Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 292: Chapter 292

When I returned to the villa, exhaustion weighed down on me, and all I wanted was a good night's sleep.
I made my way upstairs to the guest bedroom, ready to shut the door behind me, when suddenly, a figure barged in, pushing the door open with such force that I stumbled back a few steps, barely managing to stay on my feet.
Alex stood before me, his tall, imposing figure exuding an undeniable sense of pressure. He had the kind of sharp, chiseled features that made him look both breathtaking and just a little bit dangerous.
Even with his lips pressed into a tight line and his expression cold as ice, the striking charm of his features was mesmerizing. There was something magnetic about his eyes, so undeniably captivating it was impossible to look away.
He lowered his gaze slightly, his piercing eyes locking onto me, scrutinizing every inch with unnerving intensity. The air around us grew frigid, the silence so thick that my shallow breathing became the only audible sound.
Our eyes met for a moment before he finally broke the silence with his chilling voice. "What were you doing at the Herrera Manor? Haven't you already gotten her so riled up that she passed out? Wasn't that enough?"
The harshness in his tone made my chest tighten, my heart pounding. Instinctively, I bit my lip and forced a composed, almost flippant smile, trying to mask the sense of guilt creeping up on me.
"I don't owe you anything anymore," I said.
Alex remained silent for a while as he looked at me calmly. Then, he sneered and let out a humorless chuckle, as if I had just told the most ridiculous joke he had ever heard. "You don't owe me anything? Do you really believe you're capable of helping me?" he questioned.
He raised his chin slightly and stared down at me with his chilling eyes, saying bitingly, "How do you have the nerve to meddle in my affairs?"
I instinctively frowned, and his grilling completely wiped away my fatigue. Ignoring the ache in my eyes, I glanced at him and couldn't help but ask with concern, "How's your injury? Are you feeling any better?"
Alex's expression flickered. His tense features eased for a brief moment before tightening again. "Stay out of my business," he said, his voice devoid of warmth.
I went quiet for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking up at him with an unruffled expression.
"I'm not about to let you take the fall for a mess I created. If anything happens to you, doesn't that make me a widow?" I replied, shoving him toward the door as I spoke. "I'm tired. Whatever you need to say, save it for after I've had some sleep."
Alex stumbled slightly but quickly regained his footing. He furrowed his brow, staring at me in frustration as I yawned. His lips parted as if to say something, only to snap shut again. Clenching his jaw, he turned and headed downstairs without another word.
That night, I slept like a log. When I woke up, the sky had darkened, the clouds thick with rain. The sound of rain tapping against the window filled the quiet room. Something about the silence felt off. I went downstairs, only to find the living room empty. Alex was nowhere to be seen.
Just as I wondered where he had gone, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and immediately felt a knot in my chest when I saw the name on the screen.
It was Ivan. He wouldn't call unless it was something serious.
I hesitated for a second before answering, "Hello?"
Before I could say anything else, a loud screech came from the other end, followed by the sound of metal crumpling. Then, a loud blast came over the line, pounding my eardrum like an explosion had gone off right next to me—the unmistakable sound of a car crash.
My blood ran cold, and my knees went weak.
Alarmed by how shaken I seemed, Sophia rushed to my side and asked, "Laurel? What's wrong? Did someone threaten you again?"
I barely registered her words. My entire focus was gripped by the deafening noise coming from the other end of the phone.
"Ivan? Where are you? What happened?" My voice cracked as I practically shouted into the phone.
The only response was silence.
Panic clawed at my throat. Just as I was about to hang up and call the police, a deep and husky voice came through the line, "Hello, is this emergency services? There's been a car accident on Silver Bay Avenue. The driver's unconscious and has sustained leg injuries. He's still breathing...for now."
The man's voice was low but gentle. However, underneath that warmth was an unsettling edge.
My grip on the phone wavered, fingers trembling slightly. It felt like a hand had reached out from my nightmares and dragged me back into the darkness.
For a moment, my mind went blank. Then, like floodgates bursting open, memories came rushing in, swallowing me whole. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and my breathing grew shallow as I fumbled to end the call.
"What happened?" Alex's voice came from behind me, tinged with confusion. "Why would Ivan call you?"
I flinched but forced myself to stay calm as I met his gaze. I recounted the situation exactly as I had heard it.
As for why Ivan had called me in the first place, I could only assume he had dialed my number by accident.
Alex looked at me and said coolly, "I'll check it out. Stay home and don't go anywhere. Got it?"
I nodded, but it took me a while to come back to my senses after he was gone.
"Laurel, are you alright?" Sophia asked with concern. "Ivan's fine, isn't he? Don't worry too much."
I nodded absentmindedly. What unsettled me wasn't Ivan's accident but the man who had saved him. No matter how much I tried to suppress the fear within me, I still struggled with the growing sense of unease.
That man's voice was too distinct.
For a long time, I had lived in the nightmare he created, one that haunted me for years. He used to stare at me with a bright smile before his sister would grab me by the hair and slam my head into the wall.
His mother would slap me across the face, calling me a filthy little bitch. She would threaten me that if I ever told my mother about the abuse, she would kill me, and it would be as easy as a flick of the wrist.
So, I kept my mouth shut. I had been too small, too weak to fight back. But I had always told myself that one day, I would grow up. And when that day came, I would make them pay.
Yet, before I could get my revenge, that woman, who pretended to be so kind in front of my mother, had run off with the butcher's son, abandoning her own children.
And as for those two little demons who tormented me? I had watched, utterly delighted, as their grandmother took them away.