Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Nina talked herself to sleep without even realizing it.

Miles Mercer lay with his hand tucked under his head, listening as her voice grew fainter and fainter until it was replaced by the sound of soft breathing.

Yet Miles couldn’t sleep. He just lay there, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

’Something inside him felt like a jumbled mess, but he couldn’t make sense of it.’

It was already past one in the morning, yet Miles felt no hint of sleepiness.

Miles reached for his phone to check the time but grabbed Nina’s by mistake. When he lit up the screen, he saw over twenty messages from Christian Sawyer.

”Where did you disappear to?”

”We weren’t finished talking. Nina, are you still there?”

The most recent message had arrived just moments before. Miles simply replied, ”She’s asleep.”

Christian Sawyer: ”???”

Christian Sawyer was confused and sent three question marks. ’She’s asleep? Then who are you?’

Miles simply turned off the screen and didn’t read the messages that Christian Sawyer sent afterward.

The next morning, when Nina woke up, she instinctively glanced toward the sofa, but it was empty.

She sat up in bed and saw her phone lying beside her.

Nina glanced at the time. It was eight o’clock.

She unlocked her phone and saw a flood of messages from Christian Sawyer: ”What’s going on???”

”Then who are you?”

”Hey, you didn’t kidnap Nina, did you?”

Nina pressed her fingers to her forehead. Scrolling up, she saw Miles’s reply: ”She’s asleep.”

She didn’t mind that Miles had replied, but ’why did his words sound so intimate?’

Nina replied, ”Sorry about that. I really did fall asleep last night.”

She couldn’t even remember when she’d dozed off, only that she had been talking to Miles.

To be more precise, she had been doing all the talking, while Miles had barely responded.

’I remember Miles used to be quite talkative,’ she thought. ’And he had a really short fuse. I don’t know when he became so calm.’

Then, somehow, she had fallen asleep.

Christian quickly messaged back: ”So who were you with last night? Sounds like you two even slept together.”

Nina replied, ”My husband.”

”Husband?”

”It’s a long story. I’ll explain everything later. Can’t talk now.”

After sending the message, Nina put her phone away, got out of bed, and went to wash up.

After she finished, she noticed a pair of underwear discarded in the bathroom trash can.

’Those must be Miles’s,’ she thought. ’When did he throw them out?’

The thought of Miles immediately made her think of last night, and the memory of last night made her face flush red.

She looked down at her hand and slapped it. ’You damn hand! Of all the places to grab, why did it have to be *there*!’

Nina quietly slipped out of the room. Old Master Mercer and Miles were already outside.

Old Master Mercer was in the living room. When Nina came out, she called, ”Good morning, Grandpa.”

”Ah, Nina, why didn’t you sleep in a little?”

”I slept long enough. It’s already eight.”

”It’s only eight. That’s still early. It’s fine to sleep in.”

Besides, there was nothing for Nina to do around the house. They had staff, and even without staff, there was still Miles.

All Nina had to do was enjoy herself; she didn’t need to lift a finger.

”No, no, I’m not sleeping anymore. I have to go to the office later.”

”Then have Miles take you. The breakfast he’s making should be almost ready. Quick, come and eat.”

Nina said, ”Is Miles cooking? Oh, I feel bad.”

”What’s there to feel bad about? From now on, just tell him what you want to eat and have him make it. That’s how a man should be.”

Miles emerged from the kitchen carrying breakfast. The moment their eyes met, Nina quickly lowered her head, unsure how to face him.

”Nina, try this,” Old Master Mercer offered.

Nina said, ”I will, I will. Thank you, Grandpa.”

’Say what you will, but Miles really could cook.’

Even Grandpa said, ”Among the three brothers, Miles is the best cook.”

”Grandpa, I’m full,” Nina said after just a few bites.

Grandpa urged her to eat more, but Nina made a quick escape.

Grandpa was so good to her; she couldn’t bear to deceive him by pretending to be so in love with Miles.

”Aren’t you going to take Nina to the office?” Grandpa prompted Miles.

Nina tried to refuse, but Miles insisted on taking her—likely at Grandpa’s behest.

Nina didn’t say a single word the whole ride. The situation was just pure awkwardness. It was so bad she felt she could have carved a three-bedroom apartment out of the tension.

When they finally reached her studio, Nina practically fled from the car.

Miles stood there, watching her go. ’Am I really that scary?’ he wondered.

...

Jason Summers had been in Lustre for a while now, but with so many people around Ivy Sherwood, it was proving difficult to make a move.

With them there, he couldn’t even find a way to get close to her.

Meanwhile, the Princess of Elandra was on the phone with Jason Summers. ”What on earth have you been doing? I heard the Mercers all went to Calypsos again. What’s going on over there?”

Lately, the Princess had been growing increasingly uneasy. Even though nothing had happened, she couldn’t shake a feeling of dread.

”There’s nothing going on. You can rest easy,” Jason Summers said, keeping the truth from the Princess.

If the Princess knew of Ivy Sherwood’s existence, she would surely arrange to have her killed.

But when Winter Mercer had left Elandra, she had taken something with her. She then vanished without a trace, and that ”something” had never surfaced.

Perhaps Ivy Sherwood was the only one who knew anything about it.

He believed that Winter Mercer couldn’t have taken that item—or that secret—with her to the grave. She must have left some clue behind, a clue that wasn’t meant for just anyone to find.

That was why he had to gain Ivy Sherwood’s trust first. Unfortunately, with so many people around her now, it was incredibly difficult.

Hearing Jason’s assurances, the Princess relaxed slightly.

”I happen to have some free time lately. I’d like to get away for a bit,” the Princess said.

”Where to?” Jason asked.

The Princess said, ”Calypsos. I’ve always heard it’s a beautiful country. I’d like to see for myself just how lovely it is.”

’Let’s see what charm this country holds.’

Jason was stunned. He hadn’t expected the Princess to want to come to Calypsos. If she came, she would surely go online and would easily recognize Ivy Sherwood’s face.

”It’s best if you don’t come right now.”

”Why not?”

”Because things are chaotic here. You are a person of high status. Do you have any idea how many people are watching Ovillette? If you leave The Royal Palace, leave Elandra, do you think they won’t know? If something were to happen to you, who would take responsibility?”

Jason deliberately made the situation sound dire to dissuade the Princess from coming.

The Princess thought for a moment. He did seem to have a point.

Just then, the sound of a door pushing open came through the phone from the Princess’s end. ”Sister, what are you doing? Who are you talking to?”

The speaker was none other than the golden-haired, blue-eyed Ayre. ”I was calling for you everywhere, but you didn’t hear me. Your husband is already back from his duties.”