Chapter 976

Lena had been feigning sleep so perfectly, yet who would’ve thought Aaron would pull a move like this? What was she supposed to do now? She didn’t dare move. Any movement would make things even more awkward. So, she kept up the act, letting Aaron carry her upstairs and open her bedroom door.

Her face was pressed against his chest, so she discreetly opened her eyes, but all she could see was his white shirt and catch the clean, refreshing scent of pinewood on him. Yes, pinewood. It wasn’t the scent of makeup, nor was it perfume. Did this mean he hadn’t hugged Xandra? That nothing intimate had happened between them?

The thought barely crossed her mind before she mentally rolled her eyes at herself. What are you thinking? If he hugged or kissed his girlfriend, wouldn’t that be completely normal? Lena, come to your senses! This is your Uncle Aaron. Whether he’s part of the Ace family or not, he’s still your Uncle Aaron. Uncle Aaron…

As she repeated the title in her mind, trying to steel herself, she suddenly heard Aaron softly call her name. “Lil’ Lena.” Her nerves tightened, and she bit her lip, afraid she might accidentally respond.

“You’re really asleep?” Aaron murmured again. “Your sleeping habits are usually so sharp.” His words made Lena’s heart skip a beat. It was true—ever since becoming an OB-GYN, she’d gotten used to being on call at all hours. Normally, the slightest sound would wake her. Pretending to sleep so deeply now was indeed suspicious.

But what could she do? She couldn’t just suddenly “wake up” now that he’d called her out. If she’d known this would happen, she wouldn’t have pretended in the first place. But now, she had no choice but to keep up the act. Aaron gently placed her on the bed. She let out a little murmur on purpose, burying her face deeper into the blanket.

What she didn’t know was that Aaron had already figured out she was pretending. Let her keep pretending. He wanted to see how long she could keep it up.

Standing by the bed, he looked down at her, his voice low as if talking to himself. “Now that I’ve found a girlfriend, are you finally at ease? Is that why you’re sleeping so soundly?”

Under the blanket, Lena clenched the bedsheet tightly, feeling a little light-headed from the lack of air. “You really have no feelings for me, do you? Otherwise, how could you call her ‘Aunt’ so easily, over and over again?” Aaron whispered.

Lena wanted to retort. It’s not like I wanted to call her that! But you brought her home to meet the family—what else was I supposed to do as the youngster in the family?

“Fine. I was wrong before. Now you should feel reassured,” Aaron said, adjusting her blanket before turning to leave. When she heard the door close, Lena finally relaxed. She pulled her face out from under the blanket, took a deep breath, then buried herself back in it, kicking her legs wildly against the mattress in frustration.

She didn’t know when she’d eventually fallen asleep, but when she woke up, her grandfather was doing stretches in the courtyard, her grandmother was watering the flowers, and her mother was chatting with the two elders. She rubbed her eyes, puzzled. Had Aaron not announced his parentage after all? Otherwise, how could this peaceful scene still exist?

Lena quickly grabbed her phone. Before she could even open any video news, she noticed several @mentions in her family group chat and a pile of private messages, all asking about Aaron’s true parentage. So, he had made the announcement. But why were her grandparents and mother so calm? Had they not seen the statement? Or had Aaron deliberately hidden it from them?

Confused, Lena went downstairs. As she stepped outside, the memory of him carrying her last night flashed through her mind. When she passed by his room, she instinctively glanced inside. The bedroom door was open, and the bed was perfectly made—spotless and untouched. It didn’t look like anyone had slept there. But he had clearly come back last night. What was going on?