Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 73: Chapter 73

With that, Austin slammed down the words and grabbed the bottle of wine from the table, striding out of the room.
That damn man, even as he left, had to throw me a curveball. He sure had guts.
Samantha, on the other hand, didn't let the slightest hint of anger show at Austin's departure. Her smile was still as radiant and charming as ever, almost too perfect. It almost looked like a wax figure from a museum, frozen and eerily fake.
"Anything you want to eat or drink tonight? It's on me," she said, her voice smooth and polite.
If not for the flash of murderous intent in her eyes, I might've believed she didn't care about Alex at all. But it was clear now—she had come at just the right moment, waiting until the drama was reaching its peak to make her grand entrance.
Throwing money around to make a point. Classic Samantha—rich and reckless.
I thought back to Alex's words about her: how she used to throw around 1.5 million dollars just to get someone to back off. Suddenly, I realized that maybe Samantha had overestimated me.
Of course, I didn't see her as a direct enemy, at least not at first. I figured as long as we kept to our separate corners, we could coexist peacefully. But once she pushed me into this mess, I knew. Samantha's pride wouldn't allow her to back down. She couldn't stand anyone taking what she saw as hers.
And it made me realize why Alex never seemed to have women around. Maybe he really didn't like them, or maybe, just maybe, he feared them.
But thinking about Samantha—her need for control, the way she demanded everything—if I were a man, I'd be afraid too.
The truth is, women themselves aren't the problem. It's the women who wield power, who stand tall in the shadows, that become terrifying.
In that moment, it clicked for me. I understood why men are reluctant to be with strong women. When the woman's the one in charge, the man feels trapped, constantly under the microscope, never able to let his guard down. It's exhausting, suffocating even.
"Miss Adams, is there any particular drink you'd like? I'll have the waiter bring it over," Samantha's voice cut through my thoughts as she turned her cold gaze to Angela.
I gave Angela's arm a subtle squeeze, signaling her to take the lead.
"I won't be shy then," Angela cleared her throat, "Two bottles of La Tache, and send it to my room."
She shot me a quick look, and I immediately understood what she was saying. Play along. I smiled faintly at Samantha, my acting skills coming to me almost naturally after years of practice.
"Thanks for stepping in earlier, Miss Harvey."
"No problem. You're Alex's guest. It's only right that I take good care of you," Samantha replied with an air of superiority. But the whole thing felt ridiculous to me.
Love truly makes people blind, doesn't it?
Samantha—beautiful, sophisticated, and backed by an impressive family—why on earth was she so fixated on a man like Alex? A crooked branch on a dying tree. If she was so determined to cling to him, fine. But why drag me into this mess?
I hadn't done anything wrong, but in Samantha's eyes, I'd somehow stolen the man she thought was hers.
I pulled a check from my bag and handed it to her.
Samantha's lips curved into a sly smile as she saw the check. Her eyes flicked up, sharp as daggers, and she said with a knowing smile, "Seems like four million dollars isn't enough to fill Miss Parks' vanity? How about six million?"
Angela furrowed her brow, about to speak, but I stopped her with a glance.
"I'll go grab the wine. You've got five minutes," I said, signaling her to leave. She hesitated, giving me one last worried look before closing the door behind her.
The moment the door clicked shut, Samantha's demeanor shifted. Her warm smile disappeared, and her eyes turned cold, like ice.
"Six million is the most I can offer you," she said, her patience running thin. The playful smile she'd been wearing was completely gone now.
I didn't respond. Instead, I watched as she picked up her purse, preparing to leave. Only then did I speak, my voice calm but loaded with warning, "It's not that I don't want to take it... I'm just worried I might live to regret it."
"You're afraid I'll go after you?" Samantha asked, her gaze flicking up to mine, and she let out a low laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not the type to do something that harms myself, especially over someone like you."
With that, she pulled out her checkbook, writing something quickly.
"I'm just buying a toy for my husband," she said, handing me the check. Her eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "Don't worry. I'll make sure my husband never climbs into your bed again. But if I find out that the toy has taken matters into its own hands, I won't be so kind."
For a split second, I really considered taking the six million dollars. After all, it was six million dollars.
But as my hand reached for it, I pulled it back.
"Is it not enough?" Samantha asked, her voice tinged with disbelief and frustration. "Laurel, I'm giving you an opportunity, and you think I'm trying to hurt you?"
I blinked, then nodded, as if I understood.
"Then why won't you take it?" She scrutinized me closely, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
"Alex doesn't want me to take your money. He says if I take money from someone else, he'll get angry," I explained with a sigh. "I'd be in trouble if I took it."
I pouted a little, giving an exaggerated look of regret.
"Laurel, you're not playing dumb, are you? You think I'll believe that?" Samantha scoffed.
"Then why give me the money at all?" I raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You don't have to tell Alex I love money. He already knows. You see, I'm still standing here, and you know better than anyone that Alex doesn't want to marry you. Even if you get rid of me, he'll never marry you."
"Laurel, you don't seriously think that just because Alex likes you, you're going to marry into the Herrera family, do you?"
"I just want him to admit we're together, that's all," I said honestly.
"Laurel, what are you really? You have a sick mother who's dying, and a little aunt with two kids whose husband is dead. The only thing you have of value is Angela," Samantha said, her gaze hard and calculating. "So, which one will you choose? Pick one, and I'll leave them until the end."
I stared at her, confused. What was she talking about? Sick mother? Dying? My mom's getting out of the hospital next week. What nonsense was Samantha spouting?
"Laurel, you didn't know? Your mom's dying, sweetheart." Samantha's voice was soft, but every word she said pierced me like a thousand needles, each one sinking deeper into my skin, into my heart.
"Stop lying," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside. I smiled, a faint but dangerous smile. "I never wanted to be your enemy, but I can't stand fake people. It seems we can't be friends, so we'll just have to be enemies.
"If you touch anyone around me, I won't hesitate to bring everything crashing down. You may have more than me, but next time you're in trouble, I'll make sure you drown with me."