Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 61: Chapter 61

The next morning, when I woke up, Alex was already gone, and the bed felt cold without him.
I sat up, a sharp ache running through my body—every muscle seemed sore.
The white shirt I had been wearing was gone, and for a moment, I felt disoriented, my hand instinctively pressing against my forehead.
I had to admit that Alex probably hadn't been with a woman in a long time. But then, I quickly dismissed that thought—maybe it was the drugs.
After my shower, I noticed Alex had thoughtfully brought in the clothes hanging outside and neatly placed them in the bathroom.
As I stepped out of the bathroom, there was a rapid knock on the door. From the rhythm of it, I didn't even need to look—it was Angela.
"Darling, you look tired," she said with a raised eyebrow, her smile mischievous.
"Tired? Not really," I replied, forcing a calm demeanor.
Angela slid an arm around my shoulder and leaned in, her voice lowering. "Don't deny it. Mr. Herrera didn't leave your room last night until after eight this morning."
I stared at her, incredulity flickering in my eyes. "Angela, you didn't..."
She cut me off with a mock cough. "Stop right there. You think I'm that kind of person? No way."
I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but she just kept staring at me, dead serious. "I was just casually browsing the hotel's surveillance system," Angela continued, as if it was no big deal. "When Mr. Herrera entered your room, he didn't leave until this morning at eight. And..."
"Angela, do you realize it's illegal to hack into someone else's system without permission?"
I knew she was great with computers, but who knew if she'd run into someone more skilled? Not to mention, her actions could have serious consequences given her position.
She shrugged, totally unfazed. "Aren't you curious who he met when he left?"
I stayed silent, unsure of what to say.
"Samantha."
That name hit me like a punch to the stomach. A flash of annoyance crossed my face.
"Laurel, are you mad?" Angela raised an eyebrow, studying me. "I'm sure it was just a coincidence they bumped into each other."
I sighed heavily, grinding my teeth. "It's all part of her damn scheme."
"Her scheme?" Angela snorted. "You think Samantha's all that captivating? She doesn't exactly scream 'seductive temptress,' you know?"
"I never said that." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
Angela widened her eyes, staring at me for a long moment before lowering her voice. "You've got guts, giving Mr. Herrera a nickname. But... it kind of suits him, doesn't it?"
And then, she burst into laughter, her face lighting up with amusement. It took a while for her to calm down, but when she did, there was a sharp edge in her tone. "Looks like he made the first move on you last night."
I fell silent, but Angela didn't stop watching me. Her gaze was unwavering, almost too intense.
"Samantha's staying in the room right across from mine. After Alex entered your room, he didn't leave until this morning. It was all planned."
Her words sank in like a weight, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration, thinking back to Samantha's seductive face. Maybe even the drugs—who knows? Maybe Alex had planned it all.
"You're not exactly losing here," Angela continued, her tone slightly teasing. "If you're pregnant with his child, that five million dollars will be ours. We'll split it down the middle."
Five million dollars... The thought of that seemed to cool my anger, but then Angela's earlier words echoed in my mind, and my whole body stiffened.
There had been no precautions last night.
I frowned, eyeing Angela. Without saying another word, she caught my concern.
"Don't worry," she said softly, wrapping her arm around mine, "You're already in deep with Mr. Herrera. To get the Herrera family's approval, having a child will secure your position. And look at the women around him. You see those foxes?"
I tried to shake off the unease creeping up on me. I wasn't this unlucky, right? For now, all I could do was take it one step at a time.
We headed downstairs to the restaurant for a quick bite, since lunch wasn't far off. During breakfast, I learned that Amanda and Rosemary hadn't left the hotel—they were still around. Even during the dinner last night, they stayed in their rooms.
I told Angela about what Samantha had said the night before.
"No way," Angela said, her face a little confused. "I know the Harvey and Herrera families have a good relationship, but no one ever said anything about an arranged marriage, did they? She's probably just lying again."
To be honest, I didn't care too much about what Samantha had said. I was already married to Alex, and my mother's health had improved. If there was an actual engagement between the two families, I wouldn't mind a divorce.
But the bet with Kailyn... I wasn't about to lose that easily. I needed Alex to publicly acknowledge me, no matter what.
"Laurel, what's going through your mind?" Angela asked, noticing my deep thoughts.
I answered honestly. "If it's true, we need to get Alex to publicly acknowledge our relationship as soon as possible."
Angela blinked, and then a smile spread across her face. "Oh, I see. Looks like you had a good night after all. I must have been thinking too much."
"You're thinking too much," I said, forcing a smile. "I'm just thinking about the money."
I didn't want to lose both the man and the fortune, and definitely didn't want to anger the Harvey family's precious daughter.
After breakfast, Angela and I decided to take a stroll outside, and we spotted a group of people gathered around the pool. A number of women in bikinis were heading toward the water.
Angela gave an almost indifferent smile, while I narrowed my eyes, confused.
"Who are all these people?"
"They're just some women brought in by rich second-generation heirs," she replied nonchalantly.
"Some of them were at last night's dinner, too..."
"Why? Are those rich girls trying to snatch Mr. Herrera from you now? He's already been claimed by you, but they still think they can charm him away?"
Angela coughed lightly and added, "Besides, you and Mr. Herrera haven't gone public yet. Maybe they think stealing him from you isn't so hard."
At that moment, Angela nudged my arm, and I followed her gaze. There, by the pool, stood Alex and Samantha—alone together, their body language radiating clear tension.
Samantha's eyes locked on mine for a moment before she smiled faintly.
I froze, disbelief washing over me. "Samantha really likes Alex, doesn't she?"
Angela sneered, her face darkening. She reached up to touch my forehead, her voice cool. "Tell me, other than me, who in this crowd wouldn't want a man as rich and handsome as Alex?"
"I don't care about cunning old foxes like him."