My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 48: Filthy Thing

Caleb Rhodes stared at the words. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, the coldness within them almost freezing the air around them. Even his jawline was clenched tight.

Sensing Nina Wynn’s resistance, he gripped her hand, so forcefully it almost hurt her wrist.

His voice was low and deep. "Come sit next to me."

Nina Wynn kept her head down, her voice trembling slightly. "Can you drive a little faster? I don’t feel well."

The car shot forward, the Reboot Technologies industrial park flashing past. It was only a dozen seconds, but Nina Wynn’s hand was already slick with sweat.

Her palm was damp, and even the fine hairs at her hairline were matted with perspiration.

Caleb Rhodes reached out, pulling her away from the door and into his side, making her lean against him.

The crisp scent of cedar from his body enveloped her. Her head was bowed and her eyelids were lowered, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

After a moment, Caleb Rhodes suddenly spoke. "Just a few more days. It’ll be over soon."

His voice was cold. Nina Wynn didn’t know what he was talking about or what he meant, but Willson Lawson did.

Thinking about the recent events, Willson sighed to himself and pushed the accelerator to the floor.

Before long, the car pulled into a newly opened hot spring hotel in the Western Suburbs.

It was a massive hotel with an elegant, modern Chinese design. A small bamboo grove here, a miniature rock garden and water feature there—it all evoked the wonderful feeling of a winding path leading to a secluded retreat.

The moment the car pulled in, someone rushed up to greet them, his face wreathed in smiles. "Third Lord Master, you’ve arrived. The courtyard suite you requested is ready, and the hot spring has been drawn. We’ve also taken the liberty of preparing a milk spring in the adjacent small suite for your use at any time."

Before Caleb Rhodes could reply, the man added in a fawning tone, "Third Lord Master, this suite was prepared especially for you. We haven’t dared to let anyone else use it since we opened. Please, rest assured. The kitchenette inside was custom-built to your specifications. If anything is not to your satisfaction, please just let me know."

Caleb Rhodes nodded, his tone still indifferent. "Thank you for your efforts."

The man hurriedly replied, "Not at all, not at all! Your presence here is the highest honor for us!"

With that, he quickly directed the staff to move their belongings into the suite.

After taking a quick look around the hotel, Caleb Rhodes led Nina Wynn toward their rooms.

Halfway there, they saw the day’s news playing on a large digital screen in the lobby.

"Reboot Technology Group is facing its greatest crisis in history as stock prices plummet across the board. Rumors are circulating of an internal restructuring, while President Dustin Joyce is reportedly fighting to turn the tide and save the market."

"A shocking scandal rocks Reboot Technologies as two men claiming to be Dustin Joyce’s illegitimate sons demand positions on the management team. They intend to file a lawsuit to demand a redistribution of the company’s shares..."

... 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Nina Wynn stared, transfixed, at the screen. She didn’t snap out of it until the news segment ended. Tugging on Caleb Rhodes’s sleeve, her voice was still soft and small. "Uncle, I’m a little hungry."

It was the first time she had ever taken the initiative to tell him she wanted to eat.

Caleb Rhodes was slightly taken aback. He thought for a moment before saying, "The kitchen isn’t fully set up yet. We’ll have what the hotel prepares for tonight."

Nina Wynn’s pale, slender fingers clasped together, a rare flicker of anticipation in her eyes. "Can I have something with some flavor?"

Caleb Rhodes’s gaze lingered on her hands for a second. He reached out, gently pried her clasped fingers apart, and enveloped one of her hands in his. With his other hand, he stroked her hair. "Yes."

Before long, the same man who had greeted them at the entrance personally brought out the dishes, followed by a nervous-looking head chef.

He placed the dishes on the table one by one, his attitude utterly reverent. "Third Lord Master, please try our dishes and see if they are to your liking. If anything is amiss, please inform the chef directly, and we will make improvements."

With that, he stepped aside, bowing his head to whisper something to the chef.

It was a simple, home-style meal of three dishes and a soup. Surprisingly, it was the same menu she’d had the first time she visited Caleb Rhodes’s home, with the addition of a steamed fish. Of course, these dishes looked far more exquisite, served on delicate white porcelain plates with intricate garnishes on the side.

The chicken and potatoes were even more tender than the ones the housekeeper used to make. The flavor was a little milder, but for someone who had been eating nothing but plain congee for so long, it was a taste of heaven.

Nina Wynn ate so eagerly that a light sheen of sweat formed on her forehead.

Caleb Rhodes watched her eating only the soft-cooked potatoes and frowned. He pulled the dish away, picked the bones from a piece of steamed fish, and placed it in her bowl. "Eat this."

Nina Wynn’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as her gaze shifted to the drinks on a nearby counter.

Lowering her head, she asked in a tiny voice, "Can I have a drink?"

Caleb Rhodes nodded. "Yes."

Nina Wynn’s eyes brightened. "I want an iced orange juice with pulp."

"No," Caleb Rhodes refused flatly. "Room temperature."

The light in Nina Wynn’s eyes instantly faded. She lowered her head and said no more, taking small sips of the sweet osmanthus soup in front of her.

A room-temperature orange juice with pulp arrived shortly after, but even as the meal drew to a close, Nina Wynn hadn’t touched it.

Caleb Rhodes frowned. Just as he was about to speak, a man walked toward them with a smile. "Third Lord Master?"

The man was handsome, with refined features. He was impeccably dressed in a suit and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a very cultured and gentlemanly appearance.

He also had an overly familiar air, sitting down directly across from Nina Wynn without an invitation. "I never expected to run into Master Rhodes here. I heard you’ve been back for a while. Why haven’t you gotten in touch?"

Caleb Rhodes seemed to have no desire to engage with the man. His hand rested on the back of Nina Wynn’s chair, his expression indifferent. "I’ve been busy."

The man’s gaze swept over Nina Wynn’s face, and a look of sudden understanding dawned on him. He chuckled. "Ah, so that’s why. You have good taste, Third Lord Master."

He then rambled on about other things, the gist of it being that he wanted Caleb Rhodes to invest in his new film company. He only took his leave when Caleb Rhodes’s expression became one of obvious impatience.

Before he left, he gave Nina Wynn several long, meaningful looks.

After the man left, Caleb Rhodes said coldly, "Stay away from him if you see him again. He’s filth."

Caleb Rhodes was a man of few words and rarely spoke of anyone in such a way. But since Nina Wynn had no idea who the man was, she simply gave an obedient nod.

They sat for a while longer before returning to their suite.

It was a rare type of luxury suite: three bedrooms, a living room, a small private courtyard, and an annex.

In the courtyard stood a sunroom with drawn curtains. Inside was the natural, medicinal hot spring, piped in for their private use.

After they had rested for a bit, Caleb Rhodes carried Nina Wynn into the sunroom.

The space inside wasn’t huge, but it was fully equipped. Everything from towels and bathrobes to a resting bed was provided. Even more outrageously, on a shelf near the pool, sat several colorful, pretty little boxes. Though the writing wasn’t Chinese, any adult would know what they were at a glance.