My Uncle Married Another Woman, So I Married His Rival

Serena Vale was the adopted daughter of the Vale family and the most scandalous woman in all of Ashbourne's upper circles. Everyone knew she had fallen in love with her uncle, Lucien Vale. Three years earlier, at the birthday gala she hosted for Ashbourne's elite, she had kissed him in front of everyone. After that, Lucien cut off all contact with her and left the country. For three years, Serena begged like a madwoman for him to return. At last, he agreed. "All right. Rena isn't a little girl anymore. It's time I found you a home of your own." Serena ran toward him at the airport with a radiant smile, only to stop short when she saw the elegant, refined woman standing beside him. "Rena, say hello to Aunt Vivian. This is Vivian Hart. She'll soon be part of the family." Serena froze, staring at them in stunned silence. In the end, she could not bring herself to call her Aunt Vivian. The moment they returned home and Vivian was out of earshot, Serena grabbed Lucien's arm. "Uncle Lucien… you're lying to me, aren't you?" "I only came back for the wedding," he said flatly. "Once it's over, I'll leave again." Shaking her head, Serena stumbled back, her voice trembling. "I don't believe you. You liked me. You're only saying this to make me jealous, aren't you?" Lucien frowned, his expression turning cold. "Vivian is mature, beautiful, and accomplished. It's only natural that I would like her. You're still a child. What do you know about love? I took care of you because we're family. If I led you to misunderstand, then I apologize." He lowered his voice, his tone final. "And don't say things like that again. Vivian won't appreciate hearing them." Serena lowered her head as tears slipped soundlessly down her cheeks. Who would have believed that Lucien had never loved her? Her biological parents had sold her to traffickers when she was young, and she had been forced to beg on the streets until ten-year-old Lucien took pity on her. With no children of their own at the time, the Vale family adopted her. From then on, he filled her world with every beautiful thing it had to offer. While her adoptive parents spent most of the year away on business, it was Lucien who truly raised her. When she got her first period, he blushed furiously while buying her pads, then awkwardly taught her how to use them. When a boy confessed to her, he skipped class and rushed to her school, grabbed the boy by the collar, and warned him to stay away. Even on every birthday, his wish never changed. "May Rena live safely and happily all her life." Once, traffickers came for Serena again. She escaped but fell into the water during the struggle and became gravely ill. The doctors said her fate was in God's hands, yet Lucien climbed the mountain through the snow, dropping to his knees every few steps until he returned with a protective charm for her. After that, he insisted on knowing her whereabouts at all times. Even when she went out with friends, he had to know exactly where she was and who she was with. Her friends often teased her about it. "That's not an uncle. That's a boyfriend checking in." "Seriously. Most dads don't keep tabs that closely. Your uncle is way too obsessed with you." "And you're not even blood-related. Plus, your uncle is ridiculously handsome…" At first, Serena paid them no mind. But hearing it over and over from everyone around her gradually changed something inside her. Her heart raced whenever Lucien came near. Her ears burned whenever he ruffled her hair. And whenever she heard another woman was pursuing him, she lay awake brooding over it half the night. So on the night of her eighteenth birthday, when Lucien smiled and asked, "Rena is all grown up now. What gift do you want? I will give you anything," Serena clenched the hem of her dress, rose onto her toes, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I want to be with you." His expression turned glacial. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm your uncle." His answer was a one-way plane ticket overseas. For the next three years, Serena sent him countless messages, but he vanished without a trace and never replied once. The only sign of him was that he still kept in touch with her parents. She refused to give up, clinging to the belief that once he returned, everything would go back to the way it had been. Instead, after three years of obsession, the news she received was that he was getting married. She claimed she was heading out to buy supplies for the guests, but in truth, she only wanted to be alone. At the door, she ran into her father Richard and her mother Eleanor on their way home. Seeing how pale and shaken she looked, they tried to comfort her gently. "Lucien's getting married. You should be happy for him." Serena looked up and forced a smile. "You're right. I should be." After a brief pause, she added softly, "Didn't you always say a strategic marriage would benefit the Vale family? I'm old enough now. Find me someone suitable." "Uncle Lucien was right," she said quietly. "It's time I had a family of my own."