My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 40: Big Shot

Caleb Rhodes frowned. "Keep your voice down. She’s timid."

"Tsk. Look at you, getting all protective. You’re so worried—don’t tell me she’s actually underage, is she?"

Suddenly, Nina Wynn spoke up in a small voice. "I’m really twenty. I’m about to graduate from college."

Her voice was quiet, soft, and delicate, a stark contrast to the deep tones of the men around her.

The men froze for a moment, then broke into laughter again.

Nina Wynn lowered her head and fell silent, her small, pale hands twisting tightly together.

In the light, her face was deathly pale, but the tips of her ears were bright red.

Caleb Rhodes glanced at her, then suddenly snapped, his voice as cold as ice, "Can we just eat a proper meal? If not, then get out!"

The laughter died instantly. Someone clicked their tongue in annoyance. "Still has that same vicious temper. Three years away and you haven’t mellowed out one bit."

"Alright, alright, bring in the food! It’s a new menu. They poached a top chef from Shenton. I heard his family served as imperial chefs for generations."

Then, it was time for the dishes to be served.

The others continued to chat and laugh, their conversation filled with topics Nina Wynn barely understood: the stock market, new policies, official government directives, and the like.

Caleb Rhodes said little, only chiming in occasionally, but he always seemed to be steering the direction of the conversation.

’It seemed he was the center of their group, too.’

As Nina Wynn ate, she couldn’t help but glance at the men.

She was startled by what she realized.

Of the five men, she recognized three. One was Adrian Sutton, the youngest vice-mayor in Elysian City’s history. He was in his early thirties, exceptionally capable, and rumored to have a terrifyingly powerful family background.

Another was Nathan Fletcher, the son of Oriens’s richest man. He was a notorious playboy who frequently made entertainment headlines and had dated countless starlets. He was a household name in Veridia.

Another man looked familiar, and after a moment, Nina Wynn realized he was someone she had just seen in the news yesterday—a young, promising figure with a significant background.

She didn’t recognize the other two, but given the status of these three, the other two were surely just as formidable.

’But these men always seemed so composed and reserved on television. Were they always this unguarded in private?’

’Was Caleb Rhodes’s entire social circle filled with such dissolute people?’

As she mulled this over, the once-delicious food lost its appeal. Her expression grew listless, and she wished she could leave right away.

Just then, the door swung open. A man walked in, a brilliant smile on his face. "Well, now. Having a dinner party and you didn’t invite me?"

The moment he heard that voice, Caleb Rhodes’s face darkened.

Beside him, Adrian Sutton’s brows knitted together. He lowered his voice. "Who invited him?"

Nathan Fletcher, however, looked at the newcomer with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Dr. Sullivan. What brings you here?"

Finn Sullivan smiled as his gaze swept around the room. It paused on Nina Wynn’s face for two seconds, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but his voice was perfectly calm. "I saw Caleb’s car outside and asked the manager. He said you were all having a reunion. I figured, since we haven’t all been together in two or three years, and you’re finally back, we brothers ought to catch up. Not very cool of you to leave me out!"

Nathan Fletcher scoffed. "Tsk. Well, you’re here now. Might as well sit down. Cut the chatter."

Finn Sullivan, ever the social chameleon, made himself right at home, and the table quickly returned to its lively state.

Only Nina Wynn felt increasingly uncomfortable.

She kept feeling Finn Sullivan’s eyes on her, and his gaze was cold and sharp as a knife, leaving her breathless.

After a while, she couldn’t take it anymore. She gently tugged on Caleb Rhodes’s sleeve and said in a tiny voice, "Uncle Caleb, I’m full. May I go sit over there?"

Caleb Rhodes glanced at the nearly untouched food in front of her. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Nothing you like?"

Nina Wynn hummed in agreement, then lowered her head and said no more.

Caleb Rhodes beckoned a server over and murmured a few instructions. The server then respectfully led Nina Wynn to a nearby lounge area.

A moment later, a platter of sliced fruit arrived, along with an assortment of nuts and dairy-based drinks.

Nina Wynn sank into a plush sofa, occasionally glancing at her phone before staring blankly out the window. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’I don’t understand why Caleb Rhodes brought me to a place like this. I feel so uncomfortable.’ Her discomfort had peaked after Finn Sullivan arrived.

Even her stomach was starting to churn.

She paid no mind to when the dinner party ended, not until she realized Finn Sullivan had come over at some point.

"Nina Wynn. I didn’t expect to see you here."

Finn Sullivan looked distinguished and refined, but for some reason, Nina Wynn disliked him. ’I can only attribute it to the fact that I dislike all of Caleb Rhodes’s friends, and everyone associated with the Rhodes Family,’ she thought.

But now, with him standing right in front of her, she had no choice but to force herself to murmur, "Hello, Dr. Sullivan," as her eyes subconsciously scanned the room.

’Caleb Rhodes isn’t here?’

As if reading her mind, Finn Sullivan smiled. His voice was light and smooth. "Your uncle stepped out to take a call."

Nina Wynn fell silent again, repeatedly poking the small yogurt carton in her hands with her straw.

Finn Sullivan’s gaze turned hostile. "Caleb and Rosalind Lowell are getting married. You’re not going to tell me you didn’t know, are you?"

Nina Wynn didn’t answer, but she pressed down harder with the straw, nearly piercing the carton.

She looked up at Finn Sullivan. "What does that have to do with me?"

Finn Sullivan’s eyes narrowed, a flash of contempt and disdain in them. "I heard your mother was driven to her death by a mistress."

Nina Wynn’s hand trembled, and the carton fell to the floor. The sound wasn’t loud, but it felt like it had gouged a pit in her heart. She stared at Finn Sullivan, utterly lost.

Finn Sullivan smiled and adjusted his glasses. His voice was gentle. "Of course, you’re a good girl. You would never do something like get involved in someone else’s relationship."

"You’ve been with the Rhodes Family for so many years. You must know about Caleb and Rosalind. They grew up together and are incredibly close. Everyone in Elysian City knows it. They were supposed to get married three years ago, but Rosalind made a small mistake, and Caleb got angry. He ran off to Aridia and stayed there for three years."

"Caleb holds a grudge and has a nasty temper. He’s still sulking at Rosalind right now. But no matter how he plays around or who he’s rumored to be with, he always goes back to her in the end. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened over the years. This time, though, he’s taken it a bit too far, and Rosalind has become a bit depressed again lately."

His voice grew cold, his teeth a stark white. "I heard your mother committed suicide because of her depression. It just goes to show how despicable the other woman can be. People like that... they deserve to be sliced into a thousand pieces!"

Nina Wynn heard every last word Finn Sullivan said. With each one, her face grew another shade paler. She clutched her skirt tightly, her gaze lowered. Her curled lashes trembled like the tattered wings of a butterfly, casting shadows that obscured her expression.

Finn Sullivan let out a soft snort, turned, and walked out the door.