The conference room was dimly lit, but Caleb Lockwood could still clearly see the tears glistening in Claire Shaw’s eyes.
Caleb Lockwood stood up.
Claire 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 Claire Shaw.
The meeting room was spacious, with only Caleb Lockwood and Claire Shaw inside.
"Caleb, do you know Serena Jennings injured her hand?"
Caleb Lockwood frowned slightly.
"I heard it from someone at the X Museum."
Seeing Caleb Lockwood’s surprise, Claire 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-to-head restoration on site, whoever did better would get the job..."
At this, Claire 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-husband. If you talk to her, she might be more inclined to listen..."
Claire Shaw spoke sincerely and emotionally.
She had initially thought Serena might give up the restoration work, and if she did, Claire could assert publicly that Serena was nervous and cowardly, unwilling to face her head-on.
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 Museum reveal to Serena that her competitor was Claire Shaw.
Sure enough, Serena accepted the on-site restoration challenge.
Claire 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 Claire Shaw’s wandering thoughts.
Caleb Lockwood’s expression and tone were indifferent and cold.
This was Caleb Lockwood’s usual style.
But not his usual attitude toward Claire Shaw.
As Caleb Lockwood was about to leave the meeting room, he heard the sound of sobbing.
He paused and turned his head, seeing Claire Shaw silently weeping.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Claire Shaw looked up, hastily wiping her tears, seemingly surprised that Caleb had seen her crying.
"It’s nothing, really..."
Claire 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 become so cold towards me?"
Claire Shaw’s words rang loudly in Caleb Lockwood’s mind like a bell.
Claire 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?"
This complaint, partly acted but partly sincere.
Claire 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.
Caleb Lockwood had long known the answer, yet he always avoided it.
The meeting room fell silent.
Caleb Lockwood and Claire Shaw faced each other.
Claire Shaw cried her heart out, and Caleb Lockwood pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears.
This gentlemanly and considerate gesture made Claire Shaw break into a smile, feeling a bit more assured inside.
"Maybe you’ve never believed..."
Caleb Lockwood’s cool and detached voice reached Claire 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 placed the tear-stained tissue in Claire Shaw’s hand, then turned and left the meeting room.
The meeting room was left with only Claire Shaw.
Claire Shaw’s smile froze long before, the tissue in her hand had dried.
The night was deep and silent.
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 still come?
Caleb Lockwood shook his head, opened the door, and walked in.
It was a suite, a first-class ward, with a good environment.
Caleb Lockwood entered and met Serena Jennings’ gaze unexpectedly.
"You’re not sleeping?"
Serena was surprised to see Caleb Lockwood.
Caleb Lockwood frowned slightly.
By Serena’s tone, it seemed she wasn’t welcoming 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 sardonic laugh:
"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 companion room next door. Official source is novel✦fire.net
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 Claire."