Seven Minutes with my Ex's Uncle

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 word felt heavy and important-like a door she'd been waiting her entire life to open.

Her best friend Chloe bounced beside her, excitement radiating from every movement as glitter clinged stubbornly to her eyelids.

"I told you," Chloe shouted over the music, grinning. "No boring family dinners,no awkward cake. This is how you celebrate adulthood."

Layla forced a smile, trying to let the moment sink in.She had imagined this night so many times-laughter, music, Liam's arms around her, his lips against hers at midnight, a kiss that meant something more because everything was supposed to be different now.

Her eyes scanned the crowd instinctively and then she saw him.Relief bloomed for half a second as Liam came into view, leaning casually against the bar with his dark hair falling into his eyes and a drink loose in his hand.

Layla started toward him, weaving through the crowd as her heart raced with anticipation.

Then she noticed a girl beside Liam. She was beautiful with bright pink lipstick and a sharp smile. Her body was angled into Liam's space in a way that felt far too intimate. One manicured hand rested on his arm as she laughed, head tipped back.

Layla slowed while the music dulled, as if someone had turned the volume down inside her skull. The room seemed to tilt and then tilted as the girl leaned in.

A thin piece of tissue paper separated their mouths-laughably flimsy, a childish rule in a drunken game-but it didn't soften the blow. Liam didn't pull away or hesitate. His lips met hers easily, as if Layla didn't exist while his hand slid to the girl's waist.

Layla stopped completely.Eighteen years old-and this was how it began.

Her chest hollowed, breath catching painfully as humiliation washed over her in a hot, dizzying wave. She wanted to scream, to run or to disappear into the noise and lights and never be seen again.

Chloe reached her side, breathless, then followed Layla's frozen stare. The color drained from her face.

"Oh my God," Chloe whispered. "Layla... no."

As the kiss ended. The girl laughed softly, nestling closer to Liam's chest. He smirked lazily and carelessly-like the world was exactly as he wanted it.

Just then a harsh laugh cut through the moment.

"Well, look who finally showed up," one of Liam's friends slurred, eyes gleaming with drunken amusement. "Birthday girl herself."

Another voice chimed in, sharper."Perfect timing."

A bottle appeared, shoved onto the bar top. Vodka sloshed violently as someone spun it with exaggerated flair.

"Truth or dare!" a girl shrieked.

The group erupted with cheers.

Chloe stiffened. "Leave her alone."

They didn't listen.The bottle spun faster,slower,clicked once,twice and then stopped,pointing directly at Layla.

"Ohhh, this just got good!" someone shouted as cheer exploded. "Birthday girl's turn!"

Hands grabbed at her arms, pulling her forward before she could protest. Layla stumbled slightly, heels catching, heart hammering as she was shoved into the center of the circle.

Every eye was on her.She felt exposed and stripped bare under their anticipation.

Liam finally looked at her then,just briefly. No apology,no guilt deep enough to matter,just a flicker of discomfort... and then nothing. He didn't step forward or stop the girl that still pressed against him. He just treated her like she was invisible.

"Dare," someone decided for her, grinning. "No way she gets truth."

Layla's stomach dropped.

"What's the dare?" someone asked eagerly.

Everyone paused and then-

"Seven minutes in heaven."

Laughter rippled through the group.

"With any guy you want."

The expectation was immediate and crushing as whispers started.

" She'll pick him."

" Of course she'll pick him. She always does."

They wanted her humiliated and begging,still loyal after everything.

Something inside Layla snapped.The ache in her chest cooled into something sharper, dangerous defiance.

Her gaze drifted past the smirking faces, past Liam and the girl clinging to him, to the shadows beyond the bar.

That was where he stood.A man untouched by the chaos,leaning casually against a pillar with his arms folded and expression unreadable. He was older and broader,still,his presence felt deliberate-controlled in a way that made the air around him seem heavier.He has dark hair brushed with faint silver at the temples with a sharp jaw and eyes that didn't laugh.

The man people warned her not to talk to,the man who watched instead of participating.

As his gaze met hers,he didn't look amused or shocked. He looked... curious.

The room waited for a while and then Layla lifted her chin and pointed at him.

"I choose him."

The words landed like a gunshot and silence crashed over the group as her finger rose-steady, unflinching-and pointed straight into the shadows.

Toward him.

Shock rippled outward. Liam straightened abruptly, disbelief etched across his face. Chloe gasped softly as the girl at the bar stared with her mouth falling open.

The man didn't move and for a long moment, he simply studied Layla-measuring, assessing-before one corner of his mouth curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.

No one laughed at first.They stared-frozen-as Layla pointed past her boyfriend and chose the man instead.

Then the silence shattered into gasps, whistles, and cheers that tasted like scandal.

"Isn't that her boyfriend's uncle?"

"Isn't that Liam's uncle?"

"That's Mr.Elias."

Whispers filled the air and then cheers.

"Do it."

"Go on."

Chloe turned to her.

"Layla... are you sure?" she whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.

Layla didn't answer. She was already walking toward the man in the shadows-the one who hadn't smiled, hadn't moved, hadn't looked away.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low, dangerous, and meant only for her.

"You know once you step inside," he warned, "there's no pretending this didn't happen."

Layla nodded as they made their way to the hallway behind the club. The music dulled with every step Layla took beside Elias, the bass fading into a distant pulse that echoed faintly through the walls. The neon lights gave way to dim bulbs spaced too far apart, casting long shadows that stretched across the narrow corridor.

She could hear her own heartbeat as Elias walked ahead of her-not rushing, not hesitating-his presence was calm and controlled, as if this were just another decision already made. He didn't touch her or guide her and somehow, that made everything feel more intense.

Behind them, the door to the club slammed shut.

Layla stopped breathing.

They reached a small door at the end of the hallway. Elias unlocked it, then paused, his hand still on the handle.

For the first time since she'd pointed at him, he turned fully toward her.

Up close, he was overwhelming.His gaze was steady, unreadable, dark with restraint rather than indulgence. The kind of man who didn't act without intention and who understood consequences and stepped forward anyway.

"This isn't a joke," he said quietly.

Layla swallowed.

"If you walk in," he continued with his voice low and even, "there's no pretending it didn't happen,no blaming the game and excuses."

"I know," she said as her fingers curled into fists at her sides.

Elias searched her face, as if looking for fear,regret or doubt but he found none.

Slowly, he stepped aside and Layla crossed the threshold.

The door closed behind them with a soft click that sounded far too final.

The room was small. A couch pressed against one wall, a low table, muted lighting that softened edges and blurred reality and a larger bed.

Layla stood still, suddenly unsure what to do with her hands, her body, the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

Elias didn't move toward her.He leaned back against the wall instead, arms folding loosely across his chest, watching her like a man giving her the space to change her mind.

"You don't owe anyone anything," he said. "Not them and not me."

Her laugh came out soft and bitter. "I didn't come in here for them."

His brow lifted slightly. "Then why?"

Layla met his gaze.

"Because I didn't want to feel small anymore."

Elias straightened and crossed the room slowly, deliberately, stopping just short of her,close enough that she could feel the heat of him and that the air between them felt charged.

"You're standing in front of me," he said quietly, "because you want to feel powerful."

Her breath hitched.

"Yes."

Elias brushed his thumb beneath her chin, tilting her face upward. The touch was light, almost restrained, but it sent a shiver through her entire body.

"Look at me," he said.

She did.His eyes darkened.

"This ends the moment you say stop."

Layla didn't hesitate.

"I won't."

That was all it took. Elias lips curved slightly as he leaned down and his mouth claimed hers-deep, deliberate, and consuming. The kiss was nothing like she'd known before. No clumsy urgency or uncertainty,just pressure and intention and heat.

Layla gasped softly into his mouth as her thighs pressed together while her toes twitched. His tongue forced hers into surrender as his teeth bit at her lower lip. He broke away just enough for her to breathe.

Heat flooded Layla's cheeks as she hesitated for a heartbeat and then kissed Elias back.His hand slid to her breast, folding it which made her nipples tighten against her cloth. Elias didn't rush her, instead:

"Have you done this with anybody before?"

"No." Layla said as her chest heaved up and down.

"Not even with Liam?"

"No. Today was supposed to be the day I gave it up to him but I guess it turned out like this."

"This is dangerous," he murmured. "Do you know that?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"And you still want this."

"Yes."

"After tonight,you are mine,"He said flatly.

"Every part of you. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir." Layla whispered.

Elias fisted her head, yanking her head back until she was forced to look up at him. His eyes were dark fire as his lips crashed once again to hers.

He yanked her up as her dress already slid up and dropped her on the couch while his hand made way to her pussy, dragging her panties to one corner.

Layla's hips buckled helplessly beneath him,her nipples aching against her clothes. This was her first time and she never knew she would feel this helpless.

He started teasing her with his fingers, rounding her clit and digging his two fingers into her pussy. Layla moaned in slight pain and bit her lips lightly.

"Stop biting your lip." Elias said as he kissed her. "Bit on me instead."

Layla nodded as she bit down on his neck. And with that,he slammed his four fingers into her faster, fingering her.

"You are so tight."

"Spread your legs."

And Layla did. Elias fucked her more faster and suddenly Layla trembled under him. Orgasm. swept through her like detonation.

She moaned loudly while biting on Elias' neck.

"Easy." He growled, finally pulling out his fingers from her pussy.

Layla collapsed under him, trembling with heavy breath. Elias held her up, fixed her cloth and hair and laid her down on the bed.

"Sleep, little one." He said as he covered her with a blanket. " I will take you home when you wake up."

Layla nodded but just then a sound landed on the door.

Knock!, knock!,knock!.

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,untouched by the chaos she'd left behind.

Liam's face went red.

"What the hell is this?" he snapped. "That's my-"

"She chose where she is," Elias cut in coldly. "You don't get to question it now."

Rage ignited in Liam's eyes. His hands curled into fists.

He didn't dare argue,Instead, he turned abruptly and stormed down the hallway, footsteps echoing violently against the walls.

The bathroom door slammed so hard the mirrors rattled.

Liam staggered forward, breathing like a cornered animal. He gripped the sink, veins bulging in his forearms, and ripped it loose with a roar.

"Mine," he snarled at his reflection-at the blood already trickling from his knuckles.

"She was mine."

He swung again and the mirror exploded.

Shards rained down, slicing his skin as he punched through the glass, again and again, until his fists were slick with red. He didn't feel it.

"Bitch, you made me look weak," he hissed, grabbing a bottle of cleaner and hurling it across the room. It shattered against the tiles. A chemical stench burned his lungs.

He kicked the trash can hard enough to dent the metal, then tore the towel rack free and slammed it into the wall, over and over, until drywall crumbled beneath the blows.

"I warned her," he spat. "I warned her not to embarrass me."

His chest heaved up and down.

"She thinks she can crawl into his bed and walk away?" His laugh was broken, hysterical. "I'll ruin her. I'll make her regret ever pointing at him."

He dragged his bloody hand down his face, smearing red across his cheek.

"I'll kill her," he whispered, voice shaking with promise. "If she thinks this ends tonight, she's dead wrong."

Back in the private room, silence returned.

Elias closed the door slowly and locked it.

He turned as Layla hadn't stirred.

She looked younger and softer in sleep- Vulnerable in a way she hadn't been when she lifted her chin and pointed at him in front of everyone.

Elias crossed the room and sat beside her on the bed.Carefully, he brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. His touch was light as in protective and possessive.

"This world doesn't forgive choices like yours," he murmured as his jaw tightened.

"And it doesn't forgive men like me for accepting them."

He studied her for a long moment-this girl who had stepped into danger without hesitation, who had burned bridges without looking back.

Quietly, as if admitting it aloud made it real, he said:

"Layla... we're in this shit together now."

He stood up at the edge of the bed for a long moment, watching the slow, steady rise of her chest. He bent and slipped one arm beneath her knees, the other around her back, lifting her easily against his chest. She stirred faintly, a soft sound leaving her throat, but she didn't open her eyes. Instinctively, she curled closer, her fingers brushing his shirt before going still again.

Elias froze and for a brief, dangerous second, something twisted tight in his chest.He adjusted his grip, holding her more securely, and moved toward the door. The hallway outside was dim and quiet now-the party dulled, the chaos distant. A few people glanced up as he passed, their laughter dying when they saw who it was and who he carried.

No one dared to say a word.

Elias walked through the club without slowing, Layla's head resting against his shoulder, her hair brushing his jaw. Neon lights washed over them, but he didn't look around.

Outside, the night air was cool and sharp. He opened the passenger door, laid her down carefully, and fastened the seatbelt himself. Even then, he hesitated-adjusting her jacket, brushing her hair away from her face once more.

A mistake, his mind warned but he did it anyway.He closed the door and went around to the driver's side.

Elias drove in silence, the engine's low hum the only sound filling the space between them. Layla remained still beside him, her body curled into the passenger seat, lost in sleep. Her face, serene in unconsciousness, betrayed none of the turmoil she had felt hours earlier.

Elias' eyes flicked to her briefly, watching again the rise and fall of her chest, his hand still gripping the steering wheel, fingers white-knuckled with a tension that hadn't left him. He wasn't used to feeling anything other than control, but the first time of meeting Layla... everything felt different. From the moment she was near him left him unsettled and tethered to a dangerous obsession.

When they reached Layla's home,he parked in the driveway and killed the engine. The street was quiet, the air cool and crisp, and the house in front of them stood still-unaware of the storm that had unfolded the night before.

He glanced at Layla who was still asleep.He could see the faint bruises of exhaustion under her eyes, the subtle tension in her jawline that betrayed the internal conflict she was trying to suppress.

Layla stirred slightly, but didn't wake. Her hand curled slightly, fingers twitching, like her body was still fighting against the reality of what had happened. Elias sighed quietly, wishing there was an easier way.

He opened his door and walked around the car to the passenger side. He hesitated for a moment as the weight of the situation pressing down on him, before gently shaking her shoulder.

"Layla," he murmured softly, his voice low but commanding. "You're home."

Her eyelids fluttered, and for a brief second, he saw a flicker of recognition but when her eyes opened fully, they were vacant and distant.

The moment hung there, thick with unspoken words, before she hastily unbuckled her seatbelt with stiff movements. She turned her head away from him, eyes focused on the house in front of her, as if it were the only thing she could tether herself to.

Without a word, she opened the door, stepped out, and rushed to the front door of the house. Her steps were quick, almost frantic, as though if she could just get inside, she could forget everything that had happened, bury the mess of it all behind the walls of her home.

Elias watched her go, his gaze fixed on the back of her retreating figure and later at the door she had just slammed behind her, hearing the finality in the sound, the weight of her decision hanging in the air.

With a heavy exhale, Elias slowly turned and made his way back to the car.

As he pulled away from the curb, the house fading into the rearview mirror, Elias couldn't shake the feeling of her absence in the car, the quiet left behind after she had stepped out of his world and into hers. He had been prepared for everything but this-her leaving, shutting him out without a word.

Her face burned in his memory, the way she had looked at him earlier, vulnerable but determined. She thought she could walk away.The sound of tires on asphalt drowned the heavy silence. Elias's jaw clenched, and for the first time in years, he felt the pull of regret in the pit of his stomach.

Layla had made her choice, but she didn't understand that there was no going back now. She had stepped into this world with both eyes wide open. She had chosen him-whether she admitted it or not-and now the consequences of that choice would be felt.There were no innocent decisions when it came to him. No easy exits.

The only question now was how long it would take for her to realize that.