My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 159: You Can Only Belong to Me

Caleb Rhodes stood in the doorway, dressed in a black overcoat. He looked cold, somber, and distinguished.

His imposing aura, in particular, was hard to ignore.

The expression on his face was frigid, the look in his eyes even colder. He stared straight at Nina Wynn, as if he wanted to burn a hole through her back.

Clearly, he had heard what the store owner just said.

Seeing Caleb’s expression, Nina’s fingertips began to tremble.

She had only wanted to buy a couple of bottles of the drink Evan Chapman liked, but she never expected the owner to recognize her.

It was true. This was the store she and Evan Chapman used to love visiting. Whenever something happy happened, they would come here to buy two bottles of this drink to celebrate.

If they had a little extra money, they would even go to that small restaurant and order a few of their favorite dishes.

She hadn’t been here in nearly four years and thought the owner wouldn’t remember her. She never imagined something like this would happen.

She gripped the bottles tightly and said in a low voice, "Sir, you’ve got the wrong person. This is really my first time in your store."

The owner was startled when he saw Caleb Rhodes, then his gaze shifted back to Nina Wynn.

When he saw Nina’s pale face and trembling fingertips, the elderly owner seemed to understand something.

He slapped his forehead and chuckled. "Ah, I did get it wrong. My apologies. It’s just that the young lady who was here a few days ago left her wallet behind. I wanted to return it to her, and I guess I didn’t get a good look and mixed you up."

Nina breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to pay with her phone, Caleb Rhodes walked up.

He looked at the owner. "What wallet? Let me see it."

The owner froze for a second, glanced at Nina, and then smiled. "Young lady, is this your boyfriend?"

Nina gripped the bottles, her knuckles white, and whispered, "Yes!"

The owner seemed to understand something, and a hint of pity crept into his gaze as he looked at Nina.

He smiled, took a wallet out of a drawer, and placed it on the counter. "This is the one. See if you two recognize the person inside. I have to say, you look quite a bit like the person in the photo."

Caleb Rhodes said nothing. He picked up the wallet and opened it.

It was an ordinary brown wallet containing only a few small bills, two cards, and a small, trimmed photo.

The girl in the photo had the same hairstyle as Nina. She had a small face, fair skin, and looked very well-behaved.

Although she wasn’t half as beautiful as Nina, you could still say she had delicate features.

Moreover, the girl’s eyes were very pretty. At first glance, there was a slight resemblance to Nina.

Caleb Rhodes glanced at it a few times before handing the wallet back to the owner.

The owner smiled. "Well, if you happen to know the person in the photo, please tell her to come by and pick up her wallet."

Caleb’s voice was flat. "I don’t know her."

With that, he reached out and stroked Nina’s hair. "Why haven’t you paid yet?"

He glanced at the bottles in her hand, his tone softening slightly. "If you want to drink this, you can have Warner Zimmerman pick it up for you occasionally. You don’t need to come all this way to buy it."

Nina’s heart, which had been lodged in her throat, settled back into place. She said softly, "I haven’t been here in several years, and I had a bit of a craving. Back when my mom was still around..."

She didn’t continue, quickly paying with her phone. She then looked up and silently mouthed two words to the owner: Thank you!

Then, she left the store with Caleb Rhodes.

The moment they left, a young girl came out from the back room. "Dad, where’s my wallet?"

The owner tossed the wallet onto the table. "Stop leaving it lying around."

In the car, Caleb Rhodes gripped the steering wheel, his voice cold as he drove. "Nina Wynn, have you ever liked a boy before?"

Nina sat in the passenger seat, her face turned to the familiar yet strange streetscape outside, acting as if she hadn’t heard Caleb’s question.

She had lived on this street for many years; every sight was familiar.

Even after she went to live with the Rhodes family, she still came here almost every day.

Of course, back then, it was with Evan Chapman.

She was familiar with every wall and street here. She knew exactly which brick was missing in that little alley.

But sadly, the person who was by her side back then was long gone.

He had died four years ago, a victim of those people’s venomous schemes.

He was only seventeen when he died!

He was forced into an eternal sleep during the most beautiful time of his life, while the people who killed him were still living just fine!

She subconsciously tightened her grip on the drink bottle, so hard that her knuckles turned white.

’Evan Chapman, all of them will pay for what they did to you!’

Seeing her lost in thought, Caleb Rhodes pulled the car over to the side of the road.

A light rain was falling outside. The weather was cold and damp, and the streets were nearly empty of pedestrians. The car was parked in the shadow of a tree, where the light was extremely dim.

Likewise, the atmosphere inside the car was dark and dangerous.

Caleb Rhodes turned Nina’s face toward him and stared at her. "Tell me, have you ever walked down this street with a boy before?"

After he spoke, he watched her intently.

At that moment, if Nina had been observant enough, she would have noticed that Caleb’s fingertips were trembling slightly.

He was terrified she would say yes.

He had never considered a certain problem before.

In the past ten years, during those days he couldn’t change, especially during her most difficult times, had there been a boy like the one the store owner mentioned who had given her warmth?

If there was, that boy would be forever rooted in her heart.

He couldn’t accept her having someone else in her heart. He couldn’t even stand the thought of a lingering shadow from the past.

’His Nina had to be his, body and soul. Every last part of her had to belong to him.’

’If a boy like that had really existed in her life, even for a short time, he wouldn’t be able to stand it!’

At that moment, he could almost hear his own heartbeat. He was practically praying, praying that Nina would say no.

The light was dim. Mottled tree shadows spilled into the car, casting deep shades across Nina’s eyes. He could barely make out her expression.

He could only hear her say softly, in a small voice, "No, Caleb. I’ve always been alone."

That one soft, quiet sentence was like a redemption, allowing Caleb Rhodes to breathe a sigh of relief.

He could clearly feel his heart settle back into its proper place.

He cupped Nina’s face, his long fingers stroking her delicate skin bit by bit. In a low voice, as if taking an oath, he said, "Nina, I didn’t protect you well in the past. From now on, I will do my best to make it up to you." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Nina lowered her eyes and asked softly, "If one day, I did the one thing you could never accept, what would you do?"

Caleb Rhodes pressed the pad of his thumb against her soft lips and murmured, "You won’t."

’The one thing he could never accept, of course, was her being with another man in the future. But that was impossible. As long as he was alive, that would never happen.’

He leaned down and kissed her lips. "Nina, you won’t get the chance. As long as I’m around, you can only belong to me."

With that, he cupped the back of her head, intending to kiss her again.

Nina turned her head to the side, dodging him.