Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 69: Chapter 69

Angela furrowed her brows, her face full of confusion. "How do you know this is his number?"
I casually responded, "Didn't I tell you about that time in Norfield when I ran into someone from the Parks family?"
"I knew she looked familiar," Angela muttered.
Clearing my throat, I pressed the answer button.
Isaac's voice came through, but there was a lot of noise in the background.
"Miss Parks, could you come over? Austin... he's gotten into a fight with someone."
I paused for a few seconds, then replied, "Alright, I'll be there shortly."
I ended the call, and Angela immediately shot me a disapproving look. "What's going on? You've already broken up with Austin—why are you going to get involved in his fight?"
I stood up, patted her shoulder, and said, "How about I ask Isaac when I see him why he called me?"
Angela shot me a skeptical glance, hesitating for three seconds before asking, "Does he know about you and Austin?"
I casually grabbed a handbag from the wardrobe and smiled. "You should be asking me—how many people actually know about my relationship with Austin?"
I linked my arm with Angela's and continued, "I'm just going to have a free snack and see what kind of person would dare to pick a fight with Austin. But by the way, you lost the bet earlier."
Of course, Angela wouldn't admit that she lost. She believed Isaac called me just to solve a problem, and that a sudden fight was something no one could have predicted.
I didn't continue arguing with her, but I couldn't bring myself to believe Isaac's motives were entirely pure. The so-called "emergency" felt more like an appetizer before the main course.
Following the address Isaac gave, Angela and I arrived at a high-end club on the upper floor of a hotel.
The hotel had all kinds of entertainment facilities, food, drinks, and everything else you could imagine.
Before we even reached the VIP room, a few women in revealing outfits walked out.
Angela and I exchanged a glance before following them.
"Are you serious? We're all here to have fun, why get so worked up about it?" One woman in a low-cut, tight dress smirked with bright red lips. "But I'm curious—what kind of woman dares to climb into Mr. Herrera's bed?"
"Seriously, what a shameless woman. She was with Austin, then jumps into Alex's bed. Doesn't Alex find that disgusting?" Another woman snickered.
A few other women nearby laughed as well, one of them teasing, "Are you crazy, talking about Mr. Herrera like that?"
Another younger woman with a pretty face smiled, "She's just jealous. Some women have the charm to make both uncles and nephews fall for them."
"I'm curious, why did Austin get into a fight with the Simpson family's young master?"
"Why else? It's because of that woman, Laurel."
"Really? Don't tell me the Simpson heir is after her too. Now I really want to know what she looks like, that so many men can't get her off their minds."
"I heard she's just a daughter from some small, unknown family. What can she do? Probably just knows how to please men. That's why all these guys are after her."
Laughter echoed again.
Just as Angela was about to charge in, I quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Laurel, they don't even know you, and they're spreading rumors," Angela grumbled in frustration.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Their mouths are on their own faces. They can say whatever they want. But honestly, I don't think you should be getting worked up over it."
Angela suddenly stopped walking, her face growing serious. "Laurel, even though you're married to Alex now, he hasn't publicly acknowledged your relationship, and there's too much gossip out there..."
Seeing Angela hesitate, I understood her concerns and worries. Marrying into a wealthy family like the Herreras wasn't easy, especially considering their background. For someone like me, entering their world was almost impossible.
When I first got together with Austin, everyone except Angela thought I was just lucky.
Angela never really liked Austin. She always gave him the cold shoulder whenever they met.
But when she learned about his true identity, she became even more critical of him, thinking him to be manipulative and insincere.
It wasn't until I moved to Newton City with Austin that Angela started to soften towards him, just a little.
"You're worried the Herrera family won't accept me, aren't you?"
Angela nodded heavily, letting out a soft sigh. "Laurel, those people care about their reputation, especially the older generation. And you almost married Austin."
I lowered my gaze, thinking about how I used to call his grandparents "Grandpa" and "Grandma," but now, I'd have to call them "Mom" and "Dad." It was a strange thought, and I couldn't help but smile at myself. Old foxes are old foxes—who's really manipulating whom?
"You're not worried at all? And you're even smiling," Angela said in disbelief.
"Don't worry, I trust Alex to handle this."
Angela looked at me, her eyes widening as realization hit her. "Wait... I get it now. Does he plan to say he's been secretly in love with you this whole time? But even if he says that, do you think anyone will believe him? He's the president of the Herrera Group, for crying out loud!"
"Am I really that bad? I got love letters in elementary school."
Angela raised an eyebrow at me, then suddenly burst out laughing. "I remember this one short guy, who brought a ring to school and gave it to you. The next day, his mom came and withdrew him from school. By the way, did you ever return that ring?"
"No, I gave it to the teacher, and she gave it back to me saying I could keep it."
"I remember the glass diamond on that ring was pretty big," Angela said thoughtfully. "Do you remember what his name was? I remember he was quite handsome—he had a little braid and I thought he was a girl."
Just as we were nearing the VIP room, we saw that the door to the adjacent room was open.
At once, I spotted Austin sitting in the center of a sofa, chatting with his friends.
"Austin, what's going on? Why are you fighting with Dexter?"
Austin lit a cigarette without responding.
"I know you're angry. You've never liked Laurel, so why care who she's with now?"
Austin suddenly lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Josue Larson, who was sitting next to him.
Josue awkwardly scratched his head. "Well, it's Laurel, too. There's no shortage of men in this world—why does she have to go after Mr. Herrera?"
"It's just a woman I got bored of. As long as he doesn't find it disgusting, whatever." Austin snorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I sneered, then walked straight up to Austin, my words sharp as I asked, "Austin, when exactly did I become the woman you got bored of?"