Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 433: Chapter 433

Despite how exhausted I felt, I couldn't sleep last night, tossing and turning in bed.
I don't know how many sheep I counted before I finally fell asleep. In the morning, Sophina called me twice, and I still didn't wake up until Zachary tugged at my eyelids with his tiny hands and practically dragged me out of bed.
Here I was, hoping to enjoy a rare weekend off as a top executive, only to be plagued by insomnia.
I suddenly realized that my sleepless nights were becoming more frequent.
"Alex wants to see me?" I lifted my head to look at the driver, squinting, unable to stifle a yawn.
The man standing in front of me didn't look a day over thirty, about 6 feet tall, his build not overly muscular like most fighters, and his appearance was rather handsome.
"Are you good with your hands?" I asked.
"Mm," he replied shortly, his expression calm.
There was no humility or arrogance in his tone—just simplicity and indifference. Was it standard for a bodyguard-turned-driver to be so silent?
But it was clear that the man had control over his emotions. Especially the way his gaze, slightly lowered, seemed to convey a sense of calm, as if no matter what happened, he would remain unfazed.
Marvin rarely praised anyone, so it seemed his judgment was spot on. After all, becoming a boxing champion at such a young age wasn't an easy feat.
Everyone, it seemed, carried their own burdens, their own scars they didn't want others to see.
"What's your name?" I asked, looking up at him. After a few moments, I felt the slight strain in my neck and straightened my posture, picking up the glass of milk on the table and taking a sip.
"Liam Alcott," he replied.
At the mention of the name, my hand trembled slightly around the cup. My eyes immediately fixed on him again.
Liam Alcott... The surname was rare, unforgettable after only one glance.
Fifteen years ago, there had been a major fire in Wadiff City. A family of six perished in the blaze, with the youngest son, a rebellious teenager, the only survivor after sneaking out to play.
At that time, the Alcott family was on the rise, a pharmaceutical company that seemed destined for success. But after the fire, they were plagued by misfortune, and within two years, the company was forced into bankruptcy. The cause of their downfall? The Parks family.
Could Liam be the same rebellious boy from that tragic day? Or was it just a coincidence?
"Do you have other family?" I couldn't help but ask. Though I knew it was a bit blunt, with the cold, silent man standing before me, I felt a need for caution.
I always thought that whoever was behind the plot to kill Alex had to be someone close to him.
Perhaps someone from the Herrera family had bought off one of his people to leak his whereabouts. Only someone close to Alex would have the opportunity to tamper with his car.
Even though Liam had been recently assigned to me, he might have been with Alex all along.
"No," Liam replied, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "I grew up in an orphanage."
I blinked in surprise, processing his words. The Alcott family had been well-off once. Even if their parents died, they would have had other relatives. It seemed odd that a child from such a family would end up in an orphanage.
I realized then that perhaps I was being overly paranoid. Anyone Alex trusted enough to send to me must be someone reliable.
"I'm exhausted today. I'll meet him before I go to the company later. I need to sleep," I said, setting the cup down and standing up. The sudden wave of drowsiness hit me hard.
I rubbed my forehead and murmured, "You should rest too. Leave me your number, and I'll call you if I need you."
Liam hesitated for a moment, then lifted his eyes. "Mr. Herrera wants to see you."
I sighed, feeling the weight of my tiredness. "Tell him I'll go after I've rested." I held my hand out in front of him.
Without needing to say more, he pulled his phone from his suit pocket and handed it to me. After I entered my number, he made a quick call and returned the phone to me.
The sequence of actions was smooth, coordinated.
Liam was clearly clever—he understood that silence was better than useless chatter, so he left quietly.
I sent a text to Alex's assistant, Danny: [I didn't sleep well. I'll go to the company after I catch up on rest.]
Danny responded with a polite, formulaic message five minutes later: [Okay, please rest well.]
I knew that as the temporary president of the company, not going in today wasn't ideal. But the real reason I wasn't going had nothing to do with my lack of sleep.
Today was Betty's first day at work.
And, more importantly, I wasn't the only one staying home today.
Sophina had told me that Javier hadn't eaten properly for a whole day.
I took a deep breath and opened the door across the hall.
The room was eerily quiet. When I heard footsteps, Marvin's head poked out from the balcony, where he was smoking a cigarette and talking on the phone. He looked at me in surprise, but just as he was about to speak, his hand holding the cigarette shook, and his eyes widened as he stared at something behind me.
I turned around to see Javier, wearing a white shirt, his messy hair, and panda eyes, dragging himself to the living room and collapsing onto the sofa.
"Good thing it's daytime. If it were night, I'd smack you," Marvin muttered, taking a deep drag of his cigarette as if trying to steady his startled heart.
Javier's eyes were sunken, his face as pale as paper, looking like a ghost had drained the life out of him.
I couldn't help but be relieved he hadn't gone to school. He would've likely been bullied on the street.
I was both amused and angry.
Amused that Javier was tougher than I thought, willing to step out of his room, yet angry because he'd turned himself into a walking ghost.
Looking at his devastated face, I felt a pang in my chest, like a piece of me had been torn away.
I sat next to Javier, gently brushing his hair. "If I die one day, and I see you like this, I won't be able to leave in peace. Angela wouldn't want us to be sad either."
Before I could finish, Marvin stormed up to me, his face full of anger. "What nonsense are you talking this early in the morning? Spit a few times and say it again."
I was taken aback by Marvin's superstitions. I hadn't expected this tough cop to be so sensitive. But I complied, spitting twice, just to avoid him nagging me endlessly.
"Javier," Marvin said with a touch of disdain, glancing at him. "Everyone grows up, but with growth comes both gain and loss. That's the price of growing up."
He glanced at me before adding, "Do you think your sister isn't sad too?"