Falling for my ex’s uncle novel

Chapter 20 Id spent so long trying to remember what happened en my birthday that year laut no matter how hand I tred .

I couldnt recall It was my year n of college , and my birthday happened to fall on Christmas Day .

Thad expected a cory , intimate date with Austin , but instead , he invited a group of our college friends to celebrate , including Rosemary .

Back then , I hadnt thought much of Rosemary .

If anything , I felt sorry for her because of the trage acrident that had taken her parents lives .

She was our age , yet she had to endure so much low We had a great time that night .

I drank more than I usually would at dinner , and afterward , we went to a karaoke lounge .

Normally , I never touched alcohol , but that night , I drank a lot .

My memory blurred after that , but I vaguely remembered Austin taking me to a hotel .

Then , nothing .

When I woke up the next morning , he was sitting by my bedside , holding my hand tightly .

His voice was full of conviction as he promised .

Ill marry no ene but yısı .

I was so touched .

I leaned into his arms , believing every word Looking back now , I see how foolish I was .

He hadnt even given me a ring just an empty promise .

And yet .

I devoted six years of my life to him But now a sudden realization hat me After that night .

1 mussed my penod for a while , and Austin panicked .

He was so nervous , insisting we go to the hospital immediately .

I had thought he was worried about how a pregnancy might affect our studies , but it turned out to be a false alarm .

That was when he suggested we should stop having sex for my health , and for the sake of his familys reputation .

I had no objections .

I didnt remember anything about that night , and when I tried to get out of bed , my legs were so weak and sore that I could barely stand .

The experience left me with an unshakable fear of intimacy .

Thinking about it now, a wave of realization crashed over me .

I had been living a lie ..

I really was pathetic and foolish .

How much of what Austin did was out of love ? And how much of it was because he was afraid I might go to the police ! How much of what Austin did was out of love ? And how much of it was because he was afraid I might go to the police The Herrera family had strict rules .

Their daughters had to be home before midnight and werent allowed to live in dorms .

Even if they studied in another city , the family would buy or rent an apartment for them , with a housekeeper assigned to take care of meals and to keep an eye on them .

The rules were slightly more lenient for the men , allowing them to stay out overnight , but they were still forbidden from disgracing the family nave was out of the question .

Having a child out of wedlock was out I remember asking Austin why his family had such rigid traditions .

He smiled slightly and said .

My grandfather always said that if a Herrera lacks even the most basic self control , they have no place in the Herrera Group In other words , anyone who broke the rules was automatically disqualified from inheriting the family business .

The ringing of my phone pulled me from my thoughts .

What does Rosemary want from you ? Angelas voice carried a clear edge of annoyance over the line .

I hesitated for a moment before responding .

Angela , I need your help with something 1/3 Cupter 20 You hit Dert Did she rall the cops she asked .

I sighed , making my forehead .

I hurt my hand .

I wouldnt waste my energy on her I need to know how long Bluestar Hotel keeps its surveillance Eve got eyes on those two sons .

If anything happens .

I let you know right away Angela said , her tour steady I gave a slight smirk .

No need to watch them .

Ive already cut ties with Austin for good .

Plus , Ive got a husband now Why that piece of garbage hes turned inlo Why would I arill care about Angels chuckled , clearly amused .

Laurel , look at you ! Youre curting without even uning dirty words anymore .

Which year ? Yeah , frotis Bluestar Hotel on Christmas , the year you went ahmad I replied .

Your birthday ? Angela went silent for a moment .

Angela , you still there asked , sensing something was off She hesitated before spraking again more carefully this time .

Why do you want the footage from that day ? Honestly , I wasnt sure myself .

What was I hoping to find ! Did I really think I could press charges five years later ? Or was just looking for answers ? What if the truth was worse than I imagined What if it was someone else someone older , someone completely unfamiliar ? A variety of strange men flashed through my mind , and immediately , my y curiosity was suppressed .

Angela exhaled heavily .

Laurel , Id love to help you , but I couldnt .

I froze , taking a deep breath .

What do you mean ? en was hacked .

I remember it clearly , Angela said .

That night , Bluestars entire security system was It took me a full day and night to restore everything , but by then , all the footage from that night was wiped clean .

Thinking about it still pisses me I remembered now now Angela had ranted to me for an hour back then , furious over how advanced the virus had been .

I had just learned .

At that thought , my heart skipped a beat , and I couldnt help but connect what had happened years ago with what I A sense of unease crepit over me .

d been in that room with me ! Was it just an unfortunate coincidence ? Or was the person who erased the footage the same one who had Laurel Angelas voice snapped me out of my thoughts .

1 took a deep breath .

Its nothing .

If its gone , then forget it After hanging up , I went to the bathroom , sinking into a warm bath , and closing my eyes ..

In the pitch black room , the sound of a mans heavy breathing echoed , and his scent a faint , familiar one lingered in the air .

His large hand gripped mine , and then he leaned in , pressing soft kisses along my neck , slowly moving lower He was gentle , but there was an undeniable strength in every movement .

I tried to open my eyes , but they wouldnt cooperate o and ragged and there was a quiet , almost imperceptible groan mixed in making my heart race .

His breath was deep a I suddenly jolted awake , gasping for air .

My eyes snapped open , and I realized I was still lying in the bathtub .

The once warm water had gone cold , and a shiver ran through me .

It was just a dream I took a steadying breaths , but the sound of his breathing lingered in my ears , as though he were still there .

1 shook off the disorientation , quickly wrapping myself in a towel before heading back to my rotti .

When I saw my phone light up on the desk , I checked it and saw a message from Angela a list of registrations .

Chapter 20 Imm dui Christmas at the Bharstar Hotel she texted .

( Swerthrait remember to delete this after reading .

Dont nt tell anyone .

If this gets out , Ill be fired for leaking company info I I smirked , replying , Dont worry , No one will know .

When I saw the clients name , I couldnt help but frowIL .

Alex Herrera ! He stayed at a hotel instead of heading home ? Guess that whole man with no interest in women thing might be a load of crap after all .

Hes probably hisling some past of his oWIL