My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 79: Are You Leaving?

And so, the entire room of people remained on their feet well into the night.

As the night wore on, Nina Wynn’s high fever started to subside, and she grew quiet.

Aside from occasionally calling out for Evan once or twice, she slept peacefully until noon.

When she woke up, Nina Wynn found her vision completely dark. Panic seized her instantly. Terrified, she fumbled around the bed, her voice trembling, "Uncle? Uncle!"

Caleb Rhodes, who was beside her, took her hand. "Nina, I’m here," he said in a low voice. "Don’t be afraid."

Nina Wynn let out a sigh of relief. Sitting up in bed, she gripped Caleb Rhodes’s arm tightly, her voice filled with panic. "Uncle, I can’t see anything."

Caleb Rhodes held her hand with one of his and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear with the other, doing his best to keep his voice calm. "Can you hear me?"

Nina Wynn nodded. Her eyes were unfocused, her expression frantic. "But I can’t see, Uncle. I can’t see..."

Caleb Rhodes patted her head to comfort her, then moved his hand to her back, rubbing it gently. "It’s okay. It’ll be fine in two or three days at most. The doctor said it’s temporary blindness; you’ll recover quickly."

Nina Wynn clutched his hand tightly, her chest heaving. She was clearly emotionally unstable.

"Is it really just two days?"

Caleb Rhodes squeezed her soft hand back, noticing it was clammy with sweat. He could only coax her patiently. "Two or three days at most. If you stay calm, you might even be able to see by tonight."

Nina Wynn fell silent, but beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, soon soaking the fine hair at her temples.

Seeing her like this, Caleb Rhodes knew she was extremely anxious. He took a tissue and carefully wiped her brow. As he did, he said to Warner Zimmerman, "Bring over the millet porridge we’ve been keeping warm."

"I don’t want to eat," Nina Wynn said in a low voice.

"Be a good girl, Nina," Caleb Rhodes coaxed patiently. "You have to eat a little to get better faster."

Nina Wynn secretly hooked a finger around Caleb Rhodes’s sleeve with one hand and propped herself up on the bed with the other, her head hanging low. "I don’t want to. It doesn’t taste good."

Caleb Rhodes took the small bowl of porridge and picked up the spoon to feed her. "Be good, have a little. We added the lily bulbs you like. They’re a lovely jade-white color, very pretty."

Nina Wynn’s hand paused. "Is it really pretty?" she asked quietly.

"I promise it’s pretty," Caleb Rhodes said with absolute certainty.

’This little thing is getting pickier and pickier with her food. If it looks even slightly unappetizing, she refuses to eat. I was just trying to make her a bit tougher, so how did she end up getting more and more delicate?’

Nina Wynn forced down two or three spoonfuls, then refused to open her mouth again.

Caleb Rhodes continued to coax her slowly, but no matter what he did, she wouldn’t open her mouth. Eventually, she stopped speaking altogether.

He had no choice but to put down the porridge, his voice turning cold and heavy. "You won’t recover if you don’t eat. Do you want to be blind forever?"

Nina Wynn trembled, her face paling. "Uncle, I really can’t eat."

After a pause, she whispered, "That Miss Haruko... she had a hole in her head..."

Her stomach suddenly churned again. She couldn’t continue, her face growing even paler as another sheen of sweat broke out.

Caleb Rhodes held her hand, wiping her sweat with a tissue as he said in a low, gentle voice, "Don’t be afraid, Nina. It was just an accident."

Nina Wynn’s voice shook. "Uncle, will the police come for me?"

Caleb Rhodes squeezed her soft hand. "They will," he said lowly. "But I’ll be with you the whole time. Nash Group’s legal team of several hundred people is also your backup. You don’t have to worry about a thing."

Nina Wynn said nothing, but her body was still trembling slightly.

After a long while, she finally whispered, "I only said a few words to her. I didn’t know she would die..."

Caleb Rhodes lifted her up and placed her on his lap. Stroking her hair gently, he asked in a soft, low voice, "What did she say to you?"

Nina Wynn whispered, "She said anyone who likes you will come to a bad end."

She lifted her head, her unfocused gaze turning toward Caleb Rhodes. "Uncle, will I end up like her?"

Caleb Rhodes’s hand froze. Then, it slowly came down to grip Nina Wynn’s delicate chin. "Nina Wynn, what are you trying to say?"

His voice was cold, carrying a hint of a warning.

Nina Wynn instinctively shrank back. Her hands fumbled until they latched onto his clothes. "Uncle, are you leaving?"

Her voice sounded nervous and was trembling slightly.

She tilted her head up, fine strands of sweat-dampened hair clinging to her fair, delicate face, making her look very young. Her dark eyes were wide open, filled with an unfocused confusion, giving her a pitiful and vulnerable appearance.

Caleb Rhodes had been on the verge of anger, but seeing her like this made his heart soften halfway.

But his voice remained as cold as ever. "I’m not leaving."

Nina Wynn kept her grip on his clothes. "But you’re angry."

With a sigh of resignation, Caleb Rhodes pulled her back into his arms. "You knew I’d be angry, so why did you still say something like that?"

Nina Wynn rested her head on his shoulder, seeming a little more at ease.

A moment later, Caleb Rhodes’s phone rang. He had just started to get up to answer it when Nina Wynn immediately sat up, her unfocused eyes turning toward him. "Uncle, are you leaving?"

Caleb Rhodes glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Walter Rhodes. He patted Nina Wynn’s hair reassuringly, his voice low. "Be good. Sit here by yourself for a bit. I’m going to step out and take a call."

Nina Wynn couldn’t see him, but she could tell from his tone that it was important. She had to let go of him, saying softly, "Uncle, please come back quickly."

Caleb Rhodes patted the back of her hand, then left the room with his phone.

Time seemed to pass both slowly and quickly. Sitting alone in the empty space, Nina Wynn felt as if she had returned to that night many years ago.

After witnessing the horrific scene of her mother’s suicide, she had suddenly lost her hearing and sight.

As if abandoned by the entire world, she experienced the loneliest darkness imaginable.

But back then, a pair of gentle hands had always held hers, keeping her from falling, protecting her from bullies.

But now, those hands were gone, leaving her to walk this lonely world all by herself.

She fumbled about, searching everywhere, wanting to find those hands, but how could she?

Evan Chapman was dead. He had died protecting her.

Her hands slowly came to a stop. Her eyes wide, she whispered, "Evan."

There was no response.

That’s right. Evan Chapman was gone, in another world. How could he possibly answer her?

Fat teardrops welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

She touched her face, felt the wetness, and froze for a moment.

’I can’t cry. Crying is the most useless thing in the world!’

She frantically, messily tried to wipe away her tears, but they only flowed faster, completely beyond her control.

Her hearing hadn’t fully returned, and she was lost in her memories, so she didn’t even notice when Caleb Rhodes entered the room and quietly walked up to her.

Not until a pair of cool hands cupped her cheeks did she react. She instinctively grabbed them and cried out urgently, "Evan!"

But she immediately realized—how could it be Evan Chapman!

This was Caleb Rhodes!

Her small face went white with shock. She subconsciously let go of Caleb Rhodes’s hands and shrank back.

Her voice trembled. "U-Uncle..."

Caleb Rhodes had never seen her cry. Right now, her tears were like the world’s most potent heart-softening potion, melting his resolve completely.

He reached out and caressed her small, tear-stained face. Seeing her panicked, unfocused eyes, his own gaze darkened, and he lowered his head to capture her lips.

He kissed her gently, his voice a little hoarse. "There, there. Don’t cry. I won’t let you be wronged like that again."

Nina Wynn didn’t move. She didn’t react, her expression blank, simply letting him kiss her.

After a long moment, Caleb Rhodes released her. He pressed the pad of his thumb against her lips, which were now glistening from his kiss. His eyes were dark, his voice still hoarse. "Don’t you have Roy now? Why are you still thinking about that cat named Evan?"

Hearing the name "Evan," Nina Wynn shuddered and suddenly came back to herself. She reached out and grabbed Caleb Rhodes’s clothes, leaning into him with an air of infinite dependence and attachment.

As she pressed against him, she whispered, very softly, "Evan."

Though it was quiet, Caleb Rhodes heard it. He flicked her forehead lightly in a mock-punishment. "I’m not a cat," he said in a low voice. "Now that you have Roy, you’re not allowed to think about him anymore."

Nina Wynn hummed a soft "mhm," nuzzling his shoulder with deep affection. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and silently, gently, mouthed the name "Evan" again.

Caleb Rhodes greatly enjoyed her being so dependent on him. He simply lifted her onto his lap, letting her nestle in his arms.

Nina Wynn obediently wrapped her arms around his neck and held him without moving. In that moment, she seemed utterly dependent on him, as if he were her tender, loving partner.

After holding each other like this for a while, Nina Wynn shifted. She lifted her head and tugged at Caleb Rhodes’s shirt.

"Uncle," she whispered, "I need to use the restroom."

Her voice was barely audible, and a faint blush crept onto her face after she spoke.

Caleb Rhodes picked her up, carried her into the restroom, lifted the toilet seat for her, and then stood by the door to wait.

As if sensing he hadn’t left, Nina Wynn, blushing, refused to do anything. She stood by the toilet for a long time before finally whispering, "Uncle, please don’t stand in the doorway."

Seeing her dawdling, Caleb Rhodes walked over to help her with her clothes. Startled, Nina Wynn quickly clutched her shirt, her face flushed. "I can do it myself."

Caleb Rhodes let go of her, his voice cold. "Is there any part of you I haven’t seen?"

"Uncle!" Nina Wynn grew flustered, the tips of her ears turning a deeper shade of red. "I just can’t see, it’s not like I don’t have hands!"

Caleb Rhodes glanced at her, then returned to his spot by the door.

Nina Wynn faced the direction of the door, bit her lip, and said softly, "Uncle, can you please go out and close the door?"

Caleb Rhodes’s voice sounded cold and heavy. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll leave?"

Nina Wynn’s head snapped up, her voice trembling. "You’re leaving?"

Seeing her panic, Caleb Rhodes’s gaze softened slightly. "I’ll be right outside the door. Call me when you’re done."

Nina Wynn hummed a soft "mhm," biting her lip. She clasped her soft, pale hands together and whispered, "Uncle, don’t go too far. Stay close."

A while later, Nina Wynn was finished. She felt her way to the sink to wash her hands.

She had sweated so much that day; she felt like her hair smelled, and her whole body felt grimy. After a moment’s thought, she began to feel her way towards the adjoining bathroom.

She had only taken two steps when she bumped into something, probably a vase. The object fell to the floor with a CRASH, shattering with a crisp sound.

Startled, she instinctively squatted down to feel for it.

Just then, the door opened. Caleb Rhodes walked in and saw Nina Wynn squatting on the floor, fumbling with the shards of a broken porcelain vase.

He frowned and pulled her to her feet. "Why didn’t you call me when you were done?"

A piece of porcelain had pricked Nina Wynn. She quickly hid her hand behind her back, lowering her head like a child who had done something wrong. "Uncle, am I being a lot of trouble? Am I annoying?"

Ever since she was little, she would be met with scorn for the slightest mistake, and sometimes even a beating if it was serious. This time, having broken a vase, she subconsciously believed she had committed a grave error.

Her voice trembled. "I broke the vase. Are you going to punish me?"

Caleb Rhodes’s gaze darkened, a layer of coldness spreading through it. He pulled her hand over to inspect it and saw a small cut on the pad of her little white finger, a bead of blood welling up.

He brought her finger to his lips and kissed it, asking softly, "Does it hurt?"

Flustered, Nina Wynn snatched her hand back and shook her head. "It doesn’t hurt. My hand is dirty, don’t kiss it."

Caleb Rhodes forcefully pulled her hand back, kissed away the small bead of blood, and said in a low, deep, and serious voice, "Nina Wynn, you don’t have to be so cautious in the future. It’s just a vase. If you feel like it, you can tear down this whole hospital."

Nina Wynn was stunned. After a long pause, she whispered, "You’re not going to punish me?"

Her cautious and slightly fearful expression made Caleb Rhodes’s heart sink.

Just as he was about to speak, Nina Wynn whispered again, "I thought you were always supposed to be punished for doing something wrong..."

She lifted her head, her unfocused eyes looking toward Caleb Rhodes. "Do people like Crystal Rhodes not get punished when they do something wrong?"

The atmosphere instantly turned cold. Caleb Rhodes stared at her for a long time, then slowly cupped her pale, delicate face. A chill laced his voice. "Nina Wynn, if you have something to ask me, just ask directly. You don’t need to beat around the bush and test me like this."

Nina Wynn’s body gave a distinct tremble. She lowered her head like she had done something wrong, clutching the corner of her shirt tightly, looking lost and bewildered.

"Uncle, I... I didn’t mean it like that..."

She wasn’t lying. She really hadn’t intended to test him. She had just subconsciously wanted to ask if people like Crystal Rhodes were never punished for their mistakes, but the moment the words left her mouth, she knew she had said the wrong thing. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Caleb Rhodes didn’t answer, just watched her in silence, the darkness in the depths of his eyes unsettling.

Hearing his silence, Nina Wynn grew panicked. She fumbled for Caleb Rhodes’s clothes, hooking her fingers tightly into the fabric. "Uncle, are you angry? Are you leaving?"

Caleb Rhodes took her hand and, one by one, pried her fingers off his clothes.

The color drained from Nina Wynn’s face in an instant.