My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 16: What I Hate Most Is Being Lied To

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: What I Hate Most Is Being Lied To

Nina Wynn grew even more nervous. With her eyes lowered, she even stuttered a little as she spoke, "I... I didn’t lie."

She really wasn’t lying about this. Since she was thirteen, Lana Shaw had barely paid her any mind. Whether she mentioned something like this or not, the result was always the same.

In fact, that time Crystal Rhodes had kicked her in the stomach, Lana Shaw probably knew her internal organs had been injured. But her way of handling it at the time was simply to toss two hundred yuan at her, tell her to find a small clinic herself, and then never ask about it again.

After that, Nina Wynn rarely returned to the Rhodes residence and naturally never told Lana Shaw about being bullied and tormented.

Besides, after what happened with Caleb Rhodes three years ago, Crystal Rhodes had somehow caught wind of it, and her hatred for Nina Wynn intensified.

Pulling her hair, slapping her face, putting thumbtacks in her food, throwing small dead animals on her bed—those were the mild things. A few times, she even had gangsters corner Nina in an alley and beat her half to death. Under those circumstances, it didn’t seem strange that her internal organs would be damaged.

’Thinking about it now, the state I’m in has something to do with Caleb Rhodes.’

At these thoughts, Nina Wynn’s gaze fell even lower, and the hand holding the food container began to tremble slightly. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Caleb Rhodes stared at her suddenly pale face and released his grip. He then saw distinct red fingerprints on her fair, delicate chin.

’Her skin is that delicate?’

His gaze darkened, and his voice took on a raspy edge. "Nina Wynn, I hate it when people lie to me."

Nina Wynn bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Uncle, I wouldn’t dare."

As she spoke, she moved her hand forward slightly, but the stainless-steel food container unexpectedly brushed against the inside of Caleb Rhodes’s wrist.

The scorching heat made Caleb Rhodes’s brow furrow. He grabbed her hand, took the container from her, and saw that her palm was already scalded bright red.

Although it wasn’t a serious burn, the container was so hot it must have been extremely difficult to endure.

Caleb Rhodes’s expression grew even heavier, his sharp jawline tight. "Nina Wynn, are you not afraid of pain, or do you just think you have an especially high tolerance for it?"

As he spoke, he gently pressed her red, scalded palm with his fingers.

Nina Wynn hastily pulled her hand back, her head bowed, not daring to look directly at Caleb Rhodes.

Caleb Rhodes ground his teeth, his tone icy. "Speak!"

Nina Wynn moved her hands behind her back, her voice barely a whisper. "It’s... it’s not hot."

Suddenly, Caleb Rhodes’s phone rang again. He glanced at Nina Wynn before answering.

"Finn?"

The room was silent. Even though the call wasn’t on speakerphone, Nina Wynn could still hear the voice coming from the phone. "You need to get over here. Rosalind is very unstable."

"Got it."

After hanging up, Caleb Rhodes put his phone away and stared at Nina Wynn’s bowed head.

From his angle, he could see the small whorl of hair on the crown of her head, as well as her two exposed ears—fair, delicate, and charming.

For some reason, they were strangely alluring.

He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I have something to take care of. Someone will come to look after you later. Just tell her whatever you want to eat. But if you dare to run off again like you did yesterday, I can’t guarantee I’ll still be in such a good mood."

Nina Wynn gripped the bedsheet behind her tightly and said in a low voice, "I didn’t run off. Yesterday, I really..."

"Nina Wynn!" Caleb Rhodes suddenly raised his voice, a hint of anger in his tone. "I told you, do not lie to me."

Nina Wynn flinched, her body shrinking back instinctively.

’In that moment, she knew with absolute certainty that she was terrified of Caleb Rhodes!’

No matter how much she loathed the Rhodes Family and its members, she didn’t loathe Caleb Rhodes. He was simply too terrifying—so terrifying that she didn’t dare to.

Caleb Rhodes saw her panicked expression, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. He reverted to his cold, heavy tone. "Get some rest. I’ll come see you tonight."

’He’s coming again tonight?’

A knot of panic formed in Nina Wynn’s chest, and she quickly said, "There’s no need, Uncle. You should go be with Miss Lowell. I’ll be fine."

Caleb Rhodes’s expression was complicated, his thin lips pressed into a tight line, but he said nothing more.

He stared at Nina Wynn for a moment, then grabbed his suit jacket from the chair and left.

The moment Caleb Rhodes left, Nina Wynn felt as if a death-row inmate had been granted a pardon. Her mood lightened considerably, and even the air seemed to feel fresher.

She borrowed a charger from a nurse, plugged in her phone, and turned it on.

As expected, there were several missed calls and dozens of messages from Noelle Landon.

Nina Wynn quickly called her back.

"Nina, where did you run off to last night? Your phone wouldn’t answer, and you didn’t reply to my texts. Are you trying to worry me to death?"

Nina Wynn said, "I ran into my uncle last night while we were out drinking, so I went home with him. My phone died."

"I thought you only had an aunt? Where’d this uncle come from?"

Nina Wynn had never told Noelle Landon her true situation, let alone mentioned to anyone that Lana Shaw was the young mistress of the Rhodes Family. She had only ever told her that she lived with her aunt.

So, all Noelle Landon knew was that Nina’s parents were gone and that she lived with her aunt.

"He’s not my real uncle. He’s... he’s my aunt’s husband’s younger brother."

Noelle Landon didn’t ask any more questions, her voice turning excited. "Did you hear? Apparently, some big shot was unhappy about the school making students entertain clients with drinks last night. The principal practically wet himself! Tsk, who could it be? Someone with so much power they can decide the fate of those old geezers with a single word."

Nina Wynn froze for a moment. ’Could it have been Caleb Rhodes?’

But Caleb Rhodes had always been discreet and never meddled in others’ affairs. Why would he care which students the school made entertain clients?

’It probably wasn’t him.’

Noelle Landon continued, "Also, Crystal Rhodes is back at school. Nina, what’s the deal between you and her? Why is she always looking for trouble with you? Ugh, I wish we could just graduate already and get away from her."

Noelle Landon was still chattering away, but Nina Wynn’s brow furrowed.

’If Crystal Rhodes is back, can I still get the guaranteed university placement?’

Nina Wynn closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they held a layer of coldness.

She had only exchanged a few more words with Noelle Landon when someone entered the hospital room.

It was a woman in her early forties with a medium build, dressed in the kind of uniform you’d see on a housekeeper in a TV drama. Her hair was meticulously tied in a bun at the back of her head, and her face was expressionless.

She handed a bag to Nina Wynn. "Miss Wynn, these are the clothes the Third Lord Master asked me to give you. Please try them on to see if they fit."

Nina Wynn took the bag and went into the bathroom.

Inside were two dresses and two sets of underwear.

Seeing the underwear, Nina Wynn couldn’t help the tips of her ears turning red.

One set was light blue cotton with small lace trim; the other was pure white with a bit of lace and a small floral print.

They were both very girlish styles—fresh and modest, which suited her taste.

But the thought that Caleb Rhodes might have bought them made her uncontrollably wonder, ’Did he pick out every single one of these himself? Doesn’t that mean he’s touched all of them?’

’Do they carry his scent?’