Dumping My Fiancé For His Uncle

On the other side, Stephanie was backstage preparing.

Wherever she went, she was always surrounded by a crowd of people.

Even though Stephanie had previously only been active overseas, now that she was back in Reasnatan, many were more than willing to offer her the best resources.

After all, she had Nicolas backing her.

To please Stephanie was to please Nicolas.

When Nicolas arrived, Stephanie didn't care that others were around and immediately ran up to hug him. "Nicolas, you're finally here, I was starting to think you wouldn't come see me today."

Nicolas frowned slightly, discreetly pushing her out of his embrace. "I just came to check how you're adjusting. You've always worked abroad, and coming back so suddenly might not be the best fit. It'd be better for you to stay overseas." Stephanie clearly wasn't on board with that. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with affection, and flashed a radiant smile. "But I want to stay here because you're here. When I'm abroad, I'm all alone."

Her suggestive words instantly piqued the curiosity of the others backstage.

Nicolas frowned again, wanting to caution her against speaking like that.

But Stephanie suddenly grabbed his arm and spoke in a low voice. "Nicolas, will you go with me to visit my brother today? I remember today is the anniversary of the day you met him. Maybe if we both go, he won't feel so lonely down there." Nicolas was taken aback, memories flooding back to him.

A trace of pain flickered in his eyes.

He sighed softly, his tone gentler. "Arrange it however you like."

Stephanie smiled in satisfaction, tightening her grip on his arm.

After she finished recording her show, the two went to the cemetery in the western suburbs.

Stephanie, in low spirits, had drunk quite a bit.

She sat in front of Max's grave, crying uncontrollably, lamenting that after all these years, life had felt so meaningless without him by her side.

Stephanie tearfully confessed that one day she hoped she could join him, too.

Nicolas remained silent, but his eyes we

filled with deep sorrow.

It was Nicolas' fault that led to Stephanie, r's death.

For years, he had tried to make it up to h

As long as her requests weren't too unreasonable, Nicolas would agree to them.

Seeing her cry so miserably, Nicolas

gave Darwin a look.

Darwin immediately stepped forward to help Stephanie up. "Ms. Ralap, please don't be too upset. You need to take care of

your health."

Stephanie brushed his hand away, throwing herself into Nicolas arms, gripping his shirt, and sobbing uncontrollably.

"All these years, it was just my brother and me. Now that he's gone, I often

wonder, what's the point of me even being here? Nicolas, there were times I resented you, resented him for sticking by your side. But I could never really hate you. Because if I were in his shoes, I'd make the same choice. But I miss him so much." Her words struck Nicolas A shadow of pain crossed his face. "It's my fault."

Stephanie shook her head, trying to say more, but her body swayed, and Nicolas quickly caught her.

"Shall I take Ms. Ralap home?" Darwin asked.

Nicolas nodded.

But Stephanie clung to his sleeve, refusing to let go, softly murmuring, "Brother... Brother..." Nicolas sighed. "Forget it. Have the staff at home prepare a guest room for her."

Darwin cast a meaningful glance at Stephanie, quickly realizing her intent, but held his tongue. After all, her brother's death had always been a deep wound for Nicolas.

With this, even if Stephanie repeated her act countless times, Nicolas would never tire of her.

For some reason, Darwin's thoughts drifted to Thea, and he sighed softly.

Thope these two women never find out about each other,' he thought.

*****

Thea woke

up

after a

nap,

her

groggy

mind much clearer.

She opened her phone and was greeted by a flood of notifications with hashtags like, [Breaking! Hendrix family leader's girlfriend returns to Reasnatan, seen close and affectionate on set] and [The real reason behind the Hendrix family leader's years of remaining unmarrie A sudden ache struck Thea's heart. She intended to scroll past it, but against her better judgment, she clicked on the post.

There was only one pixelated photo.

Beside a tall, elegantly built Nicolas stood a woman with shoulder-length hair. The woman had a stunning figure and wore a coat that matched his. The two were standing very close to each other.

Thea blinked, feeling a sudden burn in her eyes, and her nose tingled with bitterness.

She had always anticipated this day, and though the disappointment was momentary, she had no right to question anything.

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and dialed Nicolas number.

A few days ago, Nicolas had specifically asked her if she was free today, as Stefan wanted to meet both of them.

Thea had worked overtime to finish her project, ensuring she could clear more time for today.

But when she called, there was no answer.

Frustrated, she gathered her things and went to see Stefan alone.

The butler was already waiting at the door.

UB.

Seeing her arrive by herself, he looked a bit surprised.

"Mrs. Rowland, didn't Mr. Hendrix come with you?" he asked.

Thea smiled politely. "Nicolas is busy with company matters and got held up, but he should be here soon. I came ahead to keep Stefan company."

The butler nodded, though his gaze remained slightly odd.

Puzzled, Thea's confusion was soon cleared up.

When Stefan heard that Nicolas hadn't come with her, he was immediately furious.

He slammed the table hard. "Busy? Busy with what? When has he ever been late? Thea, stop covering for him. Nicolas is my son. Do you think I don't know his character? Now tell me the truth. What's really going on?"

Thea smiled as she poured him a cup of coffee. "He really is just too busy. He was getting ready to leave, but a major client showed up unexpectedly, asking for an urgent meeting. That's why he couldn't make it. He

felt bad for making me come alone, so he bought me a gift to make up for it. If you don't believe me, I can show you."

She took out a picture of the gift Nicolas had asked her to help him choose.

At the time, Nicolas wanted to see how it looked when worn, so Thea had tried it on and thought it looked great.

She had taken a picture and now, unexpectedly, it was coming in handy.

Stefan glanced at it, half-convinced, and finally softened.

He sighed. "Seems I misunderstood him. He's never been great with relationships, and that's why he's been single all these years. But it looks like he's learning a few tricks now. As long as you two live harmoniously and avoid conflicts, everything will be fine." Thea put away her phone, suddenly recalling something about Nicolas' first crush.

Even Jake knew about it, so naturally, Stefan would too.

And from the way Stefan talked, it seemed like he was deliberately avoiding the subject as if he wanted to pretend that person never existed.

'How much is hidden here? If Nicolas liked her, why didn't they end up together?' she wondered.

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