First Love Only? I Left Him First, Now the CEO Can't Let Go

Caleb Lockwood’s aggressive face was calm, while the usually gentle Ethan White frowned as if he wanted to devour Caleb.

"Say whatever you have to say quickly!" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Ethan White spoke first, sounding impatient.

Caleb Lockwood leisurely picked up his tea bowl and sipped some matcha.

"The food hasn’t arrived yet!"

"Are we really in a relationship where we should be dining together?"

Faced with Ethan’s sharp questioning, Caleb remained silent.

At this moment, the server slid open the door and presented the prepared dishes.

Since Caleb wasn’t in a hurry, Ethan decided to calm down and enjoy the meal.

This meal was Caleb’s initiative to treat him.

Initially, Ethan intended to refuse.

But Ethan knew why Caleb invited him, so he accepted.

The reason for coming to the Japanese restaurant was because Caleb asked about his taste, and he casually said he preferred light food.

Breaking off the leg of an Emperor Crab, Ethan ate while vigilantly watching Caleb seated opposite him.

The reason Caleb invited him must be related to Serena.

So he accepted.

Caleb didn’t touch the food. After finishing his tea, he took a folder from his business bag.

"Solara Tech... is a shell company with nested layers. I’ve traced its top-tier company to one named Ace Group, registered in Meridia. All relevant information is in this folder... Use your resources and go there with Serena. You might be able to catch the business spy using Julian Xavier’s identity."

As Ethan quietly ate his Japanese food, his gaze inadvertently fell on the folder in Caleb’s hand as he spoke.

Seeing Ethan silent, Caleb continued:

"Also... Cygnus Biotech on Halycon Island... could be introduced as the White Knight..."

Ethan raised his eyelids slightly.

"Cygnus Biotech... is owned by John, the richest person on Halycon Island..."

At this point, Ethan realized.

"So that’s it, no wonder you willingly let go of everything."

"Cygnus was an offshore company I established under the name John when I took over the Lockwood Group... It’s not part of the Lockwood Group’s assets, so having it act as the White Knight doesn’t count as introducing the Lockwood Family’s capital."

Ethan placed a piece of fat foie gras sushi into his mouth.

Caleb’s words were specifically for him.

To dispel his doubts.

"The Lockwood Group is Serena’s company. Since you’ve arranged everything, why not just talk to Serena?"

"Because she listens to you."

These simple words delivered a huge shock to Ethan.

Does Serena listen to him?

Why does Caleb think so?

Ethan’s eyes widened, his chest chaotic.

Looking at Caleb again, his angular face, though cold and calm like a sculpture, couldn’t hide the turbulent emotions in his deep black eyes like the night.

Does Serena listen to Ethan?

Of course.

If it weren’t for Ethan’s resistance, Caleb believed Serena would have accepted his suggestion to introduce the White Knight the first time he mentioned it.

Caleb’s chest felt vaguely painful.

But he didn’t want to show it in front of Ethan.

Ethan continued to eat the exquisite and delicious Japanese dishes as if nothing had happened.

"What if... I stubbornly refuse to hand over these materials to Serena?"

"The Lockwood Group will change hands."

"And what’s that got to do with me?"

Ethan slightly raised his chin, his gaze at Caleb full of provocation.

"Caleb, have you ever thought... I actually hope the Lockwood Group changes hands."

Caleb’s expression changed slightly.

"That’s the company you deliberately left for Serena. If it’s lost, I wouldn’t regret it; I’d actually be happy."

"..."

"In your eyes, perhaps the company is important, but to me, I only care about Serena."

"..."

"I least want Serena to get involved with you again... Without the Lockwood Group, you wouldn’t shamelessly cling to Serena as an assistant... Serena wouldn’t remember you stripping yourself of everything for her."

Ethan’s words were very straightforward and honest.

It’s something he wouldn’t say to Serena.

Caleb picked up the tea bowl, realizing it had run dry.

Ethan pushed his untouched tea bowl to Caleb.

"Stop indebting Serena... No matter how much favor you show, Serena won’t fall in love with you again... Not every mistake can be compensated by money."

Caleb agreed with Ethan’s notion.

He took a sip of the tea Ethan handed him.

The tea had grown cold.

"You and Serena are truly close friends; you both think I’m trading favors, am I right?"

"You’re a businessman, not a philanthropist."

After hearing Ethan’s words, Caleb laughed.

Originally calm and collected, Ethan saw Caleb’s smile and frowned involuntarily.

Caleb always gave a steady impression.

As if Mount Tai collapsed before him, yet his face remained unchanged.

When he showed such a confident smile, his opponents often suffered.

With a smile, Caleb then retrieved something from his bag.

Not a folder this time, but a document.

"There are many good Japanese restaurants; do you know why I chose this one, in City B?"

Ethan accepted the document from Caleb’s hand, his eyes widened.

"Because it was convenient... I visited the land your parents just acquired, where they plan to build a food city... You let me join in, I offered the proposal, you take it to help Serena; this way it counts as paying me consulting fees, neither you nor Serena will bear any burden."

Listening to Caleb’s words, Ethan quickly flipped through the document.

The document contained no traps, merely allowing Cygnus Biotech to take a slice from the project his parents were involved in.

However...

Cygnus Biotech’s main business had nothing to do with a food city, and the dividends meant very little for Caleb as the richest person on Halycon Island.

Ethan closed the document.

"Are you so afraid of Serena losing the Lockwood Group?"

Caleb locked eyes with Ethan, his gaze gradually turning cold.

"Ethan, all you care about is Serena, is that right?"

"Of course."

Ethan’s answer was straightforward.

"You claim you only care about Serena, but have you ever thought that if the Lockwood Group gets shorted, maliciously acquired, and the stock price plummets, would the ordinary shareholders despise her? Would shareholders forced to transfer their shares to prevent further loss hate her? With a major shake-up, thousands of employees face layoffs; wouldn’t they hate her?"

"..."

Ethan’s warm lips unconsciously parted, drawing a cold breath.

"Even if none of them hate Serena, if she loses the Lockwood Group and faces the mess caused by her, wouldn’t she blame herself?"