Married to My Ex-Husband's Billionaire Uncle

In the fifth year of our marriage, Lucas knelt in the pouring rain, begging me to save him.

He said his company had lost a financial gamble and owed five hundred million dollars. If I mortgaged the century-old manor my parents left me, it would save his life. To avoid dragging me down, he proposed a fake divorce.

My heart ached so much my whole body trembled. J

ust as I was about to sign with the property deed in hand, I accidentally saw a message he sent to his first love: "That idiot Sophia has taken the bait. Once I get my hands on the manor, I'll tear it down and build a French chateau with a rose garden as our wedding house."

So there was no bankruptcy, no desperate situation. He just wanted to bleed me dry to pave the way for his first love.

I let out a cold laugh, turned around, and knocked on the door of his uncle---the terrifying billionaire of the Blackwood family: "Mr. Blackwood, I heard you need a legitimate Mrs. Blackwood?"

Lucas knelt in the pouring rain for three full hours.

Lightning tore through the night sky, illuminating his pale, haggard yet still handsome face.

I rushed out with an umbrella, my body trembling with heartache as I desperately tried to pull him up from the mud.

"Lucas, have you lost your mind? Your stomach condition can't handle getting soaked in the rain!"

He gripped my hand tightly in return, his eyes bloodshot, his voice so hoarse it seemed to be dripping blood:

"Sophia, I'm finished."

"The company's financial agreement failed, and the cash flow is completely broken. A five-hundred-million-dollar hole---if I can't fill it within three days, I'll face criminal charges for economic crimes. I'll go to prison!"

I felt like I'd been struck by lightning, my mind going blank.

Five hundred million?

Lucas only owned a subsidiary under the Blackwood Group. How could he suddenly owe such a staggering debt?

He suddenly pulled me into his embrace. Rain mixed with his tears fell ice-cold onto my neck.

"Sophia, I'm sorry. I'm useless. I couldn't protect our home."

"The lawyer said the safest option is for us to divorce immediately. I'll bear all the debts alone and absolutely won't drag you down."

He lifted his head, his eyes filled with heartbreaking despair and deep affection.

"But Sophia, I don't want to go to prison... Can you help me? If you just temporarily mortgage that century-old manor your parents left you to the bank, we can get the last bit of lifesaving money. Once this blows over, I swear I'll redeem it!"

I froze.

That century-old manor on the hillside was the last keepsake my parents left me before they died in a car accident.

It held all my childhood memories, every tree and blade of grass, and the shrine with my parents' ashes.

Five years ago, when Lucas proposed to me, he swore in the manor's rose garden that he would spend his life protecting me and the manor.

But now, he was asking me to mortgage it.

"Lucas, that's where my parents..." My voice trembled.

"I know! I know it's your life!" He suddenly broke down, pounding the ground as muddy water splattered. "If there were any other way, I'd rather die than ask you this! Sophia, are you going to watch me die?"

Seeing him in such pain, my heart softened.

Five years of marriage---he had always been gentle and considerate toward me. How could I watch him go to prison?

"Alright." My eyes reddened as I nodded through tears. "I'll mortgage it. We'll go handle the paperwork tomorrow."

Lucas's body shook violently. He pulled me into a tight embrace, the force nearly breaking my ribs.

"Sophia, thank you, thank you... I'll repay you for the rest of my life, even if it means working like a slave."

In that moment, I truly believed we were going through a life-and-death trial together.

Until that night.

Lucas developed a high fever from the rain and fell into a deep sleep after taking fever medicine.

His phone slipped into the gap between the bed and the wall, the screen constantly lighting up.

Worried it might be an urgent matter from company executives, I picked it up to check.

Just one glance made me feel like I'd fallen into an ice pit.

On the screen was a message from "Victoria White."

"Lucas, did you sign the divorce papers? That manor from the Hayes family has such a great location. I want to tear it down and build a French chateau with a rose garden as our wedding gift. You promised me that once I returned to the country, you'd give me the best of everything."

I stared at those lines of text, my blood instantly freezing, my whole body cold as ice.

Victoria White.

Lucas's first love who went abroad and whom he could never forget.

My fingers trembling, I opened their chat history.

I scrolled up.

The more I scrolled, the more my heart felt like it was being sliced apart, shattered into fragments on the ground.

"That idiot Sophia has already taken the bait. Tomorrow we'll handle the divorce and mortgage."

"I made the fake five-hundred-million account very clean. Damien won't notice. Once the money is laundered into the offshore account, I'll take you far away."

"I'm sorry you had to wait so many years, Victoria. Once I get the manor, that plain-Jane Sophia will have no more use."

Every sentence, every word was like a poisoned blade stabbing viciously into my heart.

So there was no failed gamble.

No five-hundred-million-dollar debt.

No desperate situation.

This was a carefully planned scam from beginning to end!

He not only wanted to trick me into leaving with nothing, but he also wanted to take my parents' last legacy to build a new house for his first love!

I didn't cry.

When the pain reaches its extreme, tears won't flow.

I calmly took out my own phone and photographed these chat records, page by page, all of them.

Then I put the phone back in its place and turned to look at Lucas sleeping peacefully on the bed.

His brow was relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even carried a faint smile.

He was probably dreaming about marrying Victoria White in a French chateau.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, revealing a cold smile uglier than a ghost's.

Lucas, you want to use my life to please another woman?

Fine.

I'll see who ends up dead with nowhere to be buried.

The next morning when Lucas woke up, I was already sitting on the sofa, holding the divorce agreement in my hands.

He froze for a moment. Wild joy flashed in his eyes, but he quickly covered it with guilt and pain.

"Sophia, you didn't sleep all night?" He walked over, wanting to touch my face with concern.

I turned my head to avoid him and said flatly, "Let's go to the law firm. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can deal with the debt."

Lucas's hand froze in midair, then he sighed.

"I'm sorry for putting you through this, Sophia. Once I get through this crisis, I'll definitely remarry you in a grand ceremony."

I looked at his deeply affectionate face, my stomach churning with nausea.

At ten in the morning, we went to the law firm and signed the divorce agreement.

As we walked out of the law firm entrance, Lucas's mother, my former mother-in-law Dorothy Lane, was already waiting beside a black Maybach.

The moment she saw me, she immediately put on an anxious expression and rushed over to grab my hand.

"Sophia, I know you've been wronged! But Lucas is at a critical moment of life and death. Did you bring the property deed for that manor? Quick, let's go to the bank right now to handle the mortgage!"

The greed in her eyes was practically overflowing.

I pulled my hand back and looked calmly at this mother-son pair.

"Dorothy, I can't mortgage the manor today."

Dorothy's expression changed instantly, her voice rising sharply: "Why not?! Sophia Hayes, are you going back on your word? Do you want to watch Lucas die?!"

Lucas panicked too, grabbing my shoulder: "Sophia, what's going on? Didn't we agree?"

I watched their frantic expressions, sneering inwardly.

"Lucas, you forgot---that manor is a national first-class historical protected building. According to the latest regulations, this level of asset mortgage requires a thirty-day public notice period and review by a third-party asset evaluation agency. Otherwise, the bank simply won't approve it."

This was the policy I'd looked up last night.

Lucas froze, his face turning pale: "Thirty days? Why does it take so long? I can't wait thirty days!"

"There's no way around it. That's the regulation." I looked at him innocently. "Unless you can find someone with special privileges to smooth things over at the bank. But I'm a woman without power or connections. I can't do that."

Dorothy stamped her feet in frustration: "What are we going to do! Lucas, don't you know a lot of people?"

Lucas gritted his teeth, his eyes flickering.

Of course he knew people, but he didn't dare use the Blackwood family's connections. Because the five-hundred-million debt was fake to begin with---if it alerted the real power holder of the Blackwood family, he'd be finished.

"Fine, thirty days it is." Lucas took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the darkness in his eyes. "Sophia, during this time you must cooperate with the evaluation agency. Don't let anything go wrong."

"Don't worry." I smiled faintly.

Not only would I cooperate, I'd prepare a big gift for them.

After parting with them, I took a cab directly to a top-tier private investigation agency.

I had just walked into the lobby when I stopped in my tracks.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the VIP reception room stood a man.

He wore an impeccably tailored black haute couture suit, his tall figure upright like an unsheathed sword.

His hand casually toyed with an antique watch. His profile was as cold and chiseled as a sculpture, radiating an aura of authority that warned people to stay away.

Damien Blackwood.

Lucas's uncle, the true helmsman of the Blackwood Group.

In the entire business world, no one didn't fear the name Damien Blackwood. He was ruthless and decisive. At twenty-five, he took over Blackwood Industries and within just five years doubled its empire.

Lucas didn't even dare breathe loudly in front of him.

I hadn't expected to run into him here.

As if sensing my gaze, Damien turned his head slightly. Those deep, cold black eyes locked precisely onto my face.

He showed no surprise, merely stopped toying with his watch.

"Sophia Hayes." He spoke, his voice low and magnetic, carrying an inexplicable pressure.

I took a deep breath and walked forward: "Damien."

"You and Lucas are divorced." He used a statement, not a question.

My heart skipped a beat.

How did he know? We'd only finished the paperwork less than two hours ago.

Damien looked at me, the corner of his mouth curving into an extremely faint cold smile: "For his fake five-hundred-million account, you're even planning to hand over your parents' legacy. Sophia Hayes, is your brain filled with water?"

I jerked my head up, staring at him in shock.

He knew!

He actually knew everything!

Damien strode toward me on his long legs. He was a full head taller than me, his aggressive presence instantly enveloping me.

He leaned down slightly, his eyes sharp as they bored into mine: "What, got sold out and you're still planning to help count the money?"

I bit my lower lip hard, meeting his gaze, my voice cold and hard: "Since Damien knew it was a fake account, why didn't you expose him?"

"The Blackwood family has too many branch families. Occasionally we need a few clever fools to liven things up." Damien's tone was casual, as if discussing trash. "Besides, that's your husband, your money. Why should I care?"

Yes, why should he care?

In Damien Blackwood's eyes, Lucas and I were nothing but insignificant ants.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness and anger in my heart, looking at him without backing down.

"What if I don't want to be the fool who gets sold?"

Damien raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly interested in my response.

He pulled a black gold business card from his pocket, his slender fingers holding it as he handed it to me.

"Tonight at nine, penthouse suite. Figure out what you want, then come knock on my door."

With that, he turned and left, leaving only a cold, retreating figure.

I looked down at the business card in my hand. Its edge was sharp, almost cutting my finger.

I knew this was a dangerous transaction.

But to get revenge on Lucas and Victoria, to protect my parents' manor, I had no other choice.

At nine o'clock that evening, I stood punctually at the door of Damien Blackwood's suite.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed the doorbell.

The door opened quickly.

Damien had just showered. He wore a black silk robe, the collar slightly open, revealing a large expanse of firm, hard chest muscles. Water droplets slid down his sharp jawline and disappeared into the depths of his robe, exuding a fatally sexy and dangerous aura.

He held a glass of whiskey in his hand, his deep gaze sweeping over me.

"Come in."

The suite's main lights weren't on. Only the city's neon lights from outside the floor-to-ceiling windows filtered in, light and shadow interweaving.

I stood nervously in the center of the living room, watching as he walked to the bar, poured another glass of liquor, and pushed it toward me.

"Want a drink?"

"No." I got straight to the point. "Damien, what do you need me to do for you to help me?"

Damien let out a soft laugh, carrying his glass as he walked up to me, looking down at me from his superior height.

"Sophia Hayes, what makes you think I'll help you?"

"Because Lucas touched the Blackwood family's money." I looked directly into his eyes. "Although his three-billion-dollar hole is fake, he misappropriated project funds from Blackwood subsidiaries to set up his scheme. Damien hates most when people play tricks under your nose. You need an excuse to legitimately clean house."

A flash of appreciation appeared in Damien's eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

He suddenly reached out, gripping my chin and forcing my head up.

The man's fingers carried an icy temperature, the force immense, making it hurt.

"You're a bit smarter than I expected." His voice was low, carrying dangerous allure. "But to clean house, I have a hundred methods. Why would I choose the most troublesome one to cooperate with your revenge game?"

I was forced to tilt my head back, breathing rapidly.

His breath completely enveloped me. That intense male hormones and superior's authority made me almost unable to think.

"Because..." I gritted my teeth and steeled myself. "Because you hate Victoria White."

Damien's eyes instantly turned cold, the surrounding air seeming to freeze.

I'd bet correctly.

Victoria White's father had once been a senior executive at Blackwood Group. He was sent to prison by Damien himself for embezzling company funds. Victoria had been abroad these years, constantly using the Blackwood family name to swindle and deceive. Damien extremely detested this woman.

"Continue." He released his grip, coolly uttering one word.

I rubbed my reddened chin and quickly said: "Lucas plans to officially announce his takeover as CEO at next month's Blackwood subsidiary anniversary gala, and simultaneously announce his engagement to Victoria White. If on that day he's thoroughly disgraced in front of all the city's elite, Victoria will also become a complete laughingstock. Isn't that the scene Damien most wants to see?"

Damien looked at me quietly, emotions I couldn't understand surging in those unfathomable black eyes.

After a long while, he suddenly smiled.

That smile was cold, cruel, yet carried a trace of fatal attraction.

"Sophia Hayes, when a dog bites you, not only do you want to kill the dog, you want to skin it, pull out its tendons, make it into a specimen for exhibition."

He turned and walked to the desk, picked up a thick document, and tossed it in front of me.

"This is all the evidence of Lucas misappropriating public funds, forging debts, and purchasing private islands abroad for Victoria White."

My whole body shook. I immediately rushed over and opened the file.

Every transfer, every forged contract---all clear and shocking.

Lucas, how ruthless you are.

For one woman, you not only wanted me to lose everything, but you also wanted to climb up by stepping on my bones and blood.

"This is just a deposit." Damien walked behind me, his warm breath spraying on my ear. "To get the more lethal cards, you need to pay a price."

"What price?" I turned my head, but unexpectedly crashed into his deep eyes.

We were extremely close---so close I could see each of his distinct eyelashes.

Damien's gaze slowly moved down, landing on my lips, his voice hoarse beyond measure.

"Become my woman."

My pupils contracted sharply. I instinctively stepped back.

"Damien, what kind of joke is this?"

"I never joke." Damien pressed forward step by step, pinning me against the cold floor-to-ceiling window. "Sophia Hayes, if you want to trample Lucas underfoot, you need someone who stands higher and more stable than him. And I am your only choice."

He reached out, his slender fingers gently caressing my cheek, his eyes deep as the sea.

"What's wrong? Unwilling? Or do you still have lingering feelings for that waste?"

"No!" I blurted out, my eyes full of hatred. "I wish he were dead!"

"Very good." Damien's lips curved with satisfaction. He lowered his head, his thin lips brushing past my earlobe. "Then prove it to me. Go back and continue playing your devoted ex-wife. Keep them stable. When the time is right, I'll personally bring you out of the game."

I leaned against the glass, my heart pounding like thunder.

I knew I was making a deal with the devil.

But as long as I could send Lucas and Victoria to hell, I was willing to fall into the abyss.

For the next two weeks, I displayed astonishing acting skills.

Every day I made soup for Lucas, showed concern about his "debt" progress, and even proactively contacted the evaluation agency, appearing eager to mortgage the manor.

Lucas believed me completely and became increasingly gentle and considerate toward me, as if we'd returned to our honeymoon phase.

Until that afternoon when I went back to our former marital home to retrieve some forgotten documents.

Just as I unlocked the door with my fingerprint, I heard flirtatious laughter coming from the living room.

"Dorothy, this sofa set is too dark. I want to change it to cream white. And those floor-to-ceiling window