Semua Bab Seven Minutes with my Ex's Uncle : Bab 1 - Bab 10

On the night Layla turned eighteen, she learned two things: betrayal stings worse when it’s public, and desire doesn’t care about rules. What began as a harmless birthday celebration ended with a single reckless choice—one that crossed lines, shattered loyalties, and bound her to the one man she was never supposed to want. Seven minutes was all it took to change everything.NIGHT CLUB The bass from the speakers slammed through the nightclub, vibrating the floor and rattling the walls of The Velvet Serpent. Red and purple neon lights sliced across the packed room, flashing over bodies pressed together, sweat-slick skin, polished leather, and glittering heels. Smoke curled lazily through the air, carrying the sharp mix of perfume, alcohol, and something darker—something dangerous.Tonight was supposed to matter.Layla stood near the edge of the dance floor, fingers curled around the thin strap of her shimmering top as nerves fluttered low in her stomach. Eighteen. Officially an adult.

The knock came hard and sharp—three strikes that cut clean through the silence.Elias didn’t flinch.He was already on his feet before the third knock landed. He reached the door and opened it just enough to reveal himself. And there stood Liam.The music from the club thudded faintly down the hallway behind him, but the moment his eyes met Elias’s, the bravado drained from his posture. His shoulders stiffened as fear flickered quickly and instinctively. He feared Elias just like everyone that even his name brought chills to his spine. “What do you want?” Elias asked calmly. Liam swallowed. “I—I’m looking for Layla.” Elias’s gaze sharpened by a fraction. “She’s resting.” Something dark twisted in Liam’s expression. “Resting?” he repeated, disbelief lacing his tone. He tried to peer past Elias’s shoulder.Elias didn’t move aside—but Liam saw her anyway. Layla lay on the bed, turned slightly on her side, hair fanned across the pillow, chest rising and falling slowly and peaceful,un

Layla stared at her phone from the edge of the bed, her back straight, her hands clenched so tightly in her lap that her fingers ached. The room felt smaller now as the walls closed in with every vibration of the device. She didn’t need to look at the screen because she already knew but still, the name flashed anyway. Liam. Her stomach twisted—not with longing, not with regret—but with a sharp, familiar dread. The kind that settled deep in her bones and refused to leave, no matter how much time passed. Her phone rang once more and then again. Finally, with a breath that felt scraped raw from her lungs, she answered. “Why aren’t you here?” Liam demanded the moment the call connected. “I’m not coming,” Layla said as she closed her eyes. The silence on the other end stretched, long and heavy, like a held breath before impact. “What do you mean you’re not coming?” he asked slowly, his voice dropping into something colder. “What I mean by that is that I'm not coming means

Liam froze. The sound was calm, but laced with unmistakable authority. His eyes darted to the figure emerging from the shadows. A man in a perfectly tailored suit while on a rigid posture with a sharp gaze.Liam’s jaw tightened as recognition flickered in his eyes. “You… you work for my uncle,” he muttered, voice tight.The man didn’t answer. He simply stepped closer, one hand lifting slightly in a gesture that suggested caution without aggression. His eyes were fixed on Layla, ensuring she could move safely.“Mr. Elias sent for you,” the man said quietly, looking at Layla. “Come with me.”Layla hesitated, panic rising in her chest. “I… I don’t—”“Now, Ma'am,” the man cut in. The calmness of the command left no room for argument.Liam scowled, frustration coiling tight in his chest. He shoved Layla lightly, his hands trembling with anger. “You can’t just—”“Step back,” the man said again, sharper this time. “Leave her.”Liam’s teeth clenched. He took a half-step forward, then falter

Layla pressed her lips together. “Chloe,lower your voice.”“I’m in my room Layla, not a stadium,” Chloe snapped. “Why are you at his house? As in, his house-house? Like billionaire, scary, dangerous suited-man house?”“Yes.”“Why?”Layla inhaled slowly. “After school, I didn’t go home with you.”“I know that.”“Liam cornered me.”Chloe swore under her breath. “What did he do?”“He accused me of cheating. He said I humiliated him and even grabbed me when I tried to leave.”“What?” Chloe’s voice sharpened. “Grabbed you how?”“He held my arm and tried to drag me back.”There was a pause.“And?”“And then one of Elias’s men showed up.”Another silence.“A man in a suit,” Layla clarified. “Told Liam to let go. Liam recognized him—apparently he’s one of his uncle’s security contacts.”“Of course he is,” Chloe muttered. “Because your life can’t just be normal.”Layla let out a shaky breath. “The man said Elias sent for me.”“And you went?” Chloe demanded.“Yes.”“Layla!”“I didn’t really h