Trading My Ex for His Uncle

"I'm not doing anything special. What's up? Aren't you supposed to be in a business meeting? How do you have time to call me?" Valarie asked.

Brandon replied, "It's all taken care of. My flight is tonight. Want to meet up?" Valarie raised an eyebrow. "What time will you be back in Saintornia?"

"A little after 11:00 p.m.," Brandon answered.

Valarie shook her head. "That's too late. You've been on a business trip for almost a week. You should just go home and rest."

Brandon chuckled. "But I really want to see you. How about this? I'll have my driver stop by your place. We can see each other briefly, and then I'll head home. Sound good?"

Valarie considered it. His route home would pass by her neighborhood anyway. "Alright. Just call me when you're close. I'm about to have dinner, so I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Okay," Brandon replied.

After hanging up, Valarie entered the restaurant.

Stefan had reserved a private dining room, and by the time she arrived, he was already inside.

They hadn't seen each other in half a month. He looked thinner and more tanned than before.

The moment Stefan saw Valarie, his previously dull eyes lit up, and a smile tugged at his lips. "You're here, Veevee."

"Yeah." Valarie sat down across from him. "How have you been?"

"I'm alright. Oh, where's your boyfriend? Why didn't he come with you?" Stefan asked.

"He's on a business trip," Valarie answered.

Something flickered in Stefan's eyes. "I see. Well, I ordered a couple of dishes before you got here. Take a look and add anything you want."

Valarie took the menu he handed her, skimmed through it, and added a soup. "It's just the two of us. Two dishes and a soup are plenty. By the way, why did you book a private room?"

"Because I wanted to spend time with you without any interruptions," Stefan said.

Valarie pressed her lips together but didn't respond. She didn't know what to say. "Stefan, I've been meaning to apologize to you. At first, I tried to develop feelings for you, but I realized I just don't feel that way. I'm sorry."

A heavy silence filled the room after her words.

Stefan forced a bitter smile. "I know. I never blamed you."

"You'll meet someone who's right for you someday," Valarie said.

"Yeah," Stefan muttered.

They exchanged small talk, and soon, the food arrived.

Throughout the meal, Brandon kept messaging Valarie.

Each time she picked up her phone to reply, Stefan felt a pang of disappointment. It was

clear-Valarie really liked Brandon. Otherwise, she wouldn't be texting him even during dinner.

Halfway through the meal, Valarie suddenly felt her vision blur.

At first, she thought she was imagining it. She blinked a few times, but the

dizziness only intensified.

As realization struck, everything went dark.

Her phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, still lit up with her chat with Brandon.

Stefan stood, picked up her phone, and quickly typed a reply.noveldrama

Valarie: [I'm busy right now. Let's talk later tonight.]

Then, he exited the chat.

An hour later, Stefan arrived at an abandoned chemical plant on the outskirts of Saintornia, carrying the unconscious Valarie with him.

Michelle was already there, waiting.

Seeing Valarie unconscious, she smirked. "Wow, Stefan, I have to admit, didn't think you'd actually go through with it. I thought you might have fallen for her after spending all that time together."

Stefan's face remained cold. "I'm not in the mood for your nonsense. Where's my mom?"

"She's at Saintornia Sekond Hospital,

in the inpatient department, Building

1, ninth floor. But are you sure yout

want to transfer her back to Pinnacle Hospital? If she stays at the current hospital, the Snowdens will cover all the medical expenses."