Since separating in Maekong, Renee Winslow hasn’t seen Caleb Yates, nor has she spoken to him.
Caleb Yates seed to have vanished from the world.
And during these more than three months of disappearance, Renee Winslow had no idea where he went or what he did, and she didn’t dare to ask.
Back in Maekong, after Caleb Yates was injured by Jack Yates and locked in the basent, she pleaded for him but didn’t succeed, instead angering Jack Yates, so she never brought it up again.
Now, suddenly receiving a call from Caleb Yates and hearing his voice, especially on New Year’s Eve, Renee Winslow montarily forgot to avoid suspicion, holding the phone in a daze, neither speaking nor hanging up.
"Renee, Happy New Year," Caleb Yates repeated.
Renee Winslow finally snapped out of it, stiffly saying, "Happy New Year."
Caleb Yates chuckled, "Renee, I’m here to see you."
Renee Winslow raised her voice in surprise, "Where are you?"
Caleb Yates laughed and said, "I’m at Thatcher Manor, co out to the north iron railing."
Renee Winslow spoke with resignation, "You really are one to forget pain when the wound heals. You know Jack Yates’ temper, why do you have to antagonize him? While he’s not back yet, you should hurry back."
Caleb Yates laughed even more, "You don’t need to worry; he won’t be back today. Not just today, but for the next two or three days, he won’t return."
Renee Winslow suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, unable to help but sound anxious, "Even if he’s not returning, I won’t go out to see you, so just leave already."
Caleb Yates said, "Co out, I have sothing to say to you."
Renee Winslow directly hung up, but not long after, Caleb Yates called her again.
She continued to hang up, and Caleb Yates continued to call.
Just as Renee Winslow was about to block Caleb Yates, she received a text ssage from him.
[Co out, once I say what I have to say, I’ll leave. If you don’t co out, I’ll keep standing here waiting until you do.]
Renee Winslow knew Caleb Yates’ temperant well, extre and stubborn, and if she didn’t go out, he might really wait outside all night.
With no choice, she had to agree.
"Shana, I’m going for a walk in the garden."
Shay had already changed her shoes, quickly turning around, "Want to go with you?"
Renee Winslow: "No need, I’m in a bad mood and want so quiet alone ti; you just stay inside and watch TV."
Upon reaching the north, Renee Winslow imdiately saw the young man standing outside the iron railing.
Wearing a black wool hat, a black wool coat, with a dark plaid scarf wrapped around his neck, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
After more than three months, he had changed a lot; the careless roguish air was gone, replaced by an unmistakable hostility, making him more like Jack Yates.
Only Jack Yates, due to his age and experience, appeared more stable.
Renee Winslow walked to the iron railing, exchanging looks with him through the bars.
Caleb Yates reached inside, trying to pull her.
Renee Winslow avoided, watching him warily, "Say what you need to say quickly and then leave."
Caleb Yates, with a roguish grin, laughed and said, "He’s not coming back, what are you afraid of?"
Renee Winslow’s tone was impatient, "What exactly do you want to say?"
Caleb Yates regained so of his roguishness, smiling nonchalantly, "Braving the wind and snow on New Year’s Eve to find you, what do you think I could say? I miss you."
Renee Winslow: "Caleb Yates, do you think that because I went with your third uncle, I’ve betrayed you, and you can’t accept it, so..."
"No." Caleb Yates interrupted her, "Renee, I don’t bla you. I know that initially you weren’t willing to be with him; he forced you."
Renee Winslow was perplexed, "If you know that, why are you still repeatedly giving a hard ti?"
Caleb Yates leaned back against the railing, sitting on the ground, taking off his hat and scarf and offering them to her, "Use this as a cushion, sit and talk with for a while."
Renee Winslow didn’t take them, standing with her hands in her pockets, "Whatever you have to say, say it quickly and..."
"Renee." Caleb Yates tossed the hat and scarf in front of her feet, "Sit down and talk."
Renee Winslow couldn’t fight him off, so she sat down, but didn’t use his hat and scarf as a cushion, and instead picked them up to give back to him.
Caleb Yates seized the mont she offered the hat and scarf to grab her hand.
Renee Winslow struggled to pull back forcefully, "What are you doing? Let go!"
Caleb Yates, fearing to anger her, had to release her hand but didn’t take the hat and scarf. He said, "Use them as a cushion, the ground is snowy and cold."
Renee Winslow didn’t use them; it was too intimate to sit on another man’s hat and scarf.
If it were Jack Yates’s, she would’ve sat on them; after all, she and Jack Yates already had a substantial relationship.
Caleb Yates didn’t accept them, so Renee Winslow could only fold his hat and scarf neatly and place them aside.
"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"
Caleb Yates leaned on the railing, looking up at the sky.
The snow-laden sky held neither stars nor moon, only the gentle light of the garden lamps illuminated the ground, a faint white reminiscent of autumn frost, making this usually bustling night feel exceedingly cold.
"Have I never told you about my family’s affairs?"
Renee Winslow: "No, you haven’t."
Caleb Yates said, "My grandfather had three won, the first was my real grandmother, who is also my father’s biological mother."
Renee Winslow stayed silent, she knew a bit about this, though not in detail.
Caleb Yates continued, "My biological grandmother was originally a housemaid of our family, but she was very beautiful, and my grandpa was infatuated with her at first sight, and later married her against the family’s opposition."
"However, when my dad was seven, they separated. Not long after, my grandpa got involved with a third-rate actress who resembled my grandma in her youth and had a similar personality—vivacious and bold."
"With the lesson learned from my grandma, my grandpa wouldn’t marry another woman without status or background. The actress beca pregnant out of wedlock and gave birth to my second uncle. Great-grandma gave her so money to dismiss her, and the child was brought back to The Yates Family."
"Afterward, my grandpa married the current grandmother, the eldest daughter of the Bell Family in Maridia, which is my third uncle’s mother."
"With the support of the Bell Family, my grandpa’s career advanced smoothly, reaching great heights."
"After talking about my grandpa, let’s speak of my dad. Before the age of seven, he always lived with my grandpa and grandma. After they divorced, he stayed with my great-grandfather and great-grandmother."
"But great-grandma didn’t favor my dad, treating him less well than my aunt, because my aunt was raised personally by my great-grandma."
"Additionally, there ca my second uncle, who was brought into The Yates Family by great-grandma right after birth, naturally forming a different bond."
"During that ti, my grandpa was busy with work, assigned to a position out of town. Thus, no one cared for my dad, ultimately raising him into a good-for-nothing playboy."
"In college, my dad t my mom."
"At nineteen, my mom got pregnant with secretly and gave birth to , hoping to marry my dad by having his child."
"However, with the lesson learned from my grandpa and my grandma, my great-grandma wouldn’t allow the sa tragedy again. This ti, my great-grandma dealt with my mom swiftly, employing both kindness and force, and sent my mom abroad."
Renee Winslow couldn’t help asking, "How old was your great-grandma at that ti?"
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