Chapter 5

The Uncle

Elena’s POV

I never thought I would step inside the Blackwood mansion again.

Yet there I was, standing before the towering iron gates that had once welcomed me as Adrian Blackwood’s wife.

Now they opened for me without warmth.

The security guard barely looked at me before pressing the button.

The gates slowly parted.

I tightened my grip on my handbag and walked inside.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

For three years, I had called this place home.

Now it felt like I was visiting the grave of my marriage.

The butler met me at the front entrance. Unlike everyone else in the family, Mr. Harris had always been kind to me.

“I’m sorry, Mrs…”

He stopped himself.

His face fell.

“I’m sorry… Miss Vale.”

I forced a smile.

“It’s all right.”

No.

It wasn’t all right.

Hearing my maiden name after three years felt strange.

Painful.

As if the last three years had never happened.

“Mr. Adrian instructed us to allow you thirty minutes to collect your belongings.”

Thirty minutes.

Three years of my life reduced to half an hour.

I nodded.

“Thank you.”

The mansion was unusually quiet as I walked upstairs.

Every hallway held memories.

The painting Adrian had insisted on buying during our honeymoon.

The piano I had learned to play because Margaret believed cultured wives entertained guests.

The family portraits that had never truly felt like family.

I pushed open the bedroom door.

The room looked exactly as I had left it.

Except…

My wedding photograph was gone.

In its place stood a framed picture of Adrian and Vanessa smiling together.

The sight stole the air from my lungs.

They hadn’t even waited.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

Of course they hadn’t.

I crossed the room and opened the wardrobe.

Almost every one of Adrian’s suits was gone.

So were half of my dresses.

The expensive ones.

The ones he’d bought for me.

The message couldn’t have been clearer.

Take only what belongs to you.

I pulled out an old suitcase from beneath the bed.

Most of what remained were simple clothes from before I became Mrs. Blackwood.

Cotton dresses.

Jeans.

Sweaters.

The woman I had once been.

I carefully folded each piece into the suitcase.

By the time I reached the bottom drawer, my hands froze.

Inside lay a small baby blanket.

White.

Soft.

Still wrapped in its original packaging.

A tear slipped down my cheek.

I’d bought it two years ago.

Back when Adrian still pretended we would have children someday.

I had hidden it, believing it would bring us luck.

Instead…

It became another reminder of everything we had lost.

“No.”

I quickly wiped my eyes.

“I won’t cry here.”

Not anymore.

I placed the blanket into my suitcase and closed the drawer.

Just as I reached for the zipper, the bedroom door opened.

Vanessa walked in without knocking.

She wore one of Adrian’s shirts.

My stomach twisted.

“Oh.”

She smiled sweetly.

“I didn’t know you were still here.”

I said nothing.

She leaned casually against the doorframe.

“You know…”

“I really should thank you.”

I slowly looked up.

“What for?”

“For giving Adrian up so easily.”

My fingers tightened around the suitcase handle.

“He deserves someone who can actually make him happy.”

I laughed softly.

“You mean someone willing to betray her own family?”

Her smile disappeared.

“I won.”

The words echoed through the room.

“I have the mansion.”

She took another step forward.

“I have Adrian.”

Another.

“And soon everyone will forget you ever existed.”

I looked at her quietly.

“Are you trying to convince me…”

“…or yourself?”

Her face hardened.

Before she could answer, another voice interrupted.

“Vanessa.”

Adrian entered the room.

He frowned when he saw us standing together.

“What’s going on?”

Vanessa immediately slipped behind him.

“I only came to see if Elena needed help.”

The lie was almost laughable.

Adrian looked at me.

“Are you finished?”

“Almost.”

He glanced around the room impatiently.

“Take only your personal belongings.”

“I know.”

“The jewelry stays.”

“It was a wedding gift.”

“It belongs to the family.”

I slowly removed the diamond earrings from my ears and placed them on the dresser.

Then the bracelet.

The necklace.

Finally…

I slipped off the engagement ring.

I stared at it for several long seconds before placing it beside the jewelry.

Adrian watched silently.

“You don’t seem very upset,” he said.

I looked at him.

“I cried enough yesterday.”

Something flashed across his face.

Disappointment?

No…

Annoyance.

Perhaps he had expected me to beg.

To fight.

To refuse the divorce.

Instead, I simply picked up my suitcase.

“I’m leaving.”

As I walked toward the door, Adrian suddenly grabbed my wrist.

His touch made my skin crawl.

“You’ll regret this.”

I stared at his hand.

Then back at him.

“You divorced me.”

“I know.”

“You cheated on me.”

His jaw tightened.

“I know.”

“You humiliated me in front of the entire city.”

He remained silent.

“So tell me, Adrian…”

“What exactly am I supposed to regret?”

For the first time since our marriage began falling apart…

He had no answer.

I gently pulled my wrist free.

Then I walked downstairs without looking back.

Halfway across the grand foyer, I heard unfamiliar footsteps approaching from the entrance.

The butlers immediately straightened.

Every employee bowed their heads.

“Mr. Blackwood.”

I frowned.

Adrian was behind me.

Who were they greeting?

Curious, I turned toward the front door.

The moment I saw him…

Time stopped.

The tall man from the hotel.

The man whose jacket had kept me warm in the rain.

The man whose lips had stolen my breath.

Lucien.

He stood in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, his expression calm as always.

But the instant his eyes found mine…

Something changed.

Relief.

Then concern.

Neither of us spoke.

Neither of us needed to.

The silence between us said everything.

Behind me, Adrian walked into the foyer.

A cold smile spread across his face when he noticed where I was looking.

His gaze shifted between Lucien and me.

Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.

“You’ve met before?”

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Lucien remained completely still.

“I asked you a question, Uncle.”

Uncle.

The single word crashed through me like thunder.

My blood ran cold.

I looked from Adrian…

To Lucien…

Then back again.

No.

No…

This couldn’t be happening.

The stranger who had held me while I cried.

The man I had trusted.

The man I had kissed.

He wasn’t just another billionaire.

He was Adrian’s uncle.

Lucien never looked away from me.

His voice was low.

Controlled.

“Elena.”

Hearing my name on his lips made my pulse race.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

“You know each other.”

Neither of us answered.

The silence was enough.

Lucien finally took one step toward me.

Then another.

Until he stood only inches away.

His dark eyes searched mine as though making sure I was truly all right.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

My breath caught.

Before I could respond, Adrian looked between us again, suspicion darkening his face.

“What exactly is going on here?”

Lucien didn’t even spare him a glance.

His attention remained entirely on me.

Then he said the words that turned the room ice-cold.

“We need to talk.”

He paused, his gaze never leaving mine.

“Alone.”