CHAPTER 260: CHAPTER 260: FIRST LOVE WAS SOMEONE ELSE

In an instant, Claire Shaw’s eyes widened, the terror in her eyes pierced by the lightning outside the window.

This time, Caleb Lockwood finally saw a strong sense of guilt on Claire Shaw’s face.

Perhaps Claire Shaw had played the role of his Ellie for too long, too immersed in the role, actually believing she was Ellie.

Thus, the words she shouted just now were particularly confident.

As if he really owed her.

Or perhaps it was Serena Jennings who owed her.

However...

Caleb Lockwood’s gaze on Claire Shaw was like an invisible hand wishing to tear her apart.

Mr. Miller told him that the investigation showed that Claire Shaw had never been incarcerated in a juvenile detention center.

Never.

She was not his Ellie.

She never was.

"The help I gave you... the favoritism I showed you... the respectability I provided you... all those were meant for Ellie..."

Caleb Lockwood’s slow and deliberate words reached Claire Shaw’s ears, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.

"Without Ellie’s identity... you are nothing to me."

After calmly uttering these words, Caleb Lockwood turned and left the hospital room.

In the hospital room, Claire Shaw lay on the floor, crying loudly.

At the end of the corridor, Mr. Miller frowned, waiting for Caleb Lockwood.

Soon, Caleb Lockwood came out, with a smile on his face that was chilling to the bone.

"Have the Wyrmfang Gang members been contacted?"

"... They’ve been contacted."

"Good."

Caleb Lockwood didn’t say much, but Mr. Miller seemed to understand a lot from it.

The night was pitch-black, the relentless thunderstorm like a weeping from the heavens.

Mr. Miller drove, following Caleb Lockwood’s instructions, and headed towards the juvenile detention center in City A.

The detention center during a thunderstorm was even more terrifying than a prison.

Mr. Miller saw Caleb Lockwood get out of the car without an umbrella, getting soaked once again like earlier in the day.

Mr. Miller should have stopped Caleb Lockwood, but he didn’t.

He thought that Caleb Lockwood probably wanted to say goodbye to his past self and emotions.

Claire Shaw was not Caleb Lockwood’s first love, which meant Caleb Lockwood’s first love was someone else.

Mr. Miller had asked Caleb Lockwood if he wanted to investigate the piano competition from back then.

Although it was highly possible that the situation had changed, there might still be other clues to find.

Mr. Miller knew that Caleb Lockwood had recognized Claire Shaw as his first love because she won the piano competition.

Caleb Lockwood remembered the piano sound of his first love and firmly believed that it must have won the competition.

However, the winner was Claire Shaw, so Mr. Miller thought there might be some misunderstanding.

As long as they reinvestigate the contestants, they might find the real Ellie.

In the end, Caleb Lockwood refused.

He told Mr. Miller that he would no longer look for Ellie.

In the pouring rain, Caleb Lockwood stood alone in front of the detention center.

The rain gradually subsided.

The sky slowly brightened.

The passage of time is beyond human control.

People should not be constantly trapped by the past.

Caleb Lockwood thought—

He should look forward now.

"I’ve already moved on, so I will never accept Caleb Lockwood’s proposal to start over..."

In an old house on Vornath Street, Serena Jennings was on a long phone call with Lana Xavier.

"That’s more like it. I thought you would be swayed back by his words again!"

On the other end of the phone, Lana Xavier spoke in a worried tone.

"Don’t worry, I won’t... And from now on, I’m the largest shareholder of The Lockwood Group... With such assets, why worry about not finding a good man?"

"Hahaha, it’s good you think that way. But now, I understand why you were so obsessed with Caleb Lockwood back then. Looks really do matter!"

"Are you saying you’re infatuated with Julian Xavier’s looks?"

"Weren’t we just talking about you and Caleb Lockwood! Why drag me into it..."

Even without seeing Lana Xavier’s expression over the phone, Serena Jennings could imagine her blushing face.

"Speaking of which... how far have you and Julian Xavier progressed? Are you planning to meet the parents?"

"Meet, meet the parents? What parents! Isn’t it too early!"

"But Lana, you’re not young anymore! Hasn’t Julian Xavier mentioned it to you?"

"No... We’re not that familiar yet!"

Hearing Lana Xavier’s words, Serena Jennings slightly frowned.

"What do his parents do?"

"I don’t know! I haven’t asked, and he hasn’t said..."

At that moment, Lana Xavier realized she knew almost nothing about Julian Xavier.

Their dates were mostly at hotels.

"Uh... Maybe I’ll find a chance to ask him next time."

"Hmm."

Serena Jennings stopped there.

Lana Xavier was an adult, and she didn’t want to interfere too much in an adult’s relationship.

Julian Xavier was top-notch, from appearance to work, but the more a man seems perfect, the more one should be cautious.

After hanging up, Serena Jennings held her phone, lying in bed, tossing and turning.

In college, she never questioned why a perfect man like Caleb Lockwood pursued her.

She was indeed beautiful.

But there were many beautiful women, and given Caleb Lockwood’s status and position, he surely wasn’t lacking in beauties around him—

Young and famous stars, daughters of the Fulton Family, all kinds of them.

Serena Jennings was blinded by love at that time.

One moment she was disappointed because Caleb Lockwood didn’t remember her and already had a girlfriend, the next he was passionately pursuing her.

This stark contrast made Serena Jennings mistakenly believe it was like manna from heaven.

Even if Caleb Lockwood didn’t remember Ellie from the detention center, fate still led him to choose her now.

As a result...

Serena Jennings laughed at herself.

She hoped Lana Xavier wouldn’t repeat her mistakes.

She hoped Julian Xavier was better than Caleb Lockwood and that he was genuinely interested in Lana Xavier.

"Surely not everyone has ulterior motives!"

Serena Jennings murmured, turned over, and forced herself to sleep.

Caleb Lockwood’s image involuntarily floated in her mind.

The shock, embarrassment, and hurt in Caleb Lockwood’s eyes when he took out a ring in the rain only for her to knock it away...

Wasn’t it just a self-inflicted predicament!

Serena Jennings smiled, fell into a sweet dream.

The next day, Serena Jennings woke up early, and her plan for the day was to go to The Lockwood Group and forcibly restructure the board as the largest shareholder, to avoid having shares without actual managerial power.

However, she had just gotten into her white BMW 3 Series when she received a call from someone.

The caller ID made Serena Jennings not want to answer.

The ringtone rang several times, enough to annoy anyone who heard it.

Serena Jennings sighed and reluctantly answered the phone:

"What do you want from me, Mr. Miller?"

The white BMW 3 Series remained parked for a long time before finally driving out onto a boulevard.

However, this boulevard was not heading to The Lockwood Group.

The Jade Pavilion.

Caleb Lockwood lay on the bed, eyes closed with a frown, clutching the bedsheet in convulsions.

He had been drenched in rain all night, burning with a fever and rambling incoherently now.