CHAPTER 157: CHAPTER 157: BROKEN ENGAGEMENT

The wind outside the juvenile correctional facility was cold and biting.

Even though Serena Jennings was tightly embraced by Justin Nash, she still didn’t feel warm.

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 anxious, he continued, "Serena, choose 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.

"I..."

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 just complying with his family’s and the company’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 and company.

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.

Serena Jennings felt a little tired.

She originally thought she and Justin Nash could become 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 this last 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-encrusted 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 necklace to break it.

In the end, he still put the necklace 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-like eyelashes 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.

"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 glass 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 more comfortable 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 Claire Shaw didn’t surprise Caleb Lockwood.

After all, only Claire 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 Claire 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." Claire 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, claiming 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."

Claire 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.

Claire Shaw proactively picked up a cookie and brought it to Caleb Lockwood’s mouth.

"Ah..."

Claire Shaw opened her small, cherry mouth.

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 Claire fed him.

"How does it taste? Is it good?"

Claire Shaw asked eagerly.

It had been a while since she last baked snacks herself, worried her skills might have become rusty.

"Yes, very good, tastes just like back in high school."

Caleb Lockwood said with a gentle smile, his voice soft yet sincere-sounding.

Claire Shaw discreetly sighed in relief.

This had been a suggestion from her mother—

To bring back the taste of high school romance.

Claire Shaw stayed in Caleb’s office for quite a while, feeding him five cookies before she left.

After Claire Shaw left, Caleb Lockwood pushed the lunch box to the side, not having taken any other snack of his own volition.

Claire’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 Claire 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-tasting thing in the world.

Before their divorce proceedings, Serena Jennings had also baked cookies for him.

They were better than Claire 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.