Skipped At The Altar, Taken By His Uncle novel Chapter 22

Whitney had driven herself today, just in case things got awkward and she needed to make a quick escape.

But as soon as she pulled out of Harris Manor, she suddenly remembered–she’d actually meant to ask Klein about the contract today.

It was like taking a shortcut, but all she wanted was a fair and equal chance to compete.

Whitney pulled over, opened her phone, and tapped on the chat window with Klein.

Whitney: [Uncle Klein, will you stay at Harris Manor tonight?]

She thought he wouldn’t reply so fast, but to her surprise, his message popped up almost instantly.

Klein: [What’s up? Are you waiting for me to leave together?]

Whitney stared at the short message on her screen, feeling her cheeks flush for no reason.

“Uncle Klein always seems so proper, but whenever I chat with him, his tone is always so… flirty,‘ she thought.

She wasn’t sure if she was just imagining it, but there was this subtle, almost teasing vibe in his words.

Whitney sat in her car, couldn’t see Klein at all, but she still found herself sitting up straighter.

Whitney: [No, I’ve already left. If you’re okay with a talk, I’ll wait for you at the intersection.]

Waiting felt endless. After a minute, he finally replied: [Sure.]

*****In the study, Klein traced his thumb over the screen with a smile.

He rose at a leisurely pace and said, “Dad, Carter, I’ve got something to handle, so I’ll leave.”

James and George stared at him, caught off guard. James blinked in surprise. “Didn’t we agree you’d stay the night?”

Klein gave a faint smile. “Sorry, Dad, I can’t tonight. I forgot to feed my rabbit. Gotta head back and take care of it.”

He left them standing there, and James and George exchanged a bewildered look.

James asked, “When did he get a rabbit?”

George shook his head. “No idea.”

James let out a sigh. “Make sure to invite Klein back more often. Don’t let him grow distant from the family.”

Ever since Klein came back to the country, James couldn’t help but feel that things just weren’t the same between them anymore. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was definitely different.

20:00 Mon, May 4

Chapter 22

When James came downstairs and didn’t see Whitney, he asked, “Where’s Whitney?”

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Sabrina gave an awkward smile. “Whitney said she’s swamped with work and had to rush back to the office, so she left already. She asked me to tell you she’ll come visit next time.”

James sighed again, then shot Carter a glare.

Carter stood off to the side in silence, but James didn’t say anything more.

Just then, George called Carter into the study.

“Carter, what on earth happened between you and Whitney? How did things get to the point? You’re talking about calling off the engagement?” George asked.

George just couldn’t wrap his head around it, but he just assumed his son must’ve messed up somehow.

Carter was quiet for a moment, then he spoke up, “Dad, I didn’t do anything. She’s just been acting really weird lately.”

“The wedding is just a little over a week away. There’s no way we’re actually canceling it now. I don’t care how you do it, but you have to win her back before then,” George insisted.

“You saw how your grandpa treated Milly today. If you really break off the engagement, how is Milly supposed to hold her head up in this family?” George pressed.

“Just the other day, he even talked about setting Emily up for marriage,” George continued.

Carter’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Grandpa wants to arrange a marriage for Emily? Absolutely not.”

George’s gaze sharpened. “Why not? Everything we do is for the sake of the Harris family. No one can be the exception.”

Carter clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead throbbing. “I see, Dad. I’ll marry Whitney.”

With his son’s assurance, George finally felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

He decided he’d better pay a visit to Whitney’s family tomorrow. If anything blew up on the wedding day, it would be a real mess.

****

Whitney parked by the curb, humming a random tune, when she suddenly spotted that familiar license plate -GHOST–coming into view.

She hopped out and waved at Klein in his car, and Klein pulled up right in front of her.

“Uncle Klein,” Whitney called out, her voice bright and cheerful, clearly happy to see him.

Klein couldn’t help but let out an amused smile, thinking, ‘Just a minute ago, she was dodging me. Now, she’s the one coming over?‘

20:00 Mon, May 4

Chapter 22

He kept his expression neutral, rolled down the window, and motioned for her to get in.

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Whitney had actually wanted him to get out and talk, but the intimate, enclosed space of the car made her feel a bit uneasy.

But they were still close to Harris Manor, and if anyone saw them standing by the side of the road talking, it really wouldn’t look good.

Klein looked pretty pleased. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Did you wait here just for me?”

Instead of answering his question, Whitney said, “Uncle Klein, I wanted to talk to you about the agency contract between PrimeBridge Law Firm and the Harris family.”

The moment she said that, Klein frowned. “So you waited here just to talk business with me?”

“Yeah, Uncle Klein, I’m not asking you to give me any special treatment. I just hope my boss, Ivan, gets a fair chance to compete,” Whitney explained.

“From what you’re saying, is someone treating him unfairly right now?” Klein asked.

Whitney paused, suddenly realizing she might’ve come off a little too eager.

She explained, “No, that’s not what I meant.”

Whitney had no idea how to explain the whole thing between Ivan and Hector. She simply said, “Uncle Klein, don’t get the wrong idea.”

Klein’s dark eyes lifted with casual indifference, and his gaze lingered on her rosy lips. He swallowed, almost unconsciously. “Did you have enough at dinner?”

“What?” Whitney blinked, caught off guard.

Klein looked away, his tone light. “Did you have enough at dinner? If not, care to grab something with me?”

His question made Whitney realize she hadn’t really had much for dinner and was actually feeling a bit hungry.

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