My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 12: Cause of Death

After a long moment, Caleb Rhodes’s gaze returned to Finn Prescott’s face.

The deep, piercing chill in his eyes made Finn Prescott a little uneasy. He scratched his hair and asked tentatively, "Third Lord Master? You don’t actually suspect I stole your girl, do you?"

Caleb Rhodes said nothing, merely staring at him coldly.

The two were of similar build, each with an imposing presence.

But Caleb Rhodes was several years older and had spent years navigating the worlds of business and power, giving him an air of exceptional dignity and an intimidating aura.

For a moment, Finn Prescott felt he was at a disadvantage. A single glance from Caleb Rhodes was enough to make him uncomfortable.

Though the Prescott and Rhodes families were of comparable standing, the Rhodes Family seemed to have an edge in the political sphere, and Finn Prescott had no desire to make an enemy of him.

Finn Prescott clicked his tongue. "Third Lord Master, how about I help you look for her?"

Caleb Rhodes’s gaze passed over Finn Prescott’s shoulder, landing on the dark, reflective car window. His voice was flat. "No need."

With that, he turned and walked away.

A moment later, Caleb Rhodes’s car drove out of the parking lot.

Finn Prescott clicked his tongue, then pulled the car door open. "Come on out."

Nina Wynn had been curled up against the door, eavesdropping. The moment it opened, she tumbled out of the car in a most ungraceful heap.

Finn Prescott frowned, extending a hand to pull her to her feet.

Nina Wynn’s head felt even heavier than before, and her limbs were weightless, devoid of strength. She had no choice but to lean against the car door and stare blankly at Finn Prescott.

Finn Prescott easily smelled the alcohol on her and saw her disheveled state.

Leaning against the car door, he lit a cigarette and sized her up.

’Not bad-looking,’ he thought. ’Pale skin, pretty, watery eyes. Young, but she’s got nerve.’

He blew a smoke ring, his gaze lingering on Nina Wynn’s face, brazen and unrestrained.

"Who are you to Caleb Rhodes? Why were you hiding from him?"

Nina Wynn stared at him blankly. After a long moment, she said, "I don’t know you."

She was very drunk and couldn’t quite make out his features. She could only see that he had eyes as sharp as an eagle’s and was dressed in biker gear despite the hot weather. He didn’t look like a good person.

Moreover, he was as tall and imposing as Caleb Rhodes. As he looked down on her, she was inexplicably reminded of Caleb, and she couldn’t help but take a step back. "You... you’re not a good person," she slurred. "Stay... stay away from me..."

Finn Prescott raised an eyebrow and blew a smoke ring in Nina Wynn’s face, his tone displeased. "Tsk, tsk. I save you, and this is the thanks I get. No good deed goes unpunished, I guess."

The smoke made Nina Wynn cough violently, and she nearly lost her footing. She grabbed the car door for support, taking a long moment to recover before staggering away.

Seeing her stumble about, Finn Prescott couldn’t help but call out, "Hey, you’ve had too much to drink. You need a ride home?"

Nina Wynn waved her hand dismissively and continued to stumble forward.

Finn Prescott didn’t look away until Nina Wynn had disappeared behind an academic building.

In the dim light, his eyes took on a look of intrigue.

’Tsk. So there’s actually a woman who treats Caleb Rhodes like the plague,’ he mused. ’Interesting.’

Nina Wynn sat on a planter by the academic building, resting for a long while before her head cleared a little.

Some strength returned to her limbs, but her stomach felt even worse than before. A sharp pain tore through it, as if her stomach was being ripped apart.

She pulled out her phone to call Noelle Landon, only to discover the battery was dead.

With no other choice, she clutched her stomach and slowly made her way toward the campus gate.

She had only taken a few steps when a red Ferrari screeched to a halt nearby.

Nina Wynn quickly moved a few steps to her left, hiding in the shadows behind a planter.

The car stopped with a screech four or five meters away. The doors opened, and two young women stepped out.

The taller one was glamorous, dressed in a crop top and carrying the latest diamond-encrusted handbag from Brand C.

The shorter one, in a white dress with shoulder-length black hair, looked pure and fragile, standing meekly beside her.

The taller one was Crystal Rhodes, Caleb Rhodes’s niece. The shorter one was Jenny Collins, daughter of Crystal’s nanny and her loyal lackey since childhood.

Nina Wynn watched them, a complicated look in her eyes. ’Isn’t Crystal supposed to come back next year? Why is she here now?’

Just then, Jenny Collins’s voice drifted over. "Crystal, you’re finally back! You have no idea how arrogant that Nina Wynn has been for the past year or two. She bosses everyone around. The other day, when she was at the Rhodes estate, she even claimed that *she* was the true Miss Rhodes."

Hearing this, Crystal Rhodes was so furious she slammed her handbag against the car door. "That bitch!!!"

Jenny Collins, despite her innocent-looking face, had eyes full of jealousy. "And that’s not all. I heard she applied for a graduate program recommendation and is about to get it. The rumor is she slept with one of the university administrators to secure her spot. It’s disgusting!"

Nina Wynn clenched her fists. ’That Jenny Collins hasn’t changed a bit,’ she thought. ’Just like her mother, but she’s gotten even better at framing people. A real chip off the old block.’

Crystal Rhodes narrowed her eyes and sneered. "She won’t be smug for long. In about a month, the people connected to Evan Chapman’s death will be released. Those scapegoats are dirt poor. We’ll just have to give them a little money to get her into bed, take a few ’nice’ pictures, and post them online. She’ll be famous then. We’ll see what university dares to accept her after that!"

Jenny Collins lowered her head and smiled. "Crystal, you always have the best plans."

Crystal Rhodes snorted. "That bitch probably thinks Evan Chapman jumped to his death. She was so obsessed with him. If she knew the real reason he died, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she’s in agony."

Nina Wynn’s head snapped up, her eyes fixed on Crystal Rhodes.

’Evan didn’t die from a fall?’

’There was another cause of death?’

It felt as if her heart and stomach were being violently ripped from her body. A wave of nausea washed over Nina Wynn.

’Why?’ she wondered. ’Why is Crystal the same age as me, but so vicious? And Jenny Collins... she’s powerless, just like me. So why is she always trying to crush me, to ruin my life? Is it just because I’m Lana Shaw’s niece?’

Crystal Rhodes lit a cigarette, her eyes filled with malice. "That bitch Lana Shaw actually thinks she can have a son. My dad told me they’re trying to conceive—taking tons of medication, getting all sorts of injections. Thinks she can pop out a son to fight for the Rhodes family fortune? Fine, let her. I hope she gives birth to a monster or a cripple. I can’t wait to see it!"

Jenny Collins chimed in, "I’ll discuss it with my mom. It won’t be a problem."

Crystal Rhodes tossed her cigarette aside and shot Jenny Collins a cold glance. "As long as you do as you’re told, you’ll be well-rewarded."

Jenny Collins said quickly, "Crystal, let’s go. Finn Prescott has probably already arrived. This school is full of little vixens. It’ll be a problem if one of them gets her claws into him."

Crystal Rhodes lifted her chin, her eyebrows arched. "Who would dare? He’s my man. Any girl who tries to get her hands on him, I’ll destroy her!"

As the two of them walked away, Nina Wynn slowly stepped out from the shadows.

’Finn Prescott? So that was the man from earlier?’

Nina Wynn stood rooted to the spot for a long time. The evening breeze lifted her thin bangs, casting a shadow that concealed the expression on her face.

She didn’t move until another sharp, violent pain seized her stomach, forcing her to slowly start walking again.

The nights in Elysian City were even more bustling than the days. Even here at Regent University, on the outskirts of the city, the streets outside the gates were a river of traffic, a chaotic blur of dazzling neon lights.

Nina Wynn stared at the vibrant spectacle, her stomach churning even more violently.

She only made it a short distance before she had to lean against a plane tree on the side of the road to rest.

Just then, a black Maybach pulled up beside her.

The window rolled down, revealing a pair of cold, profound eyes.

Caleb Rhodes looked at Nina Wynn’s wretched state, his voice like ice. "Get in."