Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 463: Chapter 463

I let out a soft sigh. While Austin wasn't paying attention, I fiercely pinched the side of my thigh. The sharp pain took me by surprise, and tears rolled down my face uncontrollably.
"Laurel..." Alex, who was standing nearby, seemed a little flustered when he saw me crying. He was silent for a long time before suddenly speaking. "You married him on impulse just to spite me, didn't you?"
I frowned and said, "No. I married him because the conditions he offered were good, and I was eager to get married. It had nothing to do with you."
Even though I was telling the truth, Alex didn't believe me.
Maybe in his eyes, I was just being stubborn and refusing to admit that I married him out of revenge after he openly acknowledged the past. I had no idea where he got such confidence.
Not to mention, on my birthday that year, he had deliberately gotten me drunk and sold me to another man. It seemed he thought I would still hold on to feelings for him after that.
If someone hadn't accidentally walked into the room that night, I would have settled the score with him a long time ago.
And now, he had the audacity to think that I married Austin just to get back at him.
"Laurel, is there really no way for Uncle Alex's legs to recover?" Austin grabbed my arm tightly. The pain made me suck in a sharp breath, and I muttered that it hurt, but he ignored me and continued, "If you don't love Uncle Alex, then after you divorce him, as long as you're willing, I'll take care of you."
I was momentarily stunned. Staring into his eyes, I asked word by word, "And what about your fiancée?"
Austin bit his lip and remained silent.
I couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. "Austin, are you trying to keep me as your mistress?"
Seeing him nod and swear that he would treat me well, explaining that his relationship with Kailyn was nothing more than a family alliance, I felt nothing but indifference.
I said, "I don't love you anymore, and I won't be your mistress."
I shook off Austin's hand, rubbed the bridge of my nose, and then sat down in the leather chair at my desk. I said coldly, "The only reason I told you about Alex's injury is that I need your help. I don't want to divorce him."
Austin looked at me with confusion. "If you care about him, then why didn't you choose to save him?"
I didn't answer. My chest felt tight, but I put on a sly smile and locked eyes with him. "Because I want to keep him by my side."
Alex furrowed his brows, staring at me with a hint of surprise in his eyes. "You've fallen for him? So you think if he can never walk again, he'll never leave you? But if you've broken his heart, he can still rely on another woman."
"I know. That's why he turned to the Harvey family." I chuckled. "After all, Samantha is the eldest daughter of the Harvey family. If Alex wanted to divorce me and marry her, do you think you'd still have a chance to inherit Herrera Group?"
"Inherit?" Austin fell silent for a moment before a smile tugged at his lips. He glared at me. "You think I'll be the one to inherit Herrera Group?"
Leaning back in my chair, I looked at him with a calm expression and said in a low voice, "Haven't you ever thought about taking the inheritance from Alex? After his accident, Raphael must already be considering changing the heir."
I added, "He just hasn't found the right opportunity yet. More importantly, the Herrera family still has concerns about my background. But things are different now, aren't they?"
Austin was a smart man. He naturally understood what I was implying.
Alex had already lost the use of one leg, and Raphael would never hand over Herrera Group to a cripple.
Austin knew about my argument with Alex and feared our divorce. Not just because it might affect his engagement to Kailyn, but more importantly, because Leah would become his strongest competitor.
"You really don't care if Uncle Alex loses his right to inherit?" Austin stared at me in disbelief.
I smiled. "No, I don't. After all, I'm the reason he can't stand anymore. Besides, I was with him in the first place to fulfill my mother's dying wish. Sure, I took advantage of his wealth and looks along the way. But now, I only want him to stay by my side."
Austin asked, "Laurel... you're not seriously in love with Uncle Alex, are you?"
"Why not? He's my husband," I countered.
Austin took a deep breath, looking at me with sheer incredulity. "Laurel, if he really loses everything and becomes nothing but a cripple, would you still stay with him?"
I didn't understand what right he had to question me. When I was with him in the past, I hadn't known he came from a wealthy family either.
Back then, I was with him simply because he treated me well. Because he once told me he would marry me. And I believed in that promise.
I wasted six years waiting for him, six years spent longing for the day he would fulfill his word. But all I got in return were disappointment and excuses.
I answered firmly, "I would. My mother always wanted to see me married, and when she was diagnosed with cancer, Alex was the one who promised to marry me. No matter what happens, I will stay by his side."
Austin stood frozen in place, silent for a long time before finally asking, "You rushed into marriage because of your mother's illness? Why didn't you tell me back then? Why did you choose to marry someone you didn't love?"
Hearing his words, I had the sudden urge to slap him.
I had waited six years for him to marry me. I had prepared everything, the wedding dress, the venue, the house.
I knew that, compared to him, I was marrying up, that our families were worlds apart. I didn't even ask for a dowry.
All I wanted was for him to find the time to register our marriage.
But no matter how much I waited, he kept brushing me off. He had time to travel around with Rosemary, yet he couldn't spare a single hour to marry me.
"I may not love him, but he loves me." I sighed, staring directly at Austin. "Besides, by then, I had already stopped loving you."
I was grateful that I had the courage to walk away back then. And even more grateful for those six years in which he never married me.
It wasn't until I married Alex that I finally realized. I had long since fallen out of love with Austin.
Perhaps recalling the past had stirred guilt in Austin. In the end, he agreed to help me.
After he left my office, I leaned back in my chair, exhausted, and dialed Alex's number.
The phone rang for a long time before someone finally answered.
"Just as you instructed, I've told Austin about your injury," I said, closing my eyes. A strange suffocating feeling pressed against my chest. Then, I added, "Aren't you afraid that the board will remove you from your position tomorrow and kick you out of Herrera Group?"