Chapter 2 The Man She Had Slept With Was Her Husband's Uncle

On their wedding night, Liam had come home past midnight. That night, Kayla had claimed she was on her period to avoid being intimate with him. And now, after everything, he still believed that saying sorry would magically erase what he had done.

"Get out of my room!" Kayla pushed herself upright in bed, her tone frigid and final as she shut him down.

Liam's desire fizzled out instantly. He ran a hand over his face, annoyed. "Can you stop overreacting? I know you're upset, but I'm not going to keep walking on eggshells. My patience has its limits."

"Are you deaf? Get out!" Kayla's tone didn't change, and her expression didn't soften.

Trying a gentler approach, Liam coaxed, "We're married now. Let's forget the past. I'll be better from now on, I swear."

An unfaithful man was no different from something rotting on the street.

Standing up, Kayla grabbed her pillow with one hand. "I'll sleep in the guest room."

Liam's irritation was written all over his face. To him, she was overreacting-completely blowing things out of proportion. He had already said he was sorry, yet she treated him like his apology meant nothing. In his eyes, she should've been rational enough to let it go by now.

"Fine. Go ahead. Sleep wherever the hell you want."

Without another word, Kayla picked up her phone and laptop, ignoring him completely.

Liam turned over in the bed, glaring at her as she walked out. "Don't forget tomorrow's family banquet. You're coming with me. We've been married for a week. It'll be a joke if you don't show up."

He swore quietly under his breath and hurled a pillow onto the floor, unable to hold in his rage.

Kayla didn't answer, but her expression made her feelings clear. She wasn't going because she wanted to. She was going because Liam had threatened to sell the Cooper Group if she didn't.

Cooper Group was her mother's life's work-a legacy built through years of sacrifice. She had poured everything into the company, pushing herself beyond her limits, until the constant pressure finally took her life. And it was all she'd left behind.

The next day, the couple visited the ancestral mansion of the Graham family-a powerful name in Trark.

When Liam's sleek black car rolled to a stop in front of the mansion, the butler was already outside to stop him. "This space is for family only. Outsiders need to park elsewhere."

Not even a hint of respect for Liam. But Kayla wasn't the least bit surprised-she had witnessed this kind of contempt more times than she could count. Without a word, she opened the car door and stepped out, positioning herself to the side.

Although Liam carried the Graham name, he was little more than a shadow on the family tree. His mother was the illegitimate daughter of Johnny Graham, the family patriarch. Years ago, she had married a poor man, despite Johnny's furious objections. As punishment, he severed ties with her.

As Liam grew older, his mother realized she couldn't give him the kind of future he needed. Desperate to change his fate, she pushed him back toward the family that had rejected her. She made him take on the Graham surname, thinking it might open a door.

But it never did. Each visit to the Graham family brought nothing but scorn. Still, Liam held on to the idea that one day, he'd prove his worth.

The company he now boasted about-Perennia Group-had been built off Kayla's money. It started with hundreds of thousands of dollars she gave him. And when Cooper Group later stepped in to support him, the business grew fast. In a few years, it became a name people noticed.

But now, Kayla felt like it had all been a terrible waste. A reward for betrayal, handed over by her own misguided trust.

Liam moved the car to a different spot, hoping to avoid further conflict, but the butler still stood firm.

Finally, Liam snapped, "What, I don't even get a parking spot in my own home now?"

The butler gave a slight bow, that ever-present smug smile playing on his lips. "My apologies, sir. We simply don't have room for uninvited guests."

Liam's face flushed crimson, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked like he wanted to lash out but couldn't.

Kayla felt a small flicker of satisfaction watching him get cut down to size.

Just then, a series of sleek black sedans began pulling into the driveway. The butler's entire posture changed. Panic flickered across his face as he waved his arms. "Move the car! Move it! Mr. Jeremy Graham has returned!"

Jeremy Graham, Johnny's youngest son, stood first in line for succession to the Graham family. In Trark, he ruled on the surface and in the shadows with a firm, unyielding grip, the kind of figure whose name alone could silence a room.

Kayla watched as the sleek black cars approached. Without hesitation, the butler rushed forward, hurrying to open the door of the car at the center.

Jeremy stepped out slowly. His crisp suit and polished shoes shone under the lights. Everything about him radiated dominance.

The sheer presence he carried was enough to make anyone feel unsettled.

Kayla's eyes drifted to his hand, where a ring glinted under the streetlights.

Her breath caught. She had seen that ring before-in the hotel room that night.

How could it be him?

She looked up, heart pounding, and met his eyes-those deep-set, unreadable eyes.

The man she had slept with was her husband's uncle.