Chapter 02

"Marry me. Become Mrs. Grayson—my Mrs. Grayson. Once you have my name, you can bring Lucas’s pride crashing down however you want. Use me, Lucia. Marry me."

I let out a heavy sigh as Uncle Noah’s offer echoed through my mind for the hundredth time that day. The pain was still raw—learning that the man I’d married had loved another woman all along… and that they’d even built a family together.

He had Amanda and their child before I ever stepped into his life. Why didn’t I see the truth from the start? If only I’d stopped myself from falling for him…

"How dare he agree to marry me when he already had a family?" I whispered, my voice thick with anger. Tears threatened to spill again, so I tilted my head back, fighting to keep them at bay.

I’d been crying all day—ever since Uncle Noah had brought me home. I hadn’t touched a single bite of food; the betrayal and manipulation had left me feeling too weak to eat.

I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. The man I’d loved and married was nothing but a liar.

"I went against my parents for you. I loved you with everything I had… and this is how you repay me?" I said aloud, my emotions finally boiling over. Fury, heartache, and grief tangled inside me as I ripped off my wedding ring and hurled it across the room. It clattered against the floor before rolling out of sight.

Uncle Noah’s proposal came back to me once more, and confusion clouded my thoughts. Why would he offer to let me use him for revenge against his own nephew?

"Is he serious about marrying me? He’s Lucas’s uncle—if I divorce Lucas to marry him, people might even accuse me of being the villain here." I spoke to the empty room, letting out another weary sigh.

"I don’t know what to think anymore…"

Thankfully, Lucas wouldn’t be coming home tonight. If he did, I wasn’t sure what I’d say—or if I’d even be able to keep my composure when I knew he was lying to my face.

But the biggest question of all still hung over me: Why would Uncle Noah offer to marry me just so I could get back at Lucas? Lucas was his blood relative—so why was he choosing to help me?

"Even if I set aside how strange it would be to marry my ex-husband’s uncle… can I really leave Lucas? Am I just supposed to ignore everything he’s done to me?"

I reached for my phone, found Lucas’s number, and called him without a second thought. It rang four times before he finally picked up.

"What? I’m busy right now." His voice was sharp, impatient.

"I-I just wanted to ask how work was going… you said you wouldn’t be home tonight, so I was worried. Should I bring you some food—"

"—Cut it out, Lucia. Don’t come to my office without my permission—you’ll only get in the way. Just go to sleep already." He hung up before I could say another word, leaving me staring at my phone in silence.

"Get in the way of work… or get in the way of your little family?" I whispered to the dead line.

Did Lucas’s parents know about Amanda and their son? If they did, they never would have pushed for our marriage.

Questions swirled through my mind until a sudden pang in my stomach pulled me back to reality.

"But I still don’t feel like eating…" I mumbled—then froze when I heard a knock on our bedroom door.

A jolt of fear shot through me. We didn’t have any house help; Lucas had insisted I could handle everything on my own.

"D-Did a burglar get into the house?" I breathed, my heart racing as the knock came again.

I scrambled to the far end of the bed, then realized with a start that I’d forgotten to lock the door. My eyes widened as I saw the doorknob turn.

I jumped off the bed, ready to scream for help—but the door swung open before I could move, and I crashed straight into a solid, broad chest. Strong arms wrapped around my waist to steady me.

"Burgl—"

"—Why were you about to run like that? You could have hurt yourself, Lucia."

I stopped short, my scream dying in my throat as I looked up to see Uncle Noah standing in the doorway. I stepped back quickly, staring at him in confusion.

"W-What are you doing here? I thought you’d gone home hours ago…"

"How could I leave you alone when you’ve been crying all day and skipping meals? You didn’t eat lunch, and now you’re about to skip dinner too." His tone was firm, almost scolding.

"I-I just don’t have an appetite—"

"—Get ready. I made dinner. Come downstairs when you’re done." He cut me off, turned, and walked out without another word.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Instead of feeling uncomfortable about him being in our home, a strange sense of safety washed over me. I still had no idea why he’d made such an offer, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he meant well.

I didn’t want to eat, but it felt wrong to refuse—not when he’d taken the time to cook for me.

"Wait… Uncle Noah can cook? The billionaire tycoon Noah Grayson? I thought Lucas said he had a personal chef at home…"

I quickly changed into clean clothes and made my way downstairs. In the kitchen, I found him setting plates on the table—and my chest tightened as I looked at the very surface where I’d caught Lucas and Amanda together.

"U-Uncle Noah… would it be okay if we ate in the living room instead?"

"Why?" He looked up at me, his dark eyes studying my face.

"B-Because…" How could I tell him I felt sick just looking at that table? That every inch of it reminded me of my husband’s betrayal?

Before I could find the words, he’d already picked up my plate and bowl of rice and headed for the living room. I grabbed the serving dish with the main course and followed him.

As I set it down on the coffee table, my eyes widened at the spread in front of me.

"Sit down. Let’s eat."

I took my usual spot—then paused, remembering how empty it had felt without Lucas. But tonight, with Uncle Noah across from me, it didn’t feel so lonely.

"Uncle Noah… I didn’t know you could cook. Lucas said you always had a chef to make your meals."

He sat down across from me, his expression calm. "I can cook—I just choose not to most of the time. It takes too much effort."

"But you cooked tonight…"

"Eat first, Lucia. We’ll talk after you’ve had something in you." His voice left no room for argument, and I knew exactly what he wanted to discuss.

"Uncle Noah, I just don’t know if I can—"

"—Eat. We’ll talk once you’re done." He cut me off again, so I nodded and picked up my spoon.

I was about to serve myself when he reached over, piling rice and meat onto my plate. The gesture caught me off guard—I wasn’t used to being taken care of like this, not even by Lucas.

"Th-Thank you…"

"I’m only seven years older than you. Stop calling me ‘Uncle’ or using formal honorifics—I’m not that old. I’m still in my thirties… a young adult, really."

"B-But you’re Lucas’s uncle—"

"—So what? I don’t want you treating me like I’m some elderly relative. And from now on, drop the ‘Uncle’ title. I don’t want to hear it—not when I’ll be your husband soon enough."

My heart skipped a beat at his casual delivery of those words, as if marrying me was simply a matter of course.

"I’m still your nephew’s wife. How can you say things like that? Besides… I haven’t even agreed to your offer yet. Please—just treat me like you would any other niece-in-law—"

"—So you’re going to pretend he isn’t cheating on you? That he didn’t lie to you and disrespect everything you two built?" His voice hardened, and I fell silent, unable to meet his gaze.

"I’ll give you time to decide, Lucia. Think about it carefully." He placed another piece of chicken on my plate, his expression softening slightly.

"Now eat. You need your strength."

What does he really want from me? I’m more confused than ever…