My First Love Died, Now My Step Uncle Wants Me-Chapter 32: Hit It on a Nail

He was still wearing that fine, white-striped shirt, looking clean and distinguished. In the hazy night, his back alone radiated an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Even without seeing his face, Nina Wynn could imagine his expression.

Cold and impassive, with no trace of emotion. His eyes held a biting chill that made it impossible to meet his gaze.

Nina Wynn watched for a few seconds before looking away.

She remembered passing out in the bathroom, but now she was in bed. ’What happened in between?’

She instinctively glanced down at her clothes, and her small face immediately turned even paler.

Her school uniform skirt was gone, replaced by a set of off-white silk pajamas. The fabric was incredibly soft and smooth, but the thought that Caleb Rhodes might have been the one to change her into them made her skin crawl as if pricked by needles.

Moreover, a dull ache emanated from her stomach.

The two sensations mingled, and she grew so tense that she began to break out in a cold sweat again.

Just then, Caleb Rhodes ended his call and entered the room.

Seeing Nina Wynn awake, he walked to the side of the bed. "You’re awake?"

His voice was as cool and unruffled as ever.

Nina Wynn didn’t dare look up at him. Her hands clutched the bedsheets beneath her as she managed a quiet, "Mhm."

In just a short moment, she was covered in a fine sheen of sweat again, her bangs damp against her forehead.

Caleb Rhodes watched her downcast eyes and sweat-dampened temples. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "How are you feeling? Still in a lot of pain?"

Nina Wynn shook her head. "Uncle, I’m not in pain."

The soft light enveloping them should have created a warm, peaceful atmosphere. Instead, Nina Wynn felt Caleb Rhodes’s gaze turn even colder, and the air around them seemed to thicken with pressure.

She pulled the blanket tighter, wrapping herself up completely, and said in a tiny voice, "Uncle, my clothes..."

She wanted to know who had changed her clothes, but she didn’t dare to ask directly, so she had to broach the subject indirectly.

Of course, Caleb Rhodes knew what she was asking. He stared at her, his face devoid of expression. "Nina Wynn, you’ll have to get used to it sooner or later."

The words struck Nina Wynn like a bolt from the blue. She was stunned.

Although she knew there was a high probability that Caleb had been the one to change her, she had clung to a sliver of hope. ’After all, Warner Zimmerman is a woman.’

But Caleb had admitted it so brazenly, leaving her unable to accept it.

She stared at him in astonishment. "Uncle..."

Her sweat-dampened hair clung to her face, and her eyes were moist and misty, looking both innocent and alluring. Caleb Rhodes’s eyes narrowed. He reached out and brushed the damp strands from her forehead, his voice a little hoarse. "Hungry? Get up and eat something."

His fingertips were cool to the touch, but to Nina Wynn, they felt like a scorching brand, filling her with panic. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

She instinctively flinched away, avoiding Caleb Rhodes’s touch.

"Uncle, I’m not hungry."

Caleb Rhodes’s hand froze in midair for a moment, and his voice turned cold. "Nina Wynn, I told you not to lie to me."

Nina Wynn kept her eyes downcast, her voice small and soft. "I’m not lying. I’m really not hungry."

Just then, the housekeeper brought in two small lidded bowls, placed them on Nina Wynn’s nightstand, and quietly withdrew.

The faint scent of herbal medicine wafted from the bowls. Nina Wynn’s brow furrowed, and her face scrunched up in distaste.

Ever since she was a child, she’d dreaded drinking herbal medicine. She would get nauseous immediately, especially on an empty stomach.

Seeing her grimace, Caleb Rhodes removed the lids from both bowls, and the smell of the medicine grew stronger.

Nina Wynn glanced over. One bowl held a dark medicinal broth, while the other contained a sweet osmanthus soup with two plump, poached eggs.

Her eyes lit up, and her tightly furrowed brow relaxed.

Noticing the subtle shift in her expression, Caleb Rhodes’s gaze softened considerably. He handed the herbal medicine to Nina Wynn. "Drink this first."

Nina Wynn actually wanted to take a sip of the sweet soup before the medicine to ease the discomfort in her stomach, but Caleb had already placed the bowl in her hands. She had no choice but to drink it.

The bitter, acrid liquid flowed into her stomach, and Nina Wynn immediately felt a wave of nausea.

She tried to fight down the urge to vomit, but it was an overwhelming physical reaction.

Afraid she would be sick on the bed, she clapped a hand over her mouth and dashed into the bathroom.

She felt much better after throwing up. Rinsing her mouth, she turned around, only to find Caleb Rhodes standing in the doorway, watching her.

The bedroom wasn’t large to begin with, and its en-suite bathroom was even smaller. Caleb Rhodes already had a powerful presence, and seeing him standing there now made Nina Wynn feel immense pressure.

She looked into Caleb Rhodes’s cold, dark eyes and involuntarily took a step back, her body pressing against the sink. "I didn’t do it on purpose," she whispered. "It’s just really hard to drink medicine on an empty stomach."

Caleb Rhodes didn’t say anything, just stared at her intensely until Nina Wynn’s scalp tingled with anxiety and she was at a loss. Only then did he speak. "Go eat something first. You can drink the medicine again once your stomach has settled."

After a pause, he added, "Nina Wynn, you could have told me you’d get sick drinking it on an empty stomach. I wouldn’t have forced you."

Nina Wynn hung her head, her eyes stinging. "Okay," she whispered.

The osmanthus soup was fragrant and sweet, and the eggs had soft, runny yolks—just how Nina Wynn loved them. But with Caleb Rhodes right there, she could only manage to eat in small, delicate bites.

When she finished, Caleb Rhodes handed her a napkin. "Drink the medicine in half an hour."

Nina Wynn had never imagined Caleb Rhodes would hand her a napkin. Not daring to refuse, she took it. "Thank you, Uncle."

The warm food in her stomach made Nina Wynn feel much better. It was only then that she noticed the adhesive bandage on her hand was gone. It had been replaced with gauze, clearly dressed by a professional.

She instinctively hid her hand behind her back, her gaze frantic. "Uncle, did a doctor prescribe that medicine?"

Caleb Rhodes watched her small movement, the darkness in his eyes deepening. His sharp jawline tensed.

He was waiting for her to confess.

Nina Wynn kept her head down, whispering like a schoolgirl caught making a mistake. "I cut it on a nail. It’s a little deep. I was going to see a doctor tomorrow, so I just put an adhesive bandage on it for now. It’s fine, it’s not serious..."

With each word, her voice grew fainter, until it faded away completely.

Even she didn’t believe her own flimsy excuse. One look at the wound and it was obviously serious. She had, in fact, planned to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot tomorrow, but she never expected to be whisked away by Caleb Rhodes.

Caleb Rhodes gazed down at her. "Your hand. Let me see it."

There was a bottomless darkness in Caleb Rhodes’s eyes. He had hooded eyelids, making his eyes appear long and narrow. When he looked down at someone like that, it created an innate coldness, giving the illusion that he was looking down on the entire world. This was why Nina Wynn never quite dared to meet his gaze.

Whenever he looked at her that way, she felt utterly insignificant.

Under his intense stare, she had no choice but to hold out her hand, emphasizing again, "I cut it on a nail."