Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 127: Chapter 127
You are reading Falling For My Ex's Uncle, Chapter 127: Chapter 127. Read more chapters of Falling For My Ex's Uncle.
I looked calmly at Ivan, who sat before me, his complexion sallow and haggard. He didn't have his usual sharpness, no trace of hostility, just a bone-chilling coldness.
In just a few short days, Ivan seemed to have turned into a completely different person.
"Are you sure you've got the right person?" I smiled and stared at him.
I had no idea what had happened to him, but I could see the wariness in his eyes.
And his dark circles were severe. I wondered if he might suddenly drop dead right there.
Ivan forced his stiff face into something resembling a smirk. "I need your help."
He shivered slightly, wrapping his arms around himself. Realizing how conspicuous the gesture was, he quickly reached for the cup of coffee on the table, took a small sip, and continued, "Help me quit."
The moment he finished speaking, I stood up. Ivan froze but didn't try to stop me.
He just sat there, curled up in the most inconspicuous corner of the cafe. If not for his clean clothes, anyone would have mistaken him for a homeless man or someone suffering from a mental breakdown.
I asked a server for a cup of water before returning to my seat and placing the glass in front of him.
Never in my life did I think I'd be able to sit down so calmly with someone from the Hill family. Especially not with a man who had once humiliated me.
"Thanks," Ivan muttered hoarsely, forcing the words out.
I let out a mocking laugh. "I just wanted to see how pathetic you've become."
To my surprise, Ivan didn't get angry. Instead, he lifted his head slightly, met my gaze, and chuckled bitterly. "I deserve it."
I said nothing, simply watching the man across from me, sunken and dejected.
The contrast between the arrogant, sneering man he used to be and the ghost of himself sitting here now was striking.
Not that I'd ever truly hated him. Most of the time, people like him didn't even bother using their brains. If he had half a brain, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
As the eldest grandson of the Hill family, Ivan had once held the potential for a decent future.
Although he wasn't very intelligent, as long as he followed the rules, he could still gain admission to a university. The Hills had money, which meant he could buy his way into a good college.
And after graduation, it wasn't like he had to struggle. He'd just take up some cushy position in the family business.
Even if he was an idiot, he could have surrounded himself with capable, loyal people to help him.
As long as he steered clear of gambling and drugs, didn't try to start his own business, and simply took over his father's well-established company, he could have lived a life far better than the average person.
But no. Ivan just had to be stubborn, reckless, and worst of all, hopelessly lovesick.
I'd seen plenty of women lose themselves over love, but a man like him was rare.
"I'm sorry. I was wrong before." Ivan's voice was low and trembling. One hand gripped the other tightly, his face contorted with pain.
"I won't bother you anymore." He reached for his phone, preparing to leave, but before he could, I caught his wrist.
I sighed. "Where are you staying? I'll take you home."
Ivan frowned. "Aren't you afraid I might try to hurt you?"
I stood up, turning to glance at him still slumped on the couch. My voice was indifferent. "Do you want to go into withdrawal right here, in front of everyone?"
His body stiffened. Then, without another word, he scrambled to his feet.
I was never afraid of him before, and now, looking at the half-dead mess he'd become, he was even less of a threat.
Honestly, Ivan was stupid. If not for his mother, I wouldn't have bothered saving him at all.
As we stepped out of the National Mall, Ivan raised his hand to hail a cab, but I stopped him.
Moments later, a dirty, beat-up Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of us.
"Get in," I said, leaving no room for argument. If he refused, then I'd have done my part, and that would be the end of it.
Ivan clutched his arm, eyeing the young man in the driver's seat with suspicion.
He didn't know the driver. After a brief hesitation, he slid into the backseat.
Through the rearview mirror, I saw him shrink into the corner, looking like an abandoned child who had been bullied and left out in the cold.
Marvin had come at my request, summoned by a simple text. In his current state, Ivan needed someone to watch over him.
I was heading back to Newton City tomorrow and had neither the time nor the patience to play babysitter.
And even if I did, I couldn't be seen spending too much time with him. If Alex caught wind of it, he wouldn't care whether there was anything between us. He'd make sure I paid for it.
At the moment, the only person I could turn to for help was Marvin. After getting Ivan's address, I couldn't hide my shock.
I stared straight at him. "Be honest, Ivan. Did you kill someone or rack up a massive gambling debt? Is that why you're holed up in some shady motel?"
Ivan shook his head quickly. His usually sharp gaze had turned dazed and unfocused.
"No... Staying in a hotel is too dangerous," he mumbled, his voice trembling.
I grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the cap, and handed it to him. "Drink. It might help."
He hesitated for a second before taking it and chugging down several large gulps. "Someone wants to kill me."
His words sent a jolt through me.
Marvin glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his expression full of doubt. It was clear he was wondering where the hell I'd picked up this lunatic.
I asked, "What the hell have you been up to these past few days?"
For some reason, I recalled the death of Vivian, Calum, and that guy, Jake.
Could the third person be Ivan? But I dismissed the thought almost immediately.
A lovesick fool like him would never do anything to betray Rosemary.
"The explosion in the suburbs... I should've died in that accident," Ivan muttered. Immediately, his entire body went limp.
Marvin slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road.
He said, "Shit, he's not dead, is he? I haven't made enough money for a new wife yet!"
I rolled my eyes at Marvin.
Marvin asked, "Laurel, did you drug him?"
I nodded matter-of-factly. "Look at those dark circles. If he doesn't sleep soon, I'm afraid he really will die in your car."
Marvin scoffed. "Right. But seriously, who the hell is this guy? He got some kind of persecution complex or what?"
In just a few short days, Ivan seemed to have turned into a completely different person.
"Are you sure you've got the right person?" I smiled and stared at him.
I had no idea what had happened to him, but I could see the wariness in his eyes.
And his dark circles were severe. I wondered if he might suddenly drop dead right there.
Ivan forced his stiff face into something resembling a smirk. "I need your help."
He shivered slightly, wrapping his arms around himself. Realizing how conspicuous the gesture was, he quickly reached for the cup of coffee on the table, took a small sip, and continued, "Help me quit."
The moment he finished speaking, I stood up. Ivan froze but didn't try to stop me.
He just sat there, curled up in the most inconspicuous corner of the cafe. If not for his clean clothes, anyone would have mistaken him for a homeless man or someone suffering from a mental breakdown.
I asked a server for a cup of water before returning to my seat and placing the glass in front of him.
Never in my life did I think I'd be able to sit down so calmly with someone from the Hill family. Especially not with a man who had once humiliated me.
"Thanks," Ivan muttered hoarsely, forcing the words out.
I let out a mocking laugh. "I just wanted to see how pathetic you've become."
To my surprise, Ivan didn't get angry. Instead, he lifted his head slightly, met my gaze, and chuckled bitterly. "I deserve it."
I said nothing, simply watching the man across from me, sunken and dejected.
The contrast between the arrogant, sneering man he used to be and the ghost of himself sitting here now was striking.
Not that I'd ever truly hated him. Most of the time, people like him didn't even bother using their brains. If he had half a brain, he wouldn't have ended up like this.
As the eldest grandson of the Hill family, Ivan had once held the potential for a decent future.
Although he wasn't very intelligent, as long as he followed the rules, he could still gain admission to a university. The Hills had money, which meant he could buy his way into a good college.
And after graduation, it wasn't like he had to struggle. He'd just take up some cushy position in the family business.
Even if he was an idiot, he could have surrounded himself with capable, loyal people to help him.
As long as he steered clear of gambling and drugs, didn't try to start his own business, and simply took over his father's well-established company, he could have lived a life far better than the average person.
But no. Ivan just had to be stubborn, reckless, and worst of all, hopelessly lovesick.
I'd seen plenty of women lose themselves over love, but a man like him was rare.
"I'm sorry. I was wrong before." Ivan's voice was low and trembling. One hand gripped the other tightly, his face contorted with pain.
"I won't bother you anymore." He reached for his phone, preparing to leave, but before he could, I caught his wrist.
I sighed. "Where are you staying? I'll take you home."
Ivan frowned. "Aren't you afraid I might try to hurt you?"
I stood up, turning to glance at him still slumped on the couch. My voice was indifferent. "Do you want to go into withdrawal right here, in front of everyone?"
His body stiffened. Then, without another word, he scrambled to his feet.
I was never afraid of him before, and now, looking at the half-dead mess he'd become, he was even less of a threat.
Honestly, Ivan was stupid. If not for his mother, I wouldn't have bothered saving him at all.
As we stepped out of the National Mall, Ivan raised his hand to hail a cab, but I stopped him.
Moments later, a dirty, beat-up Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of us.
"Get in," I said, leaving no room for argument. If he refused, then I'd have done my part, and that would be the end of it.
Ivan clutched his arm, eyeing the young man in the driver's seat with suspicion.
He didn't know the driver. After a brief hesitation, he slid into the backseat.
Through the rearview mirror, I saw him shrink into the corner, looking like an abandoned child who had been bullied and left out in the cold.
Marvin had come at my request, summoned by a simple text. In his current state, Ivan needed someone to watch over him.
I was heading back to Newton City tomorrow and had neither the time nor the patience to play babysitter.
And even if I did, I couldn't be seen spending too much time with him. If Alex caught wind of it, he wouldn't care whether there was anything between us. He'd make sure I paid for it.
At the moment, the only person I could turn to for help was Marvin. After getting Ivan's address, I couldn't hide my shock.
I stared straight at him. "Be honest, Ivan. Did you kill someone or rack up a massive gambling debt? Is that why you're holed up in some shady motel?"
Ivan shook his head quickly. His usually sharp gaze had turned dazed and unfocused.
"No... Staying in a hotel is too dangerous," he mumbled, his voice trembling.
I grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the cap, and handed it to him. "Drink. It might help."
He hesitated for a second before taking it and chugging down several large gulps. "Someone wants to kill me."
His words sent a jolt through me.
Marvin glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his expression full of doubt. It was clear he was wondering where the hell I'd picked up this lunatic.
I asked, "What the hell have you been up to these past few days?"
For some reason, I recalled the death of Vivian, Calum, and that guy, Jake.
Could the third person be Ivan? But I dismissed the thought almost immediately.
A lovesick fool like him would never do anything to betray Rosemary.
"The explosion in the suburbs... I should've died in that accident," Ivan muttered. Immediately, his entire body went limp.
Marvin slammed on the brakes, pulling the car to the side of the road.
He said, "Shit, he's not dead, is he? I haven't made enough money for a new wife yet!"
I rolled my eyes at Marvin.
Marvin asked, "Laurel, did you drug him?"
I nodded matter-of-factly. "Look at those dark circles. If he doesn't sleep soon, I'm afraid he really will die in your car."
Marvin scoffed. "Right. But seriously, who the hell is this guy? He got some kind of persecution complex or what?"
End of Falling For My Ex's Uncle Chapter 127. Continue reading Chapter 128 or return to Falling For My Ex's Uncle book page.