Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 146: Chapter 146

Without any hesitation, I followed Lawrence straight back to Herrera Manor.
The moment I stepped through the door, I saw Leah standing pitifully next to Lena, with a servant carefully pressing ice against her face. The effect, however, seemed minimal; Leah's face was still swollen and bruised, and it was a bit terrifying to look at.
What caught me off guard was that Leah had actually gone to Herrera Manor to complain to Raphael and Lena.
At that moment, Alex stood silently in front of Lena, his expression unreadable.
As soon as Alex saw me, his eyes seemed to flash with a coldness like ice shards, piercing through me. "Why are you here?"
Standing next to me, Lawrence froze for a moment.
'So, that's how it is,' I thought. 'Lawrence must have been told that something had happened to Alex, which is why he rushed to find me.'
I had already figured it out on the way here. Alex was both cunning and proud. There was no way he would have gotten into trouble and then sent someone to call me for help.
Besides, when Leah came to the villa to cause trouble for me, the house staff would have immediately informed Alex. But he had not shown up right away. That meant someone had either detained him or blocked his call.
Leah was definitely no pushover. She had eyes and ears in both Alex's villa and the company. The Herrera family was truly a den of wolves. It was genuinely terrifying.
I had always thought that the cutthroat corporate rivalries in movies were the scariest things, but now, seeing it firsthand, the reality was even more terrifying.
In the movies, it was easy to imagine big-time bosses getting away with murder and dodging the law.
But in real life, people typically didn't face such extreme consequences. At worst, one might get roughed up but no one went to the extent of killing someone over a small conflict.
"Well, you asked me to come, didn't you?" I feigned innocence.
Lena, sitting on the couch, scoffed angrily before suddenly speaking. "Laurel, did you hit Leah today?"
"I did," I admitted directly.
After all, there were cameras in Alex's villa. Even if I denied it, the truth would come out.
Lena's face immediately darkened, and without warning, she grabbed a cup from the coffee table and hurled it at me. Alex quickly stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body.
With a loud bang, the cup shattered on the floor, and hot coffee splashed across Alex's shirt.
"Move aside," Lena growled, gripping her cane tightly and slamming it down on the edge of the coffee table. But Alex didn't budge.
In the next instant, Lena stood up, trembling with rage. She approached Alex, brandishing her cane. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent and disgust.
It was so much for a good mother-son relationship. Lena despised her own son terribly.
She swung the cane at Alex with all her might, landing the first two strikes with brutal force. The third time, I couldn't take it anymore. I pushed Alex aside and grabbed the cane mid-swing.
Lena's strength was formidable. She didn't need a cane for support. She probably wielded it just to take out her frustration and hit someone.
With a faint smile, I tightened my grip on the cane and spoke in a calm, detached tone. "Mrs. Herrera, I didn't come here to watch you scold your son. Yes, I slapped Leah. You can call the police and have me arrested if you like."
Lena let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You think I won't? Go ahead and call the cops. Let's see if you can still act so smug in jail."
"Better hurry up. The paparazzi are waiting outside. This huge headline will definitely make Miss Herrera an overnight sensation, back on top like the good old days," I said, raising an eyebrow and giving a sweet smile. "Don't worry.
"I've got both the video and audio, and the footage is crystal clear. The moment I get into the police car, I'll send it out across the entire internet, dark web included."
Leah suddenly sprang up from the couch, her fists clenched tightly, her gaze locked on me. If someone handed her a knife right now, she'd probably rush at me and stab me without hesitation. Unfortunately, she was no match for me.
I sighed softly, then gently rubbed my palms together, lowering my gaze as I spoke coldly. "Sorry, I accidentally accessed Miss Herrera's company's internal network on my way here, and I happened to see some information I shouldn't have.
"Now that the police are here, I think I should confess everything. Don't you think?"
Since I dared to step into the Herrera family's domain again, it was clear I had leverage over Leah.
Leah's methods were vicious, and I had to stay on guard. I figured it was just a way to get back at her for all the people she had bullied.
"Laurel, you bitch, how dare you threaten me?" Leah was completely enraged and cursed me out in front of everyone.
I had been waiting for her to say that.
"Bitch?" I let out a small laugh. "Miss Herrera, you've got a nice body, and you've played the game pretty well. My laptop's memory is too small, though; I think I'll need to upgrade it. Me, a bitch? I don't even come close to being like you. Should I send the video out for everyone to enjoy?"
Leah immediately lunged at me, but I quickly ducked behind Alex. I didn't believe for a second that she would dare lay a hand on him.
"Darling, I'm only defending myself," I said, playing the victim, looking at Leah with mock innocence.
At that moment, Lena's face darkened.
The servants around us looked terrified. They were clearly not supposed to hear such things.
Maybe Lena hadn't expected things to escalate this far. She originally wanted to make an example of Alex and me in front of the staff, but now it was Leah and her team who were looking foolish.
I had been worried Leah might send people after me in secret, but now that everything was out in the open, I felt a sense of relief.
Not only did this move diffuse Leah's anger, but it also sent a clear message to everyone in the Herrera family I was not someone to be toyed with.
No one dared to offend the Herrera family members. But I didn't believe for a second that the family could shut down the entire internet. They couldn't control everything.
What was more, if someone was secretly plotting against the Herreras, I might just be able to expose the true mastermind behind it all.
"Laurel, you're Alex's wife. Do you even care about me anymore? I'm your elder." Lena glared at me, her gaze burning.
Wife? Elder? I had to hold back a laugh. The speed at which their attitudes changed was truly something else.
Just a moment ago, Lena had been ready to send me to prison, and now she was trying to use her position as an elder to pressure me
Too bad for her, I was never one to respect elders just because of their age. Some elders simply didn't deserve any respect.