Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 388: Chapter 388
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"The police checked the surveillance cameras, but there was no footage of who was smoking. They don't even know when the fire started," I said.
"That's not surprising. Not every corner of the company has cameras," Alex said casually. "If someone really wanted to kill me, they wouldn't have made such a big scene."
I let out a soft chuckle and glanced at Alex, who remained perfectly composed. Testing the waters, I asked, "So, you think a member of the Herrera family tried to kill you, and you have your reservations, right?"
Alex paused for a split second after I spoke, his gaze locking onto mine. Then, with a lazy smirk, he said, "Do you really think I would just sit back and let a member of the Herrera family silence me?"
"Of course not." I considered my words for a moment, then added playfully, "Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. You just want solid evidence so you can kick them out of the Herrera family. But you're afraid."
"Afraid?" Alex shot me a look, his tone returning to its usual coldness. "I never fear."
That was true. As the CEO of Herrera Group and the leader of Elysium Club, Alex had never been one to fear anything. The scars on his back were proof that he had spent his life walking on the edge of a blade. No one dared to go after his life unless they had a death wish.
But times had changed. Now, they wanted to strike while he was vulnerable.
The mastermind behind this could have easily used a gun to kill him, yet they chose to set a fire instead. Such a crude method suggested that they didn't just want Alex dead. They wanted Herrera Group in chaos.
To be precise, they wanted all of Nifelheim City in turmoil; the more disorder, the better.
A heavy silence filled the hospital room. I peeled an orange, took a bite, and let the sweet and tangy flavor wash over me. The fresh citrus scent cut through the gloom, making my mood a little lighter.
"It wasn't Austin. He wouldn't have the guts to set fire to the company," Alex said.
I got up slowly and handed him half of the orange.
He hesitated for a second before taking it. After peeling off a section and putting it in his mouth, his brows furrowed slightly, but he stayed silent.
Alex understood Austin better than I did. If he was certain Austin wasn't behind this, then he must have had his reasons. Maybe Alex already knew who was responsible but chose to keep quiet for now.
It couldn't have been those assassins from before. If they wanted Alex dead, they would have taken the shot themselves or ambushed him along his usual routes. They wouldn't have staged something as messy as a fire.
Even though the fire was officially ruled an accident, Marvin still had people investigating it in secret.
After all, in less than two months, multiple accidents had happened to Alex. It was too much of a coincidence.
The company's office building was a high-traffic area, with employees coming and going constantly. The security team was checking them one by one, but vetting every single person would take time. And even then, there was no guarantee they would find what they were looking for.
Alex had no suspicions about Austin. Right before the fire started, Austin had left the office with Bailee.At the time, Alex hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Then, as soon as Lawrence detected the fire, he immediately evacuated Alex to the ground floor.
After the previous incident, Alex had assigned hidden guards to protect him. Even when Lawrence stepped away, none of them had spotted anyone making a move against Alex.
"Then who do you think it was?" Alex asked, his voice low and measured. "You had me stay in this hospital to lure out the killer. I've been here for three days. Do you really think the killer will show up?"
I smirked and tossed my orange peel into the trash. "Who said I was trying to lure out the killer?"
Alex's brows knitted together. His voice turned sharp. "Laurel, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Seeing a flicker of tension cross Alex's usually unreadable face, I felt a surge of satisfaction. This old fox knew exactly what I was up to.
Austin cost me my child. In reality, the mastermind behind everything was most likely Bailee. But in less than three days, Herrera Group was already in trouble.
Even though Alex didn't die in the fire, Herrera Group's stock fluctuated drastically. Not only that, but the shareholders were highly displeased with the situation. They believed Alex was no longer as capable as before.
I had publicly stated that Alex was injured in the fire and was currently recovering in the hospital. Naturally, this was to see who would ultimately benefit from all of this.
Of course, the final beneficiary might not necessarily be the true mastermind, but a new target would bring more valuable information.
"Don't worry. You're sick and hospitalized. The headquarters will definitely send someone over," I said.
Alex chuckled twice, looking at me with a complicated expression. "Who do you think will take over the branch's operations?"
"Aren't you curious?" I asked. "The person behind this is about to reveal themselves."
A flicker of doubt flashed across Alex's eyes. He stared at me deeply. "How can you be sure that the person taking over the branch is the one targeting me? What if they're just a scapegoat?"
"Calm down," I replied.
"You staying by my side is too dangerous," Alex said, lowering his voice, his gaze deep and brooding. "How about we get a fake divorce?"
I was momentarily stunned. I turned to look at him, my expression calm. "No. Either we get a real divorce, or nothing at all. If you want to divorce me, you'll have to give me a sizable sum. You'd better think it through."
Alex was just about to respond when footsteps sounded outside the hospital room. A knock followed. Danny hurried inside.
The moment Danny saw me, his eyes flashed with a hint of unease before he turned his attention to Alex.
I shrugged. "I take it this is something I'm not supposed to hear?"
"Speak," Alex said coolly, giving Danny a sharp look. His expression was serious.
"Raphael sent Miss Herrera to temporarily take over the branch's operations," Danny said, frowning, his face filled with urgency. "But Miss Herrera isn't familiar with the business at all. Why would Raphael send her?"
Hearing Danny's words, Alex gave me a long, meaningful glance.
I furrowed my brows slightly. Though surprised, I immediately understood why Alex had suggested a fake divorce. Leah was obviously coming for me. Helping with the business was just an excuse.
Ever since I married Alex, I had never followed any of their so-called rules. Even though I was the daughter of the Parks family, the Herrera family members had never truly acknowledged me.
"When is she arriving?" Alex asked indifferently. "Just do as he instructed. This is the perfect time for me to rest."
Danny was anxious. "But Mr. Herrera, the project is about to enter the construction phase, and the company is in complete chaos—"
"That's not surprising. Not every corner of the company has cameras," Alex said casually. "If someone really wanted to kill me, they wouldn't have made such a big scene."
I let out a soft chuckle and glanced at Alex, who remained perfectly composed. Testing the waters, I asked, "So, you think a member of the Herrera family tried to kill you, and you have your reservations, right?"
Alex paused for a split second after I spoke, his gaze locking onto mine. Then, with a lazy smirk, he said, "Do you really think I would just sit back and let a member of the Herrera family silence me?"
"Of course not." I considered my words for a moment, then added playfully, "Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public. You just want solid evidence so you can kick them out of the Herrera family. But you're afraid."
"Afraid?" Alex shot me a look, his tone returning to its usual coldness. "I never fear."
That was true. As the CEO of Herrera Group and the leader of Elysium Club, Alex had never been one to fear anything. The scars on his back were proof that he had spent his life walking on the edge of a blade. No one dared to go after his life unless they had a death wish.
But times had changed. Now, they wanted to strike while he was vulnerable.
The mastermind behind this could have easily used a gun to kill him, yet they chose to set a fire instead. Such a crude method suggested that they didn't just want Alex dead. They wanted Herrera Group in chaos.
To be precise, they wanted all of Nifelheim City in turmoil; the more disorder, the better.
A heavy silence filled the hospital room. I peeled an orange, took a bite, and let the sweet and tangy flavor wash over me. The fresh citrus scent cut through the gloom, making my mood a little lighter.
"It wasn't Austin. He wouldn't have the guts to set fire to the company," Alex said.
I got up slowly and handed him half of the orange.
He hesitated for a second before taking it. After peeling off a section and putting it in his mouth, his brows furrowed slightly, but he stayed silent.
Alex understood Austin better than I did. If he was certain Austin wasn't behind this, then he must have had his reasons. Maybe Alex already knew who was responsible but chose to keep quiet for now.
It couldn't have been those assassins from before. If they wanted Alex dead, they would have taken the shot themselves or ambushed him along his usual routes. They wouldn't have staged something as messy as a fire.
Even though the fire was officially ruled an accident, Marvin still had people investigating it in secret.
After all, in less than two months, multiple accidents had happened to Alex. It was too much of a coincidence.
The company's office building was a high-traffic area, with employees coming and going constantly. The security team was checking them one by one, but vetting every single person would take time. And even then, there was no guarantee they would find what they were looking for.
Alex had no suspicions about Austin. Right before the fire started, Austin had left the office with Bailee.At the time, Alex hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Then, as soon as Lawrence detected the fire, he immediately evacuated Alex to the ground floor.
After the previous incident, Alex had assigned hidden guards to protect him. Even when Lawrence stepped away, none of them had spotted anyone making a move against Alex.
"Then who do you think it was?" Alex asked, his voice low and measured. "You had me stay in this hospital to lure out the killer. I've been here for three days. Do you really think the killer will show up?"
I smirked and tossed my orange peel into the trash. "Who said I was trying to lure out the killer?"
Alex's brows knitted together. His voice turned sharp. "Laurel, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Seeing a flicker of tension cross Alex's usually unreadable face, I felt a surge of satisfaction. This old fox knew exactly what I was up to.
Austin cost me my child. In reality, the mastermind behind everything was most likely Bailee. But in less than three days, Herrera Group was already in trouble.
Even though Alex didn't die in the fire, Herrera Group's stock fluctuated drastically. Not only that, but the shareholders were highly displeased with the situation. They believed Alex was no longer as capable as before.
I had publicly stated that Alex was injured in the fire and was currently recovering in the hospital. Naturally, this was to see who would ultimately benefit from all of this.
Of course, the final beneficiary might not necessarily be the true mastermind, but a new target would bring more valuable information.
"Don't worry. You're sick and hospitalized. The headquarters will definitely send someone over," I said.
Alex chuckled twice, looking at me with a complicated expression. "Who do you think will take over the branch's operations?"
"Aren't you curious?" I asked. "The person behind this is about to reveal themselves."
A flicker of doubt flashed across Alex's eyes. He stared at me deeply. "How can you be sure that the person taking over the branch is the one targeting me? What if they're just a scapegoat?"
"Calm down," I replied.
"You staying by my side is too dangerous," Alex said, lowering his voice, his gaze deep and brooding. "How about we get a fake divorce?"
I was momentarily stunned. I turned to look at him, my expression calm. "No. Either we get a real divorce, or nothing at all. If you want to divorce me, you'll have to give me a sizable sum. You'd better think it through."
Alex was just about to respond when footsteps sounded outside the hospital room. A knock followed. Danny hurried inside.
The moment Danny saw me, his eyes flashed with a hint of unease before he turned his attention to Alex.
I shrugged. "I take it this is something I'm not supposed to hear?"
"Speak," Alex said coolly, giving Danny a sharp look. His expression was serious.
"Raphael sent Miss Herrera to temporarily take over the branch's operations," Danny said, frowning, his face filled with urgency. "But Miss Herrera isn't familiar with the business at all. Why would Raphael send her?"
Hearing Danny's words, Alex gave me a long, meaningful glance.
I furrowed my brows slightly. Though surprised, I immediately understood why Alex had suggested a fake divorce. Leah was obviously coming for me. Helping with the business was just an excuse.
Ever since I married Alex, I had never followed any of their so-called rules. Even though I was the daughter of the Parks family, the Herrera family members had never truly acknowledged me.
"When is she arriving?" Alex asked indifferently. "Just do as he instructed. This is the perfect time for me to rest."
Danny was anxious. "But Mr. Herrera, the project is about to enter the construction phase, and the company is in complete chaos—"
End of Falling For My Ex's Uncle Chapter 388. Continue reading Chapter 389 or return to Falling For My Ex's Uncle book page.