Caleb Lockwood paused his hand as he set down the wine bottle.
He calmly gazed at Claire, watching the tears glistening in her wide, watery eyes.
To say he didn’t feel a trace of heartache would be a lie.
After all, Claire was his first love, his Ellie from the juvenile detention center, where they suffered and relied on each other through life and death.
But...
"I’m sorry."
Caleb offered an apology.
Claire was stunned.
Everyone knew how hard it was to hear those three sincere words from Caleb’s mouth.
Yet at this moment, Claire didn’t want to hear those words one bit, not one bit!
"Caleb..."
She saw clearly the pain for her in Caleb’s eyes, but at the same time, she saw even more clearly his inner resolve.
"I can no longer give you my love..."
Caleb said resolutely and with unwavering determination.
"I already told you this the day you returned to the country and I came to pick you up."
A buzzing sound filled Claire’s mind.
Yes...
When she returned to the country and reunited with Caleb after many years, Caleb had clearly told her—
"I can no longer give you my love... because I am married."
However, Claire never believed it.
What is marriage anyway?
Caleb didn’t marry Serena out of love.
He married Serena to spite her, to get back at her, and due to his grandfather’s command.
Now that she was back, all Caleb had to do was divorce Serena and marry her, and everything would fall back into place.
"So what do you want to say?"
Claire grabbed onto Caleb’s collar forcefully.
"Are you saying you fell in love with Serena?"
"..."
"Did you leave me because you fell in love with Serena?!"
Claire roared, her voice full of anguish.
"No..."
Caleb shook his head.
But Claire couldn’t tell which of her questions Caleb’s "No" was answering.
The first?
Or the second?
"Ever since you chose to break up with me and study abroad... it became impossible for us to be together again..."
Caleb’s calm words left Claire’s face deathly pale.
He once thought, for Ellie, his heart would never change.
At first, losing and then regaining her made Caleb’s final high school year one of indulgence in his affection for Claire.
But his grandfather disapproved of Claire. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
And just as he was racking his brain to change the bad impression Claire had left on his grandfather, Claire chose to study abroad while his grandfather was hospitalized.
He wouldn’t abandon his grandfather, so Claire broke up with him.
Caleb never expected Ellie would force him to choose between the grandfather he cherished and her.
Even to this day, Caleb still couldn’t understand.
Was it him who changed?
Or was it his Ellie who changed?
Seeing Caleb’s eyes filled with confusion, struggle, and conflict, Claire forcefully pushed Caleb away.
"No... You can’t not love me, you’re just getting back at me for leaving you, right?"
"..."
"Caleb Lockwood, you swore to love only me forever, are you going to break your word?!"
Peter closed his eyes tightly, and upon reopening them, Serena’s face was without a smile again.
"Thank you for telling me this valuable news... but if I get involved in the bidding, we would be competitors."
After hearing Serena’s words, Peter chuckled humorously.
"If FY does win the mining rights for this new vein, I promise FY will partner with you in joint mining, on the condition that you collaborate more with us in a jewelry series."
As Peter spoke, he extended his pinky finger to Serena.
Serena hooked pinkies with Peter.
"However I see it, I’m the one getting the benefits!"
Peter slightly bowed his head, his smile somewhat shy.
"It’s my privilege to let you have the benefits."
The news of Serena deciding to participate in the bidding spread quickly, naturally reaching Claire’s ears.
Currently, Claire’s studio is isolated and precarious.
Apart from Caleb and the Lockwood Group as her strong backing.
She had nothing else.
And Serena was serious about it.
Though she was still in the hospital, from the moment she decided to participate in the bidding, she contacted many helpers.
Claire heard that Serena enlisted Ethan White, using his connections within the government to assist her.
She also secured at least a billion in funding from the Ian Blackwood and Patrick Rhodes families.
Moreover, rumors suggest that if FY were the successful bidder, Serena would also get joint mining rights.
Initially, Claire was determined to win this new vein.
That was what Caleb promised her.
Not to mention whether she can win over his heart.
Since Caleb promised her, she naturally intended to seize this opportunity for a major comeback.
Once the vein was in her hands, she would profit immensely and rise as a capital player.
Maybe when she makes a comeback and stops leeching off Caleb and the Lockwood Group, the Lockwood family would view her differently, and Caleb might rekindle his love for her.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she couldn’t lose this bid, especially not let the mining rights fall into Serena’s hands, so Claire drove to City D.

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