My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 39: The Exquisite Child

She wore a white, knee-length dress with a slightly fluffy texture, its sheer fabric embedded with tiny rhinestones. A thin, gray, tasseled belt cinched her waist, paired with low, light-gray heels. A creamy-white rhinestone barrette was pinned in her hair. The whole look was innocent and pure, and for some reason, it inexplicably matched Caleb Rhodes’s outfit.

Satisfied, Caleb Rhodes snapped a watch onto her wrist, revealing his own at the same time.

It was identical to hers, only the face of her watch was two sizes smaller.

Nina Wynn suspected he had deliberately chosen a matching set for them, but she didn’t dare say it out loud. She could only let him pull her along to the garage.

The underground garage was massive, spanning hundreds of square meters and filled with a uniform sea of black cars. Nina Wynn didn’t know much about cars, but she recognized several Rolls-Royces, in addition to the black Maybach he often drove.

Just as they got in the car, Caleb Rhodes asked, "See any you like?"

Nina Wynn didn’t understand what he was talking about and just stared at him silently. Caleb Rhodes tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his voice light. "Having a car would be more convenient. But if you don’t like to drive, I’ll assign a driver to you."

Just then, the driver, Willson Lawson, spoke up. "I actually know a pretty good instructor. He’s patient and has a good temperament, just a bit on the older side. But older means more responsible. My cousin is taking lessons from him now. If Miss Wynn wants to learn, we could book him for private lessons."

Before he could even finish, Caleb Rhodes’s piercing gaze locked onto the back of his head. His voice was as cold as ice. "Showing off because you know a couple of people? There are hundreds of files at the office. Don’t bother sleeping tonight. Go sort through them."

Willson Lawson’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He knew he had misspoken but didn’t dare to argue. All he could do was groan inwardly.

No one else spoke for the rest of the ride, and the atmosphere in the car dropped to a freezing point. Nina Wynn felt suffocated by the oppression. She started to shift toward the door, trying to put some distance between herself and Caleb Rhodes, but the moment she moved, a large hand clamped around her waist.

Caleb Rhodes’s voice was cold and low. "Nina Wynn, if you ever dare press yourself against the door again, you’ll sit on my lap instead."

Nina Wynn’s face went pale. She lowered her head, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her dress.

Seeing she was about to bite through her lip, Caleb Rhodes frowned. He pinched her chin, his voice cold. "Stop it. Don’t bite."

’He’s so unbelievably domineering,’ Nina Wynn thought. ’Does he have to control even this, me biting my own lip?’

She stared at him in a daze, but the next second, he captured her soft lips with his own.

His tongue and lips moved forcefully, enveloping her mouth and leaving her breathless.

With Willson Lawson sitting right there in the front seat, she was both shocked and terrified. Not daring to make a sound, she could only push against him with all her might. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Her hands met his hard chest, but she couldn’t budge him an inch. In moments, he seized her small, soft hands and pinned them behind her back.

He had her completely under control with just one hand. The feeling of suffocation intensified.

Finally, she couldn’t help but beg for mercy. "Uncle... Uncle, please don’t..."

The soft, choked sound of her voice was especially stirring in the enclosed space. Caleb Rhodes’s body stiffened for a moment before he released her.

Finally able to breathe, Nina Wynn gasped for air. She shot a quick glance at Willson Lawson in the front seat, her face flushing then paling. She wanted nothing more than to find a hole and crawl into it.

Caleb Rhodes narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the back of Willson Lawson’s head. "Pull over!"

Willson Lawson, who also wished he could crawl into a hole, immediately pulled over at the sound of his voice. His own voice trembled slightly. "Third Lord Master?"

Caleb Rhodes’s voice was merciless. "Get out!"

As if granted a pardon, Willson Lawson scrambled out of the car.

With Willson Lawson gone, Nina Wynn felt the air inside the car grow even more oppressive. Caleb Rhodes’s aura seemed to wrap around her like a curse, and she was so nervous that her body began to tremble.

Outside, the street was bustling with people. She was terrified he might do something else.

Caleb Rhodes saw that she was starting to sweat again and reached for her forehead. But she jerked her head away, her eyes wide with terror as she looked at him. Her voice trembled. "Uncle, there are so many people outside..."

Caleb Rhodes’s hand froze in mid-air. His gaze lingered on her small, panicked face for a few seconds before he finally looked away.

"Nina Wynn, no one controls what I do. And I never think about the consequences."

With that, he opened his door and moved into the driver’s seat.

Nina Wynn breathed a sigh of relief, then began to mull over the seemingly casual words he had just spoken.

The more she thought about them, the more terrified she became.

’Does he mean no one can control him? That he can do whatever he wants? Can’t even the Rhodes Family stop him?’

It was an arrogant claim, but Nina Wynn knew it was the truth.

From what she recalled, Caleb Rhodes had begun taking over the Rhodes Family business in his teens. Later, he went to Aridia to take charge of the industries on his mother, Claire Ainsworth’s, side of the family.

The Rhodes Family commanded power, and the Ainsworth Family commanded wealth. Caleb Rhodes was truly one of heaven’s chosen. He was powerful enough to bend the world to his will; he truly didn’t have to answer to anyone.

’And I’m just an orphan. If he wants me, how could I possibly escape?’

’But I’m *just* an orphan. Why is he toying with me like this? What does he gain from it?’

’He’s about to be engaged to Rosalind Lowell. They’re supposed to be deeply in love, a match made in heaven. So why is he still doing this?’

’So all men are the same, aren’t they? Fickle, faithless... always eating from their bowl while eyeing what’s in the pot!’

As her thoughts churned, her anxiety returned, and she felt sick to her stomach.

She wasn’t sure how long had passed before the car stopped in front of the finest hotel in Elysian City.

Caleb Rhodes got out, and Nina Wynn followed.

He entered the hotel, and she followed.

She kept a careful distance, not too close, not too far behind.

He was tall with long legs, and when he walked too quickly, she had to jog to keep up. When he noticed, he would slow down to wait for her.

He was handsome and carried himself with an imposing air; passersby couldn’t help but turn to look at him. This made Nina Wynn even more confused as to why he insisted on tormenting her.

Finally, Caleb Rhodes stopped in front of a private dining room in the deepest part of the hotel.

He stood at the entrance and noticed that from her haste, a thin sheen of sweat had formed on her forehead, dampening the hair at her temples.

Caleb Rhodes’s gaze softened slightly. He reached out and took her soft hand, his voice seeming a little less cold. "The people inside are my friends. You can relax."

Nina Wynn murmured a quiet, "Okay."

She didn’t understand why he would say such a thing, let alone say it twice.

The door opened slowly, and Caleb Rhodes led her inside by the hand.

Several people were already seated inside. When the door opened, all eyes turned toward them.

Nina Wynn kept her eyes downcast, not looking up at the other people, simply letting Caleb Rhodes lead her farther into the room.

Seeing Caleb Rhodes walk in with a girl, the people inside were first taken aback, then immediately started to tease him. "Since when does our Third Lord Master bring a girl around? She looks so young. Is she even legal?"

Caleb Rhodes pulled out a chair for Nina Wynn to sit, his voice light. "She’s twenty. It’s not as sordid as you’re thinking."

A ripple of soft laughter went through the group. Someone piped up, "Third Lord Master, which family’s girl is this? Elysian City isn’t that big. How have we never seen such a delicate little thing before?"