Wed To The Forbidden Uncle

CH 24

The next morning, as soon as Mercy opened her eyes, she was hit with a stunning sight.

The man beside her had skin as smooth as ivory, without a single flaw. His deep-set eyes and high nose bridge looked like they belonged on a statue and his thin lips were slightly pursed, perfect for kissing.

He was like a flawless sculpture come to life.

Mercy was completely mesmerized.

Perhaps sensing her intense gaze, Dexter's long eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes.

In that moment, the perfect sculpture seemed to come alive with a soul.

"Does it feel nice?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"W-what?" Mercy stammered, not quite understanding.

It wasn't until Dexter glanced down that Mercy followed his gaze and realized her hand was resting on his chest. Her fingers even gave an involuntary twitch.

Mercy: !!!

Feeling the firm texture beneath her fingertips, her face turned crimson and she quickly pulled her hand back, too embarrassed to look at him.

Dexter chuckled softly.

Mercy didn't know where to look, but then she noticed a mark on Dexter's neck.

She reached out to touch it; it looked like a bite mark.

"Uncle, did something bite you?"

"Yeah, a little cat with the last name Rivers," Dexter replied casually.

"What?"

Mercy was stunned. Had she really bitten him last night after drinking too much?

The girl felt incredibly guilty as she gently touched the bite mark. "Uncle, I'm sorry. Does it hurt?"

Dexter's breath caught. He was about to say it didn't hurt, but then he changed his mind. "Mercy, I want a good morning kiss."

"Huh?"

Mercy was suddenly filled with confusion. Did she miss something? How did the topic shift to this? Would a kiss really make it not hurt?

Thinking this, she lifted her head and solemnly placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Does it not hurt anymore, Uncle?" Mercy asked innocently, her cheeks flushed.

"It seems like it's not enough."

Touched by her innocent kiss, Dexter couldn't help but place a hand on the back of her head, deepening the sweet kiss.

Mercy started to feel breathless and began to struggle, her legs kicking under the covers until someone held her ankle.

"Mercy, don't move."

His voice was husky, as if he was holding something back.

Feeling the warmth on her leg, Mercy realized what it was and her neck turned red with embarrassment. She dared not move again.

"Uncle..."

Her voice was soft and tender, her damp eyelashes fluttering. Her eyes were shy and bashful, with a blush spreading across her cheeks, making Dexter's breath hitch.

Having the girl he liked lying in his arms like this, Dexter was just a normal man. But now wasn't the time; he was afraid of scaring her.

"Just a little longer, okay?" The man tightened his embrace, inhaling the sweet scent of the girl, slowly calming his breath.

After a while, he released her, letting Mercy go freshen up. She wore his white shirt, the hem barely reaching her thighs, revealing her long, fair legs. Dexter quickly turned his head away, not daring to look at her any longer.

Mercy changed into the clothes he had someone send over and got ready to go downstairs for breakfast with him.

From a distance, she spotted Bobby and waved, "Bobby!" But as soon as Bobby saw Mercy, it turned and bolted away.

"Uncle, what's up with Bobby?" Mercy asked, puzzled, looking at the man beside her.

Thinking about last night, Dexter fell silent for a moment. He paused before saying, "Bobby... maybe it's afraid you'll take over its bed again?"

"Huh?" Mercy looked at him with a face that said, "You must be joking."

Why would she take Bobby's bed?

"Really, last night you insisted you were a cat. When I tried to take you to bed, you ran and took over Bobby's spot," Dexter explained, recalling the scene.

Mercy was mortified. She wiped her face, asking in a pained tone, "Uncle, what else did I do last night?"

Mercy had a feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed.

They had moved to the living room and the house staff greeted them before returning to their tasks.

Dexter pointed to a corner of the room. "Yesterday, you squatted there and told me you were a mushroom. When I picked you up, you cried that you'd die without the soil."

Mercy looked embarrassed and asked, "Then what happened?"

"Then you thought you were a cat, so you perched on the coffee table and started pushing things off one by one. I was worried you'd cut yourself on the broken porcelain, so I stopped you from pushing the teacups. You then accused me of having another cat outside."

Thinking about last night, Dexter couldn't help but smile. "Later, you tried to open the window to become a stray cat. Luckily, the window didn't open and when your legs went numb, you finally jumped into my arms."

Mercy lowered her head, wishing she could find a hole to hide in. She was seriously considering moving to another planet.

"Uncle..." she mumbled, her voice low. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble yesterday."

"It's okay," Dexter said, patting her head gently, unable to suppress another smile. "It was actually pretty cute."

Mercy's cheeks turned even redder.

...

Although the rumors about Esther following Zachary had been cleared up, they still had a significant impact on the Landon family's stock prices. Esther planned to hold a press conference today to address the situation.

After having breakfast with Dexter, Mercy accompanied Esther to the press conference venue.

The flashlights from the cameras flickered incessantly as Esther, dressed in a moon-white gown, handled the reporters' questions with ease.

"Esther, did you really try to use your influence to get Zachary to comply?" a male reporter asked, clearly with bad intentions.

Mercy glanced at the microphone in his hand and realized it was from "Entertainment Tonight."

Esther let out a sarcastic laugh, her red lips parting with a mocking tone, "Zachary is just my ex-boyfriend and I dumped him for cheating. Any media spreading rumors about me using influence will receive a letter from the Landon family's lawyer. Do you have any other questions?"

The reporter was left speechless.

Another reporter quickly jumped in with a different question, "Esther, how does your company plan to handle your artist Zachary? Will you consider your past relationship?"

"Ha! What past relationship? The one where he cheated and tried to smear my name?" Esther's eyes were icy cold. "It's a wonder I haven't broken his legs!"

"Of course, we live in a society governed by law. The dirty deeds he's done will be judged legally. The Landon family will terminate the contract with Mr. Zachary soon and as for the penalty fee, he'll have to pay it himself since he's the one who got involved in a scandal first."

The press conference ended and the drama finally came to a close.

Watching Esther's transformation, Mercy felt both heartache and relief.

Is it true that people grow through adversity? Esther did and so did she.

The two of them walked out of the venue side by side, only to be met by a scruffy man. His hair was a mess and his clothes looked like they hadn't been changed in ages, wrinkled and unkempt.