My Amnesic Ex Married My Sister, So I Married His Uncle-Chapter 137: If You Dare to Scream, I’ll Eat You

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: If You Dare to Scream, I’ll Eat You

Owen Rhodes was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected Stella Sterling to suddenly grow curious about his childhood.

Back when Ethan Rhodes had his tenth birthday...

For a moment, Owen Rhodes felt a little dazed. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye.

A gentle smile still played on his lips. He seemed to recall something, then said evasively, "Maybe I was secretly watching you from some corner of the world."

Stella Sterling didn’t believe him one bit and pouted.

She pulled back, displeased. "Hmph, go on and lie to me."

’Come to think of it, back when Ethan Rhodes was having his tenth birthday, I was just a little kid.’

Ethan Rhodes was a year older than her, which meant she was only nine.

Back then, Kiana Sterling hadn’t had any health problems yet. Stella was the youngest child in the family, and Gavin Sterling, Madeline Jennings, and Chase Sterling all doted on her. Her grandmother hadn’t passed away yet, either...

Only a decade or so had passed, yet everything had changed.

Seeing her listless expression, Owen Rhodes guessed she must have recalled something unpleasant.

He reached out and stroked her head. "Don’t overthink it. Get some rest."

Stella Sterling nodded with her head lowered and slid under the covers.

Then, she felt Owen Rhodes turn off the main bedroom light. The brightness of the bedside nightlight was turned down to its lowest setting, casting a faint, orange-yellow glow.

The cool air from the air conditioner dispelled the room’s warmth, and her arm resting outside the covers felt a little chilly.

The next second, she was pulled into a familiar embrace.

The low thrum of his heartbeat, the reassuring scent of pine.

Stella Sterling tilted her head up from his embrace. "Owen, will you tell me a story?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Stella Sterling felt a flush of embarrassment.

’I’m a grown woman, and I’m still asking for a bedtime story.’

’How could I say that without being laughed at?’

It was probably because Owen Rhodes always indulged her, allowing her to make such an absurd request without a second thought and with complete peace of mind.

’So embarrassing.’

She curled her toes, just about to say she was only joking, when she heard Owen Rhodes’s soft voice.

"What story would you like to hear?"

’See? It’s just as I said. Owen has spoiled me rotten.’

Stella Sterling smiled. "How about a story from your childhood?"

She was genuinely curious about Owen Rhodes’s past.

Aside from their recent time together, she realized she knew almost nothing about him.

Though she had dredged up a few fragments from her memory in her idle moments.

When she was with Ethan Rhodes, he would sometimes mention Owen.

Since it mostly involved the Rhodes family’s internal strife, she hadn’t paid much attention, letting the words go in one ear and out the other.

Looking back, she recalled Ethan Rhodes mentioning that Owen was the old master’s illegitimate son, raised at the Rhodes Estate without any official status.

Back when Ethan was young and clueless, he had even thought Owen was the son of one of the household servants.

Only later did he learn that Owen was the old master’s illegitimate son.

He was taken in by the Rhodes family because his mother had passed away unexpectedly.

With no one else to care for him, his mother had sent him to the old master.

Although Stella Sterling had no interest in the so-called upper-class circles, she had still heard plenty of stories.

Life definitely wouldn’t have been easy for an illegitimate son returning to the main family.

A person like that would very likely develop psychological issues.

But Stella Sterling had never seen any signs of the negative traits that could result, like a violent temper or radical tendencies, in Owen Rhodes.

Stella Sterling’s mind quietly filled in the blanks, her imagination running wild.

She even started to wonder if she should have brought up the topic at all.

Owen Rhodes thought for a moment before speaking. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy born in a beautiful, small village, where he and his mother depended on each other. Later, his mother fell gravely ill, and the little boy discovered he was actually the young master of a wealthy family. After his mother passed away, the little boy returned to his rich father’s side. He was gifted and exceptionally bright. When he grew up, he successfully inherited his father’s business, expanded it, and built a commercial empire of his own."

"..."

For a moment, a strange silence fell over the bedroom.

’Great story. He’s never allowed to tell one again.’

Stella Sterling looked up and saw the laughter in Owen Rhodes’s eyes.

He was clearly treating her like a child he needed to humor.

Stella Sterling pressed her lips together. "Is it fun to tease me?"

Owen Rhodes pinched the tip of her nose and asked with a smile, "Can’t sleep?"

"Hmm?"

He tightened his arms around her. "Then let’s do something else..."

Sure enough, after they "did something else," Stella Sterling quickly fell asleep.

She nestled obediently in Owen Rhodes’s arms.

Owen Rhodes lay on his side, watching her.

In the dim, yellow light, Stella Sterling’s breathing was soft and even. She slept peacefully, completely unguarded, as if she had placed all her trust in the man beside her.

Owen Rhodes gazed at her curled lashes and the delicate tip of her nose as his thoughts drifted far, far away.

’What was I doing on Ethan Rhodes’s tenth birthday?’

’It had been a long time since he’d thought about those events from so long ago.’

’But the memory hadn’t faded.’

’That day was Ethan’s birthday, and the Rhodes Estate had been bustling since early morning.’

’At the time, he was living in The West Wing of the estate.’

’He didn’t have his own room; he shared one with a live-in housekeeper.’

’The housekeeper was usually very kind to him, so he would sometimes help her with whatever chores he could manage.’

’He had gone to help the housekeeper carry something early that morning. Ethan, busy playing, wasn’t looking where he was going. He was tearing through the courtyard and slammed right into him. With his hands full, Owen had no way to stop him.’

’The paths at the Rhodes Estate were a garden-style flagstone, coarse and unforgiving.’

’Ethan fell, scraping his knees and elbows until they bled.’

’Ethan was Old Madam Rhodes’s biological grandson, the apple of her eye.’

’Old Madam Rhodes accused him of intentionally harming Ethan.’

’And so, that day, Old Madam Rhodes gave him a beating.’

’He was dragged into his small room.’

’Old Madam Rhodes didn’t bother picking an implement; she just grabbed whatever was at hand and swung it at him.’

’Later, as the party outside grew lively, he was forced to kneel in the servants’ quarters, his body covered in injuries.’

’He just felt dizzy, his vision blurring.’

’The housekeeper came to check on him at one point, but she was too busy that day. She took one look and rushed off again.’

’He didn’t know how long had passed before the sound of a piano drifted in from outside.’

’He didn’t know who was playing or what the piece was called.’

’He only remembered that it was beautiful, and the melody was light and cheerful.’

’A cheerfulness that was completely oblivious to his suffering.’

’Sometime later, the sounds of a group of children playing drifted in from outside The West Wing.’

"Stella, that piece you just played was so beautiful! What’s it called?"

The little girl’s voice was filled with pride. "It’s ’Kikujiro’s Summer’."

’Oh, so that was what it was called. Kikujiro’s Summer.’

’He never wanted to hear that song again for the rest of his life.’

’Then came Ethan’s grating voice: "Let’s play hide-and-seek! I’ll give a present to whoever doesn’t get found!"’

’At that moment, he thought, ’Surely no little brat would be clueless enough to hide in my room.’’

’But a few minutes later, a little girl pushed open his door. She looked like a Barbie doll, dressed in a princess gown with burgundy ribbons tying up her pigtails.’

’He was so angry he almost laughed. He desperately wanted to scream "Get out!" at the clueless little girl.’

’But he was afraid she would run off and tattle on him.’

’For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other, wide-eyed and speechless.’

’He could tell the little girl was probably scared; her eyes were wide, and she was trembling slightly.’

’Being stared at so intently by a little girl, he couldn’t stay kneeling any longer.’

’Without Old Madam Rhodes’s permission, he pushed himself up from his knees and stood. While the little girl was still frozen in shock, he walked over, pulled her inside, and shut the door.’

’He glared fiercely at the little girl, whose eyes were rimmed with red, and threatened her viciously.’

"If you dare scream, I’ll eat you."