Dumping My Fiancé For His Uncle

"Hey, officer. We have a serious situation involving attempted drugging and rape. Can you come check it out?" Thea's voice was steady. After hanging up, she noticed Emmalie nervously clutching her dress. If they were going to take this seriously, she would play along. The Rowland family's welcome party had turned into a complete disaster.

The police approached Thea. "We understand the basics, but since the suspects are all pointing fingers at you, we need you to come to the station to help with our investigation." The Rowland family members had already left, not wanting to be tied to this mess.

Jake looked like he wanted to say something to Thea, but Madelyn started swaying again. Without hesitation, Jake scooped her up in his arms and walked away, leaving Thea behind. In the night breeze, Thea's silhouette seemed lonely and cold.

As Nicolas watched the police car drive off, he looked away from the window and rolled it up. He absentmindedly fiddled with his watch, staring into space, his thoughts unreadable. Darwin cleared his throat and said to the driver, "Let's hold off on going back to Belcrane Villa for now."

*****

At the police station, the lawyer hired by the Hendrix family said, "Miss Rowland, I've been informed about the situation. My advice is simple - compensation and an apology.

"The Hendrix family will pay, and you'll apologize. Then we can move on. Don't worry; I'll ensure your apology stays private."

He then adopted a haughty tone. "The Hendrix family believes that if you let this blow over, the marriage between the Hendrix and Rowland families will still happen."

Max, who seemed to have been waiting for this, visibly relaxed. He smiled and said, "I knew Jake was reasonable. Please pass on our apologies to him." He then gave Thea a pointed look, urging her to accept. "No," Thea replied, her hair slightly messy but her head held high, her neck long and elegant. "I won't apologize. Let the police investigate and clear my name."

Everyone's expressions changed.

Frustrated, Max slammed his hand on the table. "Thea, can you please stop making a scene? So many people saw what happened today. You might not care about your reputation, but the Rowland family does." Duncan scoffed, "She's just been spoiled at home. If it were Emmalie, she wouldn't be causing us all this trouble."

Thea let out a bitter laugh to herself. She was definitely not like Emmalie, who would stoop to any low to ruin her.

The Hendrix family's lawyer narrowed his eyes threateningly. "If you refuse to apologize, the Hendrix family won't bail you out. We'll also press charges against you for hiring someone to attack Madelyn." Thea's heart sank. Jake was truly ruthless, not even pretending anymore.

As long as he stood firm, the Rowland family wouldn't dare come to her aid. She could end up spending the rest of her life in prison.

Thea let out a cold laugh, lifting her chin defiantly. "But I didn't do anything, and I won't apologize. If you want me to continue with the engagement, I have one condition - give me the security footage from today." Max's expression shifted. "Jake already took the footage. He said if you keep causing trouble, he won't hesitate to make it public."

Thea's gaze hardened, her heart growing colder. "So none of you believe me, right? Not one of you even bothered to look at the footage, huh?"

Duncan replied impatiently, "Why would we? It's embarrassing enough as it is. Not making it public is for your own good. We're all worried sick about this mess, and here you are, still stirring things up. It's frustrating." Thea suddenly felt exhausted. "If that's how it is, you can all leave. I don't need you to bail me out, and you don't need to waste your energy trying to force me."

Everyone's expressions changed. The Hendrix family's lawyer was the first to leave, muttering, "Ungrateful brat."

The Rowland family members started jeering. "Let's see how long you can keep this up. You'll come crawling back to us to clean up your mess."

Thea's pale, chapped lips twitched. She silently vowed that even if she died here today, she would never let anyone control her again.

After what felt like an eternity in her daze, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

"Thea, you're free to go. Someone's here to bail you out," an officer said.

Thea ran through everyone she could think of, but she couldn't guess who it might be.

At the police station entrance, a Pagani was parked by the curb, with a tall figure standing beside it.

The man was backlit, the shadows highlighting his profile, his eyelashes casting shadows beneath his eyes.

His cool demeanor and stern expression made him seem even sharper. His cold, dignified presence contrasted sharply with Thea's disheveled appearance. Thea was momentarily stunned. "Nicolas?" she called out in surprise.

Realizing that might not be appropriate, she quickly corrected herself, "Mr. Hendrix."

"Yeah." Nicolas nodded slightly. "Get in the car."

Thea felt uneasy but obediently climbed in. She hadn't interacted much with this powerful head of the Hendrix family.

After all, Nicolas spent most of his time abroad managing their overseas markets. Their few meetings were limited to family dinners.

In Thea's mind, Nicolas was a golden boy, a business legend who, even in his thirties, exuded charisma and had never been involved in a scandal.

Jake both feared and resented Nicolas. Whenever he brought up Nicolas's achievements, his tone dripped with envy. With Nicolas around, Jake would never be the Hendrix family heir.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Thea was lost in thought, and her heart raced. 'I embarrassed the Hendrix family in front of everyone. Nicolas probably won't let me off easy. Even if he bailed me out, he's likely planning to confront me afterward,' she thought. Just as panic set in, she heard Nicolas's clear, cool voice. "The Hendrix family owes you for this incident. What kind of compensation would you like?"

"Huh?" Thea thought she must have misheard.

Nicolas turned slightly to look at her, his deep, calm eyes both alluring and intimidating. "I know everything about Jake's situation. The Hendrix family will make this right. I promise that woman won't be around him anymore." Thea snapped out of her shock. She suddenly understood what he meant.

The Hendrix family wasn't foolish; she was still the Rowland family's daughter. Even if she wasn't favored, she was better than Madelyn, who had no background or status.

Madelyn's family and education were mediocre; she wouldn't even qualify as a maid in the Hendrix family house. If Jake really married her, it would be a laughingstock for the Hendrix family.

Rationally, Thea should agree to this, continuing to secure the Hendrix family connection for the Rowland family. But...