Chapter 610 Jacob: This Time I Really Want to Love You 1
Chloe had been drinking.
She wore a form-fitting, provocative dress and stood with arms outstretched, blocking the Rolls-Royce in a final desperate attempt to win back Jacob.
Inside the black luxury sedan, Jacob observed Chloe quietly through the window. Though he had never loved her, they had nearly become husband and wife. Even now that they were finished, he felt obligated to face her one last time. He stepped out of the car.
Chloe's face lit up with surprised delight.
She called his name breathlessly and reached out to touch him, but the cold indifference in his eyes made her falter. Unable to bear his gaze, she shook her head slightly and stepped back.
Her eyes drifted to the darkened mansion, then returned to Jacob's face.
"You've moved back in?" she whispered. "Jacob, you never wanted to let her go from the beginning, did you? It was just your pride—you were afraid of disappointing her. Now that she's given birth to your child, you finally have the perfect excuse to approach her again, to win her back. But you forgot about us, about our engagement. You didn't even consider me before rushing off to Crystal City to spend all those days with her."
"Jacob, it's laughable really. I was just collateral damage in your love story," she added.
Jacob lowered his head, pulling a cigarette pack from his jacket pocket. He shook one out and lit it with practiced ease.
Pale blue smoke curled upward as Jacob regarded Chloe coolly. "Chloe, you've had too much to drink. I'll have my driver take you home."
"I'm not drunk." Chloe looked at Jacob with anguish written across her face. "I truly care for you! Why won't you accept me? Why chase after a woman you've already hurt? Jacob, you think I'm the one who's not thinking clearly, but you're the one who's lost his mind. Serafina will never love you the way she used to! Even if you get back together, you'll soon discover what it feels like to love someone who can't love you back."
She exclaimed, "Unrequited love! Yes, that's what it is—unrequited love."
After speaking, Chloe seemed to drift into a daze.
Jacob remained silent, standing in the shadows and studying her. He looked impeccable and untouchable, as if he'd just stepped out of some elegant soirée.
But Chloe had seen him disheveled. She'd witnessed him running through the rain in Crystal City to buy diapers for Abigail, carrying heavy boxes alone in the dead of night. In those moments, Jacob wasn't the CEO of the Windsor Group—he was simply a father, willingly doing whatever needed to be done.
The night wind picked up.
Chloe continued backing away.
She knew there was no going back for them.
Late into the night, Chloe finally left.
Jacob, cigarette held between his fingers, walked through the ornate black gates. The early summer breeze carried the delicate fragrance of night-blooming jasmine.
He found the scent pleasant.
As CEO of the Windsor Group, he was perpetually busy, rarely afforded moments like this—leisurely strolling through his own gardens with nothing on his mind.
He memorized the scent of the night air, the pale blue flowers blooming in darkness, and recalled traces of his life with Serafina. She used to walk these same paths, picking fresh flowers from the greenhouse to arrange throughout their home. She had truly loved this place once.
Jacob entered the main hall.
The mansion had been restored to its original state, unchanged from when Serafina had left.
As soon as he sat down, a servant brought him a late dinner, smiling as she updated him on the situation in Crystal City. Jacob had already heard most of it from Anya, but when it came to news about Abigail, he never tired of listening.
The servant asked, "Mr. Windsor, when will you bring Mrs. Windsor and Miss Windsor home? Staying in Crystal City indefinitely isn't really a solution."
Jacob smiled faintly.
"Serafina refuses to come back—she wants to stay in Crystal City a while longer. I'll just have to commute between the two cities. Sometimes there's simply no reasoning with women," he said.
The servant nodded knowingly.
After sitting briefly, Jacob retreated to his second-floor study. He wanted to finish his business early so he could fly to Crystal City on Friday to see Abigail and Serafina, even if only for a weekend visit.
Two in the morning.
When Jacob finally emerged from his study, the house was shrouded in silence.
He walked down the corridor and pushed open the master bedroom door—the room where he and Serafina had once shared their lives. Standing in the center of the room, he slowly loosened his tie.
In that moment, longing consumed him.
Jacob had no idea that before he could reach Crystal City, Chloe would get there first.
Crystal City.
Serafina sat in a coffee shop, wearing a white blouse with a light gray cashmere wrap draped over her shoulders despite the June weather. She carried the delicate fragility of recent motherhood, yet possessed an undeniable feminine grace.
By comparison, Chloe appeared even more haggard and pale.
Chloe wore designer clothing from head to toe, clearly determined not to appear inferior. She held her coffee cup with affected sophistication, discussing the origin and provenance of the beans while Serafina listened quietly.
After a lengthy monologue, Chloe finished.
She studied the serene woman across from her, her words sharp as blades. "Serafina, I think you understand perfectly well that in terms of education, appearance, and family background, I surpass you in every way. I'm far more suitable for Jacob than you are. So please, control your emotions and stop pursuing my fiancé."
Serafina stirred her coffee gently.
Despite Chloe's aggressive tone, she didn't argue back, responding mildly, "Ms. Moore, I acknowledge everything you've said. You are indeed superior to me. But Jacob and I are divorced, and there are no romantic entanglements between us now. If anyone needs controlling, it's Jacob—I can't exactly tie him down. Besides, your relationship is none of my business. I have no improper designs on your fiancé."
Chloe clearly didn't believe her. "You dare claim you won't remarry him? Serafina, would you swear on your daughter's life? Swear that if you get back together with Jacob, your daughter will die young."
Even Serafina's considerable patience reached its limit.
She had made a clean break with Jacob after their divorce. Perhaps their child's birth had awakened Jacob's paternal instincts, but if Chloe and Jacob truly shared deep feelings, how could he so easily abandon their engagement?
Instead of blaming Jacob, Chloe was attacking her.
Serafina laughed coldly. "Why must you be so vicious?"
"Vicious?" Chloe laughed softly, with a hint of madness. "Serafina, if not for your interference, I would already be Mrs. Windsor. And now you call me vicious? I want you to promise you won't return to Jacob's side. As long as you don't reconcile with him, he'll eventually remember my worth. He'll come back to me."
Serafina had no intention of reconciling, but Chloe was being insufferable.
She was still recovering from childbirth, yet Chloe harassed her day and night, forcing this confrontation. These matters should have been Jacob's responsibility to handle. She decided she would call him after this meeting.
Serafina hadn't expected Jacob to appear in person.
"Chloe!"
His sharp rebuke cut through the air as he moved to Serafina's side, positioning himself protectively in front of her.
His defensive stance broke Chloe's heart. She looked at her former lover with tears in her eyes. "What? Are you worried about her now?"