It's Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle
Chapter 52: The First Move

Chapter 52: The First Move

Hearing her grandchild say that Kyra was craving sushi today, Jane was a little surprised and disappointed. After all, she had prepared this dish with great effort.

The herbal steamed chicken took a long time to make, so Jane had started early in the morning to ensure the meat was tender. While making it, she had been eagerly anticipating Kyra’s reaction. Unfortunately, it turned out Kyra wasn’t in the mood to eat her food.

Even so, Jane didn’t want to make a fuss over something so trivial and simply said, "In that case, we can store this in the fridge for now and heat it up for dinner. How does that sound?"

Kyra pressed her lips together, feeling truly guilty toward Jane. She knew the herbal steamed chicken required a lot of time to prepare. James really shouldn’t have said anything! After all, sushi could be refrigerated more easily than Jane’s dish.

Kyra gave Jane a reassuring smile. "No need, Grandma. I’ll eat the food you made first. We can save the sushi for later."

"Are you sure? Aren’t you craving sushi?" Jane asked, raising one eyebrow. Although she appreciated Kyra’s consideration of her feelings and effort, objectively speaking, it was her own fault for not informing Kyra beforehand and going ahead with the preparation.

Kyra finally let out a small laugh and joked, "Oh, no, Grandma. It’s just because Uncle asked, so I mentioned sushi. I mean, it’s not every day someone offers to treat me, right?"

Kyra winced internally as she said the word "Uncle." The irony was hard to ignore. It was a term she hated most, yet it was also what had saved her in this situation.

She quickly glanced toward James to see his reaction. She expected him to give her a playful and teasing look, but instead, she saw a hostile glare directed at Creighton.

Taken aback, her eyes darted back and forth between the two men, her brows furrowed in confusion. Jane, who noticed Kyra’s puzzled expression, immediately realized something was off between her grandson and her husband. Seeing the two silently glaring at each other, Jane suddenly felt uneasy.

She patted her husband on the shoulder and asked, "What’s wrong with you? Why are you glaring like that in front of the kids?"

Startled by the pat, Creighton snapped out of his hostile demeanor. His expression quickly softened into a friendly one as he looked at Kyra and his wife.

"Oh, it’s nothing," Creighton said casually, laughing as he ruffled James’s hair. "It’s just men being men. This boy here was being cheeky, staring at me like I was intruding on his time with his niece."

James continued to glare sharply at his grandfather even as his head was being ruffled, but the next second, he turned his face away, his expression reverting to indifference.

With a faint laugh, James replied, "Who’s glaring at Grandpa like that? I’m just acting normal. After all, Kyra can also be considered your grandchild, right?"

However, the old man, who immediately caught the implied meaning behind James’s words, corrected his grandson’s statement with emphasis, "Can be considered my grandchild? Kyra is my grandchild, isn’t she?"

For a brief moment, his gaze darted sharply toward James before he smiled warmly at Kyra. Meanwhile, Kyra looked at her grandfather curiously. Had she misheard, or had Creighton just put extra emphasis on the word "grandchild"?

She glanced at James questioningly, but he only smiled and gently patted her head, as if to reassure her that everything was fine. Still, suspicion had already taken root in Kyra’s heart. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the two of them were hiding something.

Their behavior seemed odd. Even though they were trying to act casual, she could sense an occasional wave of hostility between them.

A bad feeling loomed over Kyra. Could it be that Grandpa knows about our relationship and disapproves?

But if that were true, James would have immediately warned her. Still, there was no other logical explanation. For now, all Kyra could do was go along with the conversation.

"Of course, I’m your granddaughter. Whose granddaughter would I be otherwise?" Kyra chuckled lightly, her expression showing no hint of suspicion.

Yet in the next moment, she caught Creighton’s serious gaze directed at her, one eyebrow raised. There was a subtle warning in his look. Kyra’s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt exposed, as though every secret she had was laid bare. Her expression somewhat wavered.

Before the situation could grow more awkward, Jane unknowingly broke the tension. Hugging Kyra enthusiastically, she said, "That’s right! You’re Grandpa’s and Grandma’s granddaughter! Oh, my sweet girl, why are you so adorable?"

Kyra, whose head was being patted and cheeks pinched by Jane, resigned herself to the doting treatment. She was even grateful that Jane had unintentionally helped her escape the awkward moment. Thinking it over, she couldn’t help but frown again.

Beside her, James had already noticed that his girlfriend must have figured out something was amiss. To distract her, he poked her cheek lightly.

"Let’s eat first. You probably haven’t eaten since this morning," James said, to which Kyra nodded. Jane began tidying up the dining utensils on the table and moved the sushi James had bought into the fridge.

Kyra cast a quick glance at Creighton. But when she saw that her grandfather’s expression was still sour, she immediately averted her gaze and willingly helped Jane.

With the two women preoccupied, James approached his grandfather. In a low voice only the two of them could hear, he whispered, "Can’t you hold back, Grandpa? Do you really have to pick a fight here?"

Irritated, Creighton turned to him and retorted, "I should be asking you—can’t you hold back? Must you insist on engaging in such indecent behavior?"

James, however, wasn’t offended. His expression remained unchanged—calm and impassive from the start. This unwavering composure made it even harder for Creighton to read his grandson’s mind. As a result, Creighton had resorted to another tactic just now: intimidating Kyra.

If they had truly crossed a line, Kyra’s expressions would give her away. After all, women often became flustered when it came to intimate matters, making her the most effective target. But Kyra hadn’t revealed anything significant. She only seemed confused and nervous under his gaze.

"Haven’t I already promised you?" James replied evenly. Though internally, he scoffed sarcastically. "I agreed to keep my distance and continue treating her like a niece, as usual. You were the one who told me not to avoid her completely, since that would raise suspicion. I’m only following your orders, Grandpa."

Creighton pursed his lips. It was true—he had said that. Yet, for some reason, he felt as if he would soon regret his own words. He found himself unable to trust James’s assurances.

The main reason for his doubt was simple: as a man himself, Creighton could see that James’ approach towards Kyra was no longer that of an uncle toward a niece. There was a romantic implication behind it. Whether this was his own paranoia or the reality, he wasn’t certain.

Before he could respond to James, Jane and Kyra had called the two men to join them at the dining table. James happily walked over to Kyra and Jane, unabashedly sitting next to Kyra. Seeing this, Creighton grew even more irritated and uneasy.

In the end, the old man kept silent and ate, though he couldn’t taste anything. His eyes stayed glued to Kyra and James. If it weren’t for recent events, Creighton might not have been suspicious at all.

But James’s remarks and Kyra’s scandal had planted doubts in his mind. Ultimately, his plan seemed to be the best course of action. A flash of determination glimmered in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Kyra and James, unaware of Creighton’s shifting gaze, continued chatting with Jane as usual. Not long after, they finished their meal and left the VIP room without further incident.

James also left to avoid drawing more of Creighton’s suspicion. He headed to the reception desk to handle the procedures for Kyra’s discharge the next day, only relaxing once Creighton was out of sight.

Thereafter, he immediately pulled his phone from his pocket and called Orlando. Before the second ring, his friend had already picked up.

"What’s up?" Orlando’s voice was slightly irritated, as he had just woken up. He’d been out drinking wine with the others last night.

"That old man seems to be planning something," James said, sounding a little annoyed as he massaged his temples.

"Huh? You mean your grandfather, Creighton?" Orlando, still groggy, sounded confused.

"Yeah," James sighed deeply. "It’s partly my fault for not controlling myself. The old man almost caught us in an intimate position at the hospital."

Orlando immediately snapped awake, nearly choking on his own breath. "What the hell, man! Are you so horny because you’ve been holding it in for a long time? So, what happened next?"

"Not much. But I’m one hundred percent sure the old man will act soon. I don’t know what he’s planning, but I just wanted to give you all a heads-up."

Orlando nodded. "Relax, we’ve all agreed to back you up, so of course, we’ll help. For now, you need to secure your family registration first. That’s the first step for your relationship."

"I know. While they’re still here, I’ve already sent my trusted secretary to look for that family record at Creighton’s house."

Orlando raised an eyebrow. "Your trusted secretary? You mean Killian?"

James nodded. "Yes, Killian. I’ll follow up with him soon to check on his progress."

Meanwhile, in a small town on the outskirts of the capital, Killian stood in front of a single-story house built in the traditional Japanese Minka style. The expansive property included a small mountain and bamboo forest behind the house.

With a koi pond and a vegetable garden lovingly tended by Jane, the house exuded a serene and peaceful atmosphere. The distance between houses in the area ensured tranquility.

Killian took out the gate key James had given him and entered the property with ease. However, he was immediately greeted by an older woman, the housekeeper, and her ten-year-old grandson.

"Stop! Who are you?" Hestia demanded sharply. Despite her age, her intimidating aura was still very much intact.

Killian, however, remained calm and composed. Smiling, he bowed slightly. "Good afternoon. My name is Killian. I am Young Master James’ secretary."

At the mention of Killian’s name, Hestia clapped her hands. "Oh! Mr. Killian! So it’s you. Please forgive me. Young Master James informed me about your visit. Come in, sir, and I’ll prepare some tea for you."

Killian followed her into the open living room overlooking a rock garden inside the house. Smiling warmly, Hestia gestured for the young man to take a seat.

"Please, sir. I’ll go to the kitchen to fetch some drinks," she said before leaving without hesitation.

Left alone, Killian’s expression slowly morphed into a cold smile. He didn’t wait as per the housekeeper’s request and left the room.