Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire
Chapter 228: A Second Chance

Chapter 228: A Second Chance

Greg quickly pressed his lips together, realizing his blunder, while Ava scolded him under her breath. Rain couldn’t shake the rush of curiosity and concern. Was Uncle Ben really involved in something so dangerous?

"Rain, dear... if you have questions, I believe you can ask Alexander about it later," Aunt Ava reassured her, sensing her unease. "But don’t worry; I assure you that Ben is just a victim in all of this. He’s a good man."

She wasn’t judging Uncle Ben, but Rain couldn’t help not wanting to know more about the situation. Her Aunt Melanie had already suffered enough, and her safety was a top priority for her.

Thankfully, Alexander approached them and then handed little Sean to Greg. He grabbed Rain’s hand and, with a casual smile, announced, "Now that everyone has formally met my wife, I’ll be taking her with me. We still have a lot of exploring to do."

"Wait!" William interjected. "Shouldn’t we take this chance to discuss the lineup for the hunting event?"

Alexander waved it off. "I’ll be in every lineup with my wife this time. You handle it," he said firmly before pulling Rain toward the motor cart.

Once they were seated, Rain glanced at him, concerned. "Is this really okay? Aren’t we being disrespectful by leaving like this?"

Alexander walked around to the driver’s side, settling in with ease. "They won’t mind," he assured her as he started the cart. "They’ll be busy discussing Alyssa’s situation and other family matters. Besides, they understand we’re in our honeymoon phase."

Blushing, Rain smiled at his nonchalant attitude but couldn’t help her curiosity. "Where are we heading now?"

"Guess?" Alexander chuckled, but his amusement faded as Rain rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "What’s wrong?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"Uncle Greg had a slip of the tongue earlier, mentioning something about Uncle Ben being an assassin. Can you tell me more about it later? It just got me worried," she said, her tone direct but tinged with concern.

Alexander’s expression grew more serious, and he nodded, his hand gently squeezing hers. "I’ll explain everything later."

Rain decided not to press the matter further, trusting Alexander would tell her everything when the time was right. Their ride came to a stop at the estate’s labyrinth, an intricate hedge maze she had heard about.

"Did you know that William and I got lost in here for a whole day once?" Alexander remarked with a nostalgic smile as he helped her out of the motor cart. "I was ten, and William was eight."

Rain raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I’m sure we won’t get lost now, right?"

Alexander chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with playful mischief. "Hmm, that depends. You’ll be leading the way, wife," he teased.

Rain scoffed, a smile tugging at her lips, but she accepted the challenge. "Alright then, let’s see if I can get us out of here."

Rain confidently took Alexander’s hand, leading them deeper into the maze. As they walked, Alexander began to share more about Uncle Ben’s past.

"I wasn’t born yet when Uncle Ben first came to the mansion. He started working for Dad as a butler, but he was really more of a personal assistant," Alexander explained, his voice calm. "I only heard the full story from him when I was about fifteen."

Rain listened intently, her curiosity growing with each step. They moved slowly through the intricate labyrinth, the hedges towering around them.

"Uncle Ben grew up in a really rough environment. By the time he was ten, he was forced to join the underworld and trained to kill," Alexander continued. "He had to, just to protect his parents and sibling. They were all trapped, serving under a powerful figure in a crime organization. At that time, my father was a general tasked with taking down that very crime group."

Rain paused, unsure of which direction to take. "Uncle Ben was sent to kill my father," Alexander said.

Rain turned to him with a teasing smile. "Well, it’s clear he failed, huh?"

Alexander nodded with a grin. "Yeah, he failed. My father caught him but didn’t throw him in prison. Instead, he kept him in a safe house."

Rain’s curiosity only deepened. "What happened next? How did they become so close?"

As they stood at another fork in the maze, Alexander playfully asked, "So, wife, which way now? Right or left?"

Rain stared at him, pretending to weigh the options. "Left... no, wait. Let’s go right!" she declared with a smile.

They turned right, and Alexander continued the story. "That crime syndicate immediately saw Uncle Ben as a liability after he got caught. They wanted to wipe him out before he could reveal any secrets."

"They sent more assassins after Uncle Ben, and they eventually tracked down the safe house," Alexander continued, his voice laced with pride. "Uncle Ben fought hard, but my father arrived just in time to help him. What really changed everything was when my father saved Uncle Ben by blocking a bullet meant for him."

Rain’s eyes widened. "He saved him?"

Alexander nodded a proud smile on his face. "Yeah, and that moment had a huge impact on Uncle Ben. He was in shock. When he told me the story, he was practically sobbing, saying he never imagined that the man he had tried to kill would risk his life to save him. He said my father even chuckled while Ben was cursing at him, asking why he did something so foolish."

Rain was captivated by the story. "What did Father-in-law say?"

Alexander’s smile softened as he recalled the words. "Dad told him, ’Isn’t it better to save lives than to take them? I’d rather die saving a life because every life is precious. Your past doesn’t matter anymore, Ben. What matters is who you choose to be now and in the future. If I die now because I saved you, make sure you don’t waste that life. You always have a choice: Live to atone and find purpose, or die weighed down by the sins you never sought to redeem."

Rain was silent for a moment, taking in the weight of those words. "That’s powerful," she whispered.

"It was," Alexander agreed. "Uncle Ben said those words changed him. He couldn’t forget them, and that’s why he’s been loyal to my father ever since. My dad gave him a second chance when no one else would."

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