My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 98: No Longer Clean

Nina Wynn clutched the blanket tightly, the feeling of boundless suffocation washing over her again.

She was afraid of Caleb Rhodes, but she hated herself at this moment even more.

Even though this had already happened, what bothered her most wasn’t how roughly he had treated her.

It was that he had just been with Rosalind Lowell. How could he so seamlessly move on to doing this kind of thing with her?

He hadn’t even changed his clothes. He had been with her while still carrying Rosalind Lowell’s scent.

She knew she couldn’t escape, and she knew she was nothing more than a pet he kept. But she absolutely refused to accept him doing that kind of thing with her while smelling of another woman.

And just now, he had said it would be like this from now on.

’Does he plan to sleep with me from now on while smelling of Rosalind Lowell?’

He might not think it was filthy, but she did!

The thought of it all made the gash in her chest feel like it was tearing open wider. The pain was almost unbearable, and her body began to tremble lightly.

Seeing her tremble, Caleb Rhodes furrowed his brow.

He gently patted her back and said in a low voice, "Nina Wynn, being afraid is useless. Learning to proactively adapt is what you should be doing."

Nina Wynn clutched the blanket and squeezed her eyes shut.

’How lowly must I be in his eyes? For him to ask me to proactively adapt to something so disgusting!’

After all their time together these past few days, she had thought she was somehow different. Now it seemed it was all just her own wishful thinking!

She should have known long ago. A man like Caleb Rhodes would never develop feelings for someone like her.

A pet needs to know its place. It must never covet its owner’s occasional gentleness, or it will die a horrible death!

Perhaps it was because she was too exhausted, or maybe she had used up too much energy. Despite the pain and discomfort wracking her body, Nina Wynn slowly drifted off to sleep.

Sensing she was asleep, Caleb Rhodes let go of her.

He lifted the blanket and squeezed her soft hand. Feeling that it was even softer than usual, he was certain she was truly asleep.

He covered her with the blanket again, stood by the bed, and watched her quietly for a while before leaving the bedroom.

Once outside, he instructed Warner Zimmerman, "Have Dr. Chapman come and be on standby. Prepare the fever-reducing medication as well."

Warner Zimmerman remained expressionless. "Yes, Third Lord Master!"

In the afternoon, what Caleb Rhodes had predicted came to pass.

Nina Wynn started to run a fever, and it was a severe one. At its worst, it reached 104 degrees. She took the fever reducer prescribed by Dr. Chapman twice, but the fever didn’t break.

Caleb Rhodes stayed by her side the entire time, wiping her body with a cool towel. He lost count of how many times he changed the towel, and it wasn’t until evening that her fever finally subsided a little.

He had started to notice a pattern.

Whenever something happened, if Nina Wynn kept it bottled up inside and couldn’t vent, she would inevitably run a fever.

The more intense the emotion, the higher the fever.

He remembered that time right after he returned to the country, in the car. She had been burning up then, too. ’What happened that time?’

’All these years, all the things she’s been through... did she get through them all on her own?’

At these thoughts, the darkness in his eyes deepened. He leaned down, kissed her on the forehead, and said softly, "Get well soon, so you can properly appreciate the gift I have for you."

Then, he got up and went to the living room.

Willson Lawson was already waiting there. Seeing Caleb come out, he hurried forward. "Third Lord Master, I’m here to pick up the ring."

Caleb Rhodes took the silver ring from his middle finger, placed it in a small wooden box, and Willson Lawson immediately put it away as if it were a priceless treasure.

"This is the Ainsworth Family Head’s ring. It’s incredibly valuable. Third Lord Master, I thought your hand was about the same size as Master Ainsworth’s. How come it fit him perfectly, but it’s a little big on you? We’ll have to get it adjusted."

Caleb Rhodes said indifferently, "It’s just a ring. No need to be so worked up."

Willson Lawson smiled. "How could I not be worked up over something so valuable? Master Ainsworth has passed the position of Family Head to you. This ring is a symbol of that status. The Ainsworth Family even sent someone over specifically to deliver it. Now, all that’s left is for you to find the time to go back for the succession ceremony."

Caleb Rhodes’s expression was impassive, betraying no emotion. "I’m only managing it in his stead."

Willson Lawson said, "Your mother is Master Ainsworth’s only daughter, and you’re his only grandson. If you don’t inherit the Ainsworth Family, who else could? It’s only a matter of time, isn’t it?"

"By the way, your friend, the heir to the Nordian conglomerate, is still at the villa on Mount Caelus. Miss Lowell is there keeping him company. Do you want to go see them?"

Caleb Rhodes said, "No need. I spent all of last night with him, that’s enough. He’s a mutual friend of mine and Rosalind Lowell’s, so it’s the same if she keeps him company."

After a moment’s thought, he added, "I’m not satisfied with the renovations on the Mount Caelus house. The bedroom design is poor. Nina wouldn’t like it. Have the designer come see me another day. I need to speak with him personally."

"Yes, Third Lord Master!"

Seeing that Caleb Rhodes was done giving instructions, Willson Lawson took the box and left.

He hadn’t even reached the door when he heard Caleb Rhodes call out to him.

He turned back. "Third Lord Master?"

Caleb Rhodes stood by the window, looking out coldly.

His face was as hard and cold as if it were encased in metal, and his voice carried a hint of malice. "Give the Aethelburg real estate project we just won to Zyler Rhodes."

The Aethelburg property?

Willson Lawson was stunned.

Wasn’t that the major project they had just spent a fortune and immense effort to secure?

Willson Lawson became anxious. "We went through so much to win that one! I nearly drank my stomach into oblivion! Why give it to him? The project is huge, worth tens of billions. He can’t handle it at all."

Caleb Rhodes said coldly, "You think the initial phase is so easy? Just the demolition and dealing with the locals will be enough to ruin him. Hasn’t he always felt I invest too little in him? This project is big, so let him have it."

His eyes were filled with coldness and a murderous aura. "If he’s truly capable, he’ll be able to handle this project, and the Rhodes Family could survive in his hands. If he can’t, he’s just useless trash. We’ll transfer him abroad sooner rather than later."

Willson Lawson fell silent.

’In the end, he just wants to get rid of the guy,’ he grumbled inwardly. ’It’s all because he came looking for Nina Wynn yesterday. If he wants to transfer him, why not just do it directly? Why go through all this trouble?’

But he didn’t dare say this out loud, so he only asked, "When should he be transferred?"

Caleb Rhodes’s expression grew even colder. "The sooner, the better."

"Yes, Third Lord Master."

Willson Lawson had just left when Nina Wynn’s condition took a turn for the worse.

The fever that had just subsided flared up again, even worse than before. To make matters worse, she refused to cooperate and take her medicine.

In the end, left with no other choice, Caleb Rhodes forced her chin up and poured the medicine down her throat.

The illness came and went, and it wasn’t until three or four days later that the fever finally broke completely.

Nina Wynn seemed to have been through an ordeal. She had lost a noticeable amount of weight, and her face was now so small a single palm could cover it completely.

Unlike before, when she would become slightly more dependent on Caleb Rhodes after each illness...

...this time was completely different. She was actively avoiding him!

When Caleb Rhodes was home, she would stay in her room and not come out. She wouldn’t even open the door when he knocked.

If he pressed her too hard, or if he tried to hold her, she would invariably bite him.

Over the next few days, Caleb Rhodes’s arms accumulated numerous bite marks, and there were even two or three on his neck.

And she bit deep, breaking the skin in some places.

This time, Caleb Rhodes’s patience seemed boundless. He kept coaxing her, enduring it, and treating her as delicately as if she were his own daughter.

Slowly, Nina Wynn stopped biting him. Instead, she stopped speaking to him, refusing all communication, sometimes locking herself in her room for an entire day.

Caleb Rhodes was gradually losing his patience.

After Nina Wynn spent another full day in her room, he had someone remove the door from its hinges.

When Nina Wynn saw he had actually removed her door, she was both shocked and furious. Her emotions flared, and she rushed forward to bite down hard on Caleb Rhodes’s arm.

Caleb Rhodes didn’t speak or move. He just watched her bite him.

She seemed to be using all her strength, biting him fiercely, as if trying to vent all the grievances and bullying she had endured for so long.

After a long moment, she tasted blood. As if startled, she quickly let him go.

The bloodstain on his white shirt was conspicuous. Nina Wynn stared at the crimson mark for a moment, then suddenly turned and ran outside.

Caleb Rhodes’s eyes darkened, and he reached out to grab her.

But this time, he caught nothing but air.

Nina Wynn ran very fast, reaching the courtyard gate in just a few moments.

Caleb Rhodes chased after her. Seeing she was about to leave the courtyard, his face darkened, and he roared, "Nina Wynn! Get back here!"

Nina Wynn faltered for a second, but she didn’t look back and quickly ran out.

Just then, Warner Zimmerman said quietly from the side, "She isn’t wearing any shoes."

Caleb Rhodes watched her rapidly disappearing back, his chest heaving violently. The look in his eyes became exceptionally grim.

The urge to lock her up grew stronger and stronger.

He felt that only by locking her away would she be obedient, that only then would she stop running around!

In that brief moment, Nina Wynn had already vanished.

When Caleb Rhodes went out, he only caught a glimpse of her shadow disappearing around the street corner.

Nina Wynn ran all the way to the entrance of a large nearby supermarket before she realized she wasn’t wearing any shoes.

People coming and going stared at her with strange looks.

She was wearing only a thin sweater and a pair of thin fleece socks. The cold wind blew against her, and the chill was enough to jolt her fully awake.

Almost instinctively, she entered the heated shopping mall.

Fortunately, she still had some money on her phone. She picked out a pair of shoes for herself from the cheapest stall and also bought a padded jacket.

She sat in the mall for a long time, and before she knew it, the sky had turned dark.

The owner of the shop behind her had been watching her with a curious expression. Finally, as the mall was about to close, she approached and asked with concern, "Young lady, what’s wrong?"

When Nina Wynn had come in that afternoon, she was only wearing socks and a thin sweater, and then she had sat there all evening.

Her unusual behavior had not escaped the shop owner’s notice; she figured the young girl must be in some kind of trouble.

Seeing Nina Wynn, who was about the same age as her own daughter, the kind-hearted owner couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

"Are you going through a hard time?"

Nina Wynn shook her head, glanced at the kind-faced owner, and said in a low voice, "I’m sorry, have I been blocking your business by sitting here?"

The owner said, "No, not at all. It’s just that I’ve seen you sitting here all evening, and the mall is about to close. Do you not have anywhere to go?"

Nina Wynn clutched her phone, not saying a word.

Seeing her reaction, the owner guessed, "Did you lose your job? Or did your lease end and you have nowhere to stay?"

Nina Wynn didn’t answer. She stood up. "Thank you for letting me sit here all evening. I’m sorry to have disturbed your business. I’ll leave now."

The owner looked at Nina Wynn, reminded of her own daughter who had insisted on going out to make her own way in the world.

She sighed and called out to Nina Wynn, who was halfway to the exit. "Young lady, the forecast said it’s going to snow heavily all night. If you really don’t have a place to stay, they’ll leave a small door open at the back of the mall later. It’s for the tenants. You can get in with a key card."

As she spoke, she pressed a key card into Nina Wynn’s hand. "You don’t look like a bad person. If you really have nowhere to go tonight, come in and find a place to stay for the night. The heating is on, so you won’t freeze to death."

Nina Wynn clutched the card, still warm from the owner’s hand, and said softly, "Thank you, ma’am."

The owner found her even more frail and pitiful, so she added, "If you don’t have a job, you can come help me mind the shop. Room and board are included, but the pay isn’t high."

Nina Wynn stiffened for a moment, then nodded. "I will. Thank you!"

After leaving the mall, Nina Wynn bought a bouquet of white roses from a nearby shop and boarded the last bus heading toward the cemetery.

The snow was coming down quite heavily. By the time she reached the cemetery, a layer of snow covered everything.

Today was her mother’s birthday. She had nowhere else to go, so she might as well come and keep her mother company.

Unfortunately, the cemetery gates were already closed at this hour. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She stood at the entrance for a moment before finding a small side path to get in.

The cemetery was deserted and a bit frightening at this time of night. Most people wouldn’t dare enter, but Nina Wynn seemed oblivious to it all.

She walked straight to her mother’s headstone, placed the white roses on the stone, and whispered, "Mom, I’m here to see you."

The wind and snow were picking up. She tightened her jacket, pulled up her hood, and leaned back against her mother’s headstone.

In the past, she always came with Evan Chapman on her mother’s birthday. After he died, she usually just found a quiet place to pay her respects. She never expected to come see her mother at night like this.

She sat leaning against the headstone as large snowflakes fell on her face and body, but she couldn’t feel the cold at all.

She said softly, "Mom, my aunt doesn’t want me anymore."

No one answered.

She continued, "My aunt wants the house you left me. I’m not going to live much longer anyway, so I might as well just give it to her."

Still, no one answered.

She wiped the snowflakes from her face and felt wetness. She didn’t know if it was melted snow or tears.

She took a sharp breath and continued to murmur to herself, "Mom, have you seen Evan Chapman down there? If you have, please tell him not to wait for me anymore. I’m not clean anymore. I’m not good enough for him."

The cemetery was vast and quiet. Late at night, with the wind and snow blowing hard, the sound of the wind whistling through the pine forest—WOOO—was rather eerie.

But Nina Wynn was numb to it all.

She only felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if something was blocked there, swelling up until she felt like she was about to explode.

She clawed at her chest and gasped for breath, feeling something hot stream from her eyes.

She licked the salty tears that trickled to the corner of her lips and whispered, "Mom, I want to get revenge for Evan Chapman soon, so I can finally be at ease. It’s just so tiring. I don’t think I can hold on much longer."

"I want everyone who bullied Evan Chapman to die. Does that make me a bad person?"

The wind blew past, scattering her whispers, as if chilling the heart that had just begun to feel a little warmth.

The snow fell harder and harder. As she sat before the headstone, a thin layer of snow gradually covered her, making her seem to merge with the snow-dusted gravestone itself.

After an unknown amount of time, she slowly collapsed in front of the headstone.