My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 23: You Talk Too Much

Fortunately, the car was parked right at the entrance. Nina Wynn breathed a quiet sigh of relief once she was inside.

The driver was still Willson Lawson. Caleb Rhodes and Nina Wynn sat in the back seat.

Throughout the drive, Caleb Rhodes worked on his laptop. The only sound in the car was the tapping of his keyboard.

Nina Wynn pressed herself tightly against the car door, wishing she could be a mile away from him. But the space was only so large; even if she could embed herself in the door, she wouldn’t be more than a few feet away.

Sitting next to Caleb Rhodes, she was so nervous her palms began to sweat. She didn’t dare look at him, much less speak.

After some time, Caleb Rhodes closed his laptop and glanced at Nina Wynn. "Aren’t you uncomfortable pressed against the door like that?"

Nina Wynn could only relax a little. Clutching the hem of her dress, she said in a tiny voice, "Uncle, you don’t have to buy me such expensive clothes in the future."

Caleb Rhodes’s tone was exceptionally mild. "Then what price isn’t considered expensive?"

Nina Wynn lowered her head, unable to answer right away. She regretted her last comment. ’I was just asking for trouble.’

Just as the silence grew awkward, Willson Lawson teased from the front seat, "Miss Wynn, you don’t have to worry about money with the Third Lord Master. He can afford to support a dozen of you. He won’t let you go hungry."

Nina Wynn’s face immediately flushed red. She’d momentarily forgotten just how wealthy this man was, which only made her feel more awkward.

Willson Lawson continued to rib her. "Or are you trying to save the Third Lord Master’s money? Things haven’t even started, and you’re already thinking about managing the household finances?"

Nina Wynn’s face was so red it felt like it would explode. "No, that’s not it!" she said quickly.

Caleb Rhodes frowned and kicked the back of Willson Lawson’s seat. His voice grew even colder. "You talk too much."

Willson Lawson shrugged and fell silent.

Nina Wynn kept her head bowed low, the tips of her ears so red it looked as if they might start bleeding. She was more afraid than ever to look at Caleb Rhodes. ’I should just jump out of the car,’ she thought.

’That Willson Lawson is no good either. Why would he say something so weird?’

Her blush was so deep it spread down her neck in a faint pink flush.

Caleb Rhodes’s gaze lingered there for a few seconds, his expression growing darker.

"Come here," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

Nina Wynn resisted internally but didn’t dare to defy him. She had no choice but to inch slowly in his direction.

Just then, the car entered an underpass, and for a few seconds, the light grew dim.

But in those few seconds, Nina Wynn felt Caleb Rhodes sizing her up with a look that was different from his usual one.

It was the look of a great predator in the dark that had just spotted fresh prey—raw, plundering, and bloodthirsty, as if it wanted to tear her skin right off.

She couldn’t help but shudder, nervously calling out, "Uncle."

Fortunately, the car soon emerged into the light. Caleb Rhodes’s gaze landed on her dress. "Nice dress," he said mildly.

The car was small, they were sitting close, and with this damn suggestive atmosphere, Nina Wynn was so nervous that a thin layer of sweat broke out on her forehead. Even her stomach began to ache.

Perhaps sensing Nina Wynn’s tension and repulsion, Caleb Rhodes’s expression turned cold. "Nina Wynn, the sooner you get used to this, the less you’ll suffer."

His thin lips were now pressed into a hard line. His voice, normally just indifferent, was now laced with ice, hiding a dangerous chill that felt like it could cause frostbite.

Nina Wynn didn’t dare to look at him, but she didn’t dare to remain silent either. She could only clutch her tulle skirt nervously and feign ignorance. "You’re my uncle. Of course I’m used to it."

Caleb Rhodes narrowed his eyes, and the oppressive aura around him seemed to intensify.

Nina Wynn grew increasingly restless, twisting the tulle of her skirt so tightly it felt like she would tear a hole in it.

Before long, the car passed through the main gates of the Rhodes family’s estate.

The family dinner had already started; hosts and guests were seated. Caleb Rhodes was the last to arrive.

But he was so striking that the moment he appeared in the dining hall, he captured everyone’s attention. All conversation immediately began to revolve around him.

Nina Wynn’s gaze swept across the room, landing on Lana Shaw and Crystal Rhodes.

When Lana Shaw’s eyes met hers, they were filled with panic and surprise. Crystal Rhodes, on the other hand, was staring daggers at her, the malice in her gaze barely contained.

Nina Wynn knew that if Caleb Rhodes and Walter Rhodes weren’t both present today, Crystal would have already rushed over to slap her.

The friends sitting beside Crystal were also looking at her with undisguised disgust.

Nina Wynn lowered her head slightly, her thin bangs falling across her smooth forehead, obscuring her expression.

’I didn’t want to come,’ she thought. ’If Caleb hadn’t forced me, I’d rather walk through fire than show up here to be scrutinized by everyone.’

As if sensing her distress, Caleb Rhodes paused and said in a low voice, "Sit next to me."

However, the seating arrangement was already fixed. Caleb Rhodes’s place was at the right hand of Walter Rhodes, and sitting right beside him was Leo Rhodes.

Upon seeing Nina Wynn, Leo Rhodes’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He said mildly, "Third Brother has arrived. And Nina Wynn is home as well."

He turned his head to a servant. "Nanny Collins, add another seat."

Nanny Collins, who had been a servant for the Rhodes family for many years, knew all of their affairs like the back of her hand. Naturally, she understood Nina Wynn’s position.

She shot Nina Wynn a disdainful look but still managed a subservient smile. "Miss Wynn is back," she said with false enthusiasm. "I’ll go get a chair. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with a seat at the end of the table, Miss Wynn."

The moment she finished speaking, Crystal Rhodes and her friends covered their mouths to snicker.

Crystal Rhodes, for her part, glared at her with utter disgust and contempt.

Lana Shaw’s face paled and flushed. Unable to sit still any longer, she stood up and said, "Nino, come with me for a moment."

A few steps later, they were in a side lounge. Lana Shaw’s expression was grim as she began to berate Nina Wynn. "Today is Crystal’s welcome-home party. You know she doesn’t like you, so what are you doing back here? Are you that afraid I’ll have it too good in the Rhodes family?"

She tugged at Nina Wynn’s dress in disgust. "And this thing. What are you even wearing? If you can’t afford the genuine article, then don’t buy anything at all! Wearing a knockoff just makes you a laughingstock!"

Nina Wynn didn’t argue, only saying quietly, "Aunt, I wasn’t planning on coming back. I ran into Uncle’s car on the road, and he told me to come."

Lana Shaw’s eyes lit up at that. "You mean Caleb Rhodes? *He* told you to come?"

Nina Wynn gave a soft hum of affirmation.

Though it had only been a few days, Lana Shaw looked even more opulent. The large diamond ring on her finger glittered, and the gems around her neck were dazzling.

Nina Wynn felt a little dazed. She remembered the Lana Shaw from years ago, when she had first arrived at the Rhodes family home. She had been so clean and gentle, so sweet and kind. She would ask if it hurt when Nina was sick, and she would hold her and cry in secret when she saw her being bullied.

’She really missed those days.’

Lana Shaw, however, had no intention of reminiscing. Her eyes glittered. "Caleb Rhodes doesn’t dislike you? Then you have to seize this opportunity and climb. It would be best if you could get him to officially acknowledge you. That way, your brother’s position here will be more secure."

"Brother?"

"That’s right. You’re going to have a little brother."

Lana Shaw patted her stomach and smiled. "I’m pregnant. It’s been over a month, but we haven’t announced it yet. Leo is still on the fence about it. But whether he agrees or not, I’m having this baby. Only with a son will my position here be truly legitimate."

Nina Wynn glanced at her stomach. "You can tell the gender this early?"