Dumping My Fiancé For His Uncle

Everything went quiet all of a sudden. People all kinda knew there was some drama going on between Thea and Jake, but no one had the full scoop. Thea's attitude now spoke louder than words.

Then, someone in the crowd couldn't help but snort, making the already weird vibe even weirder.

Thea wanted to see who it was. Turning her head, she noticed Nicolas chilling on a couch not too far off.

She blinked a few times, thinking back to that scene she stumbled upon in the restroom.

Jake's face was a mix of emotions, struggling to stay put. "Thea," he started, his voice suddenly all gentle. "About the other day. I swear I can explain. I actually-"

But before he could get it all out, the waitress holding a cake next to him dropped the plate. Crash! It hit the floor, and she was all over it like a scared rabbit, trying to clean up the mess, her eyes red even behind her mask. Jake's gaze quickly swept the scene, then froze. The tension built up in him as he reached out to grab the waitress's hand, only to let go real quick.

Thea, with a slight raise of her eyebrow and her arms crossed, glanced sideways. "Looks like Mr. Hendrix is a bit tied up with his own stuff right now. Maybe we should save this chat for later, once he's sorted his things out?"

Madelyn, tears starting to form, kept her gaze down. "I'm so sorry, Jake. I didn't mean to barge in like this. I'm just really worried about you. I wanted to apologize to Miss Rowland in person. I really don't want to be the reason you two split up." Jake was heartbroken. "Madelyn, you don't have to do this."

Ivy's face was a mix of colors as she glared at Madelyn, her eyes filled with hatred and disgust.

Despite Thea's fiery temper, Thea was still her daughter. The alliance with the Hendrix family was too good to pass up, and it would be a real bummer if Madelyn messed it up.

Unable to stomach Jake and Madelyn flaunting their relationship any longer, Thea turned to leave, only to have her wrist caught in a sudden grip.

Madelyn spoke with a hint of apology in her voice. "Miss Rowland, I swear I didn't show up to cause trouble. You've got it all-looks, a great family. I get it. I'm not in the same league. I messed up and am willing to make it right, even if it means kneeling. Can you please forgive Jake?" Jake's eyes were visibly wet. "Madelyn, you don't need to degrade yourself like this. Get up!"

But Madelyn was stubborn, feigning weakness while gripping Thea's wrist tightly.

Thea couldn't help but smirk a little. "Who said anything about keeping you two apart? Ease up on the drama. Let go."

Thea wasn't pushing. She was just trying to pull her hand back.

But then, Madelyn suddenly yelped, almost like she lost her balance, and ended up tripping over the table's corner. To anyone watching, it looked like Thea had pushed her.

The champagne tower on the table started shaking, and then it all came tumbling down on Madelyn.

Thea caught a quick sparkle of smugness in Madelyn's eyes. Without missing a beat, she stepped in and yanked Madelyn towards her.

This time, Madelyn managed to avoid the champagne tower but actually ended up falling for real. Just as she was about to make a big scene, she noticed the crowd was totally stunned.

The champagne tower crashed to the floor, drenching Nicolas' pricey suit.

Everything went quiet for a brief moment, and then Ivy, with her eyes wide, called out, "What are you standing around for? Check if Mr. Hendrix is okay!"

She then zipped around in her high heels, shooting Madelyn a sharp glance as she passed her. The room was buzzing with tension, and everyone was nervous.

Madelyn turned pale, looking totally freaked out and confused. She glanced back at Thea with tears welling up, but before she could say anything, Thea beat her to it.

"Miss Terell, why are you always causing a mess? If I hadn't been quick to stop you just now, you could've been caught in that mess yourself. And with Mr. Hendrix being the star of the show today, can you imagine if he got hurt?" she said. Madelyn was struggling, tears streaming down her face. Jake quietly stepped in front of her, shielding her from Thea's gaze, clearly annoyed.

"It's Madelyn's first time at something like this. She's out of her depth, and instead of making her feel welcome, you're just piling on. Thea, if you've got beef, take it up with me. Don't make it hard for Madelyn," Jake said.

"If she really wanted to stir the pot, Miss Rowland would have shown her the door already," came a calm, deep voice.

Nicolas brushed off the towel a waiter had offered him and shot Jake a frosty look.

"Showing up as guests and then throwing shade at the host because your friend can't handle the scene? Is that the kind of stuff your dad taught you? That's pretty low," Nicolas scolded.

The last words hit Jake like a slap in the face. Everyone around was so stressed out by Nicolas's intensity that it was hard to breathe.

Nicolas was known for sticking to rules like his life depended on it, super strict. His annoyance at Jake's disgraceful behavior led to Jake getting publicly called out.

Ivy, trying to lighten the mood, cracked a smile and said, "Mr. Hendrix, we've got your dressing room ready. Why don't you head over and get changed?"

"Sounds good," Nicolas agreed, then glanced over at Thea, who was still caught up in the scene unfolding. "Miss Rowland, after you," he said, with a hint of a smile.

Thea was taken aback, musing, 'He wants me to show the way?' Awkwardly, she moved forward, politely gesturing for Nicolas to follow.

As she led him to the dressing room, Thea was about to shut the door behind her and leave. But then, Nicolas called out to her unexpectedly. "Miss Rowland, can we talk for a second?" Thea's hand trembled a bit as she turned around. With a little nod, she stepped back into the room and softly closed the door, feeling like a kid about to get a talking-to from a teacher. "Mr. Hendrix, I'm really sorry about stumbling into that situation in the restroom. And don't worry, my lips are sealed," she said.

Nicolas gave her a look, his deep eyes flicking through a storm of emotions she couldn't read, and his lips twitched slightly. "Mr. Hendrix? What's with the formalities all of a sudden?" he asked.

Caught off guard, Thea looked up and replied, a bit unsure, "Well, I've been doing some thinking. And I don't think Jake and I are a good match after all. So, calling off the wedding seems like the best move for both of us." "Eight years," Nicolas said as he settled into his chair, a shadow cast by his long, dark lashes. His voice had a teasing edge, or maybe it was just light-hearted.

"Do you think it's that easy to just drop an eight-year relationship? Besides, you know a marriage between the Rowlands and the Hendrixes isn't something you can simply walk away from," he said, half reminding, half warning her. Thea was just about to say something when she spotted a dark red mark on Nicolas' wrist.

"Mr. Hendrix, are you hurt?" she asked, quickly grabbing the medical kit nearby.

She then crouched down, taking Nicolas' hand in hers with a concerned look, revealing a scar on his arm as she pushed his sleeve up. It wasn't too deep but still noticeable. Efficiently, she began to treat his wound.

Nicolas gave her a look, his eyes dim and seemingly empty of any emotion. "You know how to do this?" he asked.

"Yeah, I had to pick up a few first aid tricks while living abroad by myself. Can't really survive otherwise," she replied.

His hands were noticeably pale and well-cared-for, his knuckles well-defined. The slight protrusion of veins on his arms added an unexpected hint of allure.

Thea found herself momentarily distracted by his appearance as she tended to his wound. It was only when their hands accidentally touched that she snapped back to reality.

"Oh, sorry!" she blurted out, her cheeks coloring as she started to pull away. But before she could, Nicolas caught her wrist, holding her in place.