Skipped At The Altar, Taken By His Uncle novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23

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Whitney always got a little nervous whenever she was alone with Klein. She simply said, “Uncle Klein, order anything you want.”

Klein just raised an eyebrow and called the waiter over to make the order.

He ordered like he’d done this a hundred times before, picking out all of Whitney’s favorites.

“Let’s go easy tonight, something light and easy to digest. These are their signature dishes. Give them a try,” Klein said.

Whitney couldn’t help but be curious. “Uncle Klein, you haven’t been back in forever, and you still remember all their signature dishes?”

Whitney used to come here all the time. She loved this restaurant.

Klein smiled, “I used to come often enough.”

The wait for the food felt endless. Whitney kept glancing at her fingers, stared at the tablecloth, and finally ended up scrolling through her phone just to kill time.

“How long have you been at PrimeBridge Law Firm?” Klein asked out of the blue.

Whitney instantly sat up straight, like she’d just been busted by the teacher for texting in class. “I started interning at PrimeBridge as soon as I graduated.”

Whitney had always been a fast learner, skipping grades and finishing school way ahead of schedule.

She graduated from grad school by the age of 22, and this year marked her fourth year at PrimeBridge Law

Firm.

Once she hit her fifth year, she’d be qualified to go for the mid–level associate selection.

Klein nodded. “Back then, a lot of people got business just by pulling strings or relying on connections. But the first thing I did when I took over was put a stop to that.

“Relax. You want fair competition, huh? I’ll make sure you have it.”

Whitney felt a wave of relief and happiness wash over her. “Thank you, Uncle Klein.”

Whitney had no doubt he’d keep his word. If Klein promised something, he meant it. No way he’d ever fool

her.

As long as the case was with Prime Bridge, Ivan would always be the one to clinch it.

“Now that business is out of the way, how about we talk about something a little more personal?” Klein said.

Whitney’s heart did a little flip, and out of nowhere, she felt a jolt of anxiety.

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She let out a nervous chuckle. “Uncle Klein, what do you want to talk about?”

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Klein’s dark eyes grew even deeper. “You told Carter you want to break off the engagement today?”

“You heard that?” Whitney asked, surprised.

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Klein’s expression stayed unreadable. He just gave a calm nod. “Yeah, I caught it when I was passing by on my way to the restroom.”

Since he’d already heard, Whitney didn’t hide anything. “Yeah, I’m not planning to marry him anymore. I’ve already talked to Sabrina. She said James isn’t doing well, so he’ll probably need some time to come to terms with it.”

“Yeah, but your wedding’s only a few days away now,” Klein said.

Whitney nodded. “Yeah, just a few days left.”

After five years of persistence, she finally missed it in just these few days.

“You’ve really thought it through?” Klein asked.

Whitney met his gaze, her eyes steady. “I am.”

Klein replied, “Okay.”

Whitney looked at him curiously. “Uncle Klein, aren’t you going to try and talk me out of it?”

“He’s a Harris too, so why isn’t he saying anything to persuade me?‘ Whitney wondered.

Klein gave a subtle half–smile. “I respect your decision.”

His tone shifted. “But now that you and Carter have called off the engagement, you probably shouldn’t call me Uncle Klein anymore.”

Whitney’s eyes flickered, and her heart dropped.

His words stung, but she couldn’t deny the truth.

Klein lowered his gaze, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Just take me as your brother. I’m just a few years older than you, anyway.”

Whitney blinked, totally thrown off.

“Mr. Harris” was right on the tip of her tongue, but she bit it back at the last second.

“Brother? Are you serious?‘ Whitney thought. ‘You’re the same generation as my dad. Wouldn’t it be kind of disrespectful?‘

After a long pause, Whitney gave a stiff smile and looked up. Klein’s eyes were right there, so close that she could barely breathe.

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Chapter 23

They were so intense that it felt like they could stab right into her soul.

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Just when Whitney felt like something was choking her, his voice, laced with a smile, broke the silence.

“No rush. Take your time to get used to it. You can always change it later,” he said.

Whitney breathed a little easier, thinking, ‘Unless it’s necessary, I’m steering clear of solo dinners with this guy.‘

“Excuse me,” she said, then headed to the restroom.

Klein leaned back, cool as ever, watching Whitney practically flee the room in a panic. He complained inwardly, ‘There’s a restroom in the room, but she’d rather escape outside.

“Looks like I pushed too hard. The little rabbit nearly got scared off. I’ll have to take it slow with her.

*****

Whitney didn’t even know why she rushed out. She just felt like she couldn’t breathe in there. The atmosphere was way too suffocating.

However, the moment Tina walked in, she spotted Whitney in front of the sink right away.

“So it really was you just now?” Tina sneered, her tone full of irritation.

But Whitney was back to her usual calm, shooting Tina a mocking look. “What, you want to get something thrown at you again?”

At those words, Tina instinctively flinched, her neck twinging as if she could still feel the sting from before. She took a step back, like she was afraid Whitney might go for her again.

Whitney watched Tina jump like a startled bird, not even bothering to hide the smirk on her lips.

“Good, she’s finally scared of me. That’s exactly what I want. She needs to know I’m not someone she can mess with. She’d better stay out of my way,‘ Whitney thought.

Tina’s face turned red, her neck stiff as she snapped, “Whitney, don’t get too smug. Don’t think Carter will marry you, no matter what.

“And by the way, do you even know where Dad went yesterday?”

Whitney’s eyes narrowed, her patience wearing thin. “Just say what you want to say. Stop beating around the bush.”

Tina’s face flashed with triumph. “Heh, guess what? He went to the nursing home yesterday and brought Grandma back to stay with us.

“You’d better think twice from now on. With Grandma at home, you’d better watch how you treat us.”

“What?” Whitney’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Chapter 23

“Samuel actually went and brought Grandma back home?‘ Whitney thought, stunned.

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Her face flushed with anger, a spark of fury igniting in her chest. “Was it really Grandma’s choice to come home?”

“Of course. Old folks always want to come home. Do you really think you’re the only one who cares about Grandma? From now on, Mom and I will make sure she gets all the attention,” Tina sneered.

With a mix of threat and sarcasm, Whitney gave Tina a deadly glare, then spun around and stormed off.

She even made herself the main contact at the nursing home, but her father still found ways to mess with her

life.

When Whitney walked back into the private room, Klein noticed the fierce look still lingering in her eyes.

He raised his eyebrows, asking, “What happened?”

“Who did she run into to get this riled up?‘ Klein wondered.

Whitney forced a stiff smile. “Uncle Klein, sorry, but I can’t stay for dinner after all. Something’s come up at home, so I need to head back right away!”

Klein studied her, her expression unreadable. He nodded and said, “Alright. Do you need a ride?”

“Thanks, but I drove here. Uncle Klein, enjoy your meal. I’ll get going now,” Whitney said.

Klein didn’t bother correcting her this time. Instead, he just looked at the steaming soup he’d served for her, his smile calm and unruffled.

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