Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 483: Chapter 483

Javier furrowed his brow, his face filled with confusion and disbelief. His eyes were filled with curiosity as he stared intently at me. "I just don't understand," he said, his voice trembling with confusion and frustration. "Why would the Adams family hide Angela's death? She was their own family."
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my tone calm and composed. "That's a matter for the Adams family," I said, slightly lowering my gaze and focusing on the shifting shadows on the ground.
"They must have their reasons, and there are likely things we don't know about. Some things aren't for us to dig into. The important thing is that we know Angela is gone."
A flicker of pain and frustration passed through Javier's eyes. After silence, he lifted his head again, speaking cautiously. "Was Angela killed in a car accident indeed?"
I nodded without hesitation, my voice firm. "Life and death are determined. Angela has only temporarily left us." Although my voice remained calm, my hand, which hung at my side, involuntarily clenched into a fist, my nails digging deeply into my palm, leaving behind clear marks.
I could feel the sharp pain in my palm, but the anguish in my heart felt like a knife cutting into me repeatedly. Despite this, I forced myself to maintain a calm exterior, lifting my chin slightly, determined not to let Javier see the sorrow within me.
Javier spoke again, his face expressionless, but his voice carried a hint of barely concealed sobs. "Laurel, was Angela in pain when she left?"
I silently asked myself. It must have been painful. In those final moments, Angela was probably filled with fear and dread. Just imagining the despair and helplessness she felt sent a chill down my spine.
But I didn't tell the truth, as the reality was too cruel, and I couldn't bear to let Javier endure that pain. "No, it happened too suddenly," I gently shook my head, my eyes filled with warmth and reassurance.
Javier nodded with effort, the corners of his eyes tinged with redness. He slightly tilted his head back, desperately holding back his tears. He swallowed, seeming to be swallowing the pain and sorrow inside.
Seeing the young man before me desperately hiding his pain, a sense of comfort stirred within me. People had to learn to grow up, and in that process, one of the hardest lessons was learning to face loss and death. It was a part of life that everyone had to go through, something that could not be avoided or resisted.
The atmosphere fell into a heavy silence as if time had frozen. After a while, I gently cleared my throat, breaking the oppressive tension, and spoke slowly. "Alright, now can you tell me what happened? What exactly went on?"
"I'm about to graduate, and a few of my close friends and I decided to try creating a game," his voice was soft, tinged with a hint of frustration. "We put in a lot of effort, working late nights, and finally managed to create a rough game prototype.
"But then, we discovered another company had developed a similar game." Javier paused momentarily, continuing, "I suspect someone might have sold our work to them, so I decided to investigate."
"Did you manage to figure out who it was?"
"It was a friend I always thought I had a good relationship with," his voice trembled. "I confronted him but soon realized I was no match for him. In the face of absolute power, I was powerless and trampled upon. To make matters worse, even the classmates who had worked on the game with me turned their backs on me.
"He was the thief, yet he told me to stay silent and even said that if I apologized sincerely, he would kindly offer me a job. Otherwise, I shouldn't blame him for being ruthless." His voice grew louder, filled with anger and helplessness.
I gently patted Javier's shoulder. "Don't be too upset. People like that aren't worth your anger."
At that moment, a luxury sports car stopped in front of us. The car door slowly opened, and an arrogant man stepped out. He sized me up and smirked.
"Well, Javier, is this your knight in shining armor?" His voice dripped with sarcasm and disdain as if mocking Javier for being foolish enough to think he could stand up to him.
I looked at the man before me, furrowing my brow slightly. There was something familiar about him as if I had seen him somewhere before. "Were you the one who hurt Javier?" I asked coldly, my gaze sharp with authority and anger, locking onto his eyes.
"I didn't lay a hand on him. He overestimated himself. What does he think he can do against me? It's laughable," the man said, folding his arms across his chest, leaning slightly back, his eyes full of disdain and mockery.
Javier's face turned red with anger. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his body trembled slightly. He stepped forward, raising his voice, "Dominic Reynolds, don't push it too far! You're the one who stole our game development, and now you dare to stand here and boast about it."
Dominic scoffed, his tone filled with menace, his eyes betraying a hint of ruthlessness and resolve. "Steal? Do you have any proof? You're the one trying to take everything we've worked for. Javier, I'm only letting this slide because of our past. But if you keep pushing this, don't blame me for what happens next."
I fixed Dominic with a cold stare and asked again, "Did you lay a hand on Javier?"
Dominic's eyes flickered with impatience as he furrowed his brow slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. With a mocking tone, he replied, "What if I say I was the one who did it? Are you going to hit me?" At that moment, Javier and Liam instinctively stepped back.
"Yes, I am Javier's cousin. If it was you who hurt him, then naturally, I'll make sure justice is served," I said, my gaze piercing as I looked directly at Dominic. "What's the matter? You've hurt him, but now you're too scared to admit it?"
Dominic looked at me with a flicker of surprise as if he hadn't expected me to be so firm. He squinted slightly, sizing me up, and then sneered. "Well, you think you can stand up to me?"
Dominic cleared his throat and chuckled. "That's right, I had someone go after Javier. I'll give you a chance—if you're bold enough, come at me!" His voice dripped with provocation and disdain, as though he was sure I wouldn't dare lay a hand on him.
I slowly removed the gold bracelet from my wrist and placed it in my bag. "How about I give you a chance instead?" I took a deep breath, softly massaging my wrist as I gazed at Dominic with a playful smile.
"All you need to do is apologize to Javier and return the game development work to him. Then, I'll let you off the hook. What do you say?"