Uncle Rat and the Happy Family Proposal

Chapter 6: Uncle Rat and the Happy Family Proposal

(Ryan rubbed his wrists, still feeling the lingering ache from the ropes as he sat awkwardly on the edge of the plush bed. Joshua, now lying casually on his side, was tossing a ball back and forth with the kid, who giggled every time it bounced.)

Kid: (laughing) Uncle Rat, wanna play? You can’t catch it like me!

Ryan: (groaning) It’s Ryan, not Rat! And no, I’m not playing catch with you two—especially since one of you kidnapped me.

Joshua: (grinning) I don’t think you were "kidnapped." More like… relocated for your own safety.

Ryan: (rolling his eyes) Yeah, safety. That’s why I woke up tied up, blindfolded, and spooned by you. Very safe.

Joshua: (teasing) Admit it. It was the safest you’ve ever felt.

Ryan: (grumbling) More like the most suffocated.

(The kid tossed the ball too high, and it hit the bedside table, knocking over the photo Ryan had picked up from his brother’s apartment. The photo fluttered to the floor, landing face-up. Joshua’s sharp eyes caught the image of three people—a young Ryan, his brother, and their mother.)

Joshua: (picking up the photo) What’s this?

Ryan: (snatching it back) Nothing. Just junk. Doesn’t matter.

(Joshua raised an eyebrow, leaning closer to Ryan with that all-too-familiar look of suspicion.)

Joshua: Junk, huh? Because you looked like you were about to cry when it fell. What’s the story behind this?

Ryan: (pushing the photo into his pocket) Drop it, Insurance. Not everything needs to be shared like some tabloid headline.

Joshua: (leaning back, feigning hurt) Ouch. You wound me, Rat. I’m just trying to connect here.

Ryan: (snapping) Stop calling me Rat!

Joshua: (smirking) Fine, fine. What did you find there, then? Anything useful?

(Ryan hesitated. His lawyer instincts screamed at him to keep quiet, but his emotions were a tangled mess. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out:)

Ryan: The drawers. They were all empty. My brother kept his important documents and his diary there, but… they were gone. Completely cleared out.

Joshua: (raising an eyebrow) Cleared out? You mean you didn’t take a peek at your brother’s stuff first?

Ryan: (snapping) Of course not! I went there to find clues, not snoop through his personal life!

Joshua: (grinning) Wow. You really are careless. It’s like you walked into a crime scene and left all the evidence behind for someone else. Stellar attorney work, Rat.

Ryan: (gritting his teeth) Stop calling me careless—and stop calling me Rat!

Joshua: (ignoring him) So, no diary, no documents… and no pen, right?

Ryan: (startled) Wait, how did you know about the pen?

Joshua: (shrugging) I did spend years around you and your brother. I’m not an idiot. That pen was like his second limb.

(Ryan stared at him, unsure whether to feel impressed or unnerved. Then his eyes flicked to the kid, who was now building a tower of cushions on the floor.)

Ryan: (hesitating) Speaking of things that don’t add up… whose kid is this?

Joshua: (smirking) Why do you care? You jealous?

Ryan: (deadpan) Of course. I’ve always dreamed of being abducted and forced to co-parent with a man who calls me a rat. Living the dream.

Joshua: (laughing) Well, if it’s any consolation, you’d make a great aunt.

Ryan: (choking) AUNT?!

Joshua: (grinning wider) Think about it. You, me, and the kid—a happy little family. You’d be the responsible one, I’d be the fun parent, and he’d keep us both on our toes. Perfect dynamic.

Ryan: (glaring) Yeah, sure. If you define “perfect” as “chaotic and terrifying.” Also, who are his parents?

(Joshua’s smirk faltered slightly, but he quickly covered it up with a shrug.)

Joshua: (lightly) Why ruin the mystery?

Ryan: (narrowing his eyes) You’re deflecting. That’s what you do when you don’t want to answer a question.

Joshua: (leaning closer, his tone shifting to something softer) And you’re deflecting too. You’re still holding back, Ryan. I can see it in your face.

Ryan: (snapping) Holding back? From who? You? The guy who blindfolded me, tied me up, and dumped me in his mystery mansion? Oh, yeah. I’m just dying to share my life story with you.

(Joshua’s gaze darkened, and he leaned even closer, his voice low and serious.)

Joshua: You still don’t trust me, do you?

(Ryan’s breath hitched, caught off guard by the question. Before he could respond, the kid jumped onto the bed with a triumphant shout.)

Kid: Uncle Rat! I finished my cushion tower!

(Ryan groaned, rubbing his temples as Joshua smirked triumphantly.)

Ryan:Great. Now Uncle Rat ....Uncle will help you build a toilet for your tower.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***