Owned By My Ex-Fiancé’s Uncle

03: Meeting Aiden's Uncle

STEFAN’S POV

"GOOD MORNING, Doc!" A nurse greeted me with a smile from where she stood at the nurse's station. I approached her to check the records of my patients. Inigo had been my constant companion for several days, so I hadn't been able to spend much time at the hospital.

"The lab results, please?" I requested the necessary records from her.

"Here you go, Doc," she said, handing me the lab records. I looked at them and started reading.

"Is James still running a fever?" I inquired while referring to the child in Room 205, all the while continuing to review the day's lab results.

"No, Doc. According to his mother, he hasn't had a fever for almost 2 days, and he's been eating better. She's asking if they can be discharged tomorrow," she replied.

"Well, let's see. If he doesn't develop a fever by tomorrow morning, I'll go ahead and provide them with a discharge clearance," I stated.

"Also, Doc, Anderson in Room 209 is requesting a second opinion before they decide to discharge their child," she added. I raised an eyebrow in response.

"Have the opinions of the four doctors here at Sanders Medical Hospital not been sufficient for them?" I asked with a hint of frustration. "But anyway, it's their right, so if they still want to hear from another doctor, I'll grant them a discharge clearance."

"I already told them that, Doc, but they really want to get a second opinion from a different hospital first."

"Alright, give me their discharge form, and I'll sign it. If they don't want to stay at Sanders Medical Hospital, there's not much we can do," I replied.

"They're worried about the expenses here, Doc," she explained.

"But we have a charity ward here; they won't need to pay anything there. All they have to do is trust our doctors and the procedures," I calmly said, although I felt disappointed inside. "Anyway, it's their choice."

After signing the discharge form, my cellphone rang. I couldn't help but sigh when I saw that it was River calling.

"What is it now?" I asked with a headache.

"Inigo is inviting us for a drink again!" he said right away.

"What's his problem this time?"

"He wants us to go to Aberdeen because he can't leave work right now. You know how it is when he misses Hera."

"You guys go ahead. Please tell Inigo that I might not make it today. I am really planning to go to Aberdeen, but there's a family gathering with Mom, so I can't skip it. I'm sure she will not talk to me for a month if I don't make it," I explained to River.

"Okay, I understand," River replied.

"But if it finishes early, I'll catch up with you."

"Alright, I'll let him know. He only told me because he couldn't reach you."

"Okay. Just give me a call wherever you end up," I said before ending the call.

It wasn't easy for me to start at that hospital. I had to provide numerous explanations to Dad, but I received unwavering support from Mom. Right from the beginning, Dad wanted me to become a búsinessman rather than a doctor, but it was thanks to Mom that I was able to pursue my dream. However, that hospital wasn't my own; it was a corporation. I held all the authority and power because I knew what needed to be done in the hospital.

My peers thought it wasn't difficult for me to establish my own hospital because of my family's wealth, but that was a huge misconception. They didn't know how challenging it was for me to prove to Dad that this was truly my dream and what I wanted. All things may seem well, but as they say, nothing in this world comes easy.

SERENE’S POV

It's been two days since Alison and I had a fight, but she still hasn't spoken to me. As expected, I'm the one who will have to approach her because she won't lower her pride for me.

I walked into the dining area and saw her in the living room, reading a book. I sighed and took a step closer to her.

"Hi, Ali, can I talk to you?" I asked softly. As I expected, she didn't even bother to look at me. "Yeah, I know you're still upset with me, but please, can you talk to me? Okay, I'm sorry, it's my fault," I said, and she finally looked at me, so I smiled. I knew that all she was waiting for was my apology.

"Just because I looked at you, do you think everything's okay now? I'm still mad at you for what you did. I was embarrassed in front of your designers!" she retorted. But I knew she just needed a little affection, so I stood up, walked over to her, and hugged her from behind where she was seated.

"I'm sorry, Ali. Okay, that won't happen again, I promise."

"Okay, apology accepted," she said quickly.

That's all she wanted—to make things right between us. I've known her temperament since we were kids.

"Thank you," I said with a smile, and I kissed her on the head before returning to my seat. "Anyway, Ali, I am planning to put up a branch in Warlington. I received an offer, and I want you to manage that branch. You'll have full authority, I won't interfere, and you can hire your own team there." I saw her eyes light up as I said that.

"Okay, Serene, I'm willing to take that offer," she said with a smile. Then she looked at me from head to toe. "Wait, don't tell me you have plans? It's Saturday today, you also need to rest. You don't want to look haggard on your wedding day."

"Yeah, I'm going somewhere, but it's not about the wedding. Aiden and I are attending their family gathering today, and we need to officially announce the wedding," I explained.

"I see. Okay, take care, and give my regards to him," she said before returning her attention to her reading.

"Uhm, Ali." I hesitated and called her name again. She looked at me, curious.

"Is there something you want to say?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just wanted to ask if, when I was in Paris, Aiden still came here."

She furrowed her brow at my question. "He didn't come often, only for special occasions. Why? Is there a problem?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you noticed anything different about him before."

"Nothing, and besides, we are not that close. He is so boring!" She even rolled her eyes. "You know what, Serene, if there's any problem, spill it! I might help," she said, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, it's nothing. I guess I'm just adjusting," I said and then stood up. "Alright, I need to prepare for the gathering so that when Aiden arrives later, we can leave."

"Okay, enjoy!" she said, and I turned away.

I couldn't get the memory of hearing a woman's voice that Aiden said was his boss's daughter and his reaction out of my head. Something felt off about it.

I was just finishing up what I was working on when Aiden arrived.

"Hi, babe!" He greeted me, then kissed my cheek. "Let's go?"

"Let's go," I said with a forced smile. I didn't know how to get the recent incident out of my mind so I could treat him normally.

While we were on our way, I remained silent, waiting for him to bring it up.

"Is there any problem, babe? Do you have any problems with our wedding preparations?" he asked.

"No, nothing. I guess I'm just tired from all the wedding preparations," I replied. It had only been two days, but I felt drained from all the meetings with wedding suppliers. I had hired a wedding organizer, but I wanted to be hands-on because it was our wedding.

"Anyway, I asked for leave on the day of our wedding, and my boss approved it."

"Do you mean just on the day of the wedding?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, they didn't allow me to take a week off before. It's a bit strict right now because we have a lot to finish," he explained, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"Aiden, can I ask you a favor?" I asked seriously, and he looked at me with curiosity.

"What is it?"

"Can you resign from your job after the wedding? You can help me with my Pristine Panache."

"Hell, no, Serene! That's not possible. What will my relatives say? I depend on your money. It's not an option for me; I can provide for our needs, and I won't leave my job," he firmly rejected.

"But what are your plans after the wedding? Can't you even take time off for the honeymoon?" I asked.

"Well, I am working on that matter," he replied simply, parking in front of an event place. "We're here," he said, and he was the first to get out of the car.

I was waiting for him to open the door for me, but it seemed he had no intention of doing so. I had no choice but to get out of the car and follow him.

He stopped to wait for me, but before we entered the event venue, he paused.

"The Sanders family is here," he said in an annoyed tone, causing me to raise an eyebrow and look at what he was staring at.

"Oh, Aiden, you're already here," one of his aunts said, greeting him with a cheerful smile.

"Good afternoon!" I greeted them politely.

"Aiden is here. I think we can start now," Aiden's mom said.

"No, wait, Stefan isn't here yet. He's on his way, so let's wait for him."

"So, that arrogant guy is coming," I overheard Aiden mutter.

"Why, babe? Who is he?" I couldn't help but ask because I could see his unease.

"My uncle, but he's only ten years older than us. He's my mom's cousin, which is why I call him uncle. His mom, who is my grandma's sister, got married early, and that's how he became my uncle."

"I see. Do you have a problem with him?"

"Not really. I just find him arrogant because he comes from a wealthy family. They're just here to show off."

"Oh, here he is," Aiden's aunt happily announced, so I looked at the approaching man.

It felt like my world stopped when our eyes met. In all my life, I have never seen a man as handsome as him. It was unmistakable that he came from a wealthy family, judging by his skin and posture.

"Hey, Serene!" Aiden grabbed my attention, so I looked back at him. "Let's go eat first; I'm sure his cousins will create a commotion again."

I had no choice but to follow what Aiden said, even though I felt it might be rude to eat right away while others were still having fun.

After getting our food, we sat at an empty table. Just as we sat down, Aiden's phone rang. He quickly checked it, and I couldn't help but wonder about his reaction.

"Why? Who's that?" I asked inquisitively, trying to look at the screen, but he turned it away from me.

"It's nothing. It's just my boss. Wait, I'll just talk to him," he said, swiftly standing up to move away.

That's when I got even more puzzled. Why did he need to move away to speak to his boss?

I don't know what compelled me, but I silently followed him.

"Hey, what is it?" I heard Aiden's voice, and he sounded angry. It was strange that he was getting angry if it was just his boss.

I moved closer to hear better.

"Are you going crazy? I'm with Serene, why are you telling me to meet you?" His voice grew louder, and I couldn't help but feel nervous. "I will talk to you later, okay? So can you please not call me right now?"

As soon as he said that, I quickly turned away to distance myself in case he saw me. However, as I turned, I didn't expect to bump into someone. Before I could stumble, he grabbed me swiftly and pulled me into a hug. He held me so tightly that it surprised me. He's Aiden's estranged uncle.

"What's this búllshit?" Aiden yelled angrily.