My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 92: Every Inch of Skin Is Mine

Nina Wynn’s gaze flickered away as she shook her head. "It was nothing."

As she spoke, she wiped her hand vigorously on her clothes, as if trying to scrub something dirty off of it.

Just then, Zyler Rhodes caught up to them.

He looked anxious and started to reach for Nina Wynn, but one look at Caleb Rhodes’s frigid expression made him freeze. He could only stand there and watch her.

"Nina, just stay at your uncle’s place for now. I’ll come see you tomorrow."

He desperately wanted to take Nina away, but he had been afraid of Caleb Rhodes since childhood and didn’t dare do anything rash in his presence.

Nina didn’t look at him or answer. She just reached out, took Caleb Rhodes’s arm, and said softly, "Uncle, I don’t feel well. I want to go home."

She was clearly trying to get away from Zyler Rhodes.

Hearing this, Zyler Rhodes asked urgently, "Nina, are you still mad at me?"

Caleb Rhodes shot him a cold glance. "Why would she be mad at you? Zyler Rhodes, you’re an engaged man. I suggest your words and actions reflect that status."

Zyler Rhodes didn’t dare argue, but seeing the way Nina was trying to avoid him made his heart pound with anxiety. "Uncle," he said hurriedly, "Nina is my sister. I’m just concerned about her. There’s nothing improper about that, is there?"

Caleb Rhodes said nothing, just gave him another icy look.

The blatant chill and warning in his eyes silenced Zyler Rhodes, sending a wave of cold up his spine.

Although he hadn’t been at the Rhodes family estate, he had already heard what happened after he left.

His uncle had not only given Crystal Rhodes a hard slap in front of everyone, but had also threatened to cancel the investment in his company and had even gotten into a heated argument with his father.

Zyler Rhodes found it all unbelievable.

Everyone knew that Caleb Rhodes doted on Crystal Rhodes. He’d spoiled her since she was a child, giving her whatever she wanted. He wouldn’t even bat an eye at gifting her something as extravagant as a private jet.

For years, Caleb’s relationship with his brother, Zyler’s father Leo Rhodes, had also been excellent. Zyler had never seen them exchange a single harsh word.

And toward Zyler himself, while Caleb’s standards were strict, he had never hesitated to provide anything that would be of help to him.

He never thought his uncle would end up at odds with the entire family over Nina.

In Zyler Rhodes’s memory, while his uncle was good to them and did indeed spoil them, he always acted with a strong sense of propriety and kept a distinct distance from everyone.

To put it bluntly, Caleb Rhodes was naturally disinclined to get close to people. He even kept a certain distance from the family patriarch, Walter Rhodes.

For all the years he had spoiled Crystal Rhodes, he’d never once let her into his private rooms. She even needed his permission just to enter the courtyard of his residence.

And now, this cold and aloof man, who carried an inherent air of detachment in everything he said and did, had taken the initiative to accept Nina.

He not only let Nina move into his courtyard home, but he was even protecting her as if she were his own daughter.

Zyler knew for a fact that when the family matriarch had once asked to stay in that courtyard home for a few days, Caleb had refused her outright.

The courtyard home was supposedly an inheritance from Caleb’s maternal grandmother. He treasured it immensely and generally didn’t let anyone set foot inside.

Recalling all this, Zyler felt something was off, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.

Besides, Nina’s current behavior—actively avoiding him—was starting to infuriate him. A frantic feeling that he was about to lose her, that he could no longer hold on to her, washed over him. He was in no mood to figure out what was wrong with the bigger picture.

Any other time, he would have already grabbed Nina and taken her away by force. But now, the very uncle he had both respected and feared since childhood was standing right there, shielding her. He didn’t dare lay a hand on her.

Seeing Nina get into the car, he grew even more frantic. He rushed forward and spoke to her through the open door. "Nina, I’ll think about what you said. I’m going to text and call you over the next few days, so please don’t block me again."

He loomed in the doorway, his tall frame making Nina feel pressured. With Caleb Rhodes watching nearby, she had no choice but to respond.

"Okay. You should head back now."

As she spoke, she shrank back in her seat, pressing herself against the opposite door as if desperate to put as much distance as possible between herself and Zyler Rhodes.

Her blatant revulsion was a crushing blow to Zyler, but he didn’t dare do anything more. He could only say patiently, "Don’t worry about your aunt. I’ll go back and try to talk some sense into my father and her."

Just then, Caleb Rhodes got into the car, his body physically blocking Zyler’s gaze from where it was glued to Nina. Then, the door shut with a solid CLICK.

As Zyler Rhodes watched with a look of bitter reluctance, the car slowly pulled away.

Not even two minutes later, Nina asked in a small voice, "Is there any water, Uncle?"

Caleb assumed she was thirsty and handed her a bottle of mineral water. "It’s a little cold. Just have a few sips for now. You can have some hot water when we get home."

Nina said nothing. She twisted the cap off, stuck her hand out the window, and poured the entire bottle of water over it, scrubbing back and forth for a long time.

Soon, her hand, still outside in the cold, was turning red and purple, but she kept scrubbing relentlessly, as if trying to scrape the very flesh from her bones.

Watching her strange behavior, Caleb Rhodes neither spoke nor stopped her.

Only when he saw that her once pretty, soft, pale hand was frozen nearly purple did he finally pull her over to him.

His face was impassive, his voice still a bit cold. "Washing your hands like this in this weather... Do you not want them anymore?"

With that, he took her hands in his.

It was several degrees below zero outside. The hands, drenched in cold water, were practically coated in a thin layer of ice and felt bone-chillingly cold.

Caleb felt as though he were holding two blocks of ice.

After holding them for a moment with no effect, he tucked her hands inside his shirt, pressing them against the skin of his abdomen.

Through the thin fabric, Nina felt a familiar, comforting warmth.

The panic and turmoil she’d felt all evening seemed to subside in that moment. She couldn’t help but lean her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her face against him slightly. "Uncle," she whispered, "I don’t like him."

Caleb’s expression was placid as he stroked her hair. "I know."

Nina stiffened for a second before adding, "I’ve never liked him."

Caleb hummed a soft "Mm."

’Of course he knew Nina had always resisted Zyler Rhodes. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have allowed Zyler to hover around her for the past three years, acting as a deterrent to any other potential suitors.’

’Still, seeing him with Nina today, constantly trying to grab her hand, gave Caleb the distinct feeling that his private property was being violated. It made him dislike his nephew even more.’

He reached out, pulled Nina into his arms, and patted her back gently. "If you don’t like him, you won’t have to see him again."

Nina burrowed into his embrace, inhaling his familiar scent and warmth. After a long moment, she finally felt herself relax a little. "He said he’s coming to see me tomorrow," she whispered. "Can you... not let him in?"

Caleb’s gaze softened slightly. "You dislike him that much?"

Nina didn’t answer. She just rested her head on his shoulder with her eyes closed, her thoughts hidden from the world.

Caleb didn’t speak either.

’He was never a man of many words, and he had already made all the arrangements for Nina’s situation. Holding her now, he was struck again by how small she was, how much she made him want to protect her. He was starting to regret bringing her to the Rhodes estate today.’

’He’d thought that with him there, no one would have dared to touch her.’

’But they had bullied her anyway. Was it just a habit for them? Or did they think he didn’t care about her enough, that they could still push her around as they pleased, just like in the past?’

’This time, he absolutely would not go easy on them!’

After what felt like a long time, Nina spoke up. "Uncle, do I have to go to the police station again tomorrow?"

Caleb stroked her hair absently. "Mm," he murmured. "If they need you to."

Nina’s body began to tense up again, and her voice grew fainter. "But I don’t want to go."

Caleb said, "The lawyer and I will go with you. Don’t worry."

Nina seemed to relax a little at that. She turned her head to look out the window. "Is my aunt’s baby... really gone?"

Caleb’s voice was flat, betraying no emotion. "It seems so."

A troubled look flashed in Nina’s eyes. "Uncle, I really didn’t push her."

Caleb’s voice was quiet. "I know."

Nina whispered, "Why would she do this? She used to be so good to me, but then..."

She trailed off. ’Everything Lana Shaw was doing now felt like a knife in her heart, twisting again and again, subjecting her to a slow, agonizing death by a thousand cuts.’

’She didn’t understand. Why would someone who had once cared for her team up with outsiders to torment her?’

Caleb held her, his expression turning cold and dark. "I shouldn’t have taken you back there today," he said in a low, heavy voice.

Nina clutched his shirt, burying her face in his shoulder. Her voice was quiet but firm. "We have to go back. I still haven’t gotten my things."

Caleb Rhodes frowned. "If they’re not important, just leave them."

Nina shook her head. "They’re things my mom left for me. I have to get them back."

Caleb thought of the small box. "What’s inside it?" he asked softly.

Nina whispered, "It’s also something from my mom. You can’t open it. That’s my secret."

Her docile demeanor made his heart soften. He squeezed her hand, which had regained some of its warmth, and said in a low voice, "What kind of secret could you have that I’m not allowed to know?"

Nina grew tense. "Did you open it?"

’Inside, along with the things from her mother, were a few notes Evan Chapman had given her a long time ago. They weren’t signed and didn’t say anything particularly romantic, but she had no intention of sharing them with anyone, and she certainly didn’t want Caleb Rhodes to find any trace of them.’

The slightly rough pad of Caleb’s thumb brushed across her soft lips, a dark glint in his eyes. "And what if I did?"

Nina’s eyes flew open, her heart skipping a beat. "You promised you wouldn’t look!"

’Now she wasn’t sure if he had or not. If he had, she’d have to come up with a whole slew of excuses.’

Caleb narrowed his eyes. "And what would you do if I had?"

Nina grabbed his arm. "You can’t look!" she said frantically. "Those are things from my mom. I don’t want anyone to see them. If you looked... if you looked..."

She got so worked up she could barely speak, her palms starting to sweat. "If you looked, then I... I won’t talk to you anymore!"

With that, she turned her head away and shifted over to the window, staring outside with her cheeks puffed out in a pout.

From Caleb’s angle, he had a perfect view of her puffy cheeks and her long, curly lashes, which trembled with indignation.

’He suddenly found himself a little interested in that small box.’

’He hadn’t planned on looking inside before, but now he was suddenly curious about its contents.’

’Still, seeing the little thing get angry was even more appealing to him.’

"Come here," Caleb said, his voice cold and heavy.

Nina didn’t turn around, remaining motionless as she stared out the window.

Caleb narrowed his eyes and let out a soft huff. "Not listening?"

The man already had a powerful presence, but when he spoke with that pressuring tone, it became even more intense.

Though it was only two words, they were heavy with pressure, and Nina was still a little afraid of him.

She kept her face turned away, her long lashes fluttering for a moment, before she finally, slowly, turned back and returned to her spot beside Caleb.

Her cheeks were still puffed out, and she was worrying the small mole on her lip so much it was about to bleed. Her eyes still held a hint of simmering anger.

Caleb pressed a finger to her lip, his voice laced with ice. "I told you not to bite it. You’ve broken the skin again. Tell me, how should you be punished?"

Nina lowered her gaze. "You promised you wouldn’t look," she mumbled. "You broke your promise!"

Caleb’s expression remained impassive as his finger gently caressed her lip. "When did I ever say I looked?"

The knot of anxiety in Nina’s chest loosened. "I want to keep it myself!"

Caleb recalled the mud on the box, and one eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. "And where will you keep it? Buried in the little bamboo grove?"

It was easy to hear the teasing in his tone. Nina’s face instantly flushed red. "I have a place!" she mumbled.

Caleb saw the tips of her ears turn red and found her flustered state all the more endearing.

But he was a man who never let his emotions show, so his expression remained blank and his tone was mild. "I didn’t look at your things. I didn’t break my promise. But what about you? You bit your lip until it bled. How do you think I should punish you?"

Nina ducked her head, her soft, pale hands twisting together. "It’s my own mouth," she said in a tiny voice. "I can bite it if I want to!"

Her tone was laced with defiance.

Caleb tilted her chin up, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. "Who said it’s yours? From now on, inside and out, every inch of your skin, every single strand of your hair, is mine to manage."

Nina fell silent.

’She recognized that look in Caleb’s eyes. Every time it appeared, she was in for a hard time. He would kiss her until her lips went numb.’

’She really didn’t get it. How could someone as aloof and distinguished as Caleb Rhodes be so fond of kissing? What was so great about it? It was tiring and involved so much saliva.’

Sure enough, before she could brace herself, Caleb lifted her onto his lap. "Nina," he murmured, "from now on, you need to be just like you were today. Anything you don’t like, anything that makes you feel bad, you have to say it. Don’t keep it bottled up inside."

As soon as he finished speaking, his lips captured hers in a dominant kiss.

Nina struggled slightly, mumbling indistinctly, "The driver... he’s right there..."

Caleb’s powerful hand clamped around her slim waist as he bit down a little harder on her lip. "Not paying attention. That earns you a harsher punishment."