He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did-Chapter 74 - 67: Despicable

At first, Silas Lockwood didn’t understand what Mason Jacobs meant, not until he glanced down and saw Shane Sterling and Isla Prescott’s hands tightly clasped together.

He froze, a shadow suddenly falling over his eyes.

"You two..."

"Can’t you tell?" Shane Sterling raised his and Isla Prescott’s joined hands, waving them in front of Silas Lockwood. "We’re dating."

You could practically hear the childish need to show off in his voice from a mile away.

Silas Lockwood fell silent, his gaze drifting uncertainly toward Isla Prescott.

Isla Prescott felt a cold sweat break out on her back, so embarrassed she could die. But then a thought occurred to her: ’We already broke up. Who I date now is my business, and Silas has no say in it.’

Mason Jacobs, completely oblivious to the fact that he was in a war zone, continued to run his mouth. "Congrats on moving up a generation, Silas. From now on, Shane will have to call you ’big brother’."

Ivan Fulton pinched him and hissed in his ear, "Is that mouth of yours a rental? In a hurry to return it? You never shut up!"

Mason Jacobs tried to say something else, but Ivan Fulton shoved him down onto the sofa, then called out to everyone, "What’s everyone standing around for? Come on, let’s drink!"

Everyone returned to their previous state of drinking and laughing.

Silas Lockwood sat alone in a corner, pouring himself drink after drink and downing them in silence.

He had just escaped from a business dinner and already reeked of alcohol when he arrived. Now, with this weighing on his mind, the drinks were no longer just drinks, but fuel poured on the fire of his sorrow. After just a few glasses, the flames burned him into a stupor.

Although Shane Sterling was sitting next to Isla Prescott, his attention was fixed on Silas Lockwood.

He couldn’t quite describe his own feelings. Announcing their relationship should have been a happy occasion, but it felt as if, despite the bright sunshine, a thin cloud was hovering over him, casting a shadow at his feet that was impossible to ignore.

The other person on pins and needles was Isla Prescott.

The private room was dimly lit, but she could still occasionally feel the clash of auras between Shane Sterling and Silas Lockwood. To her, the scene was like a forced montage, all its undercurrents and conflicts temporarily hidden beneath social masks.

After an unknown amount of drinking, Silas Lockwood suddenly stood up and walked toward the door.

"Silas, where are you going?" Ivan Fulton asked, a little worried.

Silas Lockwood didn’t answer, simply pushing the door open and leaving.

Ivan Fulton started to follow him, but Shane Sterling held him back. Then, Shane stood up and went out after Silas himself.

Isla Prescott was a bit worried, but she believed both Shane Sterling and Silas Lockwood were restrained individuals. ’They probably won’t get into a fight,’ she thought. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

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In the hallway, Silas Lockwood was swaying with every step, so drunk he seemed unmoored from the ground. Just as he was about to crash into a wall, Shane Sterling hurried forward and caught him.

Silas Lockwood turned and saw Shane Sterling behind him. He violently grabbed Shane’s collar, his face turning from flushed red to a ghastly pale, the veins on his temples bulging.

"You knew she was my girlfriend!" he growled at Shane Sterling.

From Silas Lockwood’s perspective, Shane Sterling was the only friend who knew he and Isla Prescott were dating.

On Isla Prescott’s birthday that year, he had rushed to her school to confess his feelings. Shane Sterling had happened to witness the scene. That very night, Silas Lockwood admitted to Shane that he had liked Isla Prescott for a long time and asked him to keep their relationship a secret. He remembered Shane even wishing them well. But now, Shane himself was with Isla Prescott.

"Are you drunk out of your mind? You two already broke up!" Shane Sterling reminded him.

"I still love her!" Silas Lockwood’s eyes were bloodshot. "I love her, I’ve loved her for years! And you... you’re my best friend!"

Furious, Silas Lockwood threw a punch, landing it on Shane Sterling’s face.

Blood instantly bloomed at the corner of Shane Sterling’s lip. He didn’t go easy on him, throwing a punch right back.

Silas Lockwood staggered and fell to the ground.

Shane Sterling pinned him, holding him down on the floor.

"You say you’ve loved her for years. You think you’re the only one?" Shane Sterling looked down at Silas Lockwood. "Did you ever wonder why I was at her school on her twentieth birthday?"

Silas Lockwood’s mouth hung slightly open, his gaze as unfocused as two oil lamps about to flicker out.

"You... you..."

’So Shane Sterling liked Isla Prescott too!’

"When I found out you two were dating, I moved out of Arcadia Heights! In the six months you were together, I never saw her once! I gave you half a year. You were the one who failed to protect her, you were the one who lost her! Since you didn’t cherish her, why can’t I go after her?" Shane Sterling grabbed Silas Lockwood’s collar in turn. "Or what, is she supposed to wait for you for the rest of her life?"

The alcohol left Silas Lockwood drained of strength. He glared at Shane Sterling and used every last bit of his energy to spit out, "You’re despicable!"

"Me, despicable? Who’s the despicable one here?" Shane Sterling sneered, poking Silas Lockwood in the chest. "Did you choose the name ’Isabelle’?"

Silas Lockwood’s gaze wavered, and he could no longer meet Shane Sterling’s eyes.

Shane Sterling scoffed. "Silas Lockwood, when it comes to you, my conscience is clear!"