My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 65: Don’t Go

He pulled her, and she stumbled, falling right into his arms.

The moment their skin touched, a wave of nausea churned in her stomach, and she shoved Finn Prescott away on reflex.

Her gaze fell. "I really have to go."

Finn Prescott narrowed his eyes, studying her for a moment with a cold expression. "That’s the first time anyone’s ever dared to push me away."

Nina Wynn retreated two steps, her hand tightening on her clothes. "Master Prescott, I have to be somewhere. I’ll be leaving now."

She hadn’t taken two steps before Finn Prescott grabbed her by the collar. "Go through the window!"

Nina Wynn looked at him in confusion.

Finn Prescott dragged her to the window. "Caleb Rhodes is still down the hall. Going out the front door now would be walking right into his trap. Go out this window, get past the little garden out front, and after that, where you go is your problem."

With that, he scooped Nina Wynn up by the waist with one arm and set her right on the windowsill. "Get down on your own!"

Without a second thought, Nina Wynn jumped from the window.

The grass outside was soaked. Nina Wynn had only taken a few steps when her shoes slipped off. She bent down to retrieve them, her small, jade-white feet sinking into the wet lawn, so pale they were almost blinding.

Finn Prescott’s gaze lingered there for a couple of seconds, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. "If you can’t find anywhere to go, you can come back and find me."

Nina Wynn muttered a quiet "thank you" and, shoes in hand, sprinted away.

The hotel was huge, but she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t get past the main gate, and she knew she couldn’t truly escape anyway.

Finally, she found a secluded corner and huddled inside.

Before long, the downpour returned. Amid flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder, she stood trembling in the rain.

The downpour was relentless. After what felt like an eternity, her head grew heavy and dull. Though she was shivering from the cold, she was burning up from the inside.

Leaning against the wall, she slowly retreated into the corner.

She lost track of time again until the sound of heavy footsteps drew near, finally stopping right in front of her.

Nina Wynn slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze fell upon a pair of handmade men’s leather shoes—luxurious and immaculate. Despite the pouring rain and the mud everywhere, they remained utterly spotless.

Above them were perfectly pressed black trousers, without a single crease.

The misting rain was held at bay by a large black umbrella. A faint scent of cedarwood tinged the air. No one spoke. The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

After a moment, a slender hand extended before Nina Wynn.

It was long, immaculate, and carried an air of refined elegance.

Nina Wynn glanced at the hand but didn’t take it. Lowering her gaze, she slowly got to her feet.

She was soaked to the bone, her head bowed, looking as pitiful as an abandoned pet.

Caleb Rhodes watched her, his expression cold, the darkness in his eyes a bottomless chill.

The atmosphere was tense and dangerous. The men standing nearby didn’t dare utter a single word, their heads bowed, lacking the courage to even look up.

Only they knew the extent of Caleb Rhodes’s fury just moments before. The hotel manager had nearly been dragged out and shot.

An indeterminate time later, a sudden clap of thunder rent the air. Nina Wynn lunged into Caleb Rhodes’s arms, clinging tightly to his waist.

Her face pressed tight against his chest, her entire body trembling.

"Uncle, I’m scared!"

"Don’t lock me up when it’s thundering! I’m so scared!"

Her voice trembled uncontrollably, and her body was burning hot to the touch.

Caleb Rhodes’s brow furrowed, and he touched her forehead.

His hand came away wet, her skin scorching hot.

The dangerous aura around him vanished in an instant. Caleb Rhodes called out hoarsely, "Nina."

Nina didn’t answer, merely curling tighter in his embrace.

The wall of ice around his heart suddenly cracked. Caleb Rhodes bent down and scooped her into his arms.

As he strode forward, he commanded the man beside him, "Go get Dr. Chapman!"

Nina’s hands were hooked tightly around Caleb Rhodes’s neck, and every flash of lightning and roll of thunder sent a fresh wave of terror through her, making her body shake.

Though the journey through the storm was short, it felt like half a lifetime to Caleb Rhodes as he held Nina in his arms.

When the housekeeper opened the door and saw the two of them, looking as if they’d just been pulled from a river, she reached for Nina. Caleb Rhodes sidestepped her, carrying Nina straight into the bathroom and leaving a long trail of water in his wake.

He ran a hot bath himself, settled her into the tub to wash her, then wrapped her in a large, soft, clean towel and laid her on the bed.

Nina was burning up, her whole body scalding hot. Her lips were red and chapped, yet her small face was deathly pale. She looked terribly ill.

Though utterly weak, she clung to Caleb Rhodes’s arm with a death grip, refusing to let go.

The moment Caleb Rhodes pried her hands off, she latched onto him again.

This time, her arms were around his waist.

Her voice was faint. "Don’t go. I’m scared."

Caleb Rhodes said in a low voice, "I’m just getting the hair dryer. Your hair is still wet."

Nina seemed barely conscious. "Don’t lock me up. I’m scared."

Caleb Rhodes coaxed her softly, "I’m just getting the hair dryer. It’s right in the drawer. It’ll be fast. Three seconds."

He gently patted her hands, slowly prying her interlocked fingers apart. "Be good. I’ll be right back."

"No, don’t."

"Look, it’s right there in that drawer."

"No, don’t leave."

After much coaxing, Nina finally released her grip.

Caleb Rhodes had just retrieved the hair dryer when another clap of thunder boomed. Nina instantly seized his hand in a panic. "Don’t go!"

Looking at her deathly pale face and listless eyes, Caleb Rhodes finally felt a pang of regret.

He plugged in the hair dryer and began to dry her hair, section by section.

Halfway through, the thunder started again, the rumbles now closer together. Nina refused to let him continue, grabbing his arm and not letting go no matter what he said.

Caleb Rhodes had no choice but to turn off the dryer and sit down beside her.

His long fingers threaded through her damp hair, gently massaging her tender scalp as he coaxed in a low voice, "Why is Nina afraid of thunder?"

Nina’s eyes were unfocused. Her chapped lips moved. "Thunder means a beating."

Caleb Rhodes’s hand froze. A sharp pain shot through his heart, as if someone had seized it and tried to rip it from his chest.

He took a deep breath and continued to coax her softly, "Who would hit Nina?"

Nina was still lost in the previous thought, whispering, "Drinking... hitting Mom... hitting me... locking me in the little dark room to hit me."

Her emotions suddenly grew agitated. "They’re bad people! All of them are bad people!"

Caleb Rhodes closed his eyes, his hand slowly balling into a fist. When he opened them again, the dark chill within them was terrifying, but his voice remained gentle. "Who were they? Your father?"

Nina said no more, her eyes closing.

Caleb Rhodes asked quietly, "Were people from the Rhodes Family involved too?"