Chapter 96

"It's great to see you again, Bella! I must admit, I was quite taken aback when you mentioned that you urgently needed to meet with me. I sincerely hope that everything is fine and there are no pressing issues," he said in a calm manner.

Sitting across from me was none other than Uncle Martin, a figure with an air of mystery surrounding him. Without wasting a single moment, I promptly contacted him and requested his presence. Initially, he displayed some hesitation, but when I mentioned Austin's name as a persuasive factor, he swiftly acquiesced and wasted no time in joining us.

"You don't have to put up a facade of pleasantness now that Austin isn't around," I remarked, hinting at a sense of skepticism in my tone.

"Well, if that's the case, why am I even here?" he asked sternly, his voice dripping with rudeness and annoyance.

I couldn't help but cringe at the sound of his voice. In response to his question, I mustered up the courage to answer, "I called you here because there seems t