My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 51: This Is What She Deserves

Caleb Rhodes’s body stiffened for a moment, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he bit down harder.

The taste of blood brought Nina Wynn back to her senses. She understood now—Caleb Rhodes wasn’t going to let her go today.

Trembling, she spoke in a tearful voice, "I’ll use my hand... my hand. I’m begging you, please stop."

Caleb Rhodes’s chest heaved a few times, as if he were deliberating whether to let her off.

After two seconds, his large hand wrapped around her small, soft one and guided it toward him.

At the same time, he whispered in her ear, "Do as I say."

Who knows how long it was before Nina Wynn felt like her hand was about to break. Only then did Caleb Rhodes let go of her.

He stared at her, his expression clearly showing he hadn’t had enough, as if he wouldn’t be satisfied until he had truly devoured her whole.

Nina Wynn didn’t dare look at him. Gasping for air, she fled the hot spring pool.

She grabbed a bath towel to wrap around herself and, without even bothering to put on her shoes, sprinted back to her room.

Once she was in her room, she didn’t come out again.

When Caleb Rhodes had someone open the door, he found her wrapped in the blankets, burning hot and deliriously muttering nonsense.

And she kept repeating the same few words over and over. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Don’t..."

"Please..."

"Uncle, don’t..."

It wasn’t until the old Chinese medicine doctor was called over, prescribed some medicine, had it brewed, and fed some to her that her panicked muttering finally stopped.

This time, the old doctor understood the situation completely. As he was leaving, he hesitated, seeming to want to say something but holding back, but in the end, he couldn’t restrain himself.

"Third Lord Master, please don’t mind my meddling, but this young lady is naturally heavy-hearted and extremely reserved. Her body has only just started to recover. Don’t push her too hard. You’re both still young; there’s plenty of time for romance. Take it one step at a time. Only a relationship with a solid foundation can last."

The old doctor expected to be rebuked by Caleb Rhodes, but to his surprise, the Third Lord Master of the Rhodes Family simply saw him out politely without a single harsh word.

After the old doctor left, Caleb Rhodes stayed by the bed, checking her temperature.

The Chinese medicine worked slowly. It took a full two hours for her fever to subside slightly, leaving her drenched in sweat.

He had no choice but to carry her to the bathtub to clean her up and change her into clean, soft clothes. The ordeal continued until evening before things finally calmed down.

She woke up in the middle of the night, but she was listless. Seeing Caleb Rhodes sitting on the sofa across from her, her gaze darted away evasively.

Caleb Rhodes didn’t speak, nor did he comfort her. He simply had the housekeeper bring in the fish congee that had been prepared earlier and fed it to her, one spoonful at a time.

Strangely, she was even more docile than before, finishing the entire small bowl of fish congee without leaving a single bite.

After eating, she curled up in the corner of the bed again, listlessly staring at the ceiling, not speaking or looking at anyone.

Seeing her like that, and to prevent another sudden fever, Caleb Rhodes simply moved his laptop and files into the room.

The two of them didn’t interact or exchange a single word. The only sounds in the room were Caleb Rhodes flipping through files and typing.

Nina Wynn stared blankly for a while, then began to toss and turn, rolling restlessly in a small area on the bed.

Around four or five in the morning, just as the sky outside seemed to be lightening, she fell asleep again.

Caleb Rhodes gently closed his laptop, walked to the bedside, and reached out to feel Nina Wynn’s forehead.

The fever was completely gone.

’But,’ he had a gut feeling, ’she’ll get a fever again soon.’

He was very clear about the cause of this fever. It wasn’t a physiological issue at all, but a psychological one.

Just as the old doctor had said, he was the one who had pushed her.

But he didn’t regret it.

’According to my original plan, by today, Nina Wynn should have been on the verge of completely accepting me. But because of that last incident, we’ve made no progress, and it has dragged on until now.’

’She’s still scared, and she’s resisting fiercely.’

’That is not within the scope of what I allow.’

’After what happened in the pool, her psyche should be thoroughly branded with my mark. I’m certain she’ll never forget it for the rest of her life. It might be a bit extreme, but that’s one of the effects I wanted.’

’From her soul to her body, she must bear my mark.’

’Whether it’s her hands, her mouth, her feet, or any other part of her—from the first time to the last, it can only be mine. It must be mine.’

’Throughout my life, I’ve never wanted much, and most of what I did want was easily attainable. So far, Nina Wynn is the one I’ve spent the most effort on and waited the longest for.’

’But since the wait has exceeded my expectations, my patience is wearing thin. I plan to close the net early.’

’And if I’m closing the net early, there will inevitably be sacrifices. So, all of Nina Wynn’s reactions are entirely within my expectations.’

’This isn’t my fault. She was the one who walked through the Rhodes Family’s gates ten years ago.’

’She was the one who insisted on calling me Uncle in that soft, kitten-like voice.’

’She was the one who was tempting me every time she hid that little cat.’

’She was the one who didn’t lock the door that time, making me decide to possess her ahead of schedule.’

’She was the one who looked so delectable three years ago that I haven’t had a single good night’s sleep since, forcing me to shorten my original five-year plan to three.’

’Everything, every single thing, is her own fault.’

’I’ve let her run free for ten years. Not devouring her before she came of age was the greatest concession I could make.’

’So, what’s a little suffering now? It’s merely what she ought to bear.’

His hand glided across her delicate cheek, causing her to frown tightly in her sleep. She turned over, then pillowed her face in his palm, murmuring softly, "Evan."

’That little cat... does she like it that much?’ This small movement made Caleb Rhodes’s gaze soften considerably.

He watched as she pressed her whole small face into his palm, finding her more and more pitifully tiny, just like that little cat.

’A tiny little thing, looking at me timidly, but she’ll bite when provoked.’

At this thought, he couldn’t help but touch the spot where she had bitten him, feeling a row of small teeth marks.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

’She bit down quite hard. It even drew blood.’

’Biting and showing her claws is within the range of what I permit, but not at a time like that. If it happens again under similar circumstances, the punishment can be a bit more severe.’

After watching her for a while, he slowly pulled his hand away, picked her up, and placed her on the inner side of the bed before lying down himself.

As soon as he lay down, Nina Wynn automatically sought the source of warmth and rolled over to him.

This was muscle memory, formed over two months in the hospital where the air conditioning was kept at sixteen degrees Celsius every day.

Even though they weren’t in the hospital now and the air conditioning wasn’t that cold, she had already developed the habit of seeking him out.

He took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, placing a rewarding kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep now."

Just as Caleb Rhodes had expected, before the sun was up, Nina Wynn started running a fever again.

And it was fiercer and more intense than the last time, peaking at 39.8 degrees Celsius.

This time, however, Caleb Rhodes didn’t send for the doctor. He personally brewed the medicine the old doctor had left and fed it to her himself.

This went on and on until the afternoon, when the fever finally broke completely.

Afterward, as if her soul had been drained from her body, Nina Wynn paced back and forth several times between the living room and the courtyard.

A few times, she seemed to want to leave the courtyard, but a single glance at Caleb Rhodes working at the long desk by the entrance made her pull back her foot, which was already halfway out.