agility. With the festival being rare, Serena apanied Lance Lockwood to the park to view the chrysanthemums. Aware of Lance Lockwood¡¯s legs getting tired from walking too long, they found a bench to sit and rest. ¡°The brisk autumn air, this weather is trulyfortable!¡± Lance Lockwood took a deep breath. ¡°Indeed!¡± Serena smiled and nodded, ¡°Grandpa, your legs are good, in this cool weather, engaging more in activities outdoors is beneficial.¡± ¡°True, but without Serena apanying me, strolling through the park with others feels hollow!¡± Upon hearing Lance Lockwood¡¯s words, Serena didn¡¯t overthink, responding casually: ¡°Then I¡¯ll often apany Grandpa here.¡± Lance Lockwood turned his head to look at Serena, with growing regret in his gaze, releasing a heavy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a joy for Grandpa to hear you say that, however¡­ You and Caleb¡­ have already signed the divorce agreement, haven¡¯t you?¡± < Mding 107 107 Chapter 107: She Isn¡¯t Wearing Underwear Underneath 107 Chapter 107: She Isn¡¯t Wearing Underwear Underneath That night, Serena stayed at the old house and personally prepared a table full of dishes, all of which were Lance Lockwood¡¯s favorites. 1 Just as Lance Lockwood sat down, they heard the maid, Mrs. Wang, shout from the door, ¡°Old Master, Madam, the Young Master has returned.¡± Serena was taken aback. She naturally knew that the ¡°Young Master¡± Mrs. Wang mentioned referred to Caleb Lockwood. She had thought she wouldn¡¯t see Caleb Lockwood at the old house today! Usually, whenever Caleb returned, not only would Mrs. Wang warmly greet him, but Lance Lockwood would also wear a kindly smile. After all, Caleb Lockwood was Lance Lockwood¡¯s only grandson, and he was so outstanding. However, this time, Serena noticed that Lance Lockwood¡¯s attitude towards Caleb was rather unfavorable. ¡°What are you doing back here? Came to mooch a meal?¡± Seeing Lance Lockwood¡¯s grumpiness, Caleb immediately walked over and bent down to massage Lance Lockwood¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Grandpa knows me well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you at all; you¡¯re all grown up now, got your wings and don¡¯t listen to a word your grandpa says.¡± Even when being scolded by Lance Lockwood, Caleb¡¯s gentle smile never wavered. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s right; it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Serena watched from the side with a slight frown. It seemed Lance Lockwood was angry at Caleb over their impending divorce. Yet Caleb never lost his temper with Lance Lockwood, In Serena¡¯s memory, Caleb wasn¡¯t even that close to his own parents. Though Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young appeared to care a lot about Caleb, there was always a distant politeness between them, and Caleb treated them equally distantly. Realizing she was actually interested in Caleb¡¯s family dynamics, Serena shook her head. They were about to divorce, so why bother thinking about it. Caleb finally whispered a heap of good¨Cnatured words into Lance Lockwood¡¯s ear, earning himself a ce at the table. Caleb sat down, facing Serena. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t being today.¡± 00:650 115 < 107 Chapter 107: She Isn¡¯t Wearing Underwear Underneath Serena spoke softly. She remembered Caleb mentioning that there was work to be done at thepany. ¡°It¡¯s the Double Ninth Festival today. I had toe celebrate with Grandpa; if it wasn¡¯t for work, I could¡¯vee earlier.¡± Serena believed Caleb¡¯s words, but Lance Lockwood did not. ¡°Serena, don¡¯t listen to his high¨Csounding excuses. He¡¯s just craving the food you cook.¡± Lance Lockwood winked at Caleb, hoping he¡¯d follow his lead. ¡°No,¡± Caleb shook his head gently, ¡°I¡¯m not picky about food.¡± ¡°You brat!¡± Lance Lockwood was so enraged by Caleb that he was grinding his teeth. Serena wanted tough but couldn¡¯t. She understood that Lance Lockwood hadn¡¯t given up. When they were in the park that day, she had already admitted to Lance Lockwood that she and Caleb were preparing to sign the divorce agreement, and she even had the divorce papers in her hands. Lance Lockwood sighed and said nothing against the divorce. Seizing the chance, Serena subtly inquired whether Lance Lockwood intended to give her shares in The Lockwood Group¨Conly for Lance Lockwood to assume she wanted them, and he said she could have as much as she desired. Lance Lockwood¡¯s reaction confirmed to Serena that regardless of anything, the person who insisted on giving her ten percent of The Lockwood Group- was Caleb Lockwood. The atmosphere at the table remained pleasant; Lance Lockwood repeatedly praised Serena¡¯s cooking, and Caleb chimed in with a few Outside the mansion, night had fallen. Serena had initially nned to stay overnight at the old house, but she hadn¡¯t expected Caleb would be there too. She feared Lance Lockwood might have Mrs. Wang prepare a room for her and Caleb together. Previously, when they visited the old house, they indeed shared a room. At this particr juncture, they still had not divorced. Even just to appease Grandpa, she and Caleb shouldn¡¯t sleep in separate rooms. But Serena really didn¡¯t want to share a bed with Caleb anymore. ¡°Are you staying the night here as well?¡± Serena asked in a low voice, watching Caleb shrug with a smile. NO KE < 107 Chapter 107: She Isn¡¯t Wearing Underwear Underneath ¡°Why, can¡¯t I stay in my own grandpa¡¯s house?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± Before Serena could finish, Caleb turned to Mrs. Wang and said, ¡°Mrs. Wang, prepare two rooms for me and the Madam.¡± Mrs. Wang paused but dared not question him, doing whatever Caleb instructed. After Mrs. Wang left, Caleb asked Serena nonchntly, ¡°Satisfied?¡± Serena opened her mouth, taking in a cool breath. Just then, Caleb¡¯s phone rang. He answered the call right in front of Serena. ¡°Hello? ire¡­¡± Serena¡¯s eyelids lifted slightly. It seemed every time Caleb came to the old house, ire would call him. Serena knew well that ire was afraid something might happen between her and Caleb at the old house. ¡°No, we¡¯re staying in separate rooms.¡± After Caleb said this, he nced at Serena with a slight, upturned smile. As he spoke to ire on the phone, Serena turned and entered the room Mrs. Wang had prepared for her. The two bedrooms were across from each other; the other was hers. Serena entered her room and locked the door behind her. Yet she felt locking the door was unnecessary; Caleb would never sneak in to ambush her at night. Thinking this, she unlocked the door again. She slept well, dreamlessly. Serena woke up rubbing her eyes, letting out a big yawn. ¡°Ha¡­ The lightugh startled her immensely. Caleb was sitting by her bed. Serena usually had a habit of sleeping naked, but when staying overnight in the old house, she¡¯d wear pajamas. However, they were still thin, strappy ones¨Cnot suitable for wearing in front of others, and moreover, she wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath. Seeing the panic and embarrassment in Serena¡¯s eyes, Caleb purposefully lowered his gaze, lingering on the exposed part of her chest. Serena pulled the covers up higher. 09:55 107 Chapter 107: She Isn¡¯t Wearing Underwear Underneath Caleb sneered, ¡°No need to act all dignified, there¡¯s nothing worth seeing.¡± Serena wanted to retort, ¡°Then why are you looking,¡± but thinking further, she decided it wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°Did you want something?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Grandpa asked me toe and get you; breakfast is ready,¡± Caleb replied. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ll get ready ande over right away.¡± Serena spoke and was about to get out of bed. But Caleb was still sitting at the bedside, not moving an inch. ¡°Could you¡­ step out for a moment?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Caleb asked with confidence. ¡°Because I need to change.¡± ¡°Am I affecting you?¡± Serena¡¯s face grew warm with anger, feeling that Caleb was just pretending to be ignorant. Caleb didn¡¯t persist, shrugging with a smile as he stood up and left the bedroom. When Serena finished changing and came out, she realized she had overslept¨Cit was already after ten o¡¯clock. ¡°Aren¡¯t you heading to thepany today?¡± She asked casually. Previously, Caleb always left early and came backte. Despite being the CEO, he was rarelyte. ¡°Yes,¡± Caleb responded, politely pulling out a chair for Serena, ¡°Grandpa asked me to stay for breakfast with you, and after we¡¯ve eaten, he wants me to go to the study because he has something to tell me.¡± Comment n Mding 108 108 Chapter 108: Going to the Civil Affairs Bureau for Divorce Proceedings 108 Chapter 108: Going to the Civil Affairs Bureau for Divorce Proceedings Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was calm and collected, his tone as indifferent as ever, yet surprisingly gentlemanly towards her. 1 However, Serena Jennings inexplicably felt a sense of oppression. It seemed as if Caleb Lockwood was angry. Serena didn¡¯t ask further, she quietly ate her meal. At the dining table, there were only her and Caleb Lockwood. Grandfather rose early and had already eaten. After the meal, Serena greeted Lance Lockwood and left the old residence first. Now she not only had to deliberate over the divorce papers Caleb Lockwood gave her, but she also had very important work to do. LD Jewelry Fashion Week had already started inviting designers to submit drawings and samples. To participate in Jewelry Fashion Week, Serena had to prepare at least oneplete jewelry collection, including 6 to 8 pieces. The quantity was never the challenging part, but how to stand out at the star¨Cstudded Jewelry Fashion Week was key. At this stage, Serena¡¯s inspiration wascking, and she didn¡¯t want to get distracted by other matters. The Lockwood Family Old Residence. Caleb Lockwood knocked on the door of Lance Lockwood¡¯s study. ¡°Grandfather, I¡¯m here.¡± Caleb Lockwood looked at Lance Lockwood, who was sitting in the intricately carved antique huanghuali wood chair, already guessing what Lance wanted to say to him. ¡°Caleb, are you nning to divorce Serena?¡± Lance Lockwood asked bluntly. Caleb Lockwood thought for a moment and then shook his head. Lance Lockwood¡¯s eyes brightened for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s Serena who wants to divorce me¡± Caleb Lockwood said very calmly and confidently, making Lance¡¯s eyes dim again. ¡°You don¡¯t want to say that the divorce is Serena¡¯s fault, do you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then do you know where you went wrong?¡± 01.550 108 Chapter 108: Going to the Civil Affairs Bureau for Divorce Proceedings Lance Lockwood¡¯s questioning failed to get a response from Caleb Lockwood. Lance let out a heavy sigh. ¡°You¡¯re fooling around outside, forcing your virtuous wife to insist on a divorce, how could 1, Lance Lockwood, have such an unfilial grandson!¡± Lance Lockwood mmed the table, shaking the entire study. Compared to the furious Lance Lockwood, Caleb¡¯s attitude remained humble, though his face turned colder. ¡°Grandfather, I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°You still dare to lie!¡± Lance Lockwood picked up the inkstone by his hand and hurled it towards Caleb. But Caleb was still Lance¡¯s most beloved grandson, no matter how angry he was, he couldn¡¯t bear to really hurt Caleb. The heavy inkstone hit the floor by Caleb¡¯s feet with a thud. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know? That ire Shaw¡­ you spend all day glued to her, inseparable, always together. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re actually cheating or just pretending, acting like this, how could Serena not be heartbroken?¡± ¡°ire is my first love¡­ ¡°Yet Serena is your wife!¡± That¡¯s why I haven¡¯t allowed anyone to take Serena¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°You think all Serena wants is the Lockwood title? As if she cares about that?!¡± Caleb remained silent. After shouting, Lance looked somewhat deted. At his age, if possible, he wouldn¡¯t even want to worry about the marriages and feelings of the younger generation. ¡°Caleb, I told you three years ago that Serena is the one who truly loves you, not ire Shaw, who abandoned you, threatened, and tested you! Even if she once stayed with you in a reformatory, being the first person you liked, people change.¡± Lance no longer remembered how many times he¡¯d lectured Caleb in this study, Every time it was for the same reason. The two argued the entire day, or perhaps it would be more urate to say that Lance was the one who lectured the entire day until he finally sighed in resignation. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you just one question, Caleb. Do you want to win Serena back?¡± Caleb remained silent. ¡°You should understand, Serena wants your love. Can you give it to her?¡± 08-65 < 108 Chapter 108: Going to the Civil Affairs Bureau for Divorce Proceedings Caleb continued his silence. ¡°What, do you love ire that much?¡± Caleb stayed silent still. Lance was furious, this time he directly picked up a book and threw it at Caleb. ¡°Are you mute?!¡± Caleb silently picked up the inkstone and book, cing them back on Lance¡¯s desk. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Grandfather. Health is what¡¯s most important.¡± Caleb said sincerely. ¡°You still remember I have a heart condition!¡± Lance drank a sip of tea, forcing himself to calm his excitement. ¡°When Serena apanied me to the park earlier, we talked. From what I can see, she¡¯s set on divorcing you¡­ so what do you think? Do you want a divorce too?¡± Caleb didn¡¯t immediately answer this question. The study was silent for a while, Lance saw Caleb nod slightly. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°So what after the divorce? What do you n to do after divorcing Serena?¡± Lance asked straightforwardly. This question also made Caleb think for a while. ¡°I promised ire that if I divorced Serena, I would give her a status¡­¡± Royal Art Museum in City A. Serena was viewing an exhibition, so absorbed that she didn¡¯t even notice the familiar face beside her. ¡°You¡¯re soid¨Cback, does it mean you¡¯re all done with your designs for LD Jewelry Fashion Week?¡± Recognizing the voice, Serena turned around and saw ire Shaw standing next to her. ¡°Such a small world, she murmured softly. ire Shaw snorted coldly, crossing her arms. ¡°Last night Caleb told me that you two were sleeping in separate rooms at the old residence.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Serena retorted. 00 66 < 108 Chapter 108: Going to the Civil Affairs Bureau for Divorce Proceedings ¡°Of course it matters. Otherwise, why would Caleb report it to me over the phone? He was afraid I¡¯d misunderstand¡­¡± Serena was toozy to indulge ire, she turned and walked away. Behind her, ire continued to press on. The quiet museum made ire¡¯s normal¨Cdecibel voice seem excessively loud. ¡°I heard Caleb already gave you the divorce papers. What are you hesitating for? Hurry up and sign them! Haven¡¯t you always talked about divorcing Caleb? Howe now that you¡¯re actually served with divorce papers, you¡¯re backing out? You wouldn¡¯t be ying hard to get all this time, would you?¡± ire scoffed coldly, ¡°And you think you can manipte Caleb? Let me be blunt, the only reason Caleb stalled the divorce was because his grandfather wouldn¡¯t allow it. You really didn¡¯t think he was reluctant to leave you, did you? He went back to the old residencest night just to confront his grandfather¡­¡± The more ire spoke, the more smug her smile became. Even with her back to ire, Serena could guess what expression ire had on her face at that moment. Serena quickened her pace. She initially came to the museum by herself to find design inspiration, but instead, she had hit a streak of bad luck. In the following period, Serena was busy preparing for LD Jewelry Fashion Week, while Caleb left for a business trip to Meridia. The divorce papers between the two were shelved. But only temporarily, Half a monthter, when Caleb returned from his business trip, he received a WeChat message from Serena: I¡¯ll ept the ten percent shares of the Lockwood Group. If you have time today, we can go to the civil affairs bureau to finalize the divorce. Comment 1 Mding 109 109 Chapter 109: Dying on the Operating Table 109 Chapter 109: Dying on the Operating Table During the time when Serena was preparing for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, she didn¡¯tpletely disregard the agreement divorce with Caleb Lockwood. 1 Caleb Lockwood was offering her ten percent of the shares, which she couldn¡¯t refuse. She had two choices: either ept, and then she and Caleb Lockwood could dissolve their marital rtionship but be colleagues. Or refuse, and the divorce agreement would be void again. Serena thought it over and decided to ept. She first signed the divorce agreement in three copies and then waited for Caleb Lockwood to return from his business trip abroad. This time¡­ she and Caleb Lockwood were really going to get divorced. Sitting in the office, Serena looked at the divorce agreement beside her and felt a sense of reflection in her heart. She wouldn¡¯t miss Caleb Lockwood, and she certainly wouldn¡¯t miss her shattered marriage. What Serena felt was a pity was just her entire decade of youth and love. The phone rang once, it was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s reply. The reply contained only one word: Okay. Precious with words, cold as frost. Serena sighed. Having arranged a time with Caleb Lockwood, Serena took the divorce agreement and drove to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Meanwhile, Caleb Lockwood was also driving, but ire Shaw was sitting in his car; he wanted to drop ire Shaw home first. The industrial park was somewhat far from the Civil Affairs Bureau, and there was a traffic jam on the way. Serena waited at the red light in her car, feeling restless inside. Then, a phone call came in. Initially, Serena thought it might be Caleb Lockwood arriving first and contacting her because he was impatient. Turns out the iing call showed an unknown number. ¡°Hello?¡± Serena answered the phone using her Bluetooth headset. ¡°Is this Miss Serena Jennings?¡± ¡°I am.¡± 09 666 F/5 < 109 Chapter 109 Dying on the Operating Table ¡°Hello, Miss Jennings, this is Serene Meadows Nursing Home. We deeply apologize, but a new intern made a mistake, and your mother has secretly run away from the nursing home¡­ ¡°What?!¡± Serena nearly mmed on the brakes after she passed the intersection. ¡°We are extremely sorry, we have already contacted the police, becausest time you mentioned that any issues should be reported to you first instead of President Lockwood, so¡­¡± Serena couldn¡¯t pay attention to anything beyond that. Her mother had run away! Even though her mother had periods of coherence before, she was sometimes lucid, sometimes confused. Running away like this would definitely lead to trouble! Serena sharply turned the steering wheel, her white BMW three¨Cseries beautifully rounded the corner. This road was not heading towards the Civil Affairs Bureau. Inside the emperor blue Bentley. ire Shaw was smiling brightly. ¡°Caleb, are you going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to finalize the divorce today?¡± ¡°Yes Seeing Caleb Lockwood nod without a moment¡¯s hesitation, ire Shaw secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally¡­ they¡¯re getting divorced¡­ The day she had eagerly awaited was finally arriving! ire Shaw couldn¡¯t contain her joy and excitement inside, but on the surface, she still maintained a calm demeanor, especially in front of Caleb Lockwood. As they approached her home ahead, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Caleb Lockwood pressed the answer button on the steering wheel directly. ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Caleb Lockwood?¡± The man¡¯s voice emitted from the car system surprised ire Shaw. ¡°I am,¡± Caleb Lockwood replied. ¡°This is the City Center Hospital, your wife Miss Serena Jennings was just in a car ident. She was speeding on the way to find her missing mother and collided with a truck. She has now been sent to the ICU for emergency rescue. Family needs toe over to sign the paperwork.¡± 09:56 2/5. < 109 Chapter 109: Dying on the Operating Table The hospital staff seemed ustomed to such matters; their tone was bureaucratic, without any trace of sympathy or regret. In the car, all was silent. Even ire Shaw sitting in the passenger seat was amazed. However, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°I understand.¡± After speaking, he hung up the phone. ¡°Caleb, let¡¯s hurry to the hospital to check on Serena!¡± ire Shaw hurriedly said. She wanted to see if Serena could make it out of the ICU. It would be best if she died in there, once and for all. However, Caleb Lockwood drove silently to her building. ¡°Caleb, don¡¯t you want me to go to the hospital?¡± Before getting out of the car, ire Shaw turned to ask Caleb Lockwood, her eyes filled with a sense of being untrusted. ¡°No.¡± Caleb Lockwood shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s me who¡¯s not going to the hospital.¡± ¡°What?¡± ire Shaw was astonished. ¡°I have some matters to attend to first, so I¡¯m not going to the hospital yet. I¡¯ll go over after I¡¯m done.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s tone was calm, neither cold nor warm, making it difficult for ire Shaw to decipher. Serena had gotten into a car ident and was sent to the ICU, her fate uncertain, yet Caleb Lockwood actually said he needed to handle other matters first before heading to the hospital? ire Shaw found it incredible yet felt a surge of secret joy in her heart. It seems, Caleb Lockwood truly doesn¡¯t care for Serena one bit, Not only does he not care, he doesn¡¯t even care whether she¡¯s dead or alive. ire Shaw couldn¡¯t help but want tough, butughing at this moment would be too disrespectful; it could only leave a negative impression in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s mind. ¡°Then Caleb, be careful on your way, and keep me updated with any developments at the hospital, you know I want to be there with you. If needed, I¡¯m even willing to assist at the hospital; I¡¯m not that narrow¨Cminded, in such situations, one more person is one more help!¡± 00:56 < 109 Chapter 109: Dying on the Operating Table ire Shaw¡¯s attitude was sincere, Caleb Lockwood nodded after hearing her. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll contact you then.¡± The emperor blue Bentley disappeared from ire Shaw¡¯s view. She stood still, arms crossed, unable to contain her pride and joy inside. ¡°What a fitting end for a wretched soul!¡± Serena, this time, just die on the operating table! Cupid¡¯s Royal International Wedding Manor. Cynthia Fulton emerged from the changing room. ¡°Justin, what do you think of this one?¡± She lifted herrge skirt and struck a pose in front of Justin Nash. Justin Nash merely nced at Cynthia Fulton, said ¡°very beautiful,¡± and then continued to y on his phone. This was his reaction since Cynthia Fulton tried on the first set of wedding attire. Now, she was already on her seventh set. Cynthia Fulton wasn¡¯t stupid and wouldn¡¯t deceive herself. She was well aware that Justin Nash¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t on her. The two had originally met through an arranged marriage, a family alliance,cking emotional foundation, so this reaction was normal. However, Cynthia Fulton didn¡¯t want to concede. She received elite education from childhood to adulthood, and she wanted to choose a husband who matched her status and elite background. Justin Nash, whether in terms of status or appearance and age, perfectly met her criteria. Cynthia Fulton didn¡¯t im to be particrly fond of Justin Nash. Men were never to be loved, Men were to be conquered. Cynthia Fulton didn¡¯t believe that with her conditions, Justin Nash wouldn¡¯t fall for her. If not now, certainly in the future. ¡°Justin, I have changed into ten different wedding dresses, which one do you think looks best?¡± ¡°Everything looks good.¡± Justin Nash¡¯s response was perfunctory, yet Cynthia Fulton smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly take photos in all ten sets, changing is too exhausting, and the photographer says we have to choose one as the main 415 < 109 Chapter 109: Dying on the Operating Table wedding dress.¡± Even after saying this, Justin Nash still didn¡¯t know how to respond. Cynthia Fulton had chosen every gown, all stunning and luxuriously elegant, entirely consisting ofrge train designs, either encrusted with crystals and diamonds or boratelyced. Looking at them, Justin Nash felt each was nearly the same. He stood up from the sofa and picked the most understated design among the dazzling array of dresses- Without embellishment, purely white satin princess square¨Cneck small train wedding dress. ¡°Why not try this one?¡± Justin Nash suggested. Cynthia Fulton liked this dress the least, it was too simple, but since Justin Nash rmended it, she dly took it and went into the fitting room. In truth, Justin Nash himself didn¡¯t think this wedding dress suited Cynthia Fulton. He thought it fit Serena Jennings. Inside the changing room, while switching dresses, Cynthia Fulton seemed to hear Justin Nash answer a phone call outside. ¡°Justin, I¡¯m ready? She walked out of the changing room wearing the gown Justin Nash chose for her. Outside, Justin Nash, who was supposed to be sitting on the sofa waiting for her, was nowhere to be seen. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 110 110 Chapter 110: Finding a Second Spring 110 Chapter 110: Finding a Second Spring Serena Jennings was in aa for a week before she woke up. 1 Upon awakening, her mind was a bit fragmented, and she couldn¡¯t remember where she was or what had happened. Everything was unfamiliar and white in her vision. She thought for a moment and recalled that she had received a call from Serene Meadows Nursing Home saying her mother had run away, so she hurried to find her and ended up in a car ident due to speeding. ¡°Mom¡­ right, my mom, where¡¯s my mom?¡± Serena asked in a panic, not knowing whom she was addressing. ¡°Serena!¡± Suddenly, she heard Lana Xavier¡¯s voice. ¡°Doctor! Doctor! Serena has woken up!¡± Upon seeing Serena regain consciousness, Lana hurriedly ran to find the doctor. Soon, arge group of doctors and nurses came, almost filling Serena¡¯s hospital room. After hearing the doctor say that Serena was out of danger and recovering well, Lana breathed a sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help but wipe away a tear. ¡°Do you know how much you scared me?¡± Lana remained visibly shaken. ¡°Lana¡­¡± At this moment, Serena couldn¡¯t care less about herself. She immediately asked Lana how long she had been unconscious and if she knew how her mother was. ¡°Your mom is fine. She was found and returned to the nursing home the day you had the ident.¡± Hearing Lana¡¯s words, Serena finally felt relieved, as if a heavy burden was lifted. ¡°So¡­ who found my mom? Was it the police?¡± Serena was curious. At that time, she remembered the nursing home saying they had already alerted the police, so it must have been the experienced officers who found her. Whoever it was, as long as her mom was found and nothing serious happened, that was all that mattered. ¡°The doctor said you were very lucky. Everything else has recovered well, except for the severe leg injury, but at least there¡¯s no life- threatening danger. It¡¯s a blessing amidst misfortune.¡± Lana said, pouring water for Serena. 10 60 110 Chapter 110: Finding a Second Spring With Lana around, the hospital room seemed lively, as if there were many people. ¡°Thank you, Lana. In times like this, you¡¯re the only one I can rely on.¡± Serena¡¯s eyes were red with emotion. It¡¯s said that true friendship shows in times of hardship. Every time she needed care, Lana was always by her side. ¡°You have lots of friends, it¡¯s not just me.¡± Lana gave a thumbs up and pointed outside the window, ¡°Peter went out to buy food. He still doesn¡¯t know you¡¯ve woken up, but if he did, he¡¯d probably cry with joy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Serena chuckled. ¡°Not at all! Do you know that while you were in aa for days, he stayed in the adjacent care room, couldn¡¯t sleep well, and didn¡¯t go to work even once!¡± Lana¡¯s words stunned Serena. She never expected Peter to care about her so much. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s Justin Nash¡­¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn¡¯t heard that name from Lana¡¯s mouth in a long time. Seeing Serena¡¯s expression, Lana knew Serena was surprised, and so was she. ¡°I remember you two had cut ties! But on the day of the ident, he arrived earlier than me, his eyes red like a rabbit¡¯s, clearly from crying out of urgent concern.¡± As Lana described, Serena¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t help but envision Justin sitting all alone on a bench outside the ICU, his eyes swollen from crying. ¡°But, he didn¡¯t stay long. It seemed like a serious matter from his family called him away.¡± Serena could probably guess what it was. After all, Justin was engaged. For him to sneak into the hospital to watch over her must have been a ndestine act, something The Nash Family would never approve of ¡°Justin was hardly free to act as he pleased. He was actually quite loyal to you.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Serena nodded toward Lana. ¡°Peter was even more loyal, far better than your jerk husband.¡± At the mention of Caleb Lockwood, Serena¡¯s expression changed slightly. < 110 Chapter 110: Finding a Second Spring ¡°You were in a car ident and ended up in the ICU, yet Caleb never showed up. I¡¯ve never met anyone as heartless as him. You¡¯re his wife, family at least, if not loved one¡­ Damn heartless, it¡¯s infuriating!¡± Lana, hands on her hips, grew angrier as she spoke, grinding her back teeth loudly. ¡°You won¡¯t believe it, I asked Justin Nash, and he thought he¡¯d arrivedte, but Caleb was nowhere to be seen. Even your medical expenses appeared to be mostly covered by the truck driver who caused the ident¡­¡± Clearly, Lana was truly furious, her naturally pretty features twisted with anger, while Serena managed a bitter smile. ¡°Because I¡¯m divorcing him. If it weren¡¯t for my mom getting lost, I was supposed to drive to the Civil Affairs Bureau.¡± ¡°Divorce!¡± Lana pped the table. ¡°This kind of jerk needs to go¨Cleave him and you won¡¯t worry about finding new love again. Peter seems pretty nice to me.¡± Seeing Lana y matchmaker again, Serena maintained her bitter smile and shook her head. She had never harbored hopes for a second chance at love. She would be content just to experience a springtime in her career. Doctors instructed Serena to rest peacefully, but with Lana there, resting quietly was impossible. Throughout the day and night after waking up, Lana continued to curse Caleb Lockwood. She got into a car ident and Caleb didn¡¯te. She entered the ICU and Caleb didn¡¯te. She underwent surgery and Caleb didn¡¯te. Now she¡¯s awake, and Caleb still hasn¡¯te. To say Serena wasn¡¯t disappointed would be a lie. After all, she and Caleb had been married. And they hadn¡¯t divorced yet. However, Caleb¡¯s actions had already made them seem like strangers. Serenay on the hospital bed, unsure if it was because of the removal of the venttor, but she felt her chest was a bit heavy. Night fell. At Celestial Dragon Corporation. Caleb Lockwood was hosting a dinner. ¡°Thank you so much this time, Professor Liu, Caleb said, as he poured a cup of Maotai for the other person. Gordon Lloyd raised his ss to Caleb. ¡°No problem, you personally came to ask for my help, how could I refuse? Plus, I¡¯m retired now. You brought me out of retirement, and 09:56 ) 314 < 110 Chapter 110: Finding a Second Spring that shows you appreciate me.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Caleb shook his head humbly. ¡°Professor Liu is the nation¡¯s foremost ICU expert. Even after retirement, your skills remain sharp. Without your support, my¡­ my friend wouldn¡¯t have awakened so easily.¡± ttered by Caleb, Gordon Lloyd was delighted. The ¡°friend¡± Caleb spoke of was none other than Serena. On the day of Serena¡¯s car ident, he went to Gordon Lloyd¡¯s house before heading to the hospital to bring him out of retirement. As an ICU expert, Gordon was second to none. He took Gordon with him to the hospital, letting Gordon be in charge of Serena¡¯s treatment and signing all necessary documents while covering all medical expenses. After Serena¡¯s vitals stabilized, he had Mr. Miller continuously report on her situation from the hospital. When Justin Nash arrived at the hospital, Caleb was driving through the streets, looking for someone. Comment Q Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 30 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average ͼ Send Gifts ch.110 Mding 111 111 Chapter 111: Became a Cripple 111 Chapter 111: Became a Cripple Caleb Lockwood found Audrey Jennings as twilight approached. 1 Audrey had lost her way and was calling out ¡°Serena,¡± receiving quizzical looks from passersby who thought she might be mentally deranged. Caleb didn¡¯t send someone else to find her, but came himself because when dementia hits, other people might not be able to take her away smoothly, and forcing might hurt Audrey. Fortunately, seeing Caleb cleared Audrey¡¯s mind a bit, and she realized she should be at Serene Meadows Nursing Home, wondering how she had wandered out. Caleb drove Audrey back to the nursing home and got her settled in. He was about to return to the hospital, but Mr. Miller told him that Justin Nash, Lana Xavier, Peter, and Patrick Rhodes were there, so he dropped the idea. ¡°President Lockwood, don¡¯t mind me gossiping, but your friend¡­ are you pursuing her?¡± Gordon Lloyd, happily tipsy from the Maotai, began speaking more. ¡°No.¡± Seeing Caleb¡¯s swift denial, Gordon sighed regretfully, ¡°President Lockwood, you¡¯re not young anymore, even though you look youthful, a good man settles down in both work and family. You¡¯ve been established in work for many years; shouldn¡¯t you consider starting a family?¡± Caleb kept silent. Gordon had been retired for years and wasn¡¯t closely connected with the business world. He hadn¡¯t known about Caleb¡¯s marriage to Serena Jennings. But Caleb had no ns to inform him. After all, he and Serena were about to divorce. ¡°By the way, is it really okay for you to be here drinking leisurely with me? Not going to apany your friend? You¡¯ve done so much for her, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t care about her!¡± Caleb took a small sip of Maotai and whispered, ¡°She already has enough people there. I don¡¯t like crowds.¡± Gordon felt there was something more to Caleb¡¯s words, a hidden meaning, and poured himself another ss, sighing, ¡°Your personality¡­ just stubborn, not straightforward enough.¡± Caleb couldn¡¯t help but smile, more or less acknowledging it. After finishing the meal with Gordon, it waste, and Caleb prepared to drive to the City Center Hospital. He actually wasn¡¯t as negligent as Gordon thought, never visiting Serena. It¡¯s just that he went sote when everyone was asleep, even the duty doctor didn¡¯t always encounter him. 10:01 144 < 111 Chapter 111: Became a Cripple The imperial blue Bentley swiped the streetlights behind it. Not far ahead, the City Center Hospital wasing into view. Suddenly, Caleb received a phone call. ¡°What¡¯s up, ire?¡± Caleb asked. ¡°Sorry, Caleb, can you do me a favor?¡± ire Shaw¡¯s voice came from the car¡¯s system, sounding anxious. ¡°Go ahead, what is it?¡± ¡°My parents have arrived here.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t inform me in advance, they¡¯ve justnded from the flight¡­ I have unfinished work at hand, can you help me pick them up?¡± The imperial blue Bentley was strangely silent. ¡°Okay, have them send me their location. I¡¯ll head over right now.¡± ¡°Great, thank you, Caleb. I knew you were the best!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± As the imperial blue Bentley was about to enter the City Center Hospital, it suddenly turned and headed down another street. Since Serena Jennings regained consciousness, Peter hadn¡¯t been staying in the hospital room. Peter originally wanted to stay, but Serena felt it was too much trouble for him, plus FY needed Peter to return for oversight. Lana Xavier took time off but Serena also felt she was troubling Lana too much and wanted her to go back. ¡°I won¡¯t go back! I want to be joined at the hip with you.¡± In the hospital room, Lana¡¯s joke made Serenaugh. ¡°You can visit me when you have time, no need to stay in the hospital. I can hire a caregiver.¡± ¡°I know you care, but I don¡¯t trust caregivers; no one looks after you as well as I do!¡± Lana¡¯s words moved Serena deeply, Serena had mostly recovered by now, except her left leg, post¨Coperation, necessitated wheelchair assistance for movement. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve be such a cripple.¡± Hearing Serena¡¯s self¨Creflection, Lana immediatelyforted her: ¡°It¡¯s not forever; healing takes time. It hasn¡¯t been long yet!¡± ¡°Mm, you¡¯re right¡­¡± Lana¡¯s words encouraged Serena. 1001 < 111 Chapter 111: Became a Cripple ¡°Let me tell you, don¡¯t lose heart. Heal well, then bounce to the civil affairs bureau and get divorced, find a few young handsome guys, and truly enjoy life!¡± Lana¡¯s grand words left Serena amused yet resigned. ¡°I want to heal well too; without recovering my leg, how can I participate in LD Jewelry Fashion Week?¡± Time was pressing, and Serena felt urgency. But as Lana mentioned, healing takes time; her impatience was futile. Today, Caleb didn¡¯t visit her. But Patrick Rhodes did. Serena was surprisingly taken aback by Patrick¡¯s visit. ¡°You may not know, but I visited on the day of your ident. When you wereatose, I stood guard for three days. But the hospital allows only two caregivers, so I went home at night.¡± Patrick¡¯s words surprised Serena even further. After waking, Lana had recounted many things that urred during Serena¡¯sa but hadn¡¯t mentioned Patrick at all. Serena reflexively nced at Lana, who cleared her throat guiltily. She had done it on purpose. Lana disliked Patrick. In fact, she disliked all of Caleb¡¯s raucous friends. Among them, Patrick was her least favorite. In Lana¡¯s mind, Patrick had always been ire¡¯s aplice, so during Serena¡¯s ident, his frantic arrival and diligent care nearly made Lana think she was hallucinating. Although Patrick behaved well during Serena¡¯s hospital stay, Lana remembered the grudges, so when Serena woke, she intentionally didn¡¯t say a word of praise about Patrick, In the hospital room, Patrick was peeling an apple for Serena. Lana leaned into Serena¡¯s ear, whispering, ¡°I guess Patrick¡¯s been possessed or something.¡± Serena chuckled. ¡°Lana, have you switched to reading fantasy novelstely?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Lana asked in surprise. Serenaughed even more. 1/201 314 < 111 Chapter 111: Became a Cripple Patrick finished peeling the apple, and as Lana took it, she casually remarked: ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re better than Serena¡¯s scumbag husband.¡± Though Lana¡¯s intention wasn¡¯t to praise Patrick. Patrick, however, shyly smiled upon hearing, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Really? Am I that great?¡± Lana rolled her eyes. ¡°Anyway, Caleb is busy apanying ire¡¯s parents, he probably doesn¡¯t have time to visit, but I cane every day.¡± Patrick spoke with pride. Serena listened, unconcerned whether Patrick could visit daily; rather, she was curious that ire¡¯s parents were in City A. Could it be they thought their daughter¡¯s wedding was near? Serena nced at her stered left leg. If not for the ident, her leg wouldn¡¯t be in such a state, and she and Caleb might already have their divorce papers so quickly that Caleb could¡¯ve already set his marriage date with ire. Just as she pondered this, Serena heard a knock on the door. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 30 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Send Gifts ch.111 Mding 112 ch.111 < 112 Chapter 112: The Wedding Is Set for Three Months Later 112 Chapter 112: The Wedding Is Set for Three Months Later ¡°Excuse me, is Miss Serena Jennings staying here?¡± 1 The person who pushed the door open was unfamiliar to Lana Xavier. But Serena Jennings recognized her. ¡°Miss Fulton¡­¡± Serena never expected Cynthia Fulton woulde to visit her. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t naively think Cynthia Fulton bought a fruit basket especially for her because she wanted to be friends. Cynthia Fulton subtly expressed her desire to chat with Serena alone, prompting Patrick Rhodes to sensibly leave. Lana Xavier still didn¡¯t want to leave. Now, Serena had already introduced her that thisdy named Cynthia Fulton is Justin Nash¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Lana Xavier didn¡¯t believe Cynthia Fulton wasn¡¯t aware that Justin Nash used to like Serena. Maybe Justin Nash still likes her now. Therefore, Lana Xavier was notfortable leaving Serena alone with Cynthia Fulton. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lana, you go out first! Can you help me get some strawberries¡­¡± Seeing Serena insist, Lana Xavier had no choice but to leave. At this moment, only Serena and Cynthia Fulton were left in the ward. After autumn, the weather cooled down, Serena¡¯s hospital room had the window open, and the cold air poured in directly, lingering between Serena and Cynthia Fulton. ¡°Miss Jennings, don¡¯t me me for being too direct, but as Justin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, I think I have the right to understand my fianc¨¦¡¯s rtionships with the women around him¡­¡± Cynthia Fulton¡¯s voice was gentle, her tone sincere, and her attitude neither arrogant nor submissive, asking straightforwardly. ¡°May I ask what is your rtionship with Justin?¡± ¡°Friends.¡± Serena answered without hesitation. ¡°Just that?¡± ¡°Just that.¡± Serena nodded slightly. 175 < 112 Chapter 112: The Wedding Is Set for Three Months Later Back then, Justin Nash never confessed to her, and their rtionship indeed stopped at friends. Plus, Justin Nash¡¯s mother used money to buy peace, asking her to sever ties with him. She took the money andplied. Nowadays, rather than saying they are friends, it¡¯s more urate to say they¡¯ve already broken ties. Serena just felt there was no need to tell Cynthia Fulton so much. The more she said, the more Cynthia Fulton might think, thereby affecting her rtionship with Justin. Cynthia Fulton stared intently at Serena. She wanted to know if Serena was lying to her. Serena was very beautiful, the kind of beauty that surpasses even big stars. Her big, ck eyes seemed to speak, but also weren¡¯t the type to easily reveal her thoughts. Although Cynthia Fulton didn¡¯t think Serena intentionally wanted to interfere between her and Justin Nash, she couldn¡¯tpletely believe everything Serena said. If Serena and Justin Nash were really just ordinary friends, why would Justin stop their scheduled wedding photo shoot and drive three hours to the hospital? Serena¡¯s ident was a big deal, even an ordinary friend should visit upon hearing about it. But Justin was taking wedding photos with her. And he left without even telling her. Whenever Cynthia Fulton thought about this, she felt rage. Fortunately, The Nash Family valued her; Justin Nash was called home by Justin¡¯s parents shortly after arriving at the hospital, apologized to her in person, and gifted her a limited edition ssic orange textured leather handbag from Hermes¡¯s seasonal haute couture. Cynthia Fulton wouldn¡¯t get angry with Justin Nash. But it didn¡¯t mean this matter was settled in her mind. ¡°Miss Jennings, since you are friends with Justin, you¡¯re also my friend¡­ This¡­¡± While speaking, Cynthia Fulton took out an envelope from her Hermes handbag. ¡°I don¡¯t have your WeChat, so I couldn¡¯t send you the electronic version, and the paper version feels more sincere.¡± Serena epted the envelope from Cynthia¡¯s hand, opened it, and took out the contents. It was a wedding invitation. Elegant and exquisite moonlight white Gango paper, engraved and gold¨Cembossed, edged with high¨Cquality pinkce, with numerous 10:01 215 < 112 Chapter 112: The Wedding Is Set for Three Months Later mica fragments embedded in the fibers. The wedding invitation itself conveyed the bride and groom¡¯s distinguished family background, Serena slightly raised her eyelids at the sight of Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s names printed in titanium silver. Justin Nash is really getting married¡­. ¡°Congrattions.¡± Serena epted the invitation. Although she couldn¡¯t be sure if this marriage meant happiness for Justin, being in a wealthy family left him with no choice. To Justin Nash, perhaps Cynthia Fulton was the best choice. She was certainly better than herself. ¡°The wedding is set for three monthster, you muste by then!¡± Cynthia Fulton reminded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there.¡± After Serena spoke, she saw Cynthia Fulton stand up. ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb your rest, take care of yourself!¡± After Cynthia Fulton left, Lana Xavier, who had been waiting at the door, returned to the ward. ¡°Serena, what did Miss Fulton say to you?¡± Lana nced at the tightly closed door, ¡°I don¡¯t think she means well.¡± Serena shrugged, ¡°Nothing much, she just gave me a wedding invitation.¡± ¡°A wedding invitation?!¡± Lana Xavier was shocked, ¡°Whose wedding?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s.¡± ¡°Darn!¡± Lana¡¯s reaction made Serena chuckle helplessly. The next day, more people came to visit Serena in her hospital room. This person nearly got driven out with a broom by Lana Xavier. But was stopped by Mr. Miller. Seeing ire Shaw apanied by Mr. Miller, Serena knew it was surely Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arrangement. ¡°Serena, how is your recovery going, are you feeling better?¡± In public, ire Shaw always seemed genuinely concerned, which made Serena nauseated. The ward was silent. 10:01 315 < 112 Chapter 112: The Wedding Is Set for Three Months Later Seeing Serena remain quiet, ire Shaw wasn¡¯t embarrassed, instead she smiled warmly. ¡°You don¡¯t know, the day you had your ident, I was in Caleb¡¯s car. When I heard you were in ICU, I was terrified, wanted to rush to the hospital right away with Caleb. You can ask Caleb if you don¡¯t believe me, but¡­¡± ire Shaw lowered her head while speaking. ¡°But Caleb said he didn¡¯t want to go to the hospital, he wanted to finish his business before going over¡­¡± Serena¡¯s hand instinctively tightened around the sheet. ire Shaw¡¯s words matched Lana Xavier¡¯s ounts. It seemed Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯te even once since she was rushed to ICU after the ident until she had surgery and was recovering in hospital. ¡°Even though you two are getting divorced, Caleb¡¯s behavior is really uneptable, I apologize on his behalf. Today as well, I wanted to visit you with Caleb, but Caleb has business partnerships with my parents and is currently very busy spending time with them. He couldn¡¯t make time, so I came with Mr. Miller to see you.¡± ire Shaw spoke, signaled Mr. Miller, who immediately presented the flowers he was holding to Serena. ¡°This bouquet is my gift to you. I¡¯m not sure what you like. Pink roses are my favorite, Caleb always buys them for me, and I enjoy purchasing them. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± As Mr. Miller approached Serena with the vibrant pink roses, she sneezed uncontrobly. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Miller, I¡¯m allergic to pollen.¡± Mr. Miller froze in ce. Beside him, ire Shaw sighed dramatically. ¡°Oh, you indeed find fault with my gift.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin. If ire Shaw insisted on understanding it that way, she didn¡¯t care. Ultimately, therge bouquet of pink roses was taken out the same way it was brought in by Mr. Miller. Outside the inpatient building, ire Shaw was on the phone with Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Caleb, I went to see Serena and even gave her a gift, but she found excuses not to ept it¡­ Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Miller?¡± ire Shaw held her phone out toward Mr. Miller. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 113 113 Chapter 113: Cursed Out Right to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Face Mr. Miller slightly parted his thin lips. 1 The reason he apanied ire to visit Serena today was, of course, because Caleb Lockwood instructed him to. Although Mr. Miller had been working as an assistant by Caleb Lockwood¡¯s side for years, he didn¡¯t know much about ire. He only knew she was Caleb¡¯s first love, and in their youth, they had gone through hardships together at the juvenile detention center, life and death intertwined. She was a pure and untouchable memory in Caleb¡¯s heart. However, Mr. Miller didn¡¯t particrly like ire Shaw. Back in the day, Caleb Lockwood and ire were a match made in heaven, well¨Cknown and high¨Cprofile in their high school. Even now, many of Caleb¡¯s ssmates still believe that Caleb and ire are lovers. In the eyes of outsiders, Caleb was deeply in love with ire. In terms of appearance, family background, and personal ability, Caleb was considered top¨Cnotch. Mr. Miller didn¡¯t think Caleb was undeserving of ire. Yet, ire Shaw broke up with Caleb Lockwood. Mr. Miller wasn¡¯t particrly clear on the details; he heard it had something to do with Caleb¡¯s grandfather. Caleb¡¯s first and most serious emotional investment suffered a huge blow. The worst part was, ire wasn¡¯t decisive in the breakup. She went abroad yet kept posting on social media to provoke Caleb, hoping he¡¯d chase her overseas to win her back. In the end, Caleb chose to get married. Mr. Miller clearly knew Serena was chosen by Lance Lockwood, not by Caleb himself. Caleb does not love Serena. But, since he¡¯s already married, Serena is Caleb¡¯s only wife. From Mr. Miller¡¯s standpoint, he wasn¡¯t qualified toment on other people¡¯s families, especially his boss¡¯s, but he did personally think Serena was the most innocent victim in this romantic entanglement. ¡°Mr. Miller? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Mr. Miller snapped back to reality, seeing the naked pressure in ire¡¯s seemingly harmless big eyes. ¡°Well, Miss Jennings refused to ept it because¡­¡± Before Mr. Miller could finish, ire immediately took back her phone. ¡°Caleb, do you think I shouldn¡¯t havee to see Serena by myself? Maybe it¡¯d be better if you apanied me? If you were there, even 10:01 113 Chapter 113: Cursed Out Right to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Face G if Serena disliked my gift, she wouldn¡¯t show it so obviously¡­¡± The more ire spoke, the more her voice seemed forlorn. ¡°Did she say something harsh to you?¡± Caleb¡¯s voice came from the phone. ire was silent at first, then nodded after a moment. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Ignore her.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was extremely cold from the speaker, making ire feel secretly pleased. ¡°Then what about the gift¡­¡± ¡°Just keep it yourself!¡± ¡°Hmm, I guess I¡¯ll have to.¡± ire looked as if she was in a difficult situation. She never once told Caleb the gift she gave Serena was a bunch of pink roses, and Caleb never asked. A few dayster, when Caleb finished his business, he appeared in Serena¡¯s hospital room. There were a few people in Serena¡¯s hospital room: Lana Xavier, Peter, and Patrick Rhodes were all there. Everyone¡¯s gaze was on Caleb Lockwood. The first person Caleb looked at was Patrick. Under Caleb¡¯s cold steady gaze, Patrick rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like he had been bitten by a snake. ¡°Brother Lockwood¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Rhodes asked me several times, saying you haven¡¯t been going to thepany these days, where have you been hanging out?¡± ¡°I told him! I said a friend got into a car ident and is hospitalized, and I went to the hospital to visit. Why doesn¡¯t he believe me?¡± ¡°A friend¡­¡± Caleb picked up on the key word, ncing at Serena. Patrick¡¯s expression was awkward. He felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard ce. ire and Serena were rivals in love, and to be honest, he was always in ire¡¯s camp, so being friends with Serena seemed inappropriate. ¡°The doctor said Serena needs to rest. If President Lockwood has nothing else, please leave.¡± 10:01 113 Chapter 113: Cursed Out Right to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Face Peter couldn¡¯t stand Caleb. Especially how Caleb¡¯s presence always made Serena ufortable. ¡°I¡¯m Serena¡¯s husband. I didn¡¯t ask you to leave, and you¡¯re hurrying me out?¡± Caleb stood with his hands in his pockets, looking coldly at Peter. Peter wasn¡¯t backing down, retorting, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two about to get divorced anyway.¡± Caleb¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but a storm raged in his eyes. As if the whole world already knew he and Serena were getting a divorce. ¡°About to get divorced¡­ means not yet divorced. Do I need to teach this logic to Director Peter?¡± ¡°And you have the nerve to say you¡¯re not divorced yet!¡± Lana couldn¡¯t hold back anymore on the side. ¡°What kind of husband doesn¡¯t show up when his wife is in a car ident and goes to ICU? How many days has Serena been in the hospital? Where have you been? If you don¡¯te, at least the money should arrive! If it weren¡¯t for the driver at fault paying up, Serena wouldn¡¯t have even had money for medical bills!¡± Lana was so angry her face turned bright red. ¡°Now Serena¡¯s out of danger, and she¡¯s woken up, and now you know to visit. What were you doing earlier? And you still have the nerve to call yourself Serena¡¯s husband! I¡¯m telling you, Serena¡¯s unluckiest decision in life was marrying you!¡± The room fell into a sudden silence. Even after her outburst, Lana realized she¡¯d been impulsive. But she had enjoyed venting. Anyway, since Serena was going to divorce Caleb, she wasn¡¯t afraid he¡¯d take out his anger on Serena. Serena stayed silent. Actually, about the medical bills, she didn¡¯t have evidence, but she felt Lana might have misunderstood. The medical bills this time were certainly considerable. If they were paid by the responsible driver¡¯s side, there should have been issues like insurance ims and so on. But neither the hospital nor the insurancepany had ever troubled her for money. However, she didn¡¯t analyze this with Lana, because if she did, Lana would 100% misunderstand that she was speaking for Caleb, and it¡¯d be hard for her to not getbeled as being naive in love. ¡°Finished cursing?¡± Caleb calmly asked Lana. ¡°Not yet!¡± Lana was determined, pointing at Caleb and cursing in front of Serena, Peter, and Patrick about him being disloyal, two¨Ctiming, heartless, a yboy, etc. When she ran out of new words, she repeated them until her mouth foamed. 10:01 374 < 113 Chapter 113: Cursed Out Right to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Face ¡°Alright, let¡¯s pause the cursing for now!¡± Lana¡¯s voice was hoarse, so she poured herself a ss of water. Next to her, Patrick observed Caleb¡¯s unimpairedposure and couldn¡¯t help but mentally give him a thumbs¨Cup. No wonder he¡¯s our Brother Lockwood, his psychological endurance is remarkable! Peter had intended to criticize Caleb, butpared to Lana, he admitted defeat. ¡°Does anyone else want to curse at me? Do it all at once.¡± Caleb turned to Peter and Patrick, speaking calmly. Peter stayed silent, and Patrick waved his hand repeatedly, his expression saying: I wouldn¡¯t dare! Finally, Caleb looked at Serena lying in the hospital bed and asked: ¡°What about you?¡± Serena shook her head, saying nothing. ¡°Since everyone who wanted to curse has done so, and those who don¡¯t want to have refrained, please leave now. I wish to speak to my wife alone.¡± Serena felt it wasughable and sarcastic that Caleb still referred to her as his wife at this moment. Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. 30 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 114 114 Chapter 114: Confined Here Peter, Patrick Rhodes, and Lana Xavier left the hospital room one after another, with Lana being forcibly dragged away by Patrick.1 Only Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jennings remained in the room. It felt much emptier. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, Lana is not¡­¡± ¡°Do you think, just like Lana Xavier, that I¡¯ve never visited you, not paid a penny of your medical expenses, is that right?¡± Caleb Lockwood interrupted Serena Jennings, choosing to say what he wanted first. Serena heard Caleb¡¯s tone and implication, which seemed like Lana Xavier had wronged him. But she didn¡¯t want to make blind guesses by herself. Having hoped presumptuously only to end up disappointed ¨C she had experienced this too many times before. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Serena replied truthfully. Calebughed lightly, the sound tinged with self¨Cdeprecation. ¡°The doctor said you are fine in other aspects, only the leg needs rehabilitation. It¡¯s not suitable to continue staying here, so I¡¯ve arranged a transfer for you.¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Transfer to where?¡± ¡°A newly opened rehabilitation center.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go, I can recuperate my leg at home.¡± Serena wasn¡¯t necessarily afraid of the rehabilitation center; she just inexplicably didn¡¯t want to go where Caleb had arranged for her. Caleb didn¡¯t force Serena. He had asked the doctor, who suggested it was best for Serena¡¯s injured left leg to rehabilitate using proper equipment at a rehabilitation center for faster recovery and less risk of aftereffects. Caleb could have told Serena all this, but with words ready to be spoken, he suddenly changed his mind: ¡°Going to the rehabilitation center will help you recover faster, and the sooner you recover, the sooner we can get a divorce, plus the LD Jewelry Fashion Week ising¡± Serena was convinced by Caleb¡¯s words and transferred on the same day. She could tell that Caleb was also eager for the divorce. 16:05 176 < 114 Chapter 114: Confined Here It should be because of the good news with ire Shaw. Zenith Rehabilitation Center. This rehabilitation center just opened recently, rebuilt and expanded from the original sanatorium with new decorations and cutting- edge medical equipment, aiming to be an internationally top¨Ctier recovery hospital. Serena became its first and only patient. The environment here was stunningly beautiful, with rooms fully equipped with furniture and appliances, advanced medical equipment. giving more of a royal European modern facility feel rather than a rehab center. However, it¡¯s managed under a closed system, with idle personnel not allowed to enter. Upon transferring, Serena packed her suitcase with the necessary items, including design sketches and tools for making jewelry samples. And of course, the divorce agreement. The divorce agreement in three copies was already signed by her, but not yet by Caleb. Initially, she nned to bring it to the Civil Affairs Bureau for Caleb¡¯s signature, but then many things happened unexpectedly. Serena ced the divorce agreement on the nightstand, waiting for Caleb to arrive so he could sign it first. Her room only saw the doctor and caregiverse in; she didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be interested in a divorce agreement. Dusk fell on City A, neon lights sparkling, excess was in the air. A group of people walked out in groups of twos and threes from the Harmony Grand Hotel. Among them was ire Shaw. She was attending a reunion tonight. The reunion of City A¡¯s First High School, except Caleb Lockwood and Patrick Rhodes were absent. Becausen ckwood had returned. Tonight¡¯s reunion was actually a homing forn ckwood. And wheren ckwood is, Caleb Lockwood is absolutely not invited. ¡°Want to go for some more drinks?¡± Among all those ssmates, Jan ckwood only said this to ire Shaw Through the gold¨Crimmed sses perched on his high nose, ire sawn¡¯szy and mischievous smile in his elongated eyes. ¡°Sure!¡± She smiled sweetly. ¨C Tonight, she deliberately dressed up, from hairstyle to makeup, even attire, all in pink tones sweet and innocent ¨C like she was in Ian¡¯s 215 < 114 Chapter 114: Confined Here memory during high school. ire Shaw and Ian ckwood walked into a bar together, just the two of them. If possible, ire really didn¡¯t want to be alone withn. Becausen has problems. In high school, Ian ckwood and Caleb Lockwood were extremes in their ss, yet they both ended up in simr paths. One was so outstanding that people couldn¡¯t help but look up to him, some surrendering willingly. The other was feared and had gathered a group of followers. At that time, she was already Caleb Lockwood¡¯s girlfriend, yet Ian ckwood kept pursuing her, devotedly good to her, willing to do anything for her. Ian ckwood also came from a wealthy family, but ire Shaw didn¡¯t like him. Because she had witnessed Ian beat someone into hospitalization over a disagreement, nearly causing death in the emergency room. The bar¡¯s lights were dim, ire Shaw and Ian ckwood sat close at the counter. No need to look to know Ian was staring at her. ¡°Judging by your expression, is something bothering you? Is it about Caleb Lockwood?¡± ire¡¯s longshes fell, looking delicate and pitiful. She knewn loved this expression most. ¡°I do have something bothering me, and no one to talk to about it¡­¡± Before ire could finish speaking, Ian had already grabbed her hand. She feigned rm, immediately withdrawing her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not single right now¡­¡± ¡°But I heard you and Caleb Lockwood broke up.¡± ¡°No¡­ not really¡­¡± ire hesitated, appearing teary¨Ceyed. Ian promptly took out a tissue and gentlemanly wiped her tears. ¡°What¡¯s going on, tell me about it!¡± ire gazed atn with red eyes, herrge watery eyes brimming with emotion. ¡°It¡¯s about this one thing¡­¡± (315 > 114 Chapter 114: Confined Here Zenith Rehabilitation Center. Today, Serena Jennings argued with Caleb Lockwood. On the phone. She unintentionally overheard caregivers chatting, discovering that the new rehabilitation center she stayed in was actually owned by ire Shaw¡¯s parents, with investment from The Lockwood Group. Previously mentioned business Caleb had with ire Shaw¡¯s parents was exactly about this rehabilitation center. ¡°I don¡¯t want to recover at some mistress¡¯s rehabilitation center, living here disgusts me!¡± This is what Serena said to Caleb over the phone. ¡°Serena, stop being unreasonable.¡± This was Caleb¡¯sst statement to her on the phone. Serena angrily hung up, limping to the front desk wanting to process discharge. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Jennings, your discharge cannot be processed.¡± said the front desk with a fake smile. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It was President Lockwood¡¯s instructions; you must receive proper rehabilitation treatment here.¡± Serena knew it was pointless to argue with a front desk clerk. She hobbled directly towards the main entrance. Two uniformed security guards stopped her. ¡°Miss Jennings, please return!¡± Serenaughed angrily. Was she here for rehabilitation or being held under house arrest?! ¡°I¡¯m leaving here today, no matter what!¡± The moment she finished speaking, a voice suddenly came from the entrance: ¡°I can take you away.¡± Turning to the source, Serena saw an unfamiliar man. The man was in a suit, tall with a high nose, wearing gold¨Crimmed sses, smiling warmly with an elegant gentlemanly demeanor. 10.02 Mding 115 115 Chapter 115: Divorced Women Are Truly Terrifying This man strode into the Zenith Rehabilitation Center, came to Serena Jennings, and turned to the two security guards: 1 ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so rude to ady.¡± The two security guards instinctively stepped back, as the man smiled and extended his hand to Serena. ¡°Hello Miss Jennings, I amn ckwood.¡± Serena did not shake his hand, but cautiously asked, ¡°How do you know myst name is Jennings?¡± ¡°I not only know yourst name is Jennings, but I also know you have a friend named Lana Xavier, who works as a vocal music teacher at Next¨CGen Academy.¡± Serena¡¯s brow furrowed deeper and deeper, realizing this man was up to no good. ¡°Who exactly are you and what do you want?¡± Ian shrugged with a smile, ¡°How about Miss Jennings take a walk with me? I hate these rehabilitation centers, they make me feel like a patient.¡± Serena was still hesitating, but Ian suddenly grabbed her wrist. The security guards wanted to intervene, but saw the receptionist talking on the phone while subtly signaling them to let Serena leave. Serena was taken out of Zenith Rehabilitation Center by Ian and forced into a car. But now Serena understood thatn¡¯s refinement was merely a fa?ade and an illusion. were torn apart. Jan took Serena to a private club. Serena initially didn¡¯t want to go in, butn said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why your good friend Lana Xavier lost her job?¡± In the dimly lit private room, only Serena andn faced each other. ¡°Now can you exin, what exactly do you want to do? And how did you know about Lana¡¯s problem? Why did she lose her job?¡± Serena asked proactively. She had too many questions, and she couldn¡¯t bear not getting any answers. Ian leisurely poured himself a ss of whiskey with ice, sat on the sofa, and patted his thigh. 10:02 < 115 Chapter 115: Divorced Women Are Truly Terrifying ¡°Sit here, sit here and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Serena supported herself on a cane and was about to leave. ¡°I am the head of Veridian International Education, which Next¨CGen Academy belongs to¡­ Your friend Lana Xavier was absent from work for many days without reason, and I reasonably instructed the principal over there to fire her.¡± Serena realized thatn¡¯s mention of Lana¡¯s absenteeism was likely during the time she was being cared for in the hospital. ¡°But Lana said she was on annual leave¡­¡± ¡°The system didn¡¯t record it; verbal ims don¡¯t count.¡± ¡°These days, jobs are hard to find, especially when being fired. It¡¯s not easy to stay in the field of education.¡± Ian had said enough, if Serena still didn¡¯t understand, then she¡¯d be a fool. ¡°So what do you want me to do? What must I do for you to give Lana her job back?¡± Behind his gold¨Crimmed sses, Ian¡¯s narrow eyes lit up, and he smiled. ¡°I like dealing with straightforward people.¡± He took out a pen and paper and handed it to Serena. ¡°I need you to write a guarantee letter.¡± ¡°A guarantee letter?¡± ¡°Yes, a guarantee letter. As I say, you write, and after signing and stamping it, I keep my word and you¡¯ll be able to contact Lana Xavier to see if her job is back.¡± Serena also liked dealing with decisive people, butn¡¯s intentions were too strong, she had to be cautious. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°You..¡± Serena¡¯splexion changed. Ian couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you, a housewife, a middle¨Caged woman, you wouldn¡¯t think you still have value, would you?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯re being amusing with your breathy humor?¡± Serena retorted. Her intuition told her that thisn came prepared, knew something about her, and the trap was already set, just waiting for her to jump 10.02 315 < 115 Chapter 115: Divorced Women Are Truly Terrifying
  1. in.
The Lockwood Group. Mr. Miller walked into the General Manager¡¯s office. ¡°President Lockwood, the recent fluctuations in thepany¡¯s stock price are likely due to the ckwood Family¡¯s antics.¡± ¡°The ckwood Family¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood sneered, ¡°Causing trouble as soon as they¡¯re back in the country, keep an eye on them!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Mr. Miller left, Caleb Lockwood dialed ire Shaw¡¯s number. ¡°Are you busy?¡± ¡°Not really, still working on samples for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week,¡± ire Shaw answered on the other end of the line. ¡°Ian ckwood is back, did you know?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡°Did you attend the ss reunion?¡± ire Shaw detected Caleb Lockwood¡¯s displeasure and immediately exined, ¡°It was Shelly who invited me, I didn¡¯t know they were actually weing Ian ckwood back¡­ Caleb, you won¡¯t me me, right?¡± Caleb Lockwood fell into a long silence, finally responding with two words: ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ire Shaw pretended to let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even ifn ckwood asks to see me, I would never meet him alone. I know you dislike him, and I do too, besides¡­ it seems like he¡¯s still not over me¡­¡± At this point, ire Shaw abruptly changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else, oh, my parents mentioned that thanks to you, they were able to secure financing for the rehabilitation center. They want to invite you for dinner, do you have any free time?¡± ¡°No need for such formalities¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just treat it as¡­ a simple family meal¡­¡± ire Shaw finished tentatively, without seeing any objections from Caleb Lockwood. She chatted a bit more casually with Caleb Lockwood before hanging up the phone, a satisfied smile growing on her face. 315 < 115 Chapter 115: Divorced Women Are Truly Terrifying Caleb was indeed jealous! ¡°Ian ckwood¡¯s return at this time is great!¡± ire Shaw couldn¡¯t help but mutter to herself. She truly disliked Ian ckwood. Andn liking her was also true. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s just a bootlicker, might as well use him if he¡¯s avable.¡± At the private club, Serena was writing the guarantee letter. Once the guarantee letter waspleted, she signed and stamped it. She stared at the puzzled Ian and took out her phone to call Lana Xavier. ¡°Hey Lana, are you at work?¡± On the phone, Lana Xavier hesitated slightly. She didn¡¯t want Serena to know she lost her job, just because she was in the hospital helping Serena. ¡°That shabby ce, I¡¯ve wanted to leave for a while, now a better opportunity awaits, the pay doubles.¡± Lana Xavier wasn¡¯t the type to keep things to herself, and in the end she confessed she had already left, though she said it was due to job jumping rather than being fired. Serena fell silent. It seemedn wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°I believe with your capability, tripling your sry wouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± After saying that, Serena hung up, raising an eyebrow slightly and signaling to Ian. ¡°Yes, double the sry, oh no, triple it.¡± Jan looked at Serena while he said this, seeing her slightly nod as if she agreed with his actions. After the arrangements wereplete, Jan extended a hand to Serena. ¡°Can I have the guarantee letter now?¡± Serena first confirmed with Lana Xavier, who indeed received a new employment contract from her formerpany, with triple the sry. 10.09 415 ¡°Here.¡± 115 Chapter 115: Divorced Women Are Truly Terrifying She handed the guarantee letter to Ian, this time without hesitation. Ian read the guarantee letter twice, finding no issues, and shrugged with a smile. ¡°A woman about to divorce is truly fearsome, a husband ranks below an ordinary friend, huh!¡± Mding 116 16 Chapter 116: Deliberately Transferring Shares to a Competitor Serena Jennings frowned and refuted seriously, ¡°A former husband doesn¡¯t equal a close friend. 1 Her words were crisp and swift, yet that trace of entanglement and guilt in her eyes didn¡¯t escape Ian ckwood¡¯s gaze. Ian ckwood smiled coldly and poured another ss of whiskey with ice. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of Caleb Lockwood; divorce is a liberation for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be judged by someone I just met today.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± After finishing his drink, Ian ckwood drove Serena Jennings back to the Zenith Rehabilitation Center. Serena Jennings initially thought Ian ckwood wouldn¡¯t get out of the car, but he did, escorting her all the way to the entrance. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, offering you a gift as we part.¡± Ian ckwood¡¯s elongated eyes formed crescent moons, his smile carrying a genteel warmth. ¡°I don¡¯t need a gift.¡± Serena Jennings now wouldn¡¯t be misled by Ian ckwood¡¯s smile. .¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he kicked away the crutch Serena Jennings was leaning on. Serena Jennings fell to the ground with a thud. Ian ckwood burst intoughter, doubling over. ¡°This pose is wonderful; how about it? Surprised by this gift?¡± He crouched down, stared into Serena Jennings¡® furious eyes, and his smile gradually faded. ¡°If you dare to fight ire for a man again, if you dare to covet something you shouldn¡¯t, next time I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes and give them to you as a gift¡± Having said this, Jan ckwood stood up, striding out of the Zenith Rehabilitation Center. Even from behind, his silhouette still carried a semnce of elegance with a viinous touch. Serena Jennings finally stood up with the help of the nurse. Initially, she was resentful of this rehabilitation center, but now she believes it¡¯s okay as long as the advanced equipment here can help her leg recover quickly. The Lockwood Group. 10:03 < 116 Chapter 116: Deliberately Transferring Shares to a Competitor ¡°I¡¯m sorry, without an appointment, you can¡¯t go in.¡± The junior secretary had tried her best to stop the unexpected visitor, but the visitor still kicked open the general manager¡¯s office door. Caleb Lockwood, sitting inside, raised his eyes to see the man wearing sses with gold rims walk in. ¡°President Lockwood, I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ Caleb Lockwood gestured to the junior secretary, who immediately exited, closing the door behind her. n ckwood, after all these years, you¡¯re still so rude.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face was cold. ¡°And you still like putting on airs.¡± ¡°No smoking in the office.¡± Then why is there an ashtray? Are you allowed to smoke but I¡¯m not?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s my office.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s retort left Ian ckwood momentarily speechless. ¡°Speak your business, or I¡¯ll call security to escort you out. Or, I can personally escort you out.¡± Ian ckwood knew Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t joking. They¡¯d fought in high school; it was Ian ckwood who had provoked Caleb Lockwood. Each had their victories and losses, but overall, Caleb Lockwood was superior. ¡°We¡¯re both grown now; I¡¯m not just a punk who fights.¡± After saying this, Ian ckwood took a piece of paper from his trouser pocket and handed it to Caleb Lockwood. ¡°I¡¯m here to give you this. No need to thank me; I¡¯m just that kind¨Chearted.¡± Caleb Lockwood silently stared at the contents on the paper, his expression unchanged, butn ckwood noticed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s fingers gripping the paper, knuckles bing more prominent. ¡°Add this ten percent¡­.guess, will The Lockwood Group¡¯s name change to ckwood?¡± Whispering into Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car,n ckwood adjusted his gold¨Crimmed sses and voluntarily left Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office. At night, the Zenith Rehabilitation Center was very quiet. Serena Jennings was in her hospital room, painstakingly embedding sample jewelry for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. She waspletely focused, unaware of when Caleb Lockwood appeared behind her. 10.03 215 C < 116 Chapter 116: Deliberately Transferring Shares to a Competitor It wasn¡¯t until she smelled smoke that Serena Jennings realized someone was behind her. Caleb Lockwood had arrived silently; even when she turned around to face him, he remained silent. Serena Jennings noticed Caleb Lockwood holding a cigarette in one hand, his expression looking angry. But she didn¡¯t understand why Caleb Lockwood was angry. If anyone should be angry, it should be her. Because Caleb Lockwood had put her in the rehabilitation center run by ire Shaw¡¯s parents without informing her. The two stared wordlessly at each other for a long time until Caleb Lockwood spoke, voice cold as ice. ¡°I¡¯m worried your leg might havesting effects, so I let you stay in the most advanced rehabilitation center¡­this is how you repay me?¡± A paper was thrown on Serena Jennings¡® face. Serena Jennings looked down; it was the guarantee she had handwritten today. The contents were her voluntary agreement, post¨Cdivorce from Caleb Lockwood, to transfer the ten percent of The Lockwood Group shares she received to Ian ckwood withoutpensation. Serena Jennings now wasn¡¯t surprised that this guarantee had ended up in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hands. At first, she wasn¡¯t sure how Ian ckwood knew about the contents of her divorce agreement with Caleb Lockwood, but she thought Ian ckwood¡¯s aim was The Lockwood Group¡¯s shares. However, upon hearing Ian ckwood¡¯s words when he kicked her crutch away, she realized Ian ckwood was likely sent by ire Shaw. The rehabilitation center she¡¯s currently in is run by ire Shaw¡¯s parents. In other words, it¡¯s also ire Shaw¡¯s enterprise. For ire Shaw, seeing the contents of her divorce agreement wasn¡¯t too difficult because she never considered the agreement would hold any value. ire Shaw indeed cared about that ten percent share, even if she was about to be the new mistress of The Lockwood Group. As long as Caleb Lockwood knew that she transferred the shares post¨Cdivorce, he would surely change his mind. Serena Jennings guessed right. Unfortunately, it was toote. Even if she¡¯d realized earlier, she would have agreed ton ckwood¡¯s demand. Because she couldn¡¯t stand watching Lana Xavier lose her job because she cared for her. Originally, she didn¡¯t want The Lockwood Group¡¯s shares. However, she didn¡¯t want Caleb Lockwood to misunderstand. 216 < 116 Chapter 116: Deliberately Transferring Shares to a Competitor ¡°What if I said¡­ire Shaw sent that man with sses to threaten me with Lana Xavier¡¯s job to write this guarantee?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyelids lifted slightly. ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± He asked calmly and straightforwardly. Serena Jennings took a deep breath. ¡°No.¡± Caleb Lockwood sneered. ¡°Why should I believe something without evidence?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words made sense; Serena Jennings didn¡¯t expect him to believe her. ¡°Then you can consider it deliberate! Deliberately transferring shares to yourpetitor. Didn¡¯t I ask you at first, what if I sold this ten percent share to yourpetitor?¡± Serena Jennings didn¡¯t actually know whether Ian ckwood was Caleb Lockwood¡¯spetitor, but Caleb Lockwood seemed angry enough that transferring her ten percent share to Ian ckwood would severely impact The Lockwood Group. ¡°Even if he threatened you, truly for Lana Xavier, do you understand the value of The Lockwood Group¡¯s ten percent shares? How many people¡¯s lives and assets are affected?¡± Caleb Lockwood took a step forward, closing in on Serena Jennings. For a moment, Serena Jennings felt a sensation of breathlessness. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes were as ck as an abyss. ¡°The entire Lockwood Group¡­means less to you than Lana Xavier?¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. 30 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 117 < 117 Chapter 117: Touching You Disgusts Me 117 Chapter 117: Touching You Disgusts Me Serena suddenly thought of the employee who had jumped off a building due to the evaporation of the Lockwood Group¡¯s stock value. I Once the Lockwood Group faced changes in equity, it involved more than just the Lockwood Family,pany executives, but also countless ordinary employees. Serena took a deep breath and spoke calmly: ¡°Yes, Lana Xavier is my friend, and the Lockwood Group is yourpany; it has nothing to do with me.¡± While saying this, Serena did not avoid Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze. She looked up and met Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes, her gaze firm, her tone even more resolute. She saw clearly the look of disappointment in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes- Disappointment in her. The room was silent, the air cold and stiff, like unmoving cement. Caleb Lockwood was the first to break the silence. ¡°I should have seen your indifference and selfishness earlier.¡± Serena felt that Caleb Lockwood was describing himself more than her. ¡°Same goes for you.¡± She retorted. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s cold face suddenly showed a hint of a sneer as he stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°Did you really think that by stabbing me in the back, I would just let it slide?¡± Serena¡¯s face changed slightly, but before she could react, Caleb Lockwood had already pushed her onto the bed. Seeing Serena¡¯s small face filled with shock and fear, pale as paper, Caleb Lockwood was in a great mood. ¡°Anyway, since your leg isn¡¯t good, you can¡¯t run away. Why not have some fun with me? Maybe it¡¯ll be more exciting somewhere else.¡± ¡°Caleb Lockwood!¡± Serena grabbed a tool from the bedside table and hurled it at Caleb Lockwood, but he easily restrained her hands. Serena couldn¡¯t move, a massive panic overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, suffocating her. ¡°It¡¯s my first time ying with someone disabled, so if I¡¯m heavy¨Chanded, don¡¯t me me,¡± Caleb Lockwood held Serena¡¯s hands with one hand, leaving the other free, capable of easily tearing her clothes. The Serena before him bit her lips until they bled, her eyes were red, trembling not knowing whether from fear or anger. 11.49 > 117 Chapter 117: Touching You Disgusts Me Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sinister desire for revenge gradually subsided, and his fevered mind cooled down. He withdrew his hands, looking down at Serena, who had fallen onto the bed. ¡°No¡­¡± His voice returned to its usual distant indifference. ¡°Touching you disgusts me.¡± Caleb Lockwood turned and walked away, casually picking up the divorce agreement, tearing it into two halves with a ripping sound, and tossing it on the ground. It wasn¡¯t until Caleb Lockwood left that Serena climbed off the bed. She did not regret exchanging ten percent of Lockwood Group¡¯s shares for Lana Xavier¡¯s tripled sry. Nor did she regret being misunderstood by Caleb Lockwood. Serena sat by the bed and took a deep breath. The air was chilling, finding no exit in her congested chest. Outside City A, at the Royal Racetrack. There were still people riding horses at this time. Two people were horseback riding, one in front, racing fast, and the other in back, struggling to catch up. It wasn¡¯t until Caleb Lockwood slowed down that Patrick Rhodes finally caught up. ¡°Brother Lockwood¡­¡± Patrick Rhodes looked at Caleb Lockwood, hesitated to speak. At this time, Caleb Lockwood was dressed in casual riding gear, with a burgundy silk shirt, ck suede vest, paired with military¨Cstyle riding breeches and boots, exuding both the noble temperament of an English gentleman and a modern feel. However, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression was foul. Patrick Rhodes was curious about what was wrong with Caleb Lockwood but dared not ask. He was called over by Caleb Lockwood, on the phone Caleb¡¯s voice was calm, no different from usual, so he didn¡¯t think much of it. But upon seeing him in person, Patrick immediately realized that Caleb was in a bad mood. After running tens ofps with Caleb, Patrick was out of breath, fortunately, the racetrack was circr, otherwise, Caleb would have run off, and he wouldn¡¯t have caught up. The atmosphere between them was somewhat oppressive because Caleb had such a strong aura, especially when in a bad mood. Patrick wanted to find a light topic to talk about but couldn¡¯t say a word, finally, it was Caleb who spoke first: ¡°Patrick¡­¡± 11:49 < 117 Chapter 117: Touching You Disgusts Me Being called out by Caleb made Patrick sit up straight, a reaction like a schoolboy being named by the teacher. ¡°Do you think Serena loves me?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Patrick was stunned by Caleb¡¯s question. Without any preamble, the conversation suddenly touched on such a sharp topic, making Patrick ponder internally. To be honest, Serena seemed to be madly in love with Caleb. Caleb was rich, good¨Clooking, capable; and charismatic, it would be abnormal not to love him. In the past, Patrick would have mercilessly used Serena of being cheap, overestimating herself, being delusional. ¡°Probably not in love anymore!¡± Patrick lied. He didn¡¯t know why, but he didn¡¯t want Serena to love Caleb, nor wanted Caleb to think that way. ¡°Brother Lockwood, you already have a wife. She must have retreated tactfully, besides, she has always wanted to divorce you, it¡¯s better if you separate, afterward, you, oh no, Brother Lockwood, will be free.¡± Patrick felt his words were quite pleasing, but after Caleb heard them, his aura, originally cold as an iceberg, became even more chilling, even the horse beneath Patrick wanted to move away. ¡°Apany me for two moreps.¡± ¡°But Brother Lockwood¡­¡± Before Patrick could finish, Caleb spurred his horse on again. In a secluded bar. ire Shaw and Ian ckwood were drinking. ¡°Thanks a lot for this time, without you, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± ire Shaw lowered her head, her expression being a mix of modesty, shyness, and restraint. She knewn loved her like this. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so formal with me, now that I¡¯m back, with me here, no one dares to bully you.¡± ¡°Ian¡­¡± ire Shaw turned to look at Jan, herrge eyes adorned with innocent eye makeup soft as water. ¡°That Serena clearly has deep schemes, even when about to divorce, she doesn¡¯t forget to swindle shares from Caleb Lockwood. Caleb is also foolish, thankfully he has a supportive partner like you.¡± Ian reached out and gently touched ire Shaw¡¯s smooth long hair. 11:49 375 < 117 Chapter 117: Touching You Disgusts Me ire looked shy and slightly dodged to the side. He liked girls who were pure, kind, and devoted. Because he had a violent temper, hard to control, and fights were amonce during high school. He fell in love with ire Shaw at first sight. He also knew ire was devoted to Caleb Lockwood. In high school, he thought of forcibly taking ire Shaw for himself, but it only made her cry a river. So he decided to be a good man, fulfill ire¡¯s love, taking ire¡¯s happiness as his own. Ian felt that only with ire Shaw could he find a moment of inner peace. ¡°Ian, you are so good to me, I really don¡¯t know how to repay you.¡± ¡°As long as you are happy, that¡¯s the best reward for me.¡± Ian wanted to touch ire¡¯s soft face but felt it was overstepping. ire sensed Ian¡¯s intention, blushing, she took Ian¡¯s hesitating hand in hers, but only for a brief moment before letting go, Ian pushed up his sses with golden rims, a smile on his face, unprecedentedly happy. ¡°In the future, if you need me for anything, just let me know. I would be willing to go through fire and water for you.¡± ire smiled sweetly and shook her head, ¡°Not really, I¡¯m just busy with the exhibits for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, happening to Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 7 Send Gifts Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending Mding 118 118 Chapter 118: You Don¡¯t Love Me Anymore 118 Chapter 118: You Don¡¯t Love Me Anymore After Serena Jennings healed her leg injury, she drove to Serene Meadows Nursing Home. 1 Audrey Jennings was watering flowers on the window sill. Seeing Serena arrive, she smiled happily. ¡°Serena, look, our roses are blooming so well.¡± Serena awkwardly forced a smile and replied, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to Mom for taking good care of them.¡± But these flowers were actually fake, stic flowers. Serena knew Audrey was sometimes clear¨Cminded and sometimes confused. She sat down to chat with Audrey, and during the conversation, Audrey brought up Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Caleb is really a good kid. Last time when I got lost, if it weren¡¯t for him finding me, I might have starved on the streets!¡± ¡°What?¡± Serena was stunned. She looked at Audrey and couldn¡¯t see any difference in Audrey¡¯s expression from when she was watering the fake flowers. ¡°Mom, you remembered wrong. Last time you got lost, the police found you.¡± Serena was hospitalized at the time, and she wasn¡¯t clear on the details. But it should¡¯ve been the police who found Audrey At least no one had told her Caleb found Audrey, and Caleb himself had never said so. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t remember wrong. It was Caleb.¡± Audrey¡¯s tone was certain. Serena didn¡¯t bother arguing with her mom. Audrey was a patient, sometimes clear¨Cminded, sometimes confused, blending different memories together, and treating her imagination as reality. So Audrey¡¯s words couldn¡¯t be fully trusted. At least regarding this matter, Serena didn¡¯t believe Audrey. They chatted for a while longer, and Serena realized Audrey loved talking about Caleb. She kept praising his filial piety and excellence. In fact, only when mentioning Caleb did Audrey¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°Serena, I miss Caleb. Can you ask him toe see me? By the way, why didn¡¯t youe with him? You know,st time I ran out was because I dreamt you and Caleb divorced, and it scared me terribly¡­¡± Chased by Audrey¡¯s questions, Serena felt guilty and didn¡¯t know how to answer. Her mom might be the person who least wanted her to divorce. Even if she told her mom Caleb had someone he liked, and that person wasn¡¯t her. 11:49 < 118 Chapter 118: You Don¡¯t Love Me Anymore ¡°Serena, is there really a problem between you and Caleb?¡± Audrey took hold of Serena¡¯s hand. Audrey¡¯s hand was cold. Serena sighed, pulled out her phone, and dialed Caleb¡¯s number. The phone rang a few busy tones and was answered. ¡°Hello, Caleb¡­¡± ¡°Caleb isn¡¯t in the office.¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice from the receiver. This voice was not unfamiliar to Serena. ire Shawughed softly seeing Serena silent. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, surprised to hear me?¡± ¡°Serena, I don¡¯t understand you. You insist publicly on divorcing Caleb, yet secretly you call him¡­ You¡¯re almost divorced. I advise you to have some dignity, keep your face, and stop calling a man who¡¯s about to be someone else¡¯s husband.¡± ire hung up the phone right after speaking, and it was then Caleb pushed open the office door. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Caleb noticed ire had her hands hidden behind her back. ¡°Nothing.¡± ire put Caleb¡¯s phone down on the desk and then showed him her design product. ¡°Caleb, look, this is my main piece for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, it¡¯s the lead in the ¡®First Love¡® theme series¡­¡± Excitedly, ire opened the jewelry box to show Caleb. It was a ring. The main stone was a pink diamond she loved. The pink diamond was cut into a heart shape and set in a cluster of small diamonds on the ring base. The design mimicked a clover, but only one petal had a top¨Cquality heart¨Cshaped pink diamond, while the other three had heart¨Cshaped colorless diamonds. This was ire¡¯s painstakingly thought¨Cout design. She knew well that Caleb admired her excellence and believed she genuinely had skills. 11.40 214 < 118 Chapter 118: You Don¡¯t Love Me Anymore Even by skill alone, she wouldn¡¯t lose to Serena. Originally, she thought Ian ckwood¡¯s return would make Caleb jealous, prompting Caleb to find her and stay close by. In high school, Caleb had acted like this. But days passed without Caleb reaching out to her. ire couldn¡¯t understand. Now, she hadn pursuing her, and Caleb and Serena were divorcing. Caleb wouldn¡¯t transfer Lockwood Group shares to Serena this time. Everything should¡¯ve gone in her favor, but she felt Caleb had grown distant recently. ire couldn¡¯t determine if it was because of her attending a ss reunion behind Caleb¡¯s back, which happened to ben¡¯s weing party, or some other reason. Just today, she finished her main exhibit piece for the ¡®First Love¡® series, using it as an excuse to approach Caleb. On one hand, she wanted to gauge Caleb¡¯s mood. On the other, she wanted to showcase her excellence to him. ire had full confidence in her design, unlike at thest New Star Jewelry Design Contest where she lost to Serena, who stole the spotlight. To ire¡¯s expectation, Caleb praised her design highly. But besides the design, Caleb didn¡¯t say much else. Last time, her parents wanted Caleb to invest in Northriver¡¯snd acquisition, but Caleb didn¡¯t mention that either. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ire couldn¡¯t stand it anymore; she didn¡¯t want to keep guessing. ¡°Can you tell me why¡­¡± Seeing ire¡¯s eyes redden,plemented by her innocent eye makeup, she looked pitiful. ¡°I mean, why have you been so cold to me these days? Like¡­ like you¡¯re intentionally distancing yourself¡­ Caleb, did I do something wrong? Or¡­ don¡¯t you love me anymore?¡± ire¡¯s voice trembled; her gaze could soften any man¡¯s heart. Caleb was silent for a moment, sighed, and directly asked, ¡°Do you know aboutn asking Serena to transfer the ten percent of Lockwood Group shares she¡¯d get post¨Cdivorce?¡± ire blinked, surprised, but only shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ten percent shares¡­ is what you promised to give Serena after the divorce?¡± 11.49 > ¡°Yes,¡± 118 Chapter 118: You Don¡¯t Love Me Anymore ¡°I really didn¡¯t know. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing about this¡­¡± ¡°But Serena said you instructedn to use her friend¡¯s job as leverage to make her hand over the shares¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 119 119 Chapter 119: Once Divorced, We Are Strangers 119 Chapter 119: Once Divorced, We Are Strangers ire¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. 1 Her heart was already in her throat, but she couldn¡¯t panic. ¡°Caleb, what do you mean?¡± Tears of grievance welled up instantly, and ire cried like a pear blossom in the rain. ¡°Are you saying that behind your back, I bought off Ian, and even had Ian use Serena¡¯s friends to threaten Serena to hand over her shares?¡± ire hoarsely questioned Caleb, while Caleb remained silent- Which was tantamount to confirmation. ire¡¯s hands clenched tightly, her sharp nails digging into the flesh of her palm. Caleb is suspecting her¡­ Caleb is actually suspecting her?! If it were the Caleb from high school, hearing others defame her like this behind her back, forget about questioning her, he would have made the gossip disappear from the school. Caleb loved her that much. Because she was his first love. The true love he swore to protect for a lifetime. ire never doubted Caleb¡¯s feelings for her, at least before graduating high school, she never doubted it. That¡¯s why she was confident enough to leave Caleb and go abroad. She believed Caleb would miss her and give up everything to fly abroad and find her. However¡­ Large tears rolled from ire¡¯s eyes, falling like beads off a broken string. Who changed Caleb? Was it Serena? ire didn¡¯t believe it. But at this moment, Caleb is here questioning her because of something Serena said. ¡°Caleb, am I that kind of person in your eyes? Am I such a sinister, deceitful, selfish, and despicable woman who ys tricks?¡± 11:49 < 119 Chapter 119: Once Divorced, We Are Strangers ire¡¯s tears wouldn¡¯t stop, her voice shaking. ¡°What is the rtionship between us? When we were teenagers, we went through that dark period in juvenile detention together, you protected me, I protected you, from the budding of our youth to facing life and death together¡­ Even when fate separated us, we met again because of the piano¡­ Although we broke upter, I still came back, back to your side¡­ Caleb, I have never changed, and you swore that you would never change¡­ But now? Have you really not changed? You rather believe in the provocations of an outsider than trust in the understanding you have of me over the years, my character¡­ You make me feel so heartbroken like this.¡± ire spoke passionately, then covered her face and sobbed uncontrobly. She was truly crying from the heart, in extreme sorrow. It wasn¡¯t an act. Caleb couldn¡¯t help thinking about ire¡¯s words. ire said Serena is an outsider. But Serena is his wife; actually an insider. Yet Serena is going to divorce him, so she can also be considered an outsider. Caleb let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ire, it¡¯s my fault.¡± In knowing ire for so many years, this was the first time Caleb saw ire cry so sadly. In knowing Caleb for so many years, this was the first time ire saw Caleb apologize so sincerely. ire wiped her tears with the back of her hand, sniffled, and said, ¡°Mm, it¡¯s good you trust me.¡± ¡°Of course, I trust you.¡± Caleb pulled out a tissue to wipe ire¡¯s tears, and ire finally broke into a smile. ¡°Wait for me after work tonight, you can order anything you want to eat.¡± ¡°Is thispensation?¡± ire yfully said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this too easy for you?¡± Calebughed, ¡°After dinner, whatever you want, I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± ire¡¯s tear¨Cstained face finally returned to her usual sweet smile. She didn¡¯t stay in Caleb¡¯s office for too long, tidied up her things, and turned to leave. Behind her came Caleb¡¯s gentle voice: ¡°Good luck at the jewelry fashion week.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ire smiled back at him as she left Caleb¡¯s office. The gentle lines on Caleb¡¯s face gradually turned cold. 715 < 119 Chapter 119: Once Divorced, We Are Strangers He picked up the phone from the desk and opened the call records. The first entry was a call from Serena. But he didn¡¯t remember having talked with Serena. He dialed back, and soon Serena¡¯s voice came through the receiver. ¡°Caleb?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Did you call for something earlier?¡± Serena was surprised on the other end. Could ire have told Caleb about her call? Serena was skeptical. ¡°I¡¯m at Serene Meadows Nursing Home right now, my mom¡­ she said she wants to see you, can youe over?¡± Serena felt a bit nervous. She wasn¡¯t sure if Caleb would agree to her request. After all, they were getting divorced, and for her to still ask Caleb to visit her mother was quite odd. But Audrey really wanted to see Caleb, constantly reminding her. ¡°I understand.¡± Before hanging up, Serena heard thisst sentence; she wasn¡¯t sure if Caleb woulde or not. An hourter, Caleb appeared at Serene Meadows Nursing Home. Once Caleb arrived, Audrey visibly cheered up, talked more, had brighter eyes, and seemed much clearer. Serena was gratified by Audrey¡¯s significant change. But this change was brought about by Caleb, which made her feel anxious. They stayed at the nursing home with Audrey for quite a while, until after the evening rush hour, they left. As the sun set and the traffic buzzed. Outside the gate of Serene Meadows Nursing Home. Faced with Caleb, Serena hesitated and struggled to speak. ¡°You can talk about divorce so smoothly, is there anything you can¡¯t say to me?¡± Caleb took the initiative to ask. Serena raised her head, reflected in her eyes was Caleb¡¯s handsome yet indifferent face. ¡°I¡­ would like to ask you for a favor¡­ 11.49 119 Chapter 119: Once Divorced, We Are Strangers ¡°What favor?¡± ¡°After we divorce, can you asionallye with me to see my mom, pretend a little to make her happy¡­¡± This request, Serena found difficult to express. Her initial intent after divorce was not to have further entanglements with Caleb. But Audrey now seems to need Caleb¡¯s presence. Caleb was silent for a long time. The atmosphere between them was as quiet as if time had frozen. ¡°After divorce, there will be no ties between you and me, why should I waste time ying along with you?¡± A smile appeared on Caleb¡¯s face, but his words weren¡¯t pleasant. This didn¡¯t entirely surprise Serena, she sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯re right, I didn¡¯t position myself correctly¡­¡± Since the conversation had reached this point, Serena wanted to talk about the divorce agreement. Having been burned byn¡¯s incident, she believed Caleb wouldn¡¯t offer her any shares in the Lockwood Group, in other words, she wouldn¡¯t have financial ties with Caleb after the divorce. Serena believed Caleb should have prepared the new divorce agreement by now. ¡°By the way, Caleb, if you have the divorce agreement on hand, you can give it to me now.¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 7 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average B Mding 120- 120 Chapter 120: Giving Up on Caleb Lockwood ¡°Wait.¡± 1 Caleb Lockwood replied to her with these two words. Just those two words. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t react at first. She thought that when Caleb said ¡°wait,¡± he meant wait for him to bring out the divorce papers. But Serena waited for a long time and didn¡¯t see Caleb make any move to take something out of his coat pocket, nor did he head to the car to retrieve anything. Seeing Serena¡¯s expression bing more surprised and puzzled, Caleb realized first. ¡°What did you think I meant by ¡®wait¡°?¡± Serena blinked, ¡°Of course, I thought you meant waiting for you to bring out the divorce papers!¡± Caleb lowered his head and chuckled. ¡°I haven¡¯t prepared the divorce papers yet, just wait for them!¡± Serena was dumbfounded. ¡°Are you messing with me?¡± Caleb didn¡¯t continue the topic, putting his hands into his coat pockets. ¡°I won¡¯t see you off then, I have to apany ire for dinner tonight and still need to buy her a gift.¡± No matter how Serena listened, she felt that Caleb was deliberately saying it for her to hear. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t need to deliberately tell me your schedule, and I have a car, no need for you to see me off.¡± Saying that, she turned and left. Caleb¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Serena¡¯s body. But he wasn¡¯t staring at Serena¡¯s back. He was looking at Serena¡¯s left hand. Thest time he noticed the ring on Serena¡¯s hand was also at the entrance of this retirement home. The daisy¨Cstyle ring seemed very ordinary and unremarkable to him. 11.50 715 < 120 Chapter 120: Giving Up on Caleb Lockwood Yet Serena always wore it, as if she¡¯d never taken it off. Caleb¡¯s brow furrowed unconsciously. Tonight, there was no race at the international racetrack, and Serena had arranged to race with Patrick Rhodes. Initially, Patrick had called her to ask her out for dinner, and she was going to decline. But just then, she felt like racing, so she asked Patrick if he wanted to join. Patrick was not really cut out for racing; at most, he appreciated it. However, ever since he considered Chloe Linton as his idol, he did get interested in racing. Since Serena actively invited him this time, he couldn¡¯t wait to show off in front of his idol. The result was¡­ Patrick naturally got schooled by Serena on the track. Patrick always felt that Serena turned into a different person when she raced. On the track, Serena seemed fearless; several times when they were cornering, Patrick was afraid Serena would overturn and have an ident, scaring him into a cold sweat. Yet Serena remained unbelievably calm. Calmly pursuing the thrill of the extreme. Sometimes Patrick couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Serena was a split personality, with two distinct people. One was Serena. The other was Chloe Linton. But seeing Serena usually, she didn¡¯t appear to have any actual mental illness. After knowing Serena was Chloe, Patrick couldn¡¯t separate Chloe from Serena, even if Serena showed two entirely different personalities on and off the track. ¡°You¡¯re too lousy at this.¡± In the lounge, Serena, already back in her usual clothes, handed Patrick an energy drink. ¡°Tsk.¡± Patrick clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. But considering that winning against Chloe with his skill level would indeed be absurd. After leaving the racetrack, Patrick noticed Serena finally showed a rxed smile on her face. Even though she looked so preupied when she came. ¡°If you like using racing to relieve stress, feel free to call me any time, I¡¯d be happy to apany you.¡± Serena turned to look at Patrick and burst outughing. 1150 ¡¸ < 120 Chapter 120: Giving Up on Caleb Lockwood ¡°You never thought I might find you annoying?¡± ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Patrick blushed as he grumbled at Serena. But Patrick was right; she did release a lot of pent¨Cup frustration with an exhrating race. ¡°I should thank you for apanying me.¡± Serena shed a bright smile, making Patrick feel as if he¡¯d been struck by lightning. ¡°No, no, no¡­ no problem¡­¡± Not understanding why Patrick suddenly started stuttering, Serena casually said, ¡°It¡¯s sote, you must be hungry, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner.¡± ¡°Let me treat!¡± Patrick pointed his thumb at his nose, ¡°Other things I¡¯m not good at, but when ites to having money. I¡¯ve got it.¡± Serena was amused by Patrick, and since Patrick was happy to treat, she didn¡¯t refuse. The two of them drove to Harrods ¨C an internationally top¨Css department store. Patrick clearly was a regr, effortlessly navigating Serina to the restaurant they wanted. Since Serena told Patrick she could eat anything, Patrick chose a buffet restaurant. ¡°The seafood here is really good, especially the skan Emperor Crab legs. I highly rmend them.¡± Serena walked alongside Patrick into the restaurant, listening to Patrick chatter nonstop, when suddenly her smile disappeared upon seeing a table of diners in the restaurant. Patrick followed Serena¡¯s gaze over and saw Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw elegantly dining. ire¡¯s parents sat opposite them. Patrick didn¡¯t say anything or express surprise. Because he had already known from ire that Caleb had nned to host ire and her parents for a buffet dinner here tonight Patrick had deliberately brought Serena here, He wanted Serena to give up on Caleb. Why care for a man who doesn¡¯t have you in his heart and wants to divorce you, when you can cherish the person in front of you As soon as he thought of this, Patrick was startled by the thought that popped into his mind. Feeling a little agitated, he scratched his head and asked Serena, ¡°Where would you like to sit?¡± Serena acted as if she didn¡¯t see Caleb and ire¡¯s family, choosing a spot she liked that was far from Caleb and ire. However, the buffet restaurant didn¡¯t have many diners due to the high costs. 3160 < 120 Chapter 120: Giving Up on Caleb Lockwood Thus, as soon as Patrick and Serena entered, they were spotted by ire¡¯s mother. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Patrick over there?¡± After Valerie Vance said that, the others at the table noticed too. Caleb continued to cat his caviar with an unchanged expression. Valerie exchanged a nce with ire. ¡°I remember Patrick was quite close with you all back in high school.¡± ¡°Mom, we¡¯re still very close now!¡± ire said. ¡°Oh, really¡­ Then that youngdy over there, do you know her too? Is she Patrick¡¯s girlfriend? They seem very intimate to me!¡± Valerie¡¯s curiosity was clearly piqued, while ire hesitated to speak. ¡°She¡¯s Serena, she¡¯s¡­¡± The introduction paused as ire quickly nced at Caleb beside her. Caleb calmly, with elegant motions finished his caviar, then asked ire: ¡°Haven¡¯t you mentioned Serena to Auntie before?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ire shook her head. ¡°Seems like you all know each other!¡± Valerie looked intrigued. ¡°Honestly, you could invite them over for dinner; it¡¯s livelier with more people.¡± She was elbowed by Cole Shaw sitting next to her. ¡°The young folks are on a date; we¡¯re only here because Caleb needed to discuss the Northrivernd with us, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t interrupt their date with ire, right?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes, of course. Let Patrick and his girlfriend enjoy their time together!¡± While Valerie spoke, ire quietly observed Caleb¡¯s reaction. She had indeed mentioned Serena to Valerie, Valerie was well aware of who Serena was. Mding 121 121 Chapter 121: Ex¨CWife The previously harmonious dining table suddenly fell silent, as if everyone was waiting for Caleb Lockwood to define Serena Jennings¡® identity. 1 After a moment, Caleb Lockwood spoke calmly: ¡°Serena is not Patrick Rhodes¡® girlfriend¡­ she is¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood paused involuntarily at this point. ¡°She¡¯s about to be my ex¨Cwife.¡± Caleb Lockwood said this matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, without a stir. Cole Shaw and Valerie Vance both looked embarrassed. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat, let¡¯s eat. By the way, where were we?¡± Valerie Vance changed the topic. Her expression of embarrassment was feigned to make Caleb Lockwood believe she was hearing about Serena Jennings for the first time. In fact, ire Shaw had long told her that Caleb Lockwood was married, and his wife¡¯s name was Serena Jennings. However, in ire Shaw¡¯s description, Serena Jennings was originally a housewife, diligently dedicated, who dropped out of college to marry Caleb Lockwood. Valerie Vance had seen Serena Jennings¡® photo, shown to her by ire Shaw. The Serena Jennings in the photo was quite attractive but didn¡¯t dress up, appearingpletely different from her morous look tonight. Initially, Valerie Vance thought it was destined for her daughter to marry into The Lockwood Family and be Caleb¡¯s wife. But then ire Shaw graduated from high school and broke up with Caleb Lockwood, leaving for overseas alone, and Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t follow her. Valerie Vance regretted that ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood were star¨Ccrossed. Unexpectedly, after ire Shaw returned to the country, Caleb Lockwood treated her just the same, rekindling Valerie Vance¡¯s hopes of their romance reigniting. It was only then that Valerie Vance learned Caleb Lockwood had been married for three years. Yet ire Shaw wasn¡¯t giving up. And neither was Valerie Vance, She knew Serena Jennings was in the process of divorcing Caleb Lockwood, but she believed her excellent daughter returning to the country would make Caleb Lockwood abandon Serena immediately. But until now, Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t divorced Serena Jennings. 11.50 121 < 121 Chapter 121: Ex¨CWife Though her and Cole Shaw¡¯s visit to City A seemed business¨Crted, in truth, it was also for ire Shaw. To help ire Shaw, to ensure she could marry into The Lockwood Family sooner. Just now, she had deliberately tested Caleb Lockwood. Valerie Vance was somewhat surprised to see Serena Jennings in person. Despite ire Shaw having mentioned Serena Jennings frequently, she still regarded Serena as a cloistered housewife. Seeing her today, so different from the photos, even with light makeup looking as beautiful as a star, it¡¯s no wonder Caleb Lockwood was hesitant to divorce. Valerie Vance understood men. Which man under the sky wouldn¡¯t want stability at home and excitement outside? But the problem was, her daughter wanted to be the stable one at home, being the outside excitement would mean being the mistress, wouldn¡¯t it? Lacking recognition and status. This was something Valerie Vance could not tolerate. Moreover, only by bing Caleb Lockwood¡¯swful wife could she be the mistress of The Lockwood Group. Only then could she gain both fame and fortune, making it easier for their family to leverage the inw¡¯s influence. While eating, Valerie Vance secretly observed Caleb Lockwood. Though Caleb hadn¡¯t divorced Serena, she saw it clearly- Caleb Lockwood does not love Serena. Perhaps he¡¯s attracted to Serena¡¯s beauty, reluctant for a while, but a man truly loving a woman can¡¯t be faked. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t even nce at Serena from start to finish. Instead, opposite Serena, Patrick Rhodes¡® eyes were only on her, sparkling, clearly infatuated. Caleb Lockwood indeed hadn¡¯t looked at Serena. Not even once. Nor had Serena looked at Caleb. Not once. The two tables of people clearly knew each other, yet acted as if they were strangers. Caleb and hispanions, though they started eating first, spent longer because they were discussing that piece ofnd in Northriver while eating. Both groups finished their meals almost simultaneously, running into each other as they exited the restaurant. 11.60 718 < 121 Chapter 121: Ex¨CWife ¡°Patrick, Serena¡­¡± ire Shaw was the first to greet them. ¡°Just as well, Caleb and I are going shopping, do you want to join us? It¡¯s a nice walk after the meal. A walk after the meal was fine, but Serena didn¡¯t want to be with ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood. ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± Serena shook her head, declining. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my parents have finished the business with Caleb, they won¡¯t be going with us. It¡¯s a rare chance to meet by fate, shopping together can help deepen the bond¡­¡± ire Shaw spoke sincerely. She wanted Serena to witness Caleb¡¯s extravagant spending for her. And she wanted to find a chance to tell Serena that Caleb had already referred to her as his ex¨Cwife. When Serena ignored her and turned to leave, ire Shaw reached out to grab Serena¡¯s wrist. Serena immediately shook off ire Shaw¡¯s hand. Actually, she didn¡¯t use much force, but ire Shaw grabbed her quite hard, and then took the opportunity to fake a fall,nding straight into Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arms. Caleb Lockwood steadily caught ire Shaw. At the same time, Patrick Rhodes noticed Serena¡¯s wrist was red and instinctively took her hand. Serena paused, not realizing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression had changed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Patrick Rhodes asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Serena withdrew her hand. ¡°I say, sis¨Cinw, your grip is too strong, isn¡¯t it? Serena¡¯s wrist is red.¡± ire Shaw never expected Patrick Rhodes to call her out in public. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s eyes reddened, and Patrick immediately felt he¡¯d said something wrong. Since their school days, he¡¯d been helpless against ire Shaw¡¯s tears. Serena only wanted to leave this ce of conflict quickly; every time she encountered Caleb and ire, she got a headache. As she took a step, the two approaching figures made her stop. Justin Nash hadn¡¯t expected to meet Serena here. 11:50 < 121 Chapter 121: Ex¨CWife ¡°Patrick, Serena¡­¡± ire Shaw was the first to greet them. ¡°Just as well, Caleb and I are going shopping, do you want to join us? It¡¯s a nice walk after the meal.¡± A walk after the meal was fine, but Serena didn¡¯t want to be with ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood. ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± Serena shook her head, declining. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my parents have finished the business with Caleb, they won¡¯t be going with us. It¡¯s a rare chance to meet by fate, shopping together can help deepen the bond¡­¡± ire Shaw spoke sincerely. She wanted Serena to witness Caleb¡¯s extravagant spending for her. And she wanted to find a chance to tell Serena that Caleb had already referred to her as his ex¨Cwife. When Serena ignored her and turned to leave, ire Shaw reached out to grab Serena¡¯s wrist. Serena immediately shook off ire Shaw¡¯s hand. Actually, she didn¡¯t use much force, but ire Shaw grabbed her quite hard, and then took the opportunity to fake a fall,nding straig into Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arms. Caleb Lockwood steadily caught ire Shaw. At the same time, Patrick Rhodes noticed Serena¡¯s wrist was red and instinctively took her hand. Serena paused, not realizing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression had changed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Patrick Rhodes asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Serena withdrew her hand. ¡°I say, sis¨Cinw, your grip is too strong, isn¡¯t it? Serena¡¯s wrist is red.¡± ire Shaw never expected Patrick Rhodes to call her out in public. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s eyes reddened, and Patrick immediately felt he¡¯d said something wrong. Since their school days, he¡¯d been helpless against ire Shaw¡¯s tears. Serena only wanted to leave this ce of conflict quickly; every time she encountered Caleb and ire, she got a headache. As she took a step, the two approaching figures made her stop. Justin Nash hadn¡¯t expected to meet Serena here. 11-25 215 < 121 Chapter 121: Ex¨CWife Upon seeing Serena, his eyes lit up like a bulb. Beside him, Cynthia Fulton was clinging to Justin Nash¡¯s arm. It was the first time in their rtionship she saw Justin¡¯s eyes light up like this. ¡°What a small world!¡± Cynthia Fulton remarked coldly. Even with her speaking, Justin¡¯s eyes remained solely on Serena, as if everyone else didn¡¯t exist. Serena¡¯s gaze was also involuntarily drawn to Justin Nash¡¯s face. Justin Nash was wearing an elegantly tailored white wool coat over a ck suit, the stark contrast enhancing his presence significantly. Now, Serena could no longer see any trace of the na?ve college student from their time at the juvenile center on Justin¡¯s face. In less than a year, Justin Nash had changed a lot. Serena, for some reason, felt a surge of emotion. Previously, Lana Xavier had told her that when she had a car ident and was hospitalized, Justin Nash was the first one to en hospital. Though he leftter, it was probably underpulsion, and Serena had always wanted to thank Justin properly. But she couldn¡¯t contact Justin Nash on her own. She had long deleted and blocked Justin Nash on WeChat, and his phone number too. if the Even though she could memorize it, she promised Justin Nash¡¯s mother not to contact him again, and she couldn¡¯t go back on her word. Fortunately, fate offered her a chance to run into Justin Nash. ¡°Justin Nash, thank you for visiting me when I was hospitalized.¡± Serena¡¯s tone carried a polite distance. She saw Justin Nash frown. She was thanking him simply out of courtesy. She didn¡¯t want Justin Nash to overthink it. ¡°Serena, I¡­¡± Justin Nash stepped forward, just as a tall figure suddenly appeared from behind Serena. Mding 122 < 122 Chapter 122: Find a New Boyfriend 122 Chapter 122: Find a New Boyfriend ¡°I heard you¡¯re getting married, congrattions.¡± 1 Caleb Lockwood said congrattions, but his smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Before Justin Nash could speak, Cynthia Fulton jumped in: ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ve already given the wedding invitation to Miss Jennings.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Caleb raised an eyebrow and nced at Serena Jennings, who was blocked behind him, then turned back to ask Cynthia ¡°Miss Fulton only invited Serena? What about me?¡± Cynthia¡¯s face instantly showed an exaggerated look of surprise at Caleb¡¯s words. ¡°President Lockwood, what are you saying? Isn¡¯t Miss Jennings part of your family?¡± As soon as Cynthia said this, everyone present fell silent, and the atmosphere became indescribably tense. Caleb shrugged with a smile, turning his head to look at Serena again. ¡°So¡­ there are still people in this world who don¡¯t know we¡¯re getting a divorce!¡± Serena frowned, unsure if Caleb was ming her for spreading the news of their divorce or something else. Actually, she didn¡¯t remember telling anyone they were getting divorced. After all, in the eyes of the public, divorce isn¡¯t a good thing. But among these people, more or less, they¡¯d heard some rumors, including Cynthia. Cynthia wasn¡¯t concerned about whether Serena and Caleb divorced. But she hoped they wouldn¡¯t divorce. Because once divorced, Serena would be single, and even if Justin Nash abandoned Serena for The Nash Family, Serena might not give up on Justin Nash. ¡°Miss Jennings, you didn¡¯t notice that the invitation I sent you was for both you and President Lockwood!¡± With Cynthia¡¯s reminder, Serena finally realized that when she got the wedding invitation, she hadn¡¯t looked closely at the names of those invited. Because Cynthia personally handed her the invitation, she naturally assumed she was the only one invited. ¡°If President Lockwood wants, I can send another single invitation to him.¡± After Cynthia finished speaking, she saw Caleb shaking his head. ¡°No need.¡± 11:51 < 122 Chapter 122: Find a New Boyfriend He turned to face Serena. Their eyes met. ¡°On the wedding day, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Serena remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing. Caleb¡¯s charming smile turned into a deeper curve. ¡°After all, we¡¯re a couple sharing the same wedding invitation.¡± At first nce, Caleb¡¯s words seemed fine, but on closer thought, it meant that by the day of Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding. he and Serena wouldn¡¯t be divorced yet. Serena opened her mouth, taking a deep breath. Now, with too many outsiders around, it wasn¡¯t suitable to discuss this with Caleb. However, she didn¡¯t want to drag out the divorce until after Justin and Cynthia¡¯s wedding. In the back, Valerie Vance anxiously looked at ire Shaw. ire Shaw was fuming, gritting her teeth. Not only Serena understood Caleb¡¯s words, ire understood too. Even though she had Caleb¡¯s promise of giving her a title, she believed he wouldn¡¯t break his word. But as long as Caleb didn¡¯t divorce Serena, she couldn¡¯t openly im to be Mrs. Lockwood. What did that make her then? ire was anxious inside, and so was Valerie. Originally, seeing Caleb refer to Serena as ¡°ex¨Cwife,¡± Valerie thought Caleb was eager to divorce Serena. Yet, in just a moment, Caleb said he and Serena were ¡°a couple.¡± Valerie couldn¡¯t figure out what Caleb was thinking. Blocking the entrance of a restaurant wouldn¡¯t do, so Cynthia took Justin¡¯s arm and walked into the store. Caleb and ire first escorted ire¡¯s parents out. Serena went with Patrick Rhodes to the underground parking lot. Before getting into her car, Serena heard Patrick loudly apologize: ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Serena frowned, looking a bit annoyed. ¡°Why are you apologizing to me?¡± 11:51 1380 < 122 Chapter 122: Find a New Boyfriend ¡°Because¡­ because¡­¡± ¡°Because you knew Caleb and ire Shaw wereing here to eat.¡± ¡°You figured it out?¡± Serena nodded, crossing her arms. ¡°So why purposely bring me here? To see Caleb and your respected sister¨Cinw being affectionate, making me retreat? ¡°No, no.¡± Patrick quickly waved his hands, not expecting Serena to misunderstand sopletely. ¡°I wanted you to see that Brother Lockwood isn¡¯t worth your love.¡± After saying this, Patrick was surprised, and so was Serena. But once said, it¡¯s like spilled water; Patrick didn¡¯t intend to take it back. Serena stared at Patrick for a while, feeling that he wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°You don¡¯t need to trouble yourself anymore; I don¡¯t love Caleb Lockwood anymore.¡± Saying this left a bitter taste in Serena¡¯s mouth. ¡°Really?¡± Patrick doubted. ¡°Really.¡± ¡°So¡­ is it true then that you n to sell the 10% shares of The Lockwood Group, which Caleb was going to transfer to you after the divorce, ton ckwood?¡± Serena looked at Patrick in surprise, but then thought, it¡¯s possiblen or ire Shaw spread the news, so it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for Patrick to hear about it. Besides, Patrick said ¡°sell,¡± but what she had actually written was a transfer withoutpensation, showing Patrick was just hearing rumors. ¡°Yes.¡± Serena admitted it straightforwardly. She felt it was too troublesome to exin. ¡°That¡¯s quite harsh of you!¡± Patrick¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°That¡¯s 10% of The Lockwood Group shares! Don¡¯t you known wanted to short Lockwood Group some time ago? If he seeded, along with the 10% shares you give him, the entire Lockwood Group could change its surname to ckwood. That¡¯s a huge deal¡­¡± Serena silently listened to Patrick¡¯s words, recalling the night Caleb angrily threw the guarantee she wrote back at her face. ¡°I mean, Serena¡­ do you¡­ really hate Brother Lockwood that much?¡± 11 51 918 < 122 Chapter 122: Find a New Boyfriend. Serena looked at Patrick, her eyes said it all. ¡°Do you think I shouldn¡¯t hate him?¡± Patrick opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°In that case¡­ if you hate him, you should hurry and find a new boyfriend to make Brother Lockwood regret it.¡± Patrick¡¯s suggestion caught Serena by surprise. ¡°In any case, try to avoid dealing with Ian ckwood from now on; he has a temper problem. Back in high school, he fought all the time, even hit women, and Brother Lockwood can¡¯t stand him.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Serena nodded. Even without Patrick¡¯s warning, she didn¡¯t want to seen again. Patrick said Ian had a temper problem, but when he kicked away her crutch, Ian didn¡¯t seem like he was in a fit. To Serena, Ian just seemed in wicked. After talking for a while, Serena drove off. Patrick watched Serena¡¯s white BMW 3 Series drive away until it was out of sight, then returned to his own car. Outside Harrods, the sky had turnedpletely dark. The night view of City A was spectacr and brilliant. In the upscale neighborhood, Riverside Manor. ire Shaw returned, carrying bags from various international luxury brands. These were all bought for her by Caleb Lockwood. Inside were clothes, jewelry, perfume, watches, and more. This one shopping spree could cost as much as a house for a regr family. It¡¯s precisely because Caleb was generous with her that her mood improved. At home, it was very quiet. Cole Shaw was already asleep; ire thought Valerie had gone to sleep too, but after her shower and changing into pajamas, she heard a knock on the door. ire opened the door to see Valerie standing there. ¡°I have something to talk to you about, regarding you and Caleb Lockwood.¡± Valerie said as she walked into ire¡¯s room. Mding 123 123 Chapter 123: Disqualified In the office, Serena Jennings was looking at the jewelry sample Sharon Sanders had just given her. 1 This was a ne designed and crafted by Sharon Sanders herself, featuring an emerald. Of course, it wasn¡¯t made of high¨Cquality natural emeralds, but with synthetic ones. Although the cutting still had a lot of room for improvement, the design wasn¡¯t bad, and Serena Jennings praised it repeatedly, which made Sharon Sanders blush. Sharon Sanders knew very well that her design skills were far below Serena Jennings¡® standards. Justparing to her own previous works, it was a significant improvement, so Serena Jennings was encouraging her, and she couldn¡¯t get carried away. ¡°Excuse me, sir, whom are you looking for? This is J Jewelry¡¯s office, private ess is not allowed.¡± Nancy Young, who sat closest to the entrance, stood up. She didn¡¯t recognize the man who strode into the office, but he was quite handsome, dressed elegantly in exquisite attire, wearing gold- rimmed sses, looking like a refined and young university professor. Upon hearing Nancy Young¡¯s words, others in the office also noticed the presence of this unexpected guest. Patrick Rhodes had clearly just reminded himself to avoid contact with Ian ckwood if possible, yet today, Serena Jennings metn ckwood again. Ian ckwood was wearing a different suit fromst time, but still had on the gold¨Crimmed sses, with a yfully arrogant smile on his face, which diluted his confusingly refined aura a bit. This time, Ian ckwood did note alone. He brought someone with him. Serena Jennings was not weing, even loathing Ian ckwood¡¯s arrival. But the person behind Ian ckwood piqued her interest. The person was a woman. The woman, though appearing to be from Country A, had her hair styled inrge golden waves, and everything about her makeup and attire gave off the impression of a big name in the Western fashion world. In fact, she was indeed a big shot. Serena Jennings knew the woman, but thought she wouldn¡¯t know her. The woman was named Miranda, editor¨Cin¨Cchief of the top global jewelry magazine ¡°Radiance¡°, a foreign Chinese who had be an authority in the jewelry fashion industry at a young age. 11:51 < 123 Chapter 123: Disqualified Serena Jennings had only seen photos of Miranda in magazines or online before, never expecting to meet her in person today. Miranda entered with an international luxury brand ensemble from head to toe, her aura even overshadowingn ckwood¡¯s. Initially, Nancy Young had thoughtn ckwood hade to the wrong ce, but she sensed the imposing aura fromn ckwood and Miranda, as if they came to cause trouble. ¡°Boss¡­¡± Nancy Young immediately hid next to Serena Jennings, clearly a bit scared. The only male employee in their studio, Quentin Xavier, happened to be out, so if Ian ckwood indeed meant to pick a fight, perhaps only Serena Jennings, who had practiced martial arts, could possibly be his opponent. However, Serena Jennings didn¡¯t believe Ian ckwood came here intending to start a fight. Because the person Ian ckwood brought was not a thug, but Miranda. ¡°Mr. ckwood, please state your purpose; otherwise, I¡¯ll have to call security to escort you out.¡± Serena Jennings stood up, her aura almost equal to Ian ckwood¡¯s. Ian ckwood nced at Serena Jennings, pushed his gold¨Crimmed sses, and lowered his gaze onto the desk in front of Serena Jennings. ¡°Is this the sample you prepared for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week?¡± Ian ckwood picked up the emerald ne from Serena Jennings¡® desk and examined it from all angles. ¡°Just this¡­?¡± He didn¡¯t finish hister words. He meant to say, is this even fit to be ire¡¯spetitor? But because Miranda was here, he refrained from mentioning ire, Shaw¡¯s name, to avoid inadvertently helping her. ¡°This style is a rip¨Coff of Van Cleef & Arpels¡® clover, don¡¯t you think?¡± As Jan ckwood¡¯s voice fell, Sharon Sanders¡® face turned as red as if it got pped. She didn¡¯t actually copy Van Cleef & Arpels. But the inspiration for the clover indeed referred to Van Cleef & Arpels. ¡°Vulgar, cheap,¡± With a slight force in his hands,n ckwood snapped the emerald ne. The fractured metal and gemstones ttered to the ground. Serena Jennings saw Sharon Sanders standing aside, almost on the verge of tears. ¡°Ian ckwood, apologize to me!¡± Serena Jennings shouted angrily. 11:51 O 274 < 123 Chapter 123: Disqualified Ian ckwood shrugged with augh, pushing his gold¨Crimmed sses. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize, what can you do to me? Call the police to arrest me? A copycat high imitation synthetic fake emerald ne, it¡¯s just trash, and you¡¯re the one treating it as a treasure, trash with trash, all garbage together, a perfect match!¡± The words from Ian ckwood¡¯s mouth sharply contrasted with his cultured demeanor. Before Serena Jennings could retort, Miranda beside her let out a derisive coldugh. ¡°Mr. ckwood is right, this is junk. If all you can design are such pieces, there¡¯s no need for you to attend the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. you¡¯d only tarnish our eyes.¡± Serena Jennings had heard a bit about Miranda¡¯s personality. Miranda was arrogant and condescending, even top brands had designs she looked down upon, and she would mercilessly belittle them. ¡°Ms. Miranda, I am the champion of the first New Star Jewelry Design Competition held by the LD Jewelry Fashion Week organizers, so you shouldn¡¯t be able to disqualify me.¡± Facing Miranda, Serena Jennings maintained aposed demeanor. Only now did Miranda really look at Serena Jennings properly for the first time. She smiled slightly, her fiery red lips both charmingly feminine and inexplicably oppressive. ¡°Since you already know who I am, then you should understand¡­ I don¡¯t care whose champion you are, if I say your qualification to participate in the Jewelry Fashion Week is canceled, then it¡¯s canceled.¡± Miranda wasn¡¯t joking in saying that. She initially thought that after hearing this, Serena Jennings¡¯s face would at least show some hint of urgency. However, Serena Jennings remained unruffled, smiling subtly. ¡°Then you¡¯re missing out on a world¨Css designer.¡± Miranda¡¯s eyes brightened, Beside her,n ckwood pushed his gold¨Crimmed sses, watching Serena Jennings with an amused look. In his impression, this wasn¡¯t like Serena Jennings¡® usual speaking style. Serena Jennings had seen many interviews with Miranda, who appreciated designers confident in their own design talents, so she deliberately spoke like that to make a good impression on Miranda. Miranda smiled; this time, her smile wasn¡¯t as contemptuous as before. In her impression, the culture of Country A emphasized modesty. This Serena Jennings seemed somewhat interesting. ¡°Do you know that blind confidence is called arrogance? In my eyes, there is currently only one person in the world who can be said to 11.51 314 < 123 Chapter 123: Disqualified be a world¨Css designer¡­¡± These words aroused Serena Jennings¡® curiosity. Before establishing her own studio, she wasn¡¯t really up to date with the world of jewelry designers. ¡°It¡¯s the mysterious designer BYC of the FY Piano Series.¡± Upon hearing this, Serena Jennings choked on her own saliva, coughing for quite some time. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t expect you topare with BYC; the amazing design talent expressed in the Piano Series can be said to be unprecedented.¡± Serena Jennings fell silent, touching her flushed face. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Mding 124 124 Chapter 124: Cheating At first, her creation of the piano series was purely coincidental. 1 If it weren¡¯t for that ident she loathed to mention, she wouldn¡¯t havee up with such unique inspiration. Serena Jennings thought, the phrase ¡°unintentionally nting willows that form shade¡± must refer to something like this! Miranda praised BYC fervently. Serena¡¯s face grew increasingly red. Jan ckwood noticed Serena¡¯s blushing and let out a cold chuckle: ¡°Still able to blush, at least you have some shame.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond ton. She was in a pretty good mood now. Even though she didn¡¯t want to im the identity of BYC, hearing Mirandavish praise on BYC made her feel proud nheless. After all, Miranda was a big shot among big shots in the jewelry fashion world, and earning her approval was an honor. Miranda didn¡¯t quite understand why, after a long praise of BYC, Serena was smiling as if she herself was being praised. Initially, she hadn¡¯t thought much of Serena. At least the emerald ne Ian ckwood picked up from Serena¡¯s desk didn¡¯t impress her. The studio used synthetic gems to make sample pieces for practice, but regardless of the material, the cut, setting, and design were not up to par. At this level, if it were presented at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, it would only lower the caliber of the event. This was something Miranda absolutely couldn¡¯t tolerate. Jewelry is a symbol of identity, status, and wealth. Miranda couldn¡¯t stand any ws. So, initially, she was determined to revoke Serena¡¯s qualification to participate in the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. But now¡­ ¡°For your confidence, I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± Miranda lowered her mascaraden eyelids. ¡°If you want to go to LD Jewelry Fashion Week, unless¡­ you can recycle these scraps.¡± She deliberately crushed the main stone of the already shattered emerald ne under her high heel. 11 51 < 124 Chapter 124: Cheating ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡± Sharon Sanders couldn¡¯t help but stand up for Serena. The ne was originally her design, and Serena was unjustly implicated. She already felt guilty towards Serena, and now the other side was making even more unreasonable demands. ¡°Too much?¡± Miranda crossed her arms, sneering, ¡°If a designer can¡¯t even handle this, they should consider changing careers sooner rather thanter.¡± ¡°You!¡± Sharon wanted to say more, but saw Serena waving her hand. Serena squatted down, picking up the gems fragmented by Ian and further crushed by Miranda. Jan, seeing how seriously Serena was gathering the pieces, couldn¡¯t help butugh heartily. ¡°You look like a scavenger now.¡± Serena rolled her eyes atn. She had picked up all the fragmented gems and broken metal, but none of it looked like it could be repaired. Beside her, Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young were as anxious as ants on a hot pan. They knew how crucial the LD Jewelry Fashion Week qualification was for Serena. That was the requirement from the investors for their studio. If they couldn¡¯t achieve it, the investors would pull out, and the studio would likely close down, leaving them all jobless. So Sharon and Nancy were extremely nervous, looking more anxious than Serena by a hundredfold. Ian was eagerly waiting to see a joke. Miranda¡¯s thoughts were simr, perhaps she was just slightly more expectant of Serena thann was. Serena took the splintered materials into the workshop, and when she emerged, the sun was almost setting. She discovered that Ian had somehow taken her ce, yawning out of boredom with his sses resting on his prominent nose, either about to fall asleep or just waking up. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Upon hearing Serena¡¯s voice,n groggily searched for his sses on the desk and put them on. To be honest, he thought Serena was putting on a bit too much of a show. Everyone knew the shattered emerald ne couldn¡¯t be repaired. He initially thought Serena was just acting, that she would soon emerge from the workshop, crying and begging Miranda for mercy. But unexpectedly, Serena stayed in there the entire day. 11 51 215 < 124 Chapter 124: Cheating Nancy and Sharon didn¡¯t sharen¡¯s boredom; they were extremely stressed. Atst, as Serena exited the workshop, their anxiety peaked. Sitting in the chair, Miranda nced up at Serena, curling her lips. ¡°Just because you took a long time pretending to repair doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll earn my approval.¡± Her words had barely fallen when Serena suddenly took her right hand. Miranda frowned. But her frown quickly vanished with Serena¡¯s next actions. Serena ced a ring on Miranda¡¯s finger. Miranda already wore rings on that hand. On her index and ring fingers, one each. On her index finger was Bulgari¡¯s Serpenti ring, in rose gold with ck enamel and a full diamond snake; on her ring finger was Van Cleef & Arpels¡® Alhambra ring, gold with red carnelian, fully iid with diamonds. Both rings, in terms of brand and style, were globally top¨Cnotch. Yet at first nce, her middle finger caught even her own attention. Everyone was captivated by the ring on Miranda¡¯s middle finger. Ian stood up, wiped his gold¨Crimmed sses, and put them back on. On Miranda¡¯s right middle finger, there was a butterfly ring. The butterfly appeared to p its wings in three¨Cdimensional grace, as if a real butterfly had quietly perched on Miranda¡¯s finger, The emerald fragments perfectly formed the natural texture and reflections of the butterfly wings, and to enhance the synthetic gems luster, each tiny piece was covered with reflective mirror foil. Miranda was stunned. She shook her right hand, with the butterfly on her middle finger dazzling brightly, no less than the two opulent rings beside it. And this was just synthetic gems. What if it were crafted with real natural emeralds? Miranda could hardly imagine it. ¡°Rebirth from ashes..¡± She softly uttered these words. Beside her, Sharon and Nancy could barely contain their excitement, itching to scream. Their boss¡¯s design craftsmanship and skill were so impressive they were in awe. 1151 346 < 124 Chapter 124: Cheating But he didn¡¯t say it out loud. The reason he didn¡¯t voice it was because he knew deep down, Serena hadn¡¯t cheated. If she had cheated, Miranda would have been the first to discover it. Serena stood silently in front of Miranda, without uttering a word. Because Miranda hadn¡¯t said anything either. She merely kept moving her right hand, either admiring or inspecting the ring Serena had crafted anew from shattered synthetic emeralds. ¡°Butterfly¡­ Representing both rebirth and the resilient life force rising after being trampled. Whether it¡¯s in meaning or craftsmanship, it was indeed perfect. ¡°Just alright!¡± Hearing this evaluation from Miranda, Serena was taken aback. She thought she at least deserved a ¡°not bad¡°! Miranda stood up without removing the butterfly ring from her right middle finger. ¡°With suchmonce creativity, you¡¯re still a bit off from standing out at LD Jewelry Fashion Week¡­¡± As she was about to exit Serena¡¯s studio, she turned her head back and said to Serena: ¡°Keep it up!¡± Serena¡¯s face instantly blossomed with a smile. It seemed her qualification was secure. He stepped forward, intending to leave following Miranda. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Suddenly, Serena called out to him. < 1 Mding 125 25 Chapter 125: He¡¯s Afraid of Divorce 125 Chapter 125: He¡¯s Afraid of Divorce Ian ckwood turned around, adjusting his gold¨Crimmed sses to look at Serena Jennings. 1 Serena stood in front of him, looking serious. ¡°The emerald ne you broke was designed by one of my employees, not me. You have to give them an exnation¡± He shrugged with a smile, turned back around,pletely ignoring Serena¡¯s words. Serena sighed softly. ¡°It seems you¡¯re not just targeting me, you¡¯re simply a person of poor character and rude.¡± Ian paused his steps, nced back with a smile. As if tacitly agreeing with Serena, while also mocking her for being annoyed but unable to do anything to him. Serena, catching Ian off guard, suddenly grabbed his wrist and cor. Ian had no time to react before Serena performed a beautiful shoulder throw, mming him onto the ground. Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young were dumbfounded, speechless. Was he just¡­ thrown by a weak girl like Serena? Ian blinked, his vision blurry. Because his sses had fallen off. Inn¡¯s memory, he¡¯d been in countless fights and had been hit before, but being shoulder¨Cthrown by a woman was a first for him. Ian found it quite novel, lying on the ground with a grin,ughing more and more, his shoulders trembling withughter. Serena watched quietly, contemting whether to call an ambnce. But she remembered from her martial arts training that this move wasn¡¯t fatal to the head;n shouldn¡¯t be brain¨Cdamaged from her throw! Ianughed foolishly for a while before getting up on his own, at which point he vaguely saw someone handing him his sses. Once he put on his sses, Serena¡¯s figure became clear in his vision. ¡°Who is the employee that designed the ne I broke?¡± Serena didn¡¯t answer, just turned her head to nce at Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young ording to Patrick Rhodes,n was known to be aggressive, seemingly indiscriminate when it came to physical confrontations, and 175 < 125 Chapter 125: He¡¯s Afraid of Divorce Serena only wanted to get justice for Sharon Sanders, not forn to harass her. Ian somewhat guessed Serena¡¯s concerns from her reaction. He strode over to Sharon and Nancy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Hearingn apologize, both Sharon and Nancy were stunned. Serena was also full of surprise. Ian didn¡¯t care who among the two employees designed the ne he broke; he just apologized sincerely. After apologizing, as he brushed past Serena, he whispered: ¡°That shoulder throw was quite impressive.¡± After Ian left, Sharon and Nancy gathered around Serena, asking curiously: ¡°Serena, who is that guy really?¡± Serena looked towards the door and answered tly, ¡°¡­He¡¯s a patient.¡± The Lockwood Group. Wyatt Coleman was called into Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office. As the chiefwyer of Caleb¡¯s legal team, he believed himself to be quite capable; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havested so long at the Lockwood Group. However¡­ ¡°This still won¡¯t do, take it back and redo it.¡± Caleb casually tossed a document in front of Wyatt. Wyatt didn¡¯t need to ask what the document was, nor how it needed to be modified. Because he¡¯d already asked several times before, and if he made Caleb repeat himself, he might as well pack up and leave. Most of the time, Caleb was a good boss. His instructions were clear and decisive, never dragging things out, and he was never capricious. Wyatt used to enjoy working with Caleb. But this time, it was really tough for him. This was the seventy¨Cfirst version of the divorce agreement he and the legal team had revised. And yet¡­ It still didn¡¯t pass. > 125 Chapter 125: He¡¯s Afraid of Divorce Initially, when Caleb told Wyatt the original divorce agreement was void and needed to be redone, he wasn¡¯t surprised or felt it was difficult. Because Caleb had clearly stated to remove the use about transferring ten percent of the Lockwood Group¡¯s shares. Wyatt did as instructed, and that¡¯s when the nightmare began. For the next half month, he worked with the entire legal team amending the divorce agreement. Submit one version, rejected, returned for revision. Submit another, still rejected, keep revising, over and over. Now, this was the seventy¨Cfirst version. And it still didn¡¯t work. The problem was, Wyatt had no idea what was wrong with it. Caleb wouldn¡¯t tell him exactly what needed fixing either. Wyatt had asked, but Caleb just told him to figure it out himself. Sometimes Wyatt couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Caleb really didn¡¯t want to divorce Serena Jennings. Whether it was the 30¨Cbillion¨Cdorpensation or the ten percent shares of the Lockwood Group, maybe he just wanted Serena change her mind and not mention divorce again. However, Wyatt didn¡¯t dare say or ask this question. Even from a logical standpoint, it didn¡¯t make sense. Who was Caleb Lockwood? Did he fear divorce? Especially when he had ire Shaw as an avable substitute. Wyatt couldn¡¯t figure it out. That evening, he submitted the seventy¨Csecond version, and it still didn¡¯t pass. Wyatt wasn¡¯t discouraged anymore, as he had be ustomed to it. Caleb wasn¡¯t deliberately making things hard for Wyatt. Though from Wyatt¡¯s perspective, it seemed like genuine hassle. He nced at his custom watch; it was nearly ten o¡¯clock at night, but Caleb still hadn¡¯t left his office. He was waiting for his divorce agreement. The night was silent, and the lights were few in the sparsely upied new neighborhood. 11:52 < 125 Chapter 125: He¡¯s Afraid of Divorce The nearby yground would have a lot of kids ying in the summer, but now that it was nearly December, it was deserted. Tonight was an exception. Jan didn¡¯t expect ire Shaw to ask to meet him here. He wore a thick, midnight blue wool coat, sitting on a narrow children¡¯s swing, which was actually ufortable. n!¡± ire Shaw arrived fashionablyte, waving at Ian. She was intentionallyte, partly to dress up, partly to demonstrate her worth. Jan looked at ire Shaw, his eyes behind gold¨Crimmed sses filled with tenderness. ire Shaw was still dressed in a sweet, pastel style, as if her age was forever fixed at high school. Clearly, this pure and sweet look was his favorite, yet for some reason, tonight, seeing ire, he didn¡¯t feel the electric shock he used to. Ian inexplicably thought of Serena Jennings. Serena¡¯s style was theplete opposite of ire¡¯s. Serena dressed simply and modestly, with clean, sharp tailoring, paired with light makeup, giving a refreshing impression. Ian couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Because he thought of himself being flipped over by Serena earlier today. Seeing Ianugh, ire deliberately posed in front of the swing. Since being suspected by Caleb Lockwoodst time, she dared not meetn in bars anymore. So she chose this location. But it wasn who initiated the meeting. ¡°You asked me out¡­ is there something you wanted to discuss?¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 126 23 Send Gifts < 126 Chapter 126: Peeking. 126 Chapter 126: Peeking ire asked with a soft voice, sitting down on the swing next ton ckwood. 1 Under the night sky, stars twinkling, a man and a woman sat on a small swing, the scene resembling a beautiful romanticic. ¡°I went to Serena Jennings¡® studio today,¡± Ian ckwood said. ire feigned surprise, though she wasn¡¯t surprised at all inside. Thest time she met Ian ckwood, she intentionally mentioned that Serena Jennings was her rival in the LD Jewelry Fashion Week to provoken into causing trouble for Serena Jennings. ¡°I brought Miranda over.¡± ¡°Miranda¡­ is that the fashion industry bigwig, the editor¨Cin¨Cchief of Radiance, Miranda?¡± ire blinked her innocent eyes, cheering inwardly. Everyone knows how picky Miranda is, so it seemsn might want Miranda to find fault with Serena Jennings, to directly revoke Serena Jennings¡® qualification for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. ¡°So¡­ what did Miranda say?¡± ire asked cautiously. Quickly say Serena Jennings was disqualified by Miranda¡­ Quickly say it! Her inner anticipation flowed like a river in flood season. Though she was well¨Cprepared and confident for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, having nopetitors would be most advantageous and stable for her. Especially in front of Caleb Lockwood. If she shines brilliantly at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, while Serena Jennings is disqualified, she¡¯ll impress Caleb Lockwood even more, enabling her to obtain Lockwood Group¡¯s shares before Serena Jennings. That night, her mother talked with her a lot. Valerie Vance learned from ire that Caleb Lockwood once considered transferring ten percent of Lockwood Group¡¯s shares to Serena Jennings after the divorce. Though it didn¡¯t happen, time would reveal hidden motives. Valerie Vance believed ire must get Lockwood Group¡¯s shares first, regardless of whether Caleb Lockwood divorces Serena Jennings or marries her. Ian ckwood was silent for a long time. 31:52 < 126 Chapter 126: Peeking ¡°That Serena Jennings¡­ doesn¡¯t seem easy to deal with, Miranda seems to admire her.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ire eximed. ¡°Ah, sorry, I lost myposure.¡± ire bashfully brushed her hair and felt displeased withn ckwood. Miranda was brought by Ian ckwood, yet instead of disqualifying Serena Jennings, increased opportunities for her, isn¡¯t that counterproductive! And she subtly askedn if he had seen the designs Serena Jennings was preparing for LD Jewelry Fashion Week in her office, butn saw nothing. What a waste! ire didn¡¯t want to waste more time withn ckwood, so she made an excuse to leave, leavingn to sit alone on the swing in the cold wind. The swing made creaking sounds. Jan ckwood felt that ire seemed different tonight. Not like he remembered. While Serena Jennings was in the operating room repairing the emerald, he sat at Serena Jennings¡® desk. There were blueprints on the desk. Although they were rough sketches, unfinished and still being modified, Ian ckwood spected that ¡°Across the Chrysalis¡± might be Serena Jennings¡® jewelry theme for LD Jewelry Fashion Week. He could have told ire about it. But he chose not to. Ian ckwood didn¡¯t know why. That night, he couldn¡¯t leave the swing. He thought all night, but couldn¡¯t find the answer. That night, Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t leave the general manager¡¯s office. After waiting all night, Wyatt Coleman¡¯s submitted divorce papers were still unsatisfactory. That night, Serena Jennings didn¡¯t go home. The next day, Quentin Xavier was the first to arrive at work. Because he was out procuring supplies yesterday, Serena Jennings told him not to detour back to thepany, just to clock out directly, < 126 Chapter 126: Peeking so hepensated with a nap at home, restored his energy, and arrived early at thepany today. After clocking in, Quentin Xavier realized he wasn¡¯t alone in the office. ¡°Serena Jennings? You¡­ arrived even earlier?¡± Quentin Xavier immediately sensed something was off and corrected himself: ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have¡­ stayed here all night, right?¡± Serena Jennings yawned and rubbed her dark circles. ¡°Work makes me happy.¡± Quentin Xavier was speechless. ¡°Is there a new urgent order?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s still for LD Jewelry Fashion Week.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Quentin Xavier tilted his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t the theme for LD already decided?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was settled¡­¡± Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She and Quentin Xavier chatted while heading out to find a ce for breakfast, not expecting to meet Peter downstairs at Azure To so the three went to a teahouse together. ¡°Serena Jennings, did you know? Last night, unbelievably, Miranda invited me for ate¨Cnight snack.¡± Serena Jennings felt that the reason for the snack must have something to do with her. ¡°Miranda knows you¡¯ve worked with me, asked quite a bit about you, and I noticed the ring on her right middle finger, that should be your design!¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Serena Jennings was a bit surprised Miranda didn¡¯t discard the synthetic emerald ring after leaving her studio. She briefly exined the circumstances of yesterday¡¯s ring design to Peter. ¡°No wonder she¡¯s so impressed with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hoping for admiration, just as long as she doesn¡¯t cancel my qualification over every little dissatisfaction.¡± Serena Jennings smiled wryly, ¡°Though yesterday¡¯s critique from Miranda helped me realize that my originally prepared design theme for LD Jewelry Fashion Week¡­ was indeed a bitmon.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to change the theme at thest minute?¡± Quentin Xavier was shocked. Serena Jennings nodded. 11:52 < 126 Chapter 126: Peeking ¡°But the deadline for submitting samples is about to arrive!¡± Quentin Xavier disapproved of Serena Jennings¡® decision to suddenly change everything and start from scratch, negating all previous efforts, not to mention whether time would suffice, and inspiration might be constrained by tension and urgency. Though Peter had little regard for Quentin Xavier since he was once ire¡¯s corporate spy, in this instance, Peter agreed with Quentin Xavier. However, Serena Jennings showed determination, and Quentin Xavier and Peter both found her stubbornly obsessed with inspiration. ¡°By the way, let me remind you that ire Shaw reportedly learned of your design for Miranda and has secretly contacted Miranda through Caleb Lockwood. I heard that today ire Shaw is hosting a private jewelry design exhibition at DJ Art Museum¡¯s VIP art hall, with few invitations, clearly to favor Miranda.¡± After hearing Peter¡¯s words, Serena Jennings fell into thought. The person who brought Miranda to her studio yesterday was Ian ckwood. This showsn ckwood should be familiar with Miranda. Jan ckwood is also ire¡¯s friend, ire can meet Miranda throughn. Yet ire chose to go through Caleb Lockwood. Serena Jennings shook her head, not understanding why she was fixating on this. ire Shaw is soon to be Lockwood Group¡¯s newdy, any of her needs are naturally met by Caleb Lockwood¡¯s assistance. ¡°In any case, whatever moves ire makes won¡¯t change my resolve to change the theme at thest minute.¡± Serena Jennings encouraged herself. ¡°Tonight, an all¨Cnighter again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t exhaust yourself to the point you copse.¡± Peter showed concern for Serena Jennings, casually patting her shoulder. His hand lingered a moment longer on Serena Jennings¡® shoulder. Then finally drew back. That night, Serena Jennings indeed again pulled an all¨Cnighter at thepany, and Quentin Xavier was also there. Quentin Xavier said little, silently helped Serena Jennings organize materials to facilitate her faster inspiration. Around four in the morning, he and Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t stay awake, slept for just over an hour, waking to find a WeChat message- From ire Shaw. Ex < 127 Chapter 127: Serena Jennings Goes Bankrupt Mding 127 127 Chapter 127: Serena Jennings Goes Bankrupt 127 Chapter 127: Serena Jennings Goes Bankrupt Quentin Xavier arrived at the location designated by ire Shaw after work. 1 It was a hotel. Initially, Quentin thought ire had just invited him to the hotel for a meal, but after he arrived, she sent him the room number via WeChat- Room 1783, Quentin was about to knock when the door opened from the inside. The person who opened the door was, of course, ire Shaw. Quentin¡¯s eyes widened instantly. ire was only wearing a bathrobe, looking as if she had just taken a bath, the cor opened wide, her cleavage just barely visible. ¡°You¡¯re punctual,e in!¡± ire smiled warmly and beckoned Quentin in. Quentin had never seen this side of ire before, feelingpletely uneasy as he walked into the room. On the coffee table were some fruits and snacks. ire poured two sses of whiskey, handing one to Quentin. ¡°Rx!¡± Quentin tilted his head back and downed the entire ss of whiskey in one go. Though it waste autumn, the room¡¯s heater was on, and after just a short while, Quentin¡¯s forehead and neck were covered in sweat. ire sat right next to Quentin, clearly wearing only a bathrobe, yet deliberately crossing her legs, revealingrge areas of her pale skin. Quentin swallowed hard. Feeling the atmosphere was just right, ire sipped the whiskey and said: ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a chance to meet with you alone, to exin why I let you go before¡­ I was really forced to do it, with so anch pressure from investors, but honestly¡­ I¡¯ve always valued and appreciated you greatly¡­¡± Saying this, ire gently held Quentin¡¯s hand. Quentin¡¯s face turned red in an instant. ¡°Quentin, would you be willing toe back and work?¡± ¡°What?¡± Quentin eximed in surprise. ¡°I heard those two inexperienced girls on Serena¡¯s side have already started designing, yet you¡¯re still doing odd jobs. Why waste your time there when you could be with me..¡± While ire spoke, she observed Quentin¡¯s expression, who was visibly wavering. 11:527 < 127 Chapter 127: Serena Jennings Goes Bankrupt ¡°I can make you the head of design, double your previous sry, as long as you tell me¡­¡± ire nearly leaned against Quentin, her lips with jelly lipstick close to his car: ¡°What¡¯s Serena¡¯s design theme for this LD Jewelry Fashion Week?¡± As soon as ire finished, Quentin pushed her away forcefully. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to use me!¡± Quentin stood up angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t leave!¡± ire embraced Quentin tightly. ¡°Even if I¡¯m using you, so what? Don¡¯t you like me? As long as I can offer you what you want, it¡¯s a fair trade, does it matter if it¡¯s being used?¡± ¡°What I want¡­¡± Quentin turned to look at ire, snorted coldly, ¡°Can you really give me what I truly want?¡± ¡°Of course, I can.¡± ire promised resolutely. She maneuvered in front of Quentin, grabbed his hand, and guided it to her chest. Quentin was shocked, his face turned beet red, yet he did not pull his hand back. ¡°Quentin, I¡¯ve lost to Serena once before at the New Star Jewelry Design Contest, this time I must win! If you help me, there¡¯s nothing can¡¯t achieve¡­¡± As she said this, ire released Quentin¡¯s hand. Quentin was visibly disappointed. ¡°Not tonight¡­ As long as you help me humiliate Serena at LD, making her lose her ce in the high¨Cend jewelry industry, causing the investors to withdraw and herpany to go bankrupt, I¡¯ll naturally give myself to you¡­¡± ire curled her lips, dramatically tossed her hair. ¡°This deal is beneficial for you, whether or not to take it¡­ is up to you¡­ After speaking, ire swayed her hips toward the room door, intending to open it for Quentin to leave. At this moment, Quentin¡¯s somewhat hesitant voice came from behind her: ¡°Serena¡­ she changed the themest minute¡­ ¡°What?¡± ire turned around. 11.52 < 127 Chapter 127: Serena Jennings Goes Bankrupt Quentin¡¯s face showed obvious betrayal mixed with hesitation and guilt, but his eyes were incredibly sincere, clearly speaking the tristh ¡°She actually changed the themest minute¡­ but there¡¯s not much time left!¡± Seeing ire¡¯s skeptical furrowed brow, Quentin continued: ¡°Here¡¯s what happened¡­ That fashion icon Miranda came to Serena¡¯s studio earlier, and Serena made her a butterfly ring ¡°Butterfly¡­¡± ire touched her chin, unable to resist mulling over the word. ¡°Yes.¡± Quentin nodded, ¡°Breaking the cocoon into a butterfly was Serena¡¯s theme to showcase at LD¡­¡± ire¡¯s eyes widened. It was ¡®breaking the cocoon into a butterfly¡®? Her frown deepened considerably. ¡®Breaking the cocoon into a butterfly¡® held a rebirth metaphor, offering a bit more impactpared to her initial ¡®first love clover¡®. Seeing ire deep in thought, Quentin moved his feet, drawing closer to her. ¡°Perhaps because the theme was used in advance, and coupled with Miranda saying Serena¡¯s butterfly design was too mainstream, she decided to change the theme at thest minute¡­¡± ire looked up at the now very close Quentin. To her, ¡®breaking the cocoon into a butterfly¡® was already a rare concept. Yet Miranda imed it was mainstream? No wonder she made such bold statements at her exhibition yesterday. ire didn¡¯t want to fall behind Serena inworking, so she asked Caleb Lockwood to introduce her to Miranda. She had meticulously nned a private jewelry design exhibition to leave a good impression on Miranda, only to be directly told her designs were garbage, embarrassing her in front of everyone. Fortunately, Calebforted her, preserving her ster image in his eyes. If not for this, she wouldn¡¯t have resorted to seducing Quentin for information on Serena. Ian ckwood mentioned that Miranda greatly admired Serena, so she had to prepare in advance to avoid being overshadowed by Serena at LD Jewelry Fashion Week. ¡°Serena still hasn¡¯t decided on a new theme¡­¡± As soon as Quentin said this, ire immediately crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt me, what I¡¯m saying is true.¡± Quentin patted his chest, offering a guarantee, ¡°Time is tight, it could be in the next couple of days. As soon as Serena decides on her new theme, I¡¯ll inform you immediately¡­ 11.52 314 < 127 Chapter 127: Serena Jennings Goes Bankrupt After saying that, red¨Cfaced, he took ire¡¯s hand proactively, feeling it repeatedly. ire felt sick with Quentin¡¯s touch but had to maintain her smile on the surface. ¡°So¡­ our transaction is agreed upon?¡± Quentin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he swallowed, eagerly nodding, ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll help you bring down Serena, and by then¡­ by then you¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I, ire Shaw, keep my word.¡± ire patted Quentin¡¯s shoulder, her fake smile a bit stiff. When Serena goes bankrupt, Quentin¡­ Will no longer be needed. After sending Quentin away, ire lowered her shoulders and sighed, feeling somewhat exhausted. When she returned to the country, she never imagined that Serena, a housewife who rarely stepped out, would be such a significant obstacle, let alone that Caleb Lockwood still hadn¡¯t divorced¡­ ¡°Seems like your time in Meridia wasn¡¯t wasted, you¡¯re quite skilled at seducing men.¡± A man walked out of the bathroom. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Loft To Continue > Mding 128 Temble 128 Chapter 128: The Hymen Was Reconstructed 128 Chapter 128: The Hymen Was Reconstructed He looked young, with a baby face, and at first nce seemed just over twenty, but his not¨Cso¨Cnaive eyes suggested he was much older. He wore the same style robe as ire, and while ire was seducing Quentin, he hid in the bathroom, like an invisible man. ¡°Joker¡­¡± ire crossed her arms, ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, no one will think you¡¯re mute.¡± Joker chuckled. ¡°Why, are you so unwilling to talk about how we met? Afraid that Caleb Lockwood will find out what you did in Meridia?¡± Before Joker finished talking, ire swung her hand, aiming to p Joker, but he stopped her. ire withdrew her hand. She still needed Joker for now, so couldn¡¯t afford to fall out with him. ¡°How long are you staying in the country this time?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because your beloved President Lockwood is pressing too hard?¡± Joker looked displeased. If not for helping ire blow up the divorcewsuit between Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jenningsst time, his overseas data c wouldn¡¯t have been exposed to Caleb. ¡°The court over there came knocking, did you expect me to stick around and wait for a jail sentence?¡± ¡°Then you didn¡¯t have toe looking for me!¡± ire¡¯s indifferent attitude made Joker even more unhappy. ¡°ire, I¡¯m doing this to help you.¡± ¡°I paid you, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That money isn¡¯t even enough to fill the gap between my teeth.¡± Joker picked up a whiskey from the coffee table and poured himself a ss. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised me, once you secure your position as Mrs. Lockwood, you¡¯ll give me twenty¨Cfive percent of The Lockwood Group shares, and by then¡­ I¡¯ll be the secondrgest shareholder of the Group.¡± ire nced at Joker, unable to see the extent of Joker¡¯s ambition from that baby face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± ire shot Joker a cold look, a mocking smile curled on her lips, ¡°But you have to help me be the mistress of The Lockwood Group first.¡± Joker was taken aback for a moment, thenughed out loud, ¡°Before you returned to the country, weren¡¯t you dering high and mighty that once you came back, Caleb would immediately ditch that old Serena Jennings and marry you in broad daylight? What happened¡­¡± 1152 < 128 Chapter 128: The Hymen Was Reconstructed He suddenly grabbed ire¡¯s robe cor, pulling her close, and whispered in her ear: ¡°Did he discover your hymen has been repaired?¡± ire forcefully pushed Joker away, her face turning red. Joker immediatelyughed so hard he was doubling over. The Lockwood Group. General Manager¡¯s office. Caleb Lockwood received Wyatt Coleman¡¯s resignation request. ¡°Trying to make me stop here?¡± He nced at Wyatt. ¡°No.¡± Wyatt shook his head. Hecked the courage and ability to use his resignation to force Caleb to stop modifying the divorce agreement! ¡°Really don¡¯t want to do it anymore?¡± Caleb asked again. ¡°Yes.¡± Wyatt nodded. Struggling back and forth without any clue to modify the divorce agreement, he felt the job was meaningless. Caleb looked at the 102nd version of the divorce agreement in hand, unable to pinpoint what was unsatisfactory about it. ¡°Okay, I approve your resignation.¡± After Caleb finished speaking, he saw Wyatt let out a sigh of relief. He smiled slightly, ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve already found your next job, huh?¡± Wyatt didn¡¯t hide anything from Caleb and directly revealed his new destination. ¡°Hmm, not bad.¡± Wyatt had been with Caleb for a long time and was quite capable; knowing he had a good ce to go made Caleb d. Originally, Wyatt could leave, but before leaving, he couldn¡¯t help but say to Caleb: ¡°President Lockwood, now that I¡¯ve resigned, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should say.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t say it.¡± Caleb replied without looking up. Wyatt pursed his lips. He felt Caleb was really arrogant. Maybe because he had already resigned, maybe because he had held back too long, he still let his true feelings out. ¡°President Lockwood, if you don¡¯t want a divorce, you should directly tell her. A woman can be appeased easily; you have such good 11.52 O 215 < 128 Chapter 128: The Hymen Was Reconstructed qualities, she surely wouldn¡¯t want to give you up.¡± Seeing Caleb raise his head, eyes seeming to devour him, Wyatt hurriedly ran out of the office. Caleb called Mr. Miller in. ¡°President Lockwood, you called for me¡­¡± Mr. Miller stood respectfully before Caleb¡¯s desk. ¡°Yes.¡± Caleb nodded and casually said, ¡°Wyatt Coleman resigned, have HR handle it.¡± ¡°Understood, President Lockwood.¡± ¡°Do you think Serena Jennings can¡¯t bear to leave me?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Mr. Miller was stunned by Caleb¡¯s question. Is there any logical connection between the previous topic and this question? Mr. Miller hesitated for a long time, unable to answer. As he dyed, Caleb¡¯s expression gradually grew unpleasant. Mr. Miller realized Caleb hoped he would answer ¡°Yes.¡± Torn between being honest and ttering his boss, Mr. Miller opened his mouth, intending to choose thetter. ¡°You may leave!¡± But before he could say it, Caleb interrupted him. Today is the Winter Solstice. Serena Jennings personally made dumplings and delivered a portion to Lance Lockwood, chatting with him for a while before leaving. Next, she drove to Serene Meadows Nursing Home to bring dumplings to Audrey Jennings. Audrey constantly asked about Caleb. In Serena¡¯s memory, Audrey was very satisfied with Caleb as her son¨Cinw years ago, butpared to Caleb, Audrey still cared more about her. However, recently, as long as Audrey was awake, she always asked about Caleb first. Initially, Serena felt a bit envious. She couldn¡¯t understand how Audrey had be more concerned about Caleb. But gradually, she realized Audrey might have a premonition or guessed something- For instance, her divorce fight with Caleb. Audrey subconsciously feared she¡¯d truly break up with Caleb, so she kept asking about him. 11:52 315 < 128 Chapter 128: The Hymen Was Reconstructer Precisely because of Audrey¡¯s behavior, Serena still couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Audrey she was about to divorce Caleb. ¡°Mom, cat slowly, don¡¯t choke.¡± Serena watched Audrey gobble down her food, and couldn¡¯t helpughing despite herself. The food in this nursing home was very good; it was healthy and tasty. Serena had tasted it before, and it was undeniably better than her cooking. But she could tell Audrey still preferred her cooking. In the midst of eating dumplings, the door suddenly knocked. Serena figured it was the caregiver, but unexpectedly, it was Caleb who walked in. ¡°Caleb, you¡¯re here! Serena was just saying you¡¯re too busy!¡± Seeing Caleb, Audrey¡¯s face immediately lit up with joy. Serena gazed at Caleb. She never expected Caleb toe. Caleb came empty¨Chanded, not looking like he specifically came to visit Audrey. Audrey invited Caleb to join them for the meal, and Caleb didn¡¯t refuse. Serena thought to herself, thankfully she made a lot of dumplings, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been enough. After they finished eating, Audrey rested, and Serena and Caleb left the ward together. ¡°Why are you here today?¡± As they walked side by side down the hallway, Serena asked softly. Caleb fell into a brief silence. In the quiet corridor, footsteps sounded clear, and after a while, Caleb¡¯s pleasant voice was equally clear. ¡°I craved your dumplings.¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this Mding 129 < 129 Chapter 129: Let Me Borrow Your Wife for a While 129 Chapter 129: Let Me Borrow Your Wife for a While Serena¡¯s heart involuntarily felt a slight touch. 1 Before, she had made dumplings for Caleb Lockwood many times, with all sorts of fillings: pork and cabbage, pork and celery, pork and mushrooms, beef and onions,mb and zhini, and more. Caleb had never said they tasted bad. But he had also never said they tasted good. Even after being married for three years, Serena still didn¡¯t know what type of dumpling Caleb liked best. Yet now, at the brink of divorce, Caleb said he was craving her dumplings. Serena didn¡¯t know why, but she found it a bit ironic. ¡°You can eat ire¡¯s dumplings in the future; I¡¯m sure they taste better than mine.¡± Serena said coldly. She heard Caleb sigh beside her. She didn¡¯t understand why Caleb sighed. It seemed like he was disappointed. Disappointed in her. Serena shrugged her shoulders. Whether Caleb was disappointed or not had nothing to do with her. ¡°Wyatt Coleman has resigned.¡± Caleb said this out of nowhere. Serena took a moment to react, realizing that Caleb¡¯s ¡°Wyatt Coleman¡± was probably the chiefwyer at the Lockwood Group, Lawyer Coleman. She turned to look at Caleb, who was gazing ahead. ¡°So, I¡¯ve hired a newwyer. The divorce papers¡­ will be given to you after you return from LD Jewelry Fashion Week.¡± Caleb said it very calmly, with an imperturbable expression that Serena couldn¡¯t discern what he was thinking. Although the process was taking longer than she expected, at least she got a concrete date. LD Jewelry Fashion Week¡­ She still hadn¡¯t figured out her new theme. Caleb nced at Serena out of the corner of his eye. 11.62 < 129 Chapter 129: Let Me Borrow Your Wife for a While ¡°What are you worrying about?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Serena shook her head. Caleb didn¡¯t press further. As they walked out of the rest building, Serena¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The caller disy showed an unknown number, but there was no spam call warning. ¡°Hello?¡± Serena answered the call. ¡°I¡¯m at the entrance of the nursing home, they¡¯re not letting me in.¡± The opening statement left Serena bewildered. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you guess from my voice?¡± The other person¡¯s tone was flippant, making Serena a bit annoyed. ¡°If you don¡¯t say, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± Just as Serena was about to hang up, she heard the personugh twice and say: ¡°You just threw me over your shoulder recently, and now you don¡¯t remember? Truly abandoning me!¡± Serena understood then; the person was Ian ckwood. As she and Caleb approached the gate, Ian¡¯s tall figure became increasingly clear. ¡°Hi.¡± Across the European¨Cstyle wrought iron gate, Ian put down his phone and greeted Serena with a smile. Ignoring Caleb. Caleb asked Serena: ¡°Did you arrange to meet him?¡± The voice didn¡¯t fluctuate, yet it felt like a sudden chill, dropping several degrees. ¡°No.¡± Serena shook her head. She was also puzzled about hown found this ce. But consideringn was also a scion of a wealthy family, it wasn¡¯t surprising he had his ways. Serena just couldn¡¯t figure out whyn came here looking for her. 11-53 215 < 129 Chapter 129: Let Me Borrow Your Wife for a While Was it to take revenge for her flipping him overst time, leaving him on his back? The door opened, and Serena and Caleb walked out to facen. ¡°Mind if I borrow your wife?¡± n, please speak properly.¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s eyebrows lift in anger, Ian instead squinted at Serena¡¯s face, as if her angry expression suited him. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Caleb tossed out these three words and turned away. This indifferent reaction didn¡¯t surprise Serena. ¡°By the way¡­¡± As he brushed past Serena, he softly reminded her: ¡°If he bullies you, remember to call me.¡± Serena watched Caleb¡¯s distant back, unable to describe her feeling. Ian silently watched Serena, his eyes behind gold¨Crimmed sses cold and stern. ¡°He loves ire, not you, so don¡¯t be so pathetic.¡± Serena snapped back to reality, frowning at Ian. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Ian took out arge bouquet from his car trunk, beautifully packaged red roses. ¡°For you¡± It felt natural hown presented the flowers. ¡°Thorny red roses suit you; I specifically had the florist leave the thorns.¡± Serena felt puzzled. Ian gifting her flowers was already strange, but not having the thorus removed was even stranger. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m allergic to pollen.¡± Serena spoke honestly. ¡°Really?¡± Ian tilted his head, ¡°You¡¯re not just making an excuse not to ept them?¡± 11:53 < 129 Chapter 129: Let Me Borrow Your Wife for a While ¡°No, I really am allergic to pollen.¡± Being watched byn made Serena feel ufortable. After a moment,n said, ¡°Alright.¡± Serena thoughtn would take the flowers back, but instead, she watched as he plucked the blooming rose centers one by one. Serena was stunned. She opened her mouth, inhaling sharply. The reason she didn¡¯t stopn was that she felt it wouldn¡¯t matter what she said; Ian wouldn¡¯t listen. Only after removing the centers from all ny¨Cnine red roses did Ian stop. ¡°Now there¡¯s no pollen.¡± Ian handed the rose bouquet to Serena again. Serena was in disbelief. The roses with their centers plucked had lost all shape, the petals scattered on the ground. ¡°The thorny green stems suit you¡­ isn¡¯t this another type of rose blooming among thorns?¡± Ian smiled knowingly. Serena thought Ian had a way with words at times. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head. ¡°Sorry, Ian, I have to go.¡± Ian: ??? He¡¯d gone through the trouble of plucking ny¨Cnine rose centers to please Serena, hoping she¡¯d grace him with herpany for a meal. But after Serena said this, she turned and ran, sprinting away, However, even after running far, she didn¡¯t forget to wave at him and call out loudly: ¡°Thank you!¡± Ian watched Serena hurriedly leave, pushing up his gold¨Crimmed sses once more. ¡°¡­ Thank me for what?¡± He couldn¡¯t make sense of it, but his lips curled into an increasingly broad smile. Not far away. 11.53 415 < 129 Chapter 129: Let Me Borrow Your Wife for a While In the imperial blue Bentley, Caleb sat in the driver¡¯s seat, silently gazing outside through the clear windshield for a long time. He saw tear apart the roses with his bare hands. He also saw Serenaugh. Caleb felt he hadn¡¯t seen Serenaugh for a while. At least, she hadn¡¯tughed in front of him. Finally, he saw Serena leave Ian alone. The cold lines on Caleb¡¯s face rxed a bit, and he finally started the car. Meanwhile, Serena was driving her white BMW 3 Series toward the studio. ¡°Hello? Quentin Xavier, help me purchase some fluorite, I have an idea.¡± Comment 1 Post your firstment! Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Mding 130 130 Chapter 130: You Can Do Whatever You Want to Me Lately, Serena Jennings has been eating and sleeping in the studio, working tirelessly to create samples for the new theme Amidst the rush, she finally managed to of the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. Serena took a three¨Cday leave, spending it sleeping soundly at home to catch up on rest. In her absence from thepany, it turned out to be convenient for Quentin Xavier. Every evening after work, he would secretly go to see ire Shaw. Sometimes they¡¯d meet at a bar, other times at a hotel. Tonight, they met at a members¨Conly private club. ire had dressed up especially for the asion. Every time Quentin saw her, even his eyshes seemed to smile. She felt like she was not far from bankrupting Serena. ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping me in suspense for days. You have to tell me Serena¡¯s new theme this time, right?¡± Inside the small booth, it was just ire and Quentin. To tightly ensnare Quentin, ire sat proactively on hisp. Quentin blushed deeply, looking eager butcking the courage. ¡°If¡­ if I help you, will you really¡­ be with me?¡± Seeing Quentin hesitating and still wrestling with this question, ire got a bit frustrated. ¡°How many times have I said it? I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Quentin was still uneasy. ¡°But you¡¯re Caleb Lockwood¡¯s woman! You like Caleb too¡­¡± Quentin lowered his head in disappointment. ¡°I know I can¡¯tpare with Caleb, and I¡¯m not deserving of you¡­ but my feelings for you are sincere¡­ ire couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sneer at Quentin¡¯s unexpectedly genuine confession. It¡¯s the curse of being too beautiful and excellent, she thought, too many men fall for you. Caleb Lockwood likes her. Patrick Rhodes likes her. < 130 Chapter 130: You Can Do Whatever You Want to Me Ian ckwood likes her. Now even Quentin likes her. ire smiled slightly, taking Quentin¡¯s hand, interlocking their fingers. This way of holding hands made Quentin¡¯s eyes widen with a strong sense of anticipation on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Quentin¡­¡± Hearing ire apologize, Quentin felt like he had been hit with a hammer and instantly understood. He sadly lowered his eyelids. ¡°I can¡¯t deceive you, Quentin¡­ as you know, the one I love is Caleb¡­ unless something unexpected happens, Caleb and I will be getting married soon¡­¡± The moment Quentin heard this, his facial expressionpletely fell apart. ¡°I know you have deep feelings for me, but as for us¡­ we are destined not to be in this life¡­ However, even though I can¡¯t be your girlfriend or your wife¡­ I won¡¯t go back on my promise to you, as long as you help me overthrow Serena, I will give myself to you..¡± ire shyly lowered her head, her face flushed. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just one night, then¡­ when the timees, you can do whatever you want with me!¡± Quentin, initially very disappointed, suddenly brightened up at ire¡¯s offer. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ one night is enough¡­ I don¡¯t dare ask for more¡­¡± 1 Quentin wrapped his arms around ire¡¯s slender waist as she sat straddling hisp, speaking softly: ¡°Serena does have some interesting ideas¡­¡± Finally about to get some information from Quentin, ire perked up her ears and listened intently. ¡°She changed the theme to Thorny Rose.¡± ¡°Thorny Rose?¡± ire frowned. That sounds even more mundane than emerging as a butterfly! Noticing ire¡¯s reaction, Quentin, while intentionally taking advantage of the moment, touched her waist, exined: ¡°This theme may not seem special at first nce, but she chose to design using fluorite paired with ruby, and has already arranged with the people at LD. On the day of the fashion week, during the model¡¯s walk, there¡¯s n for a temporary ckout ording to her instructions.¡± ¡°What?¡± ire blinked her mascaraden eyes. < 130 Chapter 130: You Can Do Whatever You Want to Me She was eager to hear more from Quentin, but he, focusing intently on her chest, showed no rush. ire was already sick of it. But she had to endure, deliberately unzipping her outfit to reveal a deep V¨Cneck. ¡°Why is Serena deliberately causing a ckout, go on, tell me!¡± ire¡¯s yful tease made Quentin unable to resist burying his face in her chest. ire would have loved to p Quentin several times. Quentin continued speaking, still nestled against her chest: ¡°This time the LD is at the International Exhibition Center in Country F, as you know¡­ Serena ns to use the UV emergency lights during the ckout, to illuminate the fluorescence of the fluorites, making the rubies shine brightly as well, thus allowing her to stand out at the show.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± ire suddenly understood, biting her lower lip. It really is quite a clever idea. ¡°Serena¡­ really knows how to take shortcuts!¡± ¡°Yes, I think so too.¡± Quentin lifted his head, looking seriously at ire. ¡°So, I¡¯ve prepared this for you.¡± He pulled something out from beside his briefcase, handing it to ire. ¡°Perfume?¡± ire tilted her head in confusion. Quentin was indeed holding a perfume bottle, but it had no packaging, looking rather simplistic. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use this as real perfume.¡± Quentin solemnly handed the ¡°perfume¡± bottle to ire. ¡°This is dilute hydrochloric acid.¡± ¡°What?¡± ire¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°When the staff follows Serena¡¯s instructions to cut off the power, use this to spray dilute hydrochloric acid on Serena¡¯s jewelry, especially the fluorite and ruby. The acid will corrode these gems, causing them to lose their luster. When the UV lights shine, people will only see dull, ordinary stones. This way, Serena will be finished.¡± 1 7163 < 130 Chapter 130: You Can Do Whatever You Want to Me Listening to Quentin¡¯s seemingly foolproof n, ire gasped, grateful that Quentin was on her side, rather than being used by Serena against her. ¡°What do you think, don¡¯t you find me useful?¡± Quentin asked, pointing proudly at his lips. ire knew that Quentin wanted a kiss. Unable to bear it, she kissed him on the cheek. Quentin smiled, not minding at all. Just like that, both ire and Serena had made ample preparations for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. The day before the fashion week, they flew to Country F. Serena traveled by regrmercial airline. ire traveled on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s private jet. For new star designers like Serena and ire, the expenses to attend the LD Jewelry Fashion Week were entirely self¨Csupported. To save costs, Serena reserved nothing more than an ordinary hotel. ire, however, followed Caleb and stayed at a presidential suite in a seven¨Cstar hotel. On the day of the fashion week, when entering the venue, ire also breezed through the VIP no¨Ccheck line, sessfully bringing in hydrochloric acid disguised as perfume. Comment 2 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts View AS ch.130 Mding 131 60 Terrible 131 Chapter 131: Watching Serena Jennings Make a Fool of Herself 131 Chapter 131: Watching Serena Jennings Make a Fool of Herself The LD Jewelry Fashion Week provides a professional model styling team specifically for designers. 1 Therefore, designers do not need to busy themselves with each model¡¯s outfit backstage, nor worry about their designs being wrongly worn. Serena Jennings is currently sitting in the audience. Beside her sits Quentin Xavier. This time, Serena only brought Quentin along. Due to self¨Cfunded expenses, she couldn¡¯t bring all the studio staff; she brought Quentin because he is a man and might be needed for tasks requiring physical strength. ire Shaw is also seated in the audience, but in the VIP area, right next to Caleb Lockwood. Even though the lighting in the audience isn¡¯t good, Serena can clearly see ire Shaw speaking andughing with Caleb Lockwood. looking rxed and confident. Serena can¡¯t help but wonder what ire Shaw¡¯s theme for this exhibition will be. LD Jewelry Fashion Week¡¯s showcase focuses on jewelry, with fashion as a secondary element. Not long after, Serena sees ire Shaw get up and leave, returning after some time. At this moment, a new show begins, and it¡¯s showcasing ire Shaw¡¯s designs. Serena is a bit surprised; ire Shaw didn¡¯t lie to her, the theme is indeed ¡°First Love.¡± Using pink diamonds as the main stones, the entire ¡°First Love¡± series has a sweet and fresh design style, just like the impression ire Shaw usually gives. ire Shaw showcases a total of eight pieces of jewelry. All have pink diamonds as the main stones, and the design concept is clover; the main piece is a heart¨Cshaped clover petal pink diamond ring. After thest model showcased the main piece, ire Shaw took the stage to speak, covering many topics rted to love, especially first love. Serena sees ire Shaw, while talking, gazing intently at Caleb Lockwood with affectionate eyes. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s faint smile on his face is like a permanent mask. Serena can feel the bond named first love surrounding ire Shaw and Caleb Lockwood. However¡­ It was their beautiful first love that turned her first love into a sharp poison sting, piercing her through. 1153 < 131 Chapter 131: Watching Serena Jennings Make a Fool of Herself ¡°Are you okay?¡± Beside her, Quentin Xavier notices Serena¡¯s hands tightly clenched on herp. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, we¡¯ve done everything we need to, it will definitely seed.¡± Serena snaps back to reality, seeing Quentin raise his fist toward her. After a slight hesitation, she bumps fists with him. ire Shaw just steps off the stage and nces in Serena¡¯s direction, seeing Serena bumping fists with Quentin. Quentin notices ire Shaw¡¯s gaze and raises his eyes. Their eyes meet, briefly exchanging a look. ire Shaw¡¯s face, adorned with exquisite makeup, breaks into a wider smile. She just sits back beside Caleb Lockwood when she hears him ask coolly: ¡°Who were you just smiling at?¡± ire Shaw is startled, masking her reaction: ¡°No one really, I was just looking around, what¡¯s up Caleb, are you jealous?¡± Caleb Lockwood smiles without responding. ire Shaw had been looking in the direction of Serena¡¯s seat. Sitting in the best front¨Crow seat, Miranda nces at ire Shaw, chuckling contemptuously. While speaking, ire Shaw was preupied with using the precious emotions of ¡°First Love¡± to move Caleb Lockwood, hardly th that few in the audience were paying attention to her lengthy speech, and the apuse afterward was sparse. Next, it¡¯s Serena¡¯s turn. At this LD Jewelry Fashion Week, there are only two emerging designers: Serena Jennings and ire Shaw. The exhibition order arranged by the organizers is fair. Whoever got the qualification first, showcases first. So ire Shaw goes before Serena. Backstage. Serena checks the jewelry pieces, and the stylist knows to put them on the models correctly. ¡°Serena, let¡¯s go confirm the power outage and UV light activation timing with the staging team again!¡± Quentin urges, pulling Serena away from the backstage. As soon as Serena steps away, ire Shaw silently emerges from behind the curtains. This was pre¨Cagreed with Quentin. 11:53 C < 131 Chapter 131: Watching Serena Jennings Make a Fool of Herself Although LD Jewelry Fashion Week provides a professional styling team for models, designers generally go backstage before the show to check and instruct briefly. Serena¡¯s qualification for this event was hard¨Cearned, coupled with her cautious nature; it¡¯s not reasonable not to be backstage personally. If Serena stays backstage too long, ire Shaw won¡¯t have the opportunity to spray acid. So ire Shaw asked Quentin to find a reason to apany Serena backstage and quickly get her out. Everything went as nned, ire Shaw felt confident with no hint of a guilty conscience. ¡°ire, what brings you here?¡± Shirley Lowell asked as she fixed the model¡¯s hair essories. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re too busy, so I came to help!¡± ire Shaw answered sweetly. Shirley Lowell is the chief of this styling team. After nning with Quentin, ire Shaw connected with Shirley Lowell before the official start of the LD Jewelry Fashion Week through Caleb Lockwood. Two fashion¨Centhusiastic girls quickly hit it off. Therefore, even when appearing backstage during other designers¡® showcases, Shirley didn¡¯t think it was a big deal and natural wouldn¡¯t ask ire Shaw to leave. That¡¯s precisely what ire Shaw wanted. Watching the performance at the front nearing its end, while backstage was still frantic in its preparations. ire Shaw pretended to help Shirley and the team but secretly took out a perfume bottle behind the monitor, spraying acid on Serena¡¯s jewelry. Serena¡¯s pieces use tinum iid with Fluorite and Ruby. tinum is acid¨Cresistant, spraying more would be useless. So ire Shaw precisely targeted the Fluorite and Ruby, making it hard for models to notice while wearing them. Serena¡¯s collection is small, only four pieces: bracelet, earrings, ne, hairpiece, meeting the minimum requirement for LD Jewelry Fashion Week, ire Shaw thought, being ast¨Cminute theme change left no time, hence fewer pieces. But having fewer pieces made it easier for her. ire Shaw helped models with the acid¨Csprayed jewelry just as the front¨Cstage performance ended. 11:53 314 < 131 Chapter 131: Watching Serena Jennings Make a Fool of Herself As the first model stepped onto the stage, the entire venue suddenly went dark. Both the runway and the audience plunged intoplete darkness. Among everyone present, only the show director and stage crew knew this was part of Serena¡¯s exhibit design. And, of course, ire Shaw. In the darkness, no one could see ire Shaw¡¯s sinister smile. Serena Jennings, brace yourself for bankruptcy! Having a ckout during a show is a major incident, acid¨Csprayed jewels under the UV emergency lights would not sparkie but turn dull. It seemed Serena was doomed! ire Shaw eagerly waited to see Serena¡¯s humiliation, but the expected UV emergency lights didn¡¯t immediately turn on. In the audience. Caleb Lockwood, for the first time interested in Serena Jennings¡® jewelry, frowned as the lights went out. His vision was pitch ck. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s lowered eyes slowly widened. He saw ghostly lights. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 132 2 Chapter 132: Unfinished Hydrochloric Acid Spray A faint green glow, not too deep nor vibrant, yet possessing a natural sense of sophistication. 1 In the darkness, these greens twisted like tangled vines around the model¡¯s neck, wrists, carlobes, and hair, lively as if animate. They seemed truly thorny, pricking the eyes with pain and filling the heart with dread. As all eyes in the audience were drawn to these deep, ghostly green thorns, the UV emergency lights suddenly turned on, illuminating only the runway. On the runway, roses dripped with blood, fiercely blooming. As the audience watched lifelike red roses struggle to unfold their petals among the thorns, thunderous apuse erupted in the hall. 1 ¡°Did you see? That scarlet fluorescence¡­ Buran¡¯s top¨Ctier pigeon blood red¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s like magic, so brilliant!¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a show, incredible, simply incredible.¡± The audience was full of admiration. Buran¡¯s top¨Ctier pigeon blood rubies cut and set into rosesbined with the intricate design of green phosphorescent fluorite vines were dazzling and eye¨Ccatching, and together with the magical unfolding performance, pushed the jewelry fashion show to its peak. Caleb Lockwood watched the runway show intently, his face breaking into a smile, eyes shifting from surprise to delight. Miranda apuded till her hands hurt. But she herself did not notice. Although the rebirth of the butterfly ring had already made her see Serena Jennings in a new light, she never imagined Serena could bring her such an unexpected delight. She felt Serena¡¯s future was limitless. Perhaps she could be as renowned as BYC, whom she admired most. Backstage, ire Shaw¡¯s face turned incredibly dark, her nails almost piercing her palms. Why did things turn out like this? Why did she spray hydrochloric acid on Serena¡¯s jewelry designs, yet not only did those gems remain unaffected, they instead shone even brighter?! ire didn¡¯t understand. Her heart was pounding, breath rapid, forehead sweaty. Clearly, she had prepared so much for this day. 10:01 175 < 132 Chapter 132: Unfinished Hydrochloric Acid Spray Clearly, she had sacrificed so much for this moment. But why? ire desperately reyed everything in her mind. Every step she took had been previously discussed with Quentin Xavier. Quentin Xavier?! Suddenly, ire¡¯s body trembled. The broken chain of logic connected instantly, and ire shook with rage, goosebumps rising all over. She had been yed by Quentin! From the start, Quentin hadn¡¯t fallen for her allure; instead, he yed along, deceiving and using her. That day, the perfume bottle Quentin handed her contained hydrochloric acid indeed. She had it inspected after returning home, and to be safe, added more acid, increasing the concentration. However, precisely because she sprayed hydrochloric acid on Serena¡¯s fluorite and rubies, she inadvertently facilitated Serena¡¯s jewel magic show of blood roses blooming amid thorns. ire was almost driven mad with anger. The thought of seducing Quentin and being taken advantage of, with his hands on her and arms around her, yet still falling for his scheme to Serena¡¯s benefit made her wish she could tear Quentin to pieces! On the runway. There were only four pieces of jewelry in total; the models finished their walk quickly, but the audience remained unsatisfied. Serena stepped onto the stage and began speaking. Before she spoke a word, the hall burst into apuse again. Standing on such a grand stage at the international jewelry fashion week for the first time, Serena was inevitably excited. She had never imagined bing a jewelry designer. Studying jewelry design was merely a way for her to escape. Yet as if guided by some mysterious force, she ultimately walked down the path of jewelry design. And to meet investor demands, she stood on this stage. Serena¡¯s heart was overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for recognizing my designs.¡± The audience responded with another round of apuse. 10:01 215 < 132 Chapter 132: Unfinished Hydrochloric Acid Spray ¡°The theme of my presentation is Thorny Rose. Initially, my theme was meant to be Emergence, with sapphire, emerald, and diamond as the main stones. The symbolism is straightforward: rebirth¡­¡± As she spoke, Serena paused for a moment. Seated among the audience, Caleb Lockwood lowered his gaze slightly. Rebirth¡­ He couldn¡¯t help savoring those two words in his heart. He recalled telling Serena that after LD Jewelry Fashion Week, he would hand her the divorce papers. ¡°Why change the theme when the deadline was approaching? For this, I must especially thank Ms. Miranda, editor¨Cin¨Cchief of Radiance.¡± Unexpectedly mentioned by Serena, Miranda was taken aback. kato Ms. Miranda¡¯s sharp critique, I realized Emergence was not that novel of an idea; her criticism motivated me to improve.¡± one on Miranda¡¯s face, a beaming smile on her face eeks. ¨C the first time she smiled so brightly in all her years attending on I must thank¡­ is someone not even counted as a friend.¡± veraian International Education. sat up with a start from the sofa, eyes gleaming like light bulbs behind his gold¨Crimmed sses. video, Serena¡¯s pleasant voice resonated: The person provided me the inspiration for my new theme; by tearing roses by hand, the thorns on the rose stems pricked his hand, yet he insisted the bouquet be given as a gift¡­ This incident led me to imagine roses blossoming from nothing in a sea of green thorns¡­ It : also made me realize that sometimes design inspiration, rather than throughborious thinking, might be provoked by a seemingly insignificant event in daily life.¡± Hearing Serena¡¯s words made several designers in the audienceugh in agreement. ¡°Of course, I must also thank my supportive friends, colleagues, and my investor¡­ And the person I must most sincerely thank¡­.¡± Serena took a deep breath as she spoke. In the audience. Caleb Lockwood found himself tense. Though it bore no rtion to him, this caused his heart to crawl into his throat. He was uncertain if he was anticipating- Expecting to hear his name from Serena¡¯s lips. ¡°Quentin Xavier!¡± 10:01 315 > 132 Chapter 132: Unfinished Hydrochloric Acid Spray As Serena extended her hand, the spotlight fell on Quentin Xavier. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face instantly fell. ¡°My trusted assistant, Quentin Xavier; without him, this jewelry magic show could not have beenpleted.¡± Serena led the apuse for Quentin, with others joining in. Backstage. Upon hearing Serena name Quentin Xavier as the final person she thanked, ire Shaw backhanded the cosmetics on the vanity to the floor with a snap. Shirley Lowell paused, feeling her impression of ire deteriorate significantly. She knew ire and Serena were rivals. Because in this jewelry fashion week, only these two were the new designers. As rivals understand ire¡¯s difort at Serena¡¯s sess, but wasn¡¯t her reaction too extreme? en both designs herself. met the standards of high¨Cend jewelry, impable in terms of material and craftsmanship, with unique design concepts. hereas ire¡¯s seemed more like kindergarten children¡¯s crafts. Though made with gems and precious metals of great value, they inexplicably exuded a cheap feel. Moreover, the clover element was overused and done better earlier by Van Cleef & Arpels. She initially wanted tofort ire but decided to distance herself instead upon seeing ire¡¯s pettiness, such that she even destroyed the makeup prepared by the organizers. At this moment, ire Shaw had no regard for others¡® perceptions. She only wanted to vent. Clenching re remembered there was still unfinished hydrochloric acid inside! the firstment for this chapter. Mding 133 133 Chapter 133: Sshing Wine in Her Face 133 Chapter 133: Sshing Wine in Her Face After the fashion show, as per the usual practice of the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, all participating designers and guests are invited to attend a banquet in the grand hall. 1 However, ire Shaw did not receive an invitation. When she took the initiative to inquire, the staff from the organizers said they had forgotten about her. Holding the invitation in her hand, no amount of makeup could hide the resentment on ire Shaw¡¯s face. What does this mean? Does she have to rely on others to grant her the privilege of attending the banquet?! Despite the fact that she had painstakingly prepared three invaluable haute couture dresses for the jewelry fashion week. While changing in the dressing room, ire Shaw noticed that Serena Jennings brought only one evening gown. If she were to spray the remaining hydrochloric acid on Serena¡¯s gown, then Serena would have no choice but to wear a in ck Initially, while Serena was disposing of something, ire Shaw secretly approached the gown Serena had set aside. But then she hesitated. Even if she destroyed that dress with hydrochloric acid, it wasn¡¯t as if Serena would have nothing to wear. Such revenge seemed too childish. Thinking of her cold reception today, and remembering how Serena and Quentin Xavier had jointly yed a trick on her, ire Shaw could not swallow this resentment. Merely ruining a dress was far from enough¡­ If she were to destroy, she should destroy Serena¡¯s face! ire Shaw quickly returned to her locker, a n forming in her mind. The grand hall was resplendent, filled with clinking sses. Before the fashion show, Serena hadn¡¯t anticipated that she would be the focal point of the entire LD Jewelry Fashion Week. After all, she was just a rookie designer, and to stay low¨Ckey, she wore a pure ck off¨Cshoulder mermaid evening gown tonight, elegant yet conservative, a safe choice. She originally thought she would be the most unnoticed among the many guests, who were all either wealthy or noble, but as soon as she stepped into the banquet hall, a group of prominent figures gathered around her. Serena was not good at socializing. 10.01 < 133 Chapter 133: Sshing Wine in Her Face But on such asions, it was difficult for her to avoid socializing even if she wanted to. ire Shaw entered the banquet hall after Serena, having chosen the mostvish and expensive of her three dresses, a pink silk gown adorned with tens of thousands of natural crystals. She had also put significant effort into her hairstyle and had deliberately worn the pink diamond hairpiece she had showcased on the runway. ire Shaw thought, even if this crowd didn¡¯t appreciate her designs, at least they could admire her battle attire. However, she felt invisible, unnoticed as she walked through the hall. Even Caleb Lockwood was too upied with socializing with business moguls to notice her existence at all. ire Shaw bit her lower lip, suppressing the anger within her chest, and began searching for her target. The grand hall was vast, and there were too many attendees at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. Many weren¡¯t interested in the fashion show, yet wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to meet influential people, exchange information, and acquire resources at the banquet. For instance, Peter didn¡¯t attend the fashion show because he was working, but he was invited to the banquet and had to squeeze his way through the crowd of big shots to reach Serena. Serena hadn¡¯t expected to see Peter there. Peter was dressed very formally, in a fitted ck tailcoat with a British ir, his slicked¨Cback hair elevating his charisma to a new level. ¡°How do I look today?¡± Peter asked Serena. Serena smiled and replied, ¡°Very charming.¡± ¡°Dressed just for you,¡± Upon these words, seeing Serena momentarily stunned, Peter quickly added, ¡°Just kidding.¡± Serena and Peter wereughing and chatting. Meanwhile, as Caleb Lockwood was socializing, he subtly nced at Serena, the displeasure in his eyes hidden by the darkness of his pupils. ire Shaw was still searching aimlessly for her target, but before finding them, she bumped into Quentin Xavier. Quentin Xavier greeted ire naturally, as if it was only reasonable that he noticed the fury on her face. He had indeed yed a trick on ire Shaw. But he never thought he was in the wrong. If ire Shaw hadn¡¯t been so malicious herself, trying to use seduction to harm Serena, there wouldn¡¯t have been a subsequent counter- ploy. In Quentin Xavier¡¯s view, ire Shaw was reaping what she had sown. Although Serena had formally thanked him during the speech, he actually hadn¡¯t done much. 1001 214 < 133 Chapter 133: Sshing Wine in Her Face The idea came from Serena. When ire Shaw first tried to seduce him, he had told Serena about it. He didn¡¯t take matters into his own hands but wanted to hear what Serena thought. Serena suggested that they could use ire Shaw in reverse, helping themplete the magic show at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week. In this way, every step of ire Shaw¡¯s schemes was under their control, following their n step by step. Quentin Xavier found this approach feasible. However, Serena also stated that if Quentin wasn¡¯t willing, the counter¨Cploy would immediately cease. Quentin Xavier had fallen into a trap once before. To help ire Shaw, he had harmed Serena. The result was ire Shaw betraying him, whereas the one who lent him a hand was Serena. Although Quentin Xavier never considered himself smart, he didn¡¯t think he was foolish enough to be used by ire Shaw a second time. 2 Between ire Shaw and Serena, who was truly worth his effort, he had long seen the truth after the New Star Jewelry Design Competition. The whole n was seamless, the crux lying in whether his acting could fool ire Shaw. To prevent raising ire Shaw¡¯s suspicions, Quentin Xavier had to act perverted and impatient until pouring out Serena¡¯s theme and concept for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week entirely to ire Shaw. The perfume bottle Quentin gave to ire Shaw was indeed filled with hydrochloric acid. Because Serena had used a UVmp to expose the Fluorite for an extended time in advance, allowing it to fully store energy, and then covered it with an alkaline coating to block the phosphorescence. The top¨Cgrade Burmese pigeon blood Ruby was simrly covered with an alkaline coating. On the day of the show, when ire Shaw sprayed the diluted hydrochloric acid onto the Fluorite and Rubies, it would gradually neutralize the alkaline coating on the surface. As the power went out, the models continued the show, and the Fluorite they wore would gradually emit its stored phosphorescence as the alkaline coating dissolved, creating a dynamic effect of thorny thickets. Next, as directed by Serena, the stage lights would turn on a UV emergencymp once the Fluorite was fully lit. Without the alkaline coating, the top¨Cgrade Burmese pigeon blood Rubies would ze vividly under the UV light, perfectly showcasing the theme of blooming red roses amid thorns. Each step was conceived by Serena, with Quentin just ying along. ¡°You make me sick!¡± ire Shaw gritted her teeth. 10:01 314 < 133 Chapter 133: Sshing Wine in Her Face ¡°Right back at you.¡± Quentin responded indifferently. Just then, ire Shaw spotted her target, her eyes lighting up. Serena was dancing with Peter at the moment, and in her good mood, she didn¡¯t notice someone ring at her with unfriendly eyes. ire Shaw picked up two cocktails from a waiter¡¯s tray, handing one to Laura Sanders. ¡°Who would have thought, Serena ruined you so badly, yet she¡¯s bing increasingly sessful.¡± Laura Sanders shot ire Shaw a re, took a sip of her drink, then set the ss down. ¡°Women like her only climb up by relying on men, moving on from one to another, it¡¯s filthy¡­¡± ire Shaw said, as she discreetly swapped her hydrochloric acid¨Cspiked drink with Laura¡¯s. ¡°Though Dn Quinn isn¡¯t a great person either, he has money and power. If it weren¡¯t for Serena, you wouldn¡¯t have divorced him, and it wouldn¡¯t have affected your family¡¯s business¡­¡± ¡°What are you trying to say!¡± Laura Sanders snapped at ire Shaw impatiently. ire Shaw instantly feigned innocence, ¡°I¡¯m just speaking up for you. If Serena had snatched my husband and ruined my reputation, leaving me with nothing, I wouldn¡¯t let her continue to have thestugh. At the very least, I¡¯d throw a drink in her face to feel some satisfaction.¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 8 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 10:01 Mding 134 AIA < 134 Chapter 134: Disfigurement 134 Chapter 134: Disfigurement ire Shaw understands Laura Sanders. 1 Laura Sanders is Dn Quinn¡¯s wife. When the scandal of Serena Jennings sleeping with Dn Quinn broke out, Laura immediately confronted Serena. Later, Dn Quinn went to jail and she divorced him as well, but the impact of this incident on Laura Sanders¡® family has notpletely dissipated to this day, causing her own business to plummet. So Laura Sanders should hate Serena Jennings bitterly. As expected, after ire¡¯s instigation, Laura picked up the cocktail ss next to her and strode towards Serena. Serena had just finished dancing and separated from Peter, standing alone at the dessert area picking sweets. ire quietly distanced herself but continued to watch the situation unfold. The drink in Laura¡¯s hand was switched by ire, and it was spiked with acid. As long as Laura sshed this drink on Serena¡¯s face, Serena would undoubtedly be disfigured. Then, forget Caleb Lockwood, no man in the world would want Serena. Regardless of feelings or career, Serena would lose everything. While watching Laura approach Serena, ire curled her lips in triumph. Serena heard the increasingly loud sound of high heels, clearly heading her way, and only then did she look up. Before she could see who it was, a drink was sshed directly at her face. Serena¡¯s eyes widened, unable to react, when a shadow unexpectedly blocked the drink for her. Sizzle! The sound of acid burning attracted attention from more and more people. Laura was convinced she could ssh a drink on Serena¡¯s face for relief, not expecting it to ssh on Caleb Lockwood instead, and even more exaggerated, Caleb¡¯s suit was corroded to the point of smoking. Laura threw the ss down with a ng and fled in panic. ire was hidden among the crowd, also stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe Laura could fail even at sshing a drink properly. Even more surprising was that Caleb would shield Serena. Serena herself was the most shocked. Though Caleb quickly took off his acid¨Csshed suit, his skin was still burned and already stuck to the shirt. 10:01 134 Chapter 134: Disfigurement Serena immediately poured a ss of water on Caleb¡¯s arm and urgently asked the staff to prepare scissors. One ss wasn¡¯t enough, she poured another. A kind person nearby helped Serena by handing her water. After the acid concentration was lowered, Serena took the scissors offered by the staff and cut open Caleb¡¯s shirt. Caleb¡¯s arm was already blistered from the burn. ¡°You need to go to the hospital.¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°You must go.¡± Serena asserted herself in front of Caleb for once. She took the initiative, holding Caleb¡¯s hand and led him out of the main banquet hall. The .¡± s and cabs, finding the emergency medical kit to treat the burn on Caleb¡¯s arm. to the hospital¡± handle it better than you.¡± 215 1 < 134 Chapter 134: Disfigurement Caleb casually said this. ¡°How could that be¡­¡± Serena chuckled hopelessly. After she finished dressing the wound, she stood up, while Caleb remained seated on the sofa, causing an indescribably awkward atmosphere between them. Serena couldn¡¯t help but observe Caleb¡¯s presidential suite. She noticed that despite the size of the room, there were not many belongings, only Caleb¡¯s personal items. ¡°ire isn¡¯t sharing this room with me.¡± Serena was startled to hear Caleb¡¯s words. Was she so obvious? Seeing Serena¡¯s erratic gaze, Caleb smiled and casually asked: ¡°Serena, will you miss me after the divorce?¡± Serena felt her heart being gently squeezed. ¡°You hesitated.¡± Caleb¡¯s casual remark ignited Serena¡¯s anger. She turned defiantly to face Caleb, firmly saying: ¡°Caleb, if you love ire Shaw, then love her well, don¡¯t keep entangling with me. If I truly couldn¡¯t let you go, I wouldn¡¯t be so eager to divorce you. After our divorce, I¡¯llpletely be free. I can¡¯t wait to be far away from you!¡± Caleb didn¡¯t expect Serena to be so angry, and responded calmly: ¡°Alright.¡± The presidential suite was deathly silent. Serena took a deep breath. She didn¡¯t know why she was angry. She was just annoyed that Caleb always seemed effortlesslyposed in front of her, while she always appeared disheveled. Simply because Caleb was her first love, someone she had deeply loved, yet Caleb had never remembered her, never loved her. So she was always the loser in this rtionship. ¡°You should go to the hospital soon, I¡¯m leaving¡± 10:01 315 134 Chapter 134: Disfigurement Serena said coldly, taking strides away. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Caleb stood up, saying softly: ¡°It¡¯s already dark out, let me take you back!¡± Serena turned her head, ncing at Caleb¡¯s arm wrapped tightly. This injury was sustained for her. She didn¡¯t understand how Laura dared to ssh her with corrosive liquid publicly. She also didn¡¯t understand why Caleb would shield her. ¡°The injured should rest properly, I can take a taxi back. Country F¡¯s security isn¡¯t that poor.¡± ¡°Then let the driver take you back, how about that?¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Serena had just left when Caleb received a call from ire Shaw. ¡°Caleb, where are you now? Are you in the hospital?¡± ire¡¯s voice was anxious over the phone. ¡°No, I am at the hotel.¡± After responding, Caleb proactively asked ire, ¡°Where are you? I didn¡¯t seem to see you at the banquet just now.¡± ¡°A reporter wanted to interview me, so I left. I only heard about the big incidentter. I¡¯m already in a taxi, I¡¯ll be at the hotel soon.¡± ¡°Alright, stay safe.¡± After hanging up, ire breathed a sigh of relief. It seems Caleb hadn¡¯t suspected the acid was her doing. ire only realized after leaving the banquet hall that she had made herself very suspicious to Caleb. Because it was Caleb who was injured, as hispanion, she naturally should have been the first to care for him. But she ran away. Because of guilty conscience. When she thought things over and returned to the banquet hall, both Caleb and Serena were gone. The nightscape of Country F was radiant. The responsible driver delivered Serena to the hotel entrance, leaving only after seeing her walk inside. However, Serena didn¡¯t return to her room. 10:01 AJE < 134 Chapter 134: Disfigurement Because just as she walked through the door, an unexpected person blocked her path. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 8 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Mding 135 35 Chapter 135: Forcing You to Agree ¡°A gift for you.¡± 1 Whenn ckwood handed arge bouquet of red roses without stamens to Serena Jennings, she was momentarily at a loss. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I heard you thanked me at the show, so I came.¡± Jan spoke candidly. Although his eyes behind the gold¨Crimmed sses always carried a roguish smile, Serena didn¡¯t detect any deception inn¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the flowers, I¡¯ve removed all the stamens, and then painstakingly glued the petals back together, it took quite some effort.¡± So, why go through all this trouble instead of giving something else? ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll ept the flowers.¡± In any case,n sincerely gifted her the flowers, so Serena naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse. This was her first time holding such arge bouquet without sneezing. Serena got on the hotel elevator, followed by Ian. ¡°Are you staying here too?¡± Serena was puzzled. Given Ian¡¯s wealth and status, it made no sense for him to stay in a budget hotel like her. ¡°No,¡± Ian shook his head. Once they reached their floor, Serena stepped out of the elevator first, with Ian right behind her. ¡°I have nowhere to stay, so I have no choice but to make do with you for the night.¡± Serena¡¯s steps halted as she turned to look at Ian. With one hand in his pocket and the other pushing up his gold¨Crimmed sses,n had a refined smile. Serena couldn¡¯t tell ifn was joking or serious. ¡°Man and woman shouldn¡¯t be inappropriately close, have you considered if I¡¯m willing to make do with you for the night?¡± Ian chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling, I¡¯ll just force you to agree, what do you think?¡± ¡°If you do that, I¡¯ll call the police.¡± The 10:01 < 135 Chapter 135: Forcing You to Agree ¡°I¡¯ve been to many police stations anyway, one more here doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Ian¡¯s words left Serena exasperated. She never imagined her speech would luren over. To be honest, she never imaginedn would watch the LD Jewelry Fashion Week show. But considering ire Shaw was participating, andn was associated with ire, it wasn¡¯t surprising he¡¯d watch. As a result, Ian followed her like a stubborn adhesive to the hotel room door. ¡°Ian, do you really have nowhere to stay?¡± Serena asked seriously. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true, I flew over on a whim, without booking a hotel in advance.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t tell ifn¡¯s words were true or false, so she took them as true for now. ¡°You can¡¯t stay with me, but I can ask Quentin Xavier if he¡¯s willing to take you in.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I stay with you?¡± Suddenly, Ian leaned slightly forward, closing in on Serena. Serena instinctively stepped back, her back pressing against the door. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re a married woman?¡± Ian¡¯s smile was enigmatic. Just as Serena was about to refute, Ian continued: ¡°Caleb Lockwood¡¯s room isn¡¯t for just him, if he can share it with ire, why can¡¯t you stay with me?¡± Ian¡¯s words reminded Serena of what Caleb previously said to her: ¡°ire doesn¡¯t sleep in the same room as me.¡± Unintentionally, she muttered softly: ¡°They¡¯re not staying together.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the type who believes it when a man says he has no woman outside, should I say you¡¯re pure or just dumb!¡± Serena was about to push Jan away when the door next door opened, and Quentin Xavier poked his head out. ¡°Just a heads up, the hotel soundproofing is terrible, you¡¯re disturbing others, like me.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Serena apologized to Quentin, to whichn, however, remarked to her: ¡°He¡¯s talking to me, what are you apologizing for!¡± 10:01 215 < 135 Chapter 135: Forcing You to Agree Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. In the end,n ended up staying in Quentin¡¯s room. Early the next morning, the three left the hotel together, thoughn stayed closer to Serena. Today, Serena had a magazine shoot and interview lined up, with Quentin assisting nearby. Serena foundn redundant, but no matter how she tried, she couldn¡¯t get rid of him. However,n behaved himself and stayed as a quiet handsome figure, his gaze never leaving Serena. The highlight of Serena¡¯s shoot today was for Miranda¡¯s ¡°Radiance.¡± As she was getting her makeup touched up, someone else entered the studio. Though ¡°Radiance¡± was a fashion magazine, it had a business section, often featuring business luminaries who were fashion¨Csavvy and as attractive as celebrities. Like Caleb Lockwood. Serena first set her eyes on Caleb Lockwood. Caleb was still in a suit, this time a white one, obviously specially prepared for the shoot. But Serena couldn¡¯t help furrowing her brows. Caleb¡¯s arm¡­ should not be suited up. Next, she noticed ire Shaw walking beside Caleb. ire was also meticulously dressed, in a Dior spring haute couture blush pink suit. However, today¡¯s shoot didn¡¯t involve ire. No one else seemed to have their gaze linger on ire, except for Serena. ire became a beautiful, silent adornment, just like Ian. Afterst night¡¯s banquet, ire had realized her LD Jewelry Fashion Week show was a failure. But she hadn¡¯t given up yet; she still had Caleb. As long as she stayed beside Caleb, she¡¯d have no shortage of connections and resources. Serena and Caleb were originally scheduled for solo photos and interviews since they had different features. But after their solo shoots, Miranda had a whimsical idea for Serena and Caleb to take a joint photo. They were given fresh outfits and styled anew. Once Serena and Caleb headed into their respective dressing rooms, ire took the initiative to approach Ian. It was clear Ian had flown to Country F specifically for her. 10:01 315 < 135 Chapter 135: Forcing You to Agree He hadn¡¯te looking for her becausen was thoughtful, knowing she¡¯d been constantly paired with Caleb. Ifn suddenly appeared, it would undoubtedly make Caleb misunderstand her. But with Caleb in the dressing room, ire thought it fitting to have a private word withn. She may not have likedn, but sincen liked her, he was a pawn she could use. n¡­¡± ire called out sweetly, feigning coyness. ¡°Isn¡¯t your rtionship with Miranda quite good?¡± It wasn¡¯t until ire asked this specific question that Ian finally cast his gaze upon her. He used to really like seeing ire in pink. Back then, they were high schoolers, young and full of youth, ire had naturally sweet features, wearing pink suited her well. But now, ire was nearly thirty. Was wearing pink at this age somewhat inappropriate? For the first time, Ian questioned this in his mind. He adjusted his gold¨Crimmed sses, sizing ire up and down. Being openly scrutinized by Ian, ire blushed, coquettishly lowering her head. Suddenly, two words sprang to Ian¡¯s mind as an appraisal: < 136 Chapter Mding 136 136: I¡¯ve Sent You the Divorce Papers 136 Chapter 136: I¡¯ve Sent You the Divorce Papers Acting young. 1 Ian ckwood was taken aback. He never thought he¡¯d describe ire Shaw this way. ¡°Ian, don¡¯t just stare at me!¡± ire Shaw tugged atn¡¯s sleeve, acting coy. ¡°I want Miranda to take a picture for me too. I also want to be on the magazine¡­ I just don¡¯t know if that¡¯s possible?¡± ire Shaw¡¯s voice grew increasingly uncertain. She did it on purpose. She knew Ian liked girls who showed vulnerability. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Caleb Lockwood to help you?¡± ire Shaw looked up in surprise atn. She always felt Ian was different from before. The old Ian wouldn¡¯t ask her about these trivial matters. As long as she wanted it, as long as she needed it, he would willingly help without asking. ¡°I¡­ I wanted to try relying on you¡­ Is that not okay?¡± ire Shaw blinked her glistening eyes at Ian. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s okay.¡± Seeingn relent, ire Shaw sighed inwardly with relief. She didn¡¯t go to Caleb Lockwood because she had tried that before. At that time, Caleb had introduced Miranda to her, but Miranda dismissed her. If she begged Caleb again, it would clearly show she couldn¡¯t ept only Serena Jennings being on the magazine. Also, it would leave an impression on Caleb that not only wasn¡¯t she as good as Serena, but that she was a sore loser. That¡¯s why she turned ton; once she appeared in Radiance Magazine, Serena Jennings wouldn¡¯t seem so special to Caleb. Ian kept his promise¨Cthe moment he agreed to help ire Shaw, he went to find Miranda. ire Shaw had no idea whatn said to Miranda, but soon a makeup artist approached her voluntarily to do her styling. 10:02 <136 Chapter 136: I¡¯ve Sent You the Divorce Papers When Serena Jennings came out of the dressing room, Caleb Lockwood happened to step out too. The two encountered each other. ¨C Serena noticed Caleb¡¯s outfit matched her new style they seemed like matching couple outfits. They were shooting for Radiance Magazine, so everything had to follow Miranda¡¯s arrangement;, so Serena didn¡¯t say much. The photographer required them to stand together, with their poses growing increasingly intimate. After the shoot, Serena hesitated a bit but couldn¡¯t help asking Caleb: ¡°How¡¯s the injury on your arm?¡± Caleb looked at Serena. Serena had rarely worn such heavy makeup; heavy makeup was something Caleb usually detested, yet somehow Serena¡¯s makeup didn¡¯t feel vulgar but rather strikingly sophisticated. ¡°Miranda¡¯s makeup artist is quite skilled.¡± Caleb¡¯s crypticment left Serena puzzled. ¡°My wound¡¯s much better, all thanks to your timely aid.¡± ¡°Did you go to the hospital afterwards?¡± Caleb softly chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so concerned; I¡¯m quite ttered.¡± Serena then realized she¡¯d asked too much. Given that she and Caleb were about to get divorced, her concern waspletely unnecessary. At this moment, ire Shaw came out of the dressing room, with her head held high. Serena saw ire Shaw deliberately nce her way as she passed, her eyes confident and smug. As if to say: See? I¡¯m on the magazine too. Serena shrugged. She knew appearing in Radiance Magazine was an honor, but she didn¡¯t see what was worth bragging about. Caleb still had to wait for ire¡¯s shoot, while Serena left the studio first. Ian volunteered to treat Serena to a meal. Serena agreed, but insisted on bringing Quentin Xavier. Thus, Serena, Quentin, andn went to dinner together, followed by a stroll around nearby attractions. In the studio, Caleb patiently waited for ire to finish shooting. 10:02 < 136 Chapter 136: I¡¯ve Sent You the Divorce Papers ire¡¯s makeup and styling were also done by Miranda¡¯s artist. ¡°Seems like¡­ it¡¯s not entirely down to the makeup artist¡¯s skill¡­¡± Caleb, flipping through the magazines, nced up casually at ire posing and whispered to himself. Over the next two days, Ian became an assistant like Quentin, helping Serena with her work. Because thest two days of LD Jewelry Fashion Week were for business negotiations. Serena, being the owner and designer of the jewelry studio, had to personally handle each business negotiation. After returning home, Serena couldn¡¯t rest. This LD Jewelry Fashion Week resulted in stirring fame for Serena, along with numerous orders. Half a monthter, the new issue of Radiance Magazine was released. Serena was always aware of Miranda¡¯s and Radiance¡¯s industry standing, and thought her photo would be ced discreetly. Yet unexpectedly, the new issue¡¯s cover was shared between her and Caleb Lockwood. Caleb was inherently a high¨Cprofile business mogul. Even though Caleb preferred a low¨Ckey demeanor, as long as he doesn¡¯t refuse exposure, his face would appear in the public eye. Being wealthy and handsome meant he was bound not to be low¨Ckey at all. And Serena, being a new designer, having a photo with such a mogul, featured on the Radiance cover, even if she designed a pile of trash, she¡¯d still be famous. Not to mention, Serena¡¯s designs weren¡¯t trash. Her feature was ced in the magazine¡¯s most important section by Miranda. Even more than her individual photo, the images of her Thorn Rose jewelry series were prominent, even acting as the headline image for the LD Jewelry Fashion Week feature. Following the magazine¡¯s release, the butterfly effect started manifesting. An increasing number of luxury goods buyers approached Serena, as did high¨Cend brands seeking crossover coborations. Online, fashion bloggers and famous streamers hopped on Serena¡¯s trend, inadvertently helping amplify her influence. Peter also reached out to Serena for coboration as the executive director of FY. Serena was suddenly busier than ever. Serena lost track of the time since returning from Country F when one day she received a phone call. ¡°Hello, this is J Jewelry Studio.¡± Serena didn¡¯t realize this was a personal call. 10.02 216 < 136 Chapter 136: I¡¯ve Sent You the Divorce Papers Nor did she notice it was Caleb calling. On the other end, Caleb Lockwood fell into a brief silence. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Serena¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It was only upon hearing Caleb¡¯s voice that she remembered the unresolved divorce matter between them. ¡°Is the divorce agreement ready?¡± Serena proactively asked. ¡°Yes.¡± The phone fell silent again briefly, then Serena heard Caleb continue: ¡°I thought you¡¯d call first about the divorce agreement¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been really busy since returning from Country F.¡± ¡°So busy you forgot to divorce me?¡± Hearing Caleb¡¯s chuckle, Serena felt uneasy. She thought Caleb must¡¯ve misunderstood, believing that she didn¡¯t want the divorce. Initially, Caleb did consider it, but he quickly realized ¨C Serena didn¡¯t hesitate to divorce him. It¡¯s just that, to Serena now, her career outweighed divorce. Outweighed divorcing him. Outweighed him. Just as Serena was about to exin, Caleb¡¯s voice sounded again. His tone was much colder. ¡°I¡¯ve mailed the divorce agreement to you. It should be there now, remember to check it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Caleb hung up first, as Serena lifted her head, just as the courier knocked on her office door. ¡°Serena, there¡¯s a package for Mding 137 137 Chapter 137: Signed Divorce Agreement Serena Jennings held the package in her hand. 1 It was a paper envelope, just the right size to fit three copies of the divorce agreement. Serena didn¡¯t open the envelope directly in the office, but patiently waited until she got home. The night was deep and quiet. The old house on Vornath Street was lit. Serena sat in front of the desk and pulled out the contents from the envelope. The bold words ¡°Divorce Agreement¡± immediately caught Serena¡¯s eye as the title. Serena flipped through it page by page. Her memory was decent; she still remembered the content of the previous divorce agreement. This one was at least identical to the previous one in the beginning. It seemed that even though Caleb Lockwood had redrafted the divorce agreement for so long after returning, he hadn¡¯t secretly set any traps in the wording. After a while, Serena finally saw the content at the back of the divorce agreement. As expected, the content in the back changed. But the revised uses were not what Serena expected. Caleb still included the provision of transferring ten percent of The Lockwood Group¡¯s shares to her after the divorce, but the preconditions had increased, adding many restrictions. For example, it explicitly stipted that the ten percent of shares transferred to Serena could not be privately transferred, given away withoutpensation, or sold for profit after the divorce. Serena ran her hand through her hair. She was somewhat irritated. She didn¡¯t understand why Caleb, who was so angry thest time she agreed to transfer shares ton ckwood, would still draft the divorce agreement with the same content after such a dy. Last time, Caleb should have been deeply disappointed in her. He must have felt she betrayed his trust. After reading the divorce agreement, Serena couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Caleb would rather set so many airtight restrictions just to give her ten percent of The Lockwood Group¡¯s shares. 10:02 13A 137 Chapter 137: Signed Divorce Agreement Serena knew she shouldn¡¯t overthink it. Yet she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Caleb wanted to maintain some sort of connection with her after the divorce, no matter what. Serena shook her head, took out a pen, and signed her name on all three copies of the divorce agreement. Beside her, was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s signature. His handwriting was still so mboyant and elegant. Serena thought that Caleb must be very satisfied with this divorce agreement this time and confident that she would agree too, so he signed it in advance. After tidying up the signed divorce agreements, Serena picked up her phone and coincidentally received a message from Caleb: Tomorrow morning at ten¨Cthirty, Civil Affairs Bureau. A concise and clear instruction, very much Caleb¡¯s style. Serena replied with an ¡°ok,¡± put her phone down, washed up, and went to sleep. The next day, what seemed like a serene day was not at all peaceful. ire Shaw did note to the office today either. She was having a major tantrum at home. ¡°How could Ian ckwood be so stupid! I didn¡¯t explicitly say I wanted to be on Radiance, but even a fool could understand what I meant, right?¡± ire Shaw violently threw the cushion from the sofa onto the ground. Originally, her n was pretty good, using Ian ckwood to help her get featured in Miranda¡¯s Radiance like Serena Jennings. The reason she cooperated with the photo shoot that day, exhausting herself withoutint, was because she thought she was going to be in Radiance. In the end, the new issue of Radiance came out, and she was not even mentioned, not even a shadow of hers. Instead, a third¨Crate magazine from the same period used the photos from that shoot for its cover. ire Shaw had never even heard of that third¨Crate magazine, and it mainly advertised health products. It was only then that ire Shaw realized Jan ckwood did contact Miranda for a photoshoot for her, but she wasn¡¯t clear on hown actually negotiated with Miranda, partly her fault for not being explicit withn back then. Now, Serena Jennings was gaining momentum, bing more and more popr, while ire was facing a mass exodus of employees jumping ship, and she even overheard staff mocking her in the restroom, saying she even appeared in such subpar magazines, admitting her designs were only as good as those at Yiwu Small Commodity City. ¡°Alright, ire, getting so worked up over something so trivial, aren¡¯t you being childish!¡± Valerie Vance couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. 10:02 < 137 Chapter 137: Signed Divorce Agreement For the past few days, ire Shaw had been like this, hysterical, emotionally unstable, skipping work, just throwing tantrums. ¡°Is this trivial? Mom, you have no idea how embarrassing this is!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Valerie Vance thought ire Shaw was being useless, ¡°Now that things havee to this, what¡¯s the use of being angry? Now, Serena is in her heyday, making waves, perhaps she¡¯s having a career streak? Do you not know what you should do?¡± Valerie Vance¡¯s words made ire Shaw calm down slightly. ¡°Mom, you mean¡­ ¡°Caleb Lockwood, duh!¡± Valerie Vance tapped on the coffee table consecutively. ¡°While she¡¯s thriving in her career, you should steal her man, make her fail in love.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stealing her man; Caleb has always been mine, I was the one who met him first, the one he loves!¡± ire Shaw akimbo, indignant. ¡°Exactly! Instead of being angry about Serena¡¯s career sess, you should work on Caleb Lockwood, have him divorce Serena quickly and marry you¡­ ire, even if Serena is popr, it¡¯s temporary, as a designer, how much wealth can she amass? How much wealth does The Lockwood Group have?¡± ire Shaw listened intently to Valerie Vance¡¯s analysis, her big eyes busily darting around. ¡°Once you be the mistress of The Lockwood Group, do you even need to worry about Serena? By then, you¡¯ll be enjoying fame and fortune, while Serena will have nothing, hitting rock bottom.¡± Valerie Vance¡¯s words wellforted ire Shaw, who took a deep breath, sweeping away her emotions from the past days. Just as she was getting ready to redo her makeup and head to The Lockwood Group to find Caleb Lockwood, she inadvertently saw a trending topic on her phone, causing her to widen her eyes, dropping her phone to the ground with a thud. The Lockwood Group. The General Manager¡¯s office. Serena mmed her phone furiously on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s desk. The phone¡¯s screen was still lit, and the news was clear as day. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, what¡¯s the meaning of this!¡± Faced with Serena¡¯s angry questioning, Caleb Lockwood furrowed his brows, his handsome face cold as ice. Seeing Caleb¡¯s unusual silence, Serena felt somewhat deted. She pulled out a chair and sat opposite Caleb Lockwood. At this moment, Mr. Miller knocked and entered, quietly cing a cup of moderately warm coffee in front of both Serena and Caleb 10:02 < 137 Chapter 137: Signed Divorce Agreement Lockwood. Then he left without a sound. Serena thought Mr. Miller hade at the right time, her throat was so dry and she was extremely thirsty. While drinking the coffee, she sighed internally. Today, she had prepared the divorce agreement to go to work, but before reaching thepany, right as she arrived downstairs at Azure Tower, she was surrounded by arge crowd. Some were holding boom microphones, others carrying professional cameras, and some holding up their phones. Rather than being scared, Serena felt more bewildered. She didn¡¯t think she was famous enough to warrant such arge group of reporters and influencers chasing her down. Later, from their questions, Serena gradually pieced together the sequence of events. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 8 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 138 138 Chapter 138: Pregnant She was exposed. 1 Now, the whole inte knows- Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife is her, Serena Jennings. Serena couldn¡¯t even go back to thepany; it was only with the help of the office building security that she managed to escape the encirclement of reporters and promotional ounts. Before driving off, she took out her phone. As expected, the inte was filled with news about her. ¡°Radiance¡® new favorite, Serena Jennings, is actually a wealthy socialite?!¡± ¡°Caleb Lockwood is married, and his wife is Serena Jennings.¡± ¡°Is Lockwood Group behind the rising designer?¡± ¡°A match made in heaven? Or beauty with brains? Lockwood Group officially ims itsdy.¡± ¡°Powerful union! Business tycoon and rising designer have been a family all along.¡± Overnight, the inte was flooded with reports confirming Serena Jennings as Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife. There was an asion before, but that was just a rumor due to a blurry photograph. Caleb did not deny it, nor did he confirm. Eventually, things faded away; after all, the inte has no memory, and new gossip reces old at lightning speed, and over time, people had long forgotten. But this time it was different. This time it was clearly premeditated; someone first paid for the press release, and the whole inte posted identical content. Then the Lockwood Group¡¯s official ount acknowledged the release across all tforms. In other words, Lockwood Group unterally confirmed that Serena is Caleb¡¯s wife. Though it was true. Although when she and Caleb first married, there wasn¡¯t any hidden marriage agreement made. But because Serena had always stayed home, apart from a few people, no one knew her identity, and the Lockwood Family had never publicly announced her rtionship with Caleb. Serena couldn¡¯t understand what was going on this time. She had considered the possibility of being exposed as Caleb¡¯s wife before, but as long as Lockwood Group didn¡¯t acknowledge it, it 10:02 115 < 138 Chapter 138: Pregnant would end up likest time, unresolved. However, this time, Lockwood¡¯s reaction was beyond Serena¡¯s expectations. It even seemed more like Lockwood¡¯s own orchestration. The only person Serena could think of was Caleb. Just after Caleb handed her the signed divorce papers, he released a press across the inte confirming her as Mrs. Lockwood. Thus, it would be difficult for her to divorce Caleb now. But Serena didn¡¯t understand why Caleb would go to extremes, and for what purpose. Therefore, she went to Lockwood Group to confront Caleb directly. Serena was furious, and Caleb wasn¡¯t much better off. As the coffee neared the bottom, Serena finally heard Caleb speak: ¡°I had nothing to do with the online expos¨¦, I wasn¡¯t aware.¡± Serena sneered: ¡°You think I¡¯ll believe that?¡± ¡°Whether you believe it or not¡­ does it matter that much to me?¡± Caleb¡¯s retort left Serena speechless. ¡°Serena, I remember I told you I wouldn¡¯t miss you that much; though a diligent housekeeper like you makes things convenient, that¡¯s all¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s calm, almost cold¨Cblooded words were like needles pricking Serena¡¯s heart. ¡°Since I¡¯ve already given you the signed divorce papers, I didn¡¯t n to do anything underhanded. Are you so eager to question me because, in your heart, you wish I was the one behind it, so you can fool yourself into thinking I¡¯m reluctant to divorce you? Am I right?¡± ¡°You!¡± Serena felt her face burning. She hadn¡¯t thought like that. At least, she didn¡¯t have such a delusion. However, her anger in Caleb¡¯s mocking eyes seemed more like a shameful anger from having her secret expectedly revealed. Serena grabbed her phone and turned to leave. Caleb said nothing, silently allowing Serena to leave in anger. The office felt particrly spacious with one person short, Caleb picked up his phone and made a call. 10:02 215 < 138 Chapter 138: Pregnant The call connected. ¡°Dad, why did you act without consulting me?¡± Arthur Lockwood¡¯s justified voice came from the receiver: ¡°You me me for acting unterally? You¡¯ve been dying the divorce; right when Serena is highly popr and influential, you choose to divorce her. What can I say about you?¡± Caleb remained silent. ¡°You know full well, Starsharp and several otherpanies want to short our Lockwood Group. At this juncture, releasing positive news will make them face a short squeeze; we will win.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how much the stock has gone up? Right now, you absolutely cannot divorce Serena. Not only can you not divorce her, but you need to take her to more public events, use her momentum to heat up our Lockwood Group, I want Starsharp and others to lose everything!¡± Arthur¡¯s bold words came out like a barrage, while Caleb appeared as quiet as having hung up the phone. But Arthur knew Caleb was listening. ¡°Caleb, for business, whatever can be used must be used. I¡¯m not forbidding you from divorcing Serena; she has changed and is no longer suitable for us at the Lockwood Family. However, right now, exposing her as your wife benefits Lockwood Group. You keep her stable for now, and when she¡¯s no longer valuable, discard her¡­ She¡¯s merely a woman, Dad believes you can handle it easily.¡± Ending the call, Caleb leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes gently. At this time, the office door was knocked. ¡°President Lockwood, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Mr. Miller opened the door and handed Caleb some documents. ¡°This is the project progress for Azure Bay, and the other is the DS studio AI research report.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Caleb didn¡¯t take them but instructed Mr. Miller to put both files on the desk. After cing the documents, Mr. Miller was supposed to leave, but he stood silently in front of Caleb¡¯s desk. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Caleb asked indifferently. ¡°No.¡± Mr. Miller shook his head, ¡°I just think President Lockwood¡­ are you too tired?¡± ¡°Do I look tired?¡± 10:02 315 ¡°¡­ A little.¡± Caleb silently lifted the corners of his lips. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m exhausted by a woman?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I just hope President Lockwood takes care of your health.¡± Though Mr. Miller said so, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder: Is it a woman? ¡°Just in time, Mr. Miller, please book a table at Scalinda for me, tonight at seven.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As Mr. Miller left the office, he was still pondering. Scalinda is a newly opened Michelin three¨Cstar restaurant in City A, quite difficult to reserve. But, of course, that wouldn¡¯t be a challenge for him. He just couldn¡¯t guess who Caleb had booked Scalinda¡¯s table for tonight. ire Shaw? Or Serena Jennings? Riverside Manor. ire Shaw¡¯s eyes were swollen like a frog from crying. ¡°What does Caleb Lockwood mean by this? Promising to give me a title on one hand, yet dragging out the divorce with Serena on the other. Now everyone knows Serena is his wife, and the Lockwood Group¡¯s official ount has acknowledged it, essentially dering Serena¡¯s identity and status to the public¡­ How is Caleb supposed to divorce her now? Serena was popr recently, and now everyone¡¯s praising Caleb for his foresight, marrying a beautiful and talented rising designer, some even say it signals Lockwood Group¡¯s venture into the fashion world, and recently Lockwood¡¯s stock surge, everyone¡¯s praising Serena for her prosperity¡­¡± While speaking, ire couldn¡¯t help but cry again, feeling deeply aggrieved. ¡°With Serena¡¯s identity as Mrs. Lockwood solidified, then what am I? What am I supposed to do¡­ So many people saw me and Caleb together, inseparable¡­ Isn¡¯t it like announcing to everyone that I¡¯m a mistress?!¡± ire cried so hard her voice was hoarse. Valerie Vance was beside herself with anger. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault; you didn¡¯t listen to my advice. If you listened earlier, gave Caleb Lockwood some medicine to make him obsessed with your body and, if everything went smoothly, became pregnant, the mother¡¯s status would rise with the child¡¯s, wouldn¡¯t you still worry Caleb wouldn¡¯t marry you?¡± 10:02 415 ( 139 Chapter 139: We Don¡¯t Have to Divorce Anymore Mding 139 39 Chapter 139: We Don¡¯t Have to Divorce Anymore Being scolded by Valerie Vance, ire Shaw felt even more aggrieved. 1 Thest time Valerie had a long talk with her, she mentioned drugging Caleb Lockwood. ire Shaw did not agree. On one hand, she still had confidence in herself, believing that Caleb Lockwood wouldn¡¯t be able to resist wanting her. Back in high school, when she and Caleb Lockwood were dating, Caleb didn¡¯t touch her. Because he said they were still students, he wanted to cherish her properly. And now, Caleb Lockwood still hadn¡¯t touched her. Once, she had actively invited him several times, openly, subtly, she even moved into Caleb¡¯s house, but Caleb still wouldn¡¯t share a room with her. She couldn¡¯t exactly climb into Caleb Lockwood¡¯s bed to seduce him, that would make her seem too cheap. The result was that she and Caleb had never even had skin contact. ire Shaw was terribly anxious. But she didn¡¯t dare to use drugs. She knew Caleb Lockwood. Caleb was so shrewd, once drugged, he would immediately find out, even if they did end up doing it, Caleb would not only refuse to marry her but would dump her instead. Because Caleb Lockwood would never ept a woman who schemes against him. ¡°ire, hold this.¡± Valerie Vance shoved a bottle of pills into ire¡¯s palm. ¡°This was specially prepared by a pharmacist friend of mine, just one tablet is enough, it works gradually.¡± ire Shaw clenched the pill bottle, her knuckles turning white. ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re so afraid of, even if Caleb were to find out, so what? He loves you so much, wouldn¡¯t turning raw rice into cooked rice be a great thing?¡± Hearing Valerie¡¯s casual words, ire Shaw remained silent. She had never told anyone, including Valerie. The one Caleb Lockwood truly loved, was Ellic. ¡°ire, remember, in life, you must seize opportunities. Currently, Serena¡¯s career is thriving, and it¡¯s been exposed that she¡¯s Caleb¡¯s 10:02 115 C position, even if it means using unscrupulous means¡­¡± Listening to Valerie¡¯s guidance, the tears in ire Shaw¡¯s eyes gradually dried up. Night, seven o¡¯clock. Scalinda. Serena Jennings only took out her phone to search the store when she arrived at its entrance. Because she noticed this shop was newly opened, it was quite stylish, and it looked far from cheap. With a search, she found out that this was a three¨Cstar Michelin restaurant, a popr venue among the wealthy circle, even for those with money and influence, booking a table was challenging. Serena stood at the entrance for a long time, hesitating on whether to go in. The person who invited her was Caleb Lockwood. But it wasn¡¯t Caleb who invited her directly, it was Mr. Miller who called her. Mr. Miller said Caleb had something important to discuss with her. Since it was arranged through Mr. Miller, at first, Serena thought it was a business matter. But looking at the style of the restaurant now, it seemed more like a personal matter. For some reason, Serena didn¡¯t feel like having dinner alone with Caleb Lockwood in such a ce. Eventually, Serena arrived ten minuteste, and Caleb was already waiting for her at the table. Caleb seemed to take this dinner seriously, he had changed his suit from the one he wore at thepany during the day, it was still ck, but the style, material, and details were much more sophisticated and formal. In contrast, Serena was the only woman in the restaurant without a formal dress. Serena walked over and reached out to pull out a chair. At that moment, Caleb stood up and proactively helped Serena pull out the chair. Serena sat down, sitting across from Caleb. ¡°You look beautiful tonight.¡± Caleb¡¯s opening line left Serena a bit stunned. She was wearing the same outfit as she did during the day. During the day, she and Caleb had parted on bad terms, she didn¡¯t understand why Caleb suddenly wanted to invite her to dinner, and in such a manner. ¡°Why did you ask me here?¡± 10:02 139 Chapter 159: We Dont have to DIVOICE Nymun Serena asked directly. ¡°No rush, let¡¯s eat first, and we can talk while cating.¡± Caleb handed the menu to Serena. Seeing the prices on the menu made Serena hesitate a bit, but these wouldn¡¯t break Caleb¡¯s bank, so she didn¡¯t hold back and chose a few of the most expensive dishes. Caleb smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯ve changed¡­¡± Serena paused. ¡°Changed that I no longer save your money?¡± Caleb shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need to save money.¡± Caleb said this quite calmly. Because of his calm tone, it only entuated his confidence and assurance. ¡°You¡¯ve be more alluring.¡± Suddenly being praised this way by Caleb, Serena was a bit at a loss. One dish after another was served, they were all like pieces of art, and their taste was beyond words. Serena ate silently, her mind was buzzing with thoughts. Caleb¡¯s attitude tonight was too unusual, she didn¡¯t understand what Caleb really wanted to do. While breaking apart some Emperor Crab legs, she suddenly heard Caleb say: ¡°We don¡¯t have to divorce.¡± Serena¡¯s hand was instantly cut by a crab shell, drawing blood. Caleb immediately got up, approached Serena, and held her hand, helping her squeeze the blood out. ¡°Luckily, the wound isn¡¯t too deep,¡± Serena was about to withdraw her hand when Caleb suddenly put her injured finger into his mouth. Serena¡¯s eyes widened, she watched as Caleb licked her finger, Flustered, she withdrew her finger, her cheeks turning hot. ¡°What are you doing¡­ ¡°Helping you disinfect.¡± 10:02 135 §ã§ä§Ñ§â§ä§Ö§Ô Caleb replied ndly. Serena knew saliva could kill germs and disinfect, but Caleb had no reason to do this for her. Her mind was a mess. Caleb was truly acting too strangely tonight, especially when he said they didn¡¯t have to divorce. ¡°I remember you said before, that you were determined to divorce me¡­ because I didn¡¯t love you.¡± Caleb, back in his seat, spoke very calmly. Serena couldn¡¯t have felt more tense inside. ¡°Well now I¡¯ve decided to love you, so we don¡¯t have to divorce.¡± Caleb casually said. Serena stared nkly at Caleb, momentarily unable to process what he meant. Caleb didn¡¯t exin further and continued to dine elegantly. The table was unusually quiet until Serena spoke: ¡°Is it¡­ that your father won¡¯t let you divorce me?¡± Caleb looked up, a bit surprised by Serena¡¯s gaze. Serena had only been guessing, because ever since news broke out that she was Caleb¡¯s wife, the Lockwood Group¡¯s stock had skyrocketed. Plus Caleb¡¯s unusual behavior tonight. ¡°So your kindness to me earlier was all an act¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Caleb shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s an exchange.¡± Serena¡¯s heart sank. ¡°You now have value to the Lockwood Group, as long as you continue being my wife, you can get my love.¡± His voice was overly calm, sounding almost cold. Caleb smiled as he watched Serena¡¯s face be increasingly unpleasant. ¡°My love¡­ isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always dreamed of? Now that I¡¯m finally willing to give it to you, aren¡¯t you happy?¡± 10:02 Mding 140 140 Chapter 140: Sleeping With Her The melodious sound of violin ying in Scalinda continued. 1 Caleb Lockwood sat in his seat. No one was sitting across from him. His hair, face, and expensive tailored suit were all wet. Because someone had thrown a drink at him. The person who sshed the drink had left in outrage long ago. Caleb Lockwood wiped his face with a handkerchief and continued dining, his face showing no expression. At this moment, his phone rang, and the caller ID showed it was Patrick Rhodes. The basement bar of The Sheridan Grand Hotel. Caleb Lockwood had just arrived when he saw a tall whiskey tower ced in front of ire Shaw, with Patrick Rhodes sitting next to her, his expression indicating he was trying to persuade her not to be impulsive. Not far away, Zachary Aldrin and several other friends were having fun with their femalepanions, behaving rather inappropriately. ¡°Brother Lockwood¡­¡± Patrick Rhodes was the first to notice Caleb Lockwood and immediately stood up, pulling Caleb towards ire Shaw. ¡°Sis¨Cinw, Brother Lockwood is here¡­¡± Patrick whispered in ire¡¯s ear, only to be pushed away by her. ¡°Who is your sister¨Cinw? I¡¯m not¡­ your sister¨Cinw is Serena Jennings, she is your Brother Lockwood¡¯s legally wedded wife¡­ Who am I? Just a fool being yed with feelings¡­ First love¡­ what a joke¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had too much to drink.¡± Caleb Lockwood tried to pull ire Shaw away, but she shook off his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Beside them, Patrick didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly. This was the first time he saw ire Shaw so emotionally agitated with Caleb Lockwood. But he could understand ire Shaw. Because today, the entire inte was abuzz with the explosive news that Serena Jennings was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife, which made ire¡¯s position embarrassingly awkward. It was inevitable ire would drown her sorrows in alcohol given her mood. 10:02 140 Chapter 140. Sleeping WVILIITICI ¡°Don¡¯t stop me, I want to drink more¡­¡± ire Shaw seemed to be putting on a drunken act, but she wasn¡¯t actually drunk. While putting on the act, she secretly observed Caleb Lockwood. Caleb¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good, as if he was angry. But she couldn¡¯t tell if Caleb was angry because of her drunken antics. Caleb wasn¡¯t in a good mood, and logically, tonight wasn¡¯t suitable to carry out the n. However, with the explosive trending news tonight, drowning her sorrows in alcohol seemed the best excuse. ire didn¡¯t want to miss. the opportunity, so she had to take the risky step. She picked up a ss from the whiskey tower and handed it to Caleb. ¡°Drink with me.¡± Caleb took the ss, only to pour the drink out. ¡°You should go home.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone and expression were stern. ire shrugged with a smile. ¡°You won¡¯t even have a drink with me anymore¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll drink alone.¡± ire picked up another ss, which was quickly snatched by Caleb. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll drink with you.¡± Caleb downed the whiskey in the ss. A fleeting smile of triumph shed in ire¡¯s eyes. Together, she and Caleb consumed the entire whiskey tower. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve finished the drinks, let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home¡­ Not like this¡­¡± ire¡¯s voice choked up, tears flowing like broken pearls. Caleb realized that ire¡¯s parents were also staying at ire¡¯s home, and going back in such a state wouldn¡¯t be appropriate. ¡°Patrick, get me a room upstairs.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± After Patrick left, Caleb supported ire as they went up. Her face buried in Caleb¡¯s shoulder, she couldn¡¯t help but smile, 70-02 715 140 Chapter 140. Sicepity wi She specifically chose this ce because the hotel above made it convenient to get a room. The room lit up warmly and invitingly when the key card was inserted. Caleb ced the drunken ire on therge bed. This was a queen¨Csize room,rge enough for two adults to sleep together. Caleb frowned slightly, removing ire¡¯s shoes and coat. He didn¡¯t take off any other clothes and turned to leave. Suddenly, he ething tightly wrap around his waist¨Cire. ¡°ire arted speaking when he felt ire undoing his belt.
  1. b. I¡¯m so hot¡­ I¡¯m feeling so ufortable¡­¡±
ound to see ire kneeling on the bed, her face flushed, her eyes zed over, her pink lips slightly parted, breathing sly tugging at her own clothes. Caleb¡¯s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Just as he wanted to take out his phone to call Mr. Miller to bring a doctor, he suddenly felt something strange in himself. Every ss of whiskey from the tower had been drugged by ire. Not only did Caleb drink it. ire had drunk it as well. ire was certain Caleb wouldn¡¯t leave her alone; he would definitely drink with her, and with both drugged, Caleb¡¯s suspicion towards her would lessen, especially since she had invited Patrick and Zachary. Zachary, notorious for indulging, could have easily mistakenly put something indecent in her drink. The medication Valerie gave her was specifically concocted, acting slowly but just perfectly timed for them to get a room. Now, things were proceeding exactly as ire had nned. With a flushed face, ire threw herself into Caleb¡¯s arms. Her whole body was burning, she could hardly wait any longer. Tonight, Caleb would definitely be with her! If everything went well and she got pregnant¡­ ire¡¯s mind grew hazy. All she knew was- 140 Chapter 140: Sleeping With Her She was about to be Caleb¡¯s woman. The night was deep and quiet. Mount Corvus. At this time, Mount Corvus should be deste and uninhabited. But tonight was different. On the winding mountain road, besides the streetlights, car headlights lit the way. A white BMW 3 series raced swiftly. The route on Mount Corvus had continuous S bends and a cliffside straightway, making night driving extremely dangerous. Yet there were always those seeking thrill. Like Serena Jennings. Serena wasn¡¯t fearless of death. She just happened to pass by Mount Corvus when in a bad mood and thought a drive would help vent her emotions, better than drowning sorrows in alcohol. Serena remembered thest time she drowned her sorrows. Because of Caleb Lockwood. Because Caleb had spent a fortune to celebrate her birthday, actuallypensating her for the raw stone ire snatched from her. And this time, Caleb¡¯s rare gentleness and concern were just a trade. Serena couldn¡¯t articte what made her so angry, so hurt. She was just beginning to realize- The carefree and expressive youth she silently loved for ten years was long gone. The white BMW 3 series sped up. If anyone was watching at this moment, they would probably break into a cold sweat from the series of perilous turns. As Serena drove, she recalled Caleb¡¯s words to her that evening: ¡°Isn¡¯t my love precisely what you¡¯ve been longing for?¡± Once, she truly desired it. She even believed she had it. Suddenly mming the brakes, the white BMW 3 series came to an immediate stop. Serena took out her phone, intending to send Caleb a text, to tell him that no matter how Arthur Lockwood wanted to spin things, 10:02 regardless of how he wanted to trade his false love, she was determined to divorce. Before she could open the message, a call came through. Mding 141 141 Chapter 141: Beating Caleb Lockwood Without Giving Him a Chance to Fight Back Serena Jennings answered the phone with some confusion and wariness. 1 Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice came through the phone: ¡°Mr. Miller, I¡¯m on Anqian Road¡­¡± The abrupt mention of ¡°Mr. Miller¡± left Serena dumbfounded. But soon, Serena realized that Caleb had dialed the wrong number. The call wasn¡¯t meant for her; it was meant for Mr. Miller. Though Serena listened intently to what Caleb said next, she still couldn¡¯t hear clearly. The voiceing through was intermittent, and Serena felt that something was off with Caleb; his voice seemed to be trembling. The white BMW 3 Series restarted under the night sky, speeding off. Anqian Road. There were few people on this road at this time. Serena initially thought Caleb would be hard to find because she didn¡¯t catch his specific location clearly. However, she underestimated the powerful presence of the royal blue Bentley. As soon as she drove onto Anqian Road, she spotted the conspicuous Bentley. The Bentley was parked on the roadside with its hazard lights shing. After parking her car, Serena walked over to the royal blue Bentley and knocked on the driver¡¯s side window. ¡°Caleb?¡± No one responded, so Serena directly opened the car door. A strong smell of alcohol hit her in the face. Serena coughed twice from the irritation. Caleb was sitting inside, leaned against the seat back, with his eyes closed. Whether he neglected to use the seat belt or had already undone it, Caleb was not wearing one. His suit was rumpled, the tie had been yanked off, and even a few buttons on his shirt were missing, exposing elegantly shaped corbones and a trembling Adam¡¯s apple. Caleb appeared not to be asleep, even though his eyes were closed. Serena noticed Caleb¡¯s face was extremely red, unusually so, and he was sweating profusely, looking as if he were soaked. 10.03 916 He frowned, his lips slightly parted as he breathed with difficulty. In any case, Caleb¡¯s current state seemed abnormal, leaving Serena momentarily unsure of what to do. ¡°Caleb, can you recognize me? It¡¯s Serena¡­¡± ¡°You dialed the wrong number and reached me. I called Mr. Miller afterward, but he didn¡¯t answer¡­¡± Serena softly exined the reason she was there when suddenly, her cor was fiercely grabbed by Caleb. She didn¡¯t have time to react; Caleb had already pulled her over. A warmth spread over her lips as Caleb kissed her. The kiss was intense from the start; Serena felt as if Caleb wanted not to kiss her but to devour her. Serena wasn¡¯t resisting, yet Caleb¡¯s kiss was still rough. Before Serena could push Caleb away, he had already shoved her aside. Once pushed away, Serena btedly noticed Caleb¡¯s wounded hand. Caleb¡¯s palm was covered in blood, staining her clothes. ¡°Caleb, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± Serena saw Caleb stagger out of the car, his gaze like that of a starved beast finally finding its prey. In Serena¡¯s impression, Caleb had never looked at her with such eyes. Caleb had strong desires, but even when they hadn¡¯t divorced, he¡¯d never craved her so fiercely. Serena¡¯s skin prickled with goosebumps. She felt scared. Caleb approaching her now was clearly unusual and not fully conscious. Yet she couldn¡¯t just leave Caleb like this. Serena didn¡¯t have much time to hesitate before Caleb grabbed her head again and forcefully kissed her. Serena struggled, but the more she struggled, the rougher Caleb became. The metallic taste spread in her mouth, and Serena realized Caleb had bitten her lip. ¡°Caleb, have you gone mad?¡± Serena had barely pushed Caleb away when he grabbed her shoulder forcefully. The pain in her shoulder distorted Serena¡¯s expression. Then Caleb voluntarily released her. 10:03 Serena saw Caleb squeeze his injured bleeding hand tightly, allowing the blood to drip more. Suddenly, she realized Caleb seemed to be relying on pain to stay conscious. Could Caleb have been drugged? Serena had experienced aphrodisiac drugs before, and the feeling was worse than death. At that time, she didn¡¯t have the strength or presence of mind to resist. Fortunately, the oue had been without danger. Serena quietly watched Caleb, watching the clearly not sober yet unwilling to yield Caleb. Had Caleb changed? Or not changed? Serena shook her head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about this. She needed to help Caleb. But how to help? ¡°Caleb, hang in there, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away¡­¡± Serena carefully approached Caleb; Caleb suddenly lunged forward, copsing onto her. She was pinned to the ground by Caleb. ¡°Cannot¡­ go to the hospital¡­¡± Caleby on Serena, his weak voice like the sound of dead leaves crunching in her ear. ¡°You need to get up¡­¡± Serena couldn¡¯t budge Caleb. Caleb¡¯s mind alternated between rity and confusion, his body feverishly hot. His hands began to wander uncontrobly over Serena¡¯s body as they touched her skin. Serena¡¯s skin was smooth, fair, cool to the touch,fortable, and familiar. Caleb felt like he was an erupting volcano. The more he suppressed it, the more desperately he wanted to release the burning desire inside. He tightened his hand, pierced by shattered ss. The pain brought a moment of rity. At this moment, someone pulled him up and punched him in the face. 10.03 215 Serena hurriedly got up and widened her eyes. In front of her was Ian ckwood, who had appeared unknown to her. Ian was hitting Caleb, leaving Caleb powerless to fight back. Anqian Road was a routen had to take to get home. But it wasn¡¯t a necessary route for Caleb or Serena. Today, Ian had been busy with business untilte, not expecting to encounter familiar faces on this road. What first caught his attention was the royal blue Bentley. The license te with four sevens was too conspicuous. Out of curiosity, he parked his car nearby and approached Caleb¡¯s car on foot to investigate. As a result, the first person he saw was Serena. Serena was leb, struggling in distress. he immediately intervened physically. something was wrong. etaliate at all. n paused, Serena immediately went to Caleb to check his injuries. n felt his heroic rescue had turned into a joke. Serena supported the staggering Caleb without exining anything to Ian. She knewn and Caleb didn¡¯t get along; their rtionship was bad, and their families andpanies were rivals. So she believed Ian couldn¡¯t know abo ugged. Just as Serena was helpi 10.03 ent for this chapter. suddenly snatched Caleb from her. Mding 142 42 Chapter 142: Let Serena Jennings Be Mine ¡°Let me do it!¡± 1 Ian ckwood picked up Caleb Lockwood. Caleb didn¡¯t refuse either. With Caleb¡¯s height, it was much morefortable forn to support him than Serena Jennings. Serena quictly followed alongside, walking withn toward the ck Maybach parked by the road. ¡°You¡¯re actually a pretty good person!¡± Thispliment from Serena was genuinely heartfelt, but Ian didn¡¯t appreciate it. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t taken care of him, you wouldn¡¯t even think to praise me.¡± Serena was dumbfounded. ¡°You should be grateful I drove a different car today.¡± Since he had business to discuss, the white Lamborghini was clearly less appropriate than the ck Maybach. Just by looking, Ian could tell that Caleb was drugged with an aphrodisiac. But to be able to drive away after taking that kind of drug and even control himself around a woman, Ian figured Caleb was either- 80% impotent or 20% gay. ¡°You get in too!¡± Ian called for Serena to get in the car but didn¡¯t let her sit in the back seat. As a result, Serena naturally sat in the back seat with Caleb, despite the ample space avable in the front seat. Ian pushed his gold¨Crimmed sses up, visibly annoyed, visible to Serena with just one nce. However, Serena didn¡¯t even nce at him. She let Caleb rest his head on herp. Caleb¡¯s right hand remained clenched in a fist, refusing to rx. Serena knew Caleb was still enduring, still using the pain to resist the drug. Ian drove back to his own home and called a trusted private doctor to give Caleb an injection and treat his wounds. Althoughn held nothing back when hitting Caleb, those wounds were manageable, The troublesome part was Caleb¡¯s right hand. 10:03 175 The palm was full of tiny ss shards. The doctor said Caleb likely inflicted the wounds himself, perhaps by deliberately crushing a ss. Without the torment of the aphrodisiac, Caleb fell into a deep sleep. ¡°You should sleep in the guest room next to his!¡± Ian said to Serena. Serena sat by Caleb¡¯s bed and turned to thankn. Ian left, and Serena still hadn¡¯t left. Sitting on the living room sofa,n poured himself a ss of vodka. He was waiting for Serena. He was curious about when she would finallye out of Caleb¡¯s room. Three sses of vodka down, and Ian still hadn¡¯t seen Serenae out. He figured Serena might not leave at all tonight. It turned out, when he liked ire Shaw, ire liked Caleb. Now he liked Serena, and Serena liked Caleb as well. When Caleb woke up, he felt some gaps in his memory because he hadn¡¯t beenpletely lucid the night before. But he remembered the gist of it. He and ire were drugged with an aphrodisiac at the bar, barely avoiding ending up in bed together. Luckily, there was a ss in the hotel room, which he crushed to use the pain from the ss shards in his palm to maintain a trace of reason. He clearly remembered calling Mr. Miller, but it was Serena who came to pick him up. Later, Ian had hit him, but Ian also helped him. Caleb rubbed his aching head and only then noticed someone by his bedside. Serena groggily lifted her head and met Caleb¡¯s eyes. She scrambled to her feet, awkwardly scratching her head. ¡°How¡­ how are you feeling? Better now?¡± Lying in bed, Caleb discreetly scrutinized Serena from head to toe. He had already changed into pajamas, but Serena was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Yesterday, she was wearing this outfit when she came to his office to confront him. 10:03 715 142 Chapter 142. LEI Joicha emmys She wore this outfit to have dinner with him, then sshed wine on his face. And she kept wearing this outfit while taking care of him, drugged with an aphrodisiac. Seeing Caleb staring intently at her, Serena nced down at herself. ¡°I identally fell asleepst night because I was too tired, not because I wanted to stay with you.¡± Serena earnestly exined, but Caleb simply chuckled softly. Serena was being truthful. She was a bit concerned about Caleb, but not enough to stay by his side all night. She was genuinely exhausted and unknowingly fell asleep by Caleb¡¯s bed. Caleb¡¯s gaze held a teasing, meaningful glint. Serena knew Caleb didn¡¯t believe her exnation. wood residence was Serena, as she had work to do at thepany, with so much on her te that she could by the doctor to rest for another day. front door, Caleb stood inside while Serena stood outside. an sat alone at the breakfast table. ¡°I advise you not to go back to that house on Vornath Street¡± Caleb warned. Serena didn¡¯t ask why. She had nned to go home to ch To her, ¡°home¡± was still The Jade Pavili CTS. heading to work. Street. ested. she was the mistress of the Lockwood Group, Caleb¡¯s wife. the same clothes as yesterday,ing home early in the morning, who knows what kind of gossip might arise. ck to The Jade Pavilion!¡± go back there, there won¡¯t be my clothes, only ire¡¯s, right?¡± ¡°You think ire still stays at The Jade Pavilion?¡± 3003 ?.? < 142 Chapter 142: Let Serena Jennings Be Mine Caleb retorted, leaving Serena momentarily stunned without an answer. Caleb didn¡¯t borate further, simply saying, ¡°Suit yourself!¡± After leaving Ian¡¯s home, Serena didn¡¯t return to the old house on Vornath Street or The Jade Pavilion; instead, she found a nearby mall and bought a new outfit to change into. Back atn¡¯s ce, Ian finished breakfast and said to Caleb, ¡°Sort out breakfast yourself; I didn¡¯t bring any for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t eat breakfast.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Caleb was silent. Serena used to make him breakfast. Every day for three years of their marriage, without missing a day. And during those three years, with Serena making breakfast, he had developed the habit of eating breakfast. But now, Serena would not make him breakfast ever again. Without Serena¡¯s breakfast, he chose not to eat breakfast. Ian let out a coldugh, pouring another drink for himself. Noticing Caleb staring at him, Ian casually said, ¡°Staring at me won¡¯t help, the doctor says you¡¯re not allowed to drink.¡± Caleb shook his head and sat down on the sofa, a serious expression on his face. ¡°Thanks for the help this time, but I don¡¯t like owing people, especially not you.¡± Ian understood Caleb¡¯s meaning, casually drinking while saying nonchntly: ¡°Then give me twenty percent of the Lockwood Group¡¯s shares.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Caleb agreed so readily that Ian was momentarily stunned. ¡°Seems like the Lockwood Group isn¡¯t that important to you!¡± This time,n didn¡¯t hear a prompt ¡°okay¡± from Caleb. 10:03 Mding 143 143: Regretting the Divorce from Serena Jennings Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression hardly changed, but his ink¨Clike ck eyes grew darker and darker. 1 ¡°Isn¡¯t ire the one you like?¡± Ian ckwood put down his wine ss, adjusting his gold¨Crimmed sses, without rushing to answer the question. He poured himself another ss of wine, this time adding a few more ice cubes. It was already winter, and with no warm air in the room, drinking iced wine would only harm the stomach. At least Caleb Lockwood, who had a stomach disease, wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. While drinking iced vodka, Ian ckwood spoke slowly: ¡°I used to like ire¡­¡± Ian ckwood recalled the days back in high school, when ire Shaw was dressed in sweet pink, looking pure and sweet. He had bouts of mania, where he often became uncontrobly irritable. Only when seeing ire Shaw could he feel calm. ¡°But I don¡¯t like her anymore.¡± 1 Ian ckwood¡¯s eyes, hidden behind the gold¨Crimmed sses, suddenly turned cold. Caleb Lockwood smiled indifferently. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just pure fickleness and impulsive attraction?¡± With Caleb¡¯s assessment, Ian ckwood¡¯s expression turned unhappy. ¡°I haven¡¯t liked multiple people at once or dated multiple people, how can that be called fickle? As for impulsive attraction¡­¡± He adjusted his gold¨Crimmed sses and smiled. *Serena Jennings is beautiful, as a healthy man, it¡¯s normal to be impulsively attracted!¡± Saying this, Ian ckwood didn¡¯t believe he was attracted impulsively. At least when he first met Serena Jennings, he didn¡¯t have this feeling. When did it start? Perhaps because of that over¨Cthe¨Cshoulder throw? Ian ckwoodughed again. Caleb Lockwood stared at Jan ckwood¡¯s face; his recalling expression made the light in Caleb¡¯s eyes cooler. After snapping out of it, Ian ckwood realized Caleb Lockwood seemed to be ring at him. 10:03 143 Chapter 143: Regretting the Divorce from Serena Jennings ¡°But you, Serena Jennings was offered to you and you held back, if you¡¯re not physically capable, I can introduce you to a doctor.¡± Knowing thatn was intentionally mocking him, Caleb Lockwood coldlyughed: ¡°You can ask Serena Jennings if I¡¯m capable or not; we¡¯ve been married for over three years.¡± He didn¡¯t avoid touching Serena Jennings. Rather, he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to release desires while not sober. Being controlled by medication and losing his mind was too disgraceful. The living room quieted down, the atmosphere was even slightly tense. After a while,n ckwood shook his wine ss, the clinking ice cubes inside sounded crisp, somewhat pleasant. ¡°I thought you loved ire so much, would keep yourself for her! But as a fellow man, I can understand¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lump me with you.¡± Caleb Lockwood replied indifferently. ¡°What difference is there between us? I think I¡¯m better than you; at least I didn¡¯t im to love ire Shaw, then marry Serena Jennings, sleep with her for three years, then go back to ire Shaw for reconciliation.¡± ¡°When did I say I reconciled with ire?¡± Caleb¡¯s casual remark maden ckwood raise his eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Then what is your current rtionship with ire?¡± Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t answer. He felt he¡¯d been exchanging too many words with Ian today. ¡°I¡¯m just fulfilling promises from the past.¡± Caleb murmured softly, more like talking to himself. Ian couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Nonsense promises, you¡¯re already a married man yet pretend to be a romantic fool¡­ I don¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t felt anything for Serena Jennings¡­ ¡°No.¡± This time, Caleb quickly denied it. Looking at Caleb¡¯s cold face,n truly couldn¡¯t see the slightest wavering. ¡°Well then, I like Serena Jennings, just don¡¯t get in my way.¡± Caleb stepped forward to the bar,pletely ignoring his bandaged and injured hand, poured himself a drink and downed it. 10:03 I wont get in your way¡­ ¡ø Ian watched Caleb¡¯s sharply defined profile, seeing that Caleb was serious. ¡°Alright then¡­ If someday you regret divorcing Serena, you¡¯re not allowed to pursue her again.¡± J Jewelry Studio. Serena Jennings sensed odd looks from Nancy Young and Sharon Sanders just upon arriving at thepany. Quentin Xavier was also quite curious, butpared to the gossip¨Chungry girls, he was more restrained. Serena knew perfectly well what Nancy Young and Sharon Sanders wanted to know. If she were just Caleb¡¯s wife, there wouldn¡¯t be much gossip. But she had never disclosed this fact, and Caleb Lockwood had consistently aided herpetitor, ire Shaw, openly and secretly. The love¨Chate rtionship between her, Caleb Lockwood, and ire Shaw was what truly captivated Nancy Young and Sharon Sanders. Regardless, she was their boss; unless she voluntarily shared, they wouldn¡¯t dare to inquire recklessly. Rather than being intrigued by family love triangles, Serena preferred her staff focused on their work. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m looking for Serena Jennings, is Serena working here?¡± An old man in a cheap suit, looking sleazy and greasy, knocked on the office door. Since he was explicitly asking for her, Serena stood up. ¡­Ben Jennings?¡± Once she saw the man¡¯s face, she was shocked. ¡°How rude, call me uncle.¡± Quentin Xavier, Nancy Young, and Sharon Sanders were all shocked to hear the man¡¯s words. They couldn¡¯t believe associating this sleazy man with Serena Jennings¡¯s uncle. However, this man named Ben Jennings was indeed Audrey Jennings¡¯s brother and thus Serena Jennings¡¯s uncle. Still, Serena never acknowledged Ben Jennings. Ben Jennings started a business with capital borrowed from Audrey Jennings; yet, after thepany made profits, he didn¡¯t repay. Later, when Audrey Jennings needed money for hospital care due to poor health, Ben Jennings not only didn¡¯t contribute a cent but severed ties, calling them burdens, leeching off him. Seeing Ben Jennings now just made Serena sick. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you as my uncle, please leave.¡± Serena wanted Ben Jennings gone, but he was obstinate, causing a scene. 10.03 314 Ma TUKUYOS, i must have done something awful in a previous life to have you as a niece, let me tell you, you can¡¯t distance yourself from me, we used to be on the same household registry, now you¡¯re a richdy, I¡¯m not saying you should bankroll me, at least don¡¯t be so impolite right?¡± This tirade left Serena with a headache. Not wanting him to disturb Quentin and others¡® work further, she took Ben Jennings out of the studio, finding a caf¨¦ to sit in. ¡°Why did you suddenlye looking for me?¡± Serena asked coldly. Ben Jennings ordered himself a coffee first, then only after it arrived did he answer: ¡°It¡¯s nothing major, just heard my niece snagged a rich husband, married into a wealthy family, specially came to congratte you.¡± This insincere lie from Ben Jennings only made Serena roll her eyes. ¡°Get to the point, otherwise I¡¯m leaving.¡± As Serena stood up, Ben Jennings panicked, ¡°Wait wait, sit down.¡± Serena sat back down. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ mypany is having a bit of financial trouble, mind you I¡¯m not asking to borrow money from you¡­ that husband of yours¡­ isn¡¯t it Caleb Lockwood! You ask him to invest a few tens of millions into mypany, when I make a profit he can earn dividends!¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 8 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 10.03 Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts ch.143 Terrible Mding 144 144 Chapter 144: Roughly Did It with Her Serena Jennings knew Ben Jennings couldn¡¯t say anything decent. 1 ¡°When Mom needed money for her treatment back then, you ran faster than anyone. Now, hearing I¡¯ve married Caleb Lockwood, you actuallye asking for an investment. How can there be such shameless people like you in this world.¡± Completely unexpected, Ben Jennings was stunned to be scolded by Serena Jennings. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Ben Jennings stammered for a long time but couldn¡¯t find an excuse. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m your uncle. You have to help me!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you break ties with me and Mom back then? How dare you call yourself my uncle?¡± Serena Jennings stood up and warned Ben Jennings with a cold face: ¡°Let me tell you, I still have your handwritten statement of severing ties. Since you¡¯re no longer my uncle, I naturally have no obligation to help you. I advise you to behave, or as a wealthy man¡¯s wife, I have plenty of ways to deal with you.¡± After dropping these words, Serena Jennings turned and left. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t just pay for your own coffee!¡± Ben Jennings¡¯s shout was still behind her, and Serena Jennings sighed tiredly as she walked out of the coffee shop. As a result, she had to once more use her status as Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife to scare people. If it weren¡¯t for this, she feared Ben Jennings woulde back and make a fuss. Even though she had warned Ben Jennings, she didn¡¯t have the confidence that he would heed the warning and back off. Serena Jennings was currently overwhelmed with work, was a social media star, and hadn¡¯t been able to finalize her divorce with Caleb Lockwood; too many things weighed on her shoulders, and she really didn¡¯t want Ben Jennings to add to the chaos. However, things didn¡¯t go as she wished. The next day, when Serena Jennings took time to visit Audrey Jennings at Serene Meadows Nursing Home, Audrey Jennings suddenly mentioned Ben Jennings to her. ¡°Your uncle came to visit me yesterday. Hispany is having some financial trouble, and he cried when he asked me to help¡­ He¡¯s a grown man, it¡¯s not easy for him either, Serena, why don¡¯t you help him¡­ He doesn¡¯t want to borrow money, just hopes Caleb can invest in hispany. I¡¯ve already promised him. He said he would repay double after making profits¡­¡± These words from Audrey Jennings nearly made Serena Jennings explode with anger. But Audrey Jennings wasn¡¯t in good health, often confused, and Serena couldn¡¯t argue with her. Even if she did, it wouldn¡¯t end well. Leaving Serene Meadows Nursing Home, Serena Jennings felt exhausted. Just then, a call came in. < 144 Chapter 144: Roughly Did It with Her Meanwhile, ire Shaw had just left the hospital. She disguised herself with a hat, scarf, gloves, andrge sunsses. Luckily, it¡¯s early winter now, so nobody would find her attire odd. At most, they couldn¡¯t see her face clearly and might mistake her for a celebrity. ire Shaw couldn¡¯t let anyone see her. Couldn¡¯t let anyone see hering out of a private hospital. Because she had surgery today. A hymen reconstruction surgery. That night, she thought she¡¯d n everything perfectly, ensuring Caleb Lockwood would sleep with her. In the end, Caleb Lockwood smashed a ss in the hotel room and used the shards to pierce his palm to stay awake. For a brief moment, ire Shaw was terrified. But her ritysted only a few minutes. After Caleb Lockwood left, the effects of the drugs surged again. But there was only her in the room, and she felt unbearable, calling for help in vain. Desperate, she had to call joker. joker mocked her for failing to keep Caleb Lockwood with the drug and roughly forced himself on her. When she woke up, joker had already left, leaving her body covered in hickeys. Fearing exposure, she went to a beauty salon first to cover all the hickeys and scheduled today¡¯s hymen repair surgery. Although it didn¡¯t workst time, she wouldn¡¯t give up. Sitting in her car, ire Shaw removed her hat, scarf, gloves, and sunsses, taking a deep breath. She had to prepare for the next time. No matter when Caleb Lockwood would touch her, she must be a virgin. She picked up her phone and opened the call log. There were no missed calls. Since drugging himst time, two days had passed, yet Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t called her, nor sent her any messages on WeChat. A sense of foreboding lingered in ire Shaw¡¯s heart. Several times, she considered calling Caleb Lockwood herself. But picking up the phone, she hesitated and put it down again. 10:03 With such an incident, Caleb Lockwood left her alone and ran away. She should be pissed. But she feared that if she initiated a cold war with Caleb Lockwood, it would really happen and drag on, making it harder to resolveter. ire Shaw was indecisive, muddled in her heart, uncertain of her next move. Suddenly, the phone in her hand rang. ire Shaw was startled, excitedly looking down- The caller ID wasn¡¯t Caleb Lockwood. Disappointed, she answered the call. The call was from joker, informing her that he was leaving City A. More urately¡ª joker was leaving Country A. ¡°By the way, just so you know, repeated hymen repairs can be noticeable¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s face darkened. face ¡°Mind your own business.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. After all, Caleb Lockwood wouldn¡¯t touch you anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Unable to hold back, ire Shaw yelled. Already vexed from failing to drug Caleb Lockwood and having joker take advantage of her, now being ignored by Caleb Lockwood made joker¡¯s mockery unbearable. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, joker, we¡¯re in this together. If I¡¯m not doing well, don¡¯t expect to do well either!¡± After shouting, the phone was silent. The prolonged silence sparked inexplicable fear in ire Shaw. ¡°ire Shaw¡­ Finally, joker¡¯s voice was heard again on the line. The voice was calm, still unruffled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise¡­ If you can¡¯t be Mrs. Lockwood, then for me¡­¡± You be worthless. 10.03 214 The call was abruptly hung up by joker, leaving ire Shaw shivering. Capital Grand Hotel. Serena Jennings arrived at the designated private room. At the entrance of Serene Meadows Nursing Home, she had received a call from Caleb Lockwood. On the call, Caleb Lockwood mentioned he wanted to discuss her uncle Ben Jennings in person. Serena Jennings wasn¡¯t sure how Caleb Lockwood knew about Ben Jennings. It¡¯s also possible that Ben Jennings found a way to contact Caleb Lockwood directly. Regardless, Ben Jennings had already made his way to Caleb Lockwood. Serena gs thought it was fine. Lockwood is pressured by Arthur Lockwood to capitalize on her temporary poprity to boost Lockwood Group. ce of Ben Jennings might just lead Caleb Lockwood to reassess her utility. wants to avoid Ben Jennings¡¯s nuisance, the right way is to head to the civil affairs bureau with her to finalize their divorce. Serena Jennings had already nned her negotiation strategy, but when she opened the door to the private room, she was surprised to see that the person waiting inside was not Caleb Lockwood. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this ch God Mding 145 45 Chapter 145: You Should Call Me Dad The room wasrge enough, but not crowded with people. 1 Serena Jennings saw Arthur Lockwood; she wasn¡¯t particrly surprised. Behind Arthur Lockwood were two men in suits, one of whom she recognized as Arthur¡¯s bodyguard. The other one she didn¡¯t recognize. Although he was dressed in a ck suit just like the bodyguard, his aura from head to toe was even more formal. Serena guessed this person must be Arthur Lockwood¡¯swyer. ¡°Serena, have a seat!¡± Arthur wore a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. Serena thought Arthur must have asked Caleb to invite her because he was afraid that if he reached out directly, she might note. ¡°Serena, I¡¯ll be blunt, I don¡¯t want you and Caleb to get divorced, at least not at this moment, so name your terms¡­¡± As Arthur spoke, thewyer behind him timely presented a document in front of Serena. Serena looked down and quickly nced over it. It was an agreement, with unchangeable terms in the front requiring her to cooperate with Caleb as a qualified socialite wife for half a year, to boost the Lockwood family¡¯s poprity and prestige. However, the Lockwood Family could unterally terminate the contract early, but she didn¡¯t have that right. ¡°The bottom is nk; feel free to propose conditions¨Cwhether it¡¯s money or resources, The Lockwood Family can provide¡­ Oh, and your uncle, whatever his name is, hispany isn¡¯t doing well these days, I¡¯m aware of that. I can invest and help him through tough times, as long as you cooperate during this period.¡± Arthur¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t forceful, yet his words were filled with the arrogance of an authority figure. Serena sighed. ¡°Mr. Lockwood¡­¡± This title made the fake smile on Arthur¡¯s face instantly fade. ¡°You¡¯re still married to Caleb. You should call me Dad¡± Arthur¡¯s voice was full of displeasure now. Serena heard it but didn¡¯t change her address. ¡°Mr. Lockwood, I appreciate your kindness, but I don¡¯t need The Lockwood Family¡¯s charity. I¡¯m doing quite well on my own¡­¡± ¡°Serena¡­¡± 10.03 115 Without giving Arthur a chance to interject, Serena waved her hand and continued: ¡°As for Ben Jennings, I don¡¯t rmend you invest in hispany. He¡¯s selfish, profit¨Cdriven, andckspetence. Investing in him would lead to a total loss¡­ Morcover, he¡¯s long cut ties with me and my mom. Whether you help him or not won¡¯t change my resolve to divorce Caleb¡­ If anything, The Lockwood Family should divorce me as soon as possible to sever ties, lest Ben clings onto your resources.¡± Serena watched Arthur¡¯s face turn gloomy as she spoke with unwavering demeanor: ¡°I¡¯m not a celebrity, just a designer. My poprity is temporary, but someone like Ben is a bottomless pit and once clinging on, will never end. As a businessman, Mr. Lockwood should know what¡¯s cost¨Ceffective without me teaching¡± After saying this, Serena pushed the agreement back. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± No matter what Arthur thought, she had said what needed to be said and turned to leave the Capital Grand Hotel. Sitting in her white BMW Series 3, Serena took a deep breath. She hoped Arthur could heed her words. Serena turned and pulled out a document from her briefcase on the passenger seat. This document was the divorce agreement Caleb had given her. She¡¯s been carrying it with her recently. Her phone suddenly rang; it was Caleb calling. Serena answered the phone. ¡°Finished talking to my dad?¡± ¡°Finished.¡± ¡°Changed your mind?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The conversation was very brief. Serena wasn¡¯t sure why Caleb called her. Before Serena could finish speaking, Caleb had already hung up. Serena drove to The Jade Pavilion. Peter had arranged to meet her here for afternoon tea and discuss business. ¡°You¡¯re quite busy these days; it¡¯s bing difficult to catch a moment with you.¡± 10.04 215 Peter quipped. ¡°Who says? My schedule is always open for you.¡± Serena said with a smile. Being with Peter was far more rxed than facing the Lockwood family. Serena felt the tension in her head finally ease up, her shoulders naturally loosening. ¡°Work is important, but so is your health. Don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± Peterforted her, reaching out to rub her temple. Serena was taken aback just as Peter withdrew his hand. Across from The Jade Pavilion, through clean ss windows, someone was holding a dark camera. Inside the pavilion, Peter poured a cup of herbal tea for Serena. He could see her fatigue wasn¡¯t due to work. But he didn¡¯t want to discuss Serena¡¯s personal matters; mentioning them would only add to her stress. ¡°The project isn¡¯t confirmed yet, but there¡¯s interest, so they contacted me first to have you prepare.¡± Peter handed the project documents to Serena. ¡°The Queen of Ydris?¡± Serena was shocked. Peter smiled, ¡°Yes, a royal project¡­ restoring an old crown and crafting a new one.¡± ¡°Such a high¨Clevel project offered to me? That¡¯s too ttering!¡± In Serena¡¯s understanding, royals would typically have their own traditional craftsmen. *Originally, the Queen favored Master BYC, but couldn¡¯t reach him. As for why you couldn¡¯t reach him, you know better than I.¡± Peter teased her deliberately, and Serena was at a loss betweenughter and tears. She was indeed reluctant to im the BYC identity. ¡°The Queen saw your performance at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week and believes you can surprise her¡­ But considering the crown represents the royalty¡¯s face during formal events, they¡¯re still hesitant if they should entrust it to a neer. The Queen suggests you start preparing ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± ¡°Keep the project book handy, look over it when you return; I think it¡¯s almost a sure thing¡­¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Serena had just stored away the project book for the Ydris royal family when amotion rose in the store. 10:04 ¡°You ungrateful traitor!¡± Ben Jennings stormed over to Serena and Peter¡¯s table, pointing at Serena¡¯s nose, scolding her. ¡°I finally found you. The Lockwood family agreed to invest in mypany, but you backstabbed me, refusing to help and even kicking me while I¡¯m down. Ungrateful brat, what a waste of us Jennings raising you! If mypany copses, I¡¯m not finished with you!¡± Peter immediately shielded Serena and asked the store¡¯s security to throw Ben out. Across from The Jade Pavilion, the camera¡¯s sh continued to flicker. Peter, feeling uneasy for Serena, personally drove her home. Serena felt Ben was truly a persistent nuisance. That night, gossip ounts exploded with news of Serena betraying her privileged roots post¨Cmarriage, neglecting rtives on the brink, which even climbed the trending list. Serena knew instantly it was Ben¡¯s doing, trying to pressure her through the inte. She turned off her phone and pulled out the project book to focus on work. Such news, if ignored, would lose its heat in a couple of days. The Jade Pavilion. Caleb Lockwoody on the bed. It was the bed they bought when they married. With only one person lying on it, the bed seemed overly spacious. He was scrolling through his phone. His fingertips just swiped onto a trending post. Mding 146 46 Chapter 146: Knife in Hand Caleb Lockwood originally had little interest in trending topics, but he clicked on this one to see. 1 After reading it, he backed out and called Mr. Miller. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± ¡°No, President Lockwood, what do you need?¡± Caleb Lockwood realized his question was unnecessary, as Mr. Miller would always say he wasn¡¯t asleep even if he was. ¡°Serena Jennings¡® uncle¡­ On the other end, Mr. Miller raised his eyelids, surprise evident in his eyes. He didn¡¯t expect Caleb Lockwood to call him thiste, not forpany business, but because of Serena Jennings. ¡°¡­Yes, President Lockwood, I¡¯ll handle it right away.¡± Over the next two days, Serena Jennings paid no mind to Ben Jennings¡® affairs, and Ben didn¡¯te to find her. She was seeking inspiration for the royal project in Ydris while waiting for calls from Caleb Lockwood or Arthur Lockwood. The The call she awaited came, but it was an unexpected person. Jenny¡¯s International Bridal Couture. Serena Jennings saw Cynthia Fulton and Justin Nash. Cynthia Fulton wore a dazzling crystal wedding gown with a long train, her face lit up with happiness, especially when she saw Serena, her smile became even brighter. In contrast, Justin Nash was visibly surprised upon meeting her eyes, then quickly looked away and no longer nced at her. This reaction caught Serena Jennings off guard. Receiving Cynthia Fulton¡¯s call had already been unexpected,ter she thought Justin Nash might have rmended her, after all, she¡¯s a hot jewelry designer now. However, it seemed Justin Nash wasn¡¯t aware she wasing. ¡°Serena, you¡¯re a big designer now,e help me pick which jewelry would suit my wedding day!¡± Cynthia Fulton pulled Serena over. This Jenny¡¯s International Bridal Couture is the most upscale bridal boutique in City A, with all international brand bridal gowns and authentic gemstone jewelry, though rented, the prices are beyond what normal people can afford. Considering the timeline, Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding should indeed be scheduled. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, any piece of jewelry would look great on you.¡± 10.04 < 146 Chapter 146: Knife in Hand Serena Jennings spoke polite words. She and Cynthia Fulton weren¡¯t even ordinary friends and truly didn¡¯t want to meddle in such a personal matter like marriage. ¡°Why do you say the same thing as Justin Nash!¡± Cynthia Fulton turned and nced at Justin Nash, smiling sweetly. Justin Nash didn¡¯t look at Cynthia and didn¡¯t smile. He turned his head, trying to minimize his presence. Serena Jennings noticed Justin Nash¡¯s difort. She wondered if her presence was disrupting the newlyweds Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton. Justin Nash¡¯s emotions were conflicted at the moment. He was happy to see Serena again. But he didn¡¯t want Serena to see him and Cynthia Fulton together. Especially not while preparing for the wedding. Serena Jennings wanted to find an excuse to leave, but Cynthia Fulton held her hand tightly, not letting her go. Serena Jennings realized Cynthia was intentionally keeping her there to see them busy with wedding preparations. She sensed it ever since Cynthia Fulton sent her a wedding invitation. Cynthia Fulton had some hostility or rather vignce towards her. After all, Justin Nash once had a fondness for her. ¡°As a professional jewelry designer, I hope you¡¯ll give professional opinions.¡± Since Cynthia Fulton said so, Serena Jennings rudely critiqued: ¡°Honestly, these pieces aren¡¯t suitable for you.¡± Cynthia Fulton¡¯s face changed abruptly. ¡°These designs are too ordinary; you could totally pull off something more unique.¡± After saying this, Cynthia Fulton¡¯s face slightly eased. Justin Nash silently listened, resonating with Serena¡¯s viewpoint. The bridal gowns and jewelry Cynthia Fulton chose were excessively luxurious. But to Justin Nash, apart from beingvish, they seemed empty. Now Serena Jennings selected a pearl set for Cynthia Fulton, simple yet elegant, with a refined sense of sophistication. Justin Nash¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°This set really doesn¡¯t suit me¡± 10.04 215 146 Chapter 146: Knife in Hand Cynthia Fulton shook her head, a hint of scorn in the smile at her lips. ¡°Too impractical, not fitting for an aristocratic family, and cheap, suitable only for those who¡¯ve never seen the world like some nouveau riche.¡± After hearing Cynthia¡¯s evaluation, Serena just smiled faintly. The pearl jewelry set she picked was the final work of the Van Cleef & Arpels master before retirement. The choice of irregr Baroque pearls. Though mainstream markets prefer white and round pearls, the master chose rare Tahitian pearls in tinum gray, each Baroque pearl meticulously selected, with angles and gloss precisely coordinated. Serena was genuinely surprised this store managed to acquire this set of jewelry. But Cynthia Fulton didn¡¯t appreciate it. ¡°I think this set is stunning; Serena truly deserves to be a renowned jewelry designer, her eye is unique.¡± Justin Nash suddenly approached. Cynthia Fulton¡¯s face instantly lengthened. She had tried on numerous sets of jewelry, without a single tteringment from Justin Nash, yet upon Serena¡¯s rmendation, he imed in immediately. If you say that, it only proves Serena has a man¡¯s taste.¡± Cynthiaughed as she spoke and went into the dressing room to change gowns again. Serena Jennings and Justin Nash found themselves alone outside the dressing room. The atmosphere between them was indescribably awkward. Serena noticed Justin Nash seemed to want to say something but paused, trying to find a topic to chat with her. But she remembered her promise, pretending to be engrossed in choosing more jewelry for Cynthia Fulton, purposely avoiding Justin Nash¡¯s gaze. Justin Nash lowered his eyelids, hiding the disappointment in his eyes. He knew Serena had promised his mother to break off rtions with him. He also knew he was getting married. Justin Nash silently picked up a dazzling pearl diamond tiara. When Cynthia Fulton emerged from the dressing room after changing, she just happened to see Justin Nash ce the tiara on Serena¡¯s head. This tiara was one she¡¯d selected earlier to wear during the main gown walk on the wedding day. 10:04 As Serena noticed something being put on her head, Justin Nash withdrew his hand. Though it was only a brief instant¡­ In Justin Nash¡¯s eyes, there was a glimpse of utmost happiness and fulfillment. Cynthia Fulton took the tiara without a word and handed it to the staff, choosing another. Serena knew nothing of what Justin Nash had done, nor why Cynthia Fulton was upset. She spent a day arranging several sets of jewelry for Cynthia Fulton, but none satisfied her. ¡°How about this, Serena, you personally design a set of jewelry for my wedding!¡± ¡°But there¡¯s not enough time¡­¡± ¡°I can pay to expedite; please, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Cynthia F Serena¡¯s hand. dampen the bride¡¯s enthusiasm, so she agreed. eft the bridal shop, it was already dark outside. inter, it got dark early. erena, since I¡¯ve kept you busy thiste, let me treat you to dinner, there¡¯s a new hotpot ce nearby that¡¯s quite tasty.¡± Justin Nash said to Serena, his eyes shining in a way Cynthia Fulton had never seen. She noticed Justin Nash said ¡°I¡± instead of ¡°we.¡± ¡°No need to spend, it wasn¡¯t a wasted visit for me, I got a new order.¡± Serena noticed the disappointme As she approached That face but knew rightly she shouldn¡¯t continue being the third wheel. hed out of the supermarket nearby, causing unrest among the people around. the firstment for this chapter. 8 Vote Send Gifts Show suppe Mding 147 47 Chapter 147: In That Kind of Mood Serena saw that Ben¡¯s initial target probably wasn¡¯t her. 1 But the moment their eyes met, Ben immediately turned and charged straight at her. ¡°You dare mess with me, I¡¯ll stab you to death!¡± Ben rushed at Serena, wielding a knife as if he had gone mad. Serena intended to grab the fruit knife from Ben¡¯s hand, but before she could act, she was suddenly knocked to the ground. ¡°Careful!¡± The person who tackled her was Justin Nash. Serena knew Justin was genuinely trying to protect her, but by exposing his back to Ben, he was in even greater danger. Ben seemed Serena couldn¡¯t predict what he might do. ney off you, but now mypany copsed, the money¡¯s gone, and there¡¯s high¨Cinterest loan¡­¡± usly to himself. knife in his hand was originally bought to deal with the loansharks. u won¡¯t let me have peace? Fine, then we¡¯ll both go down together!¡± Seeing Ben about to strike, Justin held Serena tightly behind him. Not far away, Cynthia watched the scene unfold, her bridal makeup making her face appear ghostly pale. At this moment, a few cars scattered the crowd The headlights were blinding, all ck They surrounded Ben, Sere Serena had son emerged a group of people, all dressed in ck suits and sunsses. Bea ore and was scared; his legs wobbled, unable to muster any tough words. center of the group in ck, ack suit, but the quality outssed the others. anor distinctly set him apart from the others. ce stirred whispers among the onlookers: he the president of The Lockwood Group?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Caleb Lockwood..¡± 1604 175 VI It turned out to be shackles. ¡°This is your home.¡± Serena stated. Caleb didn¡¯t argue, allowing Serena to get out of the car. ¡°I have something to discuss with you,e inside!¡± After a long time, Serena returned to her former home, where the furnishings were exactly as they were upon her marriage. Serena lifted her gaze, surprised and puzzled. If she recalled urately, this home had long been transformed to a burst of pink by ire. ¡°ire doesn¡¯t live here.¡± Caleb abruptly remarked. Serena felt Caleb seemed to have read her thoughts. Judging by the home¡¯s decor, Caleb probably wasn¡¯t lying; ire no longer lived there. ¡°Whether she lives here or not has nothing to do with me.¡± Serena replied softly. ¡°Would you like a drink to calm your nerves?¡± Caleb asked. Serena shook her head. ¡°No need, I¡¯m not scared. ¡°Hmm.¡± Caleb saw Serena¡¯s calm expression, unlike someone pretending to be brave, so he only poured himself a drink. Serena saw Caleb pick up an ice cube. ¡°It¡¯s so cold and you still add ice? Isn¡¯t your stomach painful?¡± After speaking, Serena wished she could p herself. She had spoken too much again. Caleb put the ice cube down. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Serena noticed Caleb¡¯s charming smile, his lips always slightly curled, as if deliberately testing her. ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason for bringing me here?¡± 10:04 315 Caleb took a sip of his drink. ¡°Your uncle¡­ that Ben, he embezzled public funds, umted gambling debts, and borrowed many high¨Cinterest loans, now it¡¯s all to do?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Serena tilted her head. ¡°He brought it upon himself, deserves what¡¯sing, being imprisoned isn¡¯t bad, at least he won¡¯t harass me anymore.¡± This surprised Caleb. ¡°I never knew you were this cold¨Chearted?¡± Serena frowned, arms crossed. ¡°I never knew you were this benevolent?¡± Caleb paused, smiling silently. Serena didn¡¯t consider herself cold¨Chearted. This was inevitably Ben¡¯s own doing. Besides, Ben wasn¡¯t her real uncle, with absolutely no blood rtion, how could she be called cold¨Chearted? On her way back to The Jade Pavilion, Serena had been checking her phone. She saw Ben¡¯s news trending. After Ben bought trending posts to nder her, online sentiment reversed, exposing his embezzlement, gambling debts, and high- interest loans. In one night, Ben¡¯s credit copsed, thepany went bankrupt, all his properties and cars were repossessed by the bank, and he faced detention. Serena couldn¡¯t help but be struck by the ups and downs of Ben¡¯s life. Now that Caleb had discussed everything he wanted with her, she wished to leave. ¡°Where do you want to go thiste? Just stay here tonight!¡± Caleb said, and went to change into sleepwear, then handed Serena a brand new set of sleepwear. Serena noticed the new sleepwear wasn¡¯t pink but ck. ¡°What, don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Serena held the new sleepwear, not moving. 10:04 She didn¡¯t want to stay at The Jade Pavilion. She didn¡¯t want to stay with Caleb. Caleb¡¯s eyes chilled as he realized what Serena was concerned about. ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t touch you.¡± Then he returned to the master bedroom on his own. Serena sensed Caleb wasn¡¯t pleased. But it¡¯s better to make Caleb unhappy than to spark his interest in that aspect. After showering and changing into the new sleepwear, Serenay down. The bed seemed sufficientlyrge when they bought it for marriage, but with two people it felt much less spacious, Caleb¡¯s body heat seemed to bake her back. Comment O Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 8 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 148 48 Chapter 148: Setting a Trap on Purpose Serena Jennings slept more soundly than she had anticipated. 1 When she woke up, Caleb Lockwood was not by her side. There were faint noisesing from the bathroom, and Serena thought Caleb must be freshening up inside. She picked up her phone to check the time, only to see a news alert pop up: Caleb Lockwood defends his wife fiercely! Serena paused and opened the news. The content was about how, yesterday, Ben Jennings attacked her, and Caleb Lockwood came with The Lockwood Family¡¯s bodyguards to the rescue. The scene of him carrying her away like a princess took up thergest part of the front page. It¡¯s trending on major tforms now. The rted content surprisingly involved The Lockwood Group¡¯s stock. Serena never cared much about stocks, but she clicked to see it nheless. The Lockwood Group has been skyrocketing since the market opened today. All thanks to the publicity from this trending news. All of a sudden, Serena shivered, her fingertips icy as she held the phone. Just then, Caleb¡¯s phone rang; it was a call. Serena got out of bed, picked up Caleb¡¯s phone, and saw that the caller was Arthur Lockwood. Caleb¡¯s contact name for his father wasn¡¯t ¡°Dad¡± or ¡°Father,¡± but Arthur Lockwood¡¯s full name. Holding Caleb¡¯s phone, Serena knocked on the bathroom door. ¡°Your dad¡¯s calling you.¡± When handing over the phone, Serena identally pressed the answer button with her finger. Immediately, Arthur Lockwood¡¯s triumphant voice came through the receiver. ¡°You did well this time, just like that¡­¡± Serena couldn¡¯t hear the rest. Because Caleb had already put the phone to his car. Standing at the bathroom door, coldness spread through Serena. 10:05 116 148 Chapter 148: Setting a Trap on Purpose She thought Caleb had stepped up to protect her from Ben Jennings. But was that really the truth? Just the day before, Ben was manipting public opinion to thrust her into the spotlight, and overnight, he became the rat everyone despises. All those stories about Ben embezzling public funds, his gambling debts, and loan shark issues couldn¡¯t have spread so quickly without some backstage maniption. Fiercely defending his wife¡­ The headline she saw earlier on her phone reyed in Serena¡¯s mind. As soon as Caleb put down the phone, Serena¡¯s frosty voice demanded from the bathroom door: ¡°So you set up the whole thing to force Ben to target me, just to y the hero and fiercely defend your wife, using me to create a sensation and boost The Lockwood Group¡¯s stocks¡­ Am I right?¡± Caleb silently stared at Serena. He saw Serena ring at him with reddened eyes, full of anger and disappointment. That¡¯s what Arthur Lockwood thought of him. And that¡¯s what Serena thought of him. ¡°Think whatever you want!¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was icy, like he was an ice sculpture emitting cold air from head to toe. He walked out of the bathroom, brushing past Serena. The cold anger was like a knife slicing across Serena¡¯s face. Serena couldn¡¯t understand how Caleb still had the audacity to be angry. Clearly, she was the one facing the knife. She was the one being used as a tool. Serena changed her clothes, intending to leave The Jade Pavilion when Caleb¡¯s phone rang again. Caleb pressed the speakerphone button. ¡°Caleb, are you busy today?¡± When ire Shaw¡¯s sweetened voice came through the phone, Serena realized Caleb had intentionally put the call on speaker. ¡°I¡¯m not busy. Where are you? I¡¯lle find you now.¡± Caleb, after setting up a meeting with ire, hung up the phone. Serena quietly left The Jade Pavilion. 10.05 215 < 148 Chapter 148: Setting a Trap on Purpose As she left, Caleb didn¡¯t say a word to her. ire arranged to meet Caleb at a couple¡¯s caf¨¦. She was dressed beautifully. She wore new clothes and applied sweet makeup. Because Caleb¡¯s attitude during the call was quite positive, ire approached him as proactively as before and took his arm when she saw him. But Caleb removed her hand. This small action immediately stirred a foreboding feeling in ire. Originally, she didn¡¯t want to lower her head first. But she realized she had no choice. For so many days, Caleb hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to contact her. Moreover, her parents told her that the plot ofnd in Northriver, which negotiations were going well for, had suddenly been transferred by Caleb to Ian ckwood for free. For ire, it was like a bolt from the blue. She couldn¡¯t understand it. Clearly, Caleb and Ian were in a hostile rtionship, and thend in Northriver was supposed to be developed jointly by The Lockwood Group and her parents. How did things be like this? The only possibility ire could think of was that Caleb found out she had spiked the drink that night. This was what ire feared the most from the beginning. ¡°Caleb, why have you been so cold to me these days?¡± ire lowered her gaze, tears almost brimming. Caleb took a sip of coffee, and after a long silence, he replied: ¡°The wine we drank that night contained drugs, did you do it?¡± ¡°How could that be?!¡± ire was visibly shocked. ¡°Did Zachary Aldrin do it then?¡± ¡°I have no idea..¡± ire blinked her innocent eyes. ¡°So, Caleb, you thought I drugged you which is why you¡¯re mad at me? But you should know me, I would never do something like that!¡± 30.06 315 < 148 Chapter 148: Setting a Trap on Purpose ire spoke sincerely, holding Caleb¡¯s hand. Caleb¡¯s hand was very cold. ¡°You once said I was the person you cherished the most, and you promised me that after divorcing Serena, you¡¯d give me a status¡­ Honestly, I don¡¯t care about those things, all I want is your love¡­¡± ire¡¯s voice trembled uncontrobly. Caleb stared into ire¡¯s eyes. Her tear¨Cfilled eyes were like a clear spring. He could see right to the bottom. What he saw was simply pure, without a trace of deceit, a longing for him. ¡°Caleb¡­ please don¡¯t ignore me, okay?¡± Caleb responded with an ¡°Mm.¡± Although, to ire, it didn¡¯t sound very sincere. The two had a simple meal together and briefly discussed thend in Northriver. ¡°I owedn ckwood a favor, so I gave him thend.¡± Caleb said simply, and ire didn¡¯t dare to ask more. The two seemed to have returned to their previous ways of interacting, but ire could still sense an invisible barrier between them. After the meal, Caleb left first to return to thepany and handle business. ire remained in the caf¨¦, anxious. This can¡¯t go on¡­ She took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to joker. After a while, joker replied, but with a question: Are you all going to Meridia soon to attend the Nash Family¡¯s first son¡¯s wedding? The questionpletely confused ire. Soon after, she received another WeChat from joker: By the way, someone is desperately trying to pull strings to get out on bail. On her way back to the office, Serena got a call from Arthur Lockwood. ¡°Serena, you should dress up tonight. There¡¯s a social event I need you to attend, which is crucial for The Lockwood Family¡¯s important project¡­ I¡¯ve thought about what you mentioned before, and I still believe you and Caleb shouldn¡¯t divorce¡­ Look, your uncle¡¯s issue is resolved, and Caleb even took a knife for you to protect you. You shouldn¡¯t be so ungrateful, right?¡± 10:05 415 148 Chapter 148: Setting a Trap on Purpose Serena found Arthur Lockwood¡¯s reasoning amusing. The one who really rushed forward to shield her from a knife was Justin Nash. Caleb was clearly the one who schemed against her. Suppressing her anger, Serena calmly spoke: ¡°Mr. Lockwood, where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at Veridia Vi, why?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Serena hung up the phone, pulled over to the side of the road, and sent a WeChat message to Caleb: I¡¯m heading to Veridia Vi to see your dad now; you shoulde too. I have something to say. Comment O Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 8 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 149 149 Chapter 149: Infertile The first snow of this winter fell over City A. 1 The snowkes danced in the air, beautiful in their purity, yet chilling in their destion. Serena Jennings drove while admiring the snowy scene outside the window, feeling an indescribable chill and loneliness within. When she arrived at Veridia Vi, Caleb Lockwood happened to be arriving too. They got out of their cars almost simultaneously and walked toward the vi at the same time. Neither of them spoke, not even sparing a nce at each other- They were like strangers. Inside the vi, Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young were present. Seeing that Serena hade with Caleb, Arthur¡¯s face immediately brightened with a smile. ¡°What brings you both here? Come, quickly, have a seat!¡± Serena could tell that Arthur was in a good mood. Perhaps it was because The Lockwood Group¡¯s stock price had recently skyrocketed, increasing their market value. At Veridia Vi, new servants had been hired, and one of them served a hot cocoa only to Caleb. Arthur shot a nce at Lilian. Lilian pouted, clearly unwilling, but ultimately instructed the servant to also serve Serena a cup of the same hot cocoa. Serena could see that Lilian wasn¡¯t weing her. Ever since Serena began to discuss divorce with Caleb, Lilian¡¯s impression of her had plummeted. Now Serena was thriving with her own studio,pletely bing a woman in the spotlight. Lilian felt that such a woman was unsuitable to be their Lockwood¡¯s daughter¨Cinw. The Lockwoods, with their wealth and influence, didn¡¯t care how much money Serena could make by running her own studio. It was better to stay home, support her husband, teach her children, and manage the household. Moreover, Serena didn¡¯t even call her and Arthur ¡°mom and dad¡± anymore. If not for Arthur¡¯s sake today, she wouldn¡¯t even let Serena in the house, ¡°Serena, you and Calebing together, does it mean you¡¯ve thought over what I mentioned to youst time?¡± Arthur Lockwood, being a businessman, was ustomed to negotiating terms for everything. He went to his study and came out holding a piece of paper. 10.05 < 149 Chapter 149: Infertile Serena knew that this paper was the agreement Arthur had given herst time at the Capital Grand Hotel. ¡°Come on, write whatever terms you want, I¡¯ll keep my word.¡± Arthur handed the agreement over to Serena. Serena took it, and then, right in front of Arthur, Lilian, and Caleb, she tore the agreement in half with a rip. The vi fell silent. Arthur and Lilian were dumbfounded. Only Caleb, sitting on the sofa, calmly continued drinking his hot cocoa as if nothing happened. ¡°Serena, what is the meaning of this! Don¡¯t you dare disrespect me!¡± Arthur was angry. No matter how much he needed Serena¡¯s poprity, he was still an elder, wealthy, and from a prestigious family. How dare Serena¡­ angry, his mouth twitched. ian nted her hands on her hips, equally furious. think you are? Do you think our family is so desperate for you just because you¡¯re popr and useful now? You think you¡¯re a hotmodity.¡± Being scolded by Arthur and Lilian, Serena remainedposed. She spoke calmly: ¡°So today I¡¯m here to tell you, no matter what, I must divorce Caleb¡­ and you¡¯ll surely agree, after all, your family can¡¯t afford to have a daughter¨Cinw who can¡¯t have children.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Lilian and Arthur were taken aback. When Caleb heard Serena¡¯s words, his eyes lifted, but his gaze contained no surprise. Serena¡¯s hands, buried deep in her coat pockets, tightly clenched into fists. She initially didn¡¯t want to bring this up. Because it made her seem too pitiful. But the divorce with Caleb couldn¡¯t be dyed any longer. If it dragged on, who knew how she might be used next? So Serena had no choice but to reveal it. 10:05 215 < 149 Chapter 149: Infertile ¡°But¡­ but didn¡¯t you have a pregnancy before?¡± Lilian nced at Arthur, both filled with confusion. Mentioning this, Serena couldn¡¯t help but look at Caleb. Her eyes were rimmed with red. Caleb remained expressionless. But his grip on the cup was tight enough that his nails dug into the flesh of his palm. ¡°The child was aborted by Caleb himself¡­ he¡¯s the reason my uterus was damaged, making me infertile forever¡­¡± ng in of everyone in the vi was drawn to a hard object falling onto the mahogany floor at the door. ther!¡± hiddenly stood up from the sofa. serena never expected Lance Lockwood toe to Veridia Vi. Least of all, at the exact moment she revealed this. ¡°Serena¡­ is what you just said true?¡± Lance stared wide¨Ceyed, filled with disbelief, his whole body trembling. Lance ¡°Did Caleb kill your child? He also¡­ also made you unable to¡­¡± Before finishing his sentence, Lance clutched his chest forcefully. ¡°Grandfather!¡± Serena was the first to run over and support the staggering Lance, quickly retrieving nitroglycerin tablets for him to take under his tongue. Meanwhile, Caleb was already calling 911 for an emergency. Due to the snow, the ambnce took a while to arrive and took Lance to the Cypress District Branch of 701 Hospital nearby. Lance¡¯s condition required an emergency coronary bypass surgery, carrying some risk. Arthur did not favor relying on just any branch hospital¡¯s doctor. Lance was the patriarch of their family, too important to suffer even the slightest mishap. ¡°Didn¡¯t Country A recently have a particrly famous cardiologist, what¡¯s his name¡­¡± ¡°Warren Winters.¡± Serena¡¯s voice echoed through the hospital corridor, emphasizing its somberness. This was the first time she took the initiative to speak after Lance was taken to the hospital by ambnce. 10.05 Arthur red at Serena with growing hatred. If Serena hadn¡¯t been so talkative, Lance wouldn¡¯t have had a heart attack needing surgery. ¡°If something happens to the old man¡­¡± He strode over to Serena and raised his hand to p her. The p never came. Caleb had appeared behind Arthur at some point, holding Arthur¡¯s raised wrist in his hand. For a moment, Serena and Caleb¡¯s eyes met. But they quickly looked away. Caleb¡¯s expression was cold, his gaze even colder. Caleb let go, and Arthur lowered his arm, as Caleb softly said: ¡°I¡¯ll contact Warren Winters. The doctor said surgery must be done within 10 hours¡­¡± After speaking, he left to find a quiet ce to make a call. Arthur was pacing anxiously in the hallway. Lilian was by his side, trying tofort him. his s She wasn¡¯t feigning concern. She was worried about Lance too. Because if Lance died, conducting business wouldn¡¯t be the same for the Lockwoods. In this unfortunate twist of fate, Lilian looked at Serena with even more disdain. ¡°You¡¯re a heartless ingrate, a harbinger of doom. The old man was so good to you, yet you know how to repay kindness with malice.¡± Serena didn¡¯t retort. She wasn¡¯t in the mood now. Soon, Caleb returned, his expression grim. ¡°I contacted Warren Winters. He¡¯s currently in Country C and can be here in less than three hours¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Arthur was full of hope. ¡°But he¡¯s unwilling toe.¡± At Caleb¡¯s words, Arthur immediately panicked. ¡°Offer more money then? Whatever it takes to bring him here, the Lockwoods will pay.¡± 10:05
  1. Hente
Caleb maintained a stern face, shaking his head. ¡°Warren doesn¡¯tck money.¡± Then he realized Serena was no longer in the hallway. At some point, Serena had left, and no one knew where she went. Outside Building 3, in the corner by the wall. Serena was making a phone call. The call rang twice with a busy signal before connecting. Serena spoke: ¡°Hello? Dr. Winters¡­¡± Tell me cousin.¡± Mding 150 50 Chapter 150: Cousin Arthur Lockwood and the others were as anxious as a cat on hot bricks when Caleb Lockwood received a call from Country C.1 ¡°¡­ Really? Okay¡­ I¡¯ll send someone to pick him up immediately.¡± After hanging up, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s tense face finally rxed. ¡°Warren Winters has agreed toe and perform the surgery.¡± Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young instantly breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Great, Caleb, you¡¯re the one with the solutions!¡± Praised by Arthur Lockwood, Caleb Lockwood slightly frowned. Why did Warren Winters suddenly change his mind? Was it really because of him? Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t think so. Serena Jennings appeared at the end of the corridor, her figure bing clearer. ¡°I wonder why someone is so shameless, can¡¯t offer any help, yet has the nerve to stick around here. What? Pretending to be dutiful?¡± Upon seeing Serena Jennings, Lilian Young couldn¡¯t help but mock. Serena Jennings remained silent, looking at Caleb Lockwood, intending to ask if Warren Winters had contacted him. But Caleb Lockwood spoke first: ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you here anymore, you should leave!¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was exceptionally cold. Serena Jennings knew Caleb Lockwood med her. She was indeed responsible for Lance Lockwood¡¯s ident this time. But what she said back then was all true. Compared to her, shouldn¡¯t Caleb Lockwood be even more ountable? Serena Jennings and Caleb Lockwood locked eyes for a long time. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes were like the sea under night skies. Dark and cold. In the end, Serena Jennings did not leave. Caleb Lockwood also didn¡¯t insist on her leaving, Three hourster, Warren Winters, an internationally renowned heart surgery expert and the youngest cardiology director at the First Affiliated Hospital of Country C Medical University, appeared at the Green Lake District branch of the 701 Hospital. The surgerysted a full six hours. It was now the middle of the night, and the snow outside had stopped. As Warren Winters exited the operating room, Caleb Lockwood, Arthur Lockwood, and Lilian Young immediately rushed to him. ¡°The surgery was very sessful, the patient should wake up in a few hours¡­¡± Saying this, Warren Winters looked over at Serena Jennings, who was obscured by the Lockwood family. Serena Jennings breathed a sigh of relief and nced towards Warren Winters, eyes full of gratitude. Warren Winters gave a slight smile. Arthur Lockwood had arranged a first¨Css ward for Lance Lockwood, naturally. After Lance Lockwood was moved inside, Arthur Lockwood, Lilian Young, and Caleb Lockwood stayed inside to keep watch. Serena Jennings did not enter. She stood alone in the corridor, her back against the cold wall. ¡°What¡¯s your rtion to him?¡± Lifting her head at the voice, Serena Jennings saw Warren Winters standing in front of her. She hadn¡¯t seen Warren Winters for some years. Warren Winters¡® eyebrows and eyes hadn¡¯t changed much; he belonged to the subtle charm type. Though not stunning at first nce, the more you looked at him, the more refined he appeared ¡ª quite a handsome face. While Serena Jennings was scrutinizing Warren Winters, he was also taking stock of her. You¡¯ve changed quite a bit!¡± Warren Winters finally reached this conclusion. Serena Jennings smiled slightly, not saying much. She couldn¡¯t remember how she appeared in Warren Winters¡® impression now, Butpared to the initial version of herself, as Serena Jennings now, she had indeed transformed significantly. She thought that if they had merely crossed paths on the street, Warren Winters might likely not recognize her. Serena Jennings thought about Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t recognized her either. In the past, she always thought Caleb Lockwood was different from others. 10:05 215 150 Capici Reality proved she was way off. Hearing Serena Jennings¡® faint sigh, Warren Winters changed the subject. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years now, haven¡¯t you thought about visiting your aunt and uncle? Actually, they quite miss you¡­¡± Serena Jennings knew who Warren Winters¡® ¡°aunt and uncle¡± referred to. Warren Winters noticed Serena Jennings¡® face suddenly turned much colder. ¡°Legally speaking, those two individuals have nothing to do with me anymore.¡± And Serena Jennings didn¡¯t think they would miss her. Warren Winters shrugged, not pressing the matter. ¡°By the way, when I flew here, I saw a joke, want to hear it?¡± The abrupt topic change left Serena Jennings momentarily stunned. However, Warren Winters had loved telling her jokes since childhood, always making herugh uncontrobly. In Serena Jennings¡® memory, since she came out from the juvenile detention center, she hadn¡¯t heard any jokes. When Caleb Lockwood stepped out of Lance Lockwood¡¯s first¨Css ward, his first ncended on Serena Jennings standing against the corridor wall. Even though there was someone standing in front of Serena Jennings. The person wore a white coat, partially obscuring Serena Jennings¡® figure. But Caleb Lockwood saw Serena Jennings¡® face. Serena Jennings was smiling. It was a truly happy smile. Caleb Lockwood couldn¡¯t remember thest time he saw Serena Jennings with this joyful expression. ¡°You¡¯re already this cheerful even though Grandpa hasn¡¯t woken up yet?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s heavy voice made Serena Jennings¡® smile vanish instantly. Warren Winters turned around and faced Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Won¡¯t you introduce me?¡± Warren Winters proactively asked Serena Jennings. Caleb Lockwood frowned. Why did it seem like Warren Winters was more familiar with Serena Jennings? ¡°He is..¡± 10:05 Serena Jennings started but then got stuck. She and Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t divorced yet; she should say Caleb Lockwood is her husband. To avoid misunderstanding, she should add that they¡¯re about to divorce. But if she did, she¡¯d be revealing too much of her personal life to Warren Winters. Telling Warren Winters wasn¡¯t a big deal, but once told, these personal matters were likely to reach those two people¡¯s ears. This was something Serena Jennings was unwilling to do. ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± Serena Jennings ultimately introduced Caleb Lockwood in this way. Caleb Lockwoodughed aloud. ¡°Director Wen, don¡¯t you go online?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s question bewildered Warren Winters. Due to work, he was usually online only for checking medical¨Crted materials. Seeing Warren Winters¡® confused look, Caleb Lockwood continued: ¡°Serena Jennings is my wife.¡± Warren Winters was shocked, asking Serena Jennings: ¡°You¡¯re married already?¡± ¡°Almost divorced.¡± Serena Jennings¡® additional statement left Warren Winters even more stunned. Beside them, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression turned grim. Warren Winters looked at Serena Jennings, then at Caleb Lockwood, about to speak, when a passing nurse called him, saying someone from the department was looking for him. Though not a doctor at this hospital, since he was here, the hospital took the opportunity to invite him to give a brief lecture to cardiology¨Crted doctors, which he did not refuse. Before leaving, Warren Winters smiled and patted Serena Jennings¡® shoulder, ¡°Out with the old, in with the new¡­ I¡¯ll go back to work then.¡± Serena Jennings watched Warren Winters¡® departing figure, feeling a mix of longing and loss. Her cousin really was quite good to her. Before school, they often yed together. After starting school, Warren Winters was an excellent student, while she was a troubled teenager. 10.05 AIR Gradually, they drifted apart, mostly because Warren Winters was too busy, with lots to learn. Serena Jennings also felt they were from two different worlds. Despite this, Warren Winters was always there for her. This time was no different. ¡°So you haven¡¯t even divorced me yet, and you¡¯re already courting a new prospect, is it?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s displeased voice pulled Serena Jennings back from her memories. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Mding 151 151 Chapter 151: Secret Divorce Abroad Serena Jennings could tell that Caleb Lockwood misunderstood the rtionship between her and Warren Winters. But she didn¡¯t exin. It wasn¡¯t because she wanted Caleb to misunderstand, much less to provoke jealousy, It was because the cousin rtionship between her and Warren was a bitplicated to exin and involved a past she didn¡¯t want to mention. Since she was forced to change her name, she decided to only be Serena Jennings. In the corridor, Serena and Caleb looked at each other without speaking. After a while, Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young went to the caretaker¡¯s room to rest, and Serena finally could enter the ward to visit Lance Lockwood. Caleb didn¡¯t stop Serena, nor did he apany her inside. Serena stood alone by Lance Lockwood¡¯s bedside, looking at his weathered and haggard face. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Serena¡¯s voice was choked with sobs, her eyes red like a rabbit¡¯s. Thankfully, the surgery was sessful¡­ If anything had happened to Lance Lockwood, Serena would never have forgiven herself. Until dawn the next day, Serena stayed by Lance¡¯s bedside, without sleep or rest. Arthur and Lilian took a short nap, at least relieved their fatigue, and when they saw Serena still there, they immediately drove her out. At this moment, Lance Lockwood woke up. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Seeing Lance just opened his eyes and called for Serena, Lilian couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Your favorite granddaughter¨Cinw almost got you killed, and you¡¯re still looking for her¡­¡± Lilian muttered under her breath, getting a re from Arthur. Lance had finally woken up, escaping danger, and Arthur feared Lilian¡¯s reckless words would provoke Lance again. Lance Lockwood squinted, ncing around the spacious ward. ¡°Where¡¯s Serena?¡± ¡°That ungrateful girl, she knows nothing but divorce all day. Dad, you have no idea how worried we were during your surgery, all thanks to Caleb connecting with that world¨Crenowned cardiology director, that¡¯s how you made it¡­ Serena was no help at all and just knew how 09:37 515 < 151 Chapter 151: Secret Divorce Abroad to provoke you¡­¡± ¡°Enough, enough, say no more.¡± Arthur forcefully pulled Lilian away. Caleb stood by without speaking. Because Lance nced at him, eyes full of anger and disappointment. He thought it best to y the invisible man right now. Outside the ward, Serena knew Lance had woken up, and her heart, that had been hanging high, finally settled back into her chest. She didn¡¯t rush inside. It wasn¡¯t because she feared Arthur and Lilian would drive her out again. But because she was afraid that Lance might be further upset by seeing her. Sitting down on the bench in the corridor, Serena wasn¡¯t seated for long when she saw Caleb, Arthur, and Lilianing out one after another. Caleb walked up to Serena, saying tly, ¡°Grandpa is asking for you.¡± Serena got up, and just as she reached the ward¡¯s entrance, Caleb¡¯s reminder came from behind: ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? FindN0vel ¡°Grandpa just woke up, his body is still weak, don¡¯t upset him.¡± Caleb¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t harsh, his voice calm, but Serena could still hear a hint of me, as if she had intentionally said something to provoke Grandpa into the hospital previously. Feeling congested in her chest, Serena sighed and walked into the ward. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Lying on the hospital bed, Lance struggled to extend his hand towards Serena. Serena saw the deep apology in Lance¡¯s eyes and hispassion for her. A twang of sourness stung her nose as she walked over, sitting by Lance¡¯s bedside. ¡°It¡¯s Caleb who wronged you¡­it¡¯s our Lockwood Family who wronged you¡­¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t speak of it, your health is the priority now.¡± Lance heeded Serena¡¯s words and didn¡¯t mention the matter again. But this hurdle, he couldn¡¯t get over in his heart. He always dreamed of holding a great¨Cgrandchild in his arms. 00:35 M < 151 Chapter 151: Secret Divorce Abroad He could never have imagined that the long¨Cawaited great¨Cgrandchild would be killed by the grandson he cherished the most. Now Lance understood why Serena was determined to separate from Caleb. ¡°Serena, after your divorce with Caleb, would you like to be my god¨Cgranddaughter?¡± Lance watched Serena¡¯s face change at his words. ¡°Grandpa, I know you want to make it up to me, but it¡¯s really not necessary¡­ Serena politely declined. The bestpensation for her was to stay away from Caleb entirely. Only by staying far from Caleb could time slowly heal her wounded body and emotions! ¡°Alright, Grandpa understands.¡± Lance somewhat regretted his impulsive words just now. He could see that Serena wanted topletely cut ties with the Lockwood Family. ¡°Then, can you at least take the money and shares? Grandpa can¡¯t offer you anything else¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa, Caleb has already included those in the divorce agreement.¡± Serena¡¯s words made Lance startle. ¡°That boy Caleb¡­offered you shares of the Lockwood Group? How much did he offer?¡± ¡°Ten percent.¡± Serena answered honestly. Lance fell into silence. He knew Caleb had never truly loved Serena. Although he had hoped that Caleb would fall in love with Serena after marriage, Caleb¡¯s actions were proof enough that his hopes had been in vain. But why would Caleb, not loving Serena, offer her ten percent of the Lockwood Group¡¯s shares after divorce? Lance let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Grandpa, you shouldn¡¯t worry anymore, get some rest¡­ let me tell you a joke!¡± Serena recited a joke Warren had once told her, bringing a heartyugh from Lance. Outside the ward, Arthur and Lilian had already gone back. Now that Lance was out of immediate danger, with doctors, nurses, and aides all arranged at the hospital, Arthur had to return to the 09:38 0 315 151 Chapter 151: Secret Divorce Abroad But Caleb didn¡¯t leave. He stood outside the ward, silently listening to theughter and chatter between Serena and Lance, rare to hear Lanceughing loudly with such gusto. At this moment, Mr. Miller gave him a call. ¡°President Lockwood, Miss Shaw came to the office looking for you.¡± Caleb didn¡¯t speak immediately; he nced at the call, noticing there were three missed calls. Because he kept the phone on vibrate at the hospital. ¡°Tell her I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°And¡­ about the Old Master¡¯s hospitalization¡­¡± ¡°No need to mention it.¡± The understanding passed through the line to Mr. Miller. After hanging up, Caleb saw Serena step out of the ward, gently closing the door behind her. ¡°Grandpa is asleep; I¡¯ll stay here tonight.¡± Serena¡¯sment left Caleb momentarily surprised. He gave a faint smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to divorce me?¡± ¡°I still n to get the divorce.¡± Serena¡¯s resolve was firm, and the subtle smile on Caleb¡¯s lips gradually faded. ¡°So, when are you nning to go to the civil affairs office with me?¡± ¡°Grandpa hasn¡¯t been discharged yet, are you really that eager?¡± Serena watched as Caleb took a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. ¡°Smoking isn¡¯t allowed in the hospital.¡± She softly reminded him. Caleb¡¯s grip on the cigarette pack tightened, crumpling the packaging. ¡°The divorce can happen¡­but not in Country A.¡± Caleb¡¯s cold voice was like a block of frozen ice scraping against Serena¡¯s eardrums. ¡°Going together to the civil office poses too much risk, so let¡¯s pick another ce. We can have a secret divorce abroad, just in time for Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding in Meridia next month. We can attend and finalize the divorce there and get the consr certification for the divorce papers; then the home country¡¯s registry will update the system.¡± 152 Chapter 152: Caleb Lockwood Seems a Little Pitiful Mding 152 152 Chapter 152: Caleb Lockwood Seems a Little Pitiful Today Serena Jennings went home. 1 It¡¯s not that she wasn¡¯t willing to stay at the hospital, but she wanted to go home and personally cook dishes Lance Lockwood likes to eat and that would help with his recovery. She visited the morning market and bought a lot of fresh ingredients. Perhaps because Lance Lockwood¡¯s surgery was very sessful, and his mental state was also good; or perhaps because the divorce process with Caleb Lockwood had be clear, Serena was in a better mood than before. She managed to put the finished dishes into the fouryerrge¨Ccapacity thermal lunchbox before lunch and then went to the hospital. When Serena walked into Lance Lockwood¡¯s hospital room, besides the caregiver, Caleb Lockwood was also there. Serena genuinely felt that Lance Lockwood¡¯s care for Caleb wasn¡¯t in vain. She knew very well that Arthur Lockwood was busy with work, but Caleb wasn¡¯t free either! However, since Lance Lockwood has been out of danger, neither Arthur Lockwood nor Lilian Young havee to the hospital much. Even though money was spent on tipping the doctors, nurses, and caregiver, outsiders ultimately are not as attentive as family. On the contrary, Caleb, like Serena, has stayed in the hospital, and even when shooed away by Lance, he hasn¡¯t left. ¡°Serena, haven¡¯t I told you? Focus on your career, you don¡¯t have to stay here to take care of me, I¡¯m well¨Cstaffed here, so don¡¯t worry!¡± Lance said so but seeing Serena visiting him made his eyes nearly disappear from smiling. ¡°I¡¯m not that busy¡­¡± Serena said while she opened the thermal lunchbox. The aroma of the dishes began to fill the room as Serena took out the steaming dishes, making everyone in the room drool. Lance had just undergone surgery and needed to pay extra attention to his diet. Following the principles of low salt, low fat, low sugar, and easy digestion, Serena meticulously prepared steamed bass, braised beef with carrots, tomato tofu soup, and yam millet porridge for Lance. Lance couldn¡¯t help but be filled with tears of gratitude. If initially he valued Serena for her genuine efforts towards Caleb and her humble virtues, now in Lance¡¯s eyes, Serena is the perfect granddaughter¨Cinw, wless. Not only is she beautiful, kind, and filial, but she also cooks well and manages the household diligently. After returning to work, she could set up her own studio, win major awards, be featured in magazines, and be known internationally. 09:38 152 Chapter 152: Caleb Lockwood Seems a Little Pititut Yet, the better Serena appears in Lance¡¯s eyes, the more unwilling he is to let go, prompting him to want to scold Caleb for not cherishing and suffering from it. ¡°Sigh!¡± Lance couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong? Are these dishes not to your taste?¡± Serena was a bit worried. She feared her culinary skills had declined. Because Lance is a post¨Coperative patient, she paid special attention to the salt and oil levels, hence the taste might be quite different from before. ¡°No, Serena¡¯s cooking is still so good, I really like it, you¡¯ve put a lot of care into it¡­¡± As Lance spoke to Serena, he nced at Caleb again and sighed. Caleb understood why Lance was sighing. ¡°May I sit?¡± Caleb¡¯s sudden question puzzled Serena. What right does she have to not allow Caleb to sit? ¡°Yes.¡± After Serena spoke, Caleb pulled up a chair next to the table and casually grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks. ¡°May I eat?¡± He asked Serena again. This time, Serena did not immediately say ¡°yes¡°. Indeed, she hadn¡¯t prepared a portion for Caleb today. Seeing Serena remain silent without nodding, Caleb lowered his eyelids and murmured softly: ¡°I won¡¯t get to eat them in the future even if I want to¡­¡± Serena looked at Caleb with surprise. She actually found Caleb a bit pitiful saying this. ¡°These were made specially for Grandpa, with low salt and low oil, the taste might be different from before.¡± Caleb¡¯s charming smile slightly lifted the corners of his mouth unknowingly. He took Serena¡¯s words as consent to eat, so he took a bite of the dish. 09:38 216 < 152 Chapter 152: Caleb Lockwood Seems a Little Pitiful The vor was indeed milder. But the texture was very refreshing, though the taste was different from before, it was still delicious. Caleb ate the dishes quietly, but he did cat quite a lot. Lance was still recovering and didn¡¯t have much appetite. Once he had eaten enough, he watched Caleb eat together with Serena. Caleb¡¯s eating manner was excellent, no matter what he ate, he was always graceful as usual. ¡°Do you realize Serena¡¯s worth now?¡± Lance couldn¡¯t help but speak. Although he knew deep down that it was toote to say anything now. Caleb finished all the remaining dishes. He put down the chopsticks and softly said: ¡°I always knew.¡± Serena lightly raised her eyelids. In her eyes, Caleb¡¯s face seemed calm, and his expression was quite sincere. Serena understood Caleb wasn¡¯t lying. Precisely because he recognized her virtues, he was unwilling to let someone like her, who was diligent and skilled in cooking, leave easily. Serenaughed at herself. This smile fell into Caleb¡¯s eyes, stirring a barely noticeable ripple. Although Lance was physically fit, he was still old, and the doctor rmended at least a month¡¯s hospitalization to be absolutely safe. Serena has been apanying him at the hospital these days, especially during the nights, and goes home in the morning to cook nutritious meals Lance likes. However, she hasn¡¯t dyed her work. After all, she had taken on Cynthia Fulton¡¯smission, and couldn¡¯t postpone such an important personal event like a wedding. Quentin Xavier brought the finished cut diamonds to Serena at the hospital today. The diamonds were meticulously cut by Quentin ording to Serena¡¯s instructions, each having a perfect eight¨Carrow¨Ceight¨Cheart cut, even the smallest diamonds were crafted with care. Serena was very satisfied after checking them. ¡°Quentin, you¡¯re indeed a promising talent.¡± Praised, Quentin blushed and touched his nose. < 152 Chapter 152: Caleb Lockwood Seems a Little Pitiful This was the first time Serena had seen Quentin so embarrassed. However, Qin¡¯s eyes sparkled, clearly indicating that he truly appreciated herpliment. Quentin had his aspirations in design; under Serena¡¯s cultivation and guidance, his craftsmanship had advanced significantlytely. Not only were the diamonds wlessly cut, but the tinum framework made using 3D printing technology was also impable. ¡°Indeed, I feel assured giving this work to you.¡± ¡°Thank you for valuing me, boss. When will I get a raise?¡± This sounded casual, but Serena suspected Quentin was serious. Because previously, Quentin was a corporate spy sent by ire Shaw, although after the exposure, he was retained by her, she did take the opportunity to lower his sry significantly. Quentin is now receiving an intern¡¯s pay while doing the work of three people. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll tell the finance department when I return.¡± ¡°Thank you, boss.¡± Quentin left cheerfully, and Serena began hand¨Csetting the jewelry for Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding. After the selection at Jenny¡¯s International Bridal Couture, Serena noticed Cynthia was fond of luxurious and exaggerated styles. Though her designs have a personal style,mercial orders must prioritize client service and meeting clients¡® needs; therefore Serena designed a set of jewelry based on Cynthia¡¯s preferences, and Cynthia was very pleased after seeing the drawings. Here, Serena is working on her tasks in Lance¡¯s recovery ward. Meanwhile, Caleb ran into ire at thepany. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. 09:38 Send Gifts This text is hosted at f¦É?dn¦Ïvel Mding 153 153 Chapter 153: Make Her Disappear Forever ire Shaw learned from Patrick Rhodes that Caleb Lockwood¡¯s grandfather had a sudden heart attack and was hospitalized. Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t reached out to her actively. This was something she could understand. Because Lance Lockwood had never liked her; it was appropriate not to tell her, and it aligned with Caleb Lockwood¡¯s usual way of handling things. ¡°Caleb, I know you¡¯re considering my feelings, but since Patrick told me about this, I can¡¯t pretend I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ire Shaw stood in front of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s desk and handed a bag to him. ¡°I know Grandpa doesn¡¯t want to see me, but I still want to do something for him¡­ This is not anything valuable; I hope you can pass it on to Grandpa for me.¡± Caleb Lockwood took the bag from ire Shaw¡¯s hand. The bag was made of paper, looking quite high¨Cend, but it didn¡¯t have any specific logo. Caleb Lockwood directly opened the paper bag and took out its contents. Over the years, ire Shaw had always wanted to earn Lance Lockwood¡¯s approval. But the more she tried to please Lance Lockwood, the less he liked her. Caleb Lockwood thought that if ire Shaw¡¯s gift was some pricey luxury item this time, he would return it. Because Lance Lockwood wouldn¡¯t ept it, nor would he like it. Looking at the warm and thick scarf in his hand, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s deeply buried memories were awakened. ¡°Is this¡­ your own hand¨Cknitted piece?¡± Hearing Caleb Lockwood ask her this, ire Shaw shyly smiled and nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She knew Caleb Lockwood would definitely remember. Back in high school, she had learned to knit scarves for Caleb Lockwood, and the first scarf she ever knitted by hand was given to him. In fact, that scarf wasn¡¯t knitted well; from the choice of yarn to the technique, it was aplete mess. Yet, Caleb Lockwood liked it very much. The entire winter, Caleb Lockwood never changed scarves; it was always the one she gave him. ire Shaw was deeply moved at the time. 09:38 < 153 Chapter 153: Make Her Disappear Forever Originally, she had hoped to touch Caleb Lockwood by gifting him a hand¨Cknitted scarf, but the oue turned out to be quite the opposite. Yearster, she sent another hand¨Cknitted scarf, ostensibly for Lance Lockwood, but ire Shaw was really aiming to awaken Caleb Lockwood¡¯s memories. To revive his love for her back then. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ve gotten any better at it..¡± ire Shaw lowered her head in embarrassment. ¡°A lot better¡­ Much better than the one you gave me in high school.¡± Caleb Lockwood spoke honestly. ire Shaw¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. She intentionally pretended to be surprised. ¡°Really?¡± ire Shaw blinked her watery eyes, looking at Caleb Lockwood with surprise. ¡°Well¡­ the scarf I gave you back then¡­ do you still have it?¡± ire Shaw asked hesitantly. Caleb Lockwood was silent for longer than ire Shaw expected. Finally, she heard Caleb Lockwood utter ¡°Hmm.¡± ire Shaw blushed, shylymenting, ¡°Why keep such a cheap and childish thing!¡± ¡°Anything you gave me, I never threw away.¡± Caleb Lockwood said this casually. In her heart, ire Shaw was overjoyed. Her n to use the scarf to evoke Caleb Lockwood¡¯s memories and emotions seemed to be working. But just as ire Shaw was brimming with secret delight, she heard Caleb Lockwood quietly add: ¡°Anything Ellie gave me, I couldn¡¯t bear to throw away.¡± Her smiling lips instantly stiffened, and ire Shaw desperately tried to control her facial expressions, suppressing her inner dissatisfaction, guilt, and unease. She was Ellie- This was the one thing Caleb Lockwood absolutely couldn¡¯t discover. In the afternoon, Caleb Lockwood took ire Shaw out to have lunch at a ssy restaurant, which was spotted by employees of The Lockwood Group. 09:38 215 153 Chapter 153: Make Her Disappear Forever In the past, ire Shaw loved to be seen with Caleb Lockwood; the more publicly they were together, the more she desired it. But now, even though she appeared just as intimately connected with Caleb Lockwood as before, others¡® gaze could no longer fill her with pride and smugness. Nowadays, everyone knew Caleb Lockwood was married. His wife wasn¡¯t her. No matter how much she resembled Caleb Lockwood¡¯s other half, only Serena Jennings had the recognition as Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife by The Lockwood Group. Thus, the more she appeared by Caleb Lockwood¡¯s side, the more she reinforced the notion of being the other woman. Yet ire Shaw also didn¡¯t want to refuse having lunch with Caleb Lockwood. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Caleb Lockwood spoke proactively. ire Shaw smiled, saying nothing. If it was before the drugging incident, she would have definitely seized the opportunity toin to Caleb Lockwood, asking him indirectly when he would divorce Serena Jennings. But after the drugging, even if Caleb Lockwood dispelled his doubts about her, she could still feel that his attention wasn¡¯t as before. ire Shaw did somewhat understand Caleb Lockwood. If shemented her situation now, questioning when he would divorce Serena Jennings to give her the rightful ce, it would only annoy Caleb Lockwood, pushing him further away. After lunch, Caleb Lockwood returned to the office because there were still tasks to attend to. ire Shaw drove back to her studio, and once the car got far from The Lockwood Group, she slowly pulled over. ire Shaw was making a call. ¡°How¡¯s the matter I asked you to handle before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s being prepared step by step¡­¡± The voice on the receiver was joker¡¯s. Hearing joker speak so casually, ire Shaw¡¯s expression turned icy cold. ¡°Caleb is not as attentive to me as before, if you still want shares of The Lockwood Group, you have to help me wholeheartedly; this time it¡¯s an excellent opportunity, once sessful, Caleb will be devotedly loyal to me, and Serena¡­¡± The cruelty in ire Shaw¡¯s eyes was like a cold de. ¡°I want to make her disappear forever!¡± 09:20 153 Chapter 153: Make Her Disappear Forever ire Shaw spoke with gritted teeth and fury. On the other end of the call, joker couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ire Shaw was displeased. ¡°Nothing, just thinking how you¡¯re clearly Caleb Lockwood¡¯s first love and best memory, yet without my help, you can¡¯t even contend with a in housewife, quite ironic.¡± Joker¡¯s voice and tone always had a childish naivety whenever heard. Just like joker¡¯s face makes it hard to guess the real age. However, ire Shaw knew very well that these were all illusions. She had witnessed joker¡¯s cruelty first¨Chand back in Meridia. ¡°Why are you silent? Hit a sore spot?¡± ire Shaw was silent again. The receiver was quiet for a moment, then joker¡¯s voice came through again. ¡°Alright, I should be joining CelestiMed next week, wait for my good news then.¡± Joker hung up the phone, and ire Shaw took a deep breath. At least joker¡¯sst sentence was like giving her a reassurance of sess. Get full chapters from F?ndNovel Recently, Serena Jennings had been working efficiently in Lance Lockwood¡¯s care room, and the jewelry set designed for Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding was about to bepleted. These days, Caleb Lockwood had been out of character, not visiting the hospital. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 154 154 Chapter 154: What Terms Did You Propose? 154 Chapter 154: What Terms Did You Propose? Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since shest saw Caleb Lockwood at the hospital. 1 Given her current rtionship with Caleb, she felt it wasn¡¯t quite appropriate to send him a WeChat message to ask what he had been busy with recently. Once, she couldn¡¯t resist asking Lance Lockwood about it, and Lance said that Caleb had been tied up with a very important project at thepany and couldn¡¯t get away. Caleb had always been busy. The Lockwood Group is vast, involving various industries. While Arthur Lockwood is nominally the CEO, and Caleb the General Manager of the emerging industries, the real person in control is Caleb. So all the affairs, big and small, rested on Caleb alone, putting immense pressure on his time and mind. Serena used to understand this, which is why she managed the household so well, not allowing Caleb to worry about anything at home. However, no matter how busy Caleb was before, he used to make time to visit his grandfather in the hospital. This suggested that the project Caleb was currently working on must be exceptionally important. Serena didn¡¯t see Caleb at the hospital today either, but she unexpectedly ran into Ian ckwood. Ian came with Patrick Rhodes. This wasn¡¯t Patrick¡¯s first time at the hospital, so Serena wasn¡¯t surprised. Because Patrick is Caleb¡¯s friend, it¡¯s only natural for him to visit Caleb¡¯s grandfather. Butn was different. In Serena¡¯s understanding, Ian is Caleb¡¯s arch¨Cenemy. In fact, Ian entering the ward with Patrick was purely coincidental. They ran into each other in the hallway. Patrick had been Caleb¡¯s sidekick in high school, which Ian disdained. Andn had been at odds with Caleb since high school and had a temper, which Patrick also disliked about Ian. But now that they were both adults and leaders of their respectivepanies, they wouldn¡¯t express their likes and dislikes as bluntly as they did in their student days. ¡°What wind blew President ckwood here?¡± Patrick was the first to speak, whilen pushed up his gold¨Crimmed sses and replied earnestly with two words: ¡°North wind.¡± 55009-39 Case 154 Chapter 154: What Terms Did You Propose? Patrick sneered, ¡°Your way of thinking is still so quirky.¡± ¡°The weather forecast today reported a north wind of level 3 to 4¡± Asn spoke, he directly pushed open the ward door. Patrick thoughtn¡¯s direct door¨Cpushing behavior was really impolite, so he knocked twice on the door. Serena heard the door opening and happened to see the two entering one after the other. Lance Lockwood, after all, is a figure of great status in the business world, son wouldn¡¯te empty¨Chanded, but after handing a get- well gift to Serena, he casually produced a bright red rose. ¡°No pistil.¡± Ian smiled slightly, a touch of nonchnt elegance showing through. Patrick watched from the side, thinking how oilyn looked. Serena epted the flower, though she found it a bit funny too. ¡°Thanks, but actually¡­ you could also give me something other than flowers.¡± ¡°Like what? What do you like?¡± ¡°Apples.¡± Patrick chimed in, handing Serena a big, red apple. Serena didn¡¯t have any particr fondness for fruits, it was just that thest time she was hospitalized, there were apples in the ward, and Patrick had peeled them for her, so she ate them all, leading Patrick to believe she really liked apples. Surrounded by Ian and Patrick, Serena felt awkward. The person needing a visit was not her, yet Ian brought her flowers and Patrick, fruit. Serena instinctively turned her head to nce at Lance Lockwood, lying in the hospital bed. Lance Lockwood gave a kind smile. ¡°My granddaughter¨Cinw is quite popr!¡± Patrick was taken aback. He almost forgot that Serena and Caleb hadn¡¯t divorced yet! ¡°She won¡¯t be your granddaughter¨Cinw for long.¡± As Ian finished speaking, Serena yelled at him, and Patrick¡¯s expression immediately changed. Ian adjusted his gold¨Crimmed sses, looked at Serena, then at Patrick. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t I speak the truth?¡± 154 Chapter 154: What Terms Did You Prope Propose? Being watched by both of them, Serena felt puzzled. The ward suddenly fell silent, with not a sound to be heard. Originally, Serena wasn¡¯t very interested in this topic, but being stared at like this, she couldn¡¯t help but be curious herself. Could it be thatn¡¯s proposed conditions had something to do with her? Why didn¡¯t Caleb agree? ¡°Hey Ian, have you be mute?¡± Patrick had been waiting so long without a response from Ian. ¡°The Northrivernd is indeed a piece of fat meat, but our ckwood Group also returned a favor¡­ the project we discussed with CelestiMed before, Caleb always wanted to get involved in, and this time he finally got his wish.¡± ¡°CelestiMed¡­¡± Serena had heard a bit about thispany. A new rising star in the field of medical technology. After listening to Ian, Patrick suddenly realized. ¡°So that¡¯s it, no wonder you said your Brother Lockwood is developing a new project with your ckwood Group. I remember¡­ it¡¯s rted to artificial intelligence in healthcare?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Ian nodded. ¡°So is the project going badly? Otherwise, knowing how filial Caleb is, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t visit Grandpa for several days in a row.¡± Ian simply took off his sses, rubbed his acupressure points, then put them back on. ¡°It¡¯s not going very well; now we¡¯re counting on the new employees promised by CelestiMed to join next week.¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. This text is hosted at Find[?]ovel Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Send Gifts 154 Chapter 154: What Terms Did You Propose? Serena opened her mouth, speechless. Whatn said was the truth. But no matter what, he shouldn¡¯t have said it in front of Lance, an elder. med by Serena,n shrugged nonchntly. ¡°Don¡¯t men, he¡¯s right. me Caleb forcking good fortune. Seeing the displeasure on Lance¡¯s face, Serena feared Lance would be stressed again. ¡°By the way, Grandpa, where¡¯s Brother Lockwood? Why hasn¡¯t hee these past few days?¡± ¡°Your Brother Lockwood is working on a new project with us at the ckwood Group!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ your Brother Lockwood and you? That would cause a fight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already a fight.¡± Ian squinted, deliberately ncing at Serena. Serena knewn was referring to the incident where Caleb was druggedst time. ¡°Can¡¯t you say something nice in front of their Grandpa?¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t help but snap at Ian. All Ian did in front of Lance was mention that Caleb was about to divorce Serena, or about Caleb fighting. Patrick felt Ian¡¯s emotional intelligence was really low.¡± ¡°I¡¯m speaking positively!¡± Ian¡¯s nonchnt smile could not be more unconvincing. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fightst time, Caleb wouldn¡¯t have let us have thend in Northriver.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Patrick was shocked, ¡°Northrivernd was given to you? Didn¡¯t your brother say it was for his wife¡­¡± At this point, Patrick quickly covered his mouth. To mention ire Shaw here was to hit a nerve. His emotional intelligence was not as low as Ian¡¯s. ¡°Caleb insisted on repaying a favor to me, but since he didn¡¯t agree to my conditions, he gave up that Northrivernd instead.¡± ¡°What were the conditions you proposed?¡± Patrick asked curiously. Patrick followed Ian¡¯s gaze to look at Serena as well. 09:39 Mding 155 155 Chapter 155: Now Just Ex¨CHusband and Ex¨CWife. 155 Chapter 155: Now Just Ex¨CHusband and Ex¨CWife Today, Serena Jennings saw Caleb Lockwood at the hospital. 1 Caleb was there to handle Lance Lockwood¡¯s discharge paperwork. Lance was recovering faster than expected, and the doctor rmended discharging him tomorrow, so the paperwork could be sorted out today. ¡°Thank you¡­ Standing in the corridor outside the ward, Caleb suddenly thanked Serena. Serena lifted her gaze to look at Caleb. After not seeing him for about two weeks, she thought Caleb looked much thinner. Caleb¡¯s stomach was always troublesome, and it was evident that the bottleneck in developing the new project with CelestiMed was causing him significant stress. Serena thought Caleb probably hadn¡¯t been eating well recently, which is why he looked so haggard. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. No matter what our rtionship is, I¡¯ll always consider your grandfather my family.¡± Serena didn¡¯t want Caleb to misunderstand her. She had been staying at the hospital these days to help, cooking for Lance, not because of Caleb¡¯s influence. Nor was it because their divorce wasn¡¯t finalized yet. Serena genuinely treated Lance as her own grandfather. Official source is f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l? She once had a biological grandfather. But it was as if she didn¡¯t. It was Lance who made her feel what it¡¯s like to have a kind, gentle, and loving grandfather. No matter Caleb¡¯s presence, no matter what her rtionship with Caleb was, if Lance was hospitalized, she would willingly care for him, especially since this time, Lance was actually hospitalised due to being provoked by something she said. ¡°Okay.¡± Caleb just nodded, not saying much more. When handling the discharge paperwork, Serena saw from afar that Caleb was pressing his stomach with one hand. Was Caleb¡¯s stomach acting up? Serena sighed softly. After Lance¡¯s discharge, Arthur Lockwood hosted a banquet at Veridia Vi to celebrate Lance¡¯s recovery. In truth, the celebration was just a pretext; the real purpose was to expand influence in the business circle, exchanging intelligence and 155 Chapter 155: Now Just Ex¨CHusband and Ex¨CWife information. This time, Arthur Lockwood did not invite Serena. Initially, he had high hopes for Serena; the recent surges in the Lockwood Group¡¯s stock were all due to Serena¡¯s poprity. By leveraging Serena to release favorable news, the ns of rivalpanies to short the Lockwood Group were thwarted.. However, ever since he heard that Serena could no longer have children, he promptly agreed to Caleb and Serena¡¯s divorce. Arthur thought, if fate allowed, he might even find a new marriage partner for Caleb at the banquet. ¡°Have you heard? The Linton family seems to have adopted a foster daughter recently¡± ¡°The Linton family? Which one?¡± ¡°The one that initially made their fortune in Country A, then moved to Country C, and is now the biggest capital force behind the scenes in Country C¡­ that¡¯s the Linton family.¡± Among the invited guests, someone brought up the topic of the Linton family in Country C, piquing Arthur Lockwood¡¯s interest. The Lockwood Group. Mr. Miller took a drive away from the industrial park during his lunch break. After a short drive, Azure Tower appeared in his view. Soon after, he parked the car in a lot near his destination and then walked to the food street behind Azure Tower. Serena was already seated inside, waiting for him. Seeing Mr. Miller, Serena waved her hand. Mr. Miller walked over and sat down opposite Serena. ¡°You said you like spicy hot pot, and this restaurant is the most popr one near mypany, but I¡¯m not sure if it suits your taste. You can try it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright¡­ Mr. Miller nodded and saw Serena handing him the menu. This meal was arranged because Serena actively reached out, saying she wanted to treat him. Mr. Miller felt unexpectedly honored. While it is certain that Serena and Caleb¡¯s divorce was just a matter of time, it hadn¡¯t been finalized yet, and Serena was still his boss¡¯s wife. Dining alone with Serena left Mr. Miller feeling somewhat uneasy. However, he could tell from the call that Serena seemed to want his help with something. As Caleb¡¯s most reliable assistant, Mr. Miller was seen as a close confidant of Caleb. 05:39 155 Chapter 155: Now Just Ex¨CHusband and Ex¨CWife More than once, people had intentionally approached him, trying to win his favor, all with the intention of gaining benefits from Caleb through him. So generally, Mr. Miller wouldn¡¯t easily ept meal invitations. But Serena was different. Mr. Miller couldn¡¯t be sure about other things, but he was certain that Serena would never use him for personal gain. Mr. Miller ordered two portions of spicy hot pot, one he picked randomly and one rmended by Serena. It turned out Serena¡¯s rmendation was tastier. Mr. Miller particrly enjoyed this meal because there wasn¡¯t any good spicy hot pot near the Lockwood Group. ¡°I¡¯ve finished the meal, and it¡¯s time you tell me your intention.¡± Seeing Serena was hesitant to get to the point, Mr. Miller straightforwardly asked. At that moment, he saw Serena hand him arge bag. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s traditional medicine.¡± Upon hearing ¡°traditional medicine,¡± Mr. Miller instantly understood Serena¡¯s intention. This medicine was undoubtedly brewed for Caleb. Mr. Miller nced at the bag in his hand, noting that it contained a considerable amount of traditional medicine. ¡°Drink three times a day, one bag per serving, this is a week¡¯s supply, and take it along when you go to Meridia.¡± Serena instructed while thinking to herself: A weekter, she and Caleb should have their divorce papers from Meridia. ¡°When you give Caleb the medicine, just say¡­ it¡¯s from you.¡± Mr. Miller raised his eyes. Serena¡¯s words were within his expectations. ¡°I doubt President Lockwood would believe that.¡± Mr. Miller said earnestly. Serena expected this response too. She sighed and said, ¡°Then say it¡¯s from ire Shaw.¡± This time, Mr. Miller frowned. He didn¡¯t say Caleb wouldn¡¯t believe it this time. 03.383 155 Chapter 155: 5: Now J Just Ex¨CHusband and Ex¨CWife Mr. Miller had never been married, didn¡¯t even have a girlfriend, and had never been in a rtionship, so he personally couldn¡¯t understand why Serena would do such a thing. The divorce was initiated by Serena. It wasn¡¯t a tactic to regain closeness; she genuinely wanted to separate. But since they were going to divorce, why secretly brew traditional medicine for Caleb and not want Caleb to know? He didn¡¯t understand Serena. Nor did he understand Caleb. He failed to see what made ire Shaw better than Serena, causing Caleb to be so unwilling to let go. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Mr. Miller began but then faltered. Actually, if you say you brewed it yourself, President Lockwood might be happier- He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say these words. He thought saying such a thing would be irresponsible. Because he didn¡¯t know for sure if Caleb would be happy. Even if he felt happy inside, he might show the opposite outwardly. Caleb was that kind of person. So working closely with Caleb was always like walking on thin ice; if it weren¡¯t for the high sry, Mr. Miller might not even want the job. The medicine, Mr. Miller epted. He said no more than necessary. Serena smiled slightly. She was grateful Mr. Miller didn¡¯t ask why she was doing this. The medicine she brewed for Caleb could onlyst for a week. A weekter, she and Caleb should be just ex¨Chusband and ex¨Cwife. Comment 0 00:20 Mding 156 156 Chapter 156: Confessing to Serena Jennings After giving Mr. Miller the medicine, Serena Jennings drove to Newcross Real Estate. 1 She had arranged with Cynthia Fulton to hand over the jewelry for the wedding. Serena wasn¡¯t familiar with Newcross Real Estate; it was her first time there. Cynthia texted her on WeChat, saying she was busy with wedding preparations and couldn¡¯t pick up the jewelry herself, so she sent an assistant and asked Serena to meet at the third building at 2 PM. Serena asked the security guard for directions and explored her way to the third building. ¡°Serena!¡± Suddenly, someone called her from behind. Serena turned around in response to the voice, and Justin Nash¡¯s figure appeared in her widened eyes. Today, Justin looked somewhat different. He wore a short white down jacket, light blue jeans, and a ck beanie. His aura from head to toe had nothing to do with a big Serena couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. This outfit on Justin matched the impression she had when she first met him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Justin pretended it was a chance meeting with Serena. In reality, he was intentionally waiting there. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver the wedding jewelry to your fianc¨¦e.¡± Serena lifted the gift bag in her hand. ¡°She said her assistant was waiting for me at the third building, but I haven¡¯t found it yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, give it to me, I¡¯ll take you to meet her.¡°¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Serena was startled, only to hear Justin continue, ¡°I¡¯m just about to find Cynthia Fulton. What if she¡¯s not satisfied with the jewelry? I¡¯ll take you with me.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s fine, too.¡± Serena walked beside Justin and left Newcross Real Estate. There was a person¡¯s distance between them. Serena noticed that Justin and Cynthia were about to get married, but Justin still referred to Cynthia by her full name. Bom 09:49 156 Chapter 156: Confessing to Serena Jennings ¡°Let¡¯s take my car; it¡¯s nearby. I¡¯ll bring you back afterward.¡± Justin insisted, and Serena had to sit in the passenger seat of the shy red Ferrari sports car. After Serena got in the car, Justin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His seemingly casual outfit today was actually deliberately chosen. Because he intended to create an ¡°idental encounter¡± with Serena, and then revert to the friend he used to be with her. Justin drove quietly, and Serena didn¡¯t speak, until the car turned onto a road very familiar to her. ¡°Justin, where are you taking me?¡± Serena sensed something was amiss. At the end of this road, there was only one building. And Cynthia couldn¡¯t possibly be there. Because that building- was a juvenile detention center. Justin didn¡¯t answer and continued driving. Serena couldn¡¯t help but be anxious. She realized that Justin wasn¡¯t nning to take her to see Cynthia at all. More importantly, it was highly likely their meeting at Newcross Real Estate wasn¡¯t idental. In fact, Serena guessed right. Justin knew Cynthia had sent an assistant to the third building to wait for Serena to deliver the jewelry, so he sent the assistant away in advance. Up ahead, the distant silhouette of the detention center loomed, drawing nearer. As the somber aura of the detention center came fully into view, Justin slowly parked the car by the roadside. Justin got out of the car, and Serena followed suit. Seeing Serena frown, her expression heavy, Justin felt a little flustered inside. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything else, don¡¯t be afraid¡­ I just wanted to¡­ take a walk with you alone, talk..¡± Justin¡¯s gaze flickered. Serena could tell Justin wasn¡¯t entirely truthful. What he wanted to do was likely not as simple as taking a walk. The detention center here was remote and deste, but nheless, Serena didn¡¯t worry that Justin intended any harm to her. 09:40 156 Chapter 156: Confessing to Serena Jennings ¡°I really did take fifty million from your mother back then and agreed to cut off contact with you, so by being here now, I¡¯m actually breaching that agreement.¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s indifferent expression as if she didn¡¯t care about him as a former friend, Justin couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here¡­¡± Serena realized that unless sheplied, Justin would never take her back, so she had no choice but to walk alongside Justin toward the detention center. At first, Justin was silent. Serena also didn¡¯t force conversation. She walked quietly beside Justin, waiting for him to speak. ¡°Are you¡­ still not divorced from Caleb Lockwood?¡± Justin finally spoke, but the topic caught Serena by surprise. ¡°Almost¡­ Caleb and I n to get divorced directly in Meridia after attending your wedding.¡± Serena didn¡¯t hide from Justin and spoke frankly. ¡°Then¡­ what are you nning after the divorce?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Serena tilted her head, ¡°After the divorce¡­ I¡¯ll continue running my studio and live my own life!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Justin¡¯s tone grew a bit urgent. Suddenly, her hand was held by Justin. Serena gasped and tried to pull her hand back, but Justin held it too tightly, and she couldn¡¯t. The two stood right in front of the detention center. With such a background, it was truly unsuitable to be entangled like this. However, Justin¡¯s gaze was intense, like a me burning brightly. ¡°Serena, once you divorce Caleb Lockwood, you¡¯ll be free, and you can boldly love someone else¡­¡± Serena saw Justin¡¯s face turn red. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve always liked you, Serena¡­¡± Stammering, Justin finally couldn¡¯t resist confessing to Serena. He had originally epted the family¡¯s arrangements. 09:40 156 Chapter 156: Confessing to Serena Jennings. N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f¦É?dn¦Ïvel This was like his fate from birth. However, the more time he spent with Cynthia, the more he recalled Serena¡¯s goodness. If possible, he would rather be an intern instructor in the detention center for a lifetime and have a simple yet sweet office romance with Serena, the counselor. ¡°Since you helped me out in the detention center, I¡¯ve had a good impression of you¡­¡± Listening to Justin¡¯s confession, Serena¡¯s heart was somewhat moved. Detention center¡­ It was where her love for Caleb Lockwood began, unexpectedly also Justin¡¯s starting point for his feelings toward her. ¡°Later, seeing you so outstanding, yet bullied by that bastard Caleb Lockwood and his mistress, I couldn¡¯t help but feel indignant, feeling sorry for you, hurting for you¡­ Gradually, this feeling turned into liking- A man¡¯s liking for a woman. Justin suddenly hugged Serena tightly. Serena pushed twice but couldn¡¯t push Justin away. She heard Justin¡¯s racing heartbeats. She knew Justin still had more to say. ¡°Serena¡­ I don¡¯t like Cynthia Fulton, and I don¡¯t want to marry her¡­ There¡¯s no emotion between us, it¡¯s merely a business marriage for the family¡¯s benefit¡­¡± Justin felt he had been suppressing it for too long and just wanted to pour his heart out to Serena. Because if he didn¡¯t speak now, he¡¯d have no chance at all. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Justin¡¯s voice was hoarse, incredibly sincere yet humble. ¡°I promise you, I¡¯ll be a thousand or ten thousand times better to you than Caleb Lockwood ever was¡­ so, will you choose me?¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 157 Chapter 157, Broken Mding 157 157 Chapter 157: Broken Engagement The wind outside the juvenile correctional facility was cold and being Even though Serena Jennings was tightly embraced by Justin Nash, the wt did feet wears Not only did she not feel warm, but her fingertips were growing colder and colder. Justin Nash waited for a long time without hearing a response from Serena Jennings, feeling ansious he enntinned Serena chose me and I won¡¯t marry Cynthia Fulton. The two of us will be together, leave City A, anywhere is fine. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s incredibly irresponsible to Cynthia Fulton?¡± The words from Serena Jennings were not harsh, yet her voice was like a bucket of cold water, chilling Justin Nash to the core ¡°Whether you love Cynthia Fulton or not, you¡¯ve already agreed to marry her, and you¡¯ve sent wedding invitations to family and friends. Now you¡¯re calling off the wedding at this critical moment? What kind of position does that put her in Serena Jennings pushed Justin Nash away. L Facing Serena Jennings¡® questioning, Justin Nash found himself without words. He only knew he didn¡¯t like Cynthia Fulton, hadn¡¯t liked her from the beginning. He was justplying with his family¡¯s and thepany¡¯s arrangements out of obligation. Justin Nash didn¡¯t think he was too unfair to Cynthia Fulton. Because he didn¡¯t believe Cynthia Fulton loved him either. Cynthia Fulton was a wealthy heiress, marrying him also for her family andpany. More than love, Cynthia Fulton wanted to conquer him, control him, possess him. ¡°Serena, love is inherently selfish¡­¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t love you.¡± These words, Serena Jennings said decisively. Justin Nash¡¯s face changed, his chest hurt instantly as if stabbed by a knife. ¡°Why? What¡¯s so bad about me? How am I worse than Caleb Lockwood?!¡± Gripped by Justin Nash on the shoulders, Serena Jennings felt pain and squeezed her eyes shut. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it¡­ Justin Nash let go, apologizing repeatedly. 09:40 157 Chapter 157: Broken Engagement Serena Jennings felt a little tired. She originally thought she and Justin Nash could be really good friends. But the more Justin Nash behaved like that to her, the more impossible it was for them to be friends. ¡°Take me back, and don¡¯t forget to give the wedding jewelry to Cynthia Fulton¡± Serena Jennings¡® overly cold demeanor twisted Justin Nash¡¯s facial features involuntarily, His dry lips parted several times, yet Justin Nash found himself at a loss for words to persuade Serena Jennings to stay. Ultimately, he couldn¡¯t seize thisst opportunity before the marriage. Eventually, Justin Nash took Serena Jennings back to Newcross Real Estate. Serena Jennings got out of his car and into hers. The white BMW 3 Series gradually receded from his sight. Justin Nash opened the gift bag and took out the jewelry box. The jewelry set inside was a diamond waterfall style, luxurious enough to match Cynthia Fulton¡¯s tastes. Initially, Justin Nash felt that such diamond¨Cencrusted designs were tacky, but Serena Jennings¡® design inexplicably gave him a sense of sophistication. However, this set of jewelry that Serena Jennings put her heart into designing was to be worn by Cynthia Fulton. Justin Nash almost tugged at the ne to break it. In the end, he still put the ne back and handed it to Cynthia Fulton. The Lockwood Group. Caleb Lockwood smelled the scent of traditional medicine, and looked up to see Mr. Miller handing him the medicine. ¡°President Lockwood, you¡¯re having stomach problems again, you should take some medicine!¡± Caleb Lockwood took the medicine, drank a mouthful, and his crow¨Clike eyshes lifted up. ¡°Did you brew this medicine?¡± Caleb Lockwood asked. ¡°I did,¡± Mr. Miller answered. Caleb Lockwood frowned, drank another mouthful of the herbal medicine, and asked again: ¡°Mr. Miller¡­ do you want to leave this job?¡± A trace of panic showed on Mr. Miller¡¯s face for a brief moment. 09:40 2/5 Official source is Find~Novel < 157 Chapter 157: Broken Engagement ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President, this medicine was¡­ Miss Shaw¡¯s doing¡± Caleb Lockwood smiled. ¡°Understood.¡± He finished the entire bowl of herbal medicine, then handed the bowl back to Mr. Miller. ¡°You can go! The performance bonus for this month will be halved.¡± Mr. Miller was taken aback, but made no defense for himself, obediently taking the medicine bowl and leaving Once the office door closed, Mr. Miller turned his back against the ss door, softly muttering to himself: ¡°I¡¯m really not good at lying!¡± In the office, Caleb Lockwood felt a warm sensation in his stomach, much morefortable than before. Though he knew the herbal medicine couldn¡¯t possibly work that quickly, he inexplicably felt it was thanks to the bowl of herbal concoction he just consumed. Picking up his phone, before he could open WeChat, the office door was pushed open again. Seeing ire Shaw didn¡¯t surprise Caleb Lockwood. After all, only ire Shaw had the privilege to enter without knocking, granted by him. ¡°Caleb, why does your office have such a strong smell of herbal medicine?¡± ¡°Stomach issues, I just finished my medication.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault, I should have brewed it for you¡­ Seeing the deep remorse on ire Shaw¡¯s face, Caleb Lockwood shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, I just didn¡¯t want you to tire yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, I know you care for me the most.¡± ire Shaw replied with a sweet smile. Though she hadn¡¯t received the title of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife yet, by his side she always carried herself as his girlfriend, thus felt that the task of brewing his medicine naturally fell to her. But after a few times of brewing, Caleb no longer allowed her, iming he didn¡¯t want her to be too fatigued by the process. ¡°Caleb, I brought some snacks for you, all baked by me: cream cookies, yam puff pastries, and sponge cakes.¡± ire Shaw opened the lunch box, revealing the delicate and sweet desserts inside. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t touch them, nor did he ask her to leave. ire Shaw proactively picked up a cookie and brought it to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ire Shaw opened her small, cherry mouth. 09:400 157 Chapter 157: Broken Engagement Back in high school, when she and Caleb were dating, she often fed him snacks in this manner. Caleb Lockwood used to enjoy it a lot, liking to show their affection openly. Caleb hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth to take a bite of the cookie ire fed him. ¡°How does it taste? Is it good?¡± ire Shaw asked eagerly. It had been a while since shest baked snacks herself, worried her skills might have be rusty. ¡°Yes, very good, tastes just like back in high school.¡± Caleb Lockwood said with a gentle smile, his voice soft yet sincere¨Csounding. ire Shaw discreetly sighed in relief. This had been a suggestion from her mother- To bring back the taste of high school romance. ire Shaw stayed in Caleb¡¯s office for quite a while, feeding him five cookies before she left. After ire Shaw left, Caleb Lockwood pushed the lunch box to the side, not having taken any other snack of his own volition. ire¡¯s baking skills hadn¡¯t changed. The taste was familiar to Caleb, exactly like when they were in high school. At that time, any snack ire fed him, any she baked, he considered the best tasting in the world. But now¡­ Though the taste was the same, it could no longer be called the best¨Ctasting thing in the world. Before their divorce proceedings, Serena Jennings had also baked cookies for him. They were better than ire Shaw¡¯s. Just like when brewing herbal medicine, no matter if the recipe was the same, only when brewed by Serena did it have the best effect. ¡°Perhaps everyone has their own strengths¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood murmured to himself. Serena was suited to be surrounded by pots and pans. 09:400 475 Mding 158 158 Chapter 158: Divorced They were the signed divorce agreement papers. The divorce agreement stayed in Caleb¡¯s hand for just a few seconds before it was handed to Mr. Miller. ¡°Once we arrive in Meridia, I¡¯ll have Mr. Miller submit the divorce agreement to the court. After the divorce certificate is issued, it will go for consr authentication.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Serena nodded and looked at Mr. Miller, ¡°Thank you for handling it.¡± Once the consr authentication isplete, the civil affairs bureau¡¯s system will update. At that time, her marital status with Caleb will change to- Divorced. Following Caleb, Serena boarded the ne. The ne, worthy of being a luxury private jet, had ample internal space with all necessary facilities, even a simple shower. After the ne took off and climbed above the stratosphere, Caleb held a brief meeting with his staff on the ne. Serena sat quietly on the side, sketching her designs. She was still designing the crown for the Queen of Ydris, although Peter hadn¡¯t confirmed the project¡¯s approval. Her design wasn¡¯t finished yet when Caleb concluded his business. ¡°I never realized you loved work so much?¡± Caleb sat down next to Serena. Serena thought it was Caleb who really loved work. He always prioritized business above all. ¡°Stop drawing, take a break.¡± Caleb suddenly snatched the pen from Serena¡¯s hand. Caleb held her right hand. On her right hand¡¯s middle finger was still the daisy ring- The one Peter gifted her. Caleb¡¯s dark eyes turned, and he directly removed the ring. Serena couldn¡¯t help but feel tense. She felt that if they weren¡¯t on a ne, Caleb might have just thrown the ring out the window. Serena snatched the ring back from Caleb¡¯s hand and put it away. Then Caleb grabbed her left hand. < 158 Chapter 158: Divorced 158 Chapter 158: Divorced Today marks the first time since Serena Jennings married Caleb Lockwood over three years ago that she has boarded Caleb¡¯s private jet It¡¯s an Airbus ACJ319, with a matte ck body and a gold waistline, stable yet undeniably luxurious, This trip to Meridia seems to be for attending Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding, but there¡¯s much more to be done. For instance, business negotiations. Caleb brought along not only Mr. Miller but also several FZZL project executives, rted personnel, and two agile bodyguards. The FZZL project is the Al¨Cassisted diagnostic system previously mentioned by fan ckwood, jointly invested in by the ckwood Group and the Lockwood Group, and primarily researched and developed by CelestiMed. Nowadays, Al is widely used,monly applied in various aspects of daily life and production. Al¨Cbased diagnostic systems are not without precedent. However, due to the immaturity of Al technology and the specificity of the medical field, current Al system applications are not yet precise or widespread. CelestiMed is an emerging medical technologypany dedicated to integrating AI with healthcare. Caleb had long wanted to delve into this field, but CelestiMed¡¯s partner had always been the ckwood Group. CelestiMed is located in Meridia, and Caleb happened to visit Meridia to meet CelestiMed¡¯s newly hired employee. ording to CelestiMed, this new employee is an expert in gics and can establish gic algorithms for the FZZL system, which suffers from significant diagnostic data deviation, to enhance its uracy. Ian ckwood didn¡¯t join this trip. Since Caleb allowed the piece ofnd in Northriver to go,n has shifted his focus there recently. Besides conducting business in Meridia, Caleb also needs to handle divorce proceedings with Serena. Divorces in Meridia aren¡¯t asplicated as in Country A, where both parties must go to the civil affairs bureau together. In Meridia, you only need to submit a divorce agreement signed by both parties to the court to obtain a divorce certificate, serving as proof of the divorce¡¯s validity. It¡¯s very simple. Serena had confirmed the divorce process with Caleb. Before boarding the ne, Caleb extended his hand toward Serena. Without Caleb saying a word, Serena understood. She took a triplicate of documents from her briefcase and handed them to Caleb. 09:40 C 172 158 Chapter 158: Divorced Serena was puzzled. Soon, she saw Caleb take out a gift box from his trouser pocket. Judging by the size of the box, it should contain a ring. When Serena saw Caleb ce a diamond ring on her left ring finger, her eyes widened in amazement. Just a moment ago, Caleb had asked her for the signed divorce agreement, and now he was putting a diamond ring on her finger? And it was on the left ring finger. Serena¡¯s chest began to stir with turmoil. She recalled how Caleb proposed to her three years ago. At that time, Caleb was so domineering that he slipped the wedding ring on her finger, whether she agreed or not. In that moment, she was moved to tears. Serena lowered her gaze to her left ring finger. On it was arge, dazzling diamond ring. Not the seven¨Ccarat pink diamond ring Caleb used when he proposed. Now it¡¯s a colorless diamond, princess cut, with a unique hollow setting that allows more light to enter the diamond, refracting richer fire colors. This diamond ring fits Serena¡¯s aesthetic better than the previous pink diamond wedding ring. But the heart¨Cpounding excitement from the past was gone. Serena lifted her gaze to nce at Caleb, noticing his charming smile, half amused, half serious. She thought of how Jim, the founder of CelestiMed, and his wife Jane built CelestiMed from scratch together, so Jim always attended events with his wife Jane. Caleb putting the wedding ring on her must be for the role of his wife when facing CelestiMed¡¯s CEO. But Serena didn¡¯t understand why Caleb couldn¡¯t introduce any femalepanion as his wife to CelestiMed¡¯s CEO, who didn¡¯t know her anyway. Like ire Shaw. Serena initially thought that ire Shaw would also board Caleb¡¯s private jet on this trip to Meridia. Last time, when attending the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, ire Shaw did just that. But this time, Caleb didn¡¯t bring ire Shaw along. Serena found this surprising. However, she didn¡¯t ask Caleb for the reason. 09.404 158 Chapter 158: Divorced She didn¡¯t want Caleb to think she cared about ire Shaw. Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding naturally also invited ire Shaw, but ire Shaw didn¡¯t have a private jet to catch, so she had to flymercial alone. This was the first time Caleb was going abroad for an important event, apanied not by her, but by Serena. On the ne, ire Shaw took her seat. She sat in first ss. The others wore more or less smiles on their faces, but hers was the expression of a thunderstorm. Serena, you won¡¯t be smug for long¡­ ¡°When we reach Meridia¡­ ire Shaw put on her sunsses, with lenses sorge they couldn¡¯t hide the sinister smile on her face. Meridia isn¡¯t too far from Country A. A few hourster, the nended. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. This content belongs to Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 159 159 Chapter 159: Divorce Certificate with the Official Seal 159 Chapter 159: Divorce Certificate with the Official Seal As soon as Caleb Lockwood got off the ne, he received a call from ire Shaw, and arge crowd of people joined her in the airport hall. On the surface, the first person ire saw was Caleb Lockwood. But in reality, the first thing she noticed was the diamond ring on Serena Jennings¡¯s hand. The enormous diamond was cut into a princess square, and if ire¡¯s estimation was correct, it was a full ten carats. Caleb Lockwood had never given ire such a high¨Clevel diamond ring, This ring was worn on Serena Jennings¡¯s left ring finger, indicating it was a wedding ring. ire was fully aware that Caleb Lockwood¡¯s trip to Meridia was for work. And the founders of the coboratingpany, CelestiMed, were a couple, so even for the sake of appearances, Caleb should have brought his wife along. And the person chosen as his wife was Serena Jennings. Therefore, naturally, the wedding ring was worn on Serena Jennings¡¯s hand. Since it was revealed online that Serena Jennings is Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife and has been officially recognized by The Lockwood Group, everyone looks at Serena differently now,pletely unlike before. At the same time, everyone¡¯s gaze at ire has changed significantly as well. Just like at this moment, all of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s entourage, from bodyguards to employees, regard Serena as the mistress of The Lockwood Group. Even walking beside Caleb, Caleb is still closer to Serena Jennings. ¡°President Lockwood, it¡¯s such an honor to have you here!¡± Outside the airport, Jim and Jane, the heads of CelestiMed, awaited Caleb¡¯s arrival with some staff. Caleb walked over and shook hands with Jim. ¡°President Lockwood, this is my wife, Jane.¡± Caleb briefly shook hands with Jane and casually introduced: ¡°This is my wife, Serena Jennings.¡± Jim and Jane¡¯s eyes immediately focused on Serena. Today, Serena was not wearing her usual ck business suit; instead, she donned a Morandi gray sweater with a white wool coat for Justin Nash¡¯s wedding. Her makeup was subtle, exuding a refined elegance. 09:41 C 159 Chapter 159: Divorce Certificate with the Official Seal ¡°As expected of President Lockwood, your wife is truly a beauty!¡± Jane couldn¡¯t help but praise Serena. Next, she noticed ire Shaw. ire was dressed, as usual, in a light pink ensemble, with a rose¨Cpink coat, head¨Cto¨Ctoe in pink, like a Barbie doll. Initially, Jane and her team assumed ire might be an employee of Caleb¡¯spany, but employees seldom don such bright pink for business trips. ¡°This is my high school ssmate, ire Shaw.¡± Caleb introduced. ire greeted Jane and Jim with a stiff smile. Serena is the wife, and she is just a high school ssmate. Though it¡¯s a fact, she couldn¡¯t shake her difort. From the moment Caleb introduced Serena and ire separately, Jim and Jane continued to engage with Serena. Jim didn¡¯t know much about jewelry, but Jane asionally followed fashion, and she suddenly recalled seeing Serena in the ¡°Radiance¡± magazine. ¡°So you are the new designer who wowed everyone at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week¡­ It¡¯s incredible that you¡¯re not only beautiful but also talented.¡± ¡°President Lockwood is truly fortunate to have such an outstanding wife.¡± Jane and Jim¡¯s praise for Serena made Caleb beam with pride. As hosts, Jim and Jane weed Caleb and his entourage. On the way to the restaurant, only ire remained silent. No one spoke to her. Even employees of The Lockwood Group asionally chatted about the FZZL project, but ire struggled to find a chance to speak. Sitting next to Caleb, she felt like a ghost,pletely unnoticed. The next day, which was the day before Justin Nash¡¯s wedding. Serena learned from her conversation with Jim and Jane that they, too, were invited to Justin Nash and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding. Cynthia¡¯s wedding banquet was set for the evening, and during the day, Jim invited them for a round of golf. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at golf.¡± In the lounge, Serena admitted to Jane. ¡°I¡¯m fairly skilled at golf, why don¡¯t I apany you!¡± Beside her, ire finally found a chance to make her presence known. 09:41 715 159 Chapter 159: Divorce Certificate with the Official Seal Serena nced at ire. ire had already changed into clothes clearly earmarked for stealing the spotlight. Serena remembered thest time she and Caleb apanied Lance Lockwood¡¯s war buddy¡¯s child for golf, and they ¡°coincidentally¡± met ire. ire had dressed in a pink and white polo shirt paired with a matching short golf skirt, hair tied in a ponytail, looking sweet and athletic. Her stunning hole¨Cin¨Cone earned her praise across the golf course, even Lance Lockwood¡¯s war buddy¡¯s kid started to forget her presence, only having eyes for ire. And today¡¯s ire was equally eye¨Ccatching. Even though it¡¯s winter, Meridia is warmer than Country A, and outdoor golf courses are still open. ire wore a warm, quick¨Cdry white long¨Csleeved shirt, topped with a pink padded vest,plementing her pink wool beanie. After Jane and ire chatted at length about golf, Serena expected Jane might let ire join her. ¡°Serena, I¡¯m not very skilled either, why don¡¯t we practice together!¡± Jane took Serena¡¯s hand and led her into the golf course. ire was left aside again. Jane took Serena to Caleb¡¯s side. ¡°I see President Lockwood ys golf exceptionally well; let him teach you!¡± The rightful source is F¦ÉndNovel Serena¡¯s gaze met with Caleb¡¯s. Caleb¡¯s eyes always seemed as mesmerizing as the starry night sky. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Caleb shed her a gentle smile. Anyone observing would never guess that they were about to divorce. Or perhaps¡­ They were already divorced. Caleb told her this morning that he had handed the signed divorce papers to Mr. Miller, who would take them to the court. Getting a divorce in Meridia is straightforward and efficient; if all goes smoothly, at Cynthia¡¯s evening banquet, Caleb could present the stamped divorce certificate. Therefore, barring any unforeseen events, after Justin and Cynthia¡¯s wedding, they¡¯d be two unrted individuals. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± 09:41 3151 160 Chapter 160: She and Caleb Lockwood Are Officially Divorced 160 Chapter 160: She and Caleb Lockwood Are Officially Divorced ire¡¯s face blossomed into a smile. 1 It was the first time today she had genuinely smiled. Suddenly, a cheer erupted on the golf course. ¡°Someone hit a hole¨Cin¨Cone!¡± ¡°Amazing! I¡¯ve yed for ten years and never managed that!¡± ¡°And it was a super stunningdy! Look, over there.¡± ire followed the gaze of the onlookers and saw Serena standing next to Caleb. Serena was a stark contrast to her; her clothes weren¡¯t vibrant but perfectly matched Serena¡¯s aura, giving off a subtle yet sophisticated vibe. At this moment, Serena¡¯s expression was both surprised and delighted, herrge sparkling eyes filled with disbelief. Caleb was standing close to Serena, with one hand wrapped around her waist. ire¡¯s eyes instantly red up, her mrs grinding audibly. As night fell, the banquet hall of the Lynton Grand Hotel was filled with sses clinking. Cynthia, the host of the banquet, wore a shimmering gold silk strapless evening gown, unting opulence to the fullest, with a gold and diamond¨Cstudded hair essory atop her wavy locks. She stood casually, exuding the air of a nobledy from high society. Tonight, Cynthia was hosting the guests without Justin by her side. Because Cynthia¡¯s family had a tradition that the bride and groom shouldn¡¯t meet the day before the wedding. Serena silently watched Cynthia speaking on stage, unexpectedly recalling Justin¡¯s previous confession to her. Even now, she¡¯s unsure what exactly Justin likes about her. If Cynthia, the elegant socialite, werepared to a swan, then Serena thought she was a mere ugly duckling. After Cynthia finished speaking, the banquet officiallymenced. This time, Cynthia and Justin¡¯s wedding had invited quite a few people, and the vast banquet hall seemed somewhat crowded. Mr. Miller arrivedte and handed two papers to Caleb. Serena saw and walked over proactively. ¡°Is the divorce decree approved?¡± R¨C09:41 < 159 Chapter 159: Divorce Certificate with the Official Seal Serena snapped back to reality, just as Caleb¡¯s forehead approached hers. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She turned away, wanting to leave, but Caleb grabbed her hand, Caleb wore gloves designed for winter golf. The gloves were thick enough that even when Caleb held her hand, Serena felt none of Caleb¡¯s warmth. ¡°Wear this; I¡¯ll teach you to y.¡± Caleb took off his gloves and personally put them on Serena¡¯s hands. This time, Serena¡¯s hands were enveloped with Caleb¡¯s warmth. ¡°There¡¯s really no need; I¡¯m not going to learn well.¡± Serena declined again. ¡°Don¡¯t spoil the fun.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was gentle, leaving Serena uncertain whether his words were a subtle warning. And thus, Serena obediently followed Caleb to learn golf. Not far away, ire watched Caleb¡¯s tall figure almost envelop Serena entirely, stomping her feet in anger. She originally nned to impress everyone with a hole¨Cin¨Cone likest time, but today she just couldn¡¯t perform well. She took out her phone and secretly sent a WeChat message to joker: Isn¡¯t your side ready yet?! Impatiently, ire watched Caleb and Serena show their affection, getting increasingly anxious. Finally, the WeChat chat interface changed, with a new message from joker: Act tonight. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. A0041 Send Gifts 1 Mding 160 60 Chapter 160: She and Caleb Lockwood Are Officially Divorced ¡°You have to mention this here?¡± Caleb¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but his voice was filled with displeasure. Serena nced at Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller said nothing. ¡°Yes.¡± Ultimately, it was Caleb who answered her. ¡°Can I have a look?¡± ¡°Do you think I could be deceiving you?¡± Though Caleb was smiling, Serena felt Caleb was even more unhappy. Taking the divorce decree from Caleb, Serena saw the clear stamp of the Meridia court. Thus, she was officially divorced from Caleb. At least in Meridia, they were divorced. Holding the divorce decree, Serena remained silent for a long time. She didn¡¯t even know what she was thinking. Her mind was nk. Her heart felt empty. ¡°Regretting it?¡± Caleb¡¯s voice unexpectedly drilled into her ears, startling her, she shook her head and softly replied, ¡°No.¡± Serena didn¡¯t regret it. Divorcing Caleb was exactly what she wanted. She was merely in a daze, as if her more than three¨Cyear¨Clong marriage with Caleb was just a dream. The divorce decree was quickly taken back by Caleb. ¡°If this divorce decree isn¡¯t taken for consr authentication, it won¡¯t be effective in Country A.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Serena nodded. Caleb had mentioned this process to her before they came to Meridia for the divorce. So now she wasn¡¯t anxious to get this divorce decree in hand. Having it wouldn¡¯t help. 09:41 < 160 Chapter 160: She and Caleb Lockwood Are Officially Divorced ¡°Tomorrow, after attending Justin and Cynthia¡¯s wedding, I¡¯ll ask Mr. Miller to do the consr authentication.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After speaking, Serena left Caleb¡¯s side. Caleb watched Serena¡¯s figure gradually fade away, the displeasure in his eyes like ink that couldn¡¯t be dissolved. ¡°President Lockwood¡­¡± Mr. Miller softly called out. ¡°President Lockwood?¡± Caleb snapped out of it, looking at Mr. Miller, still clutching the stamped divorce decree. Mr. Miller¡¯s face showed a hint of embarrassment. ¡°President Lockwood, shall I take these two divorce decrees for now, after the wedding ends tomorrow I¡¯ll immediately go for the consr authentication¡­¡± Before Mr. Miller could finish, Caleb¡¯s gaze on him grew increasingly displeased, increasingly cold. A cold wind seemed to gust around Mr. Miller¡¯s neck, and he finally realized how he¡¯d overstepped. ¡°Sorry, President Lockwood, I understand what you mean.¡± Mr. Miller solemnly apologized, and right after, he saw Caleb hand him the two divorce decrees. ¡°Keep it safe.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You should know what to do.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mr. Miller put the divorce decrees into his briefcase. ¡°President Lockwood¡­¡± At this moment, Jim approached Caleb, full of excitement. ¡°Allow me to introduce, this is the gic expert we¡¯ve recently hired at CelestiMed, Julian Xavier.¡± Caleb raised his eyes slightly, scrutinizing the unfamiliar man standing before him. The man was dressed in a crisply ironed white suit, young in age, with delicate features and a baby face, appearing to be in his early twenties. Judging by his appearance, if he truly were a gic expert at that age, it would be hard for Caleb to believe. Unless this man was a genius. ¡°Hello, President Lockwood, I¡¯m Julian Xavier. It¡¯s a great honor to work with you.¡± 09.41 376 160 Chapter 160: She and Caleb Lockwood Are Officially Divorced The other man smiled, his demeanor courteous. Caleb thought this man named Julian Xavier seemed familiar when he smiled. They shook hands. As Caleb intended to withdraw his hand, Julian seemed reluctant to let go. ¡°Young Julian was the top choice of our HR, and I believe once his gic database is sessfully developed, our FZZL will reach new heights.¡± Jim assuredly pounded his chest. Caleb¡¯s expression remained indifferent. ¡°Everything is theoretical at this stage unless he provides tangible results.¡± Jim¡¯s face immediately turned awkward. Julian simply smiled, his smile conveying warmth and approachability. ¡°President Lockwood is right, so if you don¡¯t mind, would you like to discuss the uing development in the conference room now?¡± ¡°But we¡¯re still at the banquet.¡± Jim thought it was inappropriate. This banquet was the prelude to Cynthia¡¯s wedding, after all. Julian shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. HR told me this project is urgent, yet if it can¡¯t wait for the banquet, then let¡¯s enjoy the banquet first tonight!¡± Having said that, he raised his wine ss to Caleb and then turned to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± Caleb¡¯s deep voice made Julian, who was facing away from him, smile slightly. Caleb instructed Mr. Miller to call everyone involved with the FZZL project, including two bodyguards, and they all left the banquet hall together. Serena noticed Caleb and his group leaving, along with CelestiMed¡¯s people, understanding that they must have work to handle. ire was currently chatting with Cynthia. Though not very familiar with Cynthia, ire felt that forming a friendship with her might be beneficial. ¡°What has you so happy?¡± Cynthia wondered why ire¡¯s smile suddenly grew bigger. Updates are released by find(?)ovel ¡°Oh, nothing much, just saw an acquaintance.¡± ire withdrew her gaze. A moment earlier, her gaze had been focused on the man in the white suit who had followed Caleb¡¯s group out of the banquet hall. 161 Chapter 161: Tear Up the Ransom Note Mding 161 161 Chapter 161: Tear Up the Ransom Note In the meeting room. All personnel rted to the FZZL project were present. ¡°Please switch your phones to vibrate or silent mode.¡± Julian Xavier stood on the stage and said this first. Caleb Lockwood, Mr. Miller, Jim, and everyone else adjusted their phones, and Julian Xavier smiled slightly. Due to having a baby face, his smile always appeared very approachable. Julian Xavier connected the USB drive and turned on the projector. Sitting below, people naturally assumed Julian Xavier was preparing for his uing exnation regarding the gene database, no one suspected his other hand in his pocket was secretly switching on a signal and Wi¨CFi jamming device. The device wasn¡¯trge, and the area it could jam wasn¡¯t big, just enough for this meeting room. But that was enough. As long as Caleb Lockwood and the others didn¡¯t leave the meeting room, they wouldn¡¯t receive any messages from outside. ¡°Next, I¡¯ll discuss from a gic perspective how it integrates with the AI¨Cassisted diagnostic system.¡± Just as Julian Xavier began his eloquent speech, in the reception hall, Serena Jennings was informed by a waiter that Caleb had left a USB drive in the guest room and needed her to retrieve it. Serena Jennings knew Caleb Lockwood was likely having a meeting with CelestiMed, but Mr. Miller should be right beside him. Not letting Mr. Miller retrieve it but asking her to go made Serena Jennings somewhat puzzled. Most critically, Caleb hadn¡¯t previously told her where the USB drive was, nor did she know how many USB drives Caleb had brought overseas, or which USB contained the FZZL¨Crted data. Serena Jennings took out her phone and called Caleb to confirm. The call didn¡¯t connect. She called Mr. Miller. That call didn¡¯t connect either. Serena Jennings thought, perhaps their phones were silent due to the meeting. So were they too busy to step away? Was it absolutely necessary to notify her to get it? Serena Jennings still felt something was off, but knowing how crucial the FZZL project was to Caleb Lockwood, retrieving a USB drive 09:41 CO Get full chapters from find?novel 161 Chapter 161: Tear Up the Ransom Note wasn¡¯t too troublesome. Serena Jennings voluntarily left the reception hall. In the corner, ire Shaw saw Serena Jennings leave and silently entered the restroom. Serena Jennings took the elevator to the 12th floor. Tonight, the hotel was almost exclusively hosting guests for Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding; at the moment, they were all in the reception hall, so from the elevator to the corridor, it was silent like a ghost town. Cleaning was happening on the 12th floor, with a cleaner pushing a cleaning cart at the end of the corridor. The guest room for Serena Jennings and Caleb Lockwood was right at the end. Serena Jennings walked over, ready to use the room key to open the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the cleaner silently approaching her, standing right behind her. Out of instinctive vignce, Serena Jennings turned around, and the cleaner just happened to lift his head. They locked eyes. Serena Jennings finally saw the face hidden under the baseball cap- Dn Quinn?! The meeting room was dimly lit. Only the projection screen in the front remained bright. Everyone was fully focused on Julian Xavier¡¯s exnation, until a staff member rushed in saying there seemed to be a fire. The fire rm had actually been sounding for a while, but the meeting room was soundproofed so well, the people inside had no way of noticing. ¡°President Lockwood, let¡¯s go quickly.¡± Mr. Miller and the bodyguards immediately protected Caleb Lockwood, but Caleb darted out and took the escape stairs to the reception hall first. The reception hall was already in chaos, everyone was running out. Only Caleb was running inside. The hall was originally quiterge, and now in the chaos, Caleb nced around but couldn¡¯t find the person he was looking for. Watching as the reception hall emptied, Mr. Miller finally pulled Caleb Lockwood out. But Caleb¡¯s gaze was still searching for something. ¡°Mr. Miller¡­¡± Caleb just opened his mouth when suddenly a man¡¯s voice came from beside him. 161 Chapter 161: Tear Up the Ransom Note ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± The voice wasn¡¯t too familiar to Caleb but not unfamiliar either. Because he had just listened to this voice for a long time in the meeting room. ¡°Do you need help finding them?¡± Julian Xavier asked repeatedly, and Caleb didn¡¯t respond with a word. At that moment, the rm sound ceased. Standing beside Caleb, Julian Xavier asked a staff member about the situation and then returned leisurely to Caleb¡¯s side, saying, ¡°The staff said they¡¯ve checked, it¡¯s not a real fire, don¡¯t know if someone was ying a prank or if the machine broke, it was the smoke- making machine used for the wedding that leaked a lot of smoke, triggering the fire rm.¡± After hearing Julian¡¯s exnation, Mr. Miller sighed, clutching his chest. Caleb silently took out his phone and saw Serena Jennings had sent him a WeChat message: I had to leave for a while. Caleb frowned. He was about to call Serena Jennings when suddenly a video call came in. Caleb epted it casually, and Dn Quinn¡¯s repulsive smiling face instantly appeared on the phone screen. ¡°President Lockwood, hope you¡¯re well!¡± Caleb¡¯s gaze was cold. He noticed Dn was in a ce resembling an old, decrepit apartment, with wallpaper in tatters. ¡°I¡¯m a fugitive with limited time, so I¡¯ll get straight to the point¡­ Caleb Lockwood, prepare a hundred million for me, otherwise, I will kill this woman!¡± Dn adjusted the phone¡¯s camera, and a woman¡¯s figure immediately appeared on the screen. The woman was tied to a chair, her mouth taped shut. The veins in Caleb¡¯s hand holding the phone instantly popped up. He thought Dn Quinn had kidnapped Serena Jennings. Because Serena Jennings left the reception hall and was easier to target, plus the whole inte knew Serena was his wife. However, the person appearing in the video call now was¨Cire Shaw. ire widened her big eyes, her rims red, tears rolling. ¡°Originally, I wanted to take this woman and your wife Serena Jennings together amidst the chaos, but those guys around your wife left the hotel before I could create confusion, even though they were close to each other¡­ however, this stupid woman was still around, she 09.41 161 Chapter 161: Tear Up the Ransom Note was searching for you everywhere, unaware she¡¯d caught my eye.¡± While saying this, Dn lit a cigarette, the tip glowing red, he took a drag, and casually intended to burn ire¡¯s shoulder with the cigarette butt. ire, with her mouth taped, could only struggle and mumble. ¡°If you dare mess around, I guarantee you won¡¯t get a cent.¡± Caleb¡¯s deep voice made Dn pause. Dn shrugged, sneering. ¡°I know this ire Shaw is your first love, even though you¡¯re married, you can¡¯t let her go, so asking for a hundred million isn¡¯t a lot, if your wife was included, I¡¯d want two hundred million, but since you were cuckolded by your wife, I¡¯ll pity you somewhat, one hundred million will do, convert it to Bitcoin, I¡¯ll send you the ount, if it¡¯s not there in two hours or if you dare call the police or y tricks¡­ Dn suddenly pressed the burning cigarette butt onto ire¡¯s shoulder, and ire immediately cried out in pain. ¡°Dn Quinn!¡± Caleb roared lowly. Dn immediately released his grip, smiling, ¡°Sorry, sorry, slipped my hand.¡± He tore off the tape from ire¡¯s mouth, seemingly to deliberately let Caleb hear her cries. ire, just able to speak, shouted at Caleb, ¡°Caleb, don¡¯t mind me!¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Mding 162 162 Chapter 162: The Bitch Who Cheated on Him Dn Quinn swung his hand back and pped her. 1 ire¡¯s head was knocked sideways, and before Dn Quinn could reapply the tape on her mouth, she tearfully shouted into the video for Caleb Lockwood: ¡°Whether or not I can return alive, remember I love you, Caleb, I¡­¡± Dn Quinn didn¡¯t give ire the chance to continue speaking. ¡°You have two hours, Caleb Lockwood. Once I get the money, I¡¯ll release her immediately; otherwise¡­ you can prepare to collect her corpse!¡± After saying this, Dn Quinn hung up the phone, sent Caleb the virtual ount that joker had given him before, and then destroyed the phone. ¡°You yed this self¨Csacrifice role a bit too realistically, didn¡¯t you?¡± Dn Quinn turned to ire, ripping off the tape from her mouth. ire¡¯s cheek was swollen, and the injury on her shoulder was real. Because if she didn¡¯t genuinely get hit, Caleb Lockwood would easily see through the act. ¡°Just to make Caleb feel sorry for you, worth going this far?¡± Mocked by Dn Quinn, ire rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you know.¡± This move of hers was far more than just making Caleb Lockwood feel sorry for her. This act of self¨Csacrifice had been nned with joker for a long time. Dn Quinn was someone she proactively contacted. As long as everything went smoothly, Caleb Lockwood would never again get entangled with Serena Jennings; instead, he would wholeheartedly love only her. After all, she had sought him out urgently, enduring suffering from being kidnapped as his devoted first love. Whereas Serena Jennings, in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes, had run off with another man, making him a fool. ¡°Hurry back, I¡¯ve already arranged the boat; just wait there. Remember to watch over her, and don¡¯t forget what we agreed on.¡± Urged by ire, Dn Quinn first helped ire reapply the tape on her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t escape. Once she¡¯s on the boat, she¡¯ll never return.¡± Dn Quinnughed as he left the dpidated apartment. 09:414 162 Chapter 162: The Bitch Who Cheated on Him ire was genuinely tied up, her wrists ached. But she was not anxious; instead, she felt rather smug. Caleb Lockwood finding her was only a matter of time. Although in Meridia, Caleb Lockwood couldn¡¯t act as freely as he did in Country A. But she had left clues. She intentionally let Dn Quinn capture the worn¨Cout wallpaper here, the apartment¡¯s decor was uniform, coupled with calcting the time from when the hotel¡¯s fire rm went off, indicating Dn Quinn couldn¡¯t have kept her far from the hotel and must have chosen an old building without surveince. With Caleb Lockwood¡¯s abilities, given all these clues, she believed it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to pinpoint the apartment where she was kidnapped. Even if Caleb Lockwoodter discovered Serena Jennings was also missing, that would only be after Serena was taken on the boat by Dn Quinn. ire wanted Serena Jennings to disappear forever. She vowed to make it happen! Late at night, at an abandoned dock. Serena Jennings awoke to find herself lying on the ground, with her hands tied behind her back. She remembered she had been drugged by Dn Quinn in the hotel¡¯s hallway. Dn Quinn clearly came prepared. He disguised himself as a hotel janitor, the dualyered cleaning cart fit a person perfectly. Serena never thought a kidnapping scenario from movies or TV could actually happen to her. Dn Quinn was a fugitive, from parole to smuggling into Meridia and conducting this meticulous kidnapping; it seemed unlikely he did it without help. But now was not the time to ponder these things. Serena had no idea what Dn Quinn nned to do with her. She was extremely scared now, her heart pounding in her throat. But she had to force herself to stay calm. The surroundings were pitch¨Cck, resembling an abandoned warehouse. Serena struggled to lift her head and saw a small window. The ss of the window was broken, just enough to let some fresh cold air into the foul¨Csmelling warehouse. 09 425 275 162 Chapter 162: The Bitch Who Cheated on Him Moonlight seeped through the window, indicating it was dark outside.. Serena deduced that it hadn¡¯t been long since Dn Quinn had drugged her. Staring at the small window for a while, Serena bit her lower lip. She was disappointed. Because the window was too small, too high; she couldn¡¯t climb up, and even if she did, she couldn¡¯t escape. She had to think of another way¡­ She took a deep breath, straining to think. The air here was humid; waves could be heard crashing. Without a doubt, Dn Quinn intended to flee by boat, which is why he held her at the dock¡¯s warehouse. Apart from her, there¡¯s someone else assigned to watch over her. A foreign man, likely a thug, with a scar on his face and tattoos on his hand. Serena was considering if she couldmunicate in a foreignnguage with him, promise him money in exchange for a chance at escape. ¡°How much did Dn Quinn promise you? I¡¯ll give you double.¡± Serena said in a foreignnguage. Dn Quinn¡¯s aplice replied in Chinese: ¡°Speak again, and I¡¯ll cut off your tongue.¡± Serena¡¯s heart tightened. The money route was hopeless; she had to think of something else. Scooting along the ground, she warily watched Dn Quinn¡¯s aplice and discreetly removed the diamond ring from her left¨Chand ring finger. This diamond ring was princess¨Ccut, hollow set, with corners exposed, perfect for cutting ropes. But diamonds, though hard, aren¡¯t knives; Serena¡¯s hand trembled from nervousness, but she needed patience. A tense string snapped in her mind as the warehouse door suddenly opened, the sound of rusty metal screeching was painfully loud, and the ring nearly fell from her grasp. Dn Quinn walked in. Serena held her breath, tightly clutching the ring. ¡°Oh, awake now!¡± Dn Quinn squatted before Serena, reaching to touch her face. 09:42 162 Chapter 162: The Bitch Who Cheated on Him Serena shuddered, shifting desperately to avoid Dn Quinn¡¯s touch. Dn Quinn scoffed, raising his hand to p Serena hard. Serena felt her ears ringing, almost deaf, with the side of her face burning painfully. ¡°Why are you dodging? Huh? What¡¯s wrong with letting me touch your face?¡± Dn Quinn¡¯s face was full of rough features, his smile sinister and lewd. If time wasn¡¯t tight, he would¡¯ve loved to have his way with Serena after she¡¯d passed out. Initially, Dn Quinn hadn¡¯t thought much beyond parole and smuggling to a country without extradition. Unexpectedly, ire Shaw sought him, offering money, arranging a boat, even providing manpower. While kidnapping Serena involved some risk, ire¡¯s n was to take Serena along with him directly. This way, he¡¯d get both money and a beautiful woman¨Cwhy wouldn¡¯t he agree! The rightful source is Find~Novel ¡°Once you¡¯re on the boat, I¡¯ll touch you all over!¡± Dn Quinn said as he stood up, checking the time on his phone. Serena¡¯s face turned ashen. She thought Dn Quinn kidnapped her for ransom from Caleb Lockwood. But Dn Quinn actually nned to take her along as he fled?! Serena felt as if she¡¯d plunged into an ice cave, her body losing heat rapidly, fingertips cold, scalp tingling. Dn Quinn nced at Serena, noticing her pale lips tightly pressed, eyes filled with terror. He chuckled maliciously. ¡°me yourself for being stupid, rushing to help Caleb Lockwood at the slightest whim. Do you know what Caleb¡¯s doing right now?¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 163 163 Chapter 163: Take Her Out Serena Jennings tightly gripped the princess¨Ccut diamond ring in her hand. Dn Quinn stood before her, all smiles and full of confidence. It was obvious he wasn¡¯t at all worried that Caleb Lockwood woulde to rescue her. ¡°Your darling husband is busy rescuing his first love, his white moonlight! He doesn¡¯t have time for you!¡± Serena¡¯s mind buzzed. ¡°First love, white moonlight¡°¡­ It was clearly referring to ire Shaw. ¡°I kidnapped both you and ire Shaw to make Caleb Lockwood choose, and he picked her without hesitation¡­ He¡¯s really heartless to you.¡± As Dn Quinn boasted, Serena¡¯s face turned ashen, as if all the blood had been drained from her. Her instinct told her Dn Quinn wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°So no one ising to save you. You might as well give up that hope! Rather than pinning your hopes on a man who wholeheartedly loves another woman, why not be sensible, ande with me¡­ I promise, once we smuggle to NM, I¡¯ll pamper you every day, hahaha!¡± Dn Quinn¡¯s smug face made Serena sick. However, she believed him. If she and ire Shaw were ced on opposite sides of the scale, the one who mattered more to Caleb Lockwood would certainly be ire Shaw. Only ire Shaw. It was as if her heart was being crushed by a firm grip, making it hard for Serena to breathe. She couldn¡¯t rely on anyone. Especially not Caleb Lockwood. Even if Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t busy rescuing ire Shaw, he might not care about her life or death. After all¡­ They were divorced. To Caleb Lockwood, she was now a nobody. Serena silently took a deep breath. The cold air was mixed with the salty dampness of the sea and the stench of foul water. Her palm was pierced by the sharp edge of the princess¨Ccut diamond ring. 06:420 163 Chapter 163: Take Her Out The ring Caleb Lockwood gave her could cut ropes, but it could also hurt her. Seeing Serena¡¯s increasingly pale face, Dn Quinn took out his phone and snapped a photo to send to joker. The photo wasn¡¯t something joker wanted, but rather what ire Shaw wanted. The previous words were also taught to him by ire Shaw. Even though Serena was about to be taken to NM, where she would never return to hinder ire Shaw¡¯s affairs, ire Shaw still wanted to break her heart. Dn Quinn guessed that ire Shaw¡¯s aplice, joker, could easily have Serena killed in Meridia. The reason it hadn¡¯t happened was that ire Shaw wanted Serena¡¯s life to be a fate worse than death. Falling into his hands, to be abused for a lifetime, watching the man she loved marry another woman, and live happily ever after with her, was indeed a torment more unbearable than death. Truly, hell hath no fury like a woman¡¯s scorn! Dn Quinn chuckled sinisterly. But it was just as well, it was to his benefit. He had always coveted Serena¡¯s body, and after multiple failed attempts before, he wasn¡¯t going to let her slip through his fingers this time. In fact, Dn Quinn¡¯s guess was mostly right; ire Shaw had considered having joker seize an opportunity to eliminate Serena directly in Meridia. But Dn Quinn was a pawn to be used, leveraging the kidnapping to simultaneously make Caleb Lockwood pity her, while letting Serena fall into Dn Quinn¡¯s hands, unable to live or die. ire Shaw thought this was more satisfying. While Dn Quinn¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on her, Serena secretly used the diamond to fiercely cut the rope. ¡°Hmm? What are you doing?¡± Dn Quinn suddenly nced sideways at Serena. A cold sweat broke out across Serena¡¯s body. ¡°I¡­wanted to know how you got to Meridia?¡± Serena found a topic to chat with Dn Quinn, diverting his attention. ¡°Why? Trying to draw me out!¡± Dn Quinn shrugged, sneering, ¡°I naturally have someone influential helping me.¡± But Dn Quinn didn¡¯t know much about joker, he didn¡¯t even know what joker looked like; he only knew that joker was ire Shaw¡¯s helper, and as long as he followed their instructions, he would get both money and people. ¡°The boat¡¯s here.¡± 09:42 163 Chapter 163: Take Her Out Dn Quinn¡¯s aplice suddenly shouted. Dn Quinn immediately leapt up in excitement, a smile of relief on his face. Dn Quinn¡¯s escape meant Serena¡¯s total downfall. Serena¡¯s fingers and palms were bloody. But she was so nervous, she had lost all sense of pain. She had to exert more force, just a little more, to cut the rope, only then would she have a chance to escape. The source of th?s content is find?novel The rope had actually loosened a bit, but now wasn¡¯t the best time to run. Serena noticed, Dn Quinn didn¡¯t have a gun, but the foreigner had one tucked at his waist. There would only be one chance to escape, she had to maximize the odds of sess. The boat smuggling them to NM drew closer, a rickety cargo ship crowded with people trying to sneak across for various reasons. In the darkness, the ship and these people were like a festering sore on the ocean. ¡°Hurry up!¡± The cargo ship slowly docked, the crew shouted in a foreignnguage urging them along. Dn Quinn personally escorted Serena onto the boat, while his aplice followed behind. The night sea wind was strong and cold, Serena was still wearing the evening gown she had on at the party, and her body became instantly frozen. Forced onto the ship, her hands were tied behind her back as she tightly gripped the rope. The cargo ship restarted and slowly left the dock. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m free!¡± Dn Quinn had just cheered when Serena suddenly broke free from the rope and kicked him in the groin. Dn Quinn yelped and clutched his groin. His aplice instinctively reached for the gun at his waist. Before he could shoot, Serena leaped overboard with a ssh. The cargo ship was still moving; it couldn¡¯t stop for a stowaway who had jumped into the sea. ¡°Quick! Go down and bring her back for me!¡± Dn Quinn grabbed his aplice by the cor. The sea was ice¨Ccold, immediately sapping all of Serena¡¯s body heat. Yet even so, she had to gamble. 09:42 163 Chapter 163: Take Her Out Dn Quinn¡¯s main goal was to escape, and the smuggling boat had limited time, it couldn¡¯t wait for Dn Quinn to bring her back. Thus, jumping overboard as the boat was just starting was her best chance to escape. Engulfed in the pitch¨Cck icy sea, Serena thought she heard gunfire, and the sound of someone entering the water. Were they shooting at her? Or had someone jumped in to catch her? Serena couldn¡¯t afford to care. She could only swim desperately, swim desperately, swim desperately¡­. ¡­until her strength and warmth were fully drained. The moonlight cast a cold sheen on the shore. The cargo ship turned back. The captain stood with a gun pointed at his head by Tim. Tim was on the phone. ¡°The woman jumped overboard and ran. I dealt with Dn Quinn, should I handle the woman too once she makes it to shore?¡± At Lynton Grand Hotel, Julian Xavier was holding an iPad, looking at the CelestiMed database. He was on a call using a Bluetooth earpiece. ¡°Hmm, deal with her.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Tim, having received the order, was about to hang up when Julian Xavier¡¯s voice suddenly emanated from the earpiece again. ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡± In a dpidated apartment, ire Shaw was finally rescued. ¡°Caleb!¡± When she saw Caleb Lockwood charge in first, ire Shaw burst into tears. Comment 0 00:42 Mding 164 164 Chapter 164: Falling Into Human Traffickers¡® Hands Caleb Lockwood untied ire Shaw, and ire immediately threw herself into Caleb¡¯s arms, crying. ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again in this lifetime!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay now, it¡¯s all okay, it¡¯s over¡­¡± Caleb gently patted ire Shaw¡¯s back tofort her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I came toote¡­¡± Finding a ce to exchange Bitcoin at this time isn¡¯t easy, and Meridia is different from City A. While Caleb isn¡¯tpletely unfamiliar, his influence is certainly not as strong as it is in City A. So he spent considerable time exchanging one hundred million into Bitcoin, simultaneously sending people to search within a half¨Chour drive of Lynton Grand Hotel for old apartments without surveince and with beige marble¨Cpatterned wallpaper. Heaven never disappoints the persistent, and he finally found the ce where Dn Quinn held ire Shaw. ¡°Notte, notte at all¡­ I¡¯m already so grateful you came to save me¡­¡± ire raised her tear¨Cstained, swollen face, and her eyes were full of gratitude and deep affection as she looked at Caleb. ¡°By the way, Caleb, where¡¯s Dn Quinn? I¡¯m afraid he might harm you since you¡¯re here¡­¡± ire tightly grasped Caleb¡¯s hand. Caleb felt ire¡¯s hand trembling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I brought bodyguards, Dn Quinn doesn¡¯t dare do anything to me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ that¡¯s good¡­¡± Just as ire tried to step forward, her legs gave way, and Caleb immediately scooped her up horizontally. ire leaned weakly against Caleb, her long, tear¨Cdrenched eyshes trembling ceaselessly, clearly still shaken. In this state and situation, anyone would feel a strong sympathy and affection towards ire just by looking at her. Serena Jennings should have already been taken onto the ship by Dn Quinn, right? ire thought to herself. Once they reach NM, Serena, alone and powerless, would be at Dn Quinn¡¯s mercy, unable to return despite cries for help to the heavens or the earth. As long as Dn wasn¡¯t tired of her, she would be lucky. If he was, Serena might be sold to a brothel or end up in the hands of traffickers. Imagining Serena¡¯s tragic fate made ire almostugh out loud. Serena, how dare youpete with me for a man! 09:42 164 Chapter 164: Falling Into Human Traffickers¡® Hands ire vowed silently. The position of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife was supposed to be hers. If it weren¡¯t for Serena, she wouldn¡¯t have had to go through so much trouble. Serena brought this on herself; there¡¯s no one else to me. ¡°Caleb, I thought this time¡­ I would lose you¡­¡± ire murmured pitiably, her eyes closed. ¡°Never¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­ will we be together forever?¡± ¡­Hmm¡­¡± Listening to Caleb¡¯s promise, ire¡¯s injured face broke into a content smile. ¡°Back in juvenile detention, you also said that to me¡­¡± Holding ire, Caleb¡¯s fingers twitched slightly, and after a moment of silence, he said ¡°Hmm¡± again. We will be together forever- He had indeed said that to Ellie. Caleb carried ire back to the hotel, staying by her bedside. Before rushing in to save ire, he had made some preparations, urgently contacting people from all walks of life, fearing Dn Quinn might have nted bombs in the room. In the end, Dn Quinn wasn¡¯t as capable as he had imagined. ¡°Still haven¡¯t found Dn Quinn?¡± Caleb asked Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller shook his head. ¡°Keep searching, alive or dead, I need to see him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Mr. Miller left, Caleb saw that ire was lying in bed as if asleep. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± As he was about to stand up, he heard ire¡¯s muttering. ¡°Don¡¯t leave¡­ Caleb¡­ don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t leave me alone¡­¡± ire frowned, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead; Caleb knew she was having a nightmare. 09:42 15 164 Chapter 164: Falling Into Human Traffickers¡® Hands Ideal would have been attending the wedding abroad, but instead, a kidnapping urred. Even when rescued, establishing a sense of security would be difficult both physically and mentally. Caleb sat down again, only quietly leaving once ire was truly asleep. He instructed two bodyguards to guard ire¡¯s room door. The hallway was silent. The soles of Caleb¡¯s shoes pressed on the thick carpet. Making no sound. When Caleb raised his head and saw room number 1237, he realized he¡¯d unknowingly walked to his own room. This room also belonged to Serena. Caleb swiped the card to open the door; the room was pitch ck. No one had returned. It was almost midnight. The room was dark, the reflection in Caleb¡¯s eyes making his gaze seem equally dark. Caleb took out his phone and made a call. The call was to Serena Jennings. Based on the information Serena sent him earlier and Dn Quinn¡¯s words, Serena should have left the banquet with someone familiar, a man. The busy tone echoed several times,sting so long that Caleb thought the call wouldn¡¯t connect. It was at this moment that the call connected. ¡°Hello?¡± From the receiver came a voice; it wasn¡¯t Serena¡¯s. But a man¡¯s. Caleb slightly lowered his gaze, his eyes dark as the sea on a calm winter¡¯s night, and as unfathomable as the deep ocean. ¡°Justin Nash¡­ Is Serena with you?¡± On the other end, Justin Nash paused. He didn¡¯t expect Caleb would recognize his voice. ¡°Yes.¡± He gave Caleb a direct answer. 09.42 ( 164 Chapter 164: Falling Into Human Traffickers¡® Hands ¡°Let Serena take the call.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was as always, gentle yet cold, making it difficult to discern any emotional fluctuations. ¡°She can¡¯t take the call.¡± Justin¡¯s voice carried a hint of mockery. Caleb slightly lifted his eyes, hearing Justin continue: ¡°She¡¯s asleep, sleeping in my bed.¡± Justin¡¯s tone was full of provocation, but Caleb responded with a light chuckle: ¡°A married woman sleeping in the bed of tomorrow¡¯s groom¡­ That¡¯s quite thrilling¡± With that, Caleb hung up. His thumb remained on the phone screen until it cracked. Under the night, the sea whispered, waves hitting reefs and beaches. The wind was cold, the water cold, and the moonlight cold too. Sand Dune Road No. 17, Sapphire Bay. In daylight, it looked like a dazzling blue scarf. This bay is privatend, a Mediterranean¨Cstyle coastal vi adorned like a radiant jewel on the scarf. Yet at night, it appeared as a cage. Justin Nash stood by the window, the damp sea breeze enveloping him, bringing bursts of saltiness. He held a phone. The phone belonged to Serena Jennings. Behind him was a very spacious bedroom. N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F?nd-Novel Opposite him wasn¡¯t a wall, but arge floor¨Cto¨Cceiling ss window. Through the spotless ss, he could see Serena lying on the bed. Serena was still unconscious, covered by a nket, her drenched gown long removed. It was Justin Nash who had personally taken it off. 09.42 Mding 165 165 Chapter 165: House Arrest Up until now, he still doesn¡¯t know exactly what Serena Jennings has gone through. 1 All he knows is that tomorrow is his wedding, yet he doesn¡¯t want to go through with it and can¡¯t sleep. While he was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, suddenly, a strange multimedia message woke himpletely. The multimedia message contained only one photo. The background of the photo was the abandoned dock at night, and the focus was a cellphone. Justin Nash didn¡¯t recognize anything else, but that cellphone looked very familiar. It was Serena Jennings¡® phone. Initially, Justin Nash was still wondering who sent him such a photo and for what purpose. Later, he left his room and tried to contact Serena Jennings but couldn¡¯t reach her. He also heard that a fugitive from City A had fled to Meridia, kidnapped ire Shaw, and extorted Caleb Lockwood. All these factors filled Justin Nash with unease. He quickly began searching the photo for that abandoned dock, and sure enough, he found Serena Jennings there. Serena Jennings was soaked through, looking as if she had just crawled out of the sea, dragging her increasingly weary body, leaving clear traces of water. But ultimately, she copsed to the ground, her strength exhausted. Her phoney right beside her. However, the phone wasn¡¯t broken or wet. Justin Nash found it peculiar. Clearly, something must have happened to Serena Jennings. And the person who sent him the photo must have wanted him to save Serena Jennings. The question is, why? Serena Jennings was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife, and everyone attending his and Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wedding knows that. The other party didn¡¯t contact Caleb Lockwood but contacted him¡­ Justin Nash always felt there was some sort of scheme involved. Official source is find[?]ovel Nevertheless, despite the other¡¯s impure motives, they still helped him a great deal. Justin Nash thought, perhaps this was fate! Since fate had created an opportunity between him and Serena Jennings, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let it slip away. 00:43 165 Chapter 165: House Arrest Thus, Justin Nash took the unconscious Serena Jennings to the an¨Cview vi at Sapphire Bay. Serena Jennings¡® hand was injured, appeared to have been cut by a sharp object, and her wrist had clear abrasions. Justin Nash helped Serena Jennings treat her wounds, applied medication, and also helped her remove her wet clothes. Serena Jennings was wearing a dress, but inside she wore seamless underwear. Although the underwear was also wet, it wasn¡¯t overly so. Justin Nash hesitated for a moment, resisted taking advantage of Serena Jennings, and carried her onto the bed, letting her rest. Through the clean floor¨Cto¨Cceiling ss window, he could see Serena Jennings sleeping soundly inside. Justin Nash dared not go in. He feared he might lose control. The sun rose from the horizon, and the dark sea water, illuminated by the sunlight, sparkled and gradually returned to its original azure. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t know how long she had been asleep. She only knew that when she woke up, the surroundings felt unfamiliar. She still remembered being kidnapped by Dn Quinn and escaping by jumping into the sea. She had already swum ashore, but the massive loss of her stamina and body temperature ultimately caused her to copse. At that time, Serena Jennings didn¡¯t know what her fate would be. Dn Quinn¡¯s aplice had a gun; if he wouldn¡¯t spare her, she might be taken away or even killed. Serena Jennings nearly fainted from the overwhelming terror. However, now she awoke to an unfamiliar environment that suggested she hadn¡¯t been taken to NM. The ce was a Mediterranean¨Cstyle sea¨Cview vi, where the sound of crashing waves could be heard. Just as Serena Jennings noticed she wasn¡¯t wearing clothes, she heard a man¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± The person who emerged from behind the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling ss startled Serena Jennings significantly. ¡°Justin Nash?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Justin Nash smiled softly, a smile akin to what he had when they first met, carrying the distinctive youthful vibe of a university student. Yet Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t bring herself to smile. ¡°Justin Nash, what time is it now, and your wedding?¡± ¡°I escaped.¡± $500.43 < 165 Chapter 165: House Arrest Serena Jennings was stunned. Justin Nash¡¯s understated words didn¡¯t shake his smile a bit. Still, Serena Jennings shivered involuntarily. Escaped? Does he mean escaped from the wedding? ¡°Serena Jennings, I saved you¡­ I¡¯m your benefactor¡­¡± As Justin Nash spoke, he walked toward Serena Jennings. Serena Jennings watched Justin Nash with wide eyes. Justin Nash still appeared to be Justin Nash. Yet for some reason, she felt a chill from the depths of her heart. Seeing Serena Jennings clutching the quilt tightly around herself, Justin Nash curled his lips into a grin. ¡°What if I said¡­ You¡¯re already mine now?¡± Serena Jennings quietly clenched her teeth. Justin Nash¡¯s cold smile made Serena Jennings feel foreign. In her memory, Justin Nash, whether before or after inheriting his family business, was inherently a kind and simple student. But now¡­ This was the first time Serena Jennings felt frightened by Justin Nash. Justin Nash moved over and pressed against Serena Jennings. ¡°What if I said¡­ I want to imprison you here, and you¡¯ll never be able to leave from now on?¡± Justin Nash¡¯s proximity brought every word as a tant threat to Serena Jennings. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t shy away from his intense and sharp gaze. She was silent for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°I already have!¡± ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± Serena Jennings¡® sincere gratitude took Justin Nash by surprise. Seeing Justin Nash¡¯s facial features twisted byplex emotions, Serena Jennings sighed. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already taken off my clothes, why leave the underwear¡­ And, if you truly intend to imprison me, you could choose a much < 165 Chapter 165: House Arrest more secluded and enclosed ce¡­ Most importantly, although we haven¡¯t known each other for long, I believe you wouldn¡¯t harm me¡± Serena Jennings gazed directly into Justin Nash¡¯s eyes, her carnest look causing him to lower his head in shame. ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you say¡­¡± Justin Nash clenched his fists. ¡°I really¡­¡± Did indeed consider keeping Serena Jennings forever imprisoned in the vi. After all, Serena Jennings had little background, with only a mother in a nursing home. Caleb Lockwood doesn¡¯t love Serena Jennings and wouldn¡¯t care about her fate in his hands. Justin Nash had genuinely contemted all of this while Serena Jennings was unconscious. He couldn¡¯t win her love anyway. Might as well gain her person first. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve such trust from you at all, I¡­¡± ¡°Justin Nash¡­¡± Serena Jennings interrupted him. Justin Nash¡¯s expression was painful, conflicted, remorseful, yet unwilling. Serena Jennings knew he wasn¡¯t lying. An iota more, and she might have fallen into Justin Nash¡¯s hands, losing her freedom forever. But¡­ ¡°No matter what you nned in your mind, you ultimately didn¡¯t do it¡­¡± ¡°No, I did!¡± Justin Nash said decisively. Serena Jennings was puzzled. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I told Caleb Lockwood when he called you¡­¡± Serena Jennings¡® heart skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t expect to hear Caleb Lockwood¡¯s name from Justin Nash. So¡­ Caleb Lockwood had called her¡­ 00:42 0 Mding 166 166 Chapter 166: pped in the Face ¡°I told him¡­ you were with me.¡± Justin Nash and Serena Jennings¡® gazes remained locked. He had expected that after he said these words, he would see either panic, anger, or reproach on Serena¡¯s face. After all, his words had caused Caleb Lockwood¡¯s misunderstanding of Serena. And Serena¡­ deeply loved Caleb Lockwood. However, Serena reacted very calmly. This calmness greatly surprised Justin Nash. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± Serena¡¯s voice was indifferent, as cold as the sea breeze blowing in from the window. She was indeed with Justin Nash now, so what he said wasn¡¯t a lie. Serena¡¯s health hadn¡¯t fully recovered; though she was awake, her body was still weak, herplexion pale as paper. At this moment, in Justin Nash¡¯s eyes, Serena¡¯s expression looked as if all hope had died. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Justin Nash frowned, feeling as though a lump was stuck in his throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it. ¡°Could you help me close the window a bit more?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ sure, sure¡­¡± Justin Nash obliged. He opened the window, hoping to air out the long¨Cuninhabited seaside vi, allowing fresh air to circte so Serena wouldn¡¯t feel too damp and moldy. Although Serena was wrapped in a nket, she still felt no warmth. When she was tied up in the warehouse and was informed by Dn Quinn that Caleb Lockwood had chosen ire Shaw over her, when she jumped into the cold, dark sea uncertain whether she would survive¡­ The fear and pain from those moments still lingered in her body, so she felt cold no matter how thick the nket was. ¡°Justin Nash, do you really have no regrets?¡± Serena¡¯s question momentarily left Justin Nash unable to respond. ¡°What do you mean¡­ exactly?¡± 315 < 166 Chapter 166: pped in the Face ¡°Running away from the wedding¡­¡± Serena saw Justin Nash involuntarily raise his eyes slightly. The Nash Family and The Fulton Family must have extraordinary ties of interest, so despite Justin Nash¡¯s dislike for Cynthia Fulton, he still agreed to be with her until the wedding. Now that Justin Nash had fled the wedding, what he faces next can¡¯t be solved by simply hiding in this seaside vi for a lifetime. ¡°I have no regrets!¡± Justin Nash unwaveringly stared at Serena, his tone firm. ¡°Really¡­¡± Serena felt a mix of emotions. Back then, she fell in love with Caleb Lockwood without hesitation,ter marrying him like a moth drawn to me. She also didn¡¯t regret it. However¡­ Serena smiled. Justin Nash was taken aback when he saw Serena suddenly bloom into a smile. Serena¡¯s smile was beautiful. The paler herplexion became, the more the self¨Cmocking smile held a fragile beauty. Justin Nash gazed at Serena, bing captivated. After surviving by the skin of her teeth, Serena felt as though she had picked up a spare life. She thought, her love for Caleb Lockwood¡­ might as well stay forever, alongside that diamond ring tossed into the sea, within the dark, cold waters. Venus Cathedral. The priest, choir, and the guests from afar were all growing impatient. Of course, the most anxious one was the bride herself. If it weren¡¯t in front of the crowd, Cynthia Fulton would have gone ballistic. Justin Nash didn¡¯te! He didn¡¯t show up at the agreed time, Justin Nash didn¡¯t appear. At the time of the wedding, Justin Nash didn¡¯t appear. Over an hour had passed, yet Justin Nash still didn¡¯t appear. 09:43 < 166 Chapter 166: pped in the Face In the VIP section, ire Shaw sat beside Caleb Lockwood, unable to hold back her murmur: ¡°What¡¯s with Justin Nash? How can he bete for something as important as his wedding? Could something have happened?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t being.¡± ¡°What?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words stunned ire Shaw. Caleb Lockwood offered no further exnation, simply repeating: ¡°Justin Nash¡­ he won¡¯t being.¡± Instinctively, Caleb Lockwood picked up his phone. ¡°Caleb, what happened to your phone? Why is the screen cracked?¡± Seeing the crack on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone screen, ire Shaw was puzzled. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s phone corners were intact; the screen was cracked directly from the center. ¡°I scratched it myselfst night.¡± Caleb Lockwood replied casually. ¡°Huh?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words left ire Shaw feeling even more bewildered. Shrugging with augh, Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t pursue the topic further, his smile slowly growing cold. In the end, just as Caleb Lockwood had said, Justin Nash didn¡¯te. The entire day passed, but Justin Nash was nowhere to be found. He seemed to have vanished into thin air, unreachable and uncontactable. The Nash Family was frantic, The Fulton Family was frantic, Cynthia Fulton was even crazier. Outside the cathedral, Caleb Lockwood watched the sun set beneath a sky of crimson clouds. ¡°Caleb, do you know something? Do you know where Justin Nash is now?¡± ire Shaw approached Caleb Lockwood, asking softly. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words piqued ire Shaw¡¯s curiosity, but seeing he didn¡¯t n on borating, she didn¡¯t delve further. The two stood together for a while, admiring the sunset when ire Shaw suddenly asked: ¡°By the way, where did Serena go? Why haven¡¯t we seen her all day?¡± ire Shaw had wanted to ask this for a long time. Even though she knew Serena had been taken onto a ship by Dn Quinn, it seemed unreasonable for Caleb Lockwood not to inquire 05:43 < 166 Chapter 166: pped in the Face about Serena¡¯s disappearance. ¡°Serena¡­ she¡¯s with Justin Nash¡± ¡°What?!¡± ire Shaw was horrified. The night descended, and the Lynton Grand Hotel glittered with lights. Julian Xavier¡¯s guest room was visited by someone. A woman. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid your beloved Caleb Lockwood will find out you¡¯re not in your own room?¡± Checktest chapters at Find_Novel(. Julian Xavier asked ire Shaw with a smile. ire Shaw was now hugging her arms, ring angrily at Julian Xavier. ¡°Caleb is discussing work with Lockwood Group employees; he won¡¯t notice my absence.¡± ¡°But I also have work!¡± Julian Xavier waved his iPad. ¡°joker!¡± ire Shaw screamed in anger: ¡°You orchestrated this whole kidnapping; didn¡¯t you guarantee it would be foolproof? Why is Serena still here? Caleb said she is with Justin Nash¡­¡± ¡°Because she jumped into the sea and escaped, what was I supposed to do? That woman is quite capable.¡± Julian Xavier shrugged towards ire Shaw. ¡°And Dn Quinn?¡± ¡°Dead.¡± Julian Xavier only mentioned Dn Quinn¡¯s death, avoiding how he died. ire Shaw, upset and frantic. With joker¡¯s abilities, he could kill Dn Quinn as easily as he could Serena. ¡°She was lucky to be rescued by the groom, though she didn¡¯t die nor get taken away. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s better?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ire Shaw raised an eyebrow at Julian Xavier. Julian Xavier grinned, his smile appearing innocent. ¡°That photographer always wanted to make a fortune off Serena, and I know you¡¯ve contacted him long ago. Now¡¯s just the time to make use of him.¡± Hearing Julian Xavier¡¯s words, ire Shaw¡¯s eyes lit up like bulbs. 09:43 4715 166 Chapter 166: pped in the Face Serena slept for another day and night in Justin Nash¡¯s seaside vi. After chatting with Justin Nash, she felt more at ease, regaining some strength and energy. However, no matter how secluded the seaside vi was, it was never a safe haven. Early the next morning, Serena was awakened by amotion. Just as she climbed out of bed, a woman stormed into the room and greeted her with a p. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 167 167 Chapter 167: The Abandoned Socialite Wife ¡°Taking my fifty million and still daring to seduce my son!¡± Iris Irving pped Serena Jennings hard, and it wasn¡¯t enough; she grabbed Serena¡¯s hair, wanting to vent all her anger on her. ¡°Mom, please stop!¡± Justin Nash hurried over and pulled the furious Iris away. Serena¡¯s face was bruised, her hair and clothes a mess. The Nash family didn¡¯t just have Justin¡¯s mother there; many rtives and friends hade too. In their view, witnessing Justin and Serena alone in the seaside vi was no different from catching them in the act. In an instant, Serena became, in the eyes of everyone, a seductress enticing a married man. Though Justin and Cynthia Fulton hadn¡¯t truly married yet, their engagement was already set, and in the eyes of others, Justin was already the Fulton family¡¯s son¨Cinw. What was most baffling was that Serena herself was married. And her husband was Caleb Lockwood. Although Justin managed to stop his mother from beating Serena further. But that was all he could do. He was taken away by the Nash family¡¯s bodyguards, leaving Serena alone. Serena stood in front of the seaside vi, looking utterly disheveled, allowing the sea breeze mixed with salty moisture to hit her. Her clothes were very thin. In the dead of winter, she could only put back on the original gown. Luckily, the gown was already dry. Justin had already returned her phone, and it wasn¡¯t broken. Serena didn¡¯t know whether this counted as a small blessing amidst her misfortune. She didn¡¯t contact Caleb Lockwood. Instead, she first went to buy some winter clothing and booked a flight back to City A. On Caleb Lockwood¡¯s private jet, Serena was there flying to Meridia. Flying back to City A, ire Shaw was the passenger, Until the path home, Caleb¡¯s sent people still hadn¡¯t found Dn Quinn. 09:43 < 167 Chapter 167: The Abandoned Socialite Wife Later, he heard news that Dn Quinn died in a skirmish on a smuggling ship. ¡°Dn Quinn is already dead; you can be at case now.¡± On the ne, Caleb said to ire Shaw beside him. ¡°As long as I have you, Caleb, with me, whether he¡¯s dead or alive, I don¡¯t fear¡± ire Shaw leaned her head on Caleb¡¯s shoulder, smiling sweetly and happily. Although this trip to Meridia didn¡¯t make Serenapletely disappear, there were many gains. At least she was back by Caleb¡¯s side. As for Serena¡­ ire Shaw closed her eyes, unable to hide the gloating smile on her lipstick¨Cred lips. Ever since that night, when she called Serena proactively, only for Justin to pick up, Caleb hadn¡¯t actively contacted Serena. Serena also hadn¡¯t reached out to him. The ne flew in the stratosphere, and ire Shaw leaned on Caleb¡¯s shoulder, asleep. Caleb took out his phone, set in flight mode, and opened WeChat. Thetest message from Mr. Miller was sent to him earlier: President Lockwood, Miss Jennings and Justin Nash have separated, and Miss Jennings booked her own flight. Caleb quietly deleted the WeChat message, as if he had never received any information about Serena. Serena bought her ticket toote; the flight schedule was far from ideal. By the time shended back in City A, it waste at night. Returning to the old house on Vornath Street, Serena was physically and mentally exhausted, and fell asleep immediately. The experiences in Meridia left her heart with lingering fear. Even back in the safest ce at home, Serena still had terrifying nightmares. In the dreams, she was first kidnapped by Dn Quinn, then sold by his aplices to NM, where she was forced to service clients, her first being Justin Nash. Unable to bear the humiliation, shemitted suicide, her soul departing, watching Caleb and ire Shaw having their wedding. Caleb ced the princess¨Ccut diamond ring, once on her left ring finger, onto ire Shaw¡¯s hand. ire Shaw, tears flowing, embraced Caleb in a kiss. While her soul descended into the eighteen levels of hell. Serena woke in fright, drenched in cold sweat. She massaged her head, feeling as if it was splitting. 09:43 (9) 167 Chapter 167: The Abandoned Socialite Wife Later, he heard news that Dn Quinn died in a skirmish on a smuggling ship. ¡°Dn Quinn is already dead; you can be at case now¡± On the ne, Caleb said to ire Shaw beside him. ¡°As long as I have you, Caleb, with me, whether he¡¯s dead or alive, I don¡¯t fear¡± ire Shaw leaned her head on Caleb¡¯s shoulder, smiling sweetly and happily. Although this trip to Meridia didn¡¯t make Serenapletely disappear, there were many gains. At least she was back by Caleb¡¯s side. As for Serena¡­ ire Shaw closed her eyes, unable to hide the gloating smile on her lipstick¨Cred lips. Ever since that night, when she called Serena proactively, only for Justin to pick up, Caleb hadn¡¯t actively contacted Serena. Serena also hadn¡¯t reached out to him. The ne flew in the stratosphere, and ire Shaw leaned on Caleb¡¯s shoulder, asleep. Caleb took out his phone, set in flight mode, and opened WeChat. Thetest message from Mr. Miller was sent to him earlier: President Lockwood, Miss Jennings and Justin Nash have separated, and Miss Jennings booked her own flight. Caleb quietly deleted the WeChat message, as if he had never received any information about Serena. Serena bought her ticket toote; the flight schedule was far from ideal. By the time shended back in City A, it waste at night. Returning to the old house on Vornath Street, Serena was physically and mentally exhausted, and fell asleep immediately. The experiences in Meridia left her heart with lingering fear. Even back in the safest ce at home, Serena still had terrifying nightmares. In the dreams, she was first kidnapped by Dn Quinn, then sold by his aplices to NM, where she was forced to service clients, her first being Justin Nash. Unable to bear the humiliation, shemitted suicide, her soul departing, watching Caleb and ire Shaw having their wedding. Caleb ced the princess¨Ccut diamond ring, once on her left ring finger, onto ire Shaw¡¯s hand. ire Shaw, tears flowing, embraced Caleb in a kiss. While her soul descended into the eighteen levels of hell. Serena woke in fright, drenched in cold sweat. She massaged her head, feeling as if it was splitting. 49:494 167 Chapter 167: The Abandoned Socialite Wife ¡°What kind of dream was that!¡± Serena chuckled bitterly. The horror of the scene in her dream was still vivid in her mind. She still remembered her mom once telling her that dreams are opposite. So her real life surely wouldn¡¯t be as tragic as in the dream. Serenaposed herself, fought through her fear, took a shower, changed clothes, and prepared for work. But before she could leave, Peter called. ¡°Hello Serena? You¡¯re not at the office, right?¡± Peter¡¯s voice, tense and anxious over the receiver, gave Serena an immediate sense of foreboding. It proved that dreams are indeed opposite, just a superstition. Latest content published on FindN()vel Serena stayed home at Peter¡¯s advice, and looked at trending topics on her phone first. The top twenty trending topics on every major tform were all about her. Serena mused that it was probably the most ¡°famous¡± she¡¯d ever been. Each trending topic she clicked on had pictures of her. Images from when she attended LD Jewelry Fashion Week, leaving a hotel with Ian ckwood. And photos of her traveling with Ian ckwood. Photos captured angles that made it seem she and Ian ckwood were very close, though Quentin Xavier was there too, yet not in the pictures. Aside from Ian ckwood, there were also pictures with her and Peter. Taken at the restaurant, when her uncle caused trouble, Peter was protecting her. Just these two men were enough tobel Serena asmitting adultery and being promiscuous. Of course, such news wouldn¡¯t beplete without Justin Nash. Justin had not only shielded her before but was now involved because she fled an engagement. The engagement already caused a stir, andbined with prior ¡°evidence,¡± Serena was akin to a street rat everyone wanted to condemn. Serena didn¡¯t need to click to know howizens were cursing her. She had be the perfect target for online bullies to freely insult and vent. Committing adultery, promiscuity, ruining marriages, navigating elite heirs for opportunity. Some even went as far as calling her a high¨Css prostitute and harlot. 091430 314 167 Chapter 167: The Abandoned Socialite Wife But none of that was explosive enough. ¡°Abandoned by elite society¡°-these four words at the top of trending topics caught Serena¡¯s eye instantly. Serena opened the trending topic and the Lockwood Group¡¯s bright red official seal came into view. The Lockwood Group unterally announced to the inte- Caleb Lockwood had long been divorced from Serena Jennings, Under this news,izens overwhelmingly supported the Lockwood Group. Praise for the Lockwood Group and Caleb Lockwood was everywhere. Comments like ¡°Justice served,¡± ¡°Justice may be dyed, but never denied,¡± ¡°No one escapes heaven¡¯s judgement¡± kept scrolling. While praising the Lockwood Group¡¯s wise and decisive separation, they didn¡¯t forget to curse her. Since the Lockwood Group¡¯s announcement online of Caleb Lockwood and Serena¡¯s divorce, its stocks had soared. As if Caleb Lockwood divorcing Serena was him dealing a righteous blow for good people everywhere. The Lockwood Group. Mr. Miller knocked on the general manager¡¯s office door. Caleb Lockwood sat inside, seemingly engrossed in work, unaware of anything happening online. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 168 168 Chapter 168: Inte Trolls Found Her Current Address ¡°President Lockwood¡­¡± Mr. Miller handed a document to Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Those photos circting online were taken by a tabloid photographer. He must have had his eyes on Miss Jennings for a while¡­¡± While saying this, Mr. Miller kept sneaking nces at Caleb Lockwood¡¯s reaction. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t react. So Mr. Miller had to make it clearer. ¡°Do you want to suppress this matter?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Caleb Lockwood finally lifted his gaze. Mr. Miller felt as if he was being pricked by needles under Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sharp eyes. ¡°Serena Jennings has nothing to do with me now.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was indifferent; any colder, it would be ruthless. Mr. Miller opened his mouth, inhaling some cold air. Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jennings hadpleted their divorce procedures in Meridia, but the divorce certificate had not been consr certified upon their return home. In other words, that divorce certificate was not effective in City A. Seeing Mr. Miller hesitant to speak, Caleb Lockwood let out a coldugh. ¡°Even if it needs to be suppressed, it¡¯s not for me to intervene. Isn¡¯t Justin Nash still around? Didn¡¯t he run away from his own wedding for Serena Jennings?¡± Mr. Miller felt that Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words sounded more like mockery than a question. ¡°President Lockwood, now the entire inte knows you¡¯ve divorced Miss Jennings.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood nodded, without furtherment. He knew that when Serena Jennings was exposed for havingplicated male rtions and branded as cheating within the marriage, Arthur Lockwood seized the opportunity to fan the mes from behind, publicly severing ties with Serena to gain attention and good reviews, thus driving up the stock price. Seeing that Mr. Miller hadn¡¯t left yet and was stammering, Caleb Lockwood proactively asked: 09:44 168 Chapter 168: Inte Trolls Found Her Current Address ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ if President Lockwood needs, 1 can make another trip to Meridia to get that divorce¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Miller¡­¡± Before Mr. Miller could finish, Caleb Lockwood coldly interrupted him. ¡°Do you know why I hired you as my assistant?¡± This abrupt question left Mr. Miller dumbfounded. Seeing Mr. Miller shake his head, Caleb Lockwood answered ndly: ¡°Because you¡¯re smart and have strongprehension skills.¡± ¡°Thank you for yourpliment, President Lockwood¡­¡± ¡°So, don¡¯t ask foolish questions.¡± Only after hearing this did Mr. Miller understand the deeper meaning behind Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Lockwood, I spoke out of turn.¡± Mr. Miller apologized respectfully and then left Caleb Lockwood¡¯s office. Caleb Lockwood picked up his phone buried in the documents; the screen was lit up, filled withizens¡® curses towards Serena Jennings. Caleb Lockwood stared at the phone, the bright screen only made his eyes seem darker, like an abyss. Serena Jennings, following Peter¡¯s advice, hadn¡¯t left her house all day. She finally understood what it meant for trouble toe raining down on an already leaking house. Even though she hadn¡¯t left home, she¡¯d managed quite some work. First was the breach of contract. Her personal jewelry brand J Jewelry had signed many orders and coborations, all thanks to Radiance¡¯s coverage of her outstanding performance at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week, andter the revtion that she was married to Caleb Lockwood. In one night, her reputation was in ruins, she was insulted online and branded a fallen woman, with previous coborators rescinding their contracts and demanding high breach fees, iming she had damaged the brand¡¯s reputation. Every single one of them. Serena Jennings paid until she felt exhausted, and her liquidity began to dry up. Next was the withdrawal of investment. Serena admitted she never expected that investor Matthew Lowell, who approached her initially, was actually Justin Nash¡¯s subordinate. Justin Nash had quietly helped her in many ways, for which she was grateful. 09:44 < 168 Chapter 168: Inte Trolls Found Her Current Address But the help had now be a double¨Cedged sword, When she was close to draining her savings, Matthew Lowell¡¯s withdrawal of funds left her studio in dire straits. Those high¨Cprofile clients had long blocked her, and the jewelry association had expelled her. At the same time, Cynthia Fulton, as the primary victim of Justin Nash¡¯s runaway wedding, published a long article online, where not a single word med Justin but instead used Serena of being unfaithful, seducing Justin while married, and even providing fake jewelry for her wedding. Even without a video, Cynthia¡¯s words painted a picture of a heartbroken victim, tearfully using Serena of ruining her life. Serena could understand Cynthia¡¯s anger towards her. There was indeed a degree of responsibility on Serena¡¯s part for Justin¡¯s desertion. However, what she gave Cynthia at that time was, in truth, not fake goods. She couldn¡¯t ept Cynthia framing and defaming her with such ims. But she was already beyond defense. What is the truth? The truth is what people firmly believe it to be. As night fell, Serena made herself a cup of instant noodles. The whole day, she couldn¡¯t afford to eat nothing. She still had to survive. While eating the noodles, she received calls from Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young. Both opened with simr lines, expressing trust and sympathy towards her. But Serena knew very well why they made those calls. Sharon Sanders and Nancy Young wanted to resign. Serena had anticipated this. And she agreed. Quentin Xavier also called, however, he didn¡¯t directly mention resignation but asked if the studio could continue operating. If it could, he¡¯d stay on. Serena was quite grateful that Quentin was willing to say this, though whether the studio could keep going was something she couldn¡¯t This update is avable on find(?)ovel say. No investment, no orders, only penalties and debts, alongside various unfavorable messages from the bank and the court. After finishing the entire box of noodles, Serena realized she hadn¡¯t tasted anything. 09:44 < 168 Chapter 168: Inte Trolls Found Her Current Address Then the doorbell rang. Serena jumped in fright. Surely it couldn¡¯t be those online threatsing to track her down to where she lived? Or the media figuring out her address? Serena clenched her fists and approached the door. Saying she wasn¡¯t nervous or scared would be an absolute lie. When she saw Lana Xavier¡¯s face through the peephole, she finally rxed. ¡°Lana!¡± Serena opened the door and immediately embraced Lana Xavier. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s talk inside.¡± After closing the door, Lana Xavier took off her sunsses. Serena blinked in confusion. ¡°Lana, your outfit¡­¡± ¡°I was worried someone might follow me and find you, so I went in disguise.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help butugh. She thought her current scandal was intense, but it shouldn¡¯t have escted to the point where even Lana Xavier would be followed. Being cautious never hurt, Serena was deeply touched by Lana Xavier personallying to see her and considering her at every turn. Lana Xavier didn¡¯te empty¨Chanded; she bought beer, fried chicken, and some side dishes for drinking. ¡°Come on! Tonight, we drink till we drop!¡± Serena didn¡¯t really intend to drown her sorrows in alcohol, but sharing some drinks with her best friend to vent her pent¨Cup emotions seemed nice. Hardly had they started drinking when Lana Xavier began to rant drunkenly, cursing Caleb Lockwood, Justin Nash, Ian ckwood, and even Peter. ¡°Honestly! Why? Why is it that only you¡¯re vilified online, while those damned men get away with it?¡± Comment 0 09:44 00 Mding 169 169 Chapter 169: Issuing the Divorce Certificate Lana¡¯s words stirred up a mix of emotions in Serena¡¯s heart. 1 She thought she must have been plotted against. Every trending search and online troll targeted only her. Besides The Lockwood Group, which was quick to cut ties with her, entities liken¡¯s Veridian International Education, Justin Nash¡¯s Nash Group, and even Peter¡¯s FY were also influenced by the public opinion, more or less. After the incident, only Peter contacted her; there was no news from Justin orn. Serena didn¡¯t me them. Discover more novels at f?ndnovel Being at the center of the storm, not responding would help the public opinion gradually die down. However, no one stepped forward to rify for her, and the only one to express a stance was The Lockwood Group, which decisively cut ties. Therefore, all theizens¡® anger and malice would surely be directed solely at her. ¡°Hey Serena, don¡¯t do anything impulsive!¡± Lana took arge gulp of beer and patted Serena¡¯s shoulder. Nowadays, it¡¯s not umon for cyberbullying to lead to depression or even suicide. Those keyboard warriors online casually type away, and can harshly criticize the parties involved, without understanding theplete picture, let alone caring about the truth. Yet, they enjoy their gossip while the lives of those cyberbullied are ruined forever. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it.¡± Serena forced a faint smile. This time, the situation has indeed escted too much. It¡¯s mainly affecting her studio now. ¡°Oh right, you really divorced Caleb Lockwood, didn¡¯t you? The Lockwood Group has already issued a statement.¡± Lana was most concerned about this matter. Serena nodded. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re divorced¡­¡± Talking about this, Serena remembered that she still needed to get her divorce certificate with Caleb authenticated so it could take effect in Country A. 09:44 175 < 169 Chapter 169. Issuing the Divorce Certificate After some hesitation, she picked up her phone and proactively called Caleb. At that moment, Caleb was having hotpot at Spicy Aroma Pavilion. Eating hotpot during winter is quite suitable. But Sivelle¡¯s spicy hotpot doesn¡¯t suit Caleb. ¡°Caleb, I know it¡¯s ufortable for you. If you really don¡¯t want to cat it, I can apany you to eat something else,¡± ire said insincerely while giving Caleb slices of meat she had swished in the clear soup pot. This Sichuan hotpot restaurant was very authentic, and Caleb had previously apanied her here, resulting in a stomach ailment that required an emergency ambnce. However, ire loved it. Tonight, she intentionally asked Caleb toe here. Although they had a twin¨Cvored pot, the portion of clear soup was small, and it was easy to ssh spicy soup. She knew if Caleb agreed, it was definitely not for the hotpot, but for her. Even though it was just a small hotpot meal, ire saw it as proof of Caleb¡¯s affection for her once again. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, as long as you enjoy it. The main reason I¡¯m here is to apany you,¡± Caleb said calmly. His stomach started to ache again. Since yesterday, Mr. Miller hadn¡¯t delivered the herbal medicine. Caleb was well aware that the herbal medicine was prepared by Serena. So the amount prepared by Serena was only for one short week. Instinctively picking up his phone, he noticed Serena¡¯s name on the caller ID, and a smile curled on his lips. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Caleb, it¡¯s me¡­ Serena¡­¡± Serena¡¯s voice hadn¡¯t finished before Caleb let out a somewhat mocking chuckle, as if he anticipated she would call him. ¡°Regretting the divorce now?¡± Upon hearing Caleb¡¯s words, ire¡¯s face changed as she was enthusiastically eating hotpot. She realized that this call was from Serena to Caleb. Caleb was very aware of Serena¡¯s current situation. The cyberbullying was secondary; it was the hugepensation she faced after her reputation was ruined that was real money. That was thest straw breaking Serena¡¯s back. 169 Chapter 169: Issuing the Divorce Certificate ¡°Considering you were my ex¨Cwife, it¡¯s not impossible for me to give you the dividends from The Lockwood Group in advance, provided you carnestly ask me.¡± The smile on Caleb¡¯s lips carried a touch of wickedness. The receiver was silent for a long time. Caleb waited. Sitting across from Caleb, ire also held her breath. Finally, Serena¡¯s voice came through the phone again. ¡°I wanted to ask¡­ After our divorce certificate goes through consr authentication, will Country A still issue us a divorce certificate?¡± Caleb¡¯s smile froze gradually, and a storm brewed in his eyes. ¡°No divorce certificate,¡± he replied. Serena felt somewhat puzzled. Caleb¡¯s voice turned icy cold, for some unknown reason. The problem with not issuing a divorce certificate was the civil affairs bureau¡¯s issue in Country A, not her fault. ¡°So can I check the updated divorce information at the civil affairs bureau now?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a dy in the system; the updated information could take a long time.¡± ¡°¡­I see¡­¡± Serena¡¯s voice was filled with regret. Caleb¡¯s expression turned gloomy like the soot at the bottom of a copper hotpot. ¡°Caleb, your favorite snowke Wagyu beef is ready,¡± A woman¡¯s voice suddenly came from the receiver, and Serena raised her eyes. The voice was familiar- It was ire. In City A, only one hotpot restaurant had this snowke Wagyu beef item. It was a Sichuan hotpot restaurant known for being extremely spicy. Serena remembered that when she worked at Lockwood Group, Caleb once apanied ire to eat at that restaurant, ending with Caleb having stomach bleeding and being rushed to the hospital. 09:44 169 Chapter 169: Issuing the Divorce Certificate That time, she personally carried Caleb down the stairs. Serena also recalled when she reunited with Caleb after his car ident, she carried him to find the ambnce. When Caleb was in life¨Cthreatening situations, the one who saved him was always Serena. However, when she was kidnapped and trafficked, she could only save herself. The one Caleb saved- Was always ire. Lana silently watched Serena call Caleb, unsure why she didn¡¯t dare chew her fried chicken. She didn¡¯t know what happened with Serena in Meridia. But she felt Serena had be much colder since returning from Meridia. Serena called Caleb just to confirm the divorce certificate matter; once done, she prepared to hang up. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Suddenly, Caleb called her. ¡°Did Justin help you pay the penalty?¡± Serena tilted her head, confused why Caleb suddenly mentioned Justin. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± Serena found Caleb¡¯s question somewhat amusing. ¡°Couldn¡¯t I rely on myself?¡± Right after saying this, she heard Caleb chuckle. ¡°When you say rely on yourself¡­ do you mean relying on the eighty million you got from divorcing me?¡± Serena knew Caleb wouldn¡¯t miss an opportunity to hit her where it hurts. Truth be told, that eighty million indeed solved her immediate crisis. But it was allpensated away. ¡°You cheated during the marriage; I feel I got too little.¡± Caleb lifted his eyelids slightly. ¡°I did not.¡± Before hisst word finished, Serena had already hung up. Seeing Caleb¡¯s unpleasant expression, ire promptly poured him a ss of c. 09:44 < 160 Chapter 169: issuing the Divorce Certificate ¡°Caleb, don¡¯t be angry, have some Wagyu beef!¡± Despite his best efforts to avoid the spicy food during the meal, Caleb¡¯s stomach pain intensified. On Serena¡¯s end, she and Lana drank quite a bit, but they were both just tipsy, not drunk. ¡°Tell me, Serena, do you really not n to let Justin and those other rumored boyfriends help you pay off the debt?¡± Lana asked, making Serenaugh. ¡°What rumored boyfriends¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t something both of them did; they too were coteral damage victims. As for Justin¡­ Serena thought Justin¡¯s situation now likely wasn¡¯t much better than hers. ¡°So what will you do? Apply for the studio¡¯s bankruptcy? But that¡¯s your hard work¡­ Oh right!¡± Suddenly, Lana had an idea. ¡°You could temporarily stop the medical payments for Ethan!¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts ch.169 Mding 170 170 Chapter 170: Wife¨CPampering Maniac 170 Chapter 170: Wife¨CPampering Maniac Serena looked wide¨Ceyed as Lana Xavier shrugged helplessly. ¡°I mighte off as loose and carefree, but I¡¯m not stupid¡­ did Ethan White¡¯s mom just let you go without some perks?¡± Mentioning this matter made Lana Xavier furious. ¡°Ethan White¡¯s car ident was never your fault. You weren¡¯t even the driver; why should you pay for the medical expenses!¡± The more Lana thought about it, the angrier she got, unable to hold back her indignation for Serena. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me, so I don¡¯t know how much you paid for Ethan White¡¯s medical bills, but knowing you, it¡¯s definitely not a small amount, five thousand, maybe ten thousand¡­ Surely they can let go of the medical bills given your situation! Ethan White¡¯s family isn¡¯t short on money¡­¡± Lana thought her words were reasonable. Serena smiled silently. In fact, the medical bills she paid for Ethan White were not at all as low as tens of thousands. But a yearly ten million. If it weren¡¯t for FY¡¯s dividends, she wouldn¡¯t be able to afford such an amount. Just before she went to Meridia, Ethan White¡¯s mother contacted her, demanding the medical bills be increased to twenty million annually, paid twice a year. So in these few days, she had to send another ten million to Ethan White¡¯s mom. Such being the case, her studio had no option but to file for bankruptcy. Serena didn¡¯t talk much about Ethan White, knowing Lana Xavier didn¡¯t want to talk about it, she changed the subject, eventually leading to cursing Caleb Lockwood. The next morning, Serena and Lana slept in untilte morning, both sleeping on the floor, fortunately with underfloor heating to avoid a cold. Lana took a day off to apany Serena to rx. Being cooped up indoors would definitely drive anyone crazy. Serena, however, felt that the current situation required handling serious matters first. So, apanied by Lana, she went to the court first. As it turned out, before she could file for bankruptcy voluntarily, the bank had already applied for apulsory liquidation in court. By the time she and Lana reached thepany, the bank¡¯s collecting manager had already brought a notary to inventory the assets in her studio.
  1. 09:44 ?
170 Chapter 170: Wife¨CPampering Maniac ¡°Well, look at who it is!¡± A snide voice suddenly sounded behind them. Serena and Lana turned their heads simultaneously to see ire Shaw, apanied by Lily Sutton and Owen Warren, walking over with an arrogant demeanor. Compared to the thin and pale Serena, ire Shaw looked vibrant and glowing. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Serena Jennings, the global top fashion magazine ¡®Radiance¡® designer! Why is the studio¡­ sealed up?¡± ¡°Exactly! Serena is so talented; having affairs during marriage and seducing a few men isn¡¯t much, how did it lead to bankruptcy and forced liquidation?¡± Lily Sutton and Owen Warren echoed sarcastically. ¡°Where are those big shots you slept with? Why isn¡¯t anyone helping you now?¡± If Serena hadn¡¯t held Lana back, Lana would¡¯ve rushed to p Lily Sutton and Owen Warren across their faces. ¡°Senior!¡± ire Shaw approached the collection manager. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡± Quincy Aldrin brightened upon seeing ire Shaw. He was a year ahead of ire Shaw in junior high. Serena watched ire Shaw cozy up to Quincy Aldrin and spected ire was eyeing something from her studio. As expected, Quincy Aldrin liquidated everything but handed aplete set of Serena¡¯s design drawings to ire Shaw. ¡°Those drawings can¡¯t be given to her.¡± Serena argued, ¡°They are intangible assets that can be evaluated and auctioned.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Quincy Aldrin sneered and unceremoniously pushed Serena aside. ¡°Who do you think you are? Already bankrupt and still acting like the boss? Let me tell you, everything in your studio belongs to our bank. If I say it can be given away, it can be given away.¡± Quincy Aldrin red at Serena with malice, then turned to smile at ire Shaw. ¡°Here, take them, even selling them as scrap paper is fine.¡± ire Shaw cooed thanks to Quincy Aldrin, shoving all of Serena¡¯s finished and half¨Cfinished design drawings into her briefcase. Ultimately, Serena¡¯s studiopletely went bankrupt and was sealed by the court. Watching helplessly as her hand¨Ccrafted studio sumbed to foreclosure, Serena pursed her thin lips, her chest aching as though pierced. 170 Chapter 170: Wife¨CPampering Maniac Serena didn¡¯t shed tears. Lana Xavier couldn¡¯t help but tear up. ire Shaw, Lily Sutton, and Owen Warren were still present; Lana didn¡¯t want them to see her cry and quickly wiped her tears with tissue. ire Shaw, Lily Sutton, and Owen Warren left the Azure Towerughing triumphantly. The emperor blue Bentley on the roadside caught everyone¡¯s attention. The car window rolled down, and everyone saw Caleb Lockwood seated in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°ire, you¡¯re too lucky! President Lockwood personally came to pick you up!¡± Get full chapters from Find?Novel ¡°Oh,e on, ire will be the future hostess of The Lockwood Group, of course, President Lockwood has to pick her about his wife.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes.¡± Lily Sutton and Owen Warren echoed each other. Lana almost burst with anger. But Caleb Lockwood had indeed divorced Serena, so him being with ire Shaw was none of her business. ire Shaw walked coquettishly towards Caleb¡¯s car, yet Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Serena. ¡°Yourpany went bankrupt?¡± Caleb Lockwood asked. ¡°Thanks to you.¡± Serena replied. Caleb Lockwood paused, his charming smile forming a hint of coldness. ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s you messing around with men and being exploited and made a scandal, what¡¯s it to me?¡± Serena silently gazed at Caleb Lockwood. Caleb¡¯s face was indeed handsome. His heart was truly ruthless. up; he¡¯s crazy At this juncture, Serena couldn¡¯t help wondering if Caleb had chosen to save her instead of ire during the kidnapping, would Justin Nash still have jilted her? Would the online rumors about her not have escted to such a level? Would she not have lost her savings, and her studio not facepulsory liquidation? But reality doesn¡¯t entertain ¡®what ifs¡®. 44(Ë°Þz) 170 Chapter 170: Wife¨CPampering Maniac In reality, Caleb Lockwood wouldn¡¯t choose to save her. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Serena smiled at Caleb Lockwood. Though her smile was a self¨Cdeprecating one, it was also a smile of relief. This smile, Caleb Lockwood did not like. ¡°Lana, what do you want for lunch?¡± Serena turned to ask Lana, who looked confused. Serena¡¯s studio was just sealed off, and she was humiliated by ire Shaw, yet she still had an appetite for lunch? ¡°How about hotpot at Spicy Aroma Pavilion? My treat.¡± Serena beamed. The mention of Spicy Aroma Pavilion triggered a reflexive stomach pang in Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Serena, are you alright?¡± Lana softly asked, grasping Serena¡¯s arm. She feared Serena was forcing a smile. ¡°Companies are like husbands, out with the old, in with the new.¡± Serena¡¯s words were quiet, not intended for Caleb Lockwood to hear. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Mding 171 171 Chapter 171: Deleted the Group Photo After Serena Jennings¡®pany went bankrupt, even her white BMW 3 Series was taken as coteral. Now, she was utterly penniless, with nothing left. (1) Even the recent dividend from FY, she transferred it to Ethan White¡¯s mother. Walking on Seacliff Bridge, Serena enjoyed the sea breeze, feeling exceptionally clear¨Cheaded. She took out her phone and opened the secret photo album protected by a password. The album contained only one photo. It was a photo of her with Caleb Lockwood. Back then, in the juvenile center, when they barely had ess to a phone, she secretly took this photo. She wasn¡¯t sure if Caleb knew she was taking his picture at that time. He might not have noticed, or maybe he was pretending not to know. The juvenile center in City A operated under a half¨Cschool, half¨Cprison management model, where asionally one could get hold of a phone. Serena felt fortunate she could capture a photo with Caleb Lockwood. It seemed that back then, she was the one who first fell for Caleb. First love, it was truly hard to resist Caleb Lockwood¡¯s charm. Later, Caleb must have sincerely liked her too; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have promised not to forget her and that they¡¯d be together forever. To young boys and girls, a vow of eternal love was immensely captivating. Serena waspletely drawn in. ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? Find[?]ovel This single photo with Caleb Lockwood, no matter how many times she changed phonester, she treasured and preserved it like a priceless gem. As if this photo represented her entire youth, her most sincere and passionate love portrait. Serena stared at the photo on her phone screen for a long, long time. Then, she deleted the photo. With the photo gone, the separately set secret album disappeared as well. Now, there were no more secrets in Serena¡¯s phone. Nor were there any shackles. < 171 Chapter 171: Deleted the Group Photo Serena lifted her head to gaze at the sky, inhaled the salty sea breeze. The sea breeze was quite brisk, blowing her hair into disarray. However, the smile on her face wasn¡¯t blown away. Serena recalled what Lana Xavier had said to her while eating hotpot yesterday. Lana Xavier said Caleb Lockwood was just a man; while three¨Clegged frogs are hard to find, two¨Clegged men are everywhere on the streets! Previously, Serena might have retorted that Lana Xavier had no romantic experience and thus couldn¡¯t understand how hard it is to extricate oneself when deeply loving someone. But now, Serena also felt Lana was right. Opening the recruitment app, Serena wanted to see how manypanies had reviewed her resume since she submitted itst night. Quite a few had viewed her resume, but so far, no HR manager had contacted her yet. Serena wasn¡¯t anxious; given the current economic downturn, finding a job wasn¡¯t easy. She needed to be patient. Before her phone screen dimmed, she was curious about her current trending searches, but when she checked various websites. none had any negative news about her. ¡°Huh?¡± Serena was surprised. She wouldn¡¯t naively think Caleb Lockwood had helped smooth things over. If Caleb truly wanted to help her, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed public opinion to ferment to such an extent. After pondering for a moment, Serena realized there was only one person willing and capable of helping her, someone with a time difference with Country A. Picking up her phone, she dialed a number. ¡°Hello, Ellie.¡± Chance Bell still wasn¡¯t used to calling Chloe Linton by the name ¡°Serena Jennings.¡± Previously, Serena wouldn¡¯t have acknowledged Chance Bell. Because she was no longer Chloe Linton, every time she was called ¡°Ellie,¡± it seemed as if she still had intricate ties with The Linton Family. When she previously asked Chance Bell to hack into the photographer¡¯s electronic devices, and when Chance proactively helped her gather evidence against Felix Shepherd, she refused to acknowledge him as long as he called her ¡°Ellie.¡± But this time, Serena didn¡¯t dwell on the name issue. 0923 215 < 171 Chapter 171: Deleted the Group Photo ¡°You helped remove the trending searches, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I used unconventional methods, but they won¡¯t be able to find out.¡± Chance Bell¡¯s voice over the phone was very confident. Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile. On the surface, Chance Bell is the Linton Family¡¯s driver and assistant, but he is also a bodyguard, a hacker, extremely capable. ¡°Thank you for helping me with such a big favor.¡± ¡°I actually wanted to apologize to you!¡± Chance Bell¡¯s voice was very sincere. ¡°I¡¯m in Country C, so I¡¯m not as sensitive to trending searches in Country A. If I had noticed sooner, I could have stopped the public opinion fermenting sooner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, why apologize?¡± Serena shrugged. She¡¯s been on trending searches numerous times, whether good or bad, true or false. She¡¯s already gotten used to it. If she were really knocked down by those online keyboard warriors, wouldn¡¯t that suit the wishes of the behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes maniptors? Serena wouldn¡¯t allow it. No matter who the behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes maniptor is, since their aim was to ruin her reputation and bankrupt herpany, she woul1 rise again. ¡°By the way, do those two know about my situation?¡± Chance Bell understood whom Serena referred to as ¡°those two.¡± Since she became ¡°Serena Jennings,¡± she hasn¡¯t called them ¡°Mom and Dad¡± anymore. ¡°Rest assured, I haven¡¯t told anyone; removing the trending searches was done secretly by me.¡± ¡°Impressive, worthy of being the world¡¯s number one hacker.¡± Upon receiving Serena¡¯s praise, Chance Bell paused. Although Serena couldn¡¯t see Chance Bell, she could tell Chance was probably feeling bashful from herpliment. ¡°By the way, Ellie, even if you didn¡¯t call me, I would have contacted you.¡± Serena¡¯s smile gradually faded. Her intuition told her, whatever Chance Bell was going to say next might not be good news. ¡°The old man¡­¡± 09.23 171 Chapter 171: Deleted the Group Photo When those three words echoed in her ears, Serena abruptly raised her eyes, her expression changed dramatically, filled with hatred. ¡°The old man had Minister Linton take a girl as his adopted daughter.¡± The Lockwood Group. Mr. Miller was initially reporting work to Caleb Lockwood, all rted to the specific progress of the FZZI. project. ¡°Who removed the trending searches?¡± Caleb Lockwood suddenly asked. Mr. Miller froze, puzzled. ¡°What?¡± Caleb Lockwood raised his brows, his gaze at Mr. Miller slightly displeased. Mr. Miller instantly realized Caleb didn¡¯t want to repeat himself. Trending searches¡­ The previous trends were all insulting Serena Jennings, and now¡­ He hadn¡¯t checked the trending searches either! Mr. Miller wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°President Lockwood, please give me five minutes.¡± After speaking, Mr. Miller rushed out. Five minutester, he returned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Lockwood¡­ I couldn¡¯t find out who removed the trending searches. The major tforms don¡¯t seem to know, saying it was like a virus hit overnight.¡± After listening to Mr. Miller, Caleb Lockwood was silent for a moment, then chuckled. ¡°The entire web simultaneously hit by a virus¡­¡± Moreover, the only vanished trending searches were those rted to Serena Jennings, Caleb Lockwood twirled the pen in his hand. He initially intended to see if Serena woulde to him voluntarily after reaching rock bottom¡­ The pen ttered onto the desk as Caleb Lockwood frowned. At that moment, his phone rang; it was a call. 172 Chapter 172: Serena Jennings Is a Jinx Mding 172 172 Chapter 172: Serena Jennings Is a Jinx The Mount Corvus during the day isn¡¯t as grim and terrifying as it is at night. 1 However, the winding mountain road is still treacherous and hard to race on. ¡°Hey, Patrick, are you serious?¡± Serena Jennings sat in a sunset orange BMW sportscar, lowered the window, and asked Patrick Rhodes. This car was provided by Patrick Rhodes. Patrick was also driving a BMW sportscar, identical in customization to hers. Except his was matte gray. In fact, Serena felt that in terms of personality, she was better suited to drive matte gray, while Patrick was more fitting for sunset orange. ¡°A true man stands by his word!¡± Patrick thumbed up at Serena. Using an app¨Cgenerated start signal, they raced forward simultaneously. Initially, they were neck and neck. But soon, Patrick¡¯s matte gray sportscar was far left behind by Serena¡¯s sunset orange. After reaching the finish line, Serena got out of the car and stood by the car, waiting for Patrick, waiting till her legs felt sore. Finally, Patrick reached the finish line too. ¡°Alright, I thought given your recent mood, your driving skills would be affected, and maybe I¡¯d actually beat you this time!¡± Patrick¡¯s words made Serena chuckle speechlessly. ¡°Driving skills might indeed be influenced by one¡¯s mood, but¡­ who said I¡¯m in a bad mood recently?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of¡­¡± Patrick started but then covered his mouth. Serena¡¯s scandal spread so widely that everyone in the business circle knew about it. Patrick had long wanted to contact Serena, but his dad wouldn¡¯t allow it. Now the businessmunity generally viewed Serena as a jinx, believing anyone associated with her would face misfortune. Patrick knew Caleb Lockwood divorced Serena and also heard that Serena¡¯spany went bankrupt. He waited and waited, nning to contact Serena after the negative news cooled down. But as soon as the trending searches < 172 Chapter 172: Serena Jennings is a Jinx disappeared, he hurriedly called Serena, inviting her for a race. ¡°Forget about that, let¡¯s talk about our race!¡± Serena smiled wryly. The source of th?s content is fin?novel What was there to talk about their race? She won it without a hitch! ¡°Eh¡­¡± Patrick cleared his throat before speaking seriously, ¡°In this race, I lost, you won. As agreed before the race, I owe you a five million bonus.¡± Serena was stunned. ¡°We didn¡¯t say that before the race.¡± ¡°I said it in my heart,¡± Patrick argued, ¡°Anyway, take this five million.¡± Patrick tried to hand a bank card with five million stored in it to Serena. Serena avoided it and didn¡¯t take it. She realized that Patrick¡¯s sudden call for a race was just a guise. What Patrick really intended was to give her money. ¡°You¡¯ve won, so there¡¯s no reason to be afraid of taking a bonus,¡± Patrick¡¯s face turned red, ¡°Or consider it as an apology for my previous behavior¡­¡± Serena noticed Patrick was determined to give her the five million no matter what. ¡°Think of it as a personal investment, and when you make money, I¡¯ll just take a share!¡± Patrick¡¯s face was flushed, feeling flustered and anxious after being rejected by Serena. He knew Serena needed money now. This money was his pocket money; he couldn¡¯t usepany or family funds, so he could only put out five million. ¡°Is it because you think it¡¯s too little?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Serena quickly waved her hand, fearing Patrick might misunderstand. She simply didn¡¯t want Patrick¡¯s help. Because Patrick- was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s friend. 09 24 > 172 Chapter 172 Serena Jennings Is a Jinx Serena could see that Patrick¡¯s initiative to help her had nothing to do with Caleb. But she still couldn¡¯t get over the hurdle in her heart, always feeling that once she epted Patrick¡¯s investment, she¡¯d sooner orter be mocked by Caleb. Patrick stared at Serena¡¯s face without blinking. Compared to before going to Meridia, Serena had lost quite a bit of weight. Without any makeup, she looked naturally beautiful. Patrick couldn¡¯t help but think that Serena must have suffered these past few days. The online abuse towards Serena made Patrick feel suffocated just reading it. Patrick deeply regretted and was angry with himself. Because he couldn¡¯t help Serena. This five million was also a form ofpensation to Serena. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make things difficult for you¡­¡± Patrick mumbled softly. To some extent, he guessed Serena¡¯s thoughts. ¡± Serena¡¯s refusal to take his money was likely rted to Caleb. Because whenever Caleb was involved, Serena showed expressions like now. Patrick unconsciously frowned. In the past, seeing Serena so obsessed with and worried over Caleb, he only felt disdain for her, thinking she was shamelessly clinging But now¡­ As long as Serena¡¯s feelings had any link to Caleb, Patrick would feel irritated. They¡¯re divorced; why should she care about him! The words were held back by Patrick. ¡°So what do you n to do next?¡± ¡°Find a job!¡± Serena turned her head and smiled. Though the smile was forced, Patrick was mesmerized. In the end, Serena agreed with Patrick that if someday she really needed that five million, she woulde to him anytime for it. Only then did Patrick agree to take back the bank card. Of course, Serena preferred to venture on her own rather than find a job. 09 240 172 Chapter 172: Serena Jennings Is a Jinx If Patrick truly appreciated her design skills and invested in her, she wouldn¡¯t have refused. But unfortunately, Patrick wasn¡¯t. These days, it¡¯s hard to find a job, especially in jewelry design. The industry isn¡¯t substantial, and Serena is a ¡°popr figure.¡± Infamy is still fame. Mostpanies aren¡¯t willing to hire her. Currently, her reputation is tainted by usations of indiscreet private life, being cut off by business moguls, and Cynthia Fulton exposing her for using fakes in jewelry making. With so many debuffs affecting her, finding a designer job smoothly is unlikely. Peter did contact her, but considering her current ¡°status,¡± joining FY could harm Peter¡¯s reputation, so she turned it down. Riverview Imperial. Serena wore a server¡¯s uniform, serving tea and drinks to guests. She was now a server here. Before the racing season started, relying on winning racing prizes for her first bucket of gold was just a daydream; besides, she didn¡¯t even have her own car now. Although she could borrow Patrick¡¯s customized race car, she only needed to do odd jobs for a month to get through this tough period Serena recalled her previous visit to Riverview Imperial as a pianist. The lobby manager initially wanted her to continue as a pianist, but Serena chose to work as a server. She could y the dual keyboard but not the grand piano. While carrying two sses of red wine over to guests, Serena¡¯s peripheral vision caught sight of two people walking in through the revolving doors. Two women. Bothdies wore haute couture evening gowns, dressedvishly, indicating wealth and status. Serena immediately felt she might have chosen the wrong ce to work. ¡°No wonder Newcross Real Estate is so wealthy, actually purchasing our City A¡¯s most grand hotel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing! Miss Shaw is the one; once you marry President Lockwood, you¡¯ll be the mistress of the Lockwood Group, not any less grand than us at Newcross Real Estate!¡± ire Shaw and Cynthia Fulton entered the opulent hall of Riverview Imperial, chatting andughing. 177 Chapter 177 See y Comment Show support to the thor by leavingm Rate the trantion quality Sumps Lam to CX8 Mding 173 173 Chapter 173: Humiliating Serena Jennings ¡°Serena? What are you doing here?¡± 1 Behind her came ire Shaw¡¯s shout, and Serena felt a bit helpless. Even though she tried her best to avoid them, she was still spotted by the keen¨Ceyed ire Shaw. ire Shaw looked as if she¡¯d discovered a newnd, her eyes lit up like bulbs. She immediately dragged Cynthia Fulton over to Serena¡¯s side. ¡°Are you working here as a waitress?¡± She scrutinized Serena up and down; the uniform Serena wore said it all. ¡°It¡¯s just too pathetic, isn¡¯t it?¡± ire Shaw pretended to be sympathetic. ¡°After yourpany¡¯s bankruptcy, I asked Caleb if he could help you, but he refused¡­ Though I also think he¡¯s too cold¨Chearted, I couldn¡¯t go over his head to help you¡­ Being a waitress here must be tough, right? Here, I have two hundred for you, just take it!¡± ire Shaw theatrically pulled two hundred¨Cdor bills from her handbag and handed them to Serena. This tirade left Serena speechless. She knew ire Shaw was deliberately rubbing salt into her wounds. However, these words hit Serena like a soft breeze, hardly affecting her. ¡°Surely Miss Shaw has more than two hundred, and I¡¯m not hung up on whether it¡¯s cash. Since Mis Shaw is so gracious and beautiful- hearted in wanting to support me, just scan and transfer a hundred thousand, I promise not to tell Caleb Lockwood.¡± ire Shaw never expected Serena to say that. She had originally intended to humiliate Serena with those two hundred. Seeing ire Shaw¡¯s face freeze, Serena smiled faintly. ¡°What, are you not truly willing to help me? I¡¯ve given you the chance, you¡¯d better seize it!¡± ¡°You!¡± ire Shaw nearly bit her own tongue, her face flushed with anger, ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± Insulted by ire Shaw, Serena¡¯s expression changed slightly, but she wasn¡¯t polite. ¡°Who could be more shameless than you? You¡¯re the one who said you¡¯d help me; it¡¯s generous of me not to call you out for being fake¡± Beside them, Cynthia Fulton found the noise irritating and spoke coldly; ¡°Serena, are you working here?¡± D9.2A < 173 Chapter 173: Humiliating Serena Jennings ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Is this how your manager teaches you?¡± Cynthia Fulton ordered, ¡°Call the lobby manager over!¡± The lobby manager, Little Luo, immediately scampered over to Cynthia Fulton. ¡°Miss Fulton, you called for me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re fired.¡± ¡°What?¡± Little Luo was shocked. Only now did Serena realize that Cynthia Fulton was the owner of Riverview Imperial. Little Luo was Lana Xavier¡¯s rtive; the reason Serena came to Riverview Imperial to do odd jobs was on Lana Xavier¡¯s rmendation because Little Luo was the lobby manager here, and it was better than not knowing anyone at all. Serena never expected that her spontaneous retort to ire Shaw would affect Little Luo. ¡°Cynthia Fulton, this has nothing to do with Manager Luo.¡± ¡°He¡¯s your superior, how can it have nothing to do with him when you¡¯re so rude to guests?¡± ¡°Then I resign¡­¡± ¡°Do you think my hotel is a marketce, that you cane and go as you please?¡± Cynthia Fulton red with her big eyes, her fierce gaze seemed to want to tear Serena apart. In truth, Cynthia Fulton really wished she could kill Serena. Being a woman of privilege, the greatest humiliation she had ever endured was thanks to Serena. Though The Nash Family apologized to The Fultons, paid, and provided projects, so what? Now the whole world knows that she, Cynthia Fulton, got married and the groom ran away. Not only did he skip the wedding, but he also went off to fool around with another woman. Now she¡¯s theughing stock of all the business socialites, the topic at every gathering! Cynthia Fulton never considered herself unworthy of Justin Nash, nor did she think she couldn¡¯t measure up to Serena. Besides her face, what else does Serena have? Does she have an elite noble family background? Does she have the wealth to spendvishly? Does she have connections she can wield effortlessly in the business world? How can Serena evenpare to her! 09.24 314 < 173 Chapter 173: Humiliating Serena Jennings In Cynthia Fulton¡¯s eyes, Justin Nash running away from the wedding must have been instigated by Serena. Because Caleb Lockwood has ire Shaw, he would definitely divorce Serena. To secure her future post¨Cdivorce, Serena seduced Justin Nash, sabotaging her wedding Serena might have nothing, but she has the art of seduction. The more Cynthia Fulton thought about it, the angrier she got, her teeth clenched with hatred. ¡°Miss Fulton, be generous and give Serena a chance! She¡¯s been kicked out by Caleb Lockwood and has nothing left. If she loses this job. I fear she¡¯ll have no choice but to beg on the streets.¡± ire Shaw acted coyly, persistently winking at Cynthia Fulton. Cynthia Fulton forcefully suppressed the fury in her heart. ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡± ¡°What else is there¡­ Let Serena continue to work here, and don¡¯t drag the lobby manager into it¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s words seemed genuinely kind. Cynthia Fulton called Little Luo aside and gave him a few instructions. Then she dined with ire Shaw in the lobby. Originally, they had reserved a private room. Little Luo pulled Serena into a corner, pleading for her not to quit, as if his own livelihood depended on it. Serena knew full well that as long as she continued working at this hotel, Cynthia Fulton, as the owner, would never run out of ways to make her life difficult. ¡°Please, Serena, yourbor contract is just for a month, leave after fulfilling it and Ms. Fulton won¡¯t stop you. But if you quit now, I¡¯L Please, I still have house and car loans to repay, and my son¡¯s kindergarten fees have recently gone up, I can¡¯t lose my job!¡± Little Luo begged Serena sincerely. For more chapters visit find~novel Since Little Luo was Lana Xavier¡¯s rtive, Serena couldn¡¯t stand by and watch as he lost his job and faced immense financial pressure because of her. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t quit.¡± It was just a month; she doubted Cynthia Fulton could ruin her life in that time. Seeing Serena relent, Little Luo quickly handed her a bottle of red wine. ¡°Hurry, table T302 ordered a bottle of ¡¯82 Lafite. Go deliver it quickly.¡± Serena delivered the wine only to discover that it was Cynthia Fulton and ire Shaw sitting at table T302, ¡°Do you need me to open it for you?¡± Serena politely asked. 09.21 314 > 173 Chapter 173: Humiliating Serena Jennings Cynthia Fulton nodded indifferently. After opening the wine andpleting the subsequent tasks, Serena intended to leave. ¡°Stop.¡± Cynthia Fulton called Serena back. ¡°Is the wine you brought here really ¡¯82 Lafite?¡± Serena returned to the table and checked the bottle carefully. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s indeed ¡¯82 Lafite.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t taste like it.¡± Serena knew Cynthia Fulton was intentionally causing trouble. At this moment, ire Shaw softly suggested, ¡°Serena is well¨Ccultured, just let her taste it to confirm if it¡¯s ¡¯82 Lafite or not?¡± ¡°You have a point.¡± Before she finished speaking, Cynthia Fulton flipped her wrist, sshing a whole ss of red wine onto Serena¡¯s face. Themotion immediately drew the attention of other guests around, many pointing and whispering about Serena. Serena wiped her eyes, finally managing to open them. Through the blurry vision, she noticed that Caleb Lockwood had at some point appeared in the VIP dining area. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 10 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 09:24 Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts ch.173 Terrible < Mding 174 174 Chapter 174: Be a Good Stay¨Cat¨CHome Wife There is some distance between Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jennings. 1) It¡¯s unclear whether it was the wine blurring her vision or if Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression was naturally that cold. Serena Jennings always felt that Caleb Lockwood stood before her like an iceberg. Caleb Lockwood was looking at her. Without moving. Serena Jennings had expected to see disdain and contempt in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes, but instead, his gaze was frozen, revealing no emotion. ¡°Caleb, you¡¯re here!¡± ire Shaw waved to Caleb Lockwood when she saw him arrive. Only then did Caleb Lockwood look away from Serena Jennings. He sat beside ire Shaw, brushing past Serena Jennings as if she didn¡¯t exist. Caleb Lockwood said nothing. Serena Jennings remained silent as well. ire Shaw had thought Caleb Lockwood would at least say something, seeing Serena Jennings drenched in wine. But he didn¡¯t. ire Shaw felt a thrill at Caleb Lockwood¡¯s silence. No matter how pitiful you try to appear before Caleb, Serena, he won¡¯t even bother to acknowledge you. ire Shaw, feeling pleased, smiled radiantly, even the food tasted better. Serena Jennings went to the bathroom to clean off the wine from her face and body, trying to appear less disheveled. She couldn¡¯t change her clothes since there was only one set of the server¡¯s uniform. Luckily, the uniform material was thick enough not to soak through, and she could continue wearing it after wiping the surface. After tidying herself up as best as she could, Serena Jennings stepped out of the bathroom and bumped into Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood silently handed her a handkerchief. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t take it. Whether from goodwill or sympathy, as long as it came from Caleb Lockwood, she wanted nothing to do with it. Arm sore from holding it, with the handkerchief still not taken, Caleb Lockwood lowered his arm. 09:24 < 174 Chapter 174: Be a Good Stay¨Cat¨CHome Wife By then, Serena Jennings had already walked past him- Ignoring him. Caleb Lockwood turned and spoke to her back, ¡°Instead of getting divorced and ending up bullied as a waitress, why not just be a housewife at home¡­¡± Serena Jennings slowly halted. Caleb Lockwood subtly smirked. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking, right?¡± Serena Jennings nced back at Caleb Lockwood and smiled. She had a beautiful smile. Caleb Lockwood used to enjoy watching it. But this time, her smile made Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression abruptly darken. Even though Serena Jennings said nothing, he inexplicably interpreted the underlying message in her smile: ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Caleb Lockwood clenched the handkerchief into a ball. With Caleb Lockwood at the table, neither ire Shaw nor Cynthia Fulton dared openly trouble Serena Jennings. The three of them gathered today to discuss the detailed process of weing Queen Elizabeth from Ydris in two weeks. The Fulton Family, being the main sponsor, was the chief organizer, followed by The Lockwood Family. The Nash Family was supposed to coborate with The Fulton Family, but the scandal from the runaway marriage left them no face to continue. Coborating with The Nash Family would have made them seem desperate, further humiliating them. Thus, Cynthia Fulton took it upon herself to choose The Lockwood Family. Additionally, ire Shaw had taken on the project of designing a new crown for Queen Elizabeth of Ydris, making everything fall perfectly into ce. Two weekster, Queen Elizabeth visits City A, spending the first three days with government officials and then being hosted by Cynthia Fulton. All day, Queen Elizabeth stayed at Lockwood Group, discussing the new energy underwater tunnel project with the Lockwood and Fulton family consortiums. In the evening, led by Cynthia Fulton, they arrived at Riverview Imperial, Newest update provided by find(?)ovel A luxurious suite was selected and arranged two weeks in advance, ensuring impable security for Queen Elizabeth¡¯s visit, thanks to 09:24 < 174 Chapter 174: Be a Good Stay¨Cat¨CHome Wife Cynthia Fulton. During the meal, Queen Elizabeth was delighted, repeatedly praising Cynthia Fulton, Caleb Lockwood, and ire Shaw, Especially ire Shaw. ¡°I never expected someone so young to have such a sense of design. I really like this new crown¡± Queen Elizabeth couldn¡¯t put down the finished piece ire Shaw handed her. ¡°Your Majesty, you tter me. I¡¯m still a novice, with much to learn¡­¡± Seeing ire Shaw remain humble, Queen Elizabeth¡¯s impression of her improved further. ¡°I actually wanted BYC as the designer initially. I wasn¡¯t too confident entrusting you with this project, but seeing the design you¡¯ve given me, it does carry some of BYC¡¯s master¡¯s elegance!¡± Flushed with embarrassment from Queen Elizabeth¡¯s praise, ire Shaw impulsively said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m BYC¡¯s master¡¯s apprentice.¡± ¡°Oh, how fortunate!¡± The group engaged joyfully, and Cynthia Fulton checked the time for the main dish. ¡°Queen Elizabeth, the next dish is the highlight: a rare, top¨Ctier Emperor Crab from the Bering Sea, weighing 27 pounds, with legs nearly two meters long.¡± Cynthia Fulton enthusiastically introduced the dish as the server brought it in. Serena Jennings just stepped into the suite and immediately noticed the crown in Queen Elizabeth¡¯s hand. It was a sapphire crown. The main stone was a 37¨Ccarat cornflower sapphire, cut into an angel¡¯s silhouette, with two wings hidden by numerous colorless round diamonds in a covert setting, apanied by diamond and sapphire ents. Serena Jennings was intimately familiar with that crown. Because it was half of her design on the unfinished draft. Only now did Serena Jennings realize that the Ydris Queen Crown project Peter discussed with her ended up with ire Shaw. After the online scandal, Peter called her multiple times. But he never mentioned this. Serena Jennings understood Peter was protecting her. If it hadn¡¯t been a coincidence that she found herself working part¨Ctime at Riverview Imperial, selected to serve Emperor Crab to the VIP suite, she might never have known. Serena Jennings stared intently at the crown in Queen Elizabeth¡¯s hand. The crown was aplete reproduction of her unfinished draft. 09:24 174 Chapter 174 Be a Good Stay¨Cat-Home Wife Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t help but think, the day herpany was shut down, ire Shaw¡¯s teet tutk to the dele manager past off, securing her design without waste, unwilling to modify even a hit. However¡­ Her design wasn¡¯t perfected In other words, the crown Queen Elizabeth received now was merely a semi¨Cfinished product. ¡°Why are you standing there? Quickly dismantle the crab for the esteemed guest!¡± Urged by ire Shaw, Serena Jennings snapped out of it. She wasn¡¯t a jewelry designer now, nor was this crown her project; she was just a hotel server. Serena Jennings stepped forward to dismantle the crab. This Emperor Crab is exceptionally precious, be careful not to ruin its prime vor, or Ms. Fulton¡¯s goodwill for the Queen will be wasted.¡± Serena Jennings knew ire Shaw was deliberately pressuring her! Hinting that if the Emperor Crab¡¯s taste werepromised, it would be her fault. Serena Jennings knew how to dismantle the crab. She was confident in her technique until she realized there wasn¡¯t a single tool for dismantling the crab on the entire dining table. Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 10 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts ch.174 Terrible Mding 175 175 Chapter 175: Who Will Marry You 175 Chapter 175: Who Will Marry You Cynthia Fulton turned her head and looked at ire Shaw coldly. 1 Riverview Imperial is now the property of the Fulton Family, and tonight¡¯s dinner was hosted by her, to entertain Queen Elizabeth of Ydris. That top¨Cnotch Emperor Crab from the Bering Sea cost her a lot, just to please Queen Elizabeth and increase investment in the underse tunnel. In the end, it wasn¡¯t a professional who came to dismantle the crab, but Serena Jennings. The most crucial point was, there were no prepared tools for dismantling. Cynthia Fulton wasn¡¯t stupid; this arrangement was definitely ire Shaw¡¯s doing. On dealing with Serena Jennings, she and ire Shaw were on a unified front, after all, an enemy¡¯s enemy is a friend. But she didn¡¯t trust ire Shaw. If not for leaning on Caleb Lockwood, with the Shaw family¡¯s background, she wouldn¡¯t even deserve to share a table with her. ire Shaw pretended not to notice the icy gaze Cynthia Fulton directed at her, her smile was like an unremovable mask. Indeed, it was she who had the manager arrange for Serena Jennings to dismantle the crab. It was also she who secretly told the kitchen to remove all the crab dismantling tools. Even if Serena Jennings turned to ask the kitchen now, they would tell her the tools couldn¡¯t be found. ire Shaw just wanted to make things difficult for Serena Jennings, to see Serena make a fool of herself. Anyway, even if Serena annoyed Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth would only take it out on Cynthia Fulton. Seeing Serena standing stunned at the table, Caleb Lockwood stood up. ¡°Let me do it!¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s words shocked ire Shaw to the core. Is Caleb Lockwood feeling sorry for Serena again? ¡°As the only male here, it¡¯s my duty to dismantle the crab.¡± Caleb Lockwood spoke softly, with gentlemanly manners. Queen Elizabeth couldn¡¯t help but apud. ¡°No wonder President Lockwood, such gentlemanly grace!¡± Caleb Lockwood held the dining knife, with his strength, even with a dining knife, he could dismantle the crab. 09:24 C < 175 Chapter 175: Who Will Marry You ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself.¡± Serena looked at Caleb Lockwood and made a formal gesture of ¡°please.¡± ¡°Sir, please have a seat.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he softly said: ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡± Queen Elizabeth silently watched, her gaze bing increasingly intrigued. She always felt that Caleb Lockwood seemed to know this female server. Serena gave Caleb Lockwood a calm and confident smile. Caleb Lockwood sighed lightly and handed the dining knife to Serena. Serena didn¡¯t take it. Caleb Lockwood had no choice but to sit down, his brows still furrowed. Serena¡¯s gaze moved from Caleb Lockwood to ire Shaw. She understood that it was ire Shaw who was setting her up. Because Cynthia Fulton, as the host, wouldn¡¯t make a joke of this dinner. ire Shaw rested her cheek on her hand, waiting to see the show. She just wanted to see how Serena would dismantle the crab barehanded. Serena turned to face Queen Elizabeth and borrowed two dining knives, one of which was a very sharp steak knife, speaking fluently in foreignnguage. ¡°You can speak our Ydrisnguage, how impressive.¡± Queen Elizabeth was thrilled. Fresh chapters posted on Find~Novel The nativenguage of Ydris is actually quite niche, usually they speak English abroad. Caleb Lockwood, ire Shaw, and Cynthia Fulton looked at Serena with eyes full of amazement. Especially Caleb Lockwood. ire Shaw, sitting beside Caleb Lockwood, couldn¡¯t ignore the surprise in his eyes. ¡°Miss Fulton has been thoughtful, even training the staff in Ydrisnguage.¡± After ire Shaw spoke, Queen Elizabeth suddenly realized. ¡°So that¡¯s it, Miss Fulton has put in effort.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s what should be done.¡± 09:24 215 < 175 Chapter 175: Who Will Marry You Cynthia Fulton nced at ire Shaw, who wore a smile of aplishment. Serena silently dismantled her crab. Although a woman¡¯s strength is not as great as a man¡¯s, the leverage principle could be applied using two dining knives to pry open the crab shell, and the sharp steak knife could be used to slice open the membranes of the crab legs. As for the crab pincers, a bit more effort was needed, requiring precision strikes with the knife handle on the weak joints. Fortunately, Ethan White had taught her how to dismantle Emperor Crab with a fruit knife before. It was back in high school, her first time skipping ss, guided by the top student Ethan White, sneaking away to a private party. Generally, the more people at a party, the better the fun. But on that asion, it was just her and Ethan White. Ethan White got hold of a gigantic Emperor Crab. As a child, Serena ate a lot of Emperor Crab, but all in restaurants. It was her first time dismantling a crab herself. Ethan White was truly a good teacher, teaching her well, and she learned quickly. Serena still remembered what Ethan White said to her back then: ¡°You¡¯re very talented in cooking, one day you¡¯ll surely be a very virtuous wife, whoever marries you will be the happiest man in the world.¡± Back then, Ethan White¡¯s smile was incredibly radiant. However¡­ Serena reminisced about her high school days with Ethan White while slowly setting down the dining knife. The Emperor Crab was dismantled, the crab meat was intact, preserving its deliciousness. Queen Elizabeth couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Such beautiful technique, it¡¯s like magic¡­ Miss Fulton, is thisdy one of your chefs here?¡± Cynthia Fulton forced a smile, her lips twitching. With Queen Elizabeth praising Serena excessively, Cynthia Fulton and ire Shaw had no choice but to concur. Only Caleb Lockwood remained silent. During Serena¡¯s crab dismantling, he stared intently at Serena, intrigued at first. He was curious how Serena would dismantle such arge Emperor Crab with dining knives. But gradually, his focus shifted. Serena, while dismantling the crab, wore a smile. It was as if she was recalling something joyous, lost in memories, unable to extricate herself.ASLEY 175 Chapter 175: Who Will Marry You The brighter Serena¡¯s smile became, the more difort Caleb Lockwood felt He had a feeling: What Serena was recalling, what brought her happiness- had nothing to do with him. Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t know what Serena was reminiscing about. Or rather, who she was reminiscing about. This unknown left him uneasy. At the end of dismantling, Serena¡¯s smile faded, reced by sadness in her eyes. Caleb Lockwood, taking in these expressions, stood up. ¡°Sorry, I need to excuse myself for a moment.¡± He spoke to Queen Elizabeth, then turned and left the private room. At the room¡¯s entrance, he paused briefly, casting a sidelong nce at Serena. Serena didn¡¯t look back at him. After Caleb Lockwood left the private room, Queen Elizabeth suddenly let out a gasp. ¡°Oh dear, the diamond fell off this crown!¡± ire Shaw stood up as if struck by lightning. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± She immediately picked up the crown to inspect, finding indeed that the round diamonds used to create the angel wings beside the main stone had fallen off, and more than one. ire Shaw¡¯s face went pale instantly. Queen Elizabeth didn¡¯t look pleased either. She had admired ire Shaw¡¯s design, but a newly acquired crown losing diamonds could only prove ire Shaw¡¯s craftsmanship was At this moment, Serena¡¯s voice sounded slowly and coldly from behind ire Shaw: ¡°You used round diamonds¡­ and still wanted to do invisible setting?¡± 09.24 Mding 176 176 Chapter 176: He Is My Ex¨CHusband ¡°What do you know?!¡± ire turned her head and shouted at Serena, her voice sounding hoarse. ¡°Oh, I get it¡­ It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Suddenly, she angrily pointed at Serena. ¡°It must have been your violent crab cracking just now that caused the diamond to fall off the crown, it¡¯s all your fault, and you have to pay for this loss!¡± For original chapters go to find{n}ovel ire¡¯s argument seemed convincing, but everyone present knew she was evading responsibility. No matter how much shaking happened when Serena was cracking the crab, it wouldn¡¯t have affected the crown in Queen Elizabeth¡¯s hands. Queen Elizabeth looked at the flustered and exasperated ire with disappointment in her eyes. As the queen, she wouldn¡¯t trouble an innocent waitress. ¡°Let it go¡­¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll pay.¡± Serena suddenly agreed. Both Queen Elizabeth and Cynthia Fulton were taken aback. ire sneered, ¡°You? How are you going to pay? With your three¨Cthousand¨Ca¨Cmonth sry?¡± After she said it off the cuff, ire felt a bit regretful; she shouldn¡¯t have been so harsh. But since Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t in the room at the moment, it didn¡¯t really matter. ¡°I can fix it.¡± Serena¡¯s words surprised none more than Queen Elizabeth. ¡°You can repair jewelry? But aren¡¯t you a chef?¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help butugh. Just for cracking a crab, she¡¯s considered a chef. ¡°Chef is my part¨Ctime job, my main upation is jewelry design.¡± ¡°What a joke!¡± ire widened her eyes. 09:24 115 < 176 Chapter 176: He Is My Ex¨CHusband She couldn¡¯t tolerate Serena taking away her project. ¡°This is the queen¡¯s crown, do you think just anyone can touch it?! ire¡¯s petty intentions were clear to Serena. She shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Indeed! Anyone could make a diamond fall from the queen¡¯s crown, not just anyone can do that¡± ¡°You!¡± ire was so furious at Serena¡¯s retort that her face turned red. ¡°Let her try!¡± Beside them, Cynthia couldn¡¯t help but speak up. She was aware of Serena¡¯s craftsmanship, and the priority now was to satisfy Queen Elizabeth. Serena turned her head and nced at Cynthia. ¡°What, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll turn the crown into a fake?¡± Cynthia knew Serena was mocking her for the false usation of Serena¡¯s wedding jewelry set being counterfeit. Queen Elizabeth, having taken a liking to Serena as she watched her crack the crab earlier, naturally wanted to give Serena a chance since she offered to repair the crown. Cynthia immediately arranged for someone to prepare tools, turning the dining table into a makeshift workbench. Serena began to repair the crown in front of Queen Elizabeth, Cynthia, and ire. When Caleb Lockwood walked into the room, he momentarily thought he¡¯d walked into the wrong ce. Seeing Serena engrossed in her meticulous work, he roughly guessed what had happened. Seeing Caleb return, ire immediately sidled up to him and whispered: ¡°Serena was too rough while cracking the crab, causing the diamond to fall off the crown, and the queen is having her fix it!¡± After ire finished, she saw Caleb frown. That¡¯s right¡­ She wanted Caleb to have a strong dislike for Serena. Caleb frowned and walked over to Serena. Even though Caleb moved silently, Serena still sensed someone approaching her. She just hadn¡¯t expected it to be Caleb. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Serena turned her head, meeting Caleb¡¯s gaze. 09:25 215 < 176 Chapter 176 He is My Ex¨CHusband Caleb¡¯s dark eyes were always as cold as the sea in a winter night. How cold? She remembered it clearly from the time she jumped into the sea. Caleb didn¡¯t speak immediately. He just stared at her. Serena inexplicably felt that Caleb wanted to see something in her eyes. She didn¡¯t know what he wanted to see, or if he saw it. But she clearly saw disappointment in Caleb¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your hand is injured.¡± Serena was taken aback, only then noticing Caleb holding a first¨Caid kit. What Caleb said was caring, but it sounded nonchnt,cking warmth, and devoid of any emotion. Serena looked down at her hand. Her hand was indeed injured. It happened while cracking the crab. Even though Ethan White¡¯s crab¨Ccracking technique was useful, without professional tools, it was unrealistic for her not to get hurt while cracking such arge Emperor Crab by herself. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Serena reached out to Caleb, but he didn¡¯t hand the first¨Caid kit to her. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± He said softly. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Serena emphasized. The wound on her hand should be tended to; otherwise, it might affect her ability to repair the crown. Caleb must have considered this, which is why he brought her the first¨Caid kit. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Caleb repeated those three words. Serena couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. With so many people watching in the room, did Caleb really have to stand his ground? 09.25 315 176 Chapter 176. He is My Ex¨CHusband ¡°I said, I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± Serena¡¯s voice turned cold, and her tone became assertive. ¡°Or, President Lockwood, give me a reason why I must let you help me?¡± ¡± ¡± Serena¡¯s question left Caleb speechless. At this time, Queen Elizabeth¡¯s curious voice floated over from the side. ¡°Pardon me for asking, do you two know each other?¡± Serena and Caleb turned to look at Queen Elizabeth together, speaking in unison: ¡°She is my¡­¡± ¡°He is my ex¨Chusband.¡± Caleb¡¯s words were stuck. But Serena¡¯s weren¡¯t. Serena directly grabbed the first¨Caid kit from Caleb¡¯s hand and treated the wound on her hand herself, making sure it wouldn¡¯t affect her jewelry repair skills. Caleb clenched his empty hand into a fist and silently left Serena¡¯s side. After learning that Caleb and Serena were ex¨Cspouses, Queen Elizabeth regarded Caleb and ire with moreplex eyes. Initially, she had thought ire was Caleb¡¯s girlfriend. Because ire always naturally linked her arm through Caleb¡¯s. And everyone else called Caleb ¡°President Lockwood.¡± Only ire called Caleb ¡°Caleb.¡± However, Caleb hadn¡¯t introduced ire as his girlfriend or fianc¨¦e in front of her. So she was puzzled about their rtionship. And now, upon discovering that Caleb and Serena were divorced, even though both became single after the divorce and could start new rtionships, ire still inexplicably gave her a ¡°third party¡± vibe. The initial good impression Queen Elizabeth had of ire waspletely gone, and her opinion continued to worsen, Serena took a long time to repair the crown. Beside her, ire couldn¡¯t help but grumble softly: ¡°It was just three diamonds that fell off, I could have done it much faster¡­¡± When Serena handed the repaired crown back to Queen Elizabeth, the queen let out an excited gasp: 09:25 < 176 Chapter 176: He Is My Ex¨CHusband ¡°Oh my God, did you actually recut all these diamonds?¡± Hearing Queen Elizabeth say this, ire immediately stepped forward. The crown Serena returned to Queen Elizabeth had all the colorless round diamonds ire had used to set the angel wings reced with square ones, and a genuine invisible setting technique was used, with no metal traces visible, Byparison, ire¡¯s previous craftsmanship now seemed too crude. ¡°Round diamonds cannot be used for invisible settings, only by cutting them into squares, rectangles, triangles, or trapezoids can they be slotted, and although the sapphire used as the main stone was of high quality, too much brilliance was sacrificed when cutting it into angel shapes.¡± Being guided by Serena like a teacher instructing a student, ire¡¯s eyes zed with anger. Beside them, as Queen Elizabeth repeatedly admired the crown, she suddenly discovered a secret. ¡°This invisible setting technique¡­ Oh, I know who you are!¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. 10 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 00:36 Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > ͼ Send Gifts ch.176 Terrible 614 > 177 Chapter 177: She giarized You Mding 177 177 Chapter 177: She giarized You Queen Elizabeth¡¯s eyes widened round with surprise, even more so than discovering a new continent. 4 ¡°You are B¡­¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Before Queen Elizabeth could finish the name, Serena Jennings promptly put a finger to her lips. Queen Elizabeth understood the gesture and didn¡¯t continue. Beside them, Caleb Lockwood silently raised an eyebrow. It seemed to be the first time Serena Jennings had met Queen Elizabeth. Yet, despite this being their first meeting, there appeared to be some shared secret between them- A secret Caleb was not privy to. His chest felt like it was being rubbed repeatedly with small stones, causing Caleb to furrow his brow. ¡°Excuse me, Miss Fulton¡­¡± At this, Queen Elizabeth turned to Cynthia Fulton and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to have dinner alone with this youngdy tonight to thank her for repairing and upgrading my crown.¡± Find the newest release on find?novel The ¡°youngdy¡± in Queen Elizabeth¡¯s words naturally referred to Serena Jennings. ire Shaw¡¯s face turned as ugly as an Emperor Crab¡¯s shell. What does ¡°upgrade¡± mean? As if suggesting Serena¡¯s craftsmanship was far superior to hers. Queen Elizabeth believed she had made herself very clear. Nevertheless, Cynthia Fulton, ire Shaw, and Caleb Lockwood remained rooted to their spots. ¡°Sorry, but could the three of you please step aside?¡± Though Queen Elizabeth smiled, her voice carried the authority of a monarch. Cynthia Fulton initially wanted to argue her case, but seeing the situation, she tactfully left the room. Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw also departed. Caleb was carrying a first¨Caid kit, and as he reached the door, he nced back at Serena Jennings. Serena was looking at Queen Elizabeth. ¡°Caleb?¡± 09.25 01/5 < 177 Chapter 177: She giarized You ire Shaw, holding onto Caleb¡¯s arm, noticed that his attention seemed to linger in the private room. However, in the room were only Queen Elizabeth and Serena Jennings. The person Caleb was looking at certainly wasn¡¯t Queen Elizabeth. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ire urged. Caleb withdrew his gaze, looked at ire Shaw, and coldly said, ¡°Alright.¡± Now without any outsiders in the room, Queen Elizabeth immediately addressed Serena Jennings as Master BYC. ¡°Your Majesty, just call me Serena Jennings!¡± Queen Elizabeth could see that Serena hesitated to ept the identity of BYC due to her personal reasons, so she did not pry into Serena¡¯s privacy but instead engaged in cheerful conversation over the exceptional Emperor Crab. The two continued to discuss the crown project while they ate,ing close to finishing the Emperor Crab as well as finalizing the crown project. Outside the room, Cynthia Fulton felt restless. She had gone to great lengths to prepare for hosting the Queen, sparing no expense. And what was the oue? Serena Jennings ended up benefiting from it! Cynthia Fulton gritted her teeth. ire Shaw beside her was also not feeling any better. She was still hungry! She had barely touched the previous dishes, waiting instead for the Emperor Crab¡¯s unparalleled delicacy. Now, not only had she not tasted a bite, she could only watch as Serena Jennings devoured the Emperor Crab. Serena Jennings was indeed very full. The Emperor Crab was so enormous, there was no way two people could finish it all. ¡°You have no idea, I initially wanted to choose your piano series as the royal family¡¯s exclusive jewelry, but Xylos¡® royal family got ahead of me. Since then, I have always hoped that one day, Master BYC could design a new crown for me¡­¡± Serena Jennings sensed Queen Elizabeth¡¯s sincerity, prompting her to speak frankly. ¡°Actually, the current crown you¡¯re wearing was also designed by me, though the blueprint was still a work in progress.¡± Queen Elizabeth was taken aback by this. ¡°But it was that Miss Shaw¡­¡± 09:25 215 < 177 Chapter 177: She giarized You At this, Queen Elizabeth suddenly realized the truth: ¡°I see, she giarized from you!¡± ¡°Well, not exactly¡­¡± Serena shook her head, smiling wryly. She recounted to Queen Elizabeth the incident of her studio being seized. ¡°The design blueprints were considered sold assets, and the collections manager gave them to ire Shaw, allowing her to use them without legal issues.¡± The crown project for Queen of Ydris was no ordinary undertaking, and Serena Jennings hoped Queen Elizabeth wouldn¡¯t be dazzled by her reputation as Master BYC. ¡°This is my current situation, with the studio closed down and having to rely on myself. Your Majesty, if you still trust me with the crown project, I promise to bring my best abilities to it.¡± Serena spoke with dignity, realizing that Queen Elizabeth was moved to tears. ¡°Oh heavens, I have never encountered someone as sincere as you¡­ Sincere and capable¡­¡± Most people,cking capability, would try to tter and weave lies to deceive her just to secure the project. But Serena was different. As both emerged from the private room, Cynthia Fulton immediately approached. While Queen Elizabeth had been smiling a moment earlier, her face instantly fell upon seeing Cynthia Fulton. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Fulton, but I no longer wish to stay at your hotel tonight.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cynthia was momentarily stunned. ¡°Also, I need to reconsider the undersea tunnel partnership, so there¡¯s no rush to sign the contract.¡± Queen Elizabeth¡¯s words left Cynthia Fulton bewildered. What was initially a smoothly progressing project and excellent hospitality had beenpletely overturned by a dinner with Serena Jennings! ¡°Furthermore, Miss Shaw¡­¡± Upon being addressed, ire Shaw nervously tightened her grip on Caleb¡¯s arm. Caleb had no choice but to apany ire to Queen Elizabeth. ¡°I will pay the bnce, but I am very dissatisfied with the crown you¡¯ve made, which isn¡¯t even created by your own talent. I¡¯m greatly disappointed in you, so I¡¯ve decided to let Serena take over.¡± Having been critiqued in front of Caleb, tears welled up in ire¡¯s eyes instantly. 09:25 315 < 177 Chapter 177: She giarized You ¡°Your Majesty, you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I can.¡± Queen Elizabeth interrupted ire firmly, then turned to smile at Serena. Next, she moved to Serena¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Anywhere to rmend for me to stay?¡± If it were just Queen Elizabeth by herself, she could stay at Serena¡¯s ce, provided the Queen didn¡¯t mind, However, the reality was that Queen Elizabeth traveled with an entourage of bodyguards, and Serena¡¯s home couldn¡¯t amodate them all. ¡°I do have a ce in mind.¡± A sudden idea struck Serena, prompting her to contact someone. During the wait, Caleb silently approached Serena from behind. ¡°Did you cast a spell on the Queen?¡± Serena was taken aback and turned to meet Caleb¡¯s gaze. The abrupt change in Queen Elizabeth¡¯s demeanor was indeed startling, but Caleb assumed Serena had bewitched the Queen rather than believing she had moved the Queen with her genuine talent and sincerity. Serena chuckled at herself. ¡°If I had that kind of ability, would I have had to watch helplessly as my studio closed down?¡± A ripple crossed Caleb¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re ming me¡­¡± Comment O Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 10 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. 60 35 Mding 178 178 Chapter 178: Giving Her a Title Does Serena me Caleb Lockwood? A Of course she does. She mes Caleb Lockwood for choosing ire Shaw over her; She mes Caleb Lockwood for kicking her when she was down as public opinion fermented; She mes Caleb Lockwood for not reaching out to her struggling studio; She mes Caleb Lockwood for many, many things¡­ She mes him- Why couldn¡¯t he recognize that she was Ellie from back then! Serena and Caleb Lockwood exchanged looks for a while, and a touch of sarcasm appeared on her smile. ¡°You think too highly of yourself.¡± She once med him. But now, she no longer does. Because ming Caleb Lockwood would only add more cracks to her already shattered heart. The one she should me most is herself for being blind. When she saw someone rushing inside from outside, Serena¡¯s eyes lit up, and she proactively greeted them. Her figure left Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sight, and his hand moved slightly but didn¡¯t reach out. He had a feeling- Even if he reached out, he wouldn¡¯t be able to grasp Serena. When Patrick Rhodes saw that the grand hall of Riverview Imperial was not only upied by Serena and the bodyguards of the Queen of Ydris but also Caleb Lockwood, ire Shaw, and Cynthia Fulton, he immediately mouthed to Serena: Are you setting me up? Serena only mentioned on the phone about a big project for him, providing hotel and security for the Queen of Ydris. But she never told him that the project originally belonged to The Lockwood Family and The Fulton Family. Great, he¡¯s now offended both families in one go. Serena didn¡¯t intentionally set up Patrick Rhodes. Among the people she knew, Patrick Rhodes was the only one capable of providing a decent residence and security for Queen Elizabeth. 09.25 175 < 178 Chapter 178. Giving Her a Title She still remembers when Felix Shepherd invited her to the hotel, it was Patrick Rhodes who stormed in and drove Felix Shepherd away. Back then, Patrick Rhodes said that The Violet Hotel was owned by his family. Patrick Rhodes arrived at Serena¡¯s side, awkwardly greeted Caleb Lockwood, ire Shaw, and Cynthia Fulton opposite them. He looked at his current position, as if he had already chosen sides with Serena, openly opposing both The Lockwood Family and The Fulton Family. Serena looked at Patrick Rhodes¡¯s expression and knew what he was thinking. ¡°Sorry, if you feel I made it difficult for you, just pretend I never called you,¡± Serena said softly to Patrick Rhodes. ¡°You¡¯ve truly put me in a tough spot!¡± Patrick Rhodes intended to speak softly. Chapters first released on Find[?]ovel But due to his naturally loud voice, everyone in the hall could hear those words. ire Shaw couldn¡¯t help butugh inwardly. Sheughed at Serena. She thought Serena would contact some impressivework, but it turned out to be their old acquaintance Patrick Rhodes. Recently, ire Shaw noticed Patrick Rhodes¡¯s mind was no longer on her. But regardless, Patrick Rhodes was still Caleb Lockwood¡¯s sidekick, a follower, and even with a hundred guts, he wouldn¡¯t dare steal a project from The Lockwood Group. ¡°Patrick Rhodes¡­¡± Serena was about to ask Patrick Rhodes if there¡¯s any suitable ce for Queen Elizabeth to stay, when Patrick Rhodes courteously bowed to Queen Elizabeth. ¡°Your Majesty, our Paxton Family¡¯s Violet Hotel is willing to serve you.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but say ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were in a dilemma?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather be in a dilemma than let Her Majesty the Queen be in one, right?¡± The reason Patrick Rhodes gave made Serena feel it wasn¡¯t very convincing. Just like that, Queen Elizabeth left Riverview Imperial apanied by Serena and Patrick Rhodes. Throughout this process, Patrick Rhodes didn¡¯t make eye contact with Caleb Lockwood, ire Shaw, or Cynthia Fulton even once. ¡°Serena really is something¡­¡± ire Shaw stood beside Caleb Lockwood, expressing her admiration: ¡°She not only managed to win over Queen Elizabeth with just a meal, securing a project for herself, but also enticed Patrick Rhodes with 09:25 215 < 178 Chapter 178: Giving Her a Title a few words¡­ It seems we¡¯ve been fooled all along, she isn¡¯t as innocent as she appears, maybe after the divorce she ran out of financial means, and needed Patrick Rhodes to maintain her extravagant lifestyle!¡± ire Shaw spoke softly, noticing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s persistent silence, she tried to retract her words. ¡°But it¡¯s not Serena¡¯s fault either; it¡¯s hard to climb without some cunning these days. At least knowing Patrick Rhodes has her back, we can be at ease¡­ Initially, I thought she was struggling when I saw her working as a waitress here, but now I understand she was just trying to get close to Queen Elizabeth¡­¡± ire Shaw wasn¡¯t ignorant to the fact her words were a bit much, but Serena calling Patrick Rhodes here to snatch their project was an established fact happening before them, not something she made up. As long as her words can act like seeds, nted in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s heart, they will eventually take root and grow. Caleb Lockwood was silent for quite a long time. His expression was cold, like the snow on a mountaintop that never melts. ire Shaw couldn¡¯t guess Caleb Lockwood¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll go return the medicine box.¡± Finally, Caleb Lockwood spoke. A medicine box, something so trivial, could be returned by anyone, yet¡­ Before ire Shaw could speak, Caleb Lockwood had already walked away. Caleb¡¯s hand tightly clutched the handle of the medicine box, never letting go even when he had gripped it until it snapped. In the restroom, Cynthia Fulton encountered ire Shaw, and began swearing without any regard for the image of a wealthy heiress. If it weren¡¯t for ire Shaw¡¯s little tricks against Serena tonight, Serena wouldn¡¯t have appeared before Queen Elizabeth, and none of the subsequent events would have happened. Like the butterfly effect. Was the one who embarrassed tonight Serena? It was none other than her, Cynthia Fulton! ¡°Alright, alright, what¡¯s the point in cursing me? Do you think I¡¯m pleased to see Serena get such a big bargain?¡± ire Shaw was at a loss, only fighting back after Cynthia Fulton was done: ¡°I also lost a project because of Serena¡­ It alles down to Serena and whatever she said to Queen Elizabeth during dinner, because after the Queen came out, her attitude towards both of us changed immediately¡­¡± Thinking of this matter, ire Shaw couldn¡¯t help but get angry. The Queen¡¯s Crown project of Ydris was something she requested Caleb Lockwood to help contact, and Caleb Lockwood pulled quite a few strings. 09:25 < 178 Chapter 178: Giving Her a Title Though Queen Elizabeth said they would still pay the remaining bnce, was this about whether the bnce would be paid or not? The jewelry design circle is so small, and it won¡¯t be long before everyone in the industry knows that the crown designed by ire Shaw for the Queen of Ydris had missing diamonds, and it was repaired by a designer expelled from the jewelry industry, who then reced her to remake the crown. She would beughed at by her peers! ire Shaw¡¯s face was gloomy. And it wasn¡¯t just her career; she didn¡¯t get what she wanted in terms of her sentiments either. Clearly, Caleb Lockwood agreed before, after divorcing Serena, he would give her the status. Now they¡¯re both divorced, but there¡¯s no sign of the promised status. ire Shaw was anxious, but dare not inquire. As Caleb Lockwood¡¯s beloved first love, when did she fall into such a humble position? ire Shaw med all these on Serena. ¡°Serena is really redundant¡­¡± The failure to eliminate herst time in Meridia was indeed a misstep¡­ ¡°Cynthia Fulton, we can¡¯t have internal strife.¡± ire Shaw stared intensely at Cynthia Fulton. ¡°Serena has caused us such misery; we must make her pay the price!¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 10 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average 2 Send Gifts Mding 179 179 Chapter 179: Truly Letting Go of Caleb Lockwood The morning sunlight made the ss facade of the business building even brighter Serena Jennings appeared at TY ¡°Is this really okay?¡± Serena turned to ask Peter beside her. Peter smiled wryly, ¡°I can¡¯t help much with anything else, but can¡¯t I at least provide you with a fully equipped workspace? ¡°Well, thank you! You¡¯re really doing me a big favor.¡± The smile on Serena¡¯s face was as bright as the sunshine outside the window. ¡°Serena¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Serena noticed that Peter wanted to say something but hesitated, as if something was hard for him to bring up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Serena asked proactively. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Peter shook his head and said something unusual for him, ¡°Just thought you¡¯ve be more beautiful.¡± Serena was taken aback and deliberately flipped her hair. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong; I have be more beautiful.¡± Peter was amused by Serena¡¯s deliberate self¨Cmockery. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re divorced¡­ feeling relieved?¡± He asked cautiously. He was afraid of upsetting Serena. But he also wanted to test Serena¡¯s attitude. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m feeling quite relieved now.¡± Serena gave Peter a very affirmative answer. The lump in Peter¡¯s throat finally disappeared. Thank goodness¡­ It seemed like Serena had really moved on from Caleb Lockwood. Before seeing Serena today, Peter was actually very nervous. 00:25 < 179 Chapter 179: Truly Letting Go of Caleb Lockwood Even more nervous than when he first founded FY and didn¡¯t know what the future held for thepany Because Peter felt guilty towards Serena. When Serena was being criticized and isted, the only thing he could offer was phone calls and verbalfort, nothing more. Regarding his rtionship with Serena, there were some rumors within thepany, but it hadn¡¯t blown up to the point of trending online. Moreover, Serena¡¯s status as Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife hadn¡¯t been exposed, so the impact was minimal. However, now, the Lockwood Group had distanced itself from Serena first, making her the target for online trolls, while the Nash and ckwood Groups remained silent. If he spoke up for Serena, it would confirm toizens that there was something unusual between them. Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Even if he was merely rifying on her behalf. The FY board also demanded that he keep distance from Serena, no matter what, to avoid getting involved. His involvement would mean FY¡¯s involvement. The board didn¡¯t care about Serena¡¯s fate, nor his reputation. But the board cared about FY¡¯s interests. Anything that harmed FY¡¯s interests was strictly forbidden. Peter had been called into board meetings several times, and Neil, the current FY chairman andrgest shareholder who co¨Cfounded the In the end, hepromised, ying dead when Serena was at her lowest. The ultimate result was the bankruptcy and closure of Serena¡¯s studio. Peter had thought about financially supporting Serena to help her reopen her studio. But he also thought Serena wouldn¡¯t ept it. He was even worried Serena might misunderstand his intentions as fake or just pity. Peter considered a lot, and the more he thought about it, the more he feared that he and Serena couldn¡¯t even remain friends. He was very afraid. He was afraid Serena would hate him, treat him coldly. Although he deserved it. ¡°Peter¡­ Peter?¡± Serena called a few times before Peter snapped back to reality. ¡°What are you thinking about being so absent¨Cminded?¡± 09.26 < 179 Chapter 179: Truly Letting Go of Caleb Lockwood Peter forced a bitter smile, gazing at Serena. Serena felt ufortable under Peter¡¯s gaze. His eyes were bright like gemstones washed clean by a spring. ¡°I want to thank you¡­¡± Serena tilted her head. ¡°For providing such a great workspace, shouldn¡¯t I be thanking you?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Peter shook his head, his tone unwavering, ¡°I should thank you¡­ Thank you for still being willing to be my friend.¡± Serena could somewhat guess what Peter had been hesitant to say before. Previously, when she was being cyberbullied with false trending posts, she was indeed isted and helpless. But she could understand Peter¡¯s situation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no matter what happens, we¡¯ll always be friends.¡± Serena held out her fist towards Peter, smiling. Serena¡¯s smile was striking, like a blooming rose. Peter also smiled, but his smile was more like a grimace. He reached out and bumped fists with Serena. Always friends¡­ The fist seemed tond on his heart. With FY¡¯s professional workspace, Serena was twice as efficient in creating the crown. ¡°Serena, it really is you, I knew I wasn¡¯t mistaken!¡± Serena was just making herself a cup of coffee in the break room when she ran into an old acquaintance. Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross were colleagues of Serena¡¯s when she worked at FY, but in Serena¡¯s memory, they were ire Shaw¡¯s followers back then, always looking up to her. ¡°Are you back to work at FY?¡± Chantelle asked. ¡°Excuse me, please.¡± Serena didn¡¯t answer Chantelle¡¯s question, squeezing past Chantelle and Megan. ¡°Hey Serena¡­¡± Megan still wanted to call out to Serena, but she had already walked away. Chantelle and Megan watched Serena¡¯s receding figure, and Chantelle first took out her phone to contact ire. 09:25 < 179 Chapter 179: Truly Letting Go of Caleb Lockwood ¡°ire, Serena is very wary of Megan and me, giving us a cold shoulder, treating us Indifferently How can we get close to her like this? On the other end, ire rolled her eyes hard. ¡°You two are useless! You can¡¯t even handle this small matter and still expect me to promote you to executives?¡± ¡°Sorry, ire¡­¡± Chantelle hung her head. ¡°Apologies are useless, you need to lower your stance, cater to Serena¡­ sincerity can move mountains! As long as you be friends with her before she finishes the crown.¡± Saying this, ire couldn¡¯t help but smirk. She felt it wouldn¡¯t be difficult, even Chantelle and Megan could manage it. From the day after encountering Chantelle and Megan, Serena didn¡¯t have to make her own coffee anymore. Because every time, Chantelle and Megan would prepare coffee for her. Initially, Serena didn¡¯t appreciate it. But day after day, whether she drank it or not, they would prepare coffee and exquisite desserts for her. No matter how many times Serena returned them, they still brought them. Until once, Serena witnessed Chantelle and Megan being scolded to tears by their team leader and crying their hearts out in her workspace,ining that the team leader was menopausal and didn¡¯t like young girls, especially the two of them, always scoldirg them. They always wanted to resign but were reluctant to leave FY, such argepany. Serena¡¯s presence gave them hope. ¡°We were bad to you before because we misunderstood you, thought you got into thepany through connections without real skills¡­¡± ¡°But now it¡¯s different. Your performance at the LD Jewelry Fashion Week won our utmost respect, we know you have real skills¡­ so, we hope you can lead us, and the three of us can venture on our own.¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. < Mding 180 180 Chapter 180: A Long Record of Offenses ¡°We don¡¯t have much money on hand, each of us can only chip in two hundred thousand, s yours, it should be enough as startup capital for the small studio¡­ 1 ¡°We can start by making silver essories, taking on small orders first. You have experience running a studio, and this time you have the two of us helping you. I believe our studio will be up and running soon.¡± Serena Jennings listened silently to Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross¡¯s ideas, still not expressing her stance. Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross exchanged a nce. ¡°You should think it over carefully. We¡¯re serious.¡± ¡°We really admire you, and we also want to have our own studio like you.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind us, after you finish making Queen¡¯s Crown, we can partner up and start thepany together¡­ Whoever wants to stay at FY, let them. I¡¯m done with it!¡± ¡°Me too, me too, Serena, the future depends on you for both Chantelle and me.¡± As they spoke, their eyes both became moist. Although Serena hadn¡¯t agreed to start apany with Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross. Ever since that deep conversation, Serena no longer refused Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross when they brought her coffee and sweets. ¡°If you want to start a studio with me, I¡¯m the boss, and initially, you can only be assistants, so you¡¯ll have to get used to making tea and serving water for me.¡± In the workspace, Serena said to Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re very happy to do that.¡± Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross pretended to nod and smile at Serena, but internally, they were seething. After a week, they had practically be Serena¡¯s followers, even like servants or maidservants. Serena: ¡°The coffee is too sweet, rece it.¡± Chantelle: ¡°But weren¡¯t you the one who wanted sugar?¡± Serena: ¡°I wanted American style with sugar, not atte. Brew it again.¡± Chantelle: ¡°¡­ Serena: ¡°For lunch today, I want beef curry rice from Pine Leaf House.¡± Megan: ¡°Pine Leaf House is too far from ourpany, they don¡¯t deliver.¡± Serena: ¡°Then drive there to get it. It only takes an hour and a half round¨Ctrip, just on time before lunch break ends without beingte.¡± 09:25 < 180 Chapter 180: A Long Record of Offenses Megan: ¡°¡­¡± Serena didn¡¯t have a car, but ever since Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross dered loyalty to her. Serena had someone to drive her to and from work. In the morning, Chantelle picked her up and took her to thepany; after work, Megan drove her home. The other employees at FY also gradually noticed that Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross were getting very close to Serena ¡°Serena,e here for a moment.¡± During lunch break, Peter called Serena into his office. ¡°Is the crown making going well?¡± ¡°Mm, very well.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been getting very close to Chantelle Stone and Megan Rosstely, I¡¯m a bit worried.¡± Peter¡¯s words were said in a tactful manner since he wasn¡¯t sure if he had any right to interfere with Serena¡¯s freedom to make friends. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Peter. Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross are both my friends now.¡°¡± Serena smiled brightly, like a beautiful fox. Eventually, Serena finished designing and making the crown for Queen Elizabeth. Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross had been moring to see the grandeur of Queen¡¯s Crown but were tly refused by Serena. Tonight, Queen Elizabeth will be attending a banquet with City A Municipal Government officials and business tycoons at the Roy Banquet Hall. Her old crown is too damaged to be worn, and Serena promised to deliver the new crown before the banquet. ¡°Serena, you don¡¯t have a car, just ride mine to the Royal Banquet Hall!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Serena agreed without hesitation. Chantelle secretly breathed a sigh of relief. These days, Serena had been riding in Chantelle and Megan¡¯s car to and from work, and she had long been ustomed to treating them as her drivers. ¡°I¡¯ll help you carry the crown.¡± Megan volunteered, but Serena shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­ What if you identally damaged it!¡± Serena carefully held the gift box in her hands and gestured for Megan to open the car door for her, which Megan could onlyply with. 09:26 214 < 180 Chapter 180: A Long Record of Offenses Serena sat in Chantelle¡¯s car, Serena in the passenger seat, Chantelle in the driver¡¯s seat. At first, the car was moving smoothly, seeing that they were only five minutes away from the Royal Banquet Hall, when Chantelle suddenly swerved into a small road. The small road was muddy with puddles, and the front left tire got stuck in a mud pit and couldn¡¯t be driven out no matter what, causing Chantelle to sweat profusely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Serena, can you get out and help push?¡± Seeing Serena¡¯s unwilling expression, Chantelle added, ¡°If this keeps up, we won¡¯t be able to move, and you¡¯ll bete. What if we dy the Queen¡¯s banquet?¡± ¡°Alright, fine then!¡± Serena sighed, unwillingly got out of the car, and went to the back. Chantelle immediately opened the gift box on the seat, took out the crown inside, then ced the pre¨Cprepared counterfeit inside before putting the crown in a bag and tucking it away. Serena pushed a few times at the back of the car, and the front left tire finally got out of the mud pit. She returned to the car, and Chantelle repeatedly expressed gratitude. After dropping Serena off at the Royal Banquet Hall, Chantelle immediately drove to the back door and snuck into a small restaurant diagonally opposite. ire Shaw was waiting inside. Chantelle handed the bag with the crown to ire Shaw, who quickly put the bag in her own purse and swiftly left the restaurant, entering the Royal Banquet Hall from the back door. The banquet had begun. Serena arrived right on time. She was dressed professionally, different from the men and women in formal attire inside the banquet hall. Those people were all invited major figures from both political and business sectors, and she just counted as a delivery person at best. Queen Elizabeth arrived at the entrance to the banquet hall. She wore a sea¨Cblue mermaid gown, her enchanting blonde hair loose, much like a mermaid. ¡°Your Majesty the Queen, sorry to keep you waiting¡± Serena hadn¡¯t yet handed the gift box to the queen when Cynthia Fulton came striding over in high heels. ¡°Your Majesty, you must be careful, this Serena has a history of wrongdoing, don¡¯t let her deceive you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± 09:26 O 314 < 180 Chapter 180: A Long Record of Offenses Queen Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What kind of wrongdoing does Serena have?¡± ¡°She once usedb¨Cgrown diamonds instead of natural diamonds to make the jewelry set for my wedding¡­¡± Before Cynthia Fulton finished speaking. Serena saw ire Shawing over. Of course, ire Shaw wasn¡¯t alone. Or rather, she initially didn¡¯t qualify to attend such an event. She was clearly meticulously dressed tonight, in a rose pink slim¨Cfit dress with no excess decoration, relying on the high fabric quality Content originallyes from findnovel and smooth tailoring. It seemed simple, but actually eye¨Ccatching. Next to her, Cynthia Fulton in a gold satin dress was instantly overshadowed. By ire Shaw¡¯s side was Caleb Lockwood. She held Caleb Lockwood¡¯s arm intimately, inseparable. Caleb Lockwood was the same as ever, in a pure ck suit with a ck satin shirt underneath, elegant, noble, yet overwhelmingly authoritative, like the ruler of a business empire. Noticing Serena¡¯s gaze lingering on him, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s previously icy face suddenly broke into a smile. Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 181 181 Chapter 181: Ethan White Latest content published on find{n}ovel That smile left Serena Jennings momentarily stunned. 1 Serena also smiled. As a result, when Serena smiled, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s lips turned downward instead of upward. Caleb didn¡¯t particrly like Serena¡¯s current smile. He always felt that smile was a silent provocation against him.. His thin, cool lips parted slightly as Caleb took in the cold air from the banquet hall. Ultimately, he said nothing to Serena. ¡°Synthetic gemstones are considered fakes in the high¨Cend jewelry world; Miss Fulton was just being considerate by advising Her Majesty the Queen.¡± ire Shaw wore the guise of a good Samaritan. ¡°Why don¡¯t Her Majesty the Queen open the box, and I¡¯ll help assess if the crown Serena made is genuine.¡± Upon hearing this, Queen Elizabeth looked at Serena, who nodded at her. Thus, she opened the box and took out the crown inside. The crown was dazzling and eye¨Ccatching, shining with myriad colors, attracting attention in the bustling banquet hall. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Moissanite!¡± ire faked surprise, covering her mouth in mockery. ¡°Serena, aren¡¯t you being a bit too dishonest? You couldn¡¯t even bother withb¨Cgrown diamonds but used Moissanite instead? This isn¡¯t the way to deceive people you know!¡± ¡°See, Your Majesty! I told you Serena has ill intentions; she loves to sweet¨Ctalk her way into your trust first, then substitutes low¨Cgrade materials when delivering the product, passing fakes as real¡­ If it weren¡¯t for having such a professional jewelry designer like Miss Shaw here today, you might have been fooled into thinking she chose diamonds with top¨Ctier fire!¡± Cynthia naturally sided with ire. The two of them had nned that no matter what, they would ensure Serena loses her reputation and credibility in front of Queen Elizabeth tonight. Caleb silently listened beside them, his two sharp brows furiously furrowed. He was watching Serena. The smile on Serena¡¯s face didn¡¯t waver in the slightest. 146 181 Chapter 181: Ethan White ¡°Moissanite¡¯s fire is akin to a CD, you don¡¯t need a professional designer to identify it.¡± Serena spoke flippantly. Cynthia¡¯s expression changed, ¡°That proves you look down on Her Majesty, thinking Her Majesty couldn¡¯t see through your clumsy tricks.¡± Seeing that Serena had no rebuttal, ire stepped forward, dramatically taking out a ck bag from her purse. ¡°Your Majesty, the previous crown I designed didn¡¯t satisfy you, so I went back, reflected deeply, and boldly created a new crown for you¡­ Since Serena is so untrustworthy, why don¡¯t you try mine?¡± Ambition couldn¡¯t be hidden in ire¡¯s eyes as she confidently drew the crown from the bag. The attention of most guests was focused on them. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the crown in ire¡¯s hand made a dominant appearance. ¡°Pfft!¡± Serena was the first to burst intoughter. Soon, whispers and chuckles began spreading among the guests. ¡°What¡¯s this? Wholesale from a Yiwumodity market?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this ssware?¡± ¡°Is this a children¡¯s crown? Frozen¨Cthemed?¡± ¡°Is this Miss Shaw trying to be funny?¡± ¡°Is this an impromptu clown act for the banquet?¡± The guests whispered among themselves. ire¡¯s face turned red as a beetroot, her eyes wide open, shocked as if she¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°No, no, this isn¡¯t Ser¡­ this isn¡¯t the crown I made!¡± ire nearly stumbled over her words. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this¡­ Her heart thudded loudly. This crown was clearly the genuine crown Serena made for Queen Elizabeth, swapped by Chantelle, yet it turned into a twenty¨Cdor children¡¯s crown? Could Chantelle be secretly sabotaging her? Impossible! ire immediately dismissed the idea. 1161 181 Chapter 181: Ethan White Chantelle and Megan Ross hadn¡¯t been doing well at FY. They were hoping to join herpany as executives, so there¡¯s no reason they¡¯d set her up; besides, they wouldn¡¯t have the guts. So¡­ ire looked at Serena, holding her breath. So Serena had put the fake crown in the box from the start! Seeing ire filled with disbelief, Serena calmly shook the Moissanite crown with her finger. Chantelle and Megan¡¯s intentional approach was too tantly obvious. Their methods were painfully clumsy. Being scolded daily by their team leader at FY was a fact; Serena believed they truly wanted to go independent or switch jobs. However, their first choice in going solo or switching wouldn¡¯t be to partner with her. No matter how you looked at it, ire¡¯s studio would be the most reasonable optimal choice. Her use of FY¡¯s workspace to make the crown for Queen Elizabeth had undoubtedly reached ire¡¯s ears. After all, there¡¯s no wall that doesn¡¯t let air through, and there are only so many people in their field. So Chantelle and Megan needed to use her as leverage to jump over to ire¡¯s studio. After surmising their intentions, Serena deliberately concealed the design drafts and final product to prevent Chantelle and Megan from spying. Leaving only one way to sabotage her- Swapping her finished product. Serena had ced the fake crown in the box in advance, pretending to be cautious. Her time to push the cart was limited, coupled with Chantelle¡¯s guilty conscience, making it unlikely they¡¯d immediately find the crown in the box was fake. The way things unfolded was exactly as Serena predicted. ¡°So this is Miss Shaw¡¯s deep reflection result, fooling Her Majesty with a children¡¯s crown worth twenty bucks!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ire¡¯s face turned purple with rage. This was in front of City A Municipal Government officials and business tycoons. Caleb Lockwood was also present¡­ ire had to maintain her image while thinking of ways to salvage it, but she was about to explode with anger! ¡°Your Moissanite crown is not much better than mine!¡± 181 Chapter 181: Ethan White Knew ire would continue to shift the me, Serena shrugged with a smile. ¡°When did I say this Moissanite crown was made for Queen Elizabeth?¡± Just after Serena¡¯s words fell, she nced at the time on her phone. ¡°Miss Jennings, there¡¯s a package for you.¡± The server at the banquet hall entrance called out. ¡°The timing is perfect.¡± Serena looked up, her smile bright and confident. Caleb beside her was silent like air. He realized¡­ Serena had changed. Serena turned to walk toward the banquet hall entrance. After only a few steps, she suddenly halted, standing as if nailed to the spot. At the entrance, holding a package, the man wore an immacte white suit, tailored and made of high¨Cend fabric. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t an ordinary courier. He walked toward Serena with elegance and grace. The Moissanite crown in her hand fell to the ground with a ng. Serena¡¯s eyes blurred uncontrobly, tears streaming down like broken beads. Her trembling lips opened in shock, joy, and fear, speaking a name that made her voice hoarse. ¡°¡­Ethan¡­ White¡­?¡± Comment 0 Mding 182 182 Chapter 182: Embracing Another Man The onlookers gazed at Serena Jennings. 1 However, Serena¡¯s eyes were only for Ethan White, even though her tears had blurred her vision and she couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. Ethan approached Serena slowly and wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°Why are you crying¡­¡± His voice was pleasant, like a gentle breeze and clear water. This voice ovepped with the one in Serena¡¯s memory. Serena¡¯s heart was pounding, as if it had leaped into her throat. ¡°Is it really you? Am I not dreaming?¡± Even with the truth before her, Serena couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Ethan¡¯s voice was still gentle and elegant, yet very certain. ¡°It¡¯s really me, Ethan White.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Serena tightly hugged Ethan. This scene shocked the crowd. It shocked ire Shaw and Cynthia Fulton. It shocked Caleb Lockwood. What does it mean to be struck by lightning? That¡¯s exactly how Caleb felt at this moment. Serena¡­ actually hugged a man in front of him! The hand in his pocket had turned into a fist, nails digging into his palm, causing a numb pain. For a moment, Caleb couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was dreaming. He had imagined what might happen to Serena after she thought she divorced him. She might be doing poorly, unable to lower herself to ask for help, ultimately surrendering in front of him. Or she might be doing well, pretending there was no longer any connection between them, portraying independence. But he never expected that one day, Serena would hug another man in front of him! Caleb stepped forward. 12:08 Mission Completed! im 2 Fast Pass reward at the Mission Center! Or rather, before he could, Serena released Ethan. So, he didn¡¯t intervene. ire Shaw noticed Caleb¡¯s step forward. She watched Caleb. Caleb watched Serena. Serena watched Ethan. Ethan watched Serena. Serena wiped her tears on her face haphazardly with the back of her hand, making the mess worse. Ethan couldn¡¯t help but smile and pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket to give to Serena. This time Serena managed to wipe her face clean. ¡°Blow your nose too.¡± Ethan softly reminded her. Serena didn¡¯t hesitate, using Ethan¡¯s white handkerchief directly to blow her nose. Despite not meeting for years, their interaction showed an intimacy that others couldn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°Couldn¡¯t tell, Serena. You just divorced Caleb and already have a new boyfriend?¡± ire Shaw¡¯s voice was sharp like a needle. Among the guests, gossip began: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her, President Lockwood¡¯s ex¨Cwife¡­¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said she only pursued heirs of wealthy families?¡± ¡°What ¡®pursue¡°? Do you mean ¡®hook up¡°?¡± A few socialites burned with gossip, but when they looked up, they saw Ethan right in front of them. Ethan¡¯s looks were very handsome but unlike Caleb¡¯s sharp and aggressive features, Ethan¡¯s face had a ssic Eastern charm. If he wore ancient clothing, he would be the ideal romantic figure. Even in modern attire, which muted some of his ssical beauty, his refined appearance could captivate anyone. The socialites blushed, their hearts fluttering. ¡°Ladies, making baseless usations is nder. You might not care about having a record, but your husbands certainly do.¡± This update is avable on find¡¤novel The socialites were stunned by Ethan¡¯s words. 12:08 im 216 182 Chapter 182: Embracing Another Man However, not everyone was intimidated by Ethan. ¡°Who do you think you are? Just because you¡¯re a bit handsome, my husband is the principal of Clearview High School¡­ As soon as the woman finished speaking, the Mayor of City A and the Commissioner of Education approached Ethan. ¡°Dr. Page is a top¨Ctier Al talent we¡¯ve introduced to Country A¡¯s government, personally invited by me, and is the star of tonight¡¯s event.¡± Seeing the Mayor and Commissioner showing respect to Ethan, the previously arrogant woman immediately faltered. Ethan smiled slightly, walked over, and took Serena¡¯s hand, leading her to the two leaders. Caleb¡¯s eyelid twitched as he saw this. Serena was still unaware. She was immersed in the joy of reuniting with Ethan but was puzzled how he suddenly became a top¨Ctier Al talent introduced by Country A¡¯s government, seemingly achieving a PhD. ¡°This is Serena Jennings, my high school ssmate, now an internationally renowned jewelry designer. The crown made for Queen Elizabeth was crafted by her.¡± As Ethan spoke, he opened the package he had been holding. Serena arranged for professional delivery of the crown in advance to counter ire Shaw effectively, but never expected the delivery person to be Ethan. The officials knew who Serena was. Serena had previously gained fame as a featured designer on ¡°Radiance¡°. And as Caleb¡¯s wife. However, her time at the top was brief as scandals emerged overnight and the Lockwood Group cut ties, causing her reputation to plummet. Yet now, they didn¡¯t dare criticize Serena. Anyone could see the unusual rtionship between Ethan and Serena. So, the leaders praised Serena extensively. The real crown was taken out of the delivery box, stunning everyone. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°This is truly a crown befitting a queen!¡± ¡°Serena really has skills!¡± ¡°There¡¯s noparison. That thing ire Shaw designed pales inparison.¡± The crown Serena crafted was based on her previous design sketches, but ire used the initial draft while Serena presented the final 10-25 345 182 Chapter 182: Embracing Another Man version. ¡°Oh my! This crown is just¡­ too beautiful!¡± Queen Elizabeth was overwhelmed. As a queen, she¡¯s seenvish jewelry, But Serena¡¯s design far exceeded her expectations. They both used top¨Cnotch cornflower sapphire cut in angel silhouette. Yet Serena¡¯s craftsmanship wlessly retained the sapphire¡¯s fire and incorporated the royal emblem in metal foiling beneath the stone, with the emblem shimmering under varying lights. The angel¡¯s wings used invisible settings, and the crown was surrounded by hidden diamond feathers that appeared to float gracefully, The attendees were all from wealthy backgrounds, not unfamiliar with luxury. Serena¡¯s designpared to ire¡¯s was akin to an adult facing a child, worlds apart. No matter the rumors surrounding Serena, people instinctively leaned towards the more talented and capable¡ª Like Serena. Everyone looked at Serena with admiration, while ire was met with disdain. ¡°Although I know you have a lot of questions for me, this isn¡¯t the right ce¡­¡± Serena hesitated several times, and Ethan noticed her urgency. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Serena bit her lip, putting her curiosity and questions aside for now. ¡°May I invite you to a dance?¡± Ethan was still holding Serena¡¯s hand. ¡°But I¡¯m not wearing a gown!¡± Serena chuckled wryly. ¡°It¡¯s a minor issue, leave it to me.¡± Ethan took Serena¡¯s hand to lead her out of the banquet hall to change, but someone suddenly blocked their path- It was Caleb Lockwood. Mding 183 183 Chapter 183: President Lockwood Regrets the Divorce 183 Chapter 183: President Lockwood Regrets the Divorce Caleb Lockwood and Ethan White face each other. One is dressed in a ck suit, resembling a brutal king emerging from a dark night castle. The other is in a white suit, shining like a dazzling star under the spotlight. Neither of them speaks, but just their presence makes Serena Jennings inexplicably feel the air pressure around her drop, suffocating her. If possible, Serena really wants to pull Ethan away. Meeting Caleb Lockwood is bound to lead to no good. However, Ethan shows no intention of leaving, and Caleb has an expression that suggests he won¡¯t let them leave without finishing his questions. Caleb¡¯s face is icy, with eyes sharp as des. He stares directly at Ethan, hostility evident without words. On the other hand, Ethan faces Caleb with a smile, yet the aggression in his smile is equally unmistakable. The two men exchange nces for a while, and finally Caleb speaks: ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Serena Jennings?¡± His voice, as steady as ever, seems devoid of emotion, unlike the outward aura. ¡°I¡¯m Serena¡¯s high school ssmate,¡± Ethan responds calmly, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor no matter whom he faces. ¡°A high school ssmate can hold your hand?¡± Clearly aimed at Ethan, yet this sentence was meant as an interrogation for Serena Jennings- questioning Serena. Serena indeed noticed that Ethan hadn¡¯t let go of her hand. However, in the public eye, she didn¡¯t want to pull her hand away and embarrass Ethan. Just as Serena was about to speak, Ethan beat her to it. ¡°I heard that this ire Shaw was also your high school ssmate, Caleb?¡± Readplete version only at find[?]ovel Caleb slightly raises his eyelids. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A high school ssmate can hold your arm at public events?¡± 12:08 183 Chapter 183: President Lockwood Regrets the Divorce Ethan¡¯s words make Caleb¡¯s thin lips move. After a pause, he retorts, ¡°Dr. Page seems to have no authority over my personal affairs.¡± ¡°Then what identity docs Mr. Lockwood assume to interfere in Serena¡¯s private matters?¡± From beginning to end, Ethan¡¯s voice remains calm and gentle, his smile gracefully elegant, exuding a ssical beauty and charm. Caleb¡¯s expression grows more sinister, his voice increasingly cold. ¡°I¡¯m her ex¨Chusband.¡± This sentence, Caleb Lockwood says decisively. Ethan¡¯s face remains unperturbed as if he was already aware of this fact. He proactively reaches his hand out to Caleb. ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Lockwood.¡± Caleb doesn¡¯t shake Ethan¡¯s hand. Lowering his voice, he asks: ¡°Thank me for what?¡± ¡°Thank you for allowing me my chance,¡± Ethan beams, holding Serena¡¯s hand as they bypass Caleb and leave the banquet hall. Caleb stands motionless. At this moment, the expression on his face is somewhat terrifying, irredeemable even by his naturally smiling lips. His head aches¡­ His stomach aches even more¡­ In his heart¡­ He feels terribly unhappy. Yet Caleb Lockwood couldn¡¯t quite articte why he feels difort in every part of his body. He wants to leave. This is the first time in Caleb¡¯s life he has wanted to leave a banquet early. ire Shaw notices that Ethan¡¯s appearance has made Caleb jealous. But she doesn¡¯t want to admit it at all. How could Caleb be jealous over Serena Jennings? He doesn¡¯t even like her! 1 Downing a ss of cocktail, ire¡¯s stomach feels burning with pain. 12:08 183 Chapter 183: President Lockwood Regrets the Divorce Indeed, Caleb doesn¡¯t like Serena, Even if Serena has be outstanding now, Caleb wouldn¡¯t possibly fall for her. It¡¯s just a man¡¯s vanity and pride at y. After all, once Serena was Caleb¡¯s wife, and post¨Cdivorce, there¡¯s a new man around her, Caleb feeling ufortable is a normal reaction. ire tries hard to reassure herself. But her mind is a tangled mess. ¡°Having failed to steal the chicken, you¡¯ve lost the rice instead?¡± At this moment, Cynthia Fulton approaches ire, handing her a ss of wine. ire shoots a re at Cynthia. ¡°Don¡¯t gloat¡­ We¡¯re both in the same boat, aren¡¯t you resigned to seeing Serena as sessful?¡± Upon ire¡¯s remark, the smile rapidly disappears from Cynthia¡¯s face. She certainly isn¡¯t resigned. Serena ruined her once¨Cin¨Ca¨Clifetime wedding and made her aughingstock; how could she just let it go! ¡°Speaking of, who exactly is this Serena Jennings? Howe even a government¨Cintroduced Doctor is fond of her?¡± ire scoffs, ¡°What prestige could she have¡­ just a housewife, able to pull some vixen¨Clike tricks.¡± ¡°Vixen¨Clike tricks¡­ huu!¡± Cynthia sneers. Well then, let her seduce more men if she can. ire observes Cynthia¡¯s expression subtly. She finds Cynthia indeed a good ally. She is more connected, more powerful, And she too hates Serena. ire believes that she wouldn¡¯t need to act herself; Cynthia will find ways to deal with Serena. Meanwhile, ire¡¯s top priority is to quickly secure Caleb Lockwood. Setting down her wine ss, ire picks up her dress and walks over to Caleb. ¡°Caleb, shall we dance together!¡± Caleb turns to look at ire. 15:0R 183 Chapter 183: President Lockwood Regrets the Divorce This gaze chills ire¡¯s heart. In her memory, Caleb has never looked at her with such cold indifference. She has always been Caleb¡¯s first love, his shining moonbeam, his lifelong beloved, his heart¡¯s treasure- At least it was that way in high school. However, now¡­ Something has quietly changed in the river of time. ire admits that her behavior tonight has been unseemly, embarrassing Caleb. But with Caleb¡¯s intelligence, he should be well aware that she has been set up. No matter what, given her level of design, she couldn¡¯t possibly have designed such a childish crown for Queen Elizabeth. Yet, Caleb didn¡¯t speak a word in her defense. Even tonight, Caleb¡¯s gaze barely falls on her. The person Caleb¡¯s gaze continuously follows is Serena Jennings. If the first minor climax of the evening was the unveiling of the Sapphire Angel Crown Serena made for Queen Elizabeth, The first major climax would be Serena¡¯s own grand entrance. Serena returned, naturally apanied by Ethan White. As soon as she stepped into the banquet hall, all eyes in the room were on her. ¡°Look! She¡¯s wearing the Royal Dress that was auctioned for the highest price in historyst month at the Royal Auction House of Xylos.¡± ¡°I heard it fetched seventy million!¡± ¡°Indeed! There¡¯s only one in the world,pleted as a perfect masterpiece by the most renowned Royal Designer in Xylos before his death¡­ such a treat to witness its splendor here.¡± ¡°Dr. Page went all out to pursue President Lockwood¡¯s ex¨Cwife!¡± ¡°We wonder if President Lockwood regrets his divorce?¡± The onlookers chatter one after another. These gossips drift into Serena¡¯s ears, making her feel somewhat tense. Ethan hadn¡¯t told her that this dress was worth seventy million, nor that it was globally exclusive, with only her wearing it. However, Serena could discern its value, noting the dress¡¯s highly luxurious fabric, ivory silk taffeta, adorned withce applique, each 3D rose embedded with genuine rubies and emeralds; even if not the sole piece globally, it¡¯s worth a few million. ¡°Only this dress matches your beauty.¡± 183 Chapter 183: President Lockwood Regrets the Divorce Ethan¡¯spliment makes Serena blush. Hand in hand, they enter the dance floor. Caleb¡¯s gaze follows them into the dance floor. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± After a long pause, he finally responds to ire¡¯s dance invitation. Comment 0 Mding 184 184 Chapter 184: Suffering Such Great Humiliation ire Shaw felt a surge of happiness. Although Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t on her, it was clear his heart still held a ce for her. Tonight, despite Serena Jennings nearly turning her into a pariah, Caleb Lockwood was still willing to dance with her. As long as Caleb Lockwood supported her, she remained a favored daughter of fate. ire¡¯s spirits lifted, and she proactively linked her arm through Caleb¡¯s. Caleb nced at his arm indifferently, his brow furrowing. At past parties, Caleb was always the center of attention. Naturally, so was his dance partner. However, tonight was different. ire¡¯s earlier embarrassment left a poor impression on the guests, coupled with Ethan White¡¯s unique status and Serena Jennings¡® priceless, one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind gown, which made Ethan and Serena the focal point in the dance hall, reducing Caleb and ire to mere foils. ire gritted her teeth secretly. Who did Serena think she was! With a twirl, ire deliberately attempted to bump into Serena. Caleb took advantage of the dance steps to pull ire away from Serena¡¯s side. With another spin, ire tried to step on Serena¡¯s dress. Serena deftly lifted her dress¡¯s hem to avoid, leaving ire stepping into empty air. Ethan nced at ire silently, his smile refined and elegant. In the next turn, he pretended to unintentionally step on ire¡¯s dress hem, and with a tearing sound, ire¡¯s rose¨Cpink dress ripped down the middle, exposing her lower body. Suddenly, everyone in the dance hall was staring at ire. This text is hosted at Find~Novel Now ire finally became the center of attention. ire shrieked, grabbed the torn fabric to cover her underwear, and bolted out of the banquet hall. ¡°Hey, did you see that? She was wearing transparent underwear¡­¡± ¡°Wonder who she¡¯s trying to seduce?¡± ¡°Who else? Obviously President Lockwood is into that style!¡± 12.0 < 184 Chapter 184: Suffering Such Great Humiliation Nearby, wealthy matrons and youngdies huddled together gossiping but quickly shut their mouths in fear of Caleb¡¯s intimidating presence. Caleb was watching Ethan, an icy smirk emerging on his face. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you, Dr. Page, a high¨Cend talent introduced by the government and an overseas returnee, to be so petty behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me Ethan, I¡¯m the one who stepped on her.¡± Serena stepped forward. No matter how Ethan became an overseas returnee or how much Country A valued Ethan as introduced talent. In City A, Caleb¡¯s influence was still greater. Serena was very aware of Caleb¡¯s deep affection for ire. With Ethan humiliating ire so severely tonight, Caleb was unlikely to let it slide. Serena didn¡¯t want Ethan to be an enemy of Caleb as soon as he arrived in City A because of her, which wouldn¡¯t benefit Ethan¡¯s future development. Serena thought that by admitting to it, she might quell some of Caleb¡¯s anger. Instead, Caleb¡¯s face grew even darker, his gaze scorching like a glowing iron. Serena felt somewhat bewildered. When ire¡¯s dress ripped, revealing her underwear, Caleb hadn¡¯t been so angry, so why now? ¡°You¡¯re shielding him like this¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was soft, but his anger surged violently. Ethan then patted Serena¡¯s shoulder, stepping in front of her. ¡°Mr. Lockwood, you surely know your dance partner just tried to knock Miss Jennings down during the dance¡­¡± Caleb raised his eyelids gently. He remained silent- His silence was tantamount to admission. He wanted to see Serena¡¯s reaction, her expression. Yet, he couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°So, me ripping her dress was simply her reaping what she sowed¡­¡± Ethan finished earnestly, then gently wrapped an arm around Serena¡¯s back, leading her away from the dance floor. Caleb watched their retreating figures and took out his phone to call Mr. Miller. 184 Chapter 184: Suffering Such Great Humiliation Serena rode home in Ethan¡¯s car. During the ride home, neither spoke, but the atmosphere in the car was surprisingly pleasant, like silent bonding was more expressive. Even though it had been years since she¡¯d seen Ethan, being with him felt just asfortable and rxed as it did during high school. The white Lexus parked below the old house on Vornath Street. Serena didn¡¯t immediately get out. She turned to Ethan, ¡°Where are you staying now?¡± ¡°I have nowhere to stay.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Serena stared at Ethan¡¯s pitiful, aggrieved expression, feeling an amused frustration. As an advanced Al talent introduced by Country A¡¯s government, it wasn¡¯t a hard feat to provide at least an apartment, if not avish one, right? Serena couldn¡¯t believe Ethan had nowhere to stay. ¡°What are you nning for tonight? Staying in a hotel?¡± Serena didn¡¯t expose Ethan¡¯s lie, continuing to y along. ¡°It¡¯s sote, it¡¯s challenging to book a hotel. If I can¡¯t, maybe I¡¯ll make do with the bench by your house for the night!¡± Ethan feigned a sigh. Serenaughed, ¡°In winter, aren¡¯t you afraid of catching a cold sleeping outside?¡± ¡°Afraid¡­¡± Ethan nodded earnestly, ¡°So tonight I want to stay at your ce, but I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re willing to take in a homeless me?¡± After he finished speaking, he saw a fleeting hesitation on Serena¡¯s face. Serena had things she wanted to ask Ethan. There were also words she hadn¡¯t managed to say back then that she wanted to tell Ethan. But it¡¯s not appropriate for a man and woman to be alone together at night. Especially as she knew Ethan liked her. She had known since high school. She didn¡¯t want to give Ethan the wrong signals. ¡°Ethan, I¡­¡± ¡°Invite Lana over.¡± Serena was taken aback. 184 Chapter 184: Suffering Such Great Humiliation Ethan smiled softly, ¡°What? Think I¡¯d use the chance to make a night raid?¡± Serena¡¯s nose was pinched by Ethan, prompting an indignant pout in protest. ¡°You must be curious about my matters, right? Invite Lana over, so I don¡¯t have to repeat myself when I see her. ¡°No problem.¡± Serena agreed immediately, pulling out her phone as she spoke, ¡°Lana¡¯s sure to bring beer and snacks over, believe it?¡± ¡°I must believe it!¡± Ethan¡¯s gentle face beamed brightly. He knew that only by asking Lana to join, Serena would agree to let him stay. Ethan¡¯s smile slowly became tinged with bitterness. Serena took Ethan up the building. Under the streetlight. In the shadows. The ck Passat arrived utterly unnoticed. Sitting inside, Mr. Miller reported his observations truthfully to Caleb: President Lockwood, Dr. Page drove Miss Jennings home. They stayed in the car for a while, then he followed Miss Jennings upstairs. The Jade Pavilion. Caleb read the WeChat message from Mr. Miller, once again damaging his phone screen. This phone was one he had recently reced. Veridia Vi. In the study, Arthur Lockwood, who hadn¡¯t slept yet, unexpectedly received a call from Caleb. ¡°Dad, about the Linton Family¡¯s Miss, whom you mentioned on the phonest time¡­ I agreed to meet her.¡± Comment Mding 185 185 Chapter 185: Became a Vegetative Patient As Serena Jennings expected, Lana Xavier indeed brought beer and snacks. 1 On the phone, Serena didn¡¯t tell Lana that Ethan White had woken up and came looking for her. She only said she would meet a long¨Clost old ssmate at her house. Serena intended to give Lana a surprise. But when Lana knocked on the door, the person who opened it was Ethan White. Seeing the living Ethan White, Lana let out an earth¨Cshattering scream. ¡°Sis, the neighbors willin.¡± Serena was exasperated. If she¡¯d known Lana would react like this, she should have exined clearly on the phone in advance, to give Lana some mental preparation. This wasn¡¯t a surprise; it was sheer shock. Ethan was also somewhat puzzled by Lana¡¯s reaction. ¡°Lana, I¡¯ve woken up from aa, not returned from the dead. You don¡¯t need to be so freaked out, do you?¡± Lana stared wide¨Ceyed at Ethan, first pinching his face, then smacking his forehead. She then asked, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Lana!¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but yell at Lana. After all, Ethan had just recovered from a serious illness, which was not far off from returning from the dead. She was very worried Lana might identally cause some aftereffects for Ethan. ¡°With such force, don¡¯t your hands hurt?¡± Ethan asked, amused yet helpless. Even now, Lana dared not believe her eyes. The person standing in front of her was Ethan White. A living Ethan White. Although Ethan said he¡¯d woken up from aa rather than returning from the dead, in Lana¡¯s eyes, there¡¯s hardly any difference between the two. > 185 Chapter 185: Became a Vegetative Patient Chapters first released on F¦ÉndNovel The three of them sat down in the small living room, drinking and chatting. Ethan White was a high school ssmate of Serena and Lana. Serena went to high school in City B, and during high school, she had changed from Chloe Linton to Serena Jennings. Ethan White and Lana were her close friends, and the three were a small, somewhat famous group at High School B. Because Ethan was the handsome boy at High School B, and Serena was the school beauty. In the eyes of the entire school¡¯s teachers and students, Serena and Ethan were a perfect couple. However, in reality, they were not boyfriend and girlfriend. Serena knew Ethan liked her. Ethan never hid this fact. He confessed to Serena, but Serena rejected him because she couldn¡¯t let go of her first love in her heart. Serena thought that after this, she and Ethan wouldn¡¯t even be able to remain friends. Yet Ethan epted this reality calmly and told her he would always pursue her. And Ethan did just that. Serena had been learning piano since she was young, with a remarkable gift for music. Originally, she wanted to apply for a music college. In the summer vacation of her second year of high school, Ethan and Lana apanied Serena to City A to participate in a piano It was that pianopetition that changed not only Serena¡¯s life but Ethan¡¯s as well. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ethan¡­¡± Feeling the effects of the alcohol, Serena¡¯s eyes were red with tears. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­ If I hadn¡¯t asked you to return to the hotel to get the amulet, you wouldn¡¯t have had the car ident, wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Be aa patient. Ethan was not only the popr boy at High School B but also consistently ranked first, with limitless potential. Ethan¡¯s parents were in business, and he came from a wealthy family, cing high hopes on him. If possible, they hoped Ethan would enter politics. With Ethan¡¯s abilities and grades, this was not an unrealistic dream. However, that summer vacation, Ethan apanied Serena to the pianopetition, with the finals in City A, and they booked a budget hotel not far from the venue. 12:00 < 185 Chapter 185: Became a Vegetative Patient On the day of the finals, Serena waited in the preparation area and suddenly realized the amulet Ethan had gotten for her was left in the hotel. Ethan went to retrieve it, promising to bring the amulet to her before she went on stage. If he couldn¡¯t make it in time, it didn¡¯t matter, as Serena would see him waiting with the amulet when she finished performing. He and the amulet he had specially gotten for her would surely bless Serena with the championship. In the end, Serena took the stage, performed well, and scored the highest in the entirepetition. However, when she got off the stage, she learned that Ethan had gotten into a car ident. Serena gave up the championship for thatpetition. She hurried to the hospital and received even more shocking news- Ethan became aa patient. Outside the ICU at the hospital, Ethan¡¯s mother attacked Serena., Serena didn¡¯t fight back, nor did she dodge. She felt she deserved it. All for her pianopetition, all for her amulet, Ethan became aa patient! At that moment, Serena wished she were the one to be aa patient. From that day on, Serena couldn¡¯t face the piano anymore and stopped ying altogether. She didn¡¯t apply to a music college for university but enrolled in the jewelry design and crafts program at University A. Serena knew she was escaping. She felt she carried Ethan¡¯s life on her shoulders. But she was powerless to repay it. She considered begging those two people who had long since cut off parental ties with her, but instinctively felt they wouldn¡¯t pay a single cent for her. Ethan¡¯s parents, especially his mother, med Serena for Ethan¡¯s ident anda and kept demanding medical expenses from her. Audrey Jennings didn¡¯t have much money, so Serena had to rely on herself. She worked several part¨Ctime jobs, no matter how much she earned, and sent money to Ethan¡¯s mother every month. Until her inadvertent design was discovered and favored by Peter,unching a piano series that made her the new darling in the fashion industry, her financial situation improved. She sent Ethan¡¯s mother the entire one¨Cmillion¨Cdor dividend given to her by FY. 1 Maybe from that profit, Ethan¡¯s mother then demanded a million dors from her every year. 12:09 < 185 Chapter 185: Became a Vegetative Patient Serena agreed. If money could treat Ethan, if it could lessen her guilt, why not! ¡°Alright, stop crying¡­ I¡¯m awake now, aren¡¯t 1?¡± Ethan wiped Serena¡¯s tears with tissues, but Serena cried incessantly like she was acting spoiled with Ethan. ¡°I ept your apology, and you¡¯ve paid so much for the medical expenses. If you still feel indebted to me, then marry me.¡± Knowing Ethan was joking, Serena broke into a smile through her tears. Though Ethan was awake now, which was a joyful asion for everyone. But what if he hadn¡¯t awakened? In fact, Serena, Lana, Ethan¡¯s parents, and everyone at High School B who heard about it didn¡¯t believe Ethan had any chance of waking
  1. up.
Aa patient! Ethan himself felt it was unbelievable when he woke
  1. up.
¡°Actually, you saved me, Serena¡­¡± Ethan smiled gently, his smile warm and graceful like jade. Serena was stunned, lowered her eyes, and shook her head. It seemed¡­ Ethan must have already known about her paying millions in medical expenses. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 3 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Send Gifts ch.185 Mding 186 186 Chapter 186: She Was Never His First Love Lana Xavier listened to the conversation between Serena Jennings and Ethan White, feelingpletely lost. ¡°What do you mean she saved you? Did she feed you some elixir?¡± Lana¡¯s words amused Serena. If only there were truly such clixirs in the world. Originally, Serena nned to keep it a secret from Lana about taking so much money, but she couldn¡¯t resist Lana¡¯s persistent questioning, so Serena had to tell the truth. ¡°Damn! Ten million!¡± Lana¡¯s loud voice made Serena cover her ears. Looks like she definitely has to buy some desserts and fruits tomorrow to offer as apologies to the neighbors. ¡°I mean, Ethan, wasn¡¯t your mom asking for way too much?¡± Ethan lowered his head at Lana¡¯s words. ¡°Lana¡­¡± Serena nudged Lana with her elbow, signaling her to talk less. She knew that once Lana found out Serena paid so much for Ethan¡¯s medical expenses, she¡¯d definitelyin about Ethan¡¯s parents. Serena always felt that Ethan¡¯s car ident was her responsibility. It¡¯s reasonable for Ethan¡¯s parents to struggle with epting that their excellent son became a vegetative state due to a car ident while helping her retrieve an amulet. Treating a vegetative person requires an enormous amount of money, and there¡¯s no telling when or if such a person will wake up, like a bottomless pit. Even though Ethan¡¯s family is wealthy, this ongoing expenditure is hard to bear. Since she could receive dividends from FY every year, using that money to aid with Ethan¡¯s treatment and lighten the burden on his family was something Serena felt she would do, even if the ident had nothing to do with her, simply because Ethan was one of her best friends. After Lana¡¯sints, Ethan spoke noticeably less. In fact, after he woke up, his parents never told him that Serena covered all his enormous medical expenses. However, Ethan wasn¡¯t foolish; during his rehabilitation, he secretly checked on his family¡¯s assets. Properties, cars,nd,pany savings¨Cnothing was missing. So where did the medical expensese from during the year and a half when he became a vegetative state? 12.44 186 Chapter 186: She Was Never His First Love Clearly, he enjoyed the highest level of medical care in City B without spending a penny? ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? Find¡ïNovel Impossible. The only person he could think of was Serena. However, he didn¡¯t rush to see Serena, nor did he inquire from his parents about Serena. He didn¡¯t trust them. Ethan was in a vegetative state for a year and a half and then spent another half year in rehabilitation, which in medical terms, is considered a miracle. But there was an even greater miracle. His mind had be even sharper. He was exceptionally admitted to JQNJ University in Novaria and earned a Ph.D. in AI research and technology two yearster. The government and institutions wanted him, but he chose Country A because he discovered information about Serena during his doctoral studies. He felt¡­ She needed him now. So he came. This time, he nned never to leave her. ¡°But a million every year¡­ Serena, where did you get so much money?¡± Lana rubbed her chin, feeling like something was missing from the story. Serena smiled slyly and casually replied, ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve turned against me, keeping secrets now, huh?¡± Lana started tickling Serena, turning the scene in the living room chaotic. Ethan watched them with a gentle smile, asionally taking a sip of beer. Seemingly, nothing had changed. The three of them were still like they were in high school. Thinking of this, Ethan¡¯s smile faded. Some things had indeed changed. For instance, Serena got married. And then divorced. 12:44 276 186 Chapter 186: She Was Never His First Love Although Ethan learned some information about Serena, he didn¡¯t know everything. Like why Serena married Caleb Lockwood in the first ce? He didn¡¯t believe Serena did it just for money. Serena had her first love. It was this first love that made her reject his confession. Even for this first love, Serena had no reason to marry Caleb Lockwood. Unless¡­ Ethan tightened his grip on the beer can. The can slightly deformed with a sound. Momentster, he rxed his hand and faintly lifted a gentle smile. The night was deep and quiet. But it was not quiet at Serena¡¯s home. Lana Xavier was asleep, snoring loudly. Serena Jennings and Ethan White helped the deeply sleeping Lana Xavier from the living room to the guest room bed. Now, the living room was quiet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look like you can¡¯t sleep.¡± Ethan White, afraid Serena Jennings might be cold, took off his suit jacket and draped it over her. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve talked too much tonight, my mind is still in an excited state¡­¡± Serena Jennings¡® face showed a faint, bitter smile. ¡°Are you still ming yourself? I¡¯m awake now, and it¡¯s turned out to be a blessing in disguise.¡± Serena Jennings looked at Ethan White. Ethan White had very beautiful eyes, almond¨Cshaped with deep sockets, and the pupils were dark and bright, as if sprinkled with diamonds. ¡°Is it really a blessing in disguise¡­¡± Serena Jennings finally voiced her inner worries. Ethan White recounted to her and Lana Xavier a series of experiences after waking up, sounding legendary: an excellent student turned into a vegetative state after a car ident, then miraculously awakening and bing a genius, earning a doctorate in just two years and being in high demand worldwide. However, to Serena Jennings, Ethan White¡¯s physical condition seemed too abnormal. 12:44 5376 186 Chapter 186: She Was Never His First Love She was afraid that it was some kind of after¨Ceffect of waking from a vegetative state. She feared even more that such a legend had imnted a hidden danger to Ethan White¡¯s health. ¡°I feel¡­ I ruined your life¡­¡± Serena said lightly. If it weren¡¯t for that car ident, Ethan White would have been equally talented as now, without detours and not fearing any after- effects. ¡°No.¡± Ethan White shook his head. ¡°Quite the opposite¡­ it was I who ruined your life¡­¡± Serena lifted her gaze, slightly surprised. Then, Ethan White took something out of his trouser pocket. It was a gift box. ¡°You¡¯ve already given me such an expensive dress, I can¡¯t ept another gift from you!¡± Serena wanted to refuse. She thought that Ethan White bought that unique dress at such a high price for her aspensation for the millions in medical bills she incurred. Looking into Serena¡¯s eyes, Ethan White guessed what she was thinking. Not at all¡­ It wasn¡¯t to repay the medical bills¡­ Ultimately, he didn¡¯t voice the inner rebuttal. ¡°The dress was prepared as your battle armor, and this is for your sleeping aid¡­¡± As he spoke, Ethan White took out the item from the gift box. Serena was shocked. In Ethan White¡¯s palm was nothing less than thetest design she had made for the piano series- A music box. Though a music box isn¡¯t considered jewelry, as an art piece, it can be gem¨Cembedded. This was a user demand Peter had ryed to her, so she used the same hidden iy design as the piano series jewelry to create this music box. ¡°If you don¡¯t take it, I¡¯ll sing by your ear all night.¡± Ethan White smiled gently, but this threat was extremely potent for Serena. 26.12:44 416 186 Chapter 186: She Was Never His First Love ¡°Spare me, please!¡± Serena took the music box with a wry smile, still feeling uncertain inside. ¡°How did you think of giving this to me? This is thetest in the piano series, are you also following this series?¡± Ethan White gently touched the delicate yet somewhat abstract patterns on the music box. The piano series was renowned worldwide not just for its unique upgraded hidden iy technique but also for its ingenious design, incorporating a certain abstract pattern into a piano theme, giving an inexplicable sense of fragmentation and mystery. Many industry experts and collectors studied these abstract patterns but couldn¡¯t reach a consistent and urate conclusion. However, Ethan White saw at a nce that those abstract patterns- Were wheels. ¡°Secret!¡± Ethan White teased Serena with a secret. If not for him, Serena should have already be a world¨Crenowned pianist, instead of doing the job she was skilled at but didn¡¯t like. Riverside Manor. Valerie Vance scolded ire Shaw all night. When she went out, ire Shaw was morous, but returned with her skirt halfway torn, and her underwear showing outside. ¡°Look at you, no wonder Caleb Lockwood divorced and still won¡¯t publicly announce your identity!¡± Having been yelled at by Valerie Vance all night, ire Shaw cried so much her eyes swelled like peach pits. ¡°Mom, do you think I wanted this?¡± Valerie Vance took a deep breath. ¡°Sure enough, you¡¯ve embarrassed yourself tonight, but what¡¯s with Caleb Lockwood? Won¡¯t he evenfort you? You were his first love after all!¡± ¡°What if¡­¡± ire Shaw sniffed, her eyes reddened with despair, ¡°What if I was never his first love?¡± Comment 0 Mding 187 187 Chapter 187: Lost a Part of My Memory ¡°What did you say?!¡± 1 Valerie Vance¡¯s face suddenly turned ashen. She didn¡¯t care if ire Shaw was heartbroken; she grabbed ire¡¯s shoulders so hard that she didn¡¯t even notice the red marks left behind. ¡°You better exin what you mean by ¡®if you¡¯re not his first love!!¡± Valerie red at her with eyes that seemed ready to devour ire Shaw. Sniffling, ire Shaw exined: ¡°Actually¡­ I don¡¯t even know who Caleb¡¯s real first love is. He made a mistake initially, thinking I was his first love, and then I just¡­ went along with it¡­¡± The more she spoke, the softer ire¡¯s voice became. ire Shaw was born into a rtively affluent family. Cole Shaw and Valerie Vance had hoped for a son to inherit the family fortune, but instead, they had a daughter. However, in Valerie¡¯s view, a daughter has her own advantages; she could grow into a beauty who would marry a rich husband and expand their family business. So, they nurtured ire in the arts and cultivated her into a socialite. But ire had no particr talents; she was just an average girl. To meet her parents¡® expectations, she studied diligently. During the summer holiday of her junior year, ire participated in a national pianopetition and made it to the finals. Her parents had high hopes, believing she could bring home the national championship. Unexpectedly, there was an exceptionally talented contestant there. Their piano skills were on a different levelpared to the otherpetitors. ire Shaw only ced second. She knew all too well that in the eyes of others, being anything but first was as good as losing. ire was about to give up hope when the first¨Cce winner suddenly refused the prize, allowing her to step up and be the national champion. At that moment, ire was ecstatic. She believed it was divine providence rewarding her years of hard work. 12:44 < 187 Chapter 187: Lost a Part of My Memory But she never expected that the good fortune included more than just a hollow pianopetition title- It also included Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Caleb approached me himself, he called me Ellie as soon as he saw me. I had no idea what was going on at the time¡­ ire spoke honestly to Valerie. She was holding the championship trophy, about to leave the venue, when suddenly a young man blocked her path. The youth was handsome, easily the most attractive guy ire had ever seen. No celebrity or young heartthrob couldpare to him in the slightest. ire was stunned, only able to hear the thumping of her own heart. The youth began by calling her Ellie. Though herst name was Shaw, no one had ever called her that. Her friends and family always called her ire. Seeing her confusion, the youth confirmed again: ¡°You¡¯re the champion of this pianopetition, right?¡± ire nodded. She truly was. ¡°Then it¡¯s you, Ellie. It¡¯s me, Caleb Lockwood. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡± The youth¡¯s eyes shone like bright stars at night. ire could tell that he had a fondness for someone named Ellie. ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much; back then, your hair was silver with curls, and you wore braces¡­ We were at the juvenile center¡­¡± The youth animatedly recounted precious memories to ire, but she was certain- He had mistaken her for someone else. Though herst name was Shaw, she wasn¡¯t the Ellie he was referring to. ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you¡­¡± The youth¡¯s voice choked up, tears glistening in his eyes. At that moment, a voice inside ire told her: If you admit you¡¯re Ellie, this handsome guy will give you all his love. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ire¡¯s eyes began to well up too. 12:44 187 Chapter 187: Lost a Part of My Memory ¡°I was very ill before and lost part of my memory, so¡­ could you tell me more about what happened between us before? Maybe it could help me recover my memory¡­¡± ire shyly smiled and held the youth¡¯s hand. From that day on, she became Ellie- Became Caleb Lockwood¡¯s first love. After ire finished recounting her first encounter with Caleb to Valerie, Valerie¡¯s face looked even more displeased. ¡°So Caleb is cold toward you now; do you think he found out? That he realized you¡¯re not his first love?¡± Valerie¡¯s question left ire unsure. She stayed silent for a long time, then shook her head. ¡°No¡­ I think Caleb hasn¡¯t realized yet¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Valerie was doubtful. ire hesitated for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± ire felt she knew Caleb well. It was precisely because she thought she knew him that she sensed his change most directly. Initially, when Caleb found his Ellie, he was very caring towards her. This update is avable on find?novel She transferred to the best high school in City A and became the person everyone envied. Because Caleb liked her, she was Caleb¡¯s girlfriend. Ian ckwood also liked her and was at her beck and call. Patrick Rhodes liked her too and quietly acted as her and Caleb¡¯s sidekick. The first half of her senior year, ire felt like she was the happiest person in the world. However¡­ People grow up. In youth, one can focus solely on love, risking everything for it. But with age, one¡¯s mind bes filled with more things. Caleb Lockwood was a case in point. Gifted and talented, the Lockwood Group¡¯s business was handed to him early on. 12.44 < 187 Chapter 187: Lost a Part of My Memory Ever since he began managing the Lockwood Group, his time alone with ire lessened. Moreover, Caleb¡¯s grandfather constantly pressured him, and ire clearly sensed that his love for her wasn¡¯t what it once was. This was also why she chose to study abroad in defiance. She wanted the Caleb who had just found her, who had eyes and a heart only for her- Even though she wasn¡¯t Ellie. ¡°If¡­ Caleb already knows I¡¯m not Ellic¡­¡± ire whispered softly. Valerie, gripping ire¡¯s shoulders, felt her shiver. Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t going to let this slide. If he knew she¡¯d been using Ellie¡¯s identity to deceive his emotions, to enjoy the benefits he brought- Caleb might even kill her. The more ire thought about it, the paler her face became. Valerie naturally understood what ire feared. She was scared too. The Shaw Family couldn¡¯tpare to the wealthy and powerful Lockwood Family. If this came out, not only ire, but their entire family would suffer. ¡°Okay, honey, I know it¡¯s not easy for you, but you can¡¯t tell anyone about this. You have to keep it to yourself. You are Ellie. No matter what anyone says, you are Caleb Lockwood¡¯s first love!¡± Valerie stated firmly. ¡°But Mom¡­ What if¡­ what if one day Caleb meets the real Ellie?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Valerie harshly silenced ire¡¯s fantasies. ¡°In Caleb¡¯s eyes, you are the real Ellie. Since he already has Ellie, how could he look for anyone else? Remember, ire, your only weapon now is your identity as Ellie. Make the most of it. As long as you¡¯re still Ellie, Caleb won¡¯t be able to let go of his feelings for you¡­ Everyone has a romanticized view of their first love¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ ire nodded, her expression still heavy. ¡°As for Serena Jennings¡­¡± Upon hearing the name Serena from her mother¡¯s lips, ire looked up. 12:44 MEDICIT ???? ??????????? im 1 Frame(randomly),3 Fast Pass reward at the Mission Contort Mding 188 188 Chapter 188: Today Is Valentine¡¯s Day im Due to her impressive disy at the banquet of the crown designed and crafted for the Queen of Ydris, Serena Jennings began receiving private orders. 1 Even though she currently doesn¡¯t have an office, many dignitaries at the banquet admired her craftsmanship and contacted her privately tomission jewelry. In any case, this is a good thing, prompting Serena to reconsider reopening her business. It¡¯s impossible to contact the previous investors again; they were secretly sent by Justin Nash to support her. In Serena¡¯s view, the less she gets involved with Justin Nash now, the better it is for him. Even with the bonus from her racing, she stillcks enough startup funds, so Serena ns to take things slowly, step by step, relying first on personal orders to earn money. For the workspace, she decided to borrow from FY, a high¨Cend jewelry brand with fully¨Cequipped facilities, the best and most professional ce she currently has ess to. Serena discussed the rent issue with Peter, but was tly refused. ¡°Discussing money hurts rtionships.¡± Serena gave a bitter smile. In today¡¯s society, not discussing money is what¡¯s truly hurtful. In the FY workspace, Serena worked diligently all morning, until her eyes grew tired, just when the door to the workspace was knocked. ¡°Come in!¡± Serena casually said, looking up to see two people standing at the door ¨C Ethan White and Peter. Serena was startled, uncertain why Ethan White would be here. Ethan was still wearing a white suit, but this one seemed even more upscale than the one he wore at the previous banquet. Looking at Peter again, he was dressed differently from usual. Serena tilted her head. Is today a special day? ¡°Why are you here?¡± Serena asked Ethan White. Official source is find(?)ovel ¡°To invite you to lunch!¡± Ethan smiled slightly. Beside them, Peter¡¯s face instantly showed aplex expression, hesitating to speak. 12:44 TONE TANTINGS 188 Chapter 188: Today Is Valentine¡¯s Day He also wanted to invite Serena to lunch. Seeing Ethan arrive, he couldn¡¯t stop Ethan from asking Serena. Peter had already heard about Ethan and Serena¡¯s rtionship. The events at the banquet quickly spread within their circle. Especially Ethan¡¯s heroic rescue of Serena and her shining entry, along with ire Shaw¡¯s children¡¯s crown and transparent underwear. Peter very sensitively detected that Ethan White was his rival in love. Perhaps even his toughestpetitor. ¡°I also wanted to invite you to lunch.¡± Peter eventually said it. His usual style was not topete. But this time he had to. Serena¡¯s first reaction to Peter¡¯s words was to exchange a nce with Ethan White. Peter instantly felt a stabbing pain in his chest. ¡°Sorry, Peter, another day!¡± Serena threw Peter an apologetic smile. Peter¡¯s hands, clenched tightly against his suit trousers. Serena put aside her work and went out for lunch with Ethan White. ¡°Are you sure you have enough time for your lunch break?¡± Serena asked. She knew the government had prepared a separate workspace for Ethan White, equipped with relevant technical staff. This demonstrated the level of importance ced on Ethan White. ¡°I have flexible hours, nobody bothers me,¡± Ethan walked to the car first, proactively opening the passenger door for Serena. At the top of the FY Building. Peter stood by the window, watching as Ethan White chivalrously invited Serena into the car, the white Lexus speeding away and disappearing from his sight. Peter sighed, taking a gift box out of his trouser pocket ¡ª The gift he never managed to give. Serena initially thought Ethan White meant to dine at a nearby eatery, but she watched in astonishment as Ethan drove onto the highway. 1244 188 Chapter 188: Today Is Valentine¡¯s Day ¡°Ethan, where are you headed?¡± Serena wondered. ¡°To lunch!¡± Ethan answered without hesitation. ¡°Does having lunch require crossing city borders?¡± ¡°Of course not¡­¡± Ethan shook his head. Just as Serena was relieved, Ethan casually continued: ¡°It¡¯s crossing country borders.¡± ¡°¡­What?!¡± Serena was shocked. Ethan simply turned to nce at her, smiled, and offered no further exnation. As expected, Serena still hadn¡¯t realized what day it was today. The white Lexus drove smoothly along the straight highway, speeding through. From midday, the sun went down towards the west. Serena, seated on the passenger side, fell asleep. Upon waking, she saw the sun had set, and Ethan was still driving. ¡°How long have you been driving?¡± ¡°Six hours?¡± ¡°Switch with me, this is considered fatigue driving.¡± ¡°No need, you keep sleeping, I took a break at the rest area earlier.¡± Serena didn¡¯t expect to sleep for so long, thinking she¡¯d wake up after ten or twenty minutes. She must have been very tiredtely, coupled with Ethan¡¯s presence putting her at ease! Serena couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°What¡¯s making you so happy?¡± Ethan asked curiously. ¡°Nothing, just felt¡­ d you¡¯re here.¡± Serena looked at Ethan, her gaze earnest. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ethan nodded, ¡°I also think I¡¯m pretty great.¡± 12:44 376 < 188 Chapter 188: Today is Valentine¡¯s Day Serenaughed again. Ethan knew Serena¡¯s words didn¡¯t carry any romantic overtones, so he didn¡¯t overthink. ¡°We¡¯re here¡­¡± Off the highway, at this point Serena realized- Ethan had brought her to Country C. Noticing Serena¡¯s smile fade into a serious expression, Ethan furrowed his brows. But he did not ask. He trusted that Serena would tell him if she wanted to. At the cloud height ¨C located at the 126th floor of the Isabelle Tower. Situated within the Crescent Isle scenic area, it¡¯s currently the world¡¯s highest restaurant, offering a panoramic view of Country C and Vesper Bay. Serena changed into the gown Ethan had prepared for her in advance. A red gown, sophisticated and striking, with an elegant, form¨Cfitting mermaid style. Ethan was clearly well¨Cprepared, having also brought ruby jewelry to match the dress. Serena only checked her phone when Ethan was ready for the formal asion- February 14th. It turned out to be Valentine¡¯s Day. ¡°It¡¯s the holiday you always forget,¡± Ethan teased. Serena recalled that even when she was a housewife, she often forgot Valentine¡¯s Day. Because she was too busy. Day after day, year after year, revolving around pots and pans, she grew increasingly oblivious to holidays, especially Valentine¡¯s Day. To many, housework seems very easy and light. Yet those who think so usually don¡¯t do housework themselves. Serenaughed at herself. Fortunately, she divorced. Not wanting to let Ethan¡¯s carefully prepared attire go to waste, Serena borrowed a curling iron and turned her long hair into luscious waves. Combined with the morous red gown and ruby jewelry, she exuded a queenly vibe, catching numerous nces. 12:44 188 Chapter 188: Today Is Valentine¡¯s Day This is Country C¡¯s most famous restaurant, a hub for the affluent and clite. As Serena entered alongside Ethan, she felt somewhat anxious. She feared encountering acquaintances here. She didn¡¯t want to see them. As a result, Serena did indeed meet someone familiar. But it wasn¡¯t the people she had in mind. It was Caleb Lockwood. Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 3 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > ͼ Send Gifts ch.188 Terrible 19:45 Mding 189 189 Chapter 189: Matchmaking Him with Wendy Linton Seeing Caleb Lockwood in Country C was quite a surprise for Serena Jennings. 1 But considering that today is Valentine¡¯s Day, Caleb Lockwood appearing in this globally renowned Cloud Peak Restaurant in Country C isn¡¯t really a rare sight. After all, Caleb Lockwood loves ire Shaw so much, celebrating Valentine¡¯s Day with her across countries is reasonable. However, Serena Jennings did not see ire Shaw. Caleb Lockwood sat alone at the table meant for couples. In the entire restaurant, his solitary yet imposing presence seemed so out of ce with the surroundings. Ethan White sensed Serena Jennings¡® gaze, looked over, and also saw Caleb Lockwood. Instead of stopping Serena Jennings from looking at Caleb Lockwood, he took the initiative, walking over with Serena Jennings to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s table. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Lockwood, are you here for Valentine¡¯s Day too?¡± Seeing Ethan White, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s already cold face seemed to sweep over with a chill. In contrast, Ethan White smiled, with his usual gentle and elegant demeanor. ¡°Are we familiar?¡± Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t answer Ethan White¡¯s question but countered with another question. Ethan White, neither angry nor impatient, said slowly, ¡°Because you are Serena¡¯s ex¨Chusband, since we coincidentally met, I thought I shoulde over and say hello; if I¡¯ve spoiled your mood, then I apologize¡­¡± Ethan White¡¯s words were wless, Caleb Lockwood remained silent, his gaze turning to Serena Jennings. In his memory, he rarely saw Serena Jennings dressed so brightly in red. During their three years of marriage, Serena Jennings¡® clothes were always pink. Because at that time, he didn¡¯t know what color Serena Jennings liked. He never asked. But now he realized, Serena Jennings didn¡¯t like pink. Compared to warm colors, Serena Jennings probably preferred cooler colors. Being stared at by Caleb Lockwood¡¯s deep and sharp eyes, Serena Jennings felt a bit uneasy. She tugged at Ethan White¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± 45 46 < 189 Chapter 189: Matchmaking Him with Wendy Linton ¡°Okay.¡± Just as Serena Jennings turned around, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s maic voice came from behind. ¡°You look pretty in red too¡­¡± Serena Jennings instinctively turned her head. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change much in her view, but it was clear that thispliment was sincere. ¡°Mr. Lockwood should reserve that remark for his ownpanion.¡± Ethan White shot back at Caleb Lockwood, and left Caleb Lockwood¡¯s table together with Serena Jennings. Caleb Lockwood watched the two gradually distancing figures, summoned a waiter, and ordered dishes. He originally didn¡¯t want to dine here. Because he didn¡¯t have apanion. The arrangement to meet on Valentine¡¯s Day in this restaurant was made by his father, Arthur Lockwood. Tonight, he was supposed to meet the biggest capital behind the government of Country C- Wendy Linton, the newly adopted daughter of The Linton Family. But Wendy Linton didn¡¯te, she stood him up. This was the first time Caleb Lockwood was stood up by someone. He thought it was probably payback from the woman for his previousck of courtesy. Previously, Caleb Lockwood received a call from Arthur Lockwood, who asked him to invite Wendy Linton to discuss the transnational coboration on the new energy railway project. Country C and Country A are not far apart, and business cooperation between the two countries is natural. However, Caleb Lockwood refused. He knew very well that Arthur Lockwood had ulterior motives unrted to business. Discussing business was merely incidental, the real purpose was to set him up with Wendy Linton. Caleb Lockwood was not interested, but Arthur Lockwood secretly arranged the meeting with Wendy Linton in his name. As a result, he did not go, leaving Wendy Linton stood up. And this time, Wendy Linton returned the favor. This Cloud Peak Restaurant typically caters to couples dining, especially on Valentine¡¯s Day. Since the woman didn¡¯t show up, Caleb Lockwood initially intended to leave. Unexpectedly, before leaving, something unexpected urred. 12:46 < 189 Chapter 189: Matchmaking Him with Wendy Linton The meal was soon served, and Caleb Lockwood quietly ate alone. The appearance of Serena Jennings and Ethan White gave him a reason to stay here and dine. Ethan White seated Serena Jennings at a window spot, offering a panoramic view of Country C¡¯s nightscape. The night view was breathtaking, filling Serena Jennings¡® eyes. However, Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t fully focus on appreciating the view. Country C held some special significance for her. Her cousin, Warren Winters, lived and worked here. Her invaluable assistant¨CChance Bell, the driver, assistant, bodyguard, and hacker of The Linton Family¨Calso lived here. The Linton Family had moved entirely from Country A to Country C, leaving only her behind. But it was inevitable. Because she no longer bore the Linton name. Serena Jennings sighed, withdrew her gaze, and inadvertently glimpsed Caleb Lockwood. Seeing Caleb Lockwood gracefully dining on his own, Serena Jennings was greatly astonished. Where was ire Shaw? Earlier, not seeing ire Shaw, she thought perhaps ire Shaw was in the restroom touching up her makeup. But Caleb Lockwood wouldn¡¯t start dining without waiting for ire Shaw. Could it be that despite the festive asion, Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw were quarreling? Serena Jennings recalled that during her university dating or married life with Caleb Lockwood, she never dared to argue with him. In this regard, ire Shaw was stronger than her. Serena Jennings chuckled at herself, focusing on savoring her meal. After she withdrew her gaze, Caleb Lockwood subtly raised his eyes, looking towards the window¨Cside table. Serena Jennings was dining with chatter andughter, apanied by Ethan White. The taste of the food in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s mouth gradually disappeared. Meanwhile, in Country A. City A. ire Shaw hadn¡¯t left her studio yet. All day long, she had been clutching her phone tightly, checking every sound from news alerts or ads to ensure she didn¡¯t miss any Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find¡ïNovel messages. 12:45 189 Chapter 189: Matchmaking Him with Wendy Linton She was waiting for Caleb Lockwood¡¯s message. Today was Valentine¡¯s Day. Caleb Lockwood would definitely invite her out. She was certain of it without a doubt. Back to Country C. The night sky was deep, and the nightscape enchanting. Cloud Peak. Ethan White, while eating, casually nced at the time on his phone. ¡°It¡¯s about to start¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Serena Jennings was taken aback, raising her head to ask Ethan White, ¡°What is about to start?¡± ¡°The meteor shower.¡± Before Ethan White¡¯s words were finished, Serena Jennings, like a child, excitedly leaned against the ss and peered up at the sky. ¡°Where, where? Meteor shower¡­¡± Whoosh- Bang! A firework exploded under the night sky, colorful and dazzling. Serena Jennings was instantly amazed. She instinctively turned her head towards Ethan White, who gave her a sly smile. There was no meteor shower in the night sky, but a grand drone light and fireworks show instead. Atst, the splendid lights of the drones spelled out words in the night sky: ¡°Serena Jennings, Happy Holidays!¡± Among the guests spending Valentine¡¯s Day at Cloud Peak, sounds of admiration for Serena Jennings were heard. The colorful lights illuminated the face of Caleb Lockwood, who had stopped dining. His expression turned bitter. Serena Jennings was both surprised and delighted, moved to tears; she never expected Ethan White to arrange all this. ¡°This is the most romantic holiday I¡¯ve ever had in my life.¡± Serena Jennings said to Ethan White, overwhelmed with emotion. She was very grateful for everything Ethan White had done for her. 12:45 S 189 Chapter 189. Matchmaking Him with Wendy Linton Especially since the drone message didn¡¯t include words like ¡°I love you,¡± she knew it was Ethan White¡¯s way of not putting too much pressure on her. With her eye makeup smudged from tears, Serena Jennings stood up to go to the restroom to touch up, only to encounter Caleb Lockwooding over. Seeing Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings pretended not to see him, walking straight past. Suddenly, Caleb Lockwood grabbed her arm. ¡°I¡¯ve set off fireworks for you before too¡­¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 3 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good 12:45 Mding 190 190 Chapter 190: Not Divorced 190 Chapter 190: Not Divorced Serena was stunned. Her long eyshes lifted upwards, and Caleb Lockwood¡¯s striking face was reflected in her eyes. This face was very serious. But Serena couldn¡¯t understand why Caleb Lockwood was saying this to her so earnestly. She remembered the fireworks Caleb had set off. Hot air balloons, cake, fireworks disy- It was indeed an incredibly romantic birthday party. Although Serena was confused at the time, she was nevertheless deeply moved. Yet the more she was moved at that moment, the more her heart was touched, the more excited she became¡­ The more it hurt when she was stabbed in the back afterward, and the deeper the wound. Serena was silent for a long time, then smiled slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, those fireworks weren¡¯t meant for me.¡± They were for ire Shaw. It was a gift andpensation to help ire Shaw win the gemstone she had reserved. Serena initially wanted ¡°What are you doing?!¡± to shake off Caleb¡¯s hand, but he held onto her arm tightly, and she couldn¡¯t break free; it just hurt her arm. When Ethan White appeared, Caleb finally let go of his hand. He saw the bright red marks on Serena¡¯s pale arm and realized how hard he had been gripping it. Apologetic words were on the tip of his tongue, but before he could speak, Ethan White¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°How do you feel? Does it hurt? Let me blow on it for you.¡± Ethan blew on Serena¡¯s arm a few times, and she felt a little better. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± After saying that, she gave Caleb a look before turning around and heading into the restroom. Caleb felt like Serena had just red at him. ¡°Mr. Lockwood, please don¡¯t entangle yourself with your ex¨Cwife; it¡¯s very unsightly.¡± The words ¡°ex¨Cwife¡± from Ethan White¡¯s mouth sounded particrly harsh to Caleb. 12.45 190 Chapter 190: Not Divorced But he wasn¡¯t angry; on the contrary, he chuckled. ¡°Are you sure¡­ she¡¯s an ex¨Cwife?¡± Caleb¡¯s mild retort left Ethan momentarily stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± With a faint smirk on his lips, Caleb casually remarked, ¡°What if Serena and I are not divorced?¡± then walked back to his seat on his own. The food on his te had already gone cold, but Caleb picked up his knife and fork and continued eating. No one could tell if he was eating with relish or out of disinterest. When Serena came out of the restroom, she found Ethan still standing there. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked with a face full of concern, ¡°Did Caleb make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Ethan shook his head, hesitating to speak. It wasn¡¯t until they both returned to their seats that he couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Serena, you and Caleb¡­ are divorced, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Although Serena didn¡¯t quite understand why Ethan suddenly asked this question and in such a hesitant manner, she answered decisively. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good¡­¡± Ethan didn¡¯t say much more, and they quickly switched to other topics. However, Caleb¡¯s words ¡°what if Serena and I are not divorced¡± lingered like a thorn in Ethan¡¯s heart, seemingly unable to be removed any time soon. Caleb and Serena, along with Ethan, almost started their meals at the same time, but Caleb, after all, was dining alone, so he finished faster than them. After he paid the bill, he stood up and nced toward the window. Serena and Ethan were still eating, chatting, andughing. Retracting his gaze, Caleb reached into the pocket of his suit pants and pulled out two gift boxes. He put one back again. The gift box he put back was given to him by Arthur Lockwood; he didn¡¯t even know what was inside. He would return the gift to his dad because it was meant for Wendy Linton. Caleb unwrapped the gift box in his hand. The contents inside didn¡¯t quite match Caleb¡¯s status- 17.65 215 190 Chapter 190: Not Divorced it was a pair of keychains. Small rabbit shapes made of stic beads, one male and one female, hugging each other tightly. Even Caleb couldn¡¯t understand why he bought such a thing. Before he left for Country C, he had inadvertently passed by a school where someone was selling these items at the gate, very cheaply, around a dozen bucks per pair, and students were buying them in droves. Caleb didn¡¯t know what hade over him that he bought a pair too and even got it packed at a store. The packaging fee was dozens of times more expensive than the keychains. He clearly didn¡¯t have a girlfriend and didn¡¯t know whom to give them to. In his social circle, giving them to anyone would be looked down upon. Except for¡­ Caleb left the pair of keychains on his dining table. After midnight, it would no longer be Valentine¡¯s Day. ire Shaw had been waiting in her studio until dawn the next day. In the pitch¨Cck office, only the light from the phone screen illuminated ire¡¯s face, making her look ghostly. Valerie Vance had told her, girls shouldn¡¯t be too forward; if you chase after a man, he¡¯ll think he can control you. She listened. And did as advised. As a result, she missed the opportunity to spend Valentine¡¯s Day with Caleb. Because Caleb didn¡¯t take the initiative to contact her. ire opened her phone¡¯s contact list and reached out to someone. But it wasn¡¯t Caleb. Recently, Serena¡¯s business had seen slight progress; after a few deals, she made a bit of money and first bought a very cheap second- hand car. Because she was alone and had to deliver jewelry to many clients, it was really inconvenient without a car. Before having a car, most of the time it was Ethan who drove her to client meetings. Ethan himself enjoyed it, but Serena couldn¡¯t always see Ethan as just a driver. That evening, just after delivering jewelry to a client, she received a call from an unexpected person. ¡°Hello Miss Jennings, I¡¯m Justin Nash¡¯s mother.¡± 12:45 < 190 Chapter 190; Not Divorced The faint voice of Iris Irving came through the receiver. Serena frowned slightly. The car drove for about two hours, from the city center all the way to the suburbs. This was Serena¡¯s first visit to Justin Nash¡¯s home. Iris Irving had been waiting for Serena carly at the vi gate. Thest time Serena saw Iris Irving was at The Nash Family¡¯s Seaside Vi in Meridia. The source of th?s content is fin?novel At that time, Iris seemed to be crazed, baring her teeth and ws. But now Iris was a different person, looking as gaunt as someone seriously ill. Serena didn¡¯t ask much and followed Iris into the vi. Iris had already exined the general situation to her over the phone earlier. As soon as she stepped into the vi, Serena saw Cynthia Fulton sitting on the couch in the living room, ring hatefully at her. Justin Nash¡¯s room was on the second floor, and Iris unlocked the door, allowing only Serena inside. Justin Nash¡¯s bedroom wasrge enough, and precisely because it was big, Justin¡¯s figure seemed all the more thin and pitiable. Serena was taken aback. The Justin in front of her was weakly slumped on the ground, his whole body as thin as a lightning bolt. Iris had told Serena over the phone that Justin hadn¡¯t eaten anything for a whole week. No advice helped, and no threats worked. Iris said she had already lost one son and couldn¡¯t lose Justin too. As long as Serena could persuade Justin to eat, she could ask for any conditions. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 3 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. 12:45 Mding 191 191 Chapter 191: Ruin Caleb Lockwood Financially The spacious bedroom was silent as a grave. Serena Jennings was silent, and Justin Nash was as quict as a dead man. When Justin saw hering, his eyes brightened for a moment, but the deep sunken sockets made them look terrifying. Serena poured a ss of water for Justin and directly fed it to him. His parched throat received some relief, and Justin finally spoke first: ¡°They brought you here to persuade me¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serena admitted honestly. There was no need for her to deceive Justin. ¡°Ha¡­¡± A coldugh escaped from deep within Justin¡¯s throat. ¡°Do you want to persuade me to marry Cynthia Fulton as well?¡± Justin¡¯s emaciated face was terrifyingly gloomy. ¡°I¡¯d rather starve myself than marry her¡­ Why? Why can¡¯t my persistence move you?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t love you.¡± Upon hearing Serena¡¯s adamant words again, Justin angrily swept everything off the table. The items fell with a crash, missing Serena but hitting Justin himself. ¡°You¡¯re so cruel, Serena¡­ Why can¡¯t you like me?¡± ¡°Because you can¡¯tpete with Caleb Lockwood.¡± Serena¡¯s words made Justin¡¯s face change drastically. ¡°So it¡¯s because of Caleb Lockwood, isn¡¯t it? Do you still like him?!¡± Justin weakly roared. Serena did not answer this question. She stood in front of Justin, face to face. Justin weakly tilted his face upward. In his view, Serena¡¯s face was cold enough to seem like a different person. 12:45 FR < 191 Chapter 191: Ruin Caleb Lockwood Financially ¡°Caleb Lockwood¡­ is the actual leader of The Lockwood Group. He has authority and decision power¡­ And you? What do you have? The Nash Group isn¡¯t under your control, and no one in your family listens to you¡­ Now you¡¯re even risking your life¡­ Which woman would choose such a weak and ipetent man?¡± As soon as Serena finished speaking, Justin started coughing violently, even coughing up blood. But her icy expression remained unwavering. ¡°Justin Nash, in my view, starvation isn¡¯t about your persistence towards me; it¡¯s just your own self¨Cimportance¡­ If you truly have any fixation on me, you should first gain control of the Nash Group, then swallow up The Lockwood Group, make Caleb Lockwood bankrupt, and only then would you be qualified to rece Caleb Lockwood¡¯s position in my heart.¡± After Serena finished these words decisively, she turned and left Justin¡¯s bedroom without looking back. She thought¡­ Saying this should have some effect, right? Give Justin a goal, so he would want to live well. As for whether Justin would really swallow up The Lockwood Group someday¡­ Serena paused her steps and shrugged with a smile. That¡¯s Caleb Lockwood¡¯s problem to worry about. Upon returning to the living room, Iris Irving immediately pulled Serena aside to ask: ¡°How is Justin? Did you persuade him to eat?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know!¡± Just as Iris started to get angry, a servant excitedly ran out to shout: ¡°Madam! The young master said he wants to eat; he even asked for some ginseng soup to be stewed to replenish himself!¡± Upon hearing this, Iris immediately dragged the servant into the kitchen. Serena felt there was not much for her to do here anymore. What she could do for Justin was only this. Outside the vi, it was pitch dark. Going back to the city at this time would be midnight, right? Without saying goodbye to anyone, Serena left The Nash Family on her own. In the living room, Cynthia Fulton sat on the sofa, took out her phone, and quietly sent a signal. At this time, Iris emerged from the kitchen, full of smiles. ¡°Cynthia, you¡¯re clever and sensible. You said to bring Serena to persuade Justin, and it really worked; you¡¯re the lucky star of our Nash Family.¡± 42-45 191 Chapter 191: Ruin Caleb Lockwood Financially Cynthia also smiled. Her joy wasn¡¯t just from the future mother¨Cinw¡¯s praise but because the n taught by ire Shaw should seed. It waste night. The suburbs were cerily quiet. Serena had just driven out from Justin Nash¡¯s house when she realized she was being followed. There were two cars in pursuit; their cars were better than hers, and there certainly weren¡¯t just two people. Serena gripped the steering wheel tight, her palms increasingly drenched in sweat. Riverside Manor. That night, ire Shaw hadn¡¯t slept; she was waiting for news from Cynthia¡¯s side. Finally, at 3 AM, she received a WeChat message from Cynthia: It¡¯s done. Those three words were like adrenaline for ire, leaving her too excited to sleep. Daybreak. In The Lockwood Group¡¯s general manager¡¯s office, Mr. Miller was reporting. ¡°That¡¯s the current progress of all the projects.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Caleb Lockwood listened to the report and gave Mr. Miller a few more instructions. Mr. Miller was about to leave for his tasks when suddenly, Caleb¡¯s indifferent voice came from behind: ¡°What¡¯s Serena doingtely?¡± Mr. Miller stopped and turned to look at Caleb with a puzzled expression. How could he possibly know what Serena was doingtely? However, he couldn¡¯t respond to Caleb like that. Caleb was watching him, with an unmistakably clear expression in his eyes- He didn¡¯t want to ask a second time. ¡°I¡¯ll go find out right away. ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? fin?novel After Mr. Miller left, Caleb picked up his phone. Why ask Mr. Miller about Serena¡¯s recent activities? He could know with just a phone call to Serena. 12:45 315 < 191 Chapter 191: Ruin Caleb Lockwood Financially But he just didn¡¯t want to call. After a while, Mr. Miller returned, looking somewhat flustered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Caleb initiated the conversation. ¡°I heard¡­ Miss Jennings¡­ she seems to have gotten into trouble¡­¡± Caleb suddenly stood up. The imperial blue Bentley sped down the road, running two red lights. Caleb sat in the driver¡¯s seat, ncing at the navigation with his peripheral vision. The location of the Fourth Hospital was not far from him. But why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet?! Mr. Miller informed him thatst night in the suburbs, Serena encountered a gang of thugs. Although Ethan White arrived to save Serena, preventing the thugs from taking advantage of her, Serena¡¯s hands were severely injured withminuted fractures, likely to result in permanent disability. The imperial blue Bentley finally drove into the Fourth Hospital. After getting out of the car, Caleb sprinted down the hall. It was his first time running into a hospital. The hospital wasn¡¯trge, and he quickly found Serena¡¯s room. But before he reached the door, someone walked out from inside. It was a man. Upon seeing Ethan White, Caleb wasn¡¯t surprised. But Ethan looked at Caleb with shock. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see Serena.¡± ¡°How did you know Serena was hospitalized?¡± Caleb slightly frowned but didn¡¯t answer, trying to bypass Ethan to enter the room. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Ethan raised his hand to stop Caleb. Ethan¡¯s ssic look and gentle demeanor didn¡¯t mean hecked presence. Caleb didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t forcibly push past. 12:46 < 191 Chapter 191: Ruin Caleb Lockwood Financially He stood obediently at the door, waiting for Ethan to go back inside ande out. ¡°Serena said she doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± Comment D Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 4 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts ch.191 Mding 192 192 Chapter 192: Reduced to a Cripple 192 Chapter 192: Reduced to a Cripple Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyelids slightly lifted. 1 This result shouldn¡¯t have surprised him. Since that day in Meridia, after he showed Serena Jennings the divorce certificate, it was as if she had removed him from her life. So the night she got the divorce certificate, Serena left the hotel and lingered with Justin Nash. And now¡­ Serena¡¯s side was now apanied by Ethan White. Ethan White saw Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hands tightly clenched into fists at his sides. ¡°Mr. Lockwood, when visiting a patient, naturally their wishese first. Please leave!¡± Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t say another word, turned around, and left. In the middle of winter, he broke out in a sweat. The result was that he met with a closed door. For the first time, Caleb Lockwood felt like an idiot. In the hospital room, Serena was lying on the bed, with just a casual nce able to catch a view of the scenery downstairs- Caleb Lockwood was strutting towards his imperial blue Bentley. Ethan White opened the door to find Serena just pulling her gaze back from the window. ¡°Apples, strawberries, mangoes, grapes¡­ which one do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ the apple, I guess!¡± Ethan White picked up a washed apple, about to peel it. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± Serena stretched out her hand to Ethan White. ¡°Your hand is wrapped in a bandage!¡± With Ethan White¡¯s reminder, Serena looked at her hand wrapped like a rice dumpling and gave a bitter smile: ¡°Right, I¡¯m a patient now.¡± Just as Serena was hospitalized, ire Shaw immediately joined forces with Cynthia Fulton to host a reception. This reception entertained all of Serena¡¯s clients. Currently, all of Serena¡¯s clients came from the banquet Queen Elizabeth attended, so connecting with them through Cynthia Fulton was not difficult. 12:17 < 192 Chapter 192: Reduced to a Cripple At the reception, ire Shaw exined to all the guests, saying that she was set up by Serena at the banquet, that Serena secretly swapped her designed crown with a children¡¯s crown. Of course, without evidence, the guests couldn¡¯t immediately believe just her words. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, rest assured¡­¡± ire Shaw stood on stage, holding a mic, radiant. This feeling of being in the limelight hadn¡¯t urred in a long time. This was how it should be¡­ ire Shaw wore a confident smile. She hadn¡¯t invited Caleb Lockwood to this reception. Because it wasn¡¯t yet time. ¡°The day after tomorrow, I¡¯ll have a showdown with Serena onsite, to restore antique jewelry for the Xylos Museum¡­ By then, it will be clear who possesses genuine talent and who is a counterfeit.¡± ¡°In front of industry insiders, I¡¯ll make Serena convincingly lose.¡± ire Shaw bragged boldly, already envisioning her victory. Cynthia Fulton initially wanted to get back at Serena for the humiliation of the wedding day, but ire Shaw hadn¡¯t seen Cynthia Fulton make a move. So she proactively contacted Cynthia Fulton, probing her intentions. Cynthia Fulton originally intended to hire a bunch of thugs to assault Serena. But just that was insufficient for ire Shaw. If they¡¯re going to do it, why not be more thorough? She knew that Serena, through a client¡¯s referral, had won an opportunity to restore antique jewelry for the Xylos Museum. Serena¡¯s career was restarting, and she had a protector by her side, while ire¡¯s career and love life were all in decline. ire Shaw felt Serena absorbed her good fortune, stealing the light that was supposed to belong to her. ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? F¦ÉndNovel So she told Cynthia Fulton to instruct those thugs not only to assault Serena but to also ruin her hands, to break her fingers one by one. Doesn¡¯t Serena have high craft skills? Now disabled, she wanted to see how Serena would restore antique jewelry. ire Shaw herself contacted the Xylos Museum, and eventually, they agreed to let her and Serena perform restorations on¨Csite and would choose whoever did better. ire Shaw wanted Caleb Lockwood to witness Serena¡¯s thorough defeat. 12:17 < 192 Chapter 192: Reduced to a Cripple A woman with crippled hands, unable to fend for herself, wouldn¡¯t attract a second nce from someone like Caleb Lockwood. This time, she wanted to ensure Serena would never get back up! After the reception, nearly half of the guests became ire Shaw¡¯s new clients, and she was confident that the remaining half would be won over after the restoration of the antique jewelry. By then Serena would have nothing left. As for Ethan White, ire Shaw would rather he serve Serena hand and foot once her hands were crippled. If the two of them were inseparable, then Serena wouldn¡¯t pursue her Caleb Lockwood. The Lockwood Group. Mr. Miller could tell Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t in a good mood, but he still had to report what needed to be reported. ¡°President Lockwood, those thugs have been found¡­ their hands are crippled and they¡¯ve been jailed¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood was silent. ¡°Also, the orthopedic doctor you contacted¡­ was chased away by Miss Jennings.¡± Caleb Lockwood, sitting at his desk, suddenly raised his eyes. Mr. Miller shuddered. It had been a long time since he¡¯d seen that look from Caleb Lockwood. ¡°When did I find an orthopedic doctor?¡± Mr. Miller¡¯s mouth twitched wildly. If you didn¡¯t instruct, why would I bother finding an orthopedic doctor? ¡°Then what about those medicines¡­¡± ¡°Throw them out.¡± Caleb Lockwood ordered. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± Before Mr. Miller could leave the office, Caleb Lockwood called him back. ¡°Return them before throwing them out.¡± Mr. Miller: ¡­ You knew they¡¯d be returned and still sent them? ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± Mr. Miller personally delivered the medicine to the hospital, only to see them all returned, as expected. 1217 < 192 Chapter 192: Reduced to a Cripple However, this time he met Serena in person. ¡°President Lockwood, I think Miss Jennings looks and feels quite good.¡± Back at thepany, Mr. Miller reported honestly to Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Of course she¡¯s fine withpany.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mr. Miller didn¡¯t hear Caleb Lockwood¡¯s mutter clearly. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I said there¡¯s no need to keep reporting on Serena¡¯s matters to me. She¡¯s got a fractured hand, it¡¯s not like she has cancer¡­¡± The more he spoke, the harsher Caleb Lockwood¡¯s tone became. ¡°Even if she dies¡­ it has nothing to do with me.¡± After coldly saying this, Caleb Lockwood dismissed Mr. Miller from the general manager¡¯s office. Mr. Miller returned to his workstation, unable to help but sigh: ¡°These days¡­ work is getting harder and harder!¡± City A Commercial Exhibition Center. Tonight, the annual Entrepreneur Award Ceremony of City A was being held here. It goes without saying Caleb Lockwood was present, and ire Shaw was also on the guest list. Moreover, ire Shaw received the Top Ten Emerging Entrepreneurs Award. Of course, she had obtained this award through connections. Winning the award was never her purpose. But only by winning would she have the qualification to sit beside Caleb Lockwood, ¡°Congrattions.¡± Caleb Lockwood raised his ss to ire Shaw. Among so many guests, he wasn¡¯t the first to congratte ire Shaw. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ire Shaw clinked sses with Caleb Lockwood and took a sip of champagne. Caleb Lockwood had nothing more to say, as if his initiative just now was merely amonce social interaction. ire Shaw secretly gritted her teeth. This time, she had no choice but to be more proactive. 12:17 415 < 192 Chapter 192: Reduced to a Cripple ¡°Caleb, I¡­ have something I want to say to you¡­¡± Comment @ n Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 4 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. 23 Send Gifts Rate the trantion quality Good Mding 193 193 Chapter 193: The Man Having an Affair The conference room was dimly lit, but Caleb Lockwood could still clearly see the tears glistening in ire Shaw¡¯s eyes. T ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Caleb Lockwood stood up. ire Shaw also stood up. The two walked out of the conference room one after the other. Although there was no intimate behavior, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, they seemed very close. The waiter arranged a separate meeting room for Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw. The meeting room was spacious, with only Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw inside. ¡°Caleb, do you know Serena Jennings injured her hand?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Caleb Lockwood frowned slightly. ¡°I heard it from someone at the X Museum.¡± ¡°X Museum?¡± Seeing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s surprise, ire Shaw feigned a sigh of resignation: ¡°It was work Serena took on earlier, to restore antique jewelry for the X Museum¡­ But now her hand is injured, the people at the museum approached me, hoping I would take over for Serena. But Serena refused, so the museum arranged for a head¨Cto¨Chead restoration on site, whoever did better would get the job¡­¡± At this, ire Shaw looked down in embarrassment. ¡°Caleb, can you help persuade Serena to withdraw?¡± Caleb Lockwood raised a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to be too embarrassed in front of industry professionals¡­ I heard her hand injury is quite serious. Rather than making a fool of herself, wouldn¡¯t it be better to withdraw early¡­ I know she won¡¯t listen to me given my status¡­ But you¡¯re different, you¡¯re her ex¨Chusband. If you talk to her, she might be more inclined to listen¡­¡± ire Shaw spoke sincerely and emotionally. She had initially thought Serena might give up the restoration work, and if she did, ire could assert publicly that Serena was nervous and cowardly, unwilling to face her head¨Con. But it would be even more satisfying to see Serena fail miserably in front of industry insiders. So she deliberately let people from the X ?????? ???? Find_Novel(. Museum reveal to Serena that herpetitor was ire Shaw. Sure enough, Serena epted the on¨Csite restoration challenge. < 193 Chapter 193: The Man Having an Affair ire Shaw could tell that even with her severely injured hand, Serena wanted to put on a brave face just to keep her from taking over the project. So she deliberately asked Caleb Lockwood to persuade Serena to withdraw, showcasing her kindness to him while making Serena believe Caleb was biased towards her. ¡°Is that what you wanted to say?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice interrupted ire Shaw¡¯s wandering thoughts. ¡°Mm¡­¡± ire Shaw nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression and tone were indifferent and cold. This was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s usual style. But not his usual attitude toward ire Shaw. As Caleb Lockwood was about to leave the meeting room, he heard the sound of sobbing. He paused and turned his head, seeing ire Shaw silently weeping. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ire Shaw looked up, hastily wiping her tears, seemingly surprised that Caleb had seen her crying. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really¡­¡± ire Shaw¡¯s voice was hoarse, pitiable. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood frowned and asked, ¡°What don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ why you¡¯ve suddenly be so cold towards me?¡± ire Shaw¡¯s words rang loudly in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s mind like a bell. ¡°I haven¡¯t..¡± Caleb Lockwood lied. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± ire Shaw suddenly shouted, her watery eyes shedding even more aggrieved tears. ¡°You clearly have¡­ You said after you and Serena divorced, you would give me the status I deserved. Haven¡¯t you already divorced? Then how are you treating me now?¡± Thisint, partly acted but partly sincere. 12:17 O 215 < 193 Chapter 193: The Man Having an Affair ire Shaw truly couldn¡¯t understand why, bearing the title of Caleb¡¯s true love and first love, Caleb became increasingly indifferent to her after his divorce. This question¡­ Caleb Lockwood had long known the answer, yet he always avoided it. The meeting room fell silent. Caleb Lockwood and ire Shaw faced each other. ire Shaw cried her heart out, and Caleb Lockwood pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears. This gentlemanly and considerate gesture made ire Shaw break into a smile, feeling a bit more assured inside. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve never believed¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s cool and detached voice reached ire Shaw¡¯s ears. ¡°On the day you returned to the country, when I went to pick you up, everything I said was from my heart.¡± Caleb Lockwood ced the tear¨Cstained tissue in ire Shaw¡¯s hand, then turned and left the meeting room. The meeting room was left with only ire Shaw. ire Shaw¡¯s smile froze long before, the tissue in her hand had dried. The night was deep and silent. The Fourth Hospital. Visiting hours were over, but Caleb Lockwood had his privileges. He arrived at the door of Serena Jennings¡® hospital room. This time, Ethan White wasn¡¯t there to stop him. Between knocking and not knocking, Caleb Lockwood hesitated slightly. In the end, he didn¡¯t knock. He didn¡¯t want to wake Serena. At this hour, Serena should have been asleep long ago. It was only after arriving at the hospital that Caleb Lockwood realized even if he came, he couldn¡¯t speak to Serena. So why did he stille? Just to see Serena? Caleb Lockwood shook his head, opened the door, and walked in. It was a suite, a first¨Css ward, with a good environment. < 193 Chapter 193: The Man Having an Affair Caleb Lockwood entered and met Serena Jennings¡® gaze unexpectedly. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping?¡± Serena was surprised to see Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Caleb Lockwood frowned slightly. By Serena¡¯s tone, it seemed she wasn¡¯t weing him. ¡°I came to see you¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood lowered his gaze and looked at Serena¡¯s hand. Serena¡¯s hands were tightly wrapped in bandages, indicating how severe the injury must be. Caleb Lockwood pursed his thin lips. But Mr. Miller hadn¡¯t lied to him; Serena seemed in good spirits. Caleb had expected Serena, having injured her hands she relied on for survival, to be depressed and despondent, even on the brink of despair. But Serena appeared very calm and optimistic. As Caleb looked at Serena, she was also looking at him. Though she was the one hospitalized, Caleb seemed to have a pale, ashen face, as if gravely ill. The long silence made the atmosphere in the ward oppressive, and Serena spoke first: ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen me, you can leave now.¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes turned cold, and he let out a sardonicugh: ¡°Eager to send me away in case Ethan White in the next room wakes up and misunderstands?¡± Though Caleb hadn¡¯t seen Ethan White personally in the next room, with Serena hospitalized here, he presumed Ethan must be in the Serena opened her mouth, initially wanting to say ¡°no,¡± but changed her mind: ¡°Since you know, why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Caleb Lockwood clenched his fists. Was he Serena¡¯s secret lover, unable to be seen in the light? ¡°I came to tell you¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood spoke with a stern face, coldly: ¡°The restoration work at X Museum should be left for ire.¡± 12.17 Mding 194 194 Chapter 194: Off to the Blind Date ¡°Why?¡± 1 Serena immediately retorted. ¡°Because your hand is injured¡­ Even if youpete with ire right now, you won¡¯t win, you¡¯ll only embarrass yourself¡­¡± Before Caleb could finish, Serena interrupted him with a mocking tone: ¡°Even if I¡¯m totally embarrassed now, it wouldn¡¯t affect you, President Lockwood!¡± ¡°Do you have to think of me like this?¡± Caleb¡¯s expression changed instantly. ¡°Am I not letting you go just so I won¡¯t embarrass myself?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Serena asked back and then feigned a sudden realization. ¡°Oh right, also to clear me out as an obstacle for ire. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t done that before.¡± ¡°Serena!¡± Caleb couldn¡¯t help but explode in anger. That wasn¡¯t his intention at all. The restorationpetition at X Museum invited many renowned jewelry designers, collectors, and restoration masters. All are industry insiders. Serena¡¯s hand injury hasn¡¯t healed yet, going there would only leave a bad impression of poor skills among the industry and serve for her Unless Serena no longer wants to work in jewelry design. Caleb suddenly realized that this possibility wasn¡¯t entirely out of the question. He had witnessed Serena¡¯s jewelry craftsmanship firsthand many times, and he wouldn¡¯t doubt her talent now. But Serena¡¯s craft requires precise hand movements. Like surgeons, manga artists, and simr professions, once the hand is injured, past glories are gone for good. So, could Serena possibly change careers? Besides being a jewelry designer, what else could Serena do? One identity suddenly popped into Caleb¡¯s mind- 12:17 115 < 194 Chapter 194: Off to the Blind Date A housewife. In Caleb¡¯s impression, the job Serena did the longest and is most adept at is being a housewife. Now that her hand is injured, her career can no longer progress, she might as well take a step back. However¡­ Caleb knew well that even if Serena went back to being a full¨Ctime wife, she wouldn¡¯t be his full¨Ctime wife anymore. Serena was being stared down intensely by Caleb. She could sense Caleb¡¯s gaze changing repeatedly, as if he wanted to say many things to her. Yet until Caleb left her hospital room, he didn¡¯t say another word. Once again, only Serena was left in the hospital room, and she sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you sighing for that scumbag.¡± From the adjacent care room, Ethan opened the door and stuck half his body in. Serena shrugged and smiled. For her, Caleb truly was scummy, his mind only full of thoughts on how to pave the way for ire. But to ire, Caleb must be the epitome of a devoted and good man, right? In the bar, ire was drinking alone. She had no one to apany her now. She couldn¡¯t find Caleb. Nor could she find Patrick. Sincen left the country for Northriver¡¯s business, he had cut off contact. ¡°Once I return¡­ I can retrieve everything I lost¡­¡± ire murmured to herself with a face full of self¨Cridicule. Back in the dark days in Meridia, she survived by relying on Caleb. Time and time again, she told herself, as long as she went back, she could regain what she lost and be the little princess admired by all. ¡°Serena¡­¡± ire took a sip of alcohol and angrily crushed the ice in her mouth. Ultimately, Valerie found her and took her home. Valerie didn¡¯t know what had happened to ire again, but being this drunk was definitely rted to Caleb. ¡°ire, you absolutely must pull yourself together, no matter what Caleb said to you. As long as you¡¯re good enough, Caleb will surely 12:17 248 < 194 Chapter 194: Off to the Blind Date still like you¡­¡± Valerieforted ire with her words, increasingly uncertain in her heart. Today, CelestiMed opened a branch in City A, appointing Julian as the person in charge. At the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony, Caleb and Julian stood together, looking quite appealing. ire found out on her phone in her studio that joker hade to City A again, and as Julian Xavier this time. joker had been using this fake identity for quite a while. Right after closing the news, joker messaged her on WeChat to meet at the hotel tonight. ire kept the appointment punctually, but to her surprise, the room had not only joker but two other men. ire recognized both men. As soon as she saw them, she wanted to turn and run, but joker was blocking the door firmly. ¡°ire¡­¡± joker¡¯s baby face wore a seemingly innocent smile. ¡°Your recent ns to climb thedder don¡¯t seem to be going so smoothly!¡± With joker blocking the door and the two burly men behind her, ire was sandwiched in between, trembling all over. ¡°I set you free because you said you were Caleb¡¯s first love, you said you could be Mrs. Lockwood and give me twenty percent of Lockwood Group¡¯s shares¡­¡± joker didn¡¯t move, but the two men behind ire were slowly walking forward, getting closer to ire. ¡°But I¡¯ve realized you¡¯re just a liar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying! I really am Caleb¡¯s first love, he will definitely marry me!¡± ire shouted at joker, but joker only sneered withughter. ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find?novel ¡°You probably don¡¯t know, Caleb¡¯s father has always wanted to match Caleb with the Linton family¡¯s daughter. Last Valentine¡¯s Day¡­ did Caleb spend it with you?¡± joker¡¯s question left ire pale as a ghost, ¡°To tell you the truth, on that day Caleb went to meet with the Linton family¡¯s daughter.¡± ire was as stunned as if struck by a thunderbolt. joker shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m half an A¨Ccity resident now, and since two officials are here for business, I¡¯m just doing a little favor¡­ using you to entertain the two of them¡­¡± With joker¡¯s words, ire was scared to tears, covering her mouth. 12.16 375 < 194 Chapter 194: Off to the Blind Date ¡°This also serves as a reminder to not ck off; if you can¡¯t fulfill your promise to me¡­ I¡¯ll take you back to Meridia, where plenty of people want you.¡± After saying this, joker opened the door and walked out. Immediately inside, ire¡¯s pleas for mercy could be heard. He then opened the door again and said to ire inside: ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget to fix your hymen after you¡¯re done.¡± With a bang, the door shut again. joker listened to ire¡¯s screams from inside and casually muttered: ¡°This hotel¡¯s soundproofing really is poor.¡± X Museum. Serena entered the designated venue apanied by Ethan. Many people were already seated inside. The first thing she noticed was Caleb sitting at the center of the front row. Caleb had Simon Coleman, the director of X Museum, on his left, and Leo Grant, the president of the Jewelry Collectors Association, on his right. Peter and the FY Design Department headquarters head Sophia Shepherd were also there. At a nce, most of the invited guests were industry insiders, more like judges than guests. Only Caleb wasn¡¯t considered an insider. 6 Serena initially thought Caleb was apanying ire, but ire arrivedte and almost missed it. ¡°So what happened to Serena¡¯s hand? Why is it bandaged? Is shepeting with ire while injured?¡± Amid the guests, Sophia Shepherd¡¯s voice of skepticism could be heard. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 4 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 195 195 Chapter 195: ire Shaw¡¯s Victory With Sophia Shepherd¡¯s question, more guests noticed Serena Jennings¡¯s hands. 1 ire Shaw saw that Serena¡¯s hands were still wrapped in bandages andughed coldly to herself. It seems like Serena already found an excuse for her defeat. Serena instinctively nced at ire Shaw. Though ire Shaw almost arrivedte today, she exuded an aura of facing death with equanimity, a determination to seed or die trying. In fact, ire Shaw was determined to win this livepetition. She no longer had an escape route. No matter what, she must defeat Serena Jennings in front of Caleb Lockwood and let him see that she is the exceptional and sophisticated woman worthy of him. In this onsitepetition, Museum X provided high¨Cquality replicas of two antique jewels to Serena and ire, with damage identical to the real pieces, testing their craftsmanship and repair skills. The one who stands out will have the privilege to repair the actual antique jewels. Quickly, the staff at Museum X handed the two scepters separately to Serena and ire. Though they were replicas, they faithfully reproduced the craftsmanship of the time, especially the curved surfaces around the main stone; the embedding technology back then was not mature, making the curved cluster setting quite remarkable. However, the problem lies within these curves. Due to immature and unstable embedding technology, the gems have fallen off extensively, making the repair challenging but not impossible. The real difficulty is ensuring the gems set within these curved surfaces do not loosen and fall off again. Museum X provided Serena and ire with identical scepter replicas, even the fallen gems were the same. Thepetition solely tested embedding and repairing skills. If their skills wereparable, the speed would decide the winner. Thus, this was a contest that valued both quality and speed. Serena asked Ethan White to help her remove the bandages from her ten fingers. Caleb Lockwood watched nearby, his brows furrowed like a knotted rope. Serena¡¯s hands were clearly still injured, yet she insisted onpeting. 12:10 < 195 Chapter 195: ire Shaw¡¯s Victory Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze fell on Ethan White¡¯s hands. Ethan carefully removed Serena¡¯s bandages, treating her hands as if they were fragile items. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s brows furrowed even more. ire Shaw, seeing that Serena couldn¡¯t even remove her own bandages and needed Ethan White¡¯s help, almost couldn¡¯t hold back her Serena, today is yourst day in gem setting. After today, your reputation will be ruined. Thinking of Serena leaving the jewelry design field in disgrace made ire feel she should have harmed Serena¡¯s hands sooner. With the staff¡¯s cue, the repairpetition began. As most expected, ire Shaw was ahead of Serena, her repair speed noticeably faster. Among the guests, Sophia Shepherd couldn¡¯t help but worry for Serena. She had always admired Serena during her time at FY. She had nned for Serena to work at FY longer, build some experience and connections, and then take over when her taste¡® failed to keep up as she aged. Unexpectedly, Serena resigned quickly, though hearing that Serena started her own studioter made Sophia proud. When Serena¡¯s studio closed, she couldn¡¯t help butment. Sophia admired those with real talent, hence she supported Serena in thepetition against ire Shaw. She never believed Serena would lose. After all, ire Shaw was mediocre in her view. But this time was different. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, why did Serena ept this live repairpetition before industry insiders, even when her hand was injured?¡± Sophia asked Peter. Peter was silent. As time ticked by, the venue became increasingly silent. Everyone seemed engrossed in the repairpetition, the air filled with tension. Eventually, ire Shaw finished repairing the scepter in one hour, twenty¨Csix minutes, and fifteen seconds. Looking at Serena, she was only halfway finished. ire Shaw smiled slightly but said nothing more. 12:18 714 < 195 Chapter 195: ire Shaw¡¯s Victory In the presence of so many industry insiders, the results spoke for themselves. Serena would find it hard to ept defeat. ire Shaw picked up a chair, sat next to her, and rested. She casually nced at Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes were like falcons, fixed on Serena, his expression somewhat heavy and displeased. ire Shaw curled a faint cold smile. It seemed Caleb Lockwood also felt Serena was being reckless by repairing with injuries, doomed to lose, and asking for disgrace. ire Shawzily yawned. At Serena¡¯s repair speed, she might not be finished even after ire sleeps and wakes. Even some staff members at Museum X began to grow impatient. ¡°Director, Serena¡¯s hand is injured, and her repair speed is much slower than ire Shaw¡¯s¡­ perhaps we should just dere ire Shaw the winner?¡± ¡°Yeah! Since the result¡¯s the same, we might as well¡­¡± The two staff members fell silent, noticing Simon Coleman¡¯s gaze. Everyone was waiting for Serena. ire Shaw grew so bored waiting that she nearly fell asleep. Finally, Serena took three hours, fifty¨Cseven minutes, and eighteen seconds toplete the scepter repair. Readplete version only at Find_Novel(. The long and tediouspetition was finally over, ire Shaw stood up, head held high, ready to embrace her moment of glory. As the director of Museum X, Simon Coleman was naturally the judge of the repairpetition. He invited two others. One was artifact repair expert Wayne Dunn, the other was Cartier¡¯s jewelry repair specialist Catherine. The three first carefully examined ire Shaw¡¯s repaired scepter. ¡°Hmm¡­ the craftsmanship is quite impressive.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect Miss Shaw to possess such excellent embedding skills at a young age.¡± ¡°Indeed, the newer generation surpassing the old!¡± ¡°Absolutely, Miss Shaw¡¯s skills could qualify her as a senior designer at any domestic jewelry brand.¡± Hearing the judges¡® praise, ire Shaw felt as if she was standing on clouds, feeling ted. Some guests whispered among themselves, couldn¡¯t help but praise ire Shaw. 12:18 314 < 195 Chapter 195: ire Shaw¡¯s Victory ire Shaw looked at Caleb Lockwood and blushed with a charming smile. Caleb smiled back lightly at ire Shaw¡¯s smile. That slight smile made ire¡¯s heartbeat elerate with excitement. Yes, she was going to show Caleb Lockwood her remarkable talent and reim everything that rightfully belonged to her! Next, Simon Coleman, Wayne Dunn, and Catherine moved to review Serena¡¯s repaired scepter. The three said nothing, silently exchanged nces. ire Shaw knew what this meant. Merely looking at the judges¡® attitude, she knew- Serena was destined to lose! Simon Coleman cleared his throat and spoke: ¡°Next, I will announce the winner of the antique scepter repair qualification¡­¡± With a confident smile, ire Shaw stepped forward. Comment O Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 4 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 12:18 Mding 196 196 Chapter 196: Come with Me to the Law Firm ¡°¡­.Serena Jennings.¡± 1 The moment just taken stepped became frozen on the spot, and ire Shaw almost thought she heard it wrong. Simon Coleman was the first to start apuding, and the others followed suit in apuding Serena Jennings. Except for Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood frowned, showing no sign of surprise or astonishment on his face. Serena Jennings stepped forward with elegance and confidence, her every movement captivating, even without any deliberate adornment; it was impossible to look away from her beauty. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ire rushed in front of Simon Coleman and the other three judges. ¡°Did you make a mistake? How could the winner be Serena Jennings?¡± ire Shaw couldn¡¯t care less about how her behavior might make her seem like a sore loser; she needed an exnation. ¡°My restoration speed was much faster than hers, and didn¡¯t you keep praising my craftsmanship just now?¡± In response to ire Shaw¡¯s questioning, Simon Coleman calmly smiled. ¡°Yes, Miss Shaw, your craftsmanship is quite superb, top¨Cnotch domestically.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said domestically¡­¡± From the side, Catherine interjected. Only at this moment did ire Shaw realize that the judges¡®pliments for her were conditional¨Cdomestically. ire Shaw¡¯s face turned pale instantly. So no matter how high her craftsmanship level, it was only top¨Ctier in Country A. ¡°No¡­ Impossible¡­ Serena¡¯s hand was injured, how could she reach international standards!¡± Seeing ire Shaw¡¯s relentless disbelief, Simon Coleman handed the scepter restored by Serena Jennings to ire Shaw. ¡°You can have a look yourself. ire took the scepter, her eyes widening in shock. Beside her, Simon Coleman¡¯s voice leisurely rang out: ¡°Miss Jennings restored the curved surface of the scepter; the embedding method is exactly the same as the original, using square 12:18 < 196 Chapter 196: Come with Me to the Law Firm stones in an invisible setting. However, due to the immaturity of earlier techniques, stones would easily fall out¡­¡± Among the guests, almost all of whom were industry professionals, the level of craftsmanship disyed by Serena Jennings and ire Shaw during the restoration process was evident at first nce. Caleb Lockwood, while not a professional in the jewelry industry, possessed aesthetics and taste. Therefore, Serena Jennings¡® victory did not surprise him in the least. It was just that¡­ Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes reflected Serena Jennings¡® figure. Serena Jennings wore an ivory white women¡¯s suit, her long hair tied into a single ponytail at the back, appearing capable and sophisticated, calm and intellectual. In a daze, Caleb Lockwood suddenly couldn¡¯t recall what Serena Jennings looked like when she was a full¨Ctime housewife. Over there, Simon Coleman continued exining: ¡°Miss Shaw, although you worked hard to restore the original embedding method, to stabilize the stones you couldn¡¯tpletely hide the metal ws. In contrast, Miss Jennings¡® technique is consummate, with precise stone arrangement, stable embedding, and perfect metal concealment. Such precise and advanced embedding technology, to my knowledge, can be achieved by only one person¡­. BYC! The name suddenly shed through ire¡¯s mind. Yes, BYC. Like grasping at thest straw, ire excitedly shouted at Serena: ¡°Serena, the embedding technique you used is the uniquely crafted ¡®Piano¡® series¡® seamless curved invisible embedding technique by Master BYC. BYC has an exclusive patent on this technique, and as a disciple of Master BYC, you are required to pay patent fees for using it!¡± ire Shaw¡¯s words caused a stir at the scene. Indeed, industry professionals were aware that four years ago, FY had invited a master designer, further developing the invisible embedding technique into the curved seamless invisible embedding technology, and applied for an exclusive patent. If Serena used this restoration technique, it would indeed equate to infringement. Many people turned their gaze to Peter and Sophia Shepherd. Because they both belonged to FY. Sophia Shepherd touched her chin, appearing puzzled and troubled about something. Peter, however, remained astonishingly calm. ¡°Miss Jennings, are you using BYC¡¯s exclusive patent technique?¡± 12:18 < 196 Chapter 196: Come with Me to the Law Firm Simon Coleman questioned Serena very earnestly. Serena nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± This admission by Serena almost made ire jump for joy. ¡°Curator Coleman, you see, wasn¡¯t I right? Serena has already infringed, so thispetition should dere her the loser¡­ ire Shaw spoke to Simon while also looking at Serena: ¡°Serena, you¡¯ve used my master¡¯s patent, you have to pay the patent fees¡­¡± Serena looked at ire¡¯s aggressive demeanor with aplicated expression, especially upon hearing ire say ¡°my master,¡± her expression changed slightly. The guests couldn¡¯t quiet down, whispering amongst themselves, seemingly eager to express their views. Caleb Lockwood remained very quiet. His right hand rested on his leg, with his index finger and thumb lightly rubbing together. It seemed Serena was cornered by ire. Caleb gave Ethan White a sidelong nce. Ethan White smiled gracefully, as elegantly as ever. ¡°As a disciple of Master BYC, I have the authority to collect the patent fees on behalf of my master.¡± ire confidently extended her hand toward Serena. Serena looked at ire and calmly asked, ¡°You keep saying you¡¯re a disciple of Master BYC, can anyone vouch for that?¡± ire was taken aback, then took out her phone. ¡°Of course, there is.¡± After waiting for a short while, someone arrived. When Cynthia Fulton appeared with a stranger, Serena was puzzled, ¡°And this is¡­?¡± She asked curiously, Cynthia replied haughtily, ¡°He is Master BYC¡¯s privatewyer, who can prove that ire Shaw is indeed Master BYC¡¯s disciple, and also¡­¡± Before Cynthia could finish, the man beside her took out awyer¡¯s letter from his briefcase. ¡°Miss Jennings, you are suspected of infringing my client¡¯s exclusive patent rights, pleasee with me to thew firm. The man said to Serena in a formal manner. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Serena, with varied expressions. Caleb Lockwood quietly watched Serena. 12:18 ?/? < 196 Chapter 196: Come with Me to the Law Firm A voice resounded in his mind: As long as you look at me, I will lend you a hand. ¡°You said I infringed your client¡¯s exclusive patent rights¡­ Where is the patent document?¡± Serena calmly asked the man brought by Cynthia. Beside her, ire sneered, ¡°Serena, you¡¯re really denial till you see the coffin, huh? Everyone here knows my master already applied for the patent long ago.¡± ¡°So where is the patent document?¡± Serena asked again. The man wiped sweat from his forehead, clearly feeling uneasy. ¡°Well¡­ I came in a hurry, how could I bring the patent document.¡± Serena smiled and turned to look at someone. Caleb saw Serena speak to Ethan White: N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on findnovel ¡°Ethan, could you help me with something?¡± Ethan White immediately stood up. ¡°Happy to serve.¡± He came to Serena¡¯s side, and following Serena¡¯s instructions, he turned on theputer and projector in the venue. After a brief operation by Serena, the screen immediately projected a website. ¡°This is Country A¡¯s patent system; by entering the patent document number, you can view the electronic patent document.¡± With Serena¡¯s calm words, the man kept wiping his forehead sweat nervously. ¡°How could I possibly know the patent document¡¯s number.¡± ¡°Then just make a phone call to ask your client, won¡¯t you find out?¡± ¡°My client is a designer master, busy with designs, has no time for this stuff.¡± ¡°Just making a phone call to ask for the number won¡¯t take much time.¡± ¡°I said he doesn¡¯t have time, so he doesn¡¯t!¡± The man¡¯s roar quieted down the entire venue, Serena sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not thatplicated¡­¡± Under everyone¡¯s gaze, she typed a string of numbers into the patent system. The electronic patent document instantly appeared. On the screen, clearly projected- 12:18 415 < 196 Chapter 196: Come with Me to the Law Firm Curved Seamless Invisible Embedding Technique, Applicant: Serena Jennings. Inventor: Serena Jennings. Patent Holder: Serena Jennings. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 4 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 197 197 Chapter 197: Secking Justice The entire venue fell into a solemn silence for three seconds, followed by an explosion of shock. 1 Sophia Shepherd saw Peter remain calm, and suddenly realized. ¡°Oh, so you knew all along that Serena Jennings is BYC?¡± Peter shrugged with a smile. Of course he knew. He was the one who discovered Serena Jennings¡® talent back in the university campus. Ethan White was also one of the few who didn¡¯t show surprise. He had guessed it himself. When he first saw the design style of the ¡°Piano¡± series, he guessed the designer was Serena Jennings. Only Serena couldbine pianos and wheels and present a broken feel in the design. That¡¯s why when he returned, he chose thetest music box from the Piano series as a gift for Serena. Because he knew it was designed by Serena. Serena hadn¡¯t initially nned to reveal her identity as BYC in this restorationpetition. But since ire Shaw and Cynthia Fulton had pushed her to this point, she went along with the flow. In the past, she didn¡¯t want to reveal her identity because of Ethan White. Her design inspiration for the ¡°Piano¡± series came from Ethan White, who had an ident and became a vegetative state because of her pianopetition. At that time, she was in pain, ming herself, unable to face the fact that Ethan became a vegetative person, and unable to face the piano she once loved. So she poured her depression into design. She researched and invented the curved seamless hidden iy technology to realize her unique design vision. Unexpectedly, her designs and craftsmanship became an instant hit, gaining recognition from the entire industry and consumers. But precisely because of its sess, she didn¡¯t want to im the identity of BYC. She felt like Ethan White was lying uncertainly between life and death, and she was profiting immensely from this inspiration. But now she no longer had this worry. Because Ethan White had awakened, staying by her side. 12.12 < 197 Chapter 197: Seeking Justice Serena instinctively turned her head and met Ethan White¡¯s gaze. She believed, Ethan White certainly understood her thoughts. Serena¡¯s gaze towards Ethan White was like the morning sunlight shining on theke, sparkling and shimmering Not far away, Caleb Lockwood silently watched this scene. His face was as cold as ice, yet his gaze was as hot as fire. Serena Jennings is BYC¨Cthe renowned master designer in the haute couture jewelry world. Reflecting on Serena¡¯s behavior after mentioning divorce to him, this possibility wasn¡¯t impossible. But until the patent document was revealed, Caleb Lockwood hadn¡¯t thought in that direction. Why not? Because for a long time, he had only regarded Serena as their Lockwood family¡¯s full¨Ctime wife. That¡¯s all. Caleb Lockwood clenched his right hand into a fist. So¡­ how much does he actually not know about Serena? After three years of marriage, how much does he understand Serena? BYC¡­ Caleb Lockwood repeatedly chewed on these three English letters in his heart, suddenly realizing something and widened his eyes. At the same time, ire Shaw, Cynthia Fulton, and the man Cynthia brought along were all dumbfounded. Especially ire Shaw. ¡°No¡­ impossible¡­ it¡¯s impossible¡­ Serena is BYC? How could Serena possibly be BYC?!¡± ire Shaw muttered to herself, her expression as if she¡¯d seen a ghost. Serena stepped towards ire Shaw¡¯s direction. With every step Serena took, ire Shaw retreated one step back. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, I¡¯m neither old nor have I taken you as my apprentice, even if you keep calling me master, I still think you¡¯re unworthy!¡± ire Shaw¡¯s face turned red and white at Serena¡¯s words. Serena then turned her head to look at Cynthia Fulton. ¡°That gentleman is not mywyer either¡­ So, Ms. Fulton, you and ire Shaw are suspected of fraud, defamation, infringement, and unfairpetition. I¡¯ll have someone deliver awyer¡¯s letter to youter.¡± Cynthia Fulton never expected that helping ire Shaw would bring such trouble upon herself. 12:18 215 < 197 Chapter 197: Seeking Justice Turning around, she red fiercely at ire Shaw, snorted at Serena, and left the venue angrily. ire Shaw was now isted and helpless. Everyone on site was gossiping about her, pointing fingers. They said she couldn¡¯t evenpare to Serena, whose hand was injured. They said she was a fraudster, full of lies. ire Shaw wished she could cover her ears, but even so, it was useless. Their gazes toward her said it all. ire Shaw knew she was finished! Originally, she wanted topletely destroy Serena¡¯s career through this antique repairpetition. Instead, it was her career that got destroyed. And her¡­ ire Shaw trembled and looked towards Caleb Lockwood. The moment she met Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze, she saw him turn his face away. At that very moment, ire Shaw felt as if she¡¯d been sshed with a basin of cold water, making her feel thoroughly chilled. What does she look like in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes now? A failure? A liar? Scheming? Foolish? Tears welled up and spilled over as ire Shaw covered her face and ran towards the door, running so hastily that her high heel twisted her ankle. Serena watched ire Shaw¡¯s limping figure coldly, This is what they call self¨Cinflicted suffering, isn¡¯t it? Until ire Shaw¡¯s ridiculous,ical figurepletely disappeared, Serena retracted her gaze, turned around, and bumped into Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Your hand is not injured¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was calm, Serena slightly raised her eyelids. Her hand was indeed not injured. Even if she is a globally recognized master designer, if her hands were truly fractured, it would have been impossible to have such a perfect performance today. 12:18 315 < 197 Chapter 197: Seeking Justice That evening, Serena was followed by two cars. Her intuition told her the adversary was targeting her, and well¨Cprepared. Serena was very fortunate that she had a ne she was designing for a client in her handbag at the time. Because the client requested a modification at thest minute, she put the finished product back into her bag. The car Serena was driving at the time wasn¡¯t high in discement, wasn¡¯t modified, and couldn¡¯t outrun the two German cars behind. So Serena contacted Ethan White while taking out the ne from the bag, tearing it apart, then lowering the car window to scatter the gemstones outside. Unexpectedly, those two cars would likely stop to collect them. At the very least, it might slow them down with hesitation. As facts proved, Serena gambled correctly. As the two cars behind stopped, she floored the elerator, turning onto another alley, trying to distance herself from them as much as possible. Eventually, her car was caught, but before that happened, she abandoned the car and ducked into a gas station. Eventually, Ethan White located her through tracking and caught one thug chasing her. Under Ethan White¡¯s threats and incentives, the thug divulged an ount that contacted them, and confessed they were ordered to cripple Serena¡¯s hand. The first person Serena thought of was ire Shaw. Ethan White asked Serena what she nned to do. Serena thought of using tactics to go along with the flow. She pretended her hand was injured, wanting to see what move ire Shaw would make. Sure enough, ire Shaw began openly snatching her clients. She even proposed topete against her in antique jewelry restoration on site. So Serena intentionally wore bandages on her hands at thepetition. She wanted to prove in front of industry insiders that ire Shaw couldn¡¯t even beat her while her hands were injured. Everything had developed ording to Serena¡¯s expectations. She just hadn¡¯t expected ire Shaw to bark in desperation and falsely use her of infringement. As a result, she took the opportunity to reveal her identity as BYC, thereby cornering ire Shaw. Serena exchanged looks with Caleb Lockwood. It was not surprising to her that Caleb Lockwood sought her out. After all, with how miserably ire Shaw lost today, if Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯te to avenge ire Shaw, he wouldn¡¯t be Caleb 12:18 < 197 Chapter 197: Seeking Justice Lockwood. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Original content can be found at F?nd-Novel Vote 4 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Send Gifts Rate the trantion quality Good 12:18 Mding 198 198 Chapter 198: Using Him as a Stand¨CIn 198 Chapter 198: Using Him as a Stand¨CIn ¡°So you think I bullied ire Shaw?¡± 1 Serena Jennings spoke, her voice sharp. Caleb Lockwood felt a heaviness in his chest. He shook his head, initially wanting to say, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± But before he could speak, Serena blocked his words. ¡°If President Lockwood is worried about your first love, your pure¨Chearted muse, you should chase after her rather than waste my time here.¡± After coldly finishing her sentence, Serena turned to socialize with Simon Coleman and the others. Her current identity was the BYC Master, and everyone in the entire jewelry design industry wanted to chat with her. Caleb Lockwood watched Serena Jennings being surrounded by the crowd, realizing he couldn¡¯t get in at all. He actually wanted to ask Serena what had happened when she was harassed by those thugs. ¡°Serena was indeed in danger, but I arrived in time to save her¡­ Anything else you want to know?¡± Ethan White¡¯s gentle voice came from behind Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood frowned and turned around. ¡°BYC¡­¡± He began to speak, but his voice abruptly stopped. This question was unnecessary. Because he had already figured out the answer. He just didn¡¯t want to ept it. BYC- The three letters Serena used as a code were precisely the initials of Ethan White¡¯s name in pinyin. As the corner of his eye caught Caleb Lockwood¡¯s clenched fists, Ethan White smiled knowingly. He leaned in, whispered close to Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car: ¡°Have you ever wondered why Serena married you back then?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyelids lifted. Ethan White¡¯s warm voice continued drilling into his ear. 12:16 < 198 Chapter 198: Using Him as a Stand¨CIn ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible¡­ that Serena always liked me, but after I had an ident and was hospitalized, she settled for recement?¡± you, as my Caleb Lockwood swung around, ring fiercely at Ethan White, who only smiled sincerely, making Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hair stand on end. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Ethan White walked away from Caleb Lockwood. Serena Jennings had just finished socializing over there and caught sight of Caleb Lockwood through the corner of her eye. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s hand was bleeding. At this moment, Ethan White arrived beside her, feigning ignorance: ¡°What¡¯s so fascinating about your ex¨Chusband?¡± Serena was taken aback, then asked with a smile: ¡°What did you say to Caleb Lockwood to make him this angry?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t feel sorry for him just because he lost a bit of blood, right? If that¡¯s the case, next time I¡¯ll carry ketchup with me.¡± Serena was amused by Ethan White¡¯s words. She was just curious about what Ethan White had whispered to Caleb Lockwood. ¡°However much blood he loses has nothing to do with me. If he loses too much, someone will call 911 to help.¡± With that, she left the venue apanied by Ethan White. Caleb Lockwood watched as Serena Jennings¡¯s figure be increasingly distant from him. He thought Serena would turn back to look at him. However, until Serena¡¯s silhouette vanished from sight, he did not receive that nce back. Caleb Lockwood gripped his already bleeding hand even tighter. The pain felt distinct. Yet for a moment, he couldn¡¯t distinguish what was truly hurting. ¡°President Lockwood, are you alright?¡± Simon Coleman noticed Caleb Lockwood¡¯s bleeding hand and asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Caleb Lockwood replied calmly. How could anything be wrong with him? Ethan White said Serena saw him as a substitute¡­ 1 Caleb Lockwood¡¯s charming smile suddenly turned into a cold grin. That¡¯s indeed a little interesting¡­ 12:19 L 216 < 198 Chapter 198: Using Him as a Stand¨CIn Ever since Serena Jennings imed the identity of BYC, many people started extending olive branches to her. High¨Cend jewelry brands like FY. Previously, she had only been in a cooperative rtionship with FY, cooperating solely on the ¡°Piano¡± series. This time, FY¡¯s higher¨Cups no longer feared Peter¡¯s constant contact with Serena would adversely affect FY. Now, they were eager for Peter to sell the sentimental concept, hoping Serena would deeply coborate with FY. There were also other cross¨Cborder joint projects approaching Serena. And multiple investors actively reached out to her wanting to invest in her studio. Serena was busy all afternoon, right until the evening. She genuinely hadn¡¯t expected the name BYC to have such influence. On her way home, her car encountered some issues, so she had to call a tow truck to take it away for repair. This ce wasn¡¯t too far from Vornath, Serena decided to walk. After all, this was downtown, she wasn¡¯t afraid of encountering thugs or rogues again. As a result, she was stalked once more. This time, she was familiar with the car that was following- Readplete version only at FindN()vel Imperial blue Bentley. It was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car. Serena walked forward, wrapped in her coat, with the imperial blue Bentley trailing behind. Eventually, Serena stopped and knocked on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car window. ¡°Do you need something from me?¡± Caleb Lockwood, seated in the driver¡¯s seat, remained silent. Serena frowned as she was stared at with a scrutinizing gaze by Caleb Lockwood. She couldn¡¯t interpret that look from Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood actually wanted to ask Serena something. For instance, why did she refuse to im the BYC Master identity before? Another example, why did she use Ethan White¡¯s initials as a code? For instance, whether what Ethan White said about her considering him a substitute was true? Additionally, how much more does he not know about her? Ultimately, Caleb Lockwood gave Serena an answer: 12:19 < 198 Chapter 198: Using Him as a Stand¨CIn ¡°Nothing.¡± Caleb Lockwood slightly shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything pressing to discuss with you.¡± Serena was surprised. ¡°Then why are you following me?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t following you.¡± 1 Caleb Lockwood¡¯s response surprised Serena again. ¡°Just heading in the same direction.¡± 1 Caleb Lockwood¡¯s voice was as cool and distant as always, without warmth, emotionless. Just like the asional wind blowing through this winter night. Serena suddenly regretted initiating that question with Caleb Lockwood. Doesn¡¯t that make her appear still conceitedly sentimental! Caleb Lockwood did not have business with her; they just happened to be heading in the same direction. As for why the imperial blue Bentley¡¯s speed matched hers so closely, perhaps only Caleb Lockwood himself knew. Serena shrugged, finding Caleb Lockwood rather inexplicable. However, since Caleb Lockwood had said he had no reason to seek her out, there was no need for her to waste any more words with him. Serena continued walking forward, the imperial blue Bentley still trailing behind, its window remaining down. The cold air streamed in directly, Caleb Lockwood steering with one hand, while the other pressed against his stomach. Then, a white Lexus stopped in front of his car. Stopping next to Serena. Caleb Lockwood saw Ethan White get out of the white Lexus. Ethan White walked around to the passenger side, opened the door for Serena, and took her bag, cing it on the back seat. After Serena got in, Ethan closed the door and returned to the driver¡¯s seat to start the car again. The white Lexus drove away, with Serena¡¯s home not far ahead. Caleb Lockwood realized that even such a short distance wasn¡¯t his ce to drive Serena home. His stomach hurt even more. Caleb Lockwood simply leaned on the steering wheel, sweating from his face, dampening the wheel. 12:19 < 198 Chapter 198: Using Him as a Stand¨CIn In the deep night, under dim streetlights, the once grand and noble imperial blue Bentley was sashed with a thinyer of clear snow, whether from cold or loneliness. Serena woke up to find it snowing outside. This was the second snowfall of the year. She inadvertently recalled that on this year¡¯s first snowfall, she went to confront The Lockwood Family, stimting Lance Lockwood so much he ended up hospitalized. Clearly, not long ago, yet it felt as if it happened ages ago. Serena smiled, relieved. On a whim, she decided to buy a new car, as her current one wasn¡¯t easy to drive, and now she had some capital. With difficulty hailing a taxi on snowy days, Serena walked forward a bit further, only to spot Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Bentley instead of a taxi. The Bentley¡¯s roof was covered with snow, its thickness surprising Serena. Could Caleb Lockwood not have leftst night? Comment 3 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 4 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 199 199 Chapter 199: Look Into Something For Me Caleb Lockwood woke up and found himself lying in the hospital. 1 His memory had obvious gaps, and no matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn¡¯t. How did he end up in the hospital? Caleb Lockwood didn¡¯t know. He simply didn¡¯t remember. His memory was still stuck onst night when he drove and followed Serena Jennings all the way until Serena got into Ethan White¡¯s car. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s stomach hurt terribly, and he leaned over the steering wheel. Whether he passed out from the pain or fell asleep, he had no idea. He spent the whole nightst night in the car, not far from where The Nash Family lived. Caleb Lockwood slightly lifted his eyelids. The door to the hospital room was knocked open, and a nurse walked in. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood opened his mouth, only to realize his voice sounded so weak. ¡°Who sent me to the hospital?¡± The nurse tilted her head, as if thinking about something, then replied: ¡°I don¡¯t know either, she said she was just passing by, doesn¡¯t know you¡­ ¡°Passing by¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood frowned and asked again: ¡°Was it a man or a woman?¡± The nurse opened her mouth. ¡°¡­It was a man.¡± The light in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes dimmed immediately, and his brow furrowed even tighter. ¡°Okay, I understand, thank you¡­¡± After the nurse left, Caleb Lockwood closed his eyes, unable toprehend the feelings in his heart. Before long, the door to the hospital room opened again, this time the visitors were Mr. Miller and some bodyguards and servants. Fresh chapters posted on find~novel ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± 12.19 115 < 199 Chapter 199: Look Into Something For Me Caleb Lockwood wondered. ¡°The hospital notified me.¡± Mr. Miller answered, seeing a disappointed expression appear on Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face. ¡°How did the hospital get your phone number?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Seeing Mr. Miller shaking his head, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s brow wrinkled like crumpled paper. Mr. Miller didn¡¯t ask Caleb Lockwood much about why he was suddenly hospitalized. The reason wasn¡¯t important to him. Caleb Lockwood getting better as soon as possible was crucial. Caleb Lockwood not only had a stomach illness but also caught a cold from the freezing weather. The recent outbreak of the flu virus was rampant, and fortunately, he was taken to the hospital promptly; otherwise, it could have resulted in more severe consequences. Caleb Lockwood closed his eyes and rxed for a while in the hospital room before Mr. Miller brought him some herbal medicine. The herbal medicine was still the old form. But the taste was different. Mr. Miller saw Caleb Lockwood frown and drink only a sip of the herbal medicine but did not continue drinking it. ¡°President Lockwood, is there something wrong with the medicine?¡± ¡°Bitter¡­¡± Mr. Miller: ¡­ The herbal medicine had always been bitter, but Caleb Lockwood had neverined about the bitterness before. Why the medicine tasted particrly bitter today, Caleb Lockwood himself couldn¡¯t say. ¡°By the way, Mr. Miller, please check something for me.¡± ¡°President Lockwood, please tell me.¡± ¡°That group of punksst time¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood only said this much. ¡°Understood.¡± That was what Mr. Miller was good at; he never needed Caleb Lockwood to finish his sentences. After Mr. Miller left, Caleb Lockwood still drank the whole bowl of herbal medicine. Indeed, it tasted much bitterer than before. < 199 Chapter 199: Look Into Something For Me Outside, snow was falling heavily. This second snowfall was heavier and quicker than the first. When Serena Jennings took a taxi to the BMW dealership, she could see Ethan White standing at the entrance from afar. Ethan White wore a white long wool coat with snow piled on his head and shoulders, making him look like a fluffy snowman. His hands were in the coat pockets, standing upright and motionless. Serena Jennings was amused and pained at the same time, quickly getting out of the car and running to Ethan White. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m sote.¡± Serena Jennings apologized to Ethan White while reaching out to brush the snow off his coat. ¡°It¡¯s so cold outside, you should have waited inside the shop for me.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Ethan White shook his head and said, ¡°I waited here so you could see me right away when Ethan White had a gentle smile on his face, a smile that was never too bright. But in this winter season, it was extremely warm, right to the heart. ¡°By the way, you said on the phone you had something urgent, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Ethan White asked curiously. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, just did a good deed.¡± Serena Jennings knew her answer was a bit evasive. But she understood Ethan White wouldn¡¯t press further. ¡°Okay, as long as you¡¯re fine.¡± As expected by Serena Jennings, Ethan White didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Serena Jennings smiled slightly, grateful for Ethan White¡¯s consideration, But no matter what, she was almost two hourste, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. Unexpectedly, Ethan White had been waiting outside for her all this time. ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together after we finish looking at the car!¡± Serena Jennings said, and Ethan White nodded. ¡°Okay, you can treat me to a meal, but I must pay.¡± you arrived.¡± Serena Jennings smiled but didn¡¯t agree. Before she could push open the shop door, Ethan White had already opened it for her. She was here today to look at cars, not for a random selection. 12:10 < 199 Chapter 199: Look Into Something For Me Considering cost¨Ceffectiveness and possible customization, she finally chose the original BMW 3 Series. Ethan White also agreed with her choice. Without spending too much time, the car was already bought, and she could pick it up the day after tomorrow. The two of them had hot pot for lunch nearby, and Serena Jennings insisted on paying, but ultimately she couldn¡¯t outmatch Ethan White. When they came out from the hot pot restaurant, the snow outside had stopped, but the ground was covered with a thickyer of snow, crunching underfoot. ¡°Do you have working up?¡± Ethan White asked Serena Jennings, who gave a wry smile. ¡°Work? There¡¯s plenty of it! There are 74 high¨Cend orders currently, all requiring unique designs, made¨Cto¨Cmeasure, 15 coborative projects, the new FY series is still being discussed, and both KDY and DFN want me to be their consultant. Oh, and Queen Elizabeth is asking if I would like to hold a jewelry design exhibition¡­¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s head spun at the thought of all this work. ¡°I think what I need most right now is to find an office building first.¡± After Serena Jennings spoke, she saw Ethan White nod repeatedly. ¡°Uh¨Chuh¡­ Since you¡¯re so busy, why not skip work today!¡± 1 ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Serena Jennings almost thought she misheard. Ethan White suddenly took her hand and led her across the street. Serena Jennings wasn¡¯t wearing gloves, and neither was Ethan White. Their hands intertwined, warming each other¡¯s palms. Across from the hot pot restaurant was a small park, deserted in the winter chill. ¡°It¡¯s rare to have such heavy snow, let¡¯s y a snowball fight!¡± At first, Serena Jennings thought Ethan White was joking, but despite his smile, Ethan White¡¯s eyes were serious. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t know if Ethan White wanted to y himself or wanted her to rx. Thetter seemed more likely, Since they were already here, Serena Jennings decided not to dwell on piling work and agreed to have fun with Ethan White. ¡°Wait a second.¡± Serena Jennings was about to make a snowball when Ethan White stopped her. 13:10 416 < 199 Chapter 199: Look Into Something For Me He took off the blue scarf from his neck and wrapped it around hers. By the roadside, a yellow Lamborghini screeched to a halt. Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 4 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 200 200 Chapter 200: In Ethan White¡¯s Embrace Patrick Rhodes rolled down the car window, his big eyes staring intently at the park. 1 The cars behind him were blocked, honking their horns incessantly. Only then did Patrick slowly pull over to the side of the road. He was sure he hadn¡¯t seen wrong. Serena Jennings was indeed together with a man. The man was supposed to be Serena¡¯s high school ssmate. Patrick had heard a bit about this high school ssmate. He knew that the guy had a deep connection with Serena. Yet seeing him tie his scarf around Serena¡¯s neck in such a public ce made Patrick feel ufortable. He got out of the car, striding swiftly towards the park. ¡°Serena, what a coincidence!¡± Upon hearing Patrick¡¯s voice, Serena was very surprised. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± In her memory, this small park was quite remote, and the surrounding area was under development. Not to mention on a snowy day like this; even in the height of summer, there weren¡¯t many people around. Patrick nonchntly said, ¡°I was passing by and saw you guys ying snowball fight. Can I join?¡± Serena: ??? Was snowball fighting really such an attractive sport? Serena subconsciously looked at Ethan White. She didn¡¯t mind letting Patrick join, but Ethan and Patrick weren¡¯t familiar with each other. Patrick approached Ethan White, frowning and raising his chin, looking like he was challenging him. Serena watched from the side, bewildered, She didn¡¯t understand why Patrick had such hostility towards Ethan upon first meeting him! ¡°This is my high school ssmate, Ethan White.¡± Serena proactively introduced Patrick and Ethan to each other. ¡°This is Patrick¡­ a good friend of Caleb Lockwood.¡± E 12:10 < 200 Chapter 200: In Ethan White¡¯s Embrace ¡°Also your good friend.¡± Patrick corrected, puffing with pride. Serena awkwardly tugged at the corner of her mouth. Were she and Patrick really good friends? ¡°Patrick, is it okay for you to be here ying snowball fight with us? What about yourpany?¡± Serena asked curiously. But in her impression, Patrick wasn¡¯t that career¨Coriented anyway. ¡°I wasn¡¯t heading to thepany¡­¡± Patrick waved his hand at Serena, ¡°By the way, Serena, don¡¯t you know Brother Lockwood is hospitalized?¡± Serena was taken aback. Beside her, Ethan White pursued, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°He fainted from stomach pain.¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°Just this morning!¡± After hearing Patrick¡¯s words, Ethan¡¯s eyes slightly lowered. ¡°So you didn¡¯t know! No wonder you can still enjoy a snowball fight here.¡± Serena crossed her arms. C ¡°I can still y snowball even knowing it now!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to visit Brother Lockwood?¡± ¡°No.¡± Serena tly refused. Patrick opened his mouth but didn¡¯t persuade Serena further. Serena is now divorced from Caleb; emotionally and rationally, her not visiting Caleb isn¡¯t a mistake. Seeing Serenapletely let go of her feelings for Caleb, Patrick actually felt pleased. But when he thought of Serena turning to Ethan¡¯s embrace after giving up Caleb, he couldn¡¯t be happy. Before they started the snowball fight, Serena¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and the caller ID made her expression turn serious. ¡°Sorry, I need to take this call.¡± She told Ethan and Patrick, then turned and walked deeper into the park, clearly not wanting others to hear the conversation. 12:19 215 < 200 Chapter 200: In Ethan White¡¯s Embrace Left behind, Patrick and Ethan looked at each other. Patrick stared at Ethan¡¯s face, examining him closely. Ethan had an attractive face, far more handsome than today¡¯s period drama leads. However, the more Patrick looked, the more he frowned, the more he disliked him. Pfft, just a pretty face. He evaluated Ethan in his mind. Ethan noticed Patrick ring at him, unfriendly, yet smiled calmly. ¡°Mr. Rhodes, you like Serena too, don¡¯t you?¡± Ethan¡¯s tone was as casual as asking about the weather. Patrick¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°Who¨Cwho likes her! We¡¯re¡­ just, just ordinary friends¡­¡± Patrick stuttered as he spoke, his face growing hotter, as if steaming, and his heart pounding. Ethan smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s good then¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s good? Say it clearly!¡± Patrick red at Ethan. Ethan¡¯s handsome face remained lightly smiling, his voice was as clean and cold as snow falling on the ground. However, what he said shocked Patrick. ¡°Because Serena will be mine sooner orter, I advise you not to harbor useless desires for her.¡± Just as Ethan dered war on Patrick, Serena was deep in the park, on the phone. The voice on the other end was Chance Bell. ¡°The phone number and payment ount you gave me earlier are foreign virtual numbers, and I¡¯m still investigating who¡¯s behind the server. They¡¯re clever, all I know is it¡¯s in Meridia, but it might not be targeting you, just selling virtual numbers¡­ I¡¯ve found out who used the virtual number to hire thugs¡­¡± Serena listened silently, names surfacing in her mind, only needing concrete evidence. ¡°It¡¯s Cynthia Fulton, the daughter of the Fulton Family¡± In the hospital room, Mr. Miller was reporting investigation results to Caleb Lockwood. Caleb¡¯s frown eased slightly. 12:19 < 200 Chapter 200: In Ethan White¡¯s Embrace ¡°Understood, you may leave.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Mr. Miller left the room, Caleb¡¯s brow furrowed again, tightly. The stomach that had finally stopped hurting began to ache faintly. When he heard Mr. Miller say the mastermind behind the thugs was Cynthia Fulton, he actually breathed a sigh of relief. However¡­ Was ire really not involved at all? Was it necessary for Cynthia, as the mastermind, to insist that the thugs destroy Serena¡¯s hands? The more Caleb thought about it, the more his stomach hurt. In his mind appeared the image of a young girl. The girl was only twelve or thirteen, exquisitely good¨Clooking, but with grayish¨Cwhite dyed hair and a mouth full of braces, unsure if she was obedient or rebellious. Official source is Find~Novel Caleb pressed tightly on his chest, looking conflicted. So¡­ Had he changed? Or had his Ellie changed? Or perhaps¡­ Both of them had changed? 12 ET For three consecutive days, ire hadn¡¯t gone anywhere or done anything. She locked herself in her house and even disconnected from the inte. Currently, it was difficult for her to continue in jewelry design. But besides jewelry design, she knew nothing else, The psychology doctorate was a fake degree she obtained to present herself aspetent and multi¨Ctalented to others. Valerie Vance advised her to lie low now, wait for Serena¡¯s limelight to pass, and then use the connections she had built with Caleb Lockwood to rise again. ire also agreed with this, so she temporarily handed her studio over to her assistant to manage, Even if her current clientster wanted to stop working with her, at least at this stage, they had contracts. She hadn¡¯t breached them, so it was unlikely they¡¯d risk ending the agreements carly. However, on the evening of the fourth day, ire received a call from her assistant: 12:19 Mding 201 201 Chapter 201: Reiming Her True Identity 201 Chapter 201: Reiming Her True Identity Serena Jennings was trying on dresses at ZM store, as Miss Zhao recently designed a few new styles and invited her toe and try them on. ¡°Lana, try this one on for size.¡± Serena picked up another dress to hold up to Lana Xavier. ¡°Big sis, I came to help you pick a dress, how did it end up with you picking one for me?¡± Serena grinned widely. She needed a new gown to attend the Jewelers¡® Association¡¯s banquet, and giving one to Lana was simply because she was in a good mood and had some extra money. ¡°Just to be clear, even though you¡¯re a richdy now, I can¡¯t just take things from you without reason. Or is it¡­you want to pursue me?¡± Serena was amused by Lana¡¯s teasing andughed so hard she bent over. Miss Zhao watched them from the side, a smile of relief on her face. She had always worried that Ellie, after bing Serena, might not live well. But now, it seemed Ellie was better off after leaving the Linton Family. Leaving the Linton Family, she lived more happily. Thinking of the Linton Family, Miss Zhao¡¯s lips sagged again. Ellie didn¡¯t leave the Linton Family on her own¡­ Ellie was abandoned by the Linton Family. Miss Zhao couldn¡¯t help but furrow her eyebrows, crossing her arms. There, Serena was still teasing with Lana when she turned her head unintentionally and saw Miss Zhao looking serious, as if burdened by something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Zhao?¡± Serena walked over, asking proactively. Lana, though normally carefree, wasn¡¯tpletely oblivious. She sensed Miss Zhao wanted to speak with Serena alone, so she intentionally carried all the dresses Serena picked for her into the fitting room to change slowly. ¡°Ellie¡­¡± Serena knew as soon as Miss Zhao called her this name that she wanted to talk about the Linton Family. < 201 Chapter 201: Reiming Her True Identity ¡°Did you know that the Linton Family adopted a foster daughter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Serena nodded, ¡°Chance told me.¡± Content originallyes from find?novel ¡°How can you be so calm!¡± Miss Zhao looked exasperated, ¡°Your parents would rather adopt a girl from god¨Cknows¨Cwhere than recognize their own biological daughter, it¡¯s really¡­¡± ¡°Enough, Miss Zhao, please don¡¯t say anymore.¡± Serena¡¯s expression turned unprecedentedly cold. ¡°But I heard that foster daughter has already started managing quite a few Linton enterprises, being groomed as their official sessor, and they even n to select a business ally from the upper¨Css elite for her¡­¡± Miss Zhao grew more indignant as she spoke. This treatment should rightfully belong to Serena. ¡°I still find it unreliable, even if she¡¯s a foster daughter, she¡¯s ultimately an outsider with no blood ties¡­I don¡¯t know how your parents can be so assured¡­¡± Miss Zhao, with long¨Cstanding rtions with the Linton ancestors, naturally considered their perspective. Yet Serena shook her head with a smile, believing Miss Zhao was fretting unnecessarily. To those two, especially the Linton Family¡¯s patriarch who ruled with an iron fist- Serena Jennings was the true outsider. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on how Lana¡¯s wardrobe change is going¡­¡± Serena strode towards the fitting room, Miss Zhao¡¯s sigh echoing behind her. She brought this up with Serena hoping she would intervene, even ideally return to the Linton Family and reim her rightful identity. But judging by Serena¡¯s demeanor, she held little affection or hope for the Linton Family. What¡¯s most dire is, the Linton Family felt the same towards Serena. ¡°Wow Lana, you look absolutely stunning!¡°. Serena couldn¡¯t stop praising Lana, who donned a luxurious and elegant silver sequin gown. ¡°Come to the banquet with me this time, see if there¡¯s any handsome guy that catches your eye, and I¡¯ll y matchmaker for you.¡± Serena was genuinely serious. Lana wasn¡¯t getting any younger. In the past, she didn¡¯t have the means or connections, but now she had gained some reputation and influence in the jewelry design world, and she indeed had intentions to introduce someone to Lana. However, Lana waved her hand dismissively. 40-54 214 < 201 Chapter 201: Reiming Her True Identity ¡°Ohe on, your circle is way too high¨Css, who would be interested in me! Besides, I have no interest in yboys¡­¡± Even though Lana said this, as she looked at herself in the dress in the mirror, she somewhat felt a hint of romantic interest. Maybe looking like this, she might actually attract some handsome guy! Ultimately, Lana decided to buy the silver sequin gown, though she insisted it shouldn¡¯t be a gift from Serena. ¡°I became friends with you not for your money, besides you¡¯re running apany now, you shouldn¡¯t squander money¡± Serena understood Lana was looking out for her, so she gave Miss Zhao a look. Miss Zhao understood, only charging Lana a fraction of the original price for the dress, iming it was heavily discounted. The two finished shopping happily and were about to leave, but they hadn¡¯t even reached the store¡¯s entrance when someone blocked their way. ¡°Serena¡­¡± ire Shaw appeared out of breath, staring intently at Serena. It was winter, ire had a car, yet she was sweating profusely, her face flushed red, panting heavily, clearly having run quite a bit. Lana¡¯s face changed when she saw ire Shaw and immediately stepped forward, blocking Serena anxiously, fearing ire might do something harmful to Serena. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lana.¡± Serena patted Lana¡¯s shoulder,ing out from behind her. No matter what ire wanted, she couldn¡¯t let Lana act as her shield. ire¡¯s eyes were filled with anger, unwillingness, and humiliation. ¡°Serena, on what grounds did you revoke my Jewelers¡® Association membership?¡± ire clenched her fists tightly, growing more furious with each thought. Just an hour ago, her deputy called to inform her that a previously ordered batch of high¨Cquality colored gems had been refused for delivery by the factory. The reason was that their factory¡¯s cooperation was limited to Association members, and she had ced the order using her member status, which she no longer held, thus their refusal to deliver didn¡¯t breach any contract. This news was a bolt from the blue for ire. She currently had ten high¨Cend custom clients, each needed the colored gems, and without them, she couldn¡¯t deliver the finished products on time, breaking her contracts! ire frantically reached out to others, finally figuring out who had revoked her membership. She leveraged connections to find Serena¡¯s whereabouts, but her car broke down halfway. > 201 Chapter 201: Reiming Her True identity Afraid Serena would leave ZM, she ran all the way there, making her legs almost numb. Serena shrugged with a smile seeing ire¡¯s plight. ¡°Because I¡¯m the president of the Jeweler¡¯s Association now, and I can revoke anyone¡¯s membership if I want to ire was stunned. She expected Serena toe up with an excuse, but Serena was so blunt and unapologetic. ¡°You¡­¡± Now, she was speechless. Serena tried to leave with Lana but was blocked again by ire. ¡°Miss Shaw, if you continue to pester me, I¡¯ll have to call the police.¡± ¡°Serena, you can¡¯t do this to me, this is personal vendetta!¡± ire shouted loudly, ¡°You can¡¯t mess with me like this just because Caleb doesn¡¯t love you and loves me instead!¡± 1 Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 6 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > ͼ Send Gifts View All > ch.201 Terrible < Mding 202 202 Chapter 202: What Serena Jennings as bid to H Her 202 Chapter 202: What Serena Jennings Did to Her Serena Jennings and ire Shaw stared at each other.1 She truly admired ire; even at this critical juncture, she didn¡¯t forget to use Caleb Lockwood to provoke her. ire had thought that after saying this, she could at least see suppressed pain in Serena¡¯s eyes. Since Serena was cutting off her source of ie, she naturally wouldn¡¯t let Serena feelfortable. However, Serena¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all. Not only was there no pain, but instead, there was a smile. ¡°If Caleb truly loves you that much, do you think I could revoke your qualification so easily?¡± When Serena asked this question, she was really just trying to return tit for tat. As for whether Caleb was unaware of this matter, or was aware but hadn¡¯t acted, Serena was uncertain. What she didn¡¯t expect was that ire suddenly turned red¨Ceyed and started cursing: ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, you bitch! If it weren¡¯t for you, Caleb couldn¡¯t possibly neglect me!¡± ire raised her hand intending to p Serena, but she ended up receiving a p from Serena instead. This p from Serena was quite heavy. She had a naturally strong hand, and uponnding the p, ire¡¯s half¨Cface turned red. ire was dumbfounded, her ears buzzing, and her face stinging with pain. With a thud, she copsed on the floor, covering her face and wailing, as if she had suffered great injustice. In the hospital. Caleb should have been discharged long ago. Yet he kept putting off leaving. Serena hadn¡¯te to visit him. Initially, he thought Serena was unaware. So he instructed Mr. Miller to spread the news of his hospitalization for a stomach ailment widely. He thought by staying in the hospital a few more days, he could wait for her toe. Until Patrick Rhodes identally revealed that Serena actually knew he was in the hospital. Knowing he¡¯s hospitalized yet not visiting. It was deliberately to avoid seeing him. 16:51 > 202 Chapter 202: What Serena Jennings Did to Her ¡°President Lockwood, your stomach can be taken care of slowly at home¡­ Avoid anger, stay away from spicy food, don¡¯t stay upte¡­¡± The dean personally approached Caleb; he knew the other wanted him to vacate the room. He really should leave. Hospitals, even first¨Css wards, are ufortable ces. Moreover, there¡¯s no more reason to continue staying. Just when Caleb was handling discharge procedures, his phone rang suddenly, and the caller ID lit up his lifeless eyes instantly. At the ZM store, ire had been crying for nearly half an hour before finally hearing the sound of someone opening the door. ¡°Caleb!¡± She immediately threw herself into Caleb¡¯s arms. Caleb¡¯s body stiffened slightly. He looked up at Serena. Serena was dressed in an elegant blue suit, her hair in a bun, exuding professional charm from top to bottom. Serena was also looking at him, her gaze serene. Or rather, calm. For some reason, despite Serena¡¯s extremely beautiful eyes, Caleb didn¡¯t particrly want to meet them. ¡°Hurry up and take her away, don¡¯t dy Ms. Zhao¡¯s business.¡± Serena¡¯s tone matched her gaze, detached and calm. Caleb suddenly thought of something- Wasn¡¯t this how he used to face Serena? ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ire called Caleb¡¯s name again, her voice pitiful. She had been crying on Caleb¡¯s chest for a while, yet Caleb remained unresponsive. Caleb did indeed lower his head to look at ire after hearing her voice. ire¡¯s face was tear¨Cstreaked, her eyes swollen like peach pits, half her face red and swollen, clearly pped. Caleb frowned, lifting his gaze to ask Serena: ¡°You did this?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Serena admitted boldly, as Caleb¡¯s frown deepened further. 16:51 < 202 Chapter 202: What Serena Jennings Did to Her This gave ire more chance to y the victim; she had been worried Serena would deny it! ¡°Caleb, Serena revoked my membership with the Jewelry Association, and the factory won¡¯t supply me. I¡¯m facing huge penalty fees and credibility issues¡­ I came to beg her for mercy, and she not only cursed me but hit me¡­¡± ire grew more aggrieved as she spoke, crying like a pear blossom in rain. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Lana Xavier couldn¡¯t help but curse from the side: ¡°You sure know how to act! You were the one who cursed Serena first, you were also the one who tried to hit Serena¡­¡± Before Lana could finish, Serena waved her hand, stopping Lana from saying more. Serena knew such rebuttals were futile in front of Caleb, who would only believe ire, especially since ire had indeed been pped, crying her eyes out. ¡°Caleb, you have to believe me. Look at how miserable I am; if you hadn¡¯t shown up, who knows how much worse Serena would¡¯ve hit me!¡± ire clutched Caleb¡¯s arm tightly, her tear¨Csoaked eyes making it hard to doubt her sincerity. ¡°¡­ Yes, I believe you.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was low. Lana hearing this couldn¡¯t help but mutter ¡°Damn.¡± Caleb ignored Lana and turned his gaze to Serena. He didn¡¯t believe Serena could remain unfazed. Serena was watching him. Her beautiful eyes were like a painting- Very calm. Still very calm. Caleb¡¯s heart no longer felt calm. He frowned, a fire of anger rising in his eyes. Serena saw this and knew Caleb, as expected, didn¡¯t believe Lana¡¯s words but believed ire. ¡°Can I speak a few words with you alone?¡± Caleb spoke. His voice wasn¡¯t as cold or angry as Serena imagined. ¡°Is there really a need for this?¡± 18:52 > 202 Chapter 202: What Serena Jennings Did to Her ¡°There is.¡± Seeing Caleb¡¯s stance, Serena knew if she didn¡¯t agree, he¡¯d forcibly take her away. Caleb asking her opinion before acting was like the sun rising from the west. Although asking her opinion was meaningless. Outside, night had fully descended, with few pedestrians on the road. Serena and Caleb arrived outside the ZM store. ¡°What do you want to say? Say it!¡± Serena didn¡¯t even nce at Caleb, naturally missing theplex emotions of agitation, conflict, and confusion between his brows. ¡°I hope you can show mercy on my behalf and let ire off.¡± Caleb¡¯s voice was low. These words amused Serena. ¡°President Lockwood is asking me?¡± Chapters first released on F?nd-Novel Caleb shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then is it an order?¡± Caleb shook his head again. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s all you have to say, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Serena turned to go but was suddenly grabbed by Caleb. Caleb¡¯s palm was still so cold. Just like Caleb himself. Serena shook off Caleb¡¯s hand, directly meeting his neon¨Cring eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t let ire off.¡± ¡°Serena¡­¡± ¡°I will use all my power to suppress her until she goes bankrupt.¡± ¡°You can assist ire like you did before with the raw stones, there¡¯s no need to persuade me to hold back.¡± Serena¡¯s voice was firm and unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation. 18157 202 Chapter 202: What Serena Jennings Did to Hor Yet Caleb didn¡¯t get angry but rather smiled, showing an enigmatic pleasure. ¡°So you¡¯re using this way to avenge me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter Vote 6 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Mding 203 203 Chapter 203: Utter Humiliation Serena Jennings raised her eyelids slightly. 1 Reflected in her eyes, Caleb Lockwood looked quite confident. As if all her efforts to revenge him were just because she cared about his performance. Serena knew Caleb Lockwood had always been very self¨Cassured. He had the reasons to be self¨Cassured. But this was the first time Serena found Caleb¡¯s self¨Cconfidence somewhat amusing. ¡°You really think too highly of yourself.¡± After saying this lightly, she turned and went back into the ZM store, then walked out with Lana Xavier and got into the car. Caleb¡¯s tall figure still stood at the store entrance, like a statue. Inside the store, ire Shaw was still waiting for Caleb¡¯sfort. However, even when Zhao was about to close the shop, Caleb didn¡¯te in. ire had no choice but to walk outside. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± She called Caleb, rubbing her swollen eyes. Caleb gave no response. ire was surprised, unable to guess what Caleb was thinking about with such focused attention. Caleb only snapped out of it when someone honked loudly on the road. Only then did he notice ire was standing beside him. ¡°Caleb, what were you thinking about?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Caleb shook his head. What he had been thinking was- The words Serena said to him, ¡°You really think too highly of yourself,¡± were words he had once said to Serena. Surely, Serena was taking revenge on him. Understanding this, Caleb inexplicably felt somewhat better. ire noticed an additional hint of apology in Caleb¡¯s gaze, involuntarily feeling a sense of joy amidst her misfortune. 1652 116 203 Chapter 203: Utter Humiliation Though she had been humiliated by Serena, being able to make Caleb feel sorry for her, the p she received didn¡¯t seem in vain. Caleb took ire to the hospital to check her face, then sent ire back to Riverside Manor. On the way, ire hinted several times to Caleb that she didn¡¯t want to go home, using the excuse that she was afraid her parents would question the injuries on her face. Even if Caleb wouldn¡¯t do anything with her, the Caleb from before would at least have taken her to The Seaside Vi. ¡°Then shall I ask Mr. Miller to book a hotel nearby for you?¡± Caleb¡¯s indifferent voice was like a bucket of cold water, leaving ire feeling thoroughly chilled. Today, she had been severely humiliated by Serena, with her qualification revoked, her supply cut, and even hit. And Caleb tells her to stay in a hotel?! ire forced herself to suppress her temper, and pitifully asked Caleb: ¡°Then Caleb¡­ will you stay with me?¡± ire¡¯s slender elegant hand gently, like a light feather, rested on Caleb¡¯s thigh. The next day, Serena came to the cultural creative park. Her new office was now here. And the building next door was the office of The Jewelers¡® Association. Serena now held multiple positions, rapidly increasing her influence in the jewelry design industry. However, concerning the entire business circle, Caleb was undoubtedly the authority. So Serena originally thought she would receive many calls today, from various sectors either threatening or persuading her to let ire return to The Jewelers¡® Association. However¡­ Not a single person contacted her. Serena even confirmed with the colored gemstone suppliers, that side wasn¡¯t pressured by Caleb either. ¡°How strange¡­¡± Serena muttered to herself. Given Caleb¡¯s affection for ire, it was impossible for him to just watch ire go bankrupt and do nothing. In fact, she was right. ire indeed didn¡¯t go bankrupt. Because Caleb helped pay off every huge penalty fee. 216 < 203 Chapter 203: Utter Humiliation Serena sat in her office with a self¨Cdeprecating cold smile on her lips. She thought of her previous studio going bankrupt. Back then, Caleb didn¡¯t even offer a helping hand, instead adding insult to injury. But she was also thankful Caleb didn¡¯t help her, allowing her to soberly realize- First love means nothing. Serena picked up The Jewelers¡® Association¡¯sndline and dialed a string of numbers. That evening was the 70th anniversary g of The Jewelers¡® Association. Most of the invited guests were association members. But members were also allowed to bring friends and family to attend. For example, Serena brought Lana Xavier. Lana wore the silver sequin dress she bought earlier from the ZM store, paired with silver high heels as per Serena¡¯s suggestion, and even deliberately went to the beauty salon for hair and makeup. ¡°You say, dressed like this, I can really meet my Prince Charming?¡± Lana looked skeptical. Serena nodded repeatedly, ¡°You definitely can, I¡¯m helping you find one.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re the one finding, I absolutely can¡¯t ept it.¡± Lana dismissively waved her hand. ¡°Why? I think my taste isn¡¯t bad!¡± ¡°Enough already!¡± Lana was speechless at Serena¡¯s inexplicable confidence. ¡°If If your taste is good, you wouldn¡¯t have set your sights on that big jerk, Caleb.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Serena opened her mouth but had nothing to say. However, in her heart, she felt Lana misunderstood her. When she fell for Caleb, Caleb wasn¡¯t a jerk yet. People just change. 1 She once thought her first love with Caleb would be unforgettable, but unexpectedly for Caleb, ire was the unforgettable one. Luckily, she¡¯s clear¨Cheaded now. 36:62 203 Chapter 203: Utter Humiliation ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t trust my taste, can¡¯t you find one yourself?¡± ¡°Find one myself? No way¡­¡± Lana looked around disinterestedly. Most guests at this g were here forworking and business talks. Few were looking for romance! Moreover, she felt she wasn¡¯t on the same wavelength as the business crowd. ¡°Alright, alright, take your time, you¡¯ll eventually find someone who feels right.¡± Serena was about to take Lana over to the dance floor when an association staff whispered in her ear. ¡°Sorry Lana, I have something to handle.¡± ¡°Hmm, you go do your thing!¡± Serena followed the staff to the entrance of the venue. At the entrance, two security guards were blocking ire. When ire saw Serena, her eyes immediately seemed to re up. Serena lowered her gaze, sized ire up and down. ire wore a pink dress and held an invitation, obviously here to attend the g. The invitation had been sent a month ago to the members of The Jewelers¡® Association, back then ire was still a member, naturally receiving an invitation. With an invitation, the security shouldn¡¯t block her logically. But now everyone knew Serena was the new president of The Jewelers¡® Association. And the first thing she did upon taking office was revoke ire¡¯s membership. Not letting ire in was to appease S¨¦rena. ¡°Serena, I have an invitation, they have no right to block me!¡± ire shouted righteously. Though herpany didn¡¯t have debts, didn¡¯t copse, she now had no customers. This g was her big opportunity, she couldn¡¯t miss it. Serena calmly extended her hand toward ire. ¡°Who knows if your invitation is fake, let me see it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of paper, why would I fake it?¡± 16.52 416 < 203 Chapter 203: Utter Humiliation ire angrily handed her invitation to Serena. With a ripping sound, Serena tore the invitation in two and threw it into the trash can nearby. ire was dumbfounded. ¡°Now, you don¡¯t have an invitation.¡± ¡°Serena!¡± ire wed the air as if wanting to pounce on Serena and bite her, but was stopped by the guards. ¡°If she causes more trouble, call the police, and issue a statement.¡± Serena instructed the association staff. ¡°Serena! You bitch, you dare treat me like this, I¡¯ll make you pay!¡± Still restrained by the guards, ire shouted curses at Serena. Serena gave the guard a look. ¡°Throw her out.¡± ire was immediately lifted by two guards and while kicking and struggling, was tossed out of the venue like trash. Inside the venue, Lana vaguely heard ire¡¯s curses. Afraid Serena might be in trouble, she ran in high heels towards the entrance. ¡°Oh no!¡± She identally stepped on her dress hem, twisted her foot and nearly fell. Fortunately, someone caught her in time. Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 7 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Discover more novels at Find_Novel(. Rate the trantion quality Good Mding 204 204 Chapter 204: Heartbreak Serena Jennings had just returned to the venue when she saw Lana Xavier being grabbed by a man¡¯s arm. It was the first time she had seen Lana show such an expression. Calling it infatuation might be a bit exaggerated, but not too far off. Lana¡¯s eyes were wide and round, staring at him unblinkingly, the surprise and affection apparent in her eyes showed she had developed a strong liking for him. Serena was a bit surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected Lana to actually have a romantic encounter at this dinner party, and it was love at first sight. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The man asked Lana, but she was still drowning in his handsome appearance. In Serena¡¯s view, he wasn¡¯t exactly a top¨Cnotch hunk. He couldn¡¯tpare to Caleb Lockwood or Ethan White. However, his features were delicate and had a natural charm, especially his baby face, which gave a youthful impression, and his smile seemed innocent and pure. Serena recognized this man. Or rather, she had seen him before. Back in Meridia, when she apanied Caleb Lockwood to a function as his wife, actually on the asion to get divorced, she had met this man at the party. ¡°Thank you¡­ Ah, my name is Lana Xavier. What¡¯s your name?¡± Lana stood upright, her ankle still hurt, so even if he withdrew his hand, she reluctantly held onto his arm. ¡°My name is Julian Xavier.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also a Xavier?¡± Lana¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I thought our Xavier name was rare!¡± Serena stood by watching, feeling amused. Lana was clearly just making conversation, trying to chat with him! Julian Xavier, she remembered, was the gics expert from CelestiMed. Now that CelestiMed had opened a branch in City A, Julian seemed to be the person in charge. In terms of work and looks, he was impable; theoretically, if Lana and he truly ended up together, it would be a wonderful match. However¡­ 204 Chapter 204: Heartbreak Serena frowned. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable unease deep in her heart, a nervousness. Lana was still eagerly chatting with Julian Xavier, while Julian had already started to show impatience, ¡°Lana!¡± At this moment, Serena called out, and walked over. Julian Xavier saw Serena, his gaze subtly changed, then he turned his head and asked Lana. ¡°Are you a friend of Chairwoman Jennings?¡± ¡°Yes, Serena and I are ssmates from high school.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Julian smiled gently, his previous look of impatiencepletely disappeared. ¡°Chairwoman Jennings, I¡¯m Julian Xavier, from the CelestiMed branch.¡± Julian handed his business card to Serena. Serena also handed over her business card. ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve met before in Meridia.¡± ¡°I know¡­ But at that time, Chairwoman Jennings was still spoken for.¡± Julian¡¯s words surprised Serena. It seemed that in Meridia, everyone knew she was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s wife. However, now everyone knew she had divorced Caleb. ¡°I never expected Chairwoman Jennings not only to be beautiful but also the renowned BYC master, possessing both beauty and talent¡­¡± Julian¡¯spliment was something Serena wouldn¡¯t take to heart; it was merely polite words for the asion. Beside her, Lana lowered her head somewhat disappointedly. ¡°Lana is my best friend, she¡¯s now a teacher at a training school, her job¡¯s quite good.¡± Serena said while pushing Lana forward, towards Julian. ¡°I have some things to handle over there, you two can chat slowly.¡± With that said, Serena turned and left. Only when she was far away did she turn back to secretly observe Lana and Julian. Seeing the two chatting andughing, she felt a bit relieved. She didn¡¯t know much about Julian Xavier. 16:52 778 Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n findnovel 204 Chapter 204: Heartbreak But being chosen by CelestiMed, and coborating with The Lockwood Group, at least he wasn¡¯tcking in ability, an outstanding person indeed. The rest depends on his character. Serena suddenly thought of Caleb Lockwood. And Caleb¡¯s character? Caleb was a jerk to her, but to ire Shaw he was a caring man. But tonight, Caleb didn¡¯t apany ire Shaw here. If Caleb were here, the security wouldn¡¯t dare follow her instructions to throw ire Shaw out. In Serena¡¯s memory, ire Shaw and Caleb had once been inseparable, seemingly a pair like conjoined twins. Yet recently, every time she saw ire Shaw, ire was alone. Serena casually grabbed a cocktail, took a sip, and warned herself not to dwell on the matter. Whether Caleb and ire Shaw were close or not, it had nothing to do with her. Earlier, Caleb said she was retaliating against him. But she really wasn¡¯t. Her retaliation was solely against ire Shaw. Although the mastermind who hired the thugs turned out to be Cynthia Fulton, she didn¡¯t believe ire Shaw had no part in it. Her revenge on ire Shaw was justified. As for Caleb¡­ Serena drank another sip of cocktail, this time she finished the entire ss. Between her and him¡­ Remaining as strangers, having no intersection would be best. As the dinner party was winding down, Serena received a call from Ethan White saying that the car was almost there. Although Ethan worked flexibly, after all, he was a talent brought in by the government, and couldn¡¯t really do no work all day. Today he was quite busy, so Serena had invited Ethan to the dinner party, but he politely declined. However, Ethan did say he would drive over to pick her and Lana up once the party ended. The whole evening, Serena and Lana barely exchanged a few words because Lana had been glued to Julian Xavier the whole time. Serena was certainly happy for Lana to find her own happiness, but considering Lana¡¯sck of experience in love, she was worried Lana would get hurt emotionally. 204 Chapter 204: Heartbreak Just like she did in the past. ¡°No need, Serena, Mr. Xavier said he¡¯ll drive me home.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mr. Xavier isn¡¯t a bad person.¡± Lana said cheerfully. Serena thought Lana¡¯s fondness for Julian Xavier was apparent, even to a blind person. But Julian¡¯s attitude was ambiguous. ¡°Mr. Xavier, are you sure about taking Lana home?¡± Serena asked Julian, her gaze was sharp and assessing. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s on my way, and I¡¯ve already agreed with Lana.¡± Having just met tonight, Julian was already calling Lana by her first name, making Serena frown. Beside her, Lana blushed, smiling shyly. ¡°Alright then!¡± Serena rxed, pulling out the business card Julian had given her earlier, and dialed the number on it. Julian¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Lana¡¯s phone is out of battery. I¡¯ll contact youter; I need to ensure Lana gets home safe.¡± Julian smiled and nodded. Lana couldn¡¯t help but pull Serena¡¯s arm and whisper, ¡°Why are you testing his number on the spot? I mean, could he possibly give you a fake business card?¡± Serena frowned, unable to exin why she felt uneasy about Julian. In the end, Lana left with Julian, while Ethan only picked up Serena. On the way, Serena kept talking to Ethan about Lana¡¯s love¨Cat¨Cfirst¨Csight with Julian. ¡°Serena, why do you worry like a mother hen?¡± ¡°How can I not worry?¡± Serena sighed, ¡°Lana used to say I was like a love¨Cstruck fool. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s much better, and this is her first time liking someone; of course, I have to watch out for her, so she doesn¡¯t take the wrong path like I did.¡± Ethan drove, stealing sideways nces at Serena, especially when she spoke thetter part. Luckily, Serena¡¯s face didn¡¯t show pain, entanglement, or lingering emotions. Ethan pulled back his gaze and drove steadily. The car entered Vornath Street, the headlights illuminating a person standing under Serena¡¯s apartment building¡ª Caleb Lockwood turned around, seeing Serena sitting in Ethan¡¯s car. 476 205 Chapter 2 Mding 205 05: The Lockwood Group Centennial Celebration 205 Chapter 205: The Lockwood Group Centennial Celebration Seeing Caleb Lockwood underneath her building, Serena Jennings was somewhat surprised. 1 Not seeing Caleb¡¯s shy luxury car nearby, and with Caleb dressed more warmly than usual, she couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Caleb hadn¡¯t driven but walked here. Ethan White pulled the car to a stop, just right in front of Caleb. He and Serena Jennings could see Caleb clearly from inside the car. Caleb outside the car could see Serena and Ethan clearly as well. Caleb frowned, the displeasure on his face was evident. As Serena got out of the car, Ethan also stepped out. Content originallyes from f¦É?dn¦Ïvel Caleb could tell Ethan was exhibiting a posture as if afraid he¡¯d bully Serena. Caleb couldn¡¯t help but shrug with a smile. ¡°Not going to invite me up for a sit?¡± Serena noticed Caleb¡¯s nose was red from the cold, seeming like he¡¯d waited a long time beneath her building. She couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised. Before the divorce, she didn¡¯t recall Caleb actively showing up before her so frequently. ¡°If there¡¯s something to discuss, just say it here.¡± Serena¡¯s response was expected by Caleb. However, imagining her answer and actually hearing it are two different feelings. Serena¡¯s voice, when actually heard, was even more cold than Caleb had imagined. ¡°Saying it here is cold.¡± Caleb calmly uttered these few words: ¡°Then let¡¯s say it in the car¡­¡± Serena turned her head, looking around for Caleb¡¯s car, only to hear Caleb lightly adding: ¡°I didn¡¯t drive¡­ I came on foot.¡± Serena couldn¡¯t help but say in her heart: He really walked here! From where did he walk? The Lockwood Group? Or The Jade Pavilion? 205 Chapter 205: The Lockwood Group Centennial Celebration No matter from where he walked, the distance was far. In the freezing winter, leaving the car unused and choosing to walk¡­. Serena raised her gaze slightly. Could it be that Caleb did it deliberately for the reason of creating a situation where she would have to let him in? Serena and Caleb faced each other, with a kind of awkward stalemate between them. After a moment, Ethan spoke: ¡°I have a car, you can use mine to talk¡± ¡°No need¡± Caleb rejected firmly. Serena gently patted Ethan¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you head back first!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll call you.¡± Ethan opened his mouth, inhaled sharply, and didn¡¯t say anything more. He was resolute in not feeling at ease about Serena being alone with Caleb, especially in Serena¡¯s home. Yet he didn¡¯t want to protect Serena excessively, making Serena feel not free. In the end, Ethan silently watched as Serena led Caleb upstairs. He understood that Serena asked him to leave first because she knew he¡¯d been busy with worktely and wanted him to rest. But Caleb was currently in Serena¡¯s home, showing no intention of leaving. Ethan returned to his car without moving it? Upstairs, Caleb walked into Serena¡¯s home. This wasn¡¯t his first time in this old building on Vornath Street. But this time, it was his first time to observe the arrangement and decor inside the house carefully. Despite being small in size, the house was well¨Cequipped. Serena hadn¡¯t remodeled it but had arranged it with an air of elegance and taste. The money spent was minimal, yet the effect was excellent. This reminded Caleb involuntarily of The Jade Pavilion- The original marital home he shared with Serena. The initial d¨¦cor of the marital home was decided by his mother, leaving Serena without any voice or contention. 16:53 205 Chapter 205: The Lockwood Group Centennial Celebration But post¨Cmarriage, he mentioned once that he disliked the upstart style his mother arranged, hence gradually, the soft d¨¦cor style began to change. It became fresher and also cozier. Just like this house on Vornath Street. After Serena left, the soft d¨¦cor style of The Jade Pavilion hasn¡¯t changed, but the previous cozy feeling has beenpletely lost, bing both empty and deste. Serena originally thought Caleb would get straight to business once he entered the room, but instead, Caleb first took a look around her home and then fixedly stared at her sofa. Initially his gaze was quite calm but then gradually turned sharp, with his brow furrowing increasingly intensely. For a time, Serena couldn¡¯t understand why Caleb was fuming at a sofa. Could it be that her online¨Cordered sofa was made by apetitorpany of the Lockwood Group? Serena was both crying andughing. Finally, Caleb in lengthy silence turned his head to Serena and spoke: ¡°Not even going to pour me a cup of coffee?¡± Serena shrugged, also not knowing what Caleb was dying about. Spending one more minute in her house, could the stocks of the Lockwood Group possibly hit another limit up? Out of politeness, Serena still went to pour Caleb a cup of water. Caleb thanked her, looking down, it wasn¡¯t coffee in the cup but in boiled water. He took a small sip, surprisingly sweet. Better than coffee. Serena sat back down on the sofa, quietly observing Caleb as he stood there drinking, savoring the taste. ¡°The water in my kettle is from yesterday.¡°. Caleb paused his water¨Cdrinking gesture. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, say it quickly!¡± Serena felt if she didn¡¯t urge Caleb, he might very well drink yesterday¡¯s water all night. ¡°Next month¡­ is The Lockwood Group¡¯s centennial celebration, don¡¯t forget toe.¡± Serena was taken aback, then btedly realized- She was still a shareholder of The Lockwood Group! ¡°Mhm, okay.¡± 18:53 276 < 205 Chapter 205: The Lockwood Group Centennial Celebration After Serena spoke, she watched Caleb continue to drink the overnight water. Serena tilted her head. ¡°Do you have anything else?¡± ¡°Nothing else.¡± Serena: ????? So Caleb rather not drive, braving the cold over a long walk to her building, just toe upstairs and talk about- Reminding her to attend The Lockwood Group¡¯s centennial celebration? Was this something that couldn¡¯t be said over the phone or written on WeChat, or mentioned downstairs? Serena looked at Caleb, her face filled with confusion. ¡°You sure you have nothing else to say to me?¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t ire Shaw tell you I tore up her invitation tonight and had her thrown out by security?¡± Caleb paused his water¨Cdrinking gesture once more. ¡°¡­ She mentioned it.¡± Serena sneered. She knew Caleb¡¯s visit was a thousand percent still about ire Shaw. ¡°Talk of attending a centennial celebration was just bait, the real matter you wanted to discuss is ire Shaw, right?¡± Currently ire Shaw has been expelled from The Jewelers¡® Association, and her existing clients have all disappeared. Serena¡¯s next move is to find ways to get banks to cut off ire¡¯s loans, and let all investment parties except Caleb withdraw. Though with Caleb covering her, ire may never go bankrupt, but at least ire will be severely weakened. Caleb silently observed Serena. The expression on Serena¡¯s face was still easy to read. ¡°ire poses no threat to you now, it¡¯s unnecessary for you to hate her and detest her so viciously because of me. She¡¯s merely trying to be an ordinary jewelry designer. If you keep targeting her like this, herpany will sooner orter copse.¡± 416 Mding 206 206 Chapter 206: Show Some Respect 206 Chapter 206: Show Some Respect. ¡°I¡¯m targeting her?¡± 1 Serena Jennings red at Caleb Lockwood, noticing that Caleb slightly turned his face away. What was Caleb feeling guilty about? He had been speaking up for ire for quite some time now. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t hired someone to ruin my hand first, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered to target her.¡± After listening to Serena¡¯s words, Caleb put down the water cup and said calmly: ¡°That was Cynthia Fulton¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Do you have evidence proving ire didn¡¯t participate?¡± ¡°Do you have evidence proving she did?¡± The living room suddenly fell silent. Caleb secretly gritted his teeth, feeling a burning pain in his eyes. Because Serena was staring at him angrily. Tonight, he came to see Serena, not for ire. ire hade to him, crying, saying Serena tore up her invitation and threw her out like trash. She imed Serena wanted to destroy everything of hers. Caleb knew well that ire wouldn¡¯t be destroyed by Serena. As long as he was willing to intervene. But he hesitated. Yet, he couldn¡¯t ignore ire. Because he promised her that no matter what happens, he would protect her. Caleb believed that he would never break his word. Especially not to his Ellie. The anger in Serena¡¯s eyes gradually subsided, reced by ayer of frost. Why was she still angry! She had experienced Caleb¡¯s favoritism towards ire countless times, she should have been numb by now. ¡°Since President Lockwood is so concerned about ire¡¯s career, why not marry ire into the Lockwood Family as the mistress of the 41K < 206 Chapter 206: Show Some Respect Lockwood Group! Just letting ire open a small jewelry design studio while being suppressed by me isn¡¯t that a waste of talent?¡± Serena casually mocked. Indeed, she couldn¡¯t quite understand this. At least for now, with her overseeing The Jewelers¡® Association, ire wouldn¡¯t gain any advantage. The Lockwood Group¡¯s business empire is immense, if ire were formally married, she¡¯d be the mistress of the Lockwood Group and her career would flourish, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡°After all, didn¡¯t you promise her long ago, that after divorcing me you¡¯d give her a title.¡± Serena¡¯s casual remark made Caleb¡¯s expression change. ¡°Did ire tell you that?¡± He grabbed Serena by the hand. Serena immediately shook off Caleb¡¯s hand. ¡°Please show some respect.¡± Serena¡¯s nails scratched Caleb¡¯s fingers, causing a slight pain. Caleb clenched his hand. ¡°Done talking now?¡± Serena opened the door. Caleb realized that every time he came to Serena¡¯s ce, she¡¯d drive him out. Cold air rushed into the room, Serena sneezed first. Caleb walked over, closed the door, and then handed Serena a tissue. Serena didn¡¯t take it. ¡°Your snot is almost dripping into your mouth.¡± Seeing Caleb reaching out, as if to help her wipe her snot, Serena immediately turned her head away, instinctively taking the tissue from Caleb¡¯s hand and blowing her nose. ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside, and it¡¯s toote. I didn¡¯t drive here¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s calm voice came from behind Serena. Serena turned her head, her eyes revealing confusion, only to hear Caleb continue: ¡°Can I stay at your ce?¡± Downstairs, the white Lexus remained idle. 18:21 245 < 206 Chapter 206: Show S Some Respect Ethan White hadn¡¯t left, sitting in the car staring intently at Serena¡¯s building entrance. Finally, he saw Calebe out. Just then, a royal blue Bentley drove by and stopped. Ethan saw a man in a suit get out of the car and run over to Caleb, presumably Caleb¡¯s assistant. Only after Caleb got into that royal blue Bentley and left did Ethan breathe a sigh of relief. He took out his phone and sent Serena a ¡°Goodnight,¡± then drove away. Serena had just confirmed Lana Xavier¡¯s safe arrival home when she received Ethan¡¯s text. The simple ¡°Goodnight¡± somehow improved her mood, which had been worsened by Caleb tonight. Serena replied to Ethan¡¯s text, then climbed into bed and turned off the bedsidemp. The bedroom was pitch ck, yet Serena couldn¡¯t fall asleep immediately. Her mind involuntarily recalled Caleb¡¯s words before he left- ¡°Whether you believe it or not, tonight I came to see you¡­ simply because I wanted to see you.¡± Serena turned over, forcing herself to sleep. Maybe Caleb sincerely wanted to see her, but she truly didn¡¯t want to see Caleb. In the following weeks, Serena was incredibly busy, but with significant results. Except for the Lockwood Group, all other investors withdrew from ire¡¯s venture. In just over ten days, ire¡¯spany drastically downsized, and its assets were decreasing daily. Serena knew well that Caleb would never abandon ire. Since the Lockwood Group is willing to keep such a financial burden, she was more than pleased. Today was the Lockwood Group¡¯s centennial celebration. It was already past seven in the evening, and Serena was still buried in her office working on designs. The joint product line with FY was still undecided due to a design impasse. The sessful ¡°Piano¡± series had drawn inspiration from Ethan White¡¯s car ident. Serena hoped this time her inspiration wouldn¡¯t stem from someone else¡¯s misfortune, that her new design could surpass ¡°Piano¡°, surpass her past self. In the Lockwood Group¡¯s grand hall, lights shed, and sses clinked. The celebration tonight had all of the Lockwood¡¯s top and mid¨Clevel management present, including governmental figures, business elites, partners, and clients¨Call invited. 18:21 < 206 Chapter 206: Show Some Respect As the pir of the Lockwood Family, Lance Lockwood was also there, apanied by the beaming Arthur Lockwood. At least in Country A, especially City A, the Lockwood Group¡¯s status is currently unassable. The entire celebration atmosphere was warm and harmonious, the host was enthusiastic on stage, and all guests smiled, as if influenced Original content can be found at find(?)ovel by the festive mood. However, Mr. Miller was somewhat anxious, sitting on pins and needles. He asionally sneaked nces at Caleb. Caleb had been looking around ever since the celebration started, evidently searching for someone. The more he searched, the colder Caleb¡¯s expression became, and the more menacing his aura grew from head to toe. Mr. Miller knew clearly who Caleb was looking for. On such an important day as the Lockwood Group¡¯s centennial celebration, only one shareholder was absent. In the cultural creative park. Serena, biting her pen, heard her phone vibrating, nced at the caller ID. In the Lockwood Group¡¯s grand hall. Caleb held his phone as a busy signal echoed in his ear. Then it disconnected. Caleb frowned tightly, dialed again. It got hung up again. Just as Serena was thinking Caleb would relentlessly call her a third time, she received Caleb¡¯s message: I¡¯ve sent Mr. Miller to pick you up. If you don¡¯te, I¡¯ll fire him. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 7 ~ Mding 207 207 Chapter 207: Saving Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Life 207 Chapter 207: Saving Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Life Serena was speechless at the message, feeling that working by Caleb Lockwood¡¯s side wasn¡¯t easy for Mr. Miller. 1 ¡°When mypany grows bigger and stronger, should I try to headhunt Mr. Miller as my assistant?¡± The thought suddenly crossed Serena¡¯s mind. But considering the sry Caleb was paying Mr. Miller, she felt that she couldn¡¯t afford it at this stage. Originally, Serena had no intention of attending the Lockwood Group¡¯s centennial celebration, even though Caleb had informed her in advance. This was why she didn¡¯t want to ept any shares of the Lockwood Group before the divorce, no matter what. Once she became a shareholder, there would inevitably be entanglements with the Lockwood Group. Considering Mr. Miller¡¯s job security, Serena gathered her things and headed downstairs. Downstairs, the emperor blue Bentley was eye¨Ccatching, like a starry sapphire, even under the deep night sky. Serena paused in astonishment. But soon she felt it was reasonable for Mr. Miller to be driving Caleb¡¯s car. After all, Mr. Miller often served as Caleb¡¯s driver. ¡°Sorry for making youe all this way, Mr. Miller.¡± Th?s chapter is updated by find?novel Serena opened the passenger door, got in the car, and turned her head to see her ¡°driver¡± in the driver¡¯s seat- ¡°Caleb Lockwood?¡± Serena was shocked. Caleb nced at her coolly and said ndly, ¡°Buckle up.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay¡­¡± While buckling her seatbelt, Serena was puzzled. She distinctly remembered Caleb saying in the message that he sent Mr. Miller to pick her up, so why did Caleb himselfe? After all, tonight was the Lockwood Group¡¯s centennial celebration, and Caleb, instead of overseeing the event, personally came to be her driver? This just didn¡¯t make sense! And although she was a shareholder of the Lockwood Group now, she held no significant position for the group. No matter how she thought about it, Serena couldn¡¯t understand why Caleb personally came to pick her up. 18:21 207 Chapter 207; Saving Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Life Could it simply be that he wanted to see her again? Serena shrugged with a smile, They hadn¡¯t been driving long when suddenly someone dashed out from the side. Fortunately, Caleb braked in time. However, the person fell to the ground with a thud. Serena¡¯s eyes widened, Was this¡­ a staged ident? Caleb frowned and got out of the car almost simultaneously with Serena. Standing at the front of the car, Serena spoke first: ¡°Are you okay? I felt like we didn¡¯t hit you¡­¡± As Serena bent down to check the person¡¯s condition, the person suddenly pulled a knife from their pocket and stabbed it into Caleb¡¯s abdomen, who was shielding Serena. ¡°Caleb!¡± Serena used all her strength to support the copsing Caleb. A massive amount of blood flowed from the wound, staining Caleb¡¯s and Serena¡¯s clothes red. Caleb was in so much pain that he broke into a sweat, his consciousness gradually fading. ¡°Caleb, Caleb, hang in there!¡± Serena couldn¡¯t be bothered about the assant getting away; right now, saving Caleb¡¯s life was the priority. She pressed hard on the wound to stop the bleeding, then called 911. The dispatcher told her ambnces were dispatched, but only one could make it over, and it would take about 15 minutes due to roadwork causing massive traffic. Serena hung up the phone, quickly put Caleb into the car, and drove his Bentley at lightning speed to the nearest hospital. The Lockwood Group¡¯s grand hall. From the Lockwood family onwards, other guests began to notice something was amiss. Where did Caleb go? Tonight was the Lockwood Group¡¯s centennial celebration; Caleb was there earlier, yet he vanished, and it¡¯s been a while. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Caleb?¡± Lance Lockwood asked Arthur Lockwood, but Arthur was just as confused. They called for Mr. Miller, who didn¡¯t dare to hide anything from Lance and Arthur, knowing Caleb went to pick up Serena. 18:21 207 Chapter 207: Saving Caleby Lockwood¡¯s Life Initially, Caleb instructed him to pick up Serena, but why the sudden change of ns, he wasn¡¯t sure either. ¡°You mean Caleb personally went to pick up Serena?¡± Arthur¡¯s voice changed. This was beyond surprising for him. And an ominous sign. However, for Lance, it was quite the opposite. Hearing that Caleb drove himself to pick up Serena, Lance¡¯s eyes lit up for once. ¡°How long has he been gone?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Furrowing his brows, Mr. Miller wore a worried expression. By this time, Caleb should¡¯ve already returned with Serena. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong! Chairman!¡± Lance¡¯s assistant ran over in a panic but immediately feigned calm upon meeting Lance¡¯s gaze. No matter what happened, even if the sky were to fall, the Lockwood family couldn¡¯t panic in front of so many clients. The assistant whispered hurriedly into Lance¡¯s ear, causing his expression to change dramatically. At the hospital, Caleb finally woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Lance, Arthur, Lilian Young, Patrick Rhodes, and ire Shaw gathered around him. Everyone looked at him with a mix of worry and joy. This time, his memory wasn¡¯t fragmented. He remembered driving to pick up Serena, then getting into a staged ident, and getting stabbed by the other person. Caleb blinked and weakly spoke: ¡°Where¡¯s Serena?¡± ¡°How could you ask about that jinx first? If it weren¡¯t for her, you¡¯d never get hurt this badly,¡± grumbled Lilian Young from the side, disgruntled. ¡°It¡¯s not like Serena stabbed Caleb herself. If you want to me someone, me the assant,¡± Lance righteously countered. ¡°And if Serena hadn¡¯t made the prompt decision to drive Caleb to the hospital, who knows what might have happened now! The doctors even said, thankfully he was brought in time, or Caleb could have bled out and been in real danger!¡± 18 21 315 207 Chapter 207: Saving Caleb Lockwood¡¯s Life With Lance speaking up for Serena, Lilian did not dare vent her anger on her anymore. ire stood quietly in the background, not daring to utter a word. At first, this incident seemed perfect for her to stir things up, but considering Lance¡¯s protective stance towards Serena, coupled with her declining status in Caleb¡¯s outlook recently, it wasn¡¯t the time to intervene. Caleb was silent for a moment and asked: ¡°Where¡¯s Serena?¡± He repeated the question. Arthur sighed first. His expression didn¡¯t look good from the outset, hearing that Caleb personally went to get Serena, and worsened on learning about Caleb taking a stab for her. Arthur rarely agreed with Lilian, but on this point that Serena was bad luck, he concurred. ¡°Serena is in the hallway¡­¡± Caleb lifted his gaze. The patient was weak, and so when his eyes brightened, it was very noticeable. In the hallway, Serena was as quiet as a statue. Perhaps because hospital corridors were inherently quiet. Serena sat on a bench, her hands sped together. Beside her was Caleb¡¯s hospital room. This scene pulled Serena back to memories of her and Caleb¡¯s reunion years ago. Back then, she too sat quietly outside the hospital room, worriedly waiting for Caleb to wake up. Comment 1 Post your firstment! Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. 18.21 ¡ê3 Mding 208 208 Chapter 208: To Avenge Her That time, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s car ident wasn¡¯t because of her. But this time¡­ Serena Jennings bit her lower lip, her eyebrows furrowed tightly. ¡°Serena, Caleb¡¯s awake, he wants to see you.¡± When Arthur Lockwood peeked out from the ward and said this, Serena stood up quickly. However, when she stepped into the ward, everyone else had already left. As she brushed past ire Shaw, Serena distinctly saw ire re at her viciously. At this moment, only Serena and Caleb Lockwood were left in the room, quieter than the hallway. Serena looked at Caleb Lockwood lying weakly in the hospital bed, about to express her gratitude, when she heard Caleb say lightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Serena was stunned. Why was Caleb Lockwood thanking her? Clearly, Caleb Lockwood took a knife for her; she should be the one thanking Caleb. Yet Caleb¡¯s sincere gaze only made Serena more puzzled. ¡°No, you saved my life, I should be the one thanking you.¡± Serena said earnestly. No matter why Caleb Lockwood took that knife for her at that time, the result was Caleb Lockwood was gravely injured, while she remained unharmed. Both emotionally and rationally, Serena had to thank him. ¡°No, it¡¯s me who has a grudge against that person¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s words surprised Serena. ¡°That person was a high¨Cranking official who wasid off from Newcross Real Estate.¡± Caleb stopped there, but Serena was left bewildered. Newcross Real Estate¡­ If she remembered correctly, it was the Fulton Family¡¯s business. If the person hated capitalists because ofyoffs, shouldn¡¯t they hate the Fulton Family? 18:21 208 Chapter 208: To Avenge Her Why did Caleb Lockwood think the person had a grudge against him? Serena opened her mouth, but didn¡¯t ask the question she wanted to. Anything rted to Caleb Lockwood¡­ She didn¡¯t need to care. ¡°I just drove you to the hospital, it was the doctors who saved your life.¡± Serena emphasized. ¡°Hmm, I thought so too¡­¡± Once upon a time. Caleb¡¯s words made Serena feel baffled. If Caleb also thought this way, then why thank her right away? Serena tilted her head. Ever since she divorced Caleb Lockwood, Caleb¡¯s mannerisms became increasingly difficult for her to grasp. Caleb¡¯s gratitude earlier was for both this time and many years ago. Back then, he had a car ident because ire Shaw left for Meridia. Heter learned that Serena had carried him all the way to the hospital. But when Serena entered the ward, he hadn¡¯t even said a word of thanks to her. Because the doctor was the one who saved his life. At least, that¡¯s what he believed at the time. He only asked Serena how much she wanted. He had money, and since Serena brought him to the hospital, he wouldn¡¯t short¨Cchange the reward owed. Looking back now, Caleb realized¡­ Serena had actually saved him many times. For the first time, Caleb felt warmth in his chest. The ward fell silent once more. Serena felt there was no need for her to stay any longer. ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb your rest.¡± She turned to leave. ¡°I don¡¯t want to rest. 18.21 215 < 208 Chapter 208: To Avenge Her Serena turned around and met Caleb¡¯s gaze. She intended to say, ¡°Do as you please,¡± but Caleb interjected: ¡°Tell me a joke!¡± Serena: ???? She recalled the doctor saying Caleb had suffered a severe abdominal stab wound, not a head injury, right? ¡°The doctor said you should get some sleep.¡± ¡°Then sing me a luby.¡± ¡°I think I should get a neurologist for you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Caleb¡¯s overly serious question left Serena in fits ofughter. Ultimately, considering Caleb had taken a knife for her, Serena sat by the bedside and yed a luby for Caleb on her phone. The soothing tune made the atmosphere in the ward much cozier. ¡°When I was hospitalized with stomach pain before¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s voice, apanied by the luby, didn¡¯t sound as cold as usual. ¡°Patrick Rhodes said he told you, but you didn¡¯te to see me¡­¡± Serena acknowledged with a sound. ?????? ???? find(?)ovel Actually, without Patrick telling her, she knew Caleb was in the hospital for a stomach issue. ¡°Why?¡± Caleb¡¯s question made Serena furrow her eyebrows. ¡°Because we are divorced.¡± This definitive answer was like a knife, drawing a line between Serena and Caleb. ¡°But if¡­¡± Caleb¡¯s words were again left hanging. Serena turned back, seeing Caleb with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. She stood up, left the ward. Caleb always had someone to apany him; for example, right now, as she stepped out, ire Shaw hurriedly went in. Serena thought Patrick Rhodes would follow suit. After all, Patrick was Caleb¡¯s loyal friend, but instead, Patrick enthusiastically approached her for a chat. 18:22 375 < 208 Chapter 208: To Avenge Her Serena guessed Patrick probably didn¡¯t want to disturb ire Shaw and Caleb¡¯s private time. Conveniently, she had questions for Patrick, so they walked outside the inpatient building for a while.. ording to Patrick, recently, Newcross Real Estate¡¯s stock had plummeted, assets evaporated, and they¡¯ve been under investigation by the prosecutor¡¯s office; all rted businesses of The Fulton Family were in chaos. To reduce liabilities, Newcross Real Estate conducted massyoffs, affecting many people. The reason behind Newcross Real Estate¡¯s sudden crisis, known by insiders, was Caleb¡¯s doing. ¡°The guy who stabbed Brother Lockwood was reportedly theprehensive department manager at Newcross Real Estate. After being his hatred for Brother Lockwood was understandable!¡± The more Serena listened, the more unsettled she became. Why did Caleb suddenly target Newcross Real Estate? Lockwood Group and The Fulton Family were supposed to live separately, not interfering with each other. Suddenly, Serena recalled Caleb had once told her, the night she almost lost her hands to some thugs, it was Cynthia Fulton behind it. Could it be¡­ Serena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No, impossible¡­ Seeing Serena shaking her head, Patrick couldn¡¯t help but retort, ¡°Why not? A gambler pushed to desperation could do anything.¡± Listening to Patrick, Serena¡¯s mind was in turmoil. Would Caleb go after Newcross Real Estate just to avenge her? Serena chuckled bitterly, realizing her old habit of overthinking had resurfaced. Though Caleb did say the person had a grudge against him. Based on Patrick¡¯s information, Caleb did qualify as his enemy. However, thinking back, Serena still believed that night, the person¡¯s target was her, not Caleb. If the person indeed targeted Caleb, he shouldn¡¯t have fled in panic after stabbing Caleb; he should have rejoiced, feeling his revenge was fulfilled. Serena sighed, just then her phone rang. Evening time, at Newcross Real Estate. Cynthia Fulton was frantically busy when suddenly the office door was flung open. 38.22 Mding 209 209 Chapter 209: Already in Love with Serena Jennings ¡°Cynthia Fulton, what do you mean!¡± Cynthia looked up and saw ire Shaw storming into her office, waving off the assistant. The assistant left, closing the office door, leaving Cynthia and ire inside. ¡°You have the nerve to question me? If I hadn¡¯t helped you earlier, would I have provoked Caleb Lockwood?¡± At first, ire was full of anger, but hearing Cynthia¡¯s words, she suddenly felt uneasy. ¡°So it was Caleb who really brought down your Fulton Family?¡± ¡°Who else but him!¡± Cynthia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. She initially thought ire was a good ally against Serena, but Serena not only remained unscathed but her career kept flourishing. Now look at her, almost bankrupt due to Caleb, the once respected socialite now drowning in debt. The more Cynthia thought about it, the angrier she became. ¡°ire Shaw, are you truly Caleb¡¯s first love, his one and only? Caleb took us down the Fulton Family to avenge Serena; has he already fallen for her?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± ire denied it vehemently. However, ire¡¯s intense reaction seemedughable to Cynthia. N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F?nd-Novel It¡¯s like the typical response when someone¡¯s sore spot is hit. Seeing that Cynthia was mocking her, ire crossed her arms and retorted: ¡°You couldn¡¯t even hold onto a man; you¡¯re just the same. Now your Fulton Family is on the brink, and Justin Nash never wanted to marry you, now he has a perfect excuse!¡± ¡°ire Shaw!¡± Cynthia raised her hand, but ire caught her wrist. ¡°Enough, let¡¯s not fight amongst ourselves. Our in¨Cfighting only benefits Serena.¡± After hearing ire¡¯s words, Cynthia snorted coldly and withdrew her hand. ire was right. Ever since the Fulton Family faced trouble, targeted by Caleb Lockwood, the Nash Family didn¡¯t offer help but instead wanted to break off the engagement. Cynthia med all of this on Serena. TR:22 14 < 209 Chapter 209: Already in Love with Serena Jennings ¡°Right now, we should think carefully about how to bring down Serena. Ultimately, it¡¯s all her fault. What¡¯s the use of seeking revenge on Caleb?¡± Cynthia looked at ire¡¯s concern for Caleb and couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°What? Are you feeling sorry? Yet your Caleb has his whole heart set on Serena!¡± ¡°When I say no, it means no!¡± ire couldn¡¯t help but shout at Cynthia. She would never believe Caleb took action against the Fulton Family to avenge Serena. But at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but be d that when they hired thugs, it was Cynthia¡¯s doing; she only stood by giving advice, fanning the mes. ire took a deep breath, feeling somewhat guilty. She feared Caleb might uncover the truth. Cynthia watched ire, thinking she was still deceiving herself. She never sent anyone to take revenge on Caleb Lockwood. Even though Caleb targeted the Fulton Family, she didn¡¯t have the courage to send someone after him. She merely disclosed some information to the minister of the general department, who begged her not toy him off, such as Newcross Real Estate being targeted because Caleb wanted to vent his anger on Serena; losing his job was all Serena¡¯s fault. Cynthia thought that it should have been Serena taking the hit. Hence, Caleb took the blow for Serena. Havinge this far, she didn¡¯t believe there was still a ce for ire in Caleb¡¯s heart. Even if there was, it shouldn¡¯t weigh much anymore. ¡°ire, I¡¯ve helped you a lot before. Every time I got into trouble, you were hiding behind pretending to live peacefully. You don¡¯t think I¡¯d willingly be a pawn, do you?¡± ire pursed her lips. She knew Cynthia was displeased with her. ¡°Alright, this time I¡¯ll take the lead. Do you have any good ideas? As long as we can crush Serena underfoot.¡± ire¡¯s face showed a sinister grin. Outside the hospital, Serena found a small shop to have ate¨Cnight snack with Ethan White. Ethan, though silent, made Serena sense he wasn¡¯t happy. ¡°Ethan¡­ Caleb was injured because of me. I¡¯m just staying in the hospital a few days to take care of him.¡± 18:22 > 209 Chapter 209: Already in Love with Serena Jennings Serena spoke cautiously, observing Ethan¡¯s expression. ¡°Yes, I understand, I¡¯m not angry with you¡± Though Ethan¡¯s tone was light, it was clear he was upset, making Serena twitch. In fact, Ethan was angry. But not at Serena. He was angry at himself. Why, when Serena was in danger and needed help and protection the most, wasn¡¯t he by her side? If he were there, he would have stepped up to shield Serena. However¡­ The opportunity fell to Caleb. Ethan¡¯s brows knitted together. At times, he felt grateful to be blessed by fate, to wake up healthy and return to Serena¡¯s side. But sometimes he couldn¡¯t help but resent that fate¡¯s blessings weren¡¯t enough. Since he¡¯s back with Serena, and she¡¯s divorced from Caleb, why can¡¯t they have a clean break? ¡°Serena, the person who stabbed Caleb has been caught. He confessed that it was out of hatred due to beingid off¡­ Caleb wasn¡¯t injured for you¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Serena lowered her gaze slightly. Caleb said the same. Yet more than anyone else¡¯s words, Serena trusted her own judgment. At least, she experienced the danger firsthand. She saw clearly that if Caleb hadn¡¯t intervened, that knife would have pierced her abdomen. Their night snack was eaten in silence. After finishing, Ethan didn¡¯t say aloud that he didn¡¯t want her staying in the hospital to care for Caleb, but his cold demeanor said it all. For the first time, they parted on a sour note. In the quiet night, Serena returned to Caleb¡¯s hospital room. She didn¡¯t tell Ethan that she initially didn¡¯t n to stay and care for Caleb. But Patrick Rhodes told her Caleb refused anyone¡¯s care. 78-22 < 209 Chapter 209: Already in Love with Serena Jennings Serena instinctively felt Caleb was deliberately forcing her toply. Either she stayed, or she¡¯d watch Caleb gravely injured, alone in the hospital. If she told Ethan about this, he¡¯d definitely guess Caleb¡¯s mind games and try every way to stop her from staying. In the hospital room, Caleb wasn¡¯t asleep, readingpany documents. ¡°Done dining with your knight in shining armor?¡± Without lifting his head, he asked nonchntly. ¡°Yes, brought you some porridge too.¡± Serena lifted the food bag in her hand. Caleb finally looked up, meeting Serena¡¯s eyes. His eyes were deep as the night, seeming to have tiny stars glimmering. ¡°You know I refused anyone taking care of me to force you to stay¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Serena nodded, seeing aplex mix of emotions in Caleb¡¯s eyes. ¡°And you still chose to stay?¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality 18:22 Mding 210 Serena Jennings couldn¡¯t miss that subtle hint of expectation in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s tone. She smiled and answered lightly: ¡°Because I have a conscience, I wouldn¡¯t stoop to the level of a wounded person¡± She said this while taking the porridge out of the food bag. ¡°Just conscience?¡± Serena¡¯s hand paused. ¡°Serena, is it difficult for you to admit that you still have feelings for me?¡± Caleb suddenly held Serena¡¯s hand. This time, Caleb¡¯s palm was warm. Caleb thought Serena would immediately shake him off. But Serena didn¡¯t. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± Serena nced sideways at Caleb, her gaze as calm as still water. Caleb¡¯s heart suddenly became restless. ¡°We were together once, after all. You should know me¡­ Imagine, three years ago, would I have bought hospital food for you as dinner?¡± As Serena said this, Caleb¡¯s grip on her hand suddenly turned cold. Caleb¡¯s brows furrowed bit by bit, and his expression became very displeased. Serena was right. If it were the Serena from three years ago, she would have cooked porridge herself. No matter howte, she would have bought the freshest ingredients and cooked the most nutritious porridge for him. They were married for three years. Every time Caleb got sick, he could drink the porridge Serena personally cooked. Seeing Caleb release his hand, Serena continued pouring the bought porridge into a disposable stic bowl and handed it to Caleb. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink this.¡± Serena took the bowl back. ¡°Then order takeout yourself?¡± Caleb reached out to Serena with a cold face. 18:22 145 210 Chapter 210: Admit You Still Have Feelings for Me. Serena handed the porridge back to him again. Caleb tasted a spoonful of the porridge from the small restaurant, which was far worse than the porridge Serena used to cook for him. He suddenly missed Serena¡¯s cooking. During the days he could enjoy her cooking, he never thought there would be a day he couldn¡¯t taste that vor anymore. Caleb only ate a bite before putting the porridge down. He didn¡¯t order takeout either. The result was that he was hungry all night. Serena didn¡¯t care about him either. Serena stayed to take care of Caleb, but only regarded herself as a nurse. She was no longer his dedicated wife and naturally wouldn¡¯tply with his every wish. Caleb noticed Serena¡¯s business¨Clike attitude, but he still patiently searched for any trace of affection she might still have for him. Today, Serena brought an unusuallyrge three¨Ctier food container to the hospital. Caleb¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. After a week of hospitalization, all he had eaten was food from outside restaurants, which, despite varying in style, never suited his taste. But today was different. From the moment he saw thatrge food container, Caleb was looking forward to tasting Serena¡¯s cooking, feeling hungry before noon. However, until two in the afternoon, Serena hadn¡¯t returned. The source of th?s content is f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l? Serena was at the tech industry park at that time. Ethan White worked there. ¡°Ethan, you¡¯re really enviable, having a girlfriend bring you food!¡± ¡°The legendary loving¨Cwife lunch box?¡± Ethan¡¯s boss and colleagues said enviously. ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend yet!¡± Although Ethan said this, his face showed a happy smile. ¡°Your tone implies¡­ you¡¯re still pursuing her, right?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s almost certain since she¡¯s bringing you food.¡± ¡°Ethan, you should make a move!¡± Ethan was amused by his colleagues¡® gossip. 18:22 210 Chapter 210: Admit You Still Have Feelings for Me When Serena returned with the clean food boxes, she noticed everyone in the office looked at her with a hint of ambiguity. It was Lana Xavier who had told her that Ethan¡¯s project development wasn¡¯t going welltely. Ethan often worked overtime, hurt his stomach from staying upte, and ate irregrly. Serena felt she had angered Ethan before, so this time, she deliberately made some nourishing meals to bring to Ethan. When Serena returned to the hospital, it was almost three in the afternoon. ¡°Didn¡¯t you order takeout yourself?¡± Serena noticed there was no food in Caleb¡¯s hospital room. Caleb¡¯s sharp gaze fell on the three¨Ctier food container in Serena¡¯s hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you cook something for me?¡± His voice was faint and cold. Serena was taken aback and awkwardly looked at the container in her hand. ¡°Oh, this¡­ wasn¡¯t meant for you.¡± ¡°Then who was it meant for?¡± Caleb¡¯s tone carried a clear hint of interrogation. Serena frowned. ¡°Whoever it¡¯s for has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°What do you mean it has nothing to do with me?¡± Caleb tried to get up, but the pain from his wound left him immobile. Fearing Caleb¡¯s wound would split open, Serena quickly called a doctor, who advised Caleb to rest well and not to lose his temper. Caleby back on the bed, his face showing a look of utter despair. Serena couldn¡¯t believe that a meal she cooked had angered Caleb so much. In the past, Caleb used to eat the meals she cooked every day, but it never seemed to please him that much. ¡°¡­You can go now!¡± Suddenly, Caleb said this. Serena was stunned. ¡°Don¡¯te back tomorrow either.¡± Serena blinked, feeling like Caleb had just fired her. She left Caleb¡¯s hospital room without saying a word. 38.22 315 > 210 Chapter 210: Admit You Still Have Feelings for Me Before leaving the hospital, she inquired about Caleb¡¯s condition from the chief physician. Upon hearing that Caleb had hired a new nurse, Patrick Rhodes felt curious and visited Caleb. The expression on Caleb¡¯s face looked as if Patrick owed him billions. Patrick also couldn¡¯t understand why Caleb was upset. Those past days, Serena had been attending to him at the hospital. In his impression, Serena was the kind of person who took good care of others, so shouldn¡¯t Caleb feel pleased? ¡°Brother Lockwood, your wife is here.¡± Seeing ire Shaw, Patrick immediately became excited. He was the one who informed ire toe. Because the atmosphere in the room was too dull, he secretly contacted ire, thinking Caleb¡¯s mood would improve with her visit. Unexpectedly, Caleb nced at ire, his eyes devoid of waves. Patrick wisely left, not remaining in the room to be a third wheel, and gave Caleb and ire some time alone. After leaving the hospital, he called Serena. ¡°Serena, what did you do to make Brother Lockwood so mad?¡± Serena was in her office at that time. During those days of nursing at the hospital, she fell behind on her work, now relying on overtime to catch up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Caleb?¡± Serena still remembered asking the chief surgeon, also Caleb¡¯s attending physician at the hospital when she left. Caleb¡¯s recovery was good, and he would be discharged in a few days. ¡°His injury is fine, it¡¯s just that he seems about to explode with anger, his face looking puffed up every day.¡± Imagining Patrick¡¯s description of Caleb, Serena couldn¡¯t help butugh quietly. ¡°So you¡¯re the one taking care of Caleb at the hospital now?¡± ¡°No way¡­ I¡¯m a big guy, how could I take care of someone! Brother Lockwood¡¯s wife is there!¡± Serena blinked unintentionally. From the beginning, Caleb shouldn¡¯t have asked her to stay; he should have had ire Shaw apany him. But Serena could guess what Caleb was thinking. He couldn¡¯t bear to let ire do the dirty and hard work of caregiving. While she had been treated as a nanny and servant by Caleb from the start. 18-22 < 210 Chapter 210: Admit You Still Have Feelings for Me Serena smiled coldly without a word. ¡°By the way, Serena, in the middle of next month, take some time to apany me!¡± Patrick¡¯s words piqued Serena¡¯s interest. ¡°Apany you for what?¡± ¡°To watch a racingpetition in Country C. ¡°Country C?¡± Serena¡¯s long eyshes lifted. ¡°Yes¡­ I heard there¡¯s a new racer in Country C who¡¯s incredible, and it¡¯s a girl¡­ Oh, also she has the samest name as your alias, both Lin.¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 7 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Swipe Left To Continue > Send Gifts ch.210 Terrible The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Mding 211 211 Chapter 211: Wendy Is Seducing Caleb Lockwood 211 Chapter 211: Wendy Is Seducing Caleb Lockwood Country C, Stardust International Racetrack. Serena Jennings and Patrick Rhodes sat side by side in the spectator seats, with Patrick eagerly handing the binocrs to Serena. ¡°It¡¯s about to start, take a look at that¡­ the main driver of the DY Racing Team, she¡¯s the rookie racer I told you about before. Ever since she joined the DY Team, they¡¯ve been invincible¡­ Her status in Country C is almost like yours in Country A. A lot of people here know your name¡­ Oh no, I should say it¡¯s Chloe Linton¡¯s name¡­ So many people are curious, if you two racing goddesses were to meet on the same track, who woulde out on top¡­¡± Patrick spoke passionately, then noticed Serena¡¯s face was unexpectedly serious. ¡°Ah, of course, I¡¯m on your side. I firmly believe that as long as you step in, whether it¡¯s Country C or Country B, whether she¡¯s a goddess or not, she¡¯ll definitely be trampled underfoot by you.¡± Seeing Patrick¡¯s firm belief, a slight smilerek The race began. appeared on Serena¡¯s serious face. Car number 11 shot ahead like a bolt of lightning. It was a modified Ford, the red paint job strikingly bright, as if its very presence was the sun illuminating the whole track. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s so fast!¡± Even Patrick couldn¡¯t help but curse in awe. Serena held the binocrs next to him, watching intently. The performance of car number 11 was indeed far superior to the others, especially its drift techniques during the corners, which were exceptional. ¡°Hey, hey, Serena, what do you think of her?¡± Patrick asked with curiosity. ¡°Quite good.¡± Serena gave an objective assessment. ¡°Really? But I think she¡¯s still far behindpared to you.¡± Patrick¡¯s words took Serena by surprise. ¡°You¡¯re blindly adoring me now?¡± ¡°How can it be called blind admiration!¡± Patrick clicked his tongue. 16:26 < 211 Chapter 211: Wendy Is Seducing Caleb Lockwood ¡°I¡¯m an honest person, it¡¯s not because I know you that I praise you¡­ Until now, Patrick clearly remembered how Serena had made his heart race with excitement and thrill when she executed those extreme corner drifts. This racing goddess from Country C surely has some skills, but Patrick still felt she couldn¡¯t match up to Serena. At least watching her race didn¡¯t give him the thrill and surprise that Chloe Linton did at the time. ¡°Her skills are about on par with mine.¡± Serena spoke the truth, handing the binocrs back to Patrick. ¡°Look closely.¡± Patrick casually took the binocrs, but after a short while, he eximed ¡°Damn¡± once again. Serena found it amusing and annoying. ¡°Can¡¯t you use some normal adjectives when you want to praise someone?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that¡­¡± Patrick hurriedly patted Serena on the shoulder, with so much force that it hurt. Rubbing her shoulder, Serena saw Patrick with a face like he¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°It¡¯s Brother Lockwood! I saw Brother Lockwood!¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened. For more chapters visit Find_Novel(. The ¡°Brother Lockwood¡± Patrick referred to could only be one person- ¡°Caleb Lockwood is here?¡± Serena was shocked. ¡°I must have seen it right, it¡¯s on the VIP seats opposite, want to take a look?¡± Patrick handed the binocrs to Serena again. With slight hesitation, Serena picked up the binocrs and aimed at the VIP seats opposite. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s figure appeared clearly in the binocrs. Everyone who could buy VIP tickets was either rich or powerful, yet among those, Caleb¡¯s presence was still overwhelmingly strong. Caleb didn¡¯t look like he was focused on the race. His arms were crossed, his face cold and chiseled. Even his naturally smiling lips couldn¡¯t hide the sternness on his face. Now Serena confirmed that Patrick was right; the person sitting in the VIP seats was indeed Caleb Lockwood. 15:28 211 Chapter 211: Wendy is Seducing Caleb Lockwood ¡°How about it? Is it Brother Lockwood?¡± Urged by Patrick, Serena put down the binocrs. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Caleb Lockwood¡­¡± ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t wrong!¡± Patrick said, then rubbed his chin with a puzzled look. ¡°But it¡¯s so strange, why would Brother Lockwoode here for a racing event? And he didn¡¯t even bring his missus¡­¡± In Patrick¡¯s memory, Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t particrly interested in racing. Thest time he watched a race was when Patrick invited him. But now, Caleb was at Country C¡¯s racetrack, sitting in the high¨Cpriced VIP seats that even Patrick couldn¡¯t get. ¡°No way¡­¡± Patrick suddenly thought of a possibility. ¡°Could it be that Brother Lockwood also came specifically to watch this, um, Linton¡¯s race?¡± ¡°Wendy Linton¡­¡± As Serena mentioned her name, car number 11 crossed the finish line first. ¡°Huh?¡± Patrick tilted his head at Serena. ¡°You even remembered her name!¡± After saying this, he saw Serena¡¯s lips curl into a cold smile. Seems like she really cares? Patrick thought. After all, Serena is Country A¡¯s racing goddess, and meeting a worthy opponent would certainly draw her attention. It made him even more curious why Caleb Lockwood was here. Nevertheless, Serena was clearly more interested in Wendy Linton. After winning, Wendy got out of the red Ford, took off her helmet, and tossed her smooth, flowing long hair. ¡°Pretentious.¡± Sitting in the audience, Patrickmented. He still preferred the low¨Ckey style of Chloe Linton, which is Serena. Serena nced at Patrick, amused and annoyed. 16-38 > 211 Chapter 211: Wendy is Seducing Caleb Lockwood Initially, she thought Patrick seemed quite interested in Wendy Linton; what caused this strong antagonism now? Serena raised the binocrs again; by now, the award ceremony had started. As the champion, Wendy stood confidently on the top of the podium. Serena observed Wendy¡¯s appearance through the binocrs. Wendy was a beauty, with striking facial features, mature makeup, and an exceptionally confident smile. Thunderous apuse erupted from the audience, and people began chanting Wendy¡¯s name. ¡°Wendy Linton!¡± ¡°Wendy Linton!¡± The vast racetrack was filled with Wendy¡¯s name. ¡°Damn, isn¡¯t it a bit much!¡± Patrick mumbled to himself. Serena felt like Patrick had said ¡°damn¡± several times tonight. Wendy stood on the winner¡¯s podium, raising her hands as if reveling in the cheers. Then Serena saw Wendy turn towards the VIP seats, happily waving. Serena¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Although the VIP seats were full, she had a hunch that Wendy was waving at- Caleb Lockwood. ¡°No way! Is she trying to seduce Brother Lockwood?¡± Next to her, Patrick¡¯s voice attracted Serena¡¯s attention. It seemed she wasn¡¯t being sensitive. But the question was, was Wendy really trying to seduce Caleb Lockwood? Serena tilted her head, deeply curious about the rtionship between Caleb and Wendy. Could it be the other way around? Blinking, Serena suddenly recalled something. 212 Mding 212 Chapter 212: Arm in Arm with h Another M Man 212 Chapter 212: Arm in Arm with Another Man She still remembers that Valentine¡¯s Day when Ethan White drove her to the cloud peak on the 126th floor of Isabelle Tower in Country
There, she encountered Caleb Lockwood. At that time, Serena Jennings naturally assumed Caleb Lockwood had brought ire Shaw to the cloud peak to spend Valentine¡¯s Day. However, in reality, she didn¡¯t see ire Shaw at all. Of course, she also didn¡¯t see Wendy Linton. Yet, for some reason, seeing Caleb Lockwood at Wendy Linton¡¯s race event inexplicably made Serena Jennings associate it with that dinner on the cloud peak. Caleb Lockwood back then¡­ Was he really meeting ire Shaw? Or was it¡­ ¡°Serena¡­ Serena?¡± Coming to her senses, Serena Jennings realized Patrick Rhodes had been calling her all along. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You ask what¡¯s up, the race is over.¡± Serena Jennings stood up, hearing Patrick Rhodes ask her again. ¡°Should we go over to Brother Lockwood?¡± ¡°Better not.¡± Serena Jennings shook her head. Going to Caleb Lockwood now might disturb Caleb Lockwood! Patrick Rhodes stood beside Serena Jennings, examining her face. Ever since realizing Wendy Linton might have been waving at Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings had been looking rather troubled. Patrick Rhodes felt a difort in his chest, as if it was being rubbed by sandpaper. ¡°Serena, you don¡¯t like Brother Lockwood anymore, do you?¡± Serena Jennings was stunned, not understanding why Patrick Rhodes suddenly brought this up. Between her and Caleb Lockwood¡­ she could only say it was a fateful entanglement. 15:27 212 Chapter 212: Arm in Arm with Another Man Liking Caleb Lockwood brought her nothing but heartbreak. Serena Jennings sighed. Though previously, when she was stabbed by a Newcross Real Estate employee who wasid off, Caleb Lockwood shielded her. But she would not narcissistically believe Caleb Lockwood did it out of affection for her. If Caleb Lockwood had true feelings for her, he wouldn¡¯t have ignored her or even kicked her when she was down when she was kidnapped or cyberbullied. And then there was that child who never came into this world¡­ Serena Jennings¡® gaze turned colder and colder, then she smiled wryly. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like him anymore.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Serena Jennings turned to look at Patrick Rhodes. Patrick Rhodes, unlike Caleb Lockwood, was thoughtful, mercurial, and unfathomable. Serena Jennings saw Patrick Rhodes¡® eyes and expression and immediately guessed what he was thinking. ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about Caleb Lockwood and Wendy Linton¡¯s rtionship because I still like Caleb Lockwood.¡± Even though Serena said this, Patrick Rhodes was still a bit skeptical. Serena Jennings didn¡¯t want to exin further, just shrugged and went downstairs with Patrick Rhodes. Meanwhile, Caleb Lockwood went upstairs on the adjacent staircase. Amidst peopleing and going, neither noticed the other. Caleb Lockwood arrived at the lounge to wait for someone, and his icy aura made others hesitant to approach. ¡°Sorry, have you been waiting long?¡± A confident woman¡¯s voice came from behind. Caleb Lockwood turned, seeing Wendy Linton who had already taken off her racing suit. This was his first official meeting with Wendy Linton. Unexpectedly, it wasn¡¯t in a restaurant or a hotel, but at the racetrack. Wendy Linton wore a high¨Cend tailored Morandi gray figure¨Chugging dress, and her voluptuous figure was perfectly highlighted by the dress; a red wool coat casually draped over her arm, withrge golden curls cascading over her shoulders. Wendy Linton¡¯s skin was a cool white,plementing her mature and rich makeup. Caleb Lockwood stared at Wendy Linton¡¯s face but inexplicably thought of Serena Jennings. 15:27 212 Chapter 212: Arm in Arm with Another Man In his impression, Serena Jennings rarely wore such mature makeup. Serena Jennings has always preferred light makeup. This update is avable on find?novel Unlike ire Shaw, who always favored girly pink outfits, or Wendy Linton, who carried an intense feminine appeal. Previously, Caleb Lockwood had described Serena Jennings as being like in water- nd and tasteless. In three years of marriage, Serena was a full¨Ctime housewife, rarely seen in public, never wearing makeup at home, which was why Patrick Rhodes always called her a yellow¨Cfaced woman at the time. Compared to those women in social circles with exquisite makeup, Serena Jennings indeed was as in as water. But¡­ Only in water quenches thirst. And only in water doesn¡¯t harm the body, no matter how much you drink. Moreover, it gets sweeter the more you drink. ¡°Are we going to stand here the whole time?¡± Wendy Linton saw Caleb Lockwood¡¯s continued silence and had to speak first. ¡°No, I¡¯ve reserved a restaurant.¡± Caleb Lockwood spoke indifferently, walking away. Wendy Linton followed, walking beside Caleb Lockwood. She was the kind of beauty who could amaze people at a nce in a crowd; her fiery figure and intense feminine appeal, coupled with her racing goddess status, attracted envious nces and autograph requests from people as they left the Shining Star Racetrack. However, the gentleman beside her didn¡¯t cast her a second nce. ¡°President Lockwood, is tonight¡¯s invitation about personal matters or business?¡± Once seated in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s imperial blue Bentley, Wendy Linton asked. Caleb Lockwood nced at her coolly. ¡°Whatever you think it is.¡± Wendy Linton was taken aback, staring at Caleb Lockwood¡¯s chiseled side profile for a while, then curved her fiery red lips. The ne took off, rushing into the sky. Today, Serena Jennings and Peter flew to Zephyria to attend a charity g. ¡°Guess whose auction item will fetch a higher price between the two of us?¡± < 212 Chapter 212: Arm in Arm with Another Man Peter asked Serena with interest. ¡°Definitely mine.¡± Serena smiled brightly. Tonight, both Serena and Peter attended as special guests, each preparing a jewelry piece to donate to the hosts. The g was held on the Victoria Royal Cruise in Zephyria. The cruise ship, lit gloriously,bined luxury and romance, exuding royal ssical elegance while providingprehensive modern entertainment facilities. Peter waited at the cabin door for Serena to change into her gown. Serena¡¯s identity tonight was both an auction participant and a donor. She chose a white gown from Zhao¡¯s shop, simple and unobtrusive, well¨Csuited to her. Opening the door, she saw Peter staring at her in a daze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Peter?¡± Peter came to his senses, scratching his cheek. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that you¡¯re so beautiful, beautiful enough to make me doubt whether I¡¯m worthy to stand by your side.¡± Serena felt a bit embarrassed by Peter¡¯spliment, her face flushing as she lowered her head slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Peter bent his arm, offering a gesture to Serena. Serena hesitated slightly before taking Peter¡¯s arm. Walking hand in hand like this, they passed through the corridor, meeting three others at the end. Caleb Lockwood, Arthur Lockwood, and Lilian Young all noticed Serena at nearly the same moment. Only Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze immediatelynded on Serena¡¯s hand. Serena¡¯s hand was interlinked with Peter¡¯s arm. Caleb Lockwood frowned, his icy aura making the temperature in the entire corridor drop instantly. Very quickly, Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young also noticed Serena walking arm in arm with another man. Mding 213 213 Chapter 213: Found a New Man Lilian Young red fiercely at Serena Jennings. 1 But the words ¡°unfaithful woman¡± that were on the tip of her tongue couldn¡¯te out, Because Serena had already divorced Caleb Lockwood and was no longer their daughter¨Cinw in the Lockwood family. Logically, even if Serena started dating a new boyfriend, it wouldn¡¯t be their concern. However, Lilian Young just couldn¡¯t get over this hurdle in her heart. Serena, an ordinary woman from a humble background, marrying into the Lockwood family was a fortune she was blessed with over several lifetimes, it was reaching too high. Yet Serena, blissfully ignorant of her good fortune, kept insisting on divorcing Caleb Lockwood, causing a lot of trouble and repeatedly bringing inconvenience to the Lockwood family. And now, divorced, she turned around and found a new man. Lilian Young just couldn¡¯t stand a woman as fickle as Serena. She tugged on Arthur Lockwood¡¯s sleeve, signaling for him to say something to Serena, but Arthur Lockwood just nced at Serena with a look full of discontent. The gaze of the Lockwood family trio was so sharp that even Peter couldn¡¯t ignore it if he wanted to. However, Serena wasughing and talking with Peter the whole time, not sparing the Lockwood family trio even a nce. Both parties¡® destinations were the first banquet hall of the Victoria Royal Cruise. Just as Serena stepped into the banquet hall, her feet suddenly felt weighed down like they were filled with lead and couldn¡¯t move. Peter, walking beside her, was puzzled. Following Serena¡¯s gaze, he saw three people. These three people were also a family of three. Peter blinked. Although he wasn¡¯t very familiar with Country C, he knew a little about the Linton Family, thergest financial backer behind Country C. At this moment, the end of Serena¡¯s gaze was that Linton family member. The man was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Country C, named Aaron Linton, and the woman was his wife, named Jade Shaw, the nominal chairman of the Linton Group and also an aplished pianist. And standing between them, Peter guessed, was the adopted daughter of the Linton Family. Peter had heard others gossip idly about this adopted daughter of the Linton Family. Her name seemed to be Wendy Linton. 15:27 213 Chapter 213; Found a New Man Since she was standing between Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw and was a young girl, this must be Wendy Linton. Peter instinctively examined the person. The person was dressed in a bright red gown embroidered with gold, with a mermaid¨Ctail design that entuated her voluptuous figure. Though it was a mermaid dress, it had an extended train, and the red color was already eye¨Ccatching enough, covered with golden embroidery. Coupled with her light golden curls and mature makeup, she casily became the focus in the banquet hall. This attire and demeanor surprised Peter greatly. Such a bold and confident exhibition didn¡¯t match his usual understanding of an adopted daughter. Peter couldn¡¯t help but be curious; why would Serena be so attentive to the Linton family when she remained unfazed by the Lockwood family? Was it because Wendy Linton¡¯s outfit was too striking, making her nce unconsciously linger? Guests began to enter the banquet hall one after another. Serena never expected that after visiting Country C several times without bumping into these two people, she would meet them now in Zephyria, on a cruise. As the other party looked over, Serena withdrew her gaze, originally intending to pull Peter far away. However, she knew them, but they might not recognize her. For original chapters go to find(?)ovel After all, they hadn¡¯t seen her for many years. Serena suddenly thought of Caleb Lockwood. Caleb, who had once vowed never to forget her, no matter how long it took or how much she changed, promised he would always recognize her- but he didn¡¯t recognize her. She thought Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw probably wouldn¡¯t recognize her either. Just as Serena turned around, another person entered her field of vision. The person naturally reached out and waved at her. Serena was startled and returned a smile. Peter watched Serena¡¯s reaction from the side, growing increasingly curious. ¡°Do you know Minister Lin¡¯s assistant?¡± Serena withdrew her gaze and looked at Peter. She could tell Peter was very curious. But she couldn¡¯t be bothered to recount her entanglements with the Lin family, so she brushed him off with a simple ¡°hmm.¡± < 213 Chapter 213: Found a New Man Seeing Serena¡¯s reluctance to borate, Peter refrained from pressing further. As they linked arms and were about to continue into the banquet hall, Lilian Young¡¯s shout of ¡°Minister Lin¡± rang out, making Serena¡¯s ears hurt. Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young went straight toward Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw, their faces stered with fake smiles. The two sides shook hands and started exchanging pleasantries. Serena watched, lifting her gaze slightly. This was the first time she had seen Lilian Young this passionately enthusiastic. Initially, she was quite surprised to see Lilian Young at a charity g. From what she remembered, Arthur Lockwood seldom brought Lilian Young to social events of this nature, though he often brought along young starlets, models, and the like. Caleb Lockwood leisurely made his way to Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw. He wasn¡¯t intentionally slowing down, just not speeding up like Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young. Hence, he seemed slow. ¡°So this is President Lockwood¡¯s son¨Cthe rumor definitely doesn¡¯t do him justice!¡± Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw unconsciously sized up Caleb Lockwood, both praising his looks and demeanor. Caleb Lockwood could be considered a promising young man in Country A¡¯s business scene, and even those in Country C had heard of him. Peter, watching from the side, furrowed his brow. ¡°Could it be¡­ is the Lockwood family trying to set up Caleb Lockwood and Wendy Linton?¡± As soon as he said this, Peter looked at Serena, worried that hisment might upset her. Serena¡¯s¡¯face remained calm. Now everything was falling into ce. The reason why Caleb Lockwood was in Country C on Valentine¡¯s Day, and why he attended Wendy Linton¡¯s racing event. Turns out¡­ Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young selected the new wife for Caleb Lockwood, and it was actually Wendy Linton? Serena touched her chin. Peter had expected that seeing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s interest in Wendy Linton might make Serena feel sad or angry. But instead, Serena was smiling, smiling with genuine intrigue. In fact, the rtionship between Caleb Lockwood and Wendy Linton indeed piqued Serena¡¯s interest. If she remembered correctly, hadn¡¯t Caleb Lockwood already promised ire Shaw that after the divorce he would officialize his 36497 < 213 Chapter 213: Found a New Man rtionship with her? But looking at Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young, it was clear they already regarded the adopted daughter of the Lin family as their ideal future daughter¨Cinw. In such a case, what would be of ire Shaw? Hypothetically, if the day came when Caleb Lockwood and Wendy Linton married¡­ Serena couldn¡¯t help but gleefully imagine ire Shaw¡¯s reaction. While Serena was indulging in the scenario of using Wendy Linton to hit back at ire Shaw, suddenly, Caleb Lockwood turned and caught her gaze. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s cold face broke into a wicked smile the moment their eyes met. The meaning of this smile was clear. Serena understood it well; with Caleb Lockwood¡¯s level of narcissism, he must have mistakenly thought her gaze meant she was feeling jealous of Wendy Linton. Just as Serena was breaking eye contact, she noticed Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw walking toward her. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 214 214 Chapter 214: Serena Jennings Is My Wife It¡¯s been years since theyst met, and Aaron Linton has grown older. However, his spirits are quite good; with slicked¨Cback hair and dressed in a suit, he certainly has the aura of a high¨Cranking political official. 1 Thanks to good care, Jade Shaw shows barely any signs of aging. The first thing Serena Jennings noticed was the glistening tears in Jade Shaw¡¯s eyes. Jade Shaw tightly held Aaron Linton¡¯s hand, clearly trying her best to suppress her excitement. Yet, in Serena Jennings¡® eyes, that excitement was worthless. Serena Jennings turned and tried to walk away but was stopped by Aaron Linton. ¡°Ah¡­ Serena¡­¡± Serena Jennings heard Aaron Linton calling her, but she did not stop. Instead, Peter, who had his arm linked with Serena, paused. He was puzzled as to why the Foreign Minister of Country C would know Serena Jennings. ¡°Serena, Minister Linton is calling you!¡± Lilian Young walked over, first ring at Serena Jennings, then said to Aaron Linton, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Minister Linton, she¡¯s quite rude. Aaron Linton¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. ¡°Does Mrs. Lockwood know Serena Jennings?¡± ¡°Oh, I know her very well; I used to be her¡­¡± Before Lilian Young could finish speaking, Arthur Lockwood cleared his throat. Lilian Young immediately silenced herself. She almost forgot they had never revealed to the Linton Family that Caleb Lockwood was once married and is now divorced. Arthur Lockwood was truly fed up with Lilian Young¡¯s inability to keep her mouth shut. Aaron Linton calmly nced at Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young, his eyes no longer as friendly. ¡°Serena Jennings, you know them?¡± ¡°Whether I do or don¡¯t is none of your business.¡± Serena Jennings¡® attitude didn¡¯t anger Aaron Linton; instead, it upset Lilian Young. ¡°What kind of attitude is this! Did Minister Linton provoke you¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Lockwood.¡± 15.27 214 Chapter 214: Serena Jennings Is My Wife Serena Jennings stepped forward, her face stern, and approached Lilian Young. Lilian Young shrank back, suddenly feeling as if she was swallowed by Serena Jennings¡® aura. ¡°You are no longer my mother¨Cinw. You have no right to lecture me. Please respect yourself¡± ¡°Mother¨Cinw?!¡± Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw both eximed in shock. At this moment, Caleb Lockwood and Wendy Linton also walked over. ¡°Serena Jennings is my wife¡­¡± This introduction took Wendy Linton by surprise. It also caught Serena Jennings off guard. Shouldn¡¯t he say ex¨Cwife! Just as she opened her mouth to exin, Lilian Young spoke up first. ¡°They¡¯re already divorced now.¡± Aaron Linton¡¯s frown grew more severe. Lilian Young mistook Aaron Linton¡¯s dissatisfaction as Caleb Lockwood being unworthy due to his divorce, so she quickly rified: ¡°Caleb was forced to marry Serena Jennings to repay a debt, pushed by his grandfather; it doesn¡¯t count¡­¡± ¡°You say fewer words.¡± Arthur Lockwood couldn¡¯t help but lower his voice to scold Lilian Young. Aaron Linton didn¡¯t look at Lilian Young the entire time; his gaze passed through the guests and fell on Chance Bell. Chance Bell could see Aaron Linton¡¯s disapproval. But he felt he was innocent. Back then, when Chloe Linton became Serena Jennings, Aaron Linton told him personally that he didn¡¯t need to report Serena Jennings¡® specifics to him. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze hesitated between Serena Jennings and Aaron Linton. His intuition told him that Serena Jennings and Aaron Linton knew each other. His indifferent lips opened silently, but Caleb swallowed his question. Because he knew, even if he asked, Serena Jennings wouldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Is your boyfriend now¡­ this gentleman?¡± Aaron Linton pointed at Peter. 15:27 < 214 Chapter 214: Serena Jennings Is My Wife Others could see Aaron Linton¡¯s concern for Serena Jennings but didn¡¯t understand why. ¡°Such a private question; Minister Linton is asking it openly, or is Minister Linton someone I have to report to?¡± Serena Jennings¡® retort left Aaron Linton speechless. Beside her, Jade Shaw lowered her head, silently hurt. Peter was a bit puzzled by Serena Jennings. Clearly, Serena could just answer no, but she retorted in such a harsh tone, which didn¡¯t match her usual demeanor. However, Peter, though surprised, didn¡¯t interfere with Serena Jennings¡® affairs. ¡°Some people have not much ability, but quite a temper.¡± Lilian Young didn¡¯t like Serena Jennings picking a fight with Aaron Linton like that. In her eyes, the Linton Family was already her family. ¡°Serena Jennings, Minister Linton doesn¡¯t stoop to your level, and you still act high and mighty? Let me tell you, this charity g is organized by the royal family of Zephyria. Minister Linton and Prince William of Zephyria are on good terms; if you offend them, believe me, Prince William will kick you out!¡± To Lilian Young, Serena Jennings was nothing more than Peter¡¯s date, just a pretty vase. Content originallyes from f?ndnovel At this moment, the music started ying, and the guests paired off and entered the dance floor. ¡°Caleb Lockwood, dance with me!¡± Wendy Linton actively said to Caleb Lockwood. ¡°Dancing is good, dancing is good, Caleb, hurry up!¡± Lilian Young pushed Caleb Lockwood towards Wendy Linton. Caleb Lockwood discreetly nced at Serena Jennings, softly said, ¡°Okay.¡± Then he bent his arm, indicating Wendy Linton should link hers. Wendy Linton smiled confidently and linked her arm through Caleb¡¯s. As the two entered the dance floor, Caleb Lockwood turned to look at Serena Jennings, seeing her turn her face away, looking annoyed. A charming smile curled lightly on his lips. This smile fell into Wendy Linton¡¯s eyes; with one hand linked with Caleb Lockwood and the other holding her fishtail dress skirt, she walked with even more confidence. Wendy Linton¡¯s red embroidered fishtail gown was eye¨Ccatching, and with her great figure, dancing with Caleb Lockwood made them a perfect couple, instantly bing the focus of the dance floor. Lilian Young folded her arms and said smugly to Serena Jennings: 214 Chapter 214: Serena Jennings Is My Wife ¡°See? Only a properdy like Wendy Linton is worthy of Caleb.¡± ¡°Hmm, then I wish them early bliss and evesting harmony.¡± Serena Jennings tossed Lilian Young a radiant smile. If Caleb Lockwood really married Wendy Linton, it would be like revenge on ire Shaw; why wouldn¡¯t she be happy? Seeing Serena Jennings confidently turn away, Lilian Young rolled her eyes, muttering to herself: ¡°Hmph, just putting on a brave face.¡± Serena Jennings originally nned to enter the dance floor with Peter, but before they could, someone stopped them. This man had blond hair and blue eyes, wearing an extremely formal ck tailcoat, with a white bow tie, exuding an aura of nobility with every gesture. Seeing Prince William of Zephyria, Lilian Young instantly became interested. ¡°Honey, look! Isn¡¯t Serena Jennings about to be kicked out?¡± Lilian Youngughed with schadenfreude. ¡°Of course, this kind of asion is only for the powerful elite; what kind of ce is it for Serena Jennings?¡± Lilian Young pulled Arthur Lockwood to watch the spectacle. Beside them stood Aaron Linton, Jade Shaw, and Chance Bell, their eyes all focused on Serena Jennings. Under the gaze of everyone, Prince William suddenly opened his arms and gave Serena Jennings a big bear hug. Comment Post your firstment! Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Mding 215 215 Chapter 215: Still Unable to Forget His Ex¨CWife 215 Chapter 215: Still Unable to Forget His Ex¨CWife ¡°Master BYC!¡± 1 Prince William¡¯s booming voice was as loud as Patrick Rhodes¡®, shaking Serena Jennings so much that she felt she might go deaf. ¡°Prince William, could you let go of me first?¡± Upon hearing Serena Jennings¡® words, Prince William realized he was being too rough and quickly released her hand. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m just too excited to see Master BYC in person.¡± Although it was Serena Jennings¡® first official meeting with Prince William, they had exchanged many emails after being introduced by Queen Elizabeth. Each time, Serena Jennings¡® focus was on business, but Prince William often diverted the conversation to personal matters. For instance, Prince William would ask if she had a boyfriend,pliment her photos, or even try to set her up with someone. In Serena Jennings¡® understanding, a prince should be a mature, steady figure with a noble demeanor. In reality, Prince William not only was outgoing but also very gossip¨Cprone. However, considering that Prince William was younger, Serena Jennings thought of him as a younger brother. ¡°You should just call me by my real name!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± In front of Serena Jennings, Prince William was as jubnt as a fan meeting their idol. This scene left Lilian Young¡¯s jaw dropping in astonishment. ¡°What¡¯s going on with this Serena Jennings? Does she know Prince William?¡± Arthur Lockwood standing beside Lilian Young kept silent, his brow furrowed deeply. Aaron Linton and others rxed seeing Serena Jennings was not being thrown out; instead, she seemed to be acquainted with Prince William. In the dance floor, Caleb Lockwood wasn¡¯t the only one standing still without dancing. Wendy Linton was there too. Because Caleb Lockwood was her dance partner; if Caleb wasn¡¯t dancing, she couldn¡¯t dance alone, looking like a clown seeking attention. From the moment Prince William hugged Serena Jennings, Caleb Lockwood released her hand and stared fixedly at Serena hugging Prince William. Even after Prince William released Serena Jennings, Caleb Lockwood remained still, like amppost nted in the dance floor, 15:27 215 Chapter 215: Still Unable to Forget His Ex¨CWife Wendy Linton wasn¡¯t unhappy or upset; she stood with arms crossed, sharply examining Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face. This face was extremely attractive. ¡°Do you still hold feelings for your ex¨Cwife?¡± Suddenly hearing Wendy¡¯sment, Caleb Lockwood snapped back to reality and turned to look at Wendy. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes were profoundly dark, like the unfathomable sea on a winter¡¯s night. He was silent for a while, his uniquely handsome face seemed frozen, showing no emotion, leaving people unable to read him. After a while, he casually replied to Wendy: ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Wendy Linton smiled gracefully, casually flipping her hair with a charming gesture. ¡°If I¡¯m overthinking it, then why aren¡¯t you dancing with me instead of staring at your ex¨Cwife endlessly?¡± Caleb Lockwood sneered. ¡°Who said I¡¯m not dancing with you?¡± Caleb Lockwood reached out to Wendy Linton. Meanwhile, outside the dance floor, Prince William extended a hand to Serena Jennings. ¡°Master Serena, may I invite you for a dance?¡± Serena Jennings twitched her mouth. Though she knew Prince William¡¯s addressing showed admiration and respect, being called that made her feel several years older. ¡°Just call me Serena.¡± ¡°Then Serena¡­ would you do me the honor of dancing with me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Serena Jennings took Prince William¡¯s hand and walked towards the dance floor. Before the auction officially began at this dinner g, countless wealthy heiresses hoped to dance with Prince William. After all, this was a great opportunity; once Prince William took a liking, they might have a chance to marry into the royal family! However, up until this point in the g, Prince William hadn¡¯t danced with any woman. Serena Jennings was the first one. Suddenly, countless eyes were on Serena Jennings. Serena originally chose an extremely elegant dress, white semi¨Ctransparent gauzeyering delicately over an A¨Cline skirt. She thought such attire would not overly stand out at a g full of big names. ?????? ???? find?novel ¤¦¤Ë¤¦ < 215 Chapter 215: Still Unable to Forget His Ex¨CWife Yet at this moment, she became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. Not only because Prince William was her dance partner but also because her elegantly styled makeup paired with an ethereal dress stood out refreshinglypared to others chasing pure opulence. Beautifully unique, strikingly unparalleled. Once Serena Jennings and Prince William stepped into the dance floor, the others gradually left one after another. Including Caleb Lockwood and Wendy Linton. On the dance floor remained only Serena and Prince William. They danced gracefully and charmingly. Like a beautiful scenery at the g, many stood by admiring. Caleb Lockwood was one among them. He quietly watched Serena Jennings passionately dance with Prince William. When did it all begin? He became a spectator in Serena Jennings¡® life. Wendy Linton stood close to Caleb Lockwood. Although Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face betrayed no expression, Wendy noticed how tightly he held his hand, veins bulging on the back. Wendy Linton¡¯s vibrant red lips curled into a smirk. Here Serena danced exuberantly with Prince William. On the other side, Lilian Young couldn¡¯t helpmenting on Serena Jennings. ¡°What¡¯s with that Serena Jennings, with her cunning charm? Never noticed before! Fortunately, Caleb divorced her¡­¡± ¡°Can you shut your mouth?¡± Arthur Lockwood red at Lilian Young and walked away. He wasn¡¯t feeling great either. But his difort differed from Lilian Young¡¯s. In Arthur Lockwood¡¯s eyes, Serena Jennings was originally a mere ordinary housewife at best praised for being virtuous. Unexpectedlyter, Serena not only came into public view but also achieved some fame. During the time Serena graced ¡®Radiance¡® magazine, Arthur Lockwood used Serena¡¯s exposure to benefit The Lockwood Group, increasing their market value significantly. However, as Serena¡¯s influence waned, he capitalized on Serena¡¯s negative reputation for final gains. 215 Chapter 215: Still Unable to Forget His Ex¨CWife Arthur Lockwood assumed Serena was finished. Who could have guessed Serena not only survived but now participated in the same distinguished charity g, standing as an equal among high society? Yet seeing Serena¡¯s indifferent attitude towards The Lockwood Family, and given her resources, supporting them seemed improbable. Arthur Lockwood couldn¡¯t help feeling regretful. The priority now was The Linton Family. If The Lockwood Family could ally with The Linton Family, Serena¡¯s resources would be insignificant. Arthur Lockwood picked up a ss of red wine, approached Aaron Linton. ¡°I heard since your daughter took over the Linton Group¡¯s operations, profits have soared; indeed it¡¯s thanks to your and your wife¡¯s excellent parenting!¡± Arthur Lockwood intended to warm up with pleasantries, gradually closing the distance between Aaron Linton. Yet Aaron Lintonpletely ignored him. Aaron Linton remained fixated on Serena Jennings dancing with Prince William. Arthur Lockwood raised his eyebrows. Could it be, as Lilian Young suggested, Serena knows how to charm? Even Aaron Linton was captivated by Serena? Arthur Lockwood pondered. However, even if Aaron Linton is interested in Serena, staring at a young girl in front of his wife seems inappropriate. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter, Vote Mding 216 216 Chapter 216: Family Alliance Through Marriage 216 Chapter 216: Family Alliance Through Marriage Serena Jennings and Prince William concluded their dance, earning unanimous apuse from the guests present. However, Serena did not understand why they were pping. ¡°Prince William, I was wondering why you kept refusing the royal matchmaking events before; turns out you already had someone in mind!¡± A friend of Prince William came over with a ss of wine and said. Before Serena could exin, Prince William quickly interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t make things up. This is my idol, Master BYC, whose real name is Serena Jennings.¡± Upon hearing this, the person was taken aback. Not everyone recognized Serena, but the name BYC was well¨Cknown. ¡°Oh my, so you¡¯re the master of the Piano Series designs? I always thought Master BYC was a middle¨Caged man!¡± In the years when BYC had never unveiled their identity, Serena indeed heard many spections about BYC¡¯s true identity. Most guessed it was a male designer nearing middle age. ¡°So, can I say that tonight I have the chance to bid on one of your designed jewelry pieces?¡± Prince William¡¯s friend appeared determined to win. ¡°Let me warn you, Your Highness, I won¡¯t let you have it easily.¡± ¡°Who needs your concession! My idol¡¯s work must be mine!¡± Serena chuckled lightly. At this moment, Peter approached her and whispered, ¡°Looks like thepetition for your items will be fierce tonight!¡± Serena noticed a slight trace of concern on Peter¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you really worried about whose auction items will fetch a higher price between ours?¡± Peter nced at Serena, smiling mysteriously. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± Serena was puzzled. As she and Peter continued to socialize, she unexpectedly spotted someone among the guests. ¡°Cynthia Fulton actually came too?¡± Peter followed Serena¡¯s gaze and exined, ¡°She wasn¡¯t invited. She probably snuck in through other connections¡­ Given the Fulton 16:28 216 Chapter 216: Family Alliance Through Marriage Family¡¯s current situation, she likely can¡¯t afford any of the auction items here. Listening to Peter, Serena kept her eyes on Cynthia Fulton. She remembered how Cynthia used to appear at such social events as the image of an upper¨Css socialite. Not to the extent of Wendy Linton, who exuded confidence and pride, but the former Cynthia also had the aura of the Fulton Family¡¯s daughter. However, the Cynthia before her seemed like a different person. Cynthia wore a ck evening dress without any jewelry, and though she had makeup on, the look couldn¡¯t hide her exhaustion. Moreover, she clearly seemed to be seeking assistance, hovering around other guests like apdog, nodding and bowing with a forced smile. Yet, even so, many would politely exchange a few words with Cynthia before choosing to distance themselves. In the vast banquet hall, Cynthia alone resembled a headless fly, both anxious and awkward. Noticing Serena¡¯s slight concern for Cynthia, Peter shared some hearsay he had picked up. ¡°Cynthia Fulton is likely trying to use this charity banquet to ask others to lend money to their Newcross Real Estate.¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened slightly. It seemed the Fulton Family¡¯s predicament was more severe than she had imagined. ¡°But¡­¡± Peter shook his head. ¡°Even though this isn¡¯t Country A, the news of Newcross Real Estate on the brink of bankruptcy can¡¯t be unknown to other countries¡® capital markets. Cynthia now is like a rat crossing the street¨Ceveryone looks down on her¡­ Plus, it¡¯smon knowledge in the circle that Caleb Lockwood is behind the downfall of the Fulton Family, and aiding the Fultons now would be akin to opposing Caleb Lockwood. No one would be that foolish.¡± Peter¡¯s words struck a chord with Serena. Even though Caleb Lockwood had many rivals, they had no reason to help Cynthia either¨Cneither benefiting themselves nor impacting the Lockwood Group. As Serena watched Cynthia¡¯s constant setbacks, her expression turned cooler. She thought of ire Shaw. Cynthia brought this upon herself, but ire Shaw was certainly not entirely innocent. Yet behind ire Shah was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s support. N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on fin?novel It appeared that the Fulton Group was set to copse in front of ire Shaw¡¯spany. 15:28 ) 216 Chapter 216: Family Alliance Through Marriage Serena narrowed her eyes, ncing at Caleb Lockwood. Caleb, standing with Wendy Linton, seemed morepatible in appearance than with ire Shaw, ire adored wearing youthful pinks,cking Wendy¡¯s elegance. ¡°Are you concerned about this?¡± Peter¡¯s voice brushed past Serena¡¯s cardrum. Serena retracted her gaze, looking at Peter with a slight smile. ¡°What I¡¯m concerned about is certainly different from what you think.¡± Before Peter could hear more exnation from Serena, the voice of the host reached them first: ¡°The Victoria Royal Cruise Charity Auction is about to begin. Would all the guests please be seated at their designated spots?¡± Following the announcer¡¯s words, guests gradually moved to their seats. The seats were pre¨Carranged by the organizers. Arthur Lockwood, Lilian Young, and Caleb Lockwood were seated with Aaron Linton, Jade Shaw, Wendy Linton, and Chance Bell at the same table. The two families were, respectively, thergest capital entities in Country A and C, making it fitting for them to sit together. If there was any advantage the Linton Family had over the Lockwood Family, it was that the Lockwoods were purely in business, while the Lintons were both politically andmercially sessful in Country C. Lilian Young rarely attended such events because Arthur Lockwood didn¡¯t usually take her. This time, she apanied him because Aaron Linton brought his wife. Their joint attendance resembled a kind of family union. In the front row, there were only three tables in total; the Lockwood and Linton families upied one, making Lilian Young feel particrly proud- Until she saw Serena Jennings and Peter seated at the table next to theirs. It was the table right in the center of the front row, sitting with Prince William. The smile instantly vanished from Lilian Young¡¯s face. Caleb Lockwood, while adjusting his chair, nced at the table next door and saw Prince William taking off his tailcoat and handing it to Serena, then passing her a pen. At that moment, Arthur Lockwood nudged him with his elbow. ¡°Caleb is a bit introverted and not too talkative, but he¡¯s the type to do more than he says.¡± Seeing Arthur Lockwood¡¯s meaningful gaze, Caleb Lockwood peeled an Emperor Crab leg meat and handed it to Wendy Linton. ¤Ï 216 Chapter 216: Family Alliance Through Marriage ¡°Thank you.¡± Wendy Linton gracefully epted the crab leg meat Caleb prepared for her, casting him a charming nce. ¡°You¡¯re very gentlemanly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Caleb¡¯s response was as indifferent as ever. Lilian Young was growing anxious beside them, though she noted Wendy seemed to have a good impression of Caleb. The guests enjoyed their meals while chatting, asionally raising their paddles to bid on items they desired. The atmosphere in the banquet hall was harmonious. Serena inadvertently noticed that Cynthia, who had been standing like a server in the corner earlier, had quietly left. Cynthia was not an officially invited guest by the organizers and therefore did not have an assigned seat. At the beginning of the auction, Cynthia was the only one standing. Serena guessed that someone like Cynthia, a fallen socialite, couldn¡¯t bear to watch items being bought for high prices while she could afford nothing and had no seat. ¡°The next item is a piece of jewelry.¡± The announcer¡¯s voice caught Serena¡¯s attention. Prince William and Peter simultaneously tightened their grips on their paddles. At the next table, Caleb Lockwood for the first time picked up his paddle for bidding. At the same time, someone else, sitting in the back rows, quietly pushed up the gold¨Crimmed spectacles on their high nose bridge with the paddle in hand. 1 Comment 1 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Mding 217 View All > 217 Chapter 217: Caleb Lockwood Doesn¡¯t Want Ellie. 217 Chapter 217: Caleb Lockwood Doesn¡¯t Want Ellie ¡°This piece of jewelry is a donation from the renowned BYC master in the fashion world, Ms. Serena Jennings, for this charity auction¨Ca golden phoenix tail hairb. 1 As the host introduced, many guests cast admiring nces at Serena Jennings. Now, almost everyone present knew that Serena Jennings was the renowned BYC master who designed the piano series, so each one eagerly awaited to see what kind of unique jewelry Serena would have designed this time. ¡°Really? Ab can be considered jewelry?¡± Lilian Young crossed her arms and couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°And a golden phoenix tail¡­ sounds so tacky. Who in real high society wears gold these days!¡± Lilian Young didn¡¯t care whether Serena Jennings was the legendary BYC master or not; she only knew that the auction item designed by Serena just didn¡¯t sound appealing to anyone. ¡°Surely no one will bid on it, just wait for it to be unsold!¡± With Lilian Young ready to see Serena¡¯s work go unsold, on the other side, the staff had already brought out Serena¡¯s donation to the stage. At the moment she saw the auction item, Lilian Young¡¯s eyes widened. This charity auction tonight had quite a few jewelry pieces. For example, a heart¨Cshaped tanzanite ne inspired by the Heart of the Ocean from the movie ¡°Titanic,¡± a waterfall¨Cstyle diamond bracelet designed and donated by Peter, and antique watches donated by the top three major watchmakers. However, those jewelry pieces, while beautiful and luxurious, didn¡¯t have the same eye¨Ccatching effect to the present dignitaries as Serena¡¯s design did. Serena, also known as the BYC master, became a new favorite in the jewelry fashion world precisely because her craftsmanship wasn¡¯t just outstanding, but her design style also had uniquely ingenious creativity, always providing surprises to the nobles who were ustomed to the ordinary jewelry. Like thisb disyed on the stage. ¡°This hairb is made from thetest 5G gold, with a hardnessparable to K gold, with dense and long teeth. It can be used as a Listening to the host¡¯s introduction, many guests showed strong interest. ¡°This hairb uses a Chinese design concept overall. Theb presents a streamlined phoenix tail, lifelike, with every feather using BYC master¡¯s patent¨Ccurved seamless full hidden setting technology, iying over a hundred ice¨Ctype floating flower jade and mutton fat jade¡­¡°. Lilian Young¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t tear away from the golden phoenix tailb. < 217 Chapter 217: Caleb Lockwood Doesn¡¯t Want Ellie She had never seen such a high¨Cend design for a jewelryb. In her imagination, ab made from gold should be tacky, especially with jade, only suitable for older people. However, Serena¡¯s design for thisb miraculouslybined ssical beauty with fashionable elements. The ice¨Ctype floating flower jade was as transparent as ice, lustrous and crystal¨Cclear, matching with the cream¨Clike mutton fat jade, perfectlybining rity and elegance. The 5G gold was bright enough, while the ice¨Ctype floating flower jade and mutton fat jade added a touch of gentle elegance to this goldenb. Whether in function, or appearance, even as a collectible, it was wless. Lilian Young repeatedly winked at Arthur Lockwood beside her, but unfortunately, Arthur Lockwood didn¡¯t notice. Yet because thisb was Serena¡¯s auction item, she couldn¡¯t openly express her desire for it. After the host introduced theb, the auction began. ¡°The starting bid, one million US dors.¡± ¡°Two million.¡± Someone immediately started bidding. ¡°Two hundred ten thousand.¡± ¡°Two hundred thirty thousand.¡± ¡°Three million.¡± Serena listened to the continuous bids, with a knowing smile on her face. It seemed her designs were popr beyond just the piano series. ¡°Five million.¡± Suddenly, the price jumped significantly. Serena looked at Peter in surprise. ¡°The gentleman at number 49 bids five million US dors, five million US dors for the first time¡­¡± Peter shed a big smile at Serena, holding up the number 49 sign high. Serena truly didn¡¯t expect Peter to join the bidding, and to call out such a high price of five million US dors. However, just after the first call, Prince William, sitting at the same table as Peter, offered a higher price. ¡°Six million.¡± Peter frowned. 217 Chapter 217: Caleb Lockwood Doesn¡¯t Want Ellie ¡°Six hundred ten thousand.¡± Seeing that Peter was not giving up, Prince William continued to raise the bid. ¡°Six hundred twenty thousand.¡± ¡°Six hundred thirty thousand.¡± Neither were willing to give up,peting over several rounds. At the neighboring table, Jade Shaw watched as Peter and Prince William, neither willing to relent, couldn¡¯t help but lean over to whisper to Aaron Linton: ¡°Do you think both of them are trying to pursue Ellie?¡± Aaron Linton remained silent. Prince William was younger than Serena and seemed quite immature. Meanwhile, he knew Peter was the executive director of FY, talented in all aspects. However, judging by Serena¡¯s reaction, she didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in Peter. Aaron Linton¡¯s gaze involuntarily fell on Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood was considered outstanding among young men in both political and business circles. The Linton Family originally valued the Lockwood Family, intending to form alliances through marriage. However, Aaron could never have imagined that the carefully selected match for the adopted daughter would turn out to be her biological daughter¡¯s ex¨Chusband. By rights, Caleb Lockwood was already exceptional enough. Then why did Ellie and Caleb divorce? Was it Caleb who left Ellie? Or was it¡­ Aaron¡¯s brows furrowed deeper and deeper. He couldn¡¯t figure out what happened between Serena and Caleb Lockwood just by guessing. Given his position, he couldn¡¯t ask either Caleb or Serena. Meanwhile, the bidding war between Peter and Prince William had already reached ten million US dors. This price currently exceeded all jewelry auctioned before. ¡°Ten million US dors for the first time¡­¡± Prince William grinned provocatively at Peter, smiling smugly. 217 Chapter 217: Caleb Lockwood Doesn¡¯t Want Ellie Ten million US dors was a price far beyond what Serena had expected. At the same time, she thought Peter might as well give up. In terms of financial strength, Peter could notpare to Prince William. Yet just as Prince Williamcently waited for the host to drop the hammer, a calm, indifferent voice unexpectedly echoed in the banquet hall: ¡°Fifty million.¡± The venue fell into an instant silence, followed by Prince William blurting out a curse word in his nativenguage. The host took a moment to react before saying, ¡°The gentleman at number 25 bids fifty million, fifty million US dors for the first time¡­¡± Because he never anticipated it could reach this price for Serena¡¯s auction item. Serena herself hadn¡¯t expected it either. She couldn¡¯t help but turn her head to look aside. Others had the same reaction as her. Arthur Lockwood, Lilian Young, Aaron Linton, Jade Shaw, Wendy Linton, and Chance Bell all gazed towards Caleb Lockwood, who was sitting at the same table with them. Just now, Caleb Lockwood had raised his hand with the number 25 sign, calling out the extraordinarily high price of fifty million. ¡°Caleb, have you lost your mind?¡± Lilian Young couldn¡¯t help but whisper. This text is hosted at Find?Novel If Caleb Lockwood had bid that high for her, she would have been delighted. But she knew very well that Caleb Lockwood would definitely not buy theb for her. ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Caleb is quite something¡­¡± Lilian Young deliberately put on an expression of sudden realization. ¡°He must be thinking of buying theb to give it to Ms. Wendy!¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 218 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 218 Chapter 218: Caleb Lockwood Two¨CTiming 218 Chapter 218: Caleb Lockwood Two¨CTiming Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw were immediately surprised by Lilian Young¡¯s words. ¡°Your son is too kind, no need to be so extravagant.¡± Aaron Linton said to Lilian Young. Lilian Young nced at Caleb Lockwood, Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression was emotionless, as if he hadn¡¯t heard them at all. In fact, Lilian Young wasn¡¯t sure why Caleb Lockwood had bid so high for the jewelry designed by Serena Jennings. Caleb Lockwood had no use for this golden phoenix tailb. If he was willing to spend so much, it was definitely to give to a woman he liked. The first person that came to Lilian Young¡¯s mind was ire Shaw. After all, ire Shaw was Caleb Lockwood¡¯s first love, and since returning to the country, Caleb had taken great care of her. However, recently it was visible that Caleb had been more indifferent to ire Shaw. Otherwise, Caleb wouldn¡¯t have agreed to meet and discuss business with the Linton Family. On the surface, the Lockwoods and the Lintons had a project to discuss. But Caleb, cunning as he was, must have realized they were trying to set him up with Wendy Linton. Previously, wherever Caleb went, ire Shaw was always by his side. Yet, for this charity g, Caleb never mentioned bringing ire along. Read full story at f¦É?dn¦Ïvel Thinking it over, the only other person Lilian Young could imagine was Wendy Linton. After all, Caleb was sensible and understood the pros and cons. In the current circumstances, spending a high amount on jewelry for Wendy would not only win her favor but also earn praise from Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw. The more Lilian Young thought about it, the more it seemed like the truth. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel gratified. Caleb was indeed the Lockwood heir, knowing how to please Wendy without needing their guidance. Caleb¡¯s offer of fifty million US dors deterred all other bidders, including Prince William. ¡°Idol, are you okay?¡± Prince William cautiously noticed the serious expression on Serena Jennings¡¯s face after Caleb said fifty million. 218 Chapter 218: Caleb Lockwood Two¨CTiming ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Serena shook her head. Sitting next to Serena, Peter also noticed the change in her expression. He surmised Serena didn¡¯t want her meticulously designedb to end up in Caleb¡¯s hands. Especially since¡­ Peter nced at the neighboring table. At that table, aside from Caleb, who was expressionless, everyone else was chatting andughing. Therefore, if Caleb was bidding such a high price for thisb, it was likely for the Linton family¡¯s youngdy! ¡°Fifty¨Cone million.¡± Suddenly, from a table at the back, a man¡¯s familiar voice reached Serena¡¯s ears. Serena instinctively turned her head to see the man standing, casually walking forward. In the dimly lit banquet hall, it wasn¡¯t until he reached the front row that Serena clearly saw his face. The man wore a royal blue suit, was tall and broad, with high cheekbones framed by gold¨Crimmed sses, with narrow eyes smiling Nheless, Serena now described this aura with an idiom- ¡°Gentlemanly scoundrel.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Serena asked in surprise. Ian ckwood adjusted his gold¨Crimmed sses, leaned in and whispered to Serena: ¡°Here to cheer you on.¡± Serena blinked as Ian had a chair brought over and then sat beside her, as if he naturally belonged there. With an extra person at the table, it instantly became crowded. It had been some time since Serenast sawn. She hadn¡¯t expectedn to also be at this charity auction. Sitting close to Serena,n seemed like he wanted to say something to her. But not now. ¡°Sixty million.¡± At the neighboring table, Caleb bid again, his tone nonchnt. ¡°Caleb¡­¡°¨C 15:28 < 218 Chapter 218: Caleb Lockwood Two¨CTiming Arthur Lockwood tried to stop Caleb. No matter how much he wanted to impress the Linton family, spending sixty million on ab was excessive. That was sixty million US dors. Enough to invest in several mid¨Csized projects or onerge one. Nheless, despite Arthur¡¯s attempts, Caleb seemed oblivious. Bidding at the level of sixty million had piqued the curiosity of many guests. Although Serena¡¯sb design was exquisite and innovative, and crafted from precious metals and gemstones, it was, after all, just ab, a piece of jewelry. Not a rare original by Da Vinci or Van Gogh. Even antiques don¡¯t all reach such prices. Moreover, for Caleb, thisb wasn¡¯t of great functional or collectible value. Caleb¡¯s willingness to make such arge expenditure was evidently to win a woman¡¯s favor. So, who was the woman? Guests began whispering among themselves. Serena had already guessed Caleb wanted her design to gift to Wendy. But Caleb¡¯s willingness to spend such a fortune on Wendy still astonished her. If she remembered correctly, Caleb once acquired a ssic pink diamond ne, one of only ten globally, for ire. For the average wealthy person, that ne wasn¡¯t cheap either; back then, it seemed Caleb was splurging for his first love. Yet that ne was far from the magnitude of sixty million US dors. Even for Lance Lockwood¡¯s birthday, the watch Caleb gifted was merely thirty million. If someone said Caleb bid sixty million for ire, she would believe it. But if they said it was for Wendy, she would be skeptical. Serena¡¯s gaze unconsciously drifted to the adjacent table. She was truly curious how far Caleb and Wendy had progressed. If Caleb was already pursuing Wendy, did that mean ire was abandoned? Yet Caleb was still supporting ire¡¯spany, which puzzled Serena. Surely Caleb wasn¡¯t two¨Ctiming? While mulling this over, Serena heard Ian from beside her: < 218 Chapter 218: Caleb Lockwood Two¨CTiming ¡°Sixty¨Cone million.¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened atn. ¡°Once the bid is epted, you have to pay up.¡± Serena softly remindedn. Caleb at least had a reason to bid, but whyn? Serena recalled thatn and Caleb had been rivals since their student days. Wasn really willing to spend sixty¨Cone million just to antagonize Caleb¡­ Serena couldn¡¯t wrap her head around Ian¡¯s logic. At the neighboring table, seeing Serena whisper ton, Caleb¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Seventy million.¡± ¡°Caleb, you can¡¯t keep this up.¡± Arthur Lockwood couldn¡¯t help but caution. ¡°Seventy¨Cone million.¡± Ian turned to look at Caleb, adjusting his gold¨Crimmed sses. Sensing the gaze, Caleb also nced over. Compared to Ian¡¯s smiling face, Caleb looked frozen with cold. ¡°Eighty million.¡± ¡°Eighty¨Cone million.¡± ¡°Ny million.¡± ¡°Ny¨Cone million.¡± Comment 1 Post your firstment! Mding 219 View All > 219 Chapter 219: Asking to Reconcile 219 Chapter 219: Asking to Reconcile Just when everyone thought the bidding would continue to drag on, Caleb Lockwood called out an unprecedented high price. ¡°Five billion.¡± In an instant, the entire first banquet hall fell silent. Five billion?!!! Serena Jennings stared at Caleb Lockwood with incredulous big eyes. Seated at the same table with Caleb were Arthur Lockwood, Lilian Young, Aaron Linton, Jade Shaw, and Chance Bell, all of whom were dumbfounded. However, Wendy Linton, as the adopted daughter, seemed the calmest, her fiery red lips curving into a bright and confident smile, as if it was no big deal at all for Caleb Lockwood to spend five billion on her. She was worth that amount. Five billion US Dors was an astronomical figure for Serena Jennings. Even as the recognized identity of the BYC Master, she never dared to imagine that her design could one day fetch such a price of five billion US Dors. Ian ckwood, beside her, not only wasn¡¯t angry but instead pushed his gold¨Crimmed sses up, unable to hold back his amusement. Finally, the host on stage reacted and began to shout: ¡°Five billion US Dors, first call.¡± ¡°Five billion US Dors, second call¡­ The final price and buyer of Serena Jennings¡® donatedb were no longer in doubt, and everyone was silently waiting for the hammer to fall. ¡°Five billion US Dors, third call¡­ sold.¡± Caleb Lockwood paid and acquired the auction item. ¡°We sincerely thank Mr. Lockwood for his support of our charity foundation.¡± Caleb Lockwood nodded silently, lowered his gaze, and looked at theb inside the gift box. From up close, theb showcased Serena Jennings¡® unique top¨Cnotch craftsmanship and design philosophy. Wendy Linton fiddled with her golden curls. Though she didn¡¯t like gold, wearing such a five¨Cbillion¨Cdorb should certainly enhance her looks, right? Just when everyone thought they would see Caleb Lockwood solemnly gift the invaluableb to Wendy Linton, Caleb took theb 15:24 < 219 Chapter 219: Asking to Reconcile from the gift box and walked to the next table, towards Serena Jennings, Under Serena Jennings¡® bewildered gaze, Caleb Lockwood raised his hand and ced theb in Serena¡¯s updo. The scene instantly erupted with astonishment. Serena Jennings was stunned. Beside her, Ian ckwood¡¯s smile remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated Caleb Lockwood¡¯s actions. On the other side, Peter¡¯s face darkened. Prince William smelled the scent of gossip and watched Caleb Lockwood and Serena Jennings with keen interest. At the neighboring table, Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young¡¯s expressions were the most dramatic. Especially Lilian Young. She opened her mouth several times but didn¡¯t know if she should say something to the Linton Family. Lilian Young could hardly fathom Caleb Lockwood spending five billion to buy Serena Jennings¡® donated item, only to give it back to her. Beside her, Arthur Lockwood drank several gulps of wine, looking as if he might explode from anger. The Linton Family, however, did not have as strong a reaction as the Lockwood Family. Aaron Linton observed the interaction between Serena Jennings and Caleb Lockwood, slightly frowning with a deeply meaningful look. Jade Shaw saw Serena wearing the five¨Cbillion¨Cdorb, her face showing a faint, gentle smile. Wendy Linton silently ate sea urchin, but her previously confident smile became noticeably stiff. Serena Jennings touched theb in her hair. ¡°It¡¯s a gift for me?¡± Her question was, of course, directed at Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood was staring at her, his gaze as inscrutable as ever. He simply nodded indifferently. ¡°Yes.¡± Serena Jennings didn¡¯t ask Caleb Lockwood why. She simply realized that men with power and money who have an excessive desire to win really do not think of money, as money. However, considering this auction was for charity, her donated item fetching such an exorbitant price wasn¡¯t all that bad. Caleb Lockwood stood beside Serena Jennings, his gaze never leaving her face. He had thought that after defeating allpetitors and spending five billion dors to buy thisb for Serena, she would be moved to tears. 15:28 219 Chapter 219: Asking to Reconcile No woman would refuse jewelry worth five billion dors. Nor would any woman remain unmoved by a man who gave her such jewelry. However, Serena Jennings¡® reaction was vastly different from what Caleb had imagined. Wearing the five¨Cbillion¨Cdorb, Serena stood up under the scrutiny of the crowd, facing Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood realized that although Serena¡¯s attire today was in makeup with a clean¨Ccut dress, the addition of the gleaming gold Seeing Caleb Lockwood staring intently at her, Serena smiled gently. Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find~Novel ¡°Thank you¡­¡± A simple two words, but it made Caleb Lockwood feel the blockage in his chest dissipate.. Yet the next second, he saw Serena take off theb, step forward, and hand it back to the host. Serena whispered something to the host, and Caleb Lockwood only saw the host¡¯s expression transition from shock to hesitation, then awkwardly nce at him. Following that, the host took the stage again, putting the goldenb back into the disy box for auction items. ¡°Miss Jennings has expressed her desire to donate theb back to our charity foundation, so we will conduct a second auction for this goldenb.¡± As soon as the host said this, the scene was once again filled with astonishment. Ian ckwood covered his mouth to stifle augh, though theughter was still evident. Though guests came from all over the world to attend this auction, not all were from Country A¨Csome foreigners had also heard rumors about Serena Jennings and Caleb Lockwood. ¡°This Miss Jennings seems to be President Lockwood¡¯s ex¨Cwife.¡± ¡°Really? So is President Lockwood¡­ trying to reconcile but got rejected?¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t they say the Lockwood Family¡¯s current goal is a marriage alliance with the Linton Family?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­ but if President Lockwood truly wanted an alliance with the Linton Family, why wouldn¡¯t he give thatb to the Linton heiress? Thatb is valued at five billion dors!¡± ¡°It seems that this Miss Jennings hasn¡¯t been known for any particr background¡­ If just relying on personal excellence, she might not match up to the Linton heiress.¡± ¡°So is there some secret dramatic tension of love and hate between them in high society?¡± The guests exchanged remarks, all bing interested in the rtionship dynamics between Serena Jennings, Caleb Lockwood, and Wendy Linton. Caleb Lockwood quietly returned to his seat. 15:26 219 Chapter 219: Asking to Reconcile His face was expressionless, but his entire aura had turned much colder. No one would have a pleasant expression after losing five billion dors for nothing Arthur Lockwood was already so angry he had a stomach ache. But in front of the Linton Family, he couldn¡¯t reprimand Caleb, so he had to endure it. However, Lilian Young couldn¡¯t hold it in. ¡°That Serena Jennings is really ungrateful, isn¡¯t she? How could she donate such an expensiveb once it¡¯s given to her? Who does she think she is!¡± Lilian Young muttered softly, observing that Aaron Linton, Jade Shaw, and Chance Bell¡¯s expressions became serious, even tinged with a She thought the Linton Family was angry because Wendy Linton didn¡¯t get theb, so she nudged Caleb Lockwood with her high heel. Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Mding 220 Anger 220 Chapter 220: Helping You Vent Your Anger Caleb Lockwood stood up and returned a momentter, holding arge bouquet of bright roses in his hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what kind of flowers you like, so I bought what I thought would suit you best. Wendy Linton nced at the flowers Caleb had given her; they were all red roses, vividly beautiful, and indeed the best fit for her. ¡°Thank you, I really like them.¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± Follow current nov?ls on ?ovelFind Lilian Young saw the smile on Wendy¡¯s face and the way she looked at Caleb, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed that Caleb still understood what she meant, at least knowing to actively give Wendy a gift to mend the rtionship between the two families. At the neighboring table, Ian ckwood watched Caleb give Wendy arge bouquet of flowers without showing any expression, and pushed his golden¨Cframed sses slightly. The flowers seemed striking but,pared to theb given to Serena Jennings earlier, the difference in value was too vast. At least from Ian¡¯s perspective, if Serena was worth five billion US Dors, then Wendy was just worth that bouquet of roses. ¡°Are you not bidding this time?¡± Serena reminded Ian that theb she donated had already started its second round of auctioning, with a much more reasonable price this time. ¡°No.¡± Ian shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not as prodigal as Caleb, and I don¡¯t even have a girlfriend. Who would I give it to? If I give it to you, you wouldn¡¯t want it.¡± Serena tilted her head. She intended to say ton, ¡°You could give it to ire Shaw!¡± But given her and Ian¡¯s rtionship, they didn¡¯t seem close enough for such casual suggestions. ¡°So all your keen bidding earlier was really just topete with Caleb?¡± ¡°Not exactly¡­ Ian shook his head again. ¡°I wanted to raise the price, so he¡¯d spend more money ¨C kind of helping you vent your anger!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Serena couldn¡¯tprehend Ian¡¯s words. Ifn himself couldn¡¯t stand Caleb and wanted to raise the price to provoke the high¨Cstakes Caleb into spending more, she could 2:15:28 145 220 Chapter 220: Helping You Vent Your Anger understand. Butn said it was to help her¡­. Seeing the look of confusion on Serena¡¯s face,n pushed his golden¨Cframed sses and formally apologized: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Serena, for not being able to help you during your most difficult times. These words instantly pulled Serena back to the darkest period when she was cyberbullied, herpany was insolvent and she had to file for bankruptcy. ¡°For the Northriver project, my dad sent me to Zephyria for further studies, and during that time, I got involved in local gang disputes and ended up in the hospital¡­¡± In Serena¡¯s bright eyes,n caught a trace of care for him. Although he outwardly had a schrly elegance, deep down he was quite unruly; meant to advance his studies, he ended up in the hospital instead. Of course, the gang leaders who fought with him didn¡¯t fare much better ¨C they were lying in the hospital too! ¡°As a result, my dad was furious, saying I caused trouble and confiscated my phone. I was almost in a state of house arrest during my hospital stay¡­¡± Asn spoke, his smile turned bitter. It was onlyter, during rehab, that he got his phone and found out Serena was in deep trouble. He actually was quite pleased to hear the rumors about him and Serena. But he didn¡¯t want to see Serena being cyberbullied, to the point that her studio closed down because of it. And during that time, the ckwood Group was as silent as the grave, not even uttering a word in Serena¡¯s defense. But that wasn¡¯t surprising; nobody amongst the ckwood family except him had any friendship with Serena. As for the Lockwood Group, it was even more exaggerated, not just failing to offer help but rather adding insult to injury. It didn¡¯t matter if it was Arthur Lockwood or Caleb Lockwood who did it; Ian wouldn¡¯t be surprised. In his eyes, the Lockwood family was always so profit¨Cdriven and cold¨Chearted. ¡°Although I¡¯m not much better than Caleb, as the saying goes, ignorance is no excuse¡­ I really didn¡¯t know what was happening at that time. By the time I found out, you had already be the BYC master.¡± Serena could tell that Ian was genuinely apologizing to her. But at the same time, she could also sensen was subtly emphasizing that he was better than Caleb. we 15:28 220 Chapter 220: Helping You Vent Your Anger ¡°It¡¯s alright, whether you knew or not, I won¡¯t me you.¡± Serena¡¯s understanding words instead loweredn¡¯s lifted lips. ¡°Serena, you really have no expectations of me, do you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Serena didn¡¯t immediately understand the deeper meaning inn¡¯s words. Ian smiled bitterly, pushed his golden¨Cframed sses, and his eyes through the lenses were directed at Peter sitting beside Serena. ¡°Peter, do you feel the same way?¡± Peter nced atn, remained silent. Staying silent was almost like an implicit agreement. In Peter¡¯s eyes, Serena more or less maintained a polite distance from him, from Ian, as well as Justin Nash and Patrick Rhodes. The fact that she didn¡¯t me them meant she never had expectations for them. As for who truly entered Serena¡¯s world. That person was only Caleb Lockwood. And the vacant space in Serena¡¯s heart in the future might never be reserved for him. Peter couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Ian saw Serena still had a bewildered look and smiled, lifting his own champagne. ¡°In any case, this time Caleb spent five billion US Dors for your auction item, worthy of celebration.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Serena clinked sses with Ian. ¡°Raising more charity funds is indeed a good deed.¡± Serena was clinking sses with Ian over here. Caleb Lockwood was gently swirling the wine in his ss over there. The wine was richly colored, yet nothing close to the depth of Caleb¡¯s eyes. Finally, theb designed and donated by Serena Jennings in its second round of auction was taken by Prince William. ¡°The auction item that raised the most funds this charity event was donated by BYC master, namely Ms. Serena Jennings¡® Golden Phoenix Tail Comb. Please wee Ms. Serena Jennings to the stage.¡± Serena never expected there to be an honorary certificate to be awarded to her, feeling somewhat ttered. She stood up, about to take a step, whenn gestured her to wait. 45:30 15 220 Chapter 220: Helping You Vent Your Anger Shortly after, she saw tan bend down, kneel on one knee, and patiently help her adjust her dress. The spotlight was already on her, andn¡¯s actions were clear to everyone around. Serena was surprised and embarrassed, saying softly ton: ¡°Um¡­ I can handle the dress myself, no need to trouble¡­¡± Ian looked up with a slight smile. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m kneeling at your feet?¡± Serena felt chills all over her body. She still remembered when she first metn, he threatened her or kicked away her crutch. Why had he be like this now? Consideringn was hospitalized and underwent surgery in Zephyria, Serena couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Ian¡¯s body and mind hadn¡¯t fully recovered. Many guests started to feel curious about Serena and Ian¡¯s rtionship again, especially those sitting close to Serena¡¯s table. Meanwhile, Caleb Lockwood was busy fiddling with his phone. Finally, Serena walked onto the stage, her ethereal white in tulle dress still dazzling under the stage lights. At this point, the host continued: ¡°Now let us wee the award presenter¡­¡± Prince William was about to stand up when suddenly the chairperson of the charitable foundation stepped onto the stage and whispered something to the host. Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. 7530 ¡ê3 Mding 221 221 Chapter 221: I Don¡¯t Want to Let Go After the president of the charity foundation stepped down, only Serena Jennings and the host remained on the stage. The host picked up the microphone again and said: ¡°Next, let¡¯s wee the award presenter¡­ Mr. Caleb Lockwood, general manager of The Lockwood Group, to the stage.¡± Caleb Lockwood stood up calmly, but Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young, sitting next to him, were anything but calm. They had never heard that there would be an award segment at this charity auction, let alone that Caleb would be the presenter. At the neighboring table, Prince William¡¯s face turned green. He shot a silent re at the host, questioning why the n was different from what had been arranged. Originally, as one of the hosts and local lead, he should have been the one presenting the award. The host could only manage a wry smile. He was just an employee and had no idea why the decision to change the presenter was made at thest minute. Caleb Lockwood stepped onto the stage, took the certificate from the etiquettedy, and presented it to Serena. Under the lights, the angles of Caleb Lockwood¡¯s face were sharply defined. However, Serena could not discern what Caleb was thinking at that moment. She only saw Caleb¡¯s charming smile forming a slight curve on his lips. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Serena held the honor certificate in one hand and shook hands with Caleb with the other. In such circumstances, it¡¯s customary for the presenter and the recipient to shake hands. Serena found nothing inappropriate, especially as Caleb had extended his hand towards her. Their hands sped together. Caleb¡¯s palm was cool. After the handshake, Serena wanted to withdraw her hand. But Caleb did not let go. Serena paused, applied a little force, attempting to pull her hand free. Yet Caleb held her hand even tighter. Serena lifted her gaze, ring at Caleb. 15:29 221 Chapter 221: I Don¡¯t Want to Let Go Caleb¡¯s professional smile remained unmoved. And so did the hand holding Serena¡¯s. The audience below watched them; Serena couldn¡¯t fathom what Caleb was doing. ¡°Let go of me.¡± Serena whispered a warning. Caleb didn¡¯t listen. In Serena¡¯s mind, Caleb indeed was someone who never took advice. The unusual scene on stage naturally caught the audience¡¯s attention, especially since Caleb and Serena were once husband and wife. This text is hosted at fin?novel Standing together on the same stage, hand in hand, led many to specte about their current rtionship. Lilian Young leaned closer to Arthur Lockwood, whispering discontentedly, ¡°What¡¯s going on with your son tonight!¡± ¡°How would I know.¡± Arthur Lockwood gave Lilian Young a disgruntled look. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know¡­ Didn¡¯t you say Caleb was obedient, understanding, and had agreed to meet the Linton family¡¯s daughter!¡± ¡°Enough, don¡¯t shout in my ear.¡± Arthur Lockwood looked displeased, but he couldn¡¯t really push Lilian Young away, especially in front of others, particrly the Linton family. In fact, Caleb had never said he agreed to a date with Wendy Linton. However, in Arthur Lockwood¡¯s eyes, since Caleb had agreed to meet Wendy alone and talk business, it was as if Caleb had epted his arrangement. Since Caleb was smart enough to see through his intention to ally with the Linton family through marriage. Originally, Arthur Lockwood was quite pleased, thinking that as long as Caleb agreed, the Lockwood and Linton families¡® alliance was almost in the bag. However, Caleb¡¯s behavior tonight left him very unsatisfied. Simrly unsatisfied was Lilian Young. She was very worried that Caleb¡¯s behavior might anger the Linton family. If Caleb were doing this for ire Shaw, she might understand. But Caleb was doing it for Serena. First spending a whopping five billion US dors for Serena. 1.123 221 Chapter 221: I Don¡¯t Want to Let Go And now running up to be a presenter, holding Serena¡¯s hand without letting go. Lilian Young grew increasingly frustrated as she thought about it, rolling her eyes. What does Serena have, anyway! Aside from being a little pretty, she has no family background, nothingpared to Wendy Linton.. ¡°I really need to visit Sce Temple someday and see if he¡¯s possessed by something.¡± Lilian Young muttered to herself softly. Beside her, Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw were both intently watching Serena and Caleb holding hands on stage. Not until the usually cold palm became warm did Caleb finally let go. Serena immediately withdrew her hand, and as she turned away, she heard Caleb¡¯s light voice: ¡°Only when I let go, could you leave.¡± Serena paused in her step and turned her head. Reflected in her eyes was Caleb, smiling. The corner of his lips lifted, both seductive and dangerous. ¡°If ever I don¡¯t want to let go¡­¡± Caleb didn¡¯t continue his sentence. He turned and walked off stage in the opposite direction from Serena. Serena returned to her seat, her heart stirred by emotions she couldn¡¯t quite describe. At that moment, Ian ckwood handed her a tissue. Serena was briefly startled, then understood Ian ckwood¡¯s intent. She took the tissue, wiped the hand Caleb had held for so long, then got up and tossed the tissue into the trash. Caleb Lockwood¡¯s gaze followed Serena subtly. When he retracted his gaze, he inadvertently spotted Ian ckwood. Ian ckwood lifted his ss towards him, his eyes cold behind his gold¨Crimmed sses. Caleb Lockwood smirked silently, continuing to sip his red wine. ¡°Oh, I heard Miss Wendy is not only excellent in business but also the hottest racing goddess in Country C right now!¡°. Arthur Lockwood understood the intention behind Lilian Young¡¯s words. Caleb Lockwood liked exceptional women. And Lilian Young¡¯s words were meant to convey to Caleb that Wendy Linton was far more outstanding than Serena. ¡°Auntie, you can just call me Wendy.¡± 52 15:29 221 Chapter 221: I Don¡¯t Want to Let Go Upon hearing Wendy Linton say this, Lilian Young was overjoyed. ¡°Of course, Wendy¡­ such a nice name¡­ and such an outstanding person¡­¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Arthur Lockwood chimed in, ¡°Wendy also ys the piano wonderfully! She could be said to carry on Mrs. Linton¡¯s legacy¡± Jade Shaw only smiled faintly; to Arthur and Lilian, it seemed Jade was being modest, so she didn¡¯tvish more praise on her foster daughter. ¡°ire ys the piano very well too.¡± Caleb suddenly added. The harmonious atmosphere at the dining table suddenly turned awkward again. ¡°ire is¡­¡± Jade Shaw tentatively asked. ¡°Oh, just an old high school friend of Caleb¡¯s; he used to say she yed the piano well, but unfortunately, after her hand injury, she could no longer y the notes Caleb talked about¡­¡± Lilian Young quickly exined. ¡°If Minister Lin is willing, you can visit our humble ce sometime. I¡¯d love to hear Wendy y, only if Wendy is willing.¡± Arthur Lockwood threw the ball to Wendy Linton, setting up another meeting with the piano ying as an excuse. ¡°Uncle Lockwood, you¡¯re too kind. If you want to listen, of course, I¡¯m willing to y.¡± Wendy Linton said, turning to look at Caleb, her smile unchanged. ¡°We could also invite your high school friend to join. We could perform a four¨Chand duet together.¡± Comment Leave the firstment for this chapter. Vote 9 Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Send Gifts Mding 222 222 Chapter 222: Pushing Serena Jennings Overboard Caleb Lockwood silently watched Wendy Linton. 1. Wendy Linton saw her reflection in Caleb Lockwood¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Caleb Lockwood shook his head. ¡°Is it because Wendy is so beautiful that Caleb can¡¯t take his eyes off her!¡± Lilian Young stepped in to mediate. ¡°I just think¡­ you¡¯re different from the impression your name gives.¡± Caleb Lockwood said lightly. ¡°Is it the name that¡¯s better, or am I better?¡± Wendy Linton held her chin with one hand, asking Caleb Lockwood with great interest. Before speaking, Caleb Lockwood first heard Arthur Lockwood clearing his throat next to him. ¡°Both are good.¡± In the end, he answered that way. This answer clearly pleased Wendy Linton, and the smile in her eyes grew even brighter. When Caleb Lockwood first heard the name Wendy Linton, he imagined a graceful and intellectualdy of a noble family. Being adopted, it was natural that her speech and demeanor would be restrained and modest. Yet, Wendy Linton not only had a mature and enticing figure, she exuded a dazzling confidence. Caleb Lockwood noticed Wendy Linton was a person with a strong desire to win. For instance, when he mentioned ire Shaw yed the piano well, Wendy Linton suggested inviting ire Shaw along. Although she said it was a four¨Chand performance, anyone could tell Wendy Linton wanted a showdown with ire Shaw. The confidence and ambition in Wendy Linton¡¯s eyes were clear to see. Looking at Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw, neither had the temperament of Wendy Linton. This made Caleb Lockwood curious why they chose Wendy Linton as an adopted daughter? Did they just want her because she was different from them? Or¡­ 15:29 222 Chapter 222: Pushing Serena Jennings Overboard Was there another person behind the choice of Wendy Linton as an adoptive daughter? ¡°Have you taken an interest in me?¡± Wendy Linton suddenly leaned in to whisper to Caleb Lockwood. Caleb Lockwood instinctively nced at the next table. Serena Jennings was chatting happily withn ckwood, Peter, and Prince William. He smirked and leaned into Wendy Linton¡¯s car, but his gaze remained fixed on Serena Jennings, ¡°Are you sure the person I¡¯m interested in is you?¡± 1 The smile on Wendy Linton¡¯s face froze. Arthur Lockwood and Lilian Young saw Caleb Lockwood whispering with Wendy Linton, and their worries eased a bit. At this point, the charity banquet was alreadying to an end. ¡°Minister Linton, Mrs. Linton, shall we go y bridge? Give the two youngsters a chance to be alone, what do you think?¡± Upon hearing Arthur Lockwood¡¯s suggestion, Aaron Linton and Jade Shaw exchanged a nce and nodded. ¡°Wendy, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to experience the starlit cinema on this cruise¡­¡± ¡°Perfect, Caleb, you apany Wendy there!¡± Arthur Lockwood continued along with Jade Shaw¡¯s words. Wendy Linton stood up, and Caleb Lockwood also rose, ncing at the neighboring table and realizing Serena Jennings had already left. On the deck, the sea breeze was strong, Serena Jennings wrapped a coat over her evening dress. ¡°Are you hiding here because you¡¯re afraid they¡¯ll find you?¡± Serena Jennings heard a familiar voice behind her but didn¡¯t turn around. Chance Bell came to Serena Jennings¡¯s side. Having not met for years, Serena Jennings found Chance Bell unchanged, almost as if frozen in time. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a problem that you¡¯re not by their side?¡± Serena Jennings asked. Chance Bell was Aaron Linton¡¯s bodyguard after all. Chance Bell shrugged at Serena Jennings with a bitter smile. ¡°Then guess why I¡¯m here?¡± Chance Bell¡¯s question made Serena Jennings realize he wasn¡¯t here of his own ord, but sent by Aaron Linton to find her. This update is avable on fin?novel ¡°Minister Linton feared you wouldn¡¯t want to see him, so he sent me as a mediator.¡± Serena Jennings turned to Chance Bell, ¡°What is he trying to persuade me into?¡± 3.15.29 222 Chapter 222: Pushing Serena Jennings Overboard ¡°Nothing much¡­ Minister Linton hopes you can understand his decision back then¡­ he was forced by circumstances¡­ he doesn¡¯t want you to hate him¡­ also¡­ after years seeing you so sessful, he¡¯s very happy¡­¡± ¡°If you have nothing else to say, I¡¯ll find another ce for some fresh air.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, wait a minute.¡± Chance Bell stopped Serena Jennings. He knew Serena Jennings likely wouldn¡¯t like hearing these words; he wasn¡¯t good at persuasion, either. ¡°What I¡¯m going to say next, you¡¯ll definitely be interested in.¡± Serena Jennings raised an eyebrow, her gaze at Chance Bell full of doubt. Chance Bell pulled a pack of cigarettes from his trouser pocket, offering one to Serena Jennings. ¡°Since when did you switch to slim cigarettes?¡± Serena Jennings was surprised, seeing Chance Bell silent but smiling. This reaction let Serena Jennings understand that this pack of slim cigarettes was probably bought deliberately for her. ¡°I¡¯ve quit smoking for years¡­¡± ¡°For your health?¡± ¡°To save money.¡± Serena Jennings showed a bitter smile, borrowed a light from Chance Bell, and lit a cigarette. The familiar taste of smoke took her back, to the time when she was young but rebellious. ¡°Alright, what is it that I would like to hear? Is the Linton Family bankrupt?¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s joke made Chance Bell cry andugh. ¡°It¡¯s about that ire Shaw¡­¡± Serena Jennings¡¯s fingers tightened on the cigarette, her expression turning serious. At the other end of the deck, Caleb Lockwood apanied Wendy Linton in watching a romance film at the starlit cinema. They walked on the deck, and Serena Jennings¡¯s figure smoking at the bow gradually entered their view. Caleb Lockwood stopped, his eyes lifting. This was the first time he saw Serena Jennings smoking. He didn¡¯t know Serena Jennings smoked. When did she start? Before? Or did she learnter? HA 15 29 > 222 Chapter 222: Pushing Serena Jennings Overboard ¡°People can¡¯t be judged by appearances! I thought she was a good girl!¡± Wendy Linton¡¯s words reminded Caleb Lockwood of the college¨Cera Serena Jennings. At that time, Serena Jennings indeed was a good girl. Later, she became a housewife after marrying him, also very well¨Cbehaved. So, did Serena Jennings learn to smoke after their divorce? Just as Serena Jennings was about to finish her cigarette, Caleb Lockwood saw Cynthia Fulton suddenly appear from nowhere, striding furiously straight towards Serena Jennings from behind. Cynthia Fulton¡¯s actions clearly intended to catch Serena Jennings off guard and push her overboard. Caleb Lockwood was about to step forward when his arm was suddenly grasped by Wendy Linton. Caleb Lockwood turned, ring at Wendy Linton, but she smiled brightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t still in love with your ex¨Cwife?¡± Caleb Lockwood¡¯s expression changed abruptly. Facing Caleb Lockwood¡¯s frightening anger, Wendy Linton¡¯s smile remained unchanged. By the time Caleb Lockwood had shaken off Wendy Linton¡¯s hand, Serena Jennings had already pinned the sneaky Cynthia Fulton against the deck railing. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Cynthia Fulton yelled, ¡°Serena Jennings, what exactly do you want? Haven¡¯t you ruined me enough!¡± Serena Jennings gripped Cynthia Fulton¡¯s wrist tightly, sneering: ¡°Good at screaming innocent, you were clearly sneaking up trying to push me overboard when I wasn¡¯t aware.¡± Themotion drew quite a crowd over to watch. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Ian ckwood came to stand before Serena Jennings and Cynthia Fulton. Cynthia Fulton knew Ian ckwood, as he was the head of Veridian International Education. ¡°Mr. ckwood, save me, this mad woman is trying to push me overboard!¡± Comment 1 15:29 Leave the firstment for this chapter. View All > Mding 223 223 Chapter 223: Constitutes Intentional Homicide 223 Chapter 223: Constitutes Intentional Homicide. Ian ckwood walked straight towards Cynthia Fulton. 1 Just when Cynthia thoughtn would offer her a helping hand,n grabbed her shoulders and suddenly pushed her down. Ssh! Cynthia fell into the sea, desperately shouting for help. On the deck, Serena Jennings was stunned. Didn just push Cynthia into the sea in front of everyone? If anything happened to Cynthia, Ian could be charged with attempted murder. Serena gasped in shock; however, Ian, the instigator, seemed unfazed and even pushed his sses up,ughing heartily. Soon, Cynthia was rescued by the cruise ship¡¯s lifeguard. The seawater was icy cold, making Cynthia¡¯s face pale and causing her whole body to tremble, her teeth chattering uncontrobly. Such a bigmotion naturally attracted a lot of onlookers. Peter hurried to Serena¡¯s side and asked with concern, ¡°What happened? Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine; it was Cynthia who fell into the sea.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Peter was shocked. Some guests also recognized Cynthia and instead of sympathizing with her, they mocked her: ¡°Isn¡¯t she the Fulton Family heiress? Was she even invited?¡± ¡°How could it be¡­ The Fulton Family is struggling to maintain themselves now; where would they find money to attend an auction!¡± ¡°I heard she snuck in and is trying to borrow money from everyone.¡± ¡°So she owes Mr. ckwood money which is why he pushed her?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ I saw it; Cynthia tried to push Serena first, and Mr. ckwood was avenging his beloved!¡± ¡°So Cynthia is just reaping what she sowed!¡± ¡°Exactly! She deserves it.¡± Surrounded by guests who pointed and talked about her, Cynthia couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing. When had she ever suffered such humiliation since childhood?! Serena¡­ 223 Chapter 223: Constitutes Intentional Homicide Cynthia red at Serena with bloodshot eyes. It was all Serena¡¯s fault¡­ Serena caused her to be like this! Serena saw Cynthia ring at her with fury, shrugged with a smile, and walked away. Her destination was the ship¡¯s surveince room. The next day, the entire inte exploded with news about Newcross Real Estate¡¯s heiress Cynthia trying to harm someone, with a screenshot from surveince footage showing Cynthia reaching out to push Serena clearly. The Fulton Family was already on shaky ground, and now their scandal led to their delisting and the bank cutting off their loans. Cynthia¡¯s parents had hoped Cynthia attending the cruise charity auction could secure funds, but instead, they made things worse. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, it wasn¡¯t like that at all! I was the one pushed into the sea; I¡¯m the victim!¡± Cynthia locked herself in her room, shouting at her phone. Yet, the voices condemning her online only grew louder. Some even dug up old dirt, saying she once used Serena of using fake jewelry in her wedding design. Serena, being a BYC master and president of The Jewelers¡® Association, would never use fakes! Suddenly, Cynthia became the target of online trolls. She now faced the bacsh from how she once manipted public opinion against Serena. ¡°I remembered Cynthia saying Serena seduced her fianc¨¦ and ruined her wedding.¡± ¡°So where is her fianc¨¦ now?¡± ¡°It seems like a political marriage; from my perspective, Serena might be her fianc¨¦¡¯s true love, or else why hasn¡¯t he shown up or spoken a word for Cynthia even now!¡± ¡°What is this called? What goes aroundes around; heaven spares no one.¡± Serena sat in her office, casually ncing at the trending topics andments on her phone. ¡°The Fulton Family is finished¡­¡± She murmured to herself as she continued her work. The foundation of the Fulton Family had long been shaken by Caleb Lockwood, so she only had to fan the mes a little to see the family reduced to ashes. Serena furrowed her brows slightly and twirled the pen in her hand. ¡°The key is ire Shaw¡­¡± Serena¡¯s face turned somber. 17:30 > 223 Chapter 223: Constitutes Intentional Homicide She recalled what Chance Bell had said to her. Just ruining the Fulton Family wasn¡¯t nearly enough¡­ As Serena racked her brain, her phone suddenly buzzed. The caller ID brought a knowing smile to her tired face. Meanwhile, ire Shaw couldn¡¯t focus on work. Not that any serious work approached her door. Her studio hadn¡¯t fallen to the brink of bankruptcy like Newcross Real Estate but barely managed to hold on with support from Lockwood Group. Constantly receiving support, but unable to generate revenue on its own. ?????? ???? find~novel ire felt restless. Once, Cynthia Fulton was considered a good ally. No one expected the Fulton Family to fall before her so quickly. ire initially thought Cynthia¡¯s trip to Zephyria would help the Fulton Family make aeback. Unexpectedly, instead of aeback, it made her a target of online bullying. ¡°What an idiot.¡± ire nced at thements under the trending topic, suddenly remembering when she used public opinion to push Serena to the forefront. How much of Cynthia¡¯s current predicament was orchestrated by Serena was still unknown. But ire firmly believed Serena had a role in it. If Serena started targeting Cynthia, ire wouldn¡¯t be able to escape either. ire bit her thumb. ¡°I must strike first.¡± Night fell on Southgate New District in City A. The area was radiant with lights and bustling with people, even at night, the enthusiasm to drive there didn¡¯t decrease. Ethan White scanned the QR code to validate the ticket, leading Serena into the Lonte Theme Park. The theme park had been open for just over two years in City A, not long, and the equipment was still rtively new. When it first opened, Serena was keen on visiting. However, despite her several hints to Caleb Lockwood, he never picked up on her desire. 215 < 223 Chapter 223: Constitutes Intentional Homicide At that time, Serena still naively believed Caleb loved her. Maybe after marriage, the love might fade or gradually turn into affection. But at least he had feelings for her. Otherwise, why did he pursue her back then? And why did he marry her? But after marriage, Serena had to be the diligent and devoted wife and mother to the Lockwood Family, so she couldn¡¯t demand to visit the new theme park with Caleb. Several times, Serena hoped Caleb would take her there willingly. Yet, each time her hopes were dashed. Eventually, Serena pushed the Lonte Theme Park out of her mind. She never thought Ethan White would bring her here tonight. ¡°In winter, they host an ice and snow carnival, different from regr projects.¡± Ethan White held a promotional flyer in one hand. Despite it being winter, the number of people at the ice and snow carnival exceeded Serena¡¯s imagination; the park felt like stew with all the people, wherever she looked, there were people everywhere. ¡°Let¡¯s queue for the most thrilling Snow Tunnel adventure!¡± Ethan White turned to Serena, and the flow of people separated them instantly. Serena only regained sight of Ethan White after the crowd passed. They exchanged a smile. ¡°Serena¡­¡± Ethan White extended his hand to Serena. ¡°There are so many people here, I¡¯m afraid we might get separated; would you allow me to hold your hand?¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. Mding 224 224 Chapter 224: Dating Serena Jennings hesitated, not extending her hand. 1 She clearly saw the disappointment in Ethan White¡¯s eyes. Serena didn¡¯t want to hurt Ethan White. But for now, she didn¡¯t want to start a new rtionship. So, she couldn¡¯t ept Ethan White. Precisely because she couldn¡¯t ept him, she was destined to hurt Ethan White. Ethan White noticed Serena¡¯s hesitation and conflict; he wasn¡¯t anxious and calmly took hold of Serena¡¯s- sleeve. Serena¡¯s eyes widened as Ethan White pulled her forward by her coat sleeve. In the bustling amusement park, Serena thought, she and Ethan White must be the only pair holding onto a sleeve among all the people! She and Ethan White were no longer middle school students, yet their actions at this moment felt like they were in that ambiguous phase of middle school. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ethan White saw Serena suppressing herughter and asked proactively. ¡°Nothing, just thinking¡­ the middle schoolers around us aren¡¯t as pure as we are.¡± Ethan White followed Serena¡¯s gaze and saw a couple of teenagers in school uniforms kissing each other. Ethan White lowered his head with a bitter smile. Serena scratched her head, unable to stop reflecting on whether she was being too pretentious. Just holding Ethan White¡¯s hand wouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal. However, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to hold hands with Ethan White without feeling love for him. Thus, holding onto each other¡¯s sleeves, they arrived at the queue for the ice cave adventure. Waiting in line can be quite boring if you¡¯re not scrolling through your phone. But here, Serena didn¡¯t feel it was necessary to check her phone. Because the surrounding lights were sufficient, illuminating the crystal¨Cclear, whimsical ice sculptures that looked vibrant, colorful, and highly captivating. Serena gazed at the shimmering ice sculptures, experiencing a sense of being in a fantastical realm. 224 Chapter 224: Dating ¡°Feeling better now?¡± Suddenly hearing Ethan¡¯s question, Serena was momentarily stunned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t hold back, speaking honestly: ¡°I feel like ever since you returned from Zephyria, you¡¯ve been like a tightly wound spring ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t pry into your privacy¡­ I just want to do my best to help you rx¡± After listening to Ethan¡¯s words, Serena suddenly realized. Content originallyes from F?nd-Novel She knew why Ethan had suddenly invited her to this Ice Snow Carnivalte at night! ¡°Thank you, Ethan¡­¡± Serena shyly lowered her head. Ethan really understood her well. Because she had received some information from Chance Bell, Serena had been squeezing her mind trying to figure out how to make ire Shaw pay the price since returning from Zephyria. As a result, her whole aura had be oppressive and gloomy. ¡°Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself, no matter what you want to do, I hope you understand¡­ I¡¯m here for you¡­¡± Ethan spoke tenderly, removing his white knitted hat and carefully cing it on Serena. Serena¡¯s cheeks felt slightly warm, but the next second, she suddenly froze. ¡°Can you move forward?¡± It wasn¡¯t until people in line behind them urged them that Serena snapped back to reality. She apologized and moved forward with Ethan, yet Ethan noticed Serena¡¯s eyes still fixed on the previous direction. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did you see something?¡± Serena first rubbed her eyes, confirming multiple times before answering Ethan¡¯s question. ¡°Ethan, I¡­ I think I saw Lana.¡± Serena¡¯s words didn¡¯t surprise Ethan much. This winter¡¯s Ice Snow Carnival held at Lonte is quite famous; it¡¯s only natural for Lana Xavier and her friends toe and have fun. Ethan thought Serena¡¯s reaction might be so intense because Lana came with others and didn¡¯t invite her? ¡°Can you help me check if that¡¯s Lana over there? I¡¯m afraid I saw wrong¡­ Serena patted Ethan¡¯s shoulder, and Ethan swiftly obliged. 17:36 ( < 224 Chapter 224: Dating He turned his head and searched for Lana Xavier¡¯s figure in the bustling crowd at the ice slide not far away, Indeed, he found her. Ethan¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Now he understood. No wonder Serena was so surprised to see Lana here. Ethan thought if Serena hadn¡¯t asked him to help identify, he might not have recognized Lana Xavier at all. Tonight¡¯s Lana Xavier was nothing like the Lana they and Serena remembered. Previously, Lana Xavier dressed like a tomboy, with a super short haircut in high school, once even cutting it to a buzz, being mocked by some hooligans in ss as a boy; she cursed them harshly in return, and they gathered a gang to beat her, but they were all toppled by him and Serena together, for which Lana was very grateful to him and Serena. As an adult, Lana Xavier¡¯s style hadn¡¯t changed much; in winter, she always wore a ck short down jacket. The reason: it¡¯s dirt resistant and practical. Knowing Lana Xavier for years, both he and Serena were used to Lana¡¯s fashion style. Now Lana¡¯s hair wasn¡¯t long, just reaching her shoulders, never styled. However, tonight Lana Xavier had her hair braided into two short, thin pigtails. Wearing cartoon rabbit earmuffs, sporting a grass¨Cgreen doll coat¨Cstyle down jacket with a fur cor. The lower half was even more exaggerated, a light khaki wool mini skirt paired with colored thigh¨Chigh tights and white patent leather high boots. It took Ethan a long time to confirm that it really was Lana Xavier. He gasped audibly. Lana Xavier certainly didn¡¯t dress up like this randomly. Ethan observed a little longer and then noticed the boy in front seemed to be Lana¡¯spanion. ¡°Lana is dating someone?¡± Upon hearing Ethan¡¯s remark, Serena leaned forward to get a better look at Lana¡¯s direction. ¡°Is that¡­ Julian Xavier?¡± Serena¡¯s eyes widened. The person standing with Lana Xavier was none other than Julian Xavier. Serena saw Lana extending her ungloved hands to Julian, who smiled and sped his hands together over Lana¡¯s to keep her warm. This scene was extremely suggestive, astonishing Serena. 224 Chapter 224: Dating ¡°So, that¡¯s Julian Xavier!¡± Ethan involuntarily examined Julian Xavier. Though his view was often obstructed, he still clearly saw Julian Xavier¡¯s face. Julian Xavier might not be a top¨Cnotch handsome man, but his clear brows and doll¨Clike face gave him a youthful look, his smile radiated a natural friendliness. ¡°I never thought¡­ Lana liked this type?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised too.¡± Serena chuckled. Judging by Lana Xavier¡¯s intimacy with Julian Xavier, they seemed to be progressing smoothly. ¡°Since we bumped into them, should we go over and say hi?¡± Ethan asked Serena. Serena instantly shook her head. ¡°Definitely not, look at Lana¡¯s happy face¡­ she¡¯s enjoying her private time; us going over would be like third¨Cwheeling!¡± ¡°Alright, whatever you say.¡± Ethan withdrew his gaze. He finally understood why Serena was so worried like a mother that night. The Julian Xavier that Lana Xavier fancied truly gave him an indescribable feeling. It was as if seeing this person through a mist. In fact, Serena was right, Lana Xavier was fully immersed in enjoying her date with Julian Xavier. This was the private time she had eagerly awaited. She was the one who proactively invited Julian Xavier; she was worried Julian Xavier might decline! As it turned out, throughout the date Julian Xavier was incredibly attentive and caring, which made Lana wonder if Julian Xavier had a bit of affection for her. The two even stayed at Lonte Amusement Park until it closed, then Lana Xavier was taken by Julian Xavier to the Garden Hotel adjacent to the park. 17.38 22 Mding 225 5 Chapter 225: First Time 225 Chapter 225: First Time Standing at the hotel room door, Lana Xavier felt like she was a cooked little octopus, her face surely red as could be. 1 This was the first time in her life she¡¯d entered a hotel with a man. Although she was no longer young, her dating experience was zero. She didn¡¯t know what she was supposed to do at this moment. In her wildest dreams, she never imagined it¨Cshe had been the one to invite Julian Xavier, yet Julian bought the tickets, and they were tickets for a two¨Cday one¨Cnight package. ¡°How about¡­ maybe we should just forget it¡­¡± ¡°Forget what?¡± With one hand on Lana Xavier¡¯s shoulder, Julian Xavier used the other hand to swipe the room card and open the weighty door. ¡°I bought a two¨Cday ticket, are you not nning to apany me?¡± A hint of grievance slipped through Julian¡¯s voice. ¡°No, I want to be with you!¡± Lana turned to look at Julian, and upon meeting his smiling eyes, her heart couldn¡¯t help but race. When it came to handsome men, she had seen plenty. There was the gentle and graceful Ethan White, and the overly authoritative Caleb Lockwood. But only Julian Xavier made her feel this way, made her heart flutter. Lana¡¯s face burned intensely; she was so nervous that her limbs became stiff. She didn¡¯t know whether she walked in on her own or was pushed in by Julian Xavier, she just found herself beside the bed inexplicably. ¡°So¡­ um¡­ isn¡¯t this¡­ progressing too fast?¡± Lana¡¯s tongue curled. Julian Xavier smiled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t you like me?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ like you..¡± Lana¡¯sst half of the sentence was so quiet she could hardly hear herself. ¡°Then just rx and give yourself to me, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be very gentle with you¡­¡± Julian¡¯s calm yoice seemed magical; Lana couldn¡¯t resist at all. 225 Chapter 225: First Time She didn¡¯t realize how Julian Xavier had managed to strip off her clothes so confusingly. She only knew that she was dazedly pushed onto the bed by Julian Xavier, and what followed was a fiery passion. Lana Xavier experienced it for the first time. She thought Julian wasn¡¯t lying when he said he¡¯d be gentle with her. But¡­ Afterfortably venting on Lana Xavier, Julian Xavier got out of bed, took a shower, and then returned to bed and lit a cigarette. Water drops trickled down from his wet hair to his high nose bridge. He puffed smoke while scrolling on his phone. On WeChat, ire Shaw had sent several messages in session. ire Shaw: joker what are you doing? Why aren¡¯t you replying to my messages? Julian Xavier, also joker, nced at Lana, who was lying on the bed asleep, blood staining the sheets beneath her, and typed a few words: Busy helping a naive girl lose her innocence! ire, upon receiving this message, paused and sneered: You know a naive girl? joker: Changing vors, better than your whore kind. ire¡¯s hand shook, almost dropping her phone. She gritted her teeth in frustration, but couldn¡¯t do anything about joker. ire Shaw: The Fulton Family has gone bankrupt, I¡¯ve lost another helper. If you still want shares in Lockwood Group, you¡¯ll have to help me figure out a way. joker: I won¡¯t chase men, if you can¡¯t win Caleb Lockwood¡¯s heart, what can I do? It¡¯s for you to figure out. I¡¯m giving you another month, if you can¡¯t secure Lockwood Group shares by then, I¡¯ll send you back to Meridia to live the life you used to. ire looked at her phone, every word from joker filled her with fear, raising goosebumps. You wouldn¡¯t dare! She sent back these two words through clenched teeth. joker didn¡¯t respond, so she typed a long string of threats- Let me tell you, I am back in City A, whether or not Caleb marries me, I will always be his first love, his white moonlight. There¡¯s no way he would let you take me away, even if he doesn¡¯t love me, he will always protect me. That¡¯s the confidence ire Shaw had. Maybe Caleb didn¡¯t have the feelings for her he did back in high school, but as long as she had Ellie¡¯s identity, Caleb wouldn¡¯t let anyone 17:37 275 225 Chapter 225: First Time harm her. joker, looking at ire¡¯s message, replied with ¡°haha¡°. The news of The Fulton Family¡¯s bankruptcy spread quickly, and Serena Jennings also heard. Today, Patrick Rhodes invited her to Riverview Imperial. This hotel had been purchased by The Fulton Family, but after The Fultons went bankrupt, it ended up in The Rhodes Family¡¯s hands. The Rhodes Group already managed The Violet Hotel chains, so bottoming out Riverview Imperial was sensible. Yet visiting this hotel again made Serena Jennings sigh deeply. ¡°Things are truly unpredictable!¡± Walking beside Serena, Patrick knew what she was sighing about. ¡°Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west¡­ my dad always says, business is cut¨Cthroat and ever¨Cchanging.¡± Seeing the surprise in Serena¡¯s eyes, Patrick bit his lip. ¡°What kind of look is that? Even if I¡¯m a trust fund kid, I¡¯m proactive. I¡¯m not just a caretaker, I¡¯ve helped with the family business plenty¡­. though I can¡¯tpare to Brother Lockwood!¡± Patrick touched his nose. ¡°Look, I asked you here to talk business.¡± Saying this, Patrick suddenly grabbed Serena¡¯s hand. Before she could react, she was pulled to a marble statue. ¡°This hotel was taken over by The Rhodes Group, and I n to renovate it. Can you advise me?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Surprised, Serena pulled her hand free from Patrick¡¯s grasp. Though her hand wasn¡¯t held for long, it was already covered in sweat. Serena looked around. She felt the hotel¡¯s heating was perfect¨Cnot too hot or cold¨Cand didn¡¯t understand why Patrick¡¯s palm was so sweaty. ¡°I¡¯m not an interior design expert. I can offer advice on jewelry design.¡± ¡°No need to be modest, you have a good eye and taste. I trust you.¡± Patrick patted his chest. Just like that, Serena unexpectedly became Patrick¡¯s consultant, apanying him around Riverview Imperial several times. As it turned dark, Patrick suggested they have dinner here. < 225 Chapter 225: First Time This invitation did not surprise Serena. The elegant light yellow strap dress she wore was a gift from Patrick. For merely giving advice, there was no need to dress like this. Clearly, Patrick nned to invite her to dinner. The two of them sat by the window, enjoying a great view of the dazzling night scene outside. ?????? ???? Find1Novel The table was set with romantic candlelight and a few rose petals. The petals alone wouldn¡¯t cause Serena any allergies. Serena had never imagined having a candlelit dinner alone with Patrick. Previously, Patrick used to call her an old hag, especially after ire returned to the country. Thinking of ire, Serena¡¯s expression slightly shifted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t the dish tasty?¡± Patrick sensitively noticed the change in Serena¡¯s face. Before Serena said ¡°No,¡± Patrick raised his hand and called over the waiter. ¡°May I take your orders¡­¡± The waiter¡¯s words trailed off abruptly. Serena, upon seeing the waiter, was quite startled. ¡°Cynthia Fulton?¡± Comment 0 Leave the firstment for this chapter. 10 Vote Show support to the author by leavingments when sending gift. Rate the trantion quality Good Average Send Gifts ch.225 Terribl The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!