My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 91: Uncle, Don’t

Caleb Rhodes’s expression was cold and grim. "She couldn’t possibly have pushed Lana Shaw. I know my people."

He looked toward the interrogation room and frowned. "How long has she been in there? Isn’t she out yet?"

Warner Zimmerman shook her head. "Director Morgan is the one taking Miss Wynn’s statement. His questioning has been very gentle, but Miss Wynn is still not doing well. She won’t speak or communicate with anyone. Though it’s been two or three hours, she’s spent no more than half an hour actually inside the interrogation room."

After a pause, she lowered her voice. "However, Miss Wynn tacitly admitted to pushing Lana Shaw today. If Lana Shaw decides to press charges, it could get a little tricky."

Caleb’s expression grew even colder. He walked over and knocked on the door of the interrogation room.

Leo Morgan came out.

After a brief exchange, Caleb Rhodes entered the interrogation room.

In the solemn and oppressive environment, Nina Wynn sat on a chair, her head slightly bowed, unusually silent.

She had no reaction to someone entering and speaking to her.

It was as if she had walled the entire world out of her life.

Even when Caleb Rhodes walked to her side and softly called her name, she showed no response.

Leo Morgan whispered from the side, "She’s not cooperating at all. She won’t say a single word. She only nodded when we asked if she was the one who pushed Lana Shaw. Otherwise, she’s been completely silent."

Caleb Rhodes whispered back, "Can I speak with her alone for a few minutes?"

Leo Morgan looked hesitant, but he still agreed. "Ten minutes. That’s all the authority I have."

Caleb Rhodes thanked him.

After Leo Morgan left, Caleb Rhodes stepped forward, took her hand, and drew her in to lean against him.

He patted her back slowly and rhythmically, his voice low, deep, and unhurried. "Nina, I believe you didn’t push your aunt. So, don’t be afraid."

He paused, then lowered his voice to a near whisper. "And even if you did, you still don’t have to be afraid."

Leaning against him for a while, Nina Wynn seemed to regain a sliver of life. She gently tugged on Caleb Rhodes’s shirt and asked in a tiny voice, "Caleb, if my aunt’s baby is gone... will I go to jail?"

Caleb Rhodes gently stroked her hair and shook his head firmly. "No. You didn’t push her, and you won’t go to jail."

There was still no light in Nina Wynn’s eyes. She murmured, "But she wants me to go to jail. Caleb, how long would it be for? I’m a little scared."

Her listless state sent pangs of pain through Caleb Rhodes’s heart. He squeezed her hand tightly and told her with absolute certainty, "She won’t do that."

Nina Wynn closed her eyes, her voice hoarse. "She will."

’This wasn’t the first time she’d thrown me under the bus for Crystal Rhodes’s mistakes just to get by in the Rhodes family and to curry favor with Crystal.’

’It was just that, in the past, Nina had always found ways to convince herself otherwise. The biggest reason was her belief that Lana Shaw still loved her, that she was still her aunt, that they were the only family each other had left in the world, the only ones who could depend on each other.’

’But now, her only relative in the world had abandoned her.’

’It was so obvious she didn’t want her anymore. It was clearly Crystal Rhodes who committed the crime, Crystal who had threatened her own son’s life, yet she still wanted Nina to take the fall for Crystal, just like always.’

’So, the woman she had called ’Aunt’ for twenty years would trample all over her like this.’

Thinking about all this, she felt exhausted, utterly weary.

She felt that she and Lana Shaw had reached the end of the road. The familial love she had craved, Lana Shaw had now completely taken back.

Her vacant expression made Caleb Rhodes’s heart ache, but it also hardened certain resolutions within him. He held her hand and said in a low voice, "She wouldn’t dare! Nina, people who aren’t worthy don’t deserve your sincere affection."

She was silent for a moment before asking softly, "Caleb, will you abandon me one day too?"

As soon as she said it, she felt it was absurd.

’She and Lana Shaw shared the strongest blood ties, the most unbreakable bond of kinship, yet they had still come to this.’

’And now, here she was, asking Caleb Rhodes like an idiot if he would one day abandon her. It was laughable!’ 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

’There was no blood between her and Caleb Rhodes, no real ties. It was just a relationship of convenience, and for him, it was nothing more than a passing fancy.’

’How serious could he possibly be?’

’Besides, their relationship was improper and illicit to begin with, and Caleb Rhodes still had a fiancée out there.’

"Nina, I will never abandon you!"

Caleb Rhodes’s voice was low and deep. Those few simple words, spoken by him, sounded as solemn and serious as an oath.

Nina Wynn was in a daze for a moment.

’In that moment, she actually felt that she could trust Caleb Rhodes. That maybe he really wouldn’t abandon her.’

She murmured, "But... my aunt doesn’t want me anymore. She’s my own flesh-and-blood aunt, and even she has cast me aside. She wants me in jail, she wants me dead... so you’ll abandon me one day, too."

Seeing her like this, Caleb Rhodes felt as if his heart were being sawn apart by a dull knife.

He gently stroked her hair and said softly, "What do you need me to do for you to feel secure, Nina?"

’What would make her feel secure?’

Nina Wynn’s mind was a complete blank.

’If even the most unbreakable bond of kinship was unreliable, what else was there in the world to count on?’

She didn’t answer, merely clinging tightly to his clothes without letting go.

Caleb Rhodes looked at her pale face, his hand stroking her lips, which were so white they were drained of all color.

In a low, slow voice, he asked, "Nina, do you want to get married?"

Nina Wynn had no reaction, still listlessly clutching his clothes.

’What was marriage?’

’Was it like the relationship between her father and mother?’

She shuddered instinctively and said in a tiny voice, "Marriage is terrifying. I don’t want to get married."

Caleb Rhodes held her hand tightly. "It’s not terrifying," he said in a low voice. "Once you’re married, the relationship is protected by law. You can never be separated."

’He didn’t know or care about other people’s marriages, but in his world, there was only widowhood. The word ’divorce’ didn’t exist!’

His words only instilled a deeper fear in Nina Wynn.

’Never leaving, just like her mother and father? Until one of them was tormented to death by the other?’

Just then, Leo Morgan pushed the door open and entered.

"President Rhodes, time is up."

Caleb Rhodes bent down, cupped Nina Wynn’s face, and whispered, "Nina, if there’s anything you don’t want to answer, don’t. You can remain silent the entire time. No matter what happens, I’m here. Our lawyer will be here any second. He’s the absolute best lawyer in all of Elysian City. If you feel one isn’t enough, we’ll hire a whole team!"

He spoke slowly, enunciating every single word, "I will be right outside. I will absolutely not leave you to face this alone!"

As if terrified of this place, Nina Wynn clutched Caleb Rhodes’s shirt and refused to let go. "Caleb, I don’t want to stay here. I’m scared. Take me with you!"

Before Caleb Rhodes could answer, Leo Morgan said, "Mr. Rhodes, please leave now. Do not interfere with our work."

Caleb Rhodes had no choice but to pry Nina Wynn’s fingers away one by one, comforting her, "Nina, be good. Don’t be afraid. I’ll be right outside. You can call for me immediately if anything happens. And remember, you don’t have to speak."

Nina Wynn gripped his clothes desperately, her emotions spiraling out of control. "Caleb, no! Don’t go! Please, don’t go!"

Her voice was filled with pleading.

But in a place like this, there was no way for Caleb Rhodes to stay with her.

He didn’t dare to look back, only able to comfort her in a low voice, "Be good. Listen to me. The lawyer is almost here. We’ll be able to go home in a little while."

He forcibly pulled her hand away and walked toward the door.

Just as he reached the doorway, Nina Wynn shot to her feet. Staring at his back, she cried out hoarsely, "Caleb! Caleb Rhodes!"

Her voice was piercing, yet cracked, hoarse, and trembling uncontrollably.

Caleb Rhodes knew she was afraid. He knew even better that she had severe psychological trauma. But at this moment, he couldn’t turn back, nor did he dare to.

His body stiffened for a second. In a raspy voice, he said, "Nina, be good. I’m right outside."

"No!" Nina Wynn’s voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "Don’t go!"

As she spoke, she tried to rush forward, but before she could take two steps, someone forced her back down into the chair.

Caleb Rhodes’s fingertips trembled slightly. He quickly exited the room.

The moment he was out, he immediately dialed his lawyer. "Where are you?"

The voice on the other end was deferential. "Third Lord Master, I should be at your police station in about half an hour. The traffic is a bit heavy."

Caleb Rhodes took a deep breath. "Find a way to be here in fifteen minutes."

The person on the other end hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yes!"

After hanging up, Caleb Rhodes went outside and lit a cigarette.

He took just a few drags before the orange ember reached the filter.

Warner Zimmerman had followed him out. Seeing that Caleb Rhodes was only wearing a black shirt, she said in a low voice, "You should go back inside, Third Lord Master. It’s too cold out here. You’ll get sick."

Caleb Rhodes didn’t move. He stared at the streetlight across the road, his face as cold as if it were encased in a metal shell. In the flickering light, the expression in his eyes was dark and unreadable.

After a long time, he finally spoke. "Warner, I can’t hold back any longer. I want to deal with them now."

Warner Zimmerman knew exactly who "them" referred to.

She said softly, "But they are your family, after all."

The chill in Caleb Rhodes’s eyes deepened, and his voice was colder than the winter night. "However they hurt Nina, I will pay it back piece by piece. Other than my father, I don’t consider them to be that close to me.

"I want them to taste what it’s like to be afraid, to be bullied, and to be humiliated."

Warner Zimmerman was silent for a moment before saying, "I’ll get a jacket for you from the car."

The lights flickered, obscuring faces, but one could feel that the night in Elysian City was colder than ever before.

Caleb Rhodes’s lawyer, Vaughn Hale, was highly efficient, arriving in less than twenty minutes.

The elite lawyer was extremely professional. Less than half an hour after he arrived, Nina Wynn was brought out.

Vaughn Hale, who was both exceptionally capable and humble, was highly valued by Caleb Rhodes.

By the car, Caleb Rhodes said to Vaughn Hale, "You are the Chief Legal Officer of Nash Group, and your work has always been outstanding. You will be in full charge of Nina Wynn’s case this time. I don’t want to see any problems with this case, nor do I want the public to hear a single whisper about it!"

Vaughn Hale replied respectfully, "President Rhodes, rest assured. It’s not a major case. If the other party decides to press charges, it might be a little troublesome. If they don’t, it will be even easier to handle!"

The words had barely left his mouth when a familiar voice called out from across the way, "Uncle!"

Caleb Rhodes looked up and saw Zyler Rhodes walking over with a man in a suit.

Seeing them, he put on a look of pleasant surprise, his gaze landing on Nina Wynn. "Uncle, I knew you’d get Nina out. I brought a lawyer over too, but it seems I was too late."

He quickly stepped forward, reaching for Nina Wynn’s arm. "Nina, don’t be afraid. It’s going to be okay. See? You’re out now, aren’t you?"

Nina Wynn visibly flinched, instinctively shrinking closer to Caleb Rhodes.

Zyler Rhodes’s hand met empty air. His expression soured, and he said awkwardly, "Nina, you’re already out. Are you still going to blame me?"

He acted as if he and Nina Wynn were very close, almost intimate.

Caleb Rhodes frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Nina Wynn spoke up. "Caleb, I’d like to have a word with him alone. Is that okay?"

Caleb Rhodes’s gaze was frigid, but he still agreed. "Fine. Five minutes. I’ll wait for you in the car."

Nina Wynn let go of Caleb Rhodes’s arm and walked to the side. Zyler Rhodes followed her.

Zyler Rhodes had already noticed Nina Wynn’s exhausted face. "Nina, you’ve suffered," he said, his voice laced with pity.

Nina Wynn didn’t even lift her eyelids, her voice extremely faint. "How is my aunt?"

Zyler Rhodes stared unblinkingly at Nina Wynn’s delicate, pale face. "The baby couldn’t be saved. She’s in surgery now."

Nina Wynn’s eyes remained downcast, her hands clutching her clothes. She asked softly, "Now that she’s lost the child, will your father still be good to her?"

For some reason, Zyler Rhodes found her current haggard, fragile, and innocent appearance even more appealing. ’If I can have Nina,’ he thought, ’it wouldn’t be impossible to be a little nicer to her aunt.’

"He will be. I’ll be polite to her, too. Nina, she’s your aunt. For your sake, I won’t make things difficult for her anymore. I’ll even persuade my dad to treat her better."

Nina Wynn was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "I hope she can live the life she wants in the Rhodes Family."

’From now on, she and Lana Shaw were even. She no longer owed her anything!’

The hazy lights made Nina Wynn’s face appear even more softly charming, as beautiful as a painting.

Zyler Rhodes stared, mesmerized. He reached out and took Nina Wynn’s hand. "Nina," he said softly, "it’s good that you’ve left the Rhodes family home. You can stay at my uncle’s place for now. After a while, when everything has settled down and the rumors have died, I’ll come get you. I’ve already prepared a house. From now on, you’ll be with me. We can have a good life together."

As if afraid she would refuse, he added hurriedly, "It doesn’t matter if you don’t like Ivy Lawson. I promise you, I won’t touch her. From now on, I’ll only have you!"

"Just bear with it for a few years. Once we have children, especially if we have a son, the Rhodes Family will have to acknowledge you whether they want to or not. Nina, I won’t let you down!"

A flicker of imperceptible disgust crossed Nina Wynn’s eyes. She pulled her hand back and, with her gaze lowered, said softly, "Ivy Lawson and Crystal Rhodes bullied me like that. You’re Crystal’s brother and Ivy’s fiancé. I don’t want to be with you!"

Zyler Rhodes grew anxious. "What do I have to do to make you agree?"

Nina Wynn lifted her head and looked at him quietly. Imagining the fate that awaited Zyler Rhodes and Ivy Lawson, she felt that there was still something to look forward to in life.

After a good while, she said, "When the people who bullied me are unhappy, I’ll be happy."

Zyler Rhodes’s body stiffened. He didn’t speak.

Nina Wynn looked at him and said gently, "Zyler, do you like Ivy Lawson?"

Zyler Rhodes shook his head in disgust. "She’s always pretending to be so pure, and she puts on that fake, high-pitched voice. It’s nauseating. But she’s Peter Lawson’s granddaughter, and it’s a marriage alliance. In name, she is to be my wife."

Nina Wynn lowered her head. "Zyler, I understand. You should marry her. I’ll be fine. Besides, Caleb said he’d introduce me to a boyfriend after a while."

Zyler Rhodes panicked at her words. He grabbed Nina Wynn’s shoulders and said urgently, "No! You can’t get a boyfriend!"

Nina Wynn kept her eyes downcast. "A boyfriend introduced by Caleb would probably be a great match," she said softly. "Zyler, you’re allowed to have a girlfriend, allowed to marry someone else. Why can’t I have a boyfriend?"

’She knew perfectly well that for someone like Zyler Rhodes, the harder something was to obtain, the less likely he was to let it go!’

’She wanted him to never let go. She wanted him to fall deeper into his obsession, to be drawn in like a moth to a flame. She wanted him to die a miserable death!’

’She wouldn’t let either of them off the hook—not him, and not Crystal Rhodes!’

She pushed Zyler Rhodes away, turned, and walked back, reaching Caleb Rhodes’s side in a few steps. "Caleb, let’s go."

Although Caleb Rhodes hadn’t heard their conversation, he had seen with perfect clarity the way Zyler Rhodes had grabbed her just now.

His eyes were dark as he asked, "What did he say to you?"