CHAPTER 286: CHAPTER 286: COURT HEARING

Upon hearing Wendy Linton’s words, Patrick Rhodes was infuriated.

"Why, so you can’t handle losing!"

"Isn’t it you who can’t handle losing?"

Wendy retorted bluntly, "If it weren’t for me giving you another chance to compete, your shares would already be mine."

"You!"

Patrick was so angry his face turned red.

At this moment, Serena Jennings patted Patrick on the shoulder, signaling him not to get angry.

"I’ll give you another chance too, check out my car, and let’s switch. You drive mine, I drive yours, and we’ll race again."

As soon as Serena said this, the onlookers who had been feeling sorry for Wendy suddenly fell silent.

The person who had borrowed Serena’s car earlier walked over and extended his hand to Serena.

"Hello, I’m Kevin, can we be friends?"

"Sure, I’m Serena Jennings."

Serena shook hands with him.

"Why hold on so long? Don’t take advantage of her!"

Patrick grabbed Serena’s wrist, pulling her hand away.

Wendy watched Serena with increasing dissatisfaction.

After a moment, she snorted, drove her red Ford away from the street racetrack.

"Come on, Serena, let me treat you to a night snack."

Patrick took Serena’s hand, eagerly leading her to a nearby izakaya.

Little did they know, their every move was being watched by hawk-like eyes.

Inside the royal blue Bentley, the atmosphere was so oppressive that Mr. Miller was struggling to bear it.

Ever since Serena stood up for Patrick, and raced against Wendy on the street, Caleb Lockwood had been watching.

He sat in the royal blue Bentley, lowered the window, silently gazing at the silver-gray Ferrari as it gracefully maneuvered under Serena’s control.

"I never knew that Miss Jennings was such a good driver?"

Mr. Miller found a suitable topic.

In the back seat, Caleb’s face was shrouded in shadow, with his deep features seemingly outlined by ink.

"I didn’t know either."

He didn’t know Serena was a BYC master.

He didn’t know Serena had a past with Ethan White.

He didn’t know Serena could race.

However...

It looked like Patrick knew.

At least he knew Serena could race.

Caleb’s gaze grew more menacing.

Especially recalling how naturally Patrick held Serena’s hand.

"President Lockwood, where are we headed next?"

Mr. Miller asked softly.

In the back seat, Caleb crossed his arms, paused for a moment, and said two words:

"To eat."

In the izakaya.

Patrick was eloquently praising Serena.

"I told you, you sure are better than Wendy, right? Some racing goddess from Country C, she’s nothing but trash in front of you."

While eating oden, Serena thought, before the race, you didn’t say that.

After chatting about racing for a while, Patrick suddenly asked Serena:

"Serena, I saw the announcement you posted online earlier. Are you really going to divorce Brother Lockwood this time?"

This topic made Serena’s expression change slightly.

However, she soon relaxed with a smile.

"Yes! This time Caleb and I are one hundred percent getting divorced."

"Hmm..."

Patrick lowered his eyes, hesitated, and Serena asked curiously:

"What’s wrong? Don’t you support my divorce from Caleb?"

"No, no."

Patrick waved his hand repeatedly.

"Of course, I support you. The earlier you divorce Brother Lockwood, the better it is for me."

"...The better for you?"

Serena blinked in confusion.

Patrick felt his cheeks warm, cleared his throat, "Because Brother Lockwood isn’t good to you! I’m your best buddy now, obviously I hope you can get divorced soon and find new happiness!"

"Hmm, thank you, Patrick."

Serena smiled knowingly.

She had never thought she and Patrick would become best buddies.

"But I’m also Brother Lockwood’s close friend, he’s actually quite pitiful..."

"Pitiful?"

Serena’s face turned cold.

Patrick scratched the back of his head.

"After the divorce from Brother Lockwood, he’s probably going to be coerced by his parents to marry that adopted daughter from The Linton Family... though she’s pretty, I think she’s too ambitious, not a good person..."

The more Patrick spoke, the more he sympathized with Caleb.

"In this light, Brother Lockwood has poor luck with women, all rotten romances, even Claire Shaw tricked him terribly, she was never his first love, yet always pretended to be, taking advantage of him... Her downfall was truly the heavens’ justice."

Listening to Patrick’s righteous indignation, Serena smiled silently.

There was no divine justice.

Claire Shaw’s downfall was orchestrated by her alone.

But Claire had set her up first.

The proverb "He who does evil shall perish accordingly."

As for Caleb...

"Mistaking his first love, it’s quite amusing."

Serena sipped her juice.

"Can’t help it, Brother Lockwood was young then, and they didn’t spend much time together, but because it was a profound experience, he never forgot it. After many years apart, it’s understandable he’d make a mistake! Most damning is Claire Shaw, if she wasn’t, why pretend to be?"

Listening to Patrick’s explanation, Serena’s heart was stirred, the waves growing bigger.

Young age...

Didn’t spend much time together...

Profound experience...

The memories of her time with Caleb in the juvenile detention center surfaced, Serena inhaled cold air.

"Patrick..."

The wind chime on the door suddenly rang.

Serena and Patrick instinctively turned, seeing Caleb entering with Mr. Miller.

"What are you doing here?"

Serena was astonished.

Caleb glanced coldly at Patrick sitting next to Serena and uttered two words:

"Caught cheating."

Patrick spat water.

"I’m joking."

Mr. Miller helped Caleb pull out a chair, and Caleb sat beside Serena.

"Don’t mind if I sit here?"

Caleb asked Serena.

Serena replied with a smile: "If I say I mind, would you get up?"

Upon hearing this, Caleb also smiled.

"No."

The atmosphere in the izakaya suddenly turned strange, Patrick pouted, visibly displeased.

Things were going so well between him and Serena, but Caleb’s arrival changed the mood instantly.

"Brother Lockwood, you recovered well to come to Country C."

"What, interrupting you and my wife’s private time?"

Caleb casually retorted, leaving Patrick speechless.

Upon reflection, he had been rash, as Serena and Caleb hadn’t divorced yet!

For a moment, Patrick found himself in the position of the third wheel, feeling particularly self-conscious.

"I’ve given you the divorce papers."

Serena emphasized.

"But I haven’t signed."

Caleb emphasized back.

Serena turned to glare at Caleb, but Caleb’s eyes sparkled with smiles like they were full of starlight.

Patrick glanced at Serena, then at Caleb, feeling particularly redundant there with Mr. Miller.

The izakaya was silent.

Eventually, Serena’s cool voice broke the silence.

"I’ve filed with the court here."

The nature of the documents didn’t need words; everyone present knew.

No matter who Caleb’s first love was, she had moved to contest a divorce.

The past hurt inflicted by Caleb was real and irreversible.

Her child, company, dignity, feelings...

Serena took a deep breath, looking at Caleb.

"The court has already filed the case, so it should proceed soon."