My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 126: Temporary Plaything

Nina Wynn struggled to get out of his embrace, but he only held her tighter.

A cold voice sounded by her ear. "Where do you think you’re going?"

Nina didn’t know where she was going either.

She wasn’t supposed to have feelings. She shouldn’t have felt this sudden pang of anguish after hearing about Rosalind Lowell and Caleb Rhodes’s marriage.

She was just a temporary plaything; that was something she had known from the very beginning.

Although it had never been stated outright, she knew clearly that she and Caleb Rhodes had a transactional relationship.

He understood her situation and was willing to help her solve some of her problems. In return, she had to provide this body of hers, which he still found somewhat interesting.

As a secret lover who couldn’t be seen in the light of day, she should know her place and act accordingly.

She took a deep breath and said softly, "I’m a little tired. I want to go back to my room to rest."

Caleb Rhodes looked at her, his eyes glinting. "Is that really all?"

Nina kept her head down and nodded. "Yes, I’m just a little tired. I want to sleep."

Caleb Rhodes didn’t speak. The look in his eyes darkened, and his expression was cold and heavy, betraying no emotion.

Neither of them spoke. The atmosphere in the elevator became oppressive, so quiet they could almost hear each other breathe.

Fortunately, the elevator doors opened soon after, and Caleb Rhodes scooped her up and walked out.

When they reached the door to her room, Nina said softly, "You don’t have to worry about me, Sir. You should go back. The people in the room upstairs are still waiting for you."

Having been with the Rhodes Family for so many years, although she was never presentable enough for formal occasions, she had still seen her fair share of important figures, big and small.

She could tell that the people in that room upstairs were all influential individuals.

As she spoke, she tried to get down from Caleb Rhodes’s arms.

She had barely struggled when Caleb Rhodes’s voice turned cold. "If I leave, where do you plan on running off to this time?"

Nina bit her lip and answered meekly, "I won’t run. I don’t know my way around here."

Caleb Rhodes snorted coldly and pushed the door open.

The moment he was inside, he strode to the sofa, tossed her onto it, and said icily, "If you have something to ask, ask me now, to my face. If you dare run off just because you heard some gossip, we’ll see how I’ll deal with you!"

The implication was obvious: Nina was allowed to ask about Rosalind Lowell.

Nina lowered her head, her soft, pale fingers twisting together. "I don’t have anything to ask," she whispered.

’There really isn’t anything to ask.’

The people at the table had already made it perfectly clear. Caleb Rhodes and Rosalind Lowell were a match made in heaven and were about to get engaged. Everyone in Elysian City knew it.

She suddenly remembered someone saying they might have already gotten married abroad. So, she asked in a small voice, "Did you and Miss Lowell get married abroad?"

As she spoke, she instinctively glanced at his hand.

On his middle finger, he wore that ring engraved with the letter ’Y’.

Her heart sank. The sight of it was piercing, and she hastily looked away.

Caleb Rhodes watched her, his gaze deepening and his tone tinged with displeasure. "Is that the only thing you want to ask?"

Nina didn’t speak, merely lowering her eyelids. Her long lashes trembled, casting a shadow over her eyes and concealing the emotion within.

Caleb Rhodes asked, "Why do you ask that?"

Nina whispered, "I... I won’t be a mistress."

She had watched her own mother be driven to her death by a mistress. She would never allow herself to become one.

Not even if it killed her!

’That whole "true love is supreme" and "the one who isn’t loved is the real third wheel" nonsense is the most vicious curse in the world!’

Caleb Rhodes stared at her intently, his voice low. "And what if I did marry her? What would you do?"

Nina’s head shot up, her lips trembling. "You... You’re married?"

She gripped the leather of the sofa beneath her, her stomach churning violently. A sudden wave of nausea made her feel like she was about to throw up everything she had just eaten.

In an instant, a fine sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead.

But Caleb Rhodes, seemingly determined to hear a different answer from her, didn’t notice her sudden change in state.

His fingers brushed casually against the ring as he asked coolly, "If I am married, what would you do? Run away?"

Nina’s heart began to pound wildly, as if someone were yanking it up and down. For a moment, she felt it was hard to even breathe.

Her mind felt like someone was scrambling it with chopsticks, robbing her of the ability to think.

But Caleb Rhodes had no intention of letting her off the hook. He bent down, lifted her chin, and stared at her exquisite, picture-perfect face. A predatory glint flashed in his eyes, and his voice was terrifyingly cold. "Nina Wynn, no matter what happens, if you even dare to entertain a single thought of running away, you’d better consider the consequences. You won’t be needing those legs of yours anymore."

’He had already indulged her by letting her run off twice. One more time, and he would have to lock her up!’

Her face was pale, completely drained of color. Her long, thick lashes trembled as her lips moved. "If you two are married, then we’re over."

Caleb Rhodes’s finger pressed lightly against the small beauty mark on her lip, a flicker of imperceptible desire in his eyes.

He liked that little mole. It was faint, tiny—only the size of a pinprick. You wouldn’t notice it without looking closely, but when you did, it was tantalizing, making one want to kiss it.

He could never stop himself from biting it when they were intimate.

From the day she first set foot in the Rhodes Family home, standing timidly in the living room and looking at him, that little mole had often appeared in his dreams, tempting him. He constantly had to tell himself, ’She’s still young. I’ll devour her when she’s grown.’

’Now that she’s finally grown, of course she has to be mine!’

’For any reason, if she dares to harbor any thought of leaving, her only fate is to be locked away in a dark room forever!’

"Nina Wynn, you need to understand. You belong to me. You were born to be mine. Don’t ever let me hear that word ’over’ again!"

His voice was cold and heavy, his expression detached, as if he were discussing something trivial.

But that simple sentence sent a chill straight down Nina’s spine.

’Did he really marry Rosalind Lowell abroad? Even if he’s married, is he still going to lock me up and not let me go?’

Her face pale, her gaze fell once more on the ring. The faint letter ’Y’ on it stung her eyes so badly that she could only glance at it for a second before quickly looking away.

Her lips moved as she asked softly, "So, are you married?"

She wasn’t going to give up on this question; she had to get to the bottom of it.

But Caleb Rhodes didn’t want to answer.

This wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

He wanted her to say that no matter what happened, she would stay by his side, forever and ever, surrendering herself to him.

His slightly rough finger pressed against her soft lips. His voice was deep. "Nina Wynn, you need to understand something. If I want to, I have many ways to make things happen. Many, many more than you can possibly imagine."

He wasn’t wrong. If he wanted someone, getting them would be an effortless matter.

Nina’s body trembled. She said in a low voice, "Caleb Rhodes, did you marry Rosalind Lowell or not? Answer me."

Caleb Rhodes stared at her soft lips, his voice deep. "Is that important? Do you want to get married?"

After a pause, he added, "If you want to get married, we can go once your health improves."

What he meant was that if Nina wanted to get married, they could go register their marriage at any time.

But to Nina, his words took on a completely different meaning.

She thought Caleb Rhodes meant that he could be married abroad and, at the same time, get married in their home country.

He certainly had the power to do so.

’So, did he and Rosalind Lowell really get married abroad?’

Nina felt waves of nausea churn in her stomach, and her face grew even paler.

Just then, the faint, subtle scent of roses drifted through the air, almost identical to the smell of the white roses at home.

Nina turned her head and saw a large bouquet of white roses on the nearby table, blooming in full glory.

She was suddenly hit by a violent wave of nausea, and she jumped up and ran to the bathroom.