Hi Ex, Your Uncle Is My Hubby Now - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

When Irene came back up from the basement, the dining room was empty. She spotted Dorian standing outside in the backyard, smoking under the dim sky.
She walked to the edge of the patio and asked, "Dinner's over? Where's Jeremy?"
Dorian stared out at the lush green vegetable garden before him, then stubbed out his cigarette and turned to her. "Go say goodbye. It's time we head home."
There was something off in his tone, a tension he wasn't trying to hide. Irene immediately sensed that something had happened between the two while she'd been gone.
Still, she didn't pry.
"Alright. Wait here."
She headed straight to the coffee room, but found it dark inside. The only light came from a green-tinted wall sconce, casting a faint glow across the room.
In the half-light, she saw Jeremy sitting in a traditional armchair, his face half-lost in shadow, the other half bathed in that eerie green glow—his expression caught between life and death.
Without asking, Irene turned on the overhead light.
Just like that, he was pulled back into the land of the living.
Jeremy turned his head toward the screen divider, catching sight of her slim, graceful silhouette as she stepped into full view. With the light now bright, her face came into clear focus.
"Uncle Jeremy, it's getting late. Dorian and I are heading out," she said softly, her voice gentle and sweet, carrying that polished, delicate tone that seemed to suit her perfectly.
But Jeremy had heard her argue with the Jackson family before. He knew this softness was just a front—an act.
She was trying to win him over.
She must really care about Dorian if she was working this hard to please Jeremy.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the neckline of her dress, his thoughts momentarily drifting.
"Irene," he said, voice low, almost hesitant, tinged with something like regret.
She blinked in surprise, tilting her head. "Uncle Jeremy?"
"Dorian wants me to be kinder to you. Wants me to accept you..." He held out his phone. "Add me on WhatsApp. If you ever need anything, just message me."
Irene had been racking her brain for an excuse to ask for his WhatsApp—and here he was handing it over without her even trying.
An unexpected win.
She quickly scanned the code and added him.
"See you next time, Uncle Jeremy," she said sweetly, then turned and walked out.
Jeremy remained seated in the armchair, unmoving, but his eyes followed her through the front window.
He watched her walk across the yard, arm in arm with Dorian. The two of them were talking, laughing, completely at ease as they disappeared into the garage.
Moments later, their car pulled out and drove away.
Aiden stepped into the coffee room.
Seeing Jeremy staring blankly out the window, lost in thought, he chose to stay silent.
"Aiden," Jeremy said, almost as if talking to himself, "what do you think of Irene?"
Aiden's heart skipped a beat.
He thought, 'Wait—is Mr. Tucker... interested in that girl?
'This is bad. Really bad. An uncle and nephew falling for the same woman? That is worse than a love triangle—it is a full-blown family crisis.'
As Aiden started to panic internally, Jeremy's voice cut through his thoughts again. "Speak."
Aiden braced himself and said, "Miss Jackson is a great young woman—smart, elegant, beautiful. She's got a top-tier education and a bright future. She's won several major awards in architecture. Honestly, she's exceptional.
"But sir… she's your nephew's girlfriend. You can't pursue her."
He hesitated for a moment, then added carefully, "Even if you do have feelings for her… well, you'd need to find a way to break them up first. Then, at least, you'd be in the clear."
Silence.