Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Somewhat Familiar
Vera Xavier felt a pang of guilt when she heard Sheldon Caldwell’s words. ’Nathaniel Nathan hadn’t mentioned his name. Good thing he isn’t here right now, otherwise I’d have no way to explain this.’
Sheldon Caldwell shook the water from his clothes, walked over to Vera Xavier, and said, "Sheldon Caldwell. A pleasure to meet you!"
He extended his hand toward her, but just as he did, a bottle of mineral water came flying at him. He reacted with lightning speed, snatching his hand back. When he turned his head, he saw Nathaniel Nathan ascending the stairs, his face an icy mask.
Sheldon Caldwell grinned, ignoring Nathaniel Nathan. He looked at Vera Xavier and said, "You’re Vera Xavier, right? You know, you look awfully familiar."
This sense of familiarity was just a feeling—or perhaps, it was a sense of kinship hidden deep within his bloodline. Before he saw her, he hadn’t felt it, but now that he had, he felt an inexplicable pull, a desire to be close to her. This closeness, however, had nothing to do with romantic attraction.
Before Vera Xavier could speak, Nathaniel Nathan said coldly, "That pickup line is a bit cliché."
Sheldon Caldwell held up his hands. "I’m not hitting on her. I seriously think she looks familiar."
’That day, I only got a quick glance at Vera Xavier and didn’t really see her clearly. Looking at her up close today, I realize she’s even more beautiful than I first thought. There’s a spark of intelligence in her delicate eyes.’
’And her awareness... I have to give her major props for that. I’m an expert at stealth. Even though I wasn’t going all out today, there’s no way a normal person would have spotted me. But she not only found me, she doused me with water and even managed to beat me up a bit.’
Nathaniel Nathan wasn’t about to listen to his explanation. He strode over, grabbed him by the collar, and tried to throw him out. Sheldon immediately resisted, leaping backward. Nathaniel Nathan kicked out at his landing spot, forcing him to flip again in mid-air. He’d forgotten he was on a balcony, however, and the flip sent him tumbling right over the edge to the floor below.
"What the—!" Sheldon Caldwell’s voice floated up from below. "Nathaniel Nathan, we’re brothers-in-arms! Don’t you have any sense of camaraderie?"
Nathaniel Nathan’s reply was a single word: "Scram!"
The corner of Vera Xavier’s mouth twitched. ’Now that I’ve been reborn, it seems a lot of people’s personalities are different from what I remember from my past life. The high-and-mighty crown prince of the Caldwell Family is actually a total goofball.’
After he was gone, Nathaniel Nathan asked Vera Xavier, "What was he doing here?"
Vera Xavier shrugged. "I don’t know."
"There’s something wrong with his head," Nathaniel Nathan said in a low voice. "Stay away from him."
Vera Xavier’s face lit up with mock realization. "That explains it! He was so eccentric and talked a mile a minute. So he really does have a screw loose!"
Nathaniel Nathan relaxed slightly at her words, but he still found Sheldon Caldwell incredibly irritating. ’I have to find a way to get rid of him.’
After dinner, Nathaniel Nathan took her to the Sterling residence. She waited outside, looking completely baffled. A few moments later, Quentin Sterling emerged with a smile, holding a box which he handed to her.
Puzzled, she opened it. Inside the box was a piece of jade, not very large and irregularly shaped, that looked like an offcut. Still, she could recognize it as a piece of the Emperor Green from before.
Quentin Sterling smiled and said, "Nathaniel asked me to cut this piece for you. He said you needed it for a gift. This little piece alone is worth a fortune. Vera, it’s truly a waste of your talent that you don’t go into stone gambling."
Vera Xavier had no idea what was going on and was utterly confused. She turned to look at Nathaniel Nathan, who gave her a slight nod.
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