He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did-Chapter 33 - 30: Damp Poem (Part 2)

"You’re awake already?"

"Yeah, I have to go."

"Is it over in there?"

"Yes, thank you, Sean." The space he’d provided had given her a temporary reprieve from her exhaustion. Even though she’d only slept for a little over an hour, it was better than nothing.

Shane Sterling nodded.

Isla Prescott turned to leave, but he suddenly called out to her again. "Are you staying at the Lockwood’s tonight?"

"No. After I go back and help with Uncle Lockwood’s affairs, I’ll head back to school."

Shane Sterling hummed in response, seeming quite satisfied with her answer.

Isla Prescott returned to the lounge to find Silas Lockwood helping Yvette Shaw out, followed by a few other relatives from the Lockwood Family.

They were still lost in their grief, and no one asked where she had been.

The Mercedes business van drove slowly toward Arcadia Heights. The ride was silent until they were almost home, when Yvette Shaw suddenly burst into tears again.

Having lived with the Lockwood Family for ten years, Isla Prescott knew that Yvette Shaw and Theodore Lockwood’s marriage had been subpar. Yvette was likely crying now for the future she and her son, Silas Lockwood, would face without their pillar of support.

After all, Silas Lockwood had gone to work at Zenith Airlines right after graduation and had never been involved in the Lockwood Group’s business. With Theodore Lockwood’s sudden passing, various factions were now circling like vultures, and she and Silas were suddenly in the vulnerable position of a "widow and orphan."

The car stopped at the Lockwood residence. Just as everyone got out, they saw Lydia Sinclair standing under the portico.

Lydia Sinclair wore a long, black velvet dress with a white flower pinned in her hair, her eyes red-rimmed.

After a day of receiving condolences that felt like an assembly line, Isla Prescott had felt that something was missing. Seeing Lydia Sinclair, she suddenly remembered: Lydia, Silas Lockwood’s supposed fiancée, hadn’t been at the funeral all day.

Lydia Sinclair’s parents hadn’t come to pay their respects to Theodore Lockwood either. From the Sinclair Family, only her brother, Zane Sinclair, had shown up.

"Auntie, Silas," Lydia Sinclair said, walking toward them with tears in her eyes. "I’m so sorry. I should have been at Uncle’s funeral today, but at the beginning of the year, my mom had a master read my fortune. He said I shouldn’t attend any funereal events this year, so I... I’m so sorry..."

"It’s all right, dear, I understand." Yvette Shaw, who had been crying for half the ride home, now turned to comfort Lydia Sinclair. "I know you’re a thoughtful girl. Your situation is special. Your uncle’s spirit in heaven won’t blame you. If anyone asks, I’ll explain for you, so don’t you worry."

Silas Lockwood remained silent and walked into the grand hall by himself.

Sniffling, Lydia Sinclair quickly hurried after him.

Isla Prescott watched them, feeling nothing at all. She helped Yvette Shaw upstairs, and after getting her settled, she grabbed an umbrella and left the Lockwood residence directly.

She had calculated the time. If she ran to the subway station now, she could just catch the last train. So, the moment she stepped out of the Lockwood’s gate, she broke into a sprint.

BEEP—

A short honk sounded from behind her.

Isla Prescott turned around. Shane Sterling’s car seemed to have appeared out of thin air, trailing behind her.

"How did you..."

"I live here."

"I know, but you moved out a long time ago."

"Just because I moved out doesn’t mean I can’t come back?" He beckoned to her. "Get in. I’ll give you a ride."

"I can make the last train."

"Running on no sleep? You got a death wish?" Shane Sterling’s expression was serious. "How can you have so little regard for your own life right after attending a funeral?"

Maybe it was just psychological.

But after hearing Shane Sterling’s words, Isla Prescott’s heart inexplicably palpitated.

She really didn’t dare to joke with her own life, so she obediently closed her umbrella and got in the car.

"You can get some more sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there," Shane Sterling said.

"I’m fine."

Not long after she said that, she was already slumped over, fast asleep.

The rain was still falling, dyeing the glow of the streetlights. The road ahead blurred and cleared with the rhythmic sweep of the windshield wipers. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

While waiting at a red light, Shane Sterling turned his gaze to her sleeping face.

He had never liked rainy days, but at this moment, he felt that even the mud could give birth to damp poetry.

--

After Theodore Lockwood’s death, all sorts of rumors began to circulate about the Lockwood Family.

Some media outlets reported that the Lockwood Group was a ship without a captain and that Silas Lockwood’s brother-in-law, Zane Sinclair, was swooping in to try and take over. Others claimed the marriage alliance between the Lockwood and Sinclair families was in trouble and that they were now on bad terms.

At her mother Susan Dudley’s request, Isla Prescott contacted Yvette Shaw a few times during this period. However, she only asked about her health and didn’t pry further. Yvette didn’t say much to her either, always ending the calls abruptly.

That Friday night, Isla Prescott suddenly received a call from Ivan Fulton.

"Isla, your brother’s drunk. Can you come pick him up from Nocturne?"

The background music on the other end was deafening, and Isla Prescott thought she must have misheard. ’Ivan Fulton has an entire floor’s worth of luxury cars, and he’s asking me, someone without a car, to come pick someone up?’

"Ethan, why don’t you take him home? Or call my sister-in-law. If that doesn’t work, you can have the Lockwood’s driver pick him up. I don’t have a car, so I can’t get him."

Isla Prescott gave him three options, but Ivan Fulton insisted. "You come. I’ll have my driver pick you up."

"Isn’t that just making things more complicated?"

"How is it more complicated? I’m not asking you to come so you can drive. I’m hoping someone can make Silas feel some family warmth," Ivan Fulton said, appealing to her emotions. "You know his father just passed away. He’s under attack from all sides, and his relationship with your future sister-in-law’s family has become very delicate. He’s in a tough spot. As his sister, you should show him some concern, right?"

If they were simply brother and sister, Isla Prescott would have gone without hesitation. But what Ivan Fulton didn’t know was that her relationship with Silas Lockwood was far more complicated.

Isla Prescott was about to refuse again, but Ivan Fulton cut her off and made the decision for her. "It’s settled. My driver is already on his way to your school."

He hung up as soon as he finished speaking. When she tried to call back, no one answered.

Forced into a corner, Isla Prescott had no choice but to get up, change her clothes, and head to the bar to pick him up.