Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 461: Chapter 461

I asked, "Part ways on good terms?"
Leah's words made me scoff in disdain. Even though it felt like a sharp dagger had pierced my heart, I kept my face calm, betraying nothing.
The Herrera family had never liked me—not just because of my low status, but also because I had clashed with Lena multiple times.
Leah wanted me out of the family, but because I held a few of her dirty secrets, she tolerated me.
She must have realized that once Alex and I broke up, even if I exposed her secrets, she could deny everything, claiming it was all out of love gone wrong. She would throw all the blame on me. Despite my current position, Leah still looked down on me.
After all, I was once just the daughter of a poor family—nothing to fear. It was only Alex who had always protected me. But once we broke up, Leah would never let me off the hook.
What she didn't anticipate was that I was Maddox's daughter. More importantly, I was now Alex's shield.
The Herrera family seemed peaceful, but in reality, it was a battlefield.
I held 20% of the Parks Group's shares, and Jamilah had transferred all her inheritance to me.
Even if Raphael didn't want to hand over the Herrera Group's inheritance to Alex, he would have to think twice now.
Of course, this was assuming the Herrera family didn't know Alex might never walk again.
But what exactly Alex was planning, I didn't know. I only knew that whatever it was, I had to go along with it.
"Without Alex as your shield, are you scared now?" Leah's eyes flashed with a fleeting killing intent.
For a moment, I froze, then took a deep breath to calm myself.
"This is between Alex and me, it's none of your business." With that, I stood up and walked out of the office.
As I walked through the company's hallway, everything felt so foreign and cold.
My coworkers' gazes pierced me like daggers—surprise, curiosity, shock, and even schadenfreude. A few were whispering among themselves.
I made my way to the rooftop, the cold wind cutting across my cheeks, sending a shiver down my spine. My eyes stung from the wind, tears threatening to fall.
I had to appear lost and helpless.
After standing in the cold for a while, I decided I had calmed down enough to return. But just as I was about to head back, my phone suddenly rang.
It was Alfie. I hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Laurel, are you okay?" Alfie's voice was filled with concern, warming my cold heart.
"I... I'm fine," I whispered, my voice almost breaking.
"Did you and Alex have an argument? Don't be too upset. If you need help, just let me know."
His words made me smile faintly. I didn't expect him to call and comfort me. It seemed the love triangle had become common knowledge overnight.
"I'm fine, thank you," I said, feeling warmth spread through me.
When I returned to the office, I saw Austin standing at the door. His eyes softened when he saw my red eyes, and he walked up to me, his voice low. "Laurel, I need to talk to you."
I nodded calmly, and as I walked into my office, Austin followed and shut the door behind him. He grabbed my arm, urgently asking, "Did you cry?"
I was taken aback and shook my head.
"Is it because of the divorce?" he asked.
"Divorce?" I looked at Austin, confused. "Who said I'm getting a divorce?"
Austin frowned and sighed. "You don't have to hide it from me. Everyone knows about the issues between you two now."
I couldn't help but scoff internally. We only had a small argument over the phone, but now rumors were spiraling that we were getting a divorce. It seemed someone was fanning the flames, hoping for Alex and me to go our separate ways.
I met Austin's concerned gaze. If it weren't for Alex, I would have to admit that Austin's looks were quite striking. He resembled Alex in some ways, but his aura and personality were different.
He was a slow burner, someone who took time to warm up to. But once you got to know him, you'd see he had many friends.
Unlike Alex, who was often distant and aloof, Austin gave off an air of gentleness and charm. His face always wore a warm smile, but beneath that, there was a cool detachment.
In the eyes of many, the president of the Herrera Group was untouchable.
Yet, because of his stunning looks, he had become something of an enigma—a temptation many women wanted to claim.
Every year, countless young women tried to marry into the Herrera family. And because of Alex's unique status, many women tried to climb into his bed, which gave him constant headaches.
Too bad for them, Austin remained unbothered. He kept his hands clean and had no interest in those who threw themselves at him.
Rumors, however, had begun to spread, claiming he was unable to perform in bed. Worse, there were whispers that he preferred men. To prove himself, Alex had tried to set up a marriage on short notice, hoping to silence the rumors.
"If we get a divorce, why does it concern you?" I asked, staring at Austin in disbelief.
Austin frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke slowly. "Are you really going to divorce him?"
I could see the conflict and urgency in his eyes.
I told him Alex and I only had a fight, that we weren't getting a divorce. But Austin didn't believe me. He was convinced that there was a third party involved between Alex and me.
I smiled, not bothering to clarify. In truth, I was more curious why he was so invested in this.
"Laurel, if you really divorce Alex, have you thought about your future?"
"Future?" I asked, confused.
Before I could gather my thoughts, Austin looked down at me with a certain dominance and said, "I don't want your divorce to affect my relationship with Kailyn."
I raised an eyebrow, questioning him. "You and Kailyn's marriage has already been arranged. Are you afraid she'll back out? Or that she might want to marry Alex instead?"
At my words, Austin's face darkened, clearly not expecting such an uncomfortable topic to come up.
"Laurel," he said, his tone turning serious, "don't forget, we're in the same boat. Without Alex to protect you, do you really think the Parks family will accept you?"