Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 382: Chapter 382

I slowly lifted my head and looked at Alex, who sat in his wheelchair in silence. A faint smile played on his lips, yet there was something deeper behind it.
He appeared to be a gentleman, graceful, refined, and composed. But in truth, he had merely perfected the art of concealing the sharp edge of his cold and calculating nature.
"Is that alright?" I smiled at Alex.
His lips curled into a subtle smile as he nodded.
Standing nearby, Bailee could not hold back and asked, "Mrs. Herrera, is this men's watch a gift for someone?"
She knew the answer yet asked anyway, hoping to stir up tension between Alex and me.
Too bad for her, there was no feelings between Alex and me to begin with. If there were, he would not have chosen to be with another woman every single time I needed him the most.
After all this time, I should have understood by now. Alex was only fulfilling his promise. That was all.
From beginning to end, we were nothing more than partners. There had never been any feelings involved.
And yet, I suddenly realized how ridiculous it was, the way my heart would race, the way sadness would creep in.
I knew perfectly well that Alex did not love me, yet I still wanted to keep him by my side. I was even afraid of the possibility that I might never see him again.
It was true.Once someone developed a sense of possession, it became terrifying.
People became consumed by the fear of loss. They started magnifying every little detail, desperately searching for proof that the person they cared about truly cherished them.
But the moment one felt the need to prove their partner's love, they had already lost. Those who genuinely loved each other would never let their beloved live in fear and insecurity.
"Yes," I said with a slight squint, smiling as I responded. Without hesitation, I asked the salesperson to wrap the gold watch. Then, in front of both of them, I calmly handed it to Marvin.
Marvin played along effortlessly, flashing a roguish grin. "You didn't have to go through the trouble of wrapping it. You could've just put it on me right away."
As he spoke, he glanced provocatively at Alex, clearly wanting to see if he would react. Yet, sitting in his wheelchair, Alex remained expressionless, his warm smile unchanged.
Bailee, on the other hand, could not resist making another comment. "Mrs. Herrera and Mr. Adams, you two seem really close."
"Of course," Marvin sneered, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Laurel and I grew up together. Childhood friends, you could say." His lips curled into a contemptuous smirk as he fixed his gaze on Bailee. "But no matter how close we are, our bond is nowhere near as strong as yours with Mr. Herrera.
"After all, the two of you are close enough to rent a hotel room together."
The moment those words left his mouth, Bailee's face darkened instantly. She had no time to argue before Marvin cut in again, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"You and your brother really share the same interest. You seduced Laurel's husband, and he tried to seduce another man's wife. What an interesting pair." He paused for a beat before adding with deliberate emphasis, "Aren't you two half-siblings?
"Oh, wait. Your dear brother refuses to acknowledge you, doesn't he? That makes sense. Mr. Lambert never even recognized you as part of the family, either, right?"
"Mr. Adams, I have no idea what you are talking about," Bailee said stiffly, frowning as she locked eyes with Marvin.
Marvin scoffed, clearly expecting her denial. He turned to me and enunciated each word with a smirk. "You don't have to buy me a gold watch just to shut me up, you know. I am not really in charge of prostitution and adultery issues."
At that, I nearly burst into laughter. With a single sentence, Marvin had effortlessly exposed Bailee not only as an illegitimate daughter but also as a mistress.
The moment was so explosive that it immediately caught the attention of the surrounding customers. Even the salespeople cast me pitying glances.
At first, they had assumed I was some woman using my husband's money to support a lover. Little did they know, I was actually here to clean up after a pair of cheating scumbags.
"The Lambert family's daughter?"
"The Lambert family from Nifelheim City only has one son. I've never heard of a daughter."
"She is an illegitimate child. The lady herself just admitted it. How shameless."
"Maybe that's just how their family operates."
Alex sat in his wheelchair and his face suddenly darkened though his voice remained gentle. "Marvin, enough."
"Laurel, let me take you home. If we stay any longer, I am afraid Mr. Herrera will get upset." Marvin chuckled, completely ignoring the flicker of anger in Alex's expression.
Bailee seemed unfazed by the contemptuous and disdainful gazes from those around her. She maintained her graceful and composed demeanor. "Mrs. Herrera, I believe you may have misunderstood the relationship between Mr. Herrera and me. We are simply colleagues, nothing more."
"Misunderstood?" Marvin let out a cold laugh, about to retort when I beat him to it.
"I suppose so. It seems I have misunderstood. After all, Ms. Foster, you have always relied on yourself. With your outstanding talent and beauty, how could you possibly be interested in my husband? You would never do something like that," I said calmly, my gaze steady on Bailee.
Then, my lips curled into a faint smile. "If Marvin had not mentioned it just now, I might have forgotten your status. Ms. Foster, your uncle is Police Chief Harold, right?"
At once, all eyes turned to Bailee. For a brief moment, I caught a flicker of shock on her face, but she quickly masked it. Clearly, she had not expected me to expose her identity in public.
I knew that catching them in the act required solid evidence. Even if Marvin and I had seen them enter a hotel together, it would not be enough. After all, we had not actually caught them in bed.
More importantly, Bailee's uncle, Harold, was the police chief. The fact that she was able to join Herrera Group meant she had already investigated everyone around me before she even came here. If Marvin were to offend Bailee, there would surely be trouble in the future.
Bailee might look innocent, but even Damian considered her a threat. That alone proved her exceptional ability and cunning.
"Marvin, you had better not cross Ms. Foster," I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
Marvin hesitated for a moment before picking up the gift box in his hands. "Laurel, this gift you gave me is too extravagant. What if someone reports me for accepting bribes?"
"Ms. Foster is not that kind of person, right?" I replied.
Bailee's smile stiffened slightly, but she managed to maintain her polite expression.
Exposing Bailee's identity in front of everyone was my way of giving her a warning. If anything happened to Marvin, it would be impossible for her to wash her hands of it.
Alex looked at me coldly. "It is getting late. Let us go home."
"Why do we not invite Ms. Foster to join us for dinner at our house?" I turned to Marvin, raising an eyebrow. "Are you coming?"
"If Ms. Foster agrees, then of course, I will have to go as well," Marvin said, flashing a mischievous grin.