CHAPTER 320: CHAPTER 320: HELPING SERENA JENNINGS UNDRESS

Under the intense gaze of Caleb Lockwood, Serena Jennings instinctively pulled away from his hands.

"You’re different from Lana..."

"How am I different?"

"Lana and I have many precious memories that are hard to let go..."

"So does that mean there’s nothing between us?"

Questioned by Caleb, Serena’s mind involuntarily flashed back to memories of Caleb during their time in juvenile detention.

The youthful face of the boy overlapped with the mature, manly face in front of her.

Do she and Caleb have irreplaceable memories?

Of course, they do...

"But you don’t remember..."

"What?"

Caleb was momentarily at a loss for what Serena meant.

"What do you mean I don’t remember?"

This question, Serena didn’t answer.

"Lana only unintentionally hurt me once... but you intentionally hurt me countless times."

Caleb’s mind buzzed.

"That’s your biggest difference from Lana...I’d rather give Lana another chance than you."

Serena’s drunken eyes showed a resolute look.

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Caleb, chilling him to the core.

He remained silent for a long time and downed a glass of whiskey in one go.

Serena was also a bit annoyed, though unsure exactly why.

She too ordered a drink, a vodka, only to have Caleb snatch it as soon as she had a sip.

"It’s too strong, you should have a cocktail instead."

"Who are you to tell me?"

"Of course I can tell you."

"Why? Who do you think you are?"

Serena demanded self-righteously, before reaching into her bag to fish out a document, tossing it to Caleb.

"Here’s your dismissal letter... you’re not only no longer my husband, now you’re not even my assistant... Caleb Lockwood, you have no right to interfere in my affairs."

With that said, Serena grabbed the vodka back and gulped it down.

A cocktail is blended with hard liquor but is much milder in taste.

This time, Serena drank a full glass of vodka, feeling her esophagus burning.

Her gaze fell on Caleb, who after finishing his whiskey, ordered a brandy.

Serena couldn’t help but frown.

No wonder Caleb’s always got stomach problems, drinking so much hard liquor, even the healthiest stomach couldn’t take it.

"Forget it, I’m not drinking anymore..."

Serena stood up shakily.

Originally, she wanted to come to the bar to drink alone quietly and think about how to deal with her friendship with Lana Xavier.

But with Caleb’s appearance, she was even more upset and confused.

Serena’s face was flushed, and she was sweating, feeling somewhat light-headed.

She thought she wasn’t drunk.

Also, she thought she was walking a straight line, just that her feet felt like they were stepping on clouds.

But in reality, Serena was walking more zigzag than an S-curve.

From the moment she left the bar, she didn’t take a stable step.

And she hadn’t walked far before she fell.

Caleb caught the swaying Serena.

Serena’s body emitted a strong scent of alcohol, mingling with the scent of alcohol on Caleb.

"I’m not drunk...leave me alone..."

Caleb looked down at the person nestled in his arms.

She mumbled defiantly, but her eyes were tightly shut.

The heavy eyelids refused to lift, only the long eyelashes trembled slightly, like a startled fledgling shaking its delicate feathers.

The originally pale cheeks blushed as if repeatedly brushed with rouge, alluringly red.

The half-parted lips exhaled the scent of alcohol, like cherries freshly washed and still dripping with water.

Caleb heard the sound of his own heartbeat.

Perhaps because he had drunk a lot as well, his body warmed up considerably, and he was sweating.

Caleb held the drunken Serena and left the bar.

Inside the deep grey Koenigsegg, Mr. Sanders sat in the driver’s seat.

Seeing Caleb holding Serena as they came out, he was initially shocked, then realized Serena was drunk.

"President Lockwood, please get in the car..."

Mr. Sanders opened the car door for Caleb.

He also noticed the strong scent of alcohol on Caleb.

Caleb gently placed Serena into the car, took care with his actions, then sat by her side.

Serena was dead drunk, limp and soft, so Caleb let her lie down with her head resting on his thigh.

He remembered a time before when Claire drugged him, in order to force himself to stay awake, he crushed a glass with bare hands, which led to Ian misunderstanding and even hitting him.

Later, with Ian driving, he and Serena sat in the back.

Serena let him rest his head on her lap.

Just like now, except their positions were reversed.

Looking down at the unconscious Serena resting on his leg, a strange warmth surged in Caleb’s chest.

Simply having Serena rest her head on his lap was enough to make him feel so happy.

The light in Caleb’s eyes flickered.

Mr. Sanders drove to Vornath Street.

Caleb carried Serena in his arms straight into the house—

Serena’s house.

Now Serena, with wealth in abundance, still lived in this same modest old house.

Though Caleb lived next door, it was decorated far more luxuriously than Serena’s home.

However, Caleb found Serena’s home cozier.

No matter how lavishly decorated his house was, it gave him nothing but loneliness and emptiness.

Caleb placed Serena on the bed in her bedroom, helping her undress and covering her with a quilt.

Serena slept soundly.

This sleeping face seemed a bit childish, with a slightly pursed mouth as if discontented with something.

Caleb couldn’t help but wonder if Serena’s discontent was directed at him.

Countless days and nights he could have watched Serena’s sleeping face as soon as he opened his eyes.

Yet, he didn’t.

Maybe he had seen it but didn’t remember.

Because he didn’t pay attention.

Because he didn’t care.

Caleb felt a pain in his chest.

His heart thudded.

He leaned closer to Serena, his gaze on her lips growing more intense.

His hand slowly threaded through her thick black hair.

Then he gently lifted her face and planted a kiss on her moist lips.

Sweet...

Though he had tasted these lips many times, each time carried a different sweetness.

Like honey, licking it became addictive.

Caleb had intended only to give Serena a light, fleeting kiss, but as he kissed her, his body betrayed him.

He wanted to deepen the kiss.

To deepen the connection between them.

"Lana only unintentionally hurt me once... but you intentionally hurt me countless times."

Suddenly, Serena’s words in the bar hit him like a jarring wake-up call, snapping him out of the burgeoning tide of desire.

Reluctantly, he moved his lips away, then sat at the bedside, patiently combing Serena’s hair with his fingers.

The sun rose brightly.

A hangover was painful, and when Serena awoke, her head throbbed as if it was being split open.

"Caleb Lockwood?"

Seeing Caleb in her bedroom, and her own bare state, Serena’s face turned pale.

"Did you take advantage of me?!"

"I did not."

Caleb’s denial was firm, but Serena sensed a hint of guilt on his serious face.

"I don’t believe you did nothing!"

"Does one kiss count?"

Caleb’s justified defense left Serena speechless, her cheeks flushed hotly.

Before she could retort, the doorbell rang twice.

Caleb turned and left to answer the door.

Without checking the peephole, he opened it.

"Who are you?"

Standing at the door was a young man, a stranger, yet Caleb found him vaguely familiar.

"I should be asking who you are, in my master’s home?"