Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 291: Chapter 291

Arthur gave a slight wave of his hand, and the servants quickly withdrew. He hurried over to me, his eyes darting away as he spoke cautiously, "Mr. Raphael Herrera and Mr. Kayden Herrera have gone out. Please don't be angry, Mrs. Herrera. If there's anything, let's talk it through calmly."
I smirked and said, "Raphael isn't home? Fine. Then I'll wait right here for him to come back. I'm not going anywhere until I get an explanation."
With that, I strode to the sofa, plopped down, and ordered, "Bring me a cup of coffee and some snacks. I'm starving."
Arthur's face immediately lit up with a flattering smile as he replied, "Right away, Mrs. Herrera."
Watching his servile demeanor, I couldn't help but reflect once again on the power dynamics in this household.
While Arthur might be in charge of many affairs here, his authority had its limits. Take Edna, for example. She was just an old servant who attended to Lena, yet she wielded more influence than he did.
Arthur's eyes were resentful and helpless whenever he looked at Edna. After all, she had Lena backing her, and he knew better than to cross her.
Lost in thought, I suddenly realized that Edna was out of sight.
Before long, Arthur returned in a hurry and said respectfully, "Mrs. Lena Herrera requests your presence upstairs."
Sophia immediately leaned toward me, her expression tense.
I nodded, then followed Arthur upstairs. When we reached the third floor, right outside Lena's room, Edna stepped out, held up her hand, and stopped Sophia.
"She only asked for Mrs. Herrera," Edna said firmly.
I turned to Sophia and patted her shoulder, saying softly, "Wait for me outside. Don't worry."
Sophia bit her lip, her eyes full of concern, but she nodded reluctantly.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open.
Lena sat in an ornate armchair, her gaze as sharp as a razor as she said coolly, "Edna says you've come to serve me."
Unruffled by her words, I smiled in response, speaking calmly, "Why would you need me with Edna by your side? I have no tact. If I were to say the wrong thing or do something that displeases you, I'm afraid Alex would end up suffering for it.
"Since you don't think much of me, I'll try to stay out of your way. But don't make things difficult for Alex. He's the father of my child. If anything happens to him, I won't just sit back and let it slide. I'll make sure there are consequences."
"How dare you," Lena roared, slamming her hand against the armrest. Her eyes blazed with fury, her wrinkles deepening as her face twisted into a scowl. "You've got some nerve. Alex pleaded on your behalf, asking me not to hold a grudge against you, yet you remain unrepentant. How dare you threaten me?"
"Threaten?" I raised an eyebrow, my expression calm and composed. "Lena, that's a strong word. I'm merely reasoning with you. If I were making threats, this household would be in complete chaos.
"Let me set the record straight. If I ever find out someone's messing with my loved ones again, I won't hold back. You might want to consider whether your precious grandchildren can handle the fallout.
"At this point, all my family's dirty laundry has been exposed. I have nothing to lose. I'll drag everyone down with me if it comes to it."
Lena gripped the armrests so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her body trembled with rage as she growled, "Shameless! You've dragged the Herrera family through the mud."
Taking a step forward, I leaned in slightly and met her gaze. Lena's face contorted with anger, and for a moment, I worried I had pushed her too far. But there was no turning back now—I had to see this through.
I said in a steady voice, "Lena, I married into this family not for wealth or power but simply to live in peace with Alex. I know you think I'm beneath you, so let's stay out of each other's way. You remain the esteemed matriarch of the Herrera family, and I'll mind my own business.
"Don't throw this family into turmoil. I also know you're bitter about Alex being the heir, but that was Raphael's decision. You can't take it out on us.
"Alex respects you because you raised him, but I'm not as nice as he is. I won't stand by and let him be mistreated. If you truly care about your children and grandchildren, you should stop stirring the pot."
Lena was livid. She barked, "I will make sure Alex divorces you!"
"We'll see about that," I replied with a chuckle.
A commotion erupted outside at that moment, and I heard Sophia's anxious voice calling out.
My heart skipped a beat. Worried that Sophia might be in trouble, I turned to leave.
"Stop right there," Lena shouted. "You're not leaving this room unless I say so!"
I turned around and stared at Lena with cold eyes. "Lena, you can keep me here if you want, but I'd be worried if Sophia, in a moment of panic, accidentally sent out something I instructed her to. That wouldn't be good, would it?"
Lena hesitated for a moment before yelling at Edna, "Find out what's happening outside. Don't make a scene in this house."
Edna begrudgingly obeyed. She was gone for just a while before returning, looking a little tense. She leaned in and whispered something to Lena.
I overheard a few words, and it seemed that Sophia had gotten into a minor scuffle with some servants, but she wasn't hurt. I let out a sigh of relief, finally letting go of the tension in my chest.
"Lena, let's not make this worse than it needs to be," I said. "I know you don't like me and aren't fond of Alex either, but as long as we all live under the same roof, we should make an effort to stay civil.
"After all that's happened, are you really not going to stop until the Herrera family falls apart?"
Lena's furrowed her brow. She sat in silence, weighing her options. Perhaps she was aware that I had dirt on Austin. Otherwise, with Amanda's temper, she wouldn't have let me walk away without a fight.
After a long pause, Lena took a deep breath, her expression softening slightly. She scoffed and said, "We'll see if you can behave yourself. If you cause any more trouble, don't expect me to go easy on you."
"I'll keep that in mind," I replied smoothly. "I only hope for peace in this household. Let's not make life harder for each other."
With that, I turned around and walked out, closing the door behind me. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.
Sophia rushed over, grabbing my hands and scanning me up and down. "Laurel, are you alright?" she asked with concern. "I heard shouting inside. I was so worried."
I patted her hand reassuringly and replied, "I'm fine. Let's go back. No one will dare mess with us again."