Reborn to Ruin: I Married My Ex's Powerful Uncle

My wrist was still bleeding, and Ethan Mercer stood over me, his eyes full of disgust.

Are you done throwing your little tantrum? Slitting your wrist just to force me to marry you? Summer, you make me sick.

I lifted my head, wiped the blood and tears from my face, and suddenly laughed.

Fine. The wedding is off.

He froze for a second, then let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Quit playing hard to get. In less than three days, you'll come crawling back to me like a dog."

I grabbed the door of the VIP lounge, looked back at him, and said, "Remember this, Ethan. From this second on, I am done with you."

Then, I dialed the one number I had never dared to call in my entire life.

It rang three times before a deep, cold voice answered. "Who is this?"

"Adrian Mercer," I whispered, gripping my phone as my voice trembled. "I want you to marry me. Now."

Summer's POV

I woke up to the deafening, bone-rattling bass of heavy metal music.

My eyes snapped open. I was in a dimly lit VIP booth at a club, and sitting right across from me was Ethan Mercer, casually swirling a glass of whiskey.

"Are you done throwing your little tantrum?" Ethan raised his eyes, making no effort to hide his annoyance. "Slitting your wrist just to force me to marry you? Summer, you make me sick."

A sharp, stinging pain flared in my left wrist.

I looked down. A messy bandage was wrapped around it, and fresh blood was slowly seeping through.

I wasn't dead.

I had actually traveled five years back in time, to the exact day I tried to end my life just to force Ethan to get engaged to me.

In my past life, I loved Ethan to the point of madness.

For him, I turned my back on my own family, took a blade for him, and even handed over the tech company I built from scratch, all just for a scrap of his attention.

And what did I get in return?

Ethan took everything I worked for and handed it on a silver platter to his first love, Chloe Vance.

When I was framed by Chloe, thrown into a freezing prison, and left to die of a terminal illness, Ethan was busy throwing her the wedding of the century.

Before I took my last breath, Ethan had looked at me through the prison glass, his eyes as cold as stone. "Summer, you brought this on yourself. Chloe is sweet enough to make sure you get a proper burial."

That bone-deep, burning hatred was something I could never forget, even in death.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Seeing me stare blankly, Ethan sneered.

He grabbed a glass of ice water and splashed it straight onto my face. "Clear-headed now? Let me tell you something. Even if you bleed out right here, I will never marry you. My only wife will be Chloe."

Ice-cold water dripped down my cheeks. The freezing sting snapped me completely into reality.

I raised my hand, casually wiped the water from my face, and stared at him. My eyes were dead silent.

No screaming. No hysterical crying.

I stood up and looked down at him.

"Fine."

Ethan froze, his brows furrowing. "What did you say?"

"I said, fine." I pulled my lips back into a cold, lifeless smirk. "The wedding is off, Ethan. From now on, you and I are completely done."

Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked away.

Just as my hand touched the brass doorknob of the VIP lounge, the voices of Ethan's rich, toxic friends drifted over from behind me.

"Hey, Ethan, what kind of reverse-psychology game is Summer playing now?"

Ethan let out a sharp, arrogant laugh. "She's just bluffing. In less than three days, she'll crawl back to me like a dog."

My fingers tightened on the handle for a split second. Then, I threw the door open and walked out without looking back.

The moment I stepped out of the club, the cold night wind made me shiver.

I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I had been too terrified to call in my past life.

It rang three times before a deep, icy voice answered. "Who is this?"

"Adrian Mercer," I said, taking a sharp breath and calling him directly by his name. "It's Summer Sterling. I need to see you. Now."

Adrian Mercer. Ethan's uncle. The shadow billionaire who truly ruled New York's underworld and high society.

In my past life, I was terrified of him. It wasn't until after I died that I learned this cold, ruthless man had broken ties with the entire Mercer family just to clear my name after I was jailed. He had died in a suspicious car crash because of me.

There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line.

"Thirty minutes. Penthouse suite, Grand Hyatt."

Summer's POV

The penthouse suite of the Grand Hyatt.

I pushed the door open, and the rich, heavy scent of expensive Cuban tobacco hit me instantly.

Adrian Mercer was sitting on the leather sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, casually holding a glowing cigar between his long fingers.

He wore a tailored black dress shirt, the top buttons undone to reveal a sharp, rugged collarbone.

His dark, piercing eyes locked onto me, heavy with an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.

"Why are you here?" his voice was smooth, devoid of any emotion.

I walked over and sat directly across from him, cutting straight to the chase. "I want to marry you."

Adrian's hand paused. A dangerous, unreadable glint flashed in the depths of his dark eyes.

He leaned forward, his towering, dominant presence instantly wrapping around me like a trap.

"Summer, do you even know what you're saying?" He pinched my chin, forcing me to look up into his dark gaze. "You're using me just to get back at Ethan?"

"Yes," I admitted, staring right back into his eyes without flinching. "Ethan controls the lifeblood of my company, and I'm backed into a corner. In all of New York, you are the only one who can crush him. I need your power, and you..."

I paused, my voice growing steady. "You need a shield to stop your family from forcing you into an arranged marriage. We both get what we want."

Adrian stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Then, a low, dark chuckle escaped his lips.

The sound was deep, but it carried a chill that made my spine tingle.

"Mutual benefit?" He let go of my chin and leaned back into the sofa. "Summer, you think too highly of yourself. Why should I ruin my own nephew for you?"

"Because I can help you land the South Side waterfront property," I threw down my ultimate card. In my past life, that land was Adrian's biggest obsession. He had planned for three years to get it, only for Ethan to steal it at the last minute through dirty tricks.

Adrian's gaze turned instantly sharp.

"Deal." He crushed his cigar in the ashtray and stood up. "Tomorrow morning at ten. Bring your papers. Meet me at City Hall."

When I walked out of the hotel, my legs were shaking.

Negotiating with Adrian Mercer was like playing with fire. But I had no other choice.

The next morning, the moment I stepped out of my apartment building, a swarm of paparazzi surrounded me.

"Miss Sterling! Is it true you tried to end your life to force Ethan Mercer into marriage last night?"

"Miss Sterling, Ethan Mercer has officially declared his love for Chloe Vance. Do you have any comments?"

"Miss Sterling, isn't this desperate chase getting a bit pathetic?"

Flashing lights blinded me, cameras shoving into my face.

Just past the crowd, a black Maybach sat parked.

The window rolled down, revealing Ethan sitting inside. He watched the media tear me apart with a smug, mocking smirk.

He wanted to ruin my reputation. He wanted me to realize that without him, Summer Sterling was absolutely nothing.

I glared at the reporters, ready to snap, when a sleek, custom Rolls-Royce roared up, parking directly in front of the Maybach and cutting off the crowd.

The door swung open, and Adrian Mercer stepped out, looking deadly handsome in a bespoke black suit.

The entire street went dead silent.

Adrian walked straight over to me, took off his suit jacket, and wrapped it gently around my shoulders, pulling me against his chest.

His icy gaze swept over the stunned reporters. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a death threat. "Who gave you permission to lay a finger on Adrian Mercer's fiance?"

Summer's POV

"Fiance?!"

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

The reporters stared at each other, completely frozen, forgetting to even click their shutters.

Inside the Maybach, Ethan kicked his door open and marched over, his face twisted in rage. "Adrian! What kind of nonsense is this? Who does Summer think she is to be your fiance?"

Adrian gave him a cold, dismissive glance. "Watch your mouth, Ethan. From now on, you will address her with respect."

Ethan looked like he had been struck by lightning. He glared at me, his teeth clenched so hard I could hear them grinding. "Summer! Just to get back at me, you slept your way to my uncle? You really are a shameless bitch!"

SLAP!

I swung my hand and slapped Ethan across the face with everything I had.

The sharp crack echoed loudly in the quiet morning air.

"Ethan, watch your dirty mouth," I said, my voice empty of any warmth. "Who I marry is none of your business. From now on, stay the hell away from me."

Without waiting, I opened the door of the Rolls-Royce and slid into the leather seat.

Adrian shot Ethan one last look, a look filled with deadly warning and absolute contempt.

Then, he got in beside me.

The Rolls-Royce glided away, leaving Ethan standing on the curb, clutching his burning cheek, his eyes dark with fury.

Inside the car, the air pressure was suffocatingly low.

I handed the suit jacket back to Adrian. "Thank you."

Adrian didn't take it. He kept his eyes on the road. "Since you are my fiance now, start acting like my wife. Next time someone disrespects you like that, hit them harder. I'll handle the fallout."

I blinked, momentarily stunned.

In my past life, Ethan would always say: "Summer, can't you be more mature? Chloe is fragile. Why do you always have to make things hard for her?"

But Adrian told me to hit them harder.

"What? Touched?" Adrian turned his head, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.

"No," I replied, looking out the window. "I just think your customer service is quite impressive, Mr. Mercer."

At City Hall.

The clerk handed us our marriage certificate. Looking at our names printed together, a wave of disbelief washed over me.

I was officially married to Adrian Mercer.

"Mrs. Mercer, pleasure doing business with you," Adrian said, holding out his hand.

I shook it. "Likewise."

The moment we walked out of City Hall, my phone vibrated violently.

It was my vice president. His voice was frantic. "Summer, we're in deep trouble! Our core AI project data has been leaked! The investors are pulling out, and our bank accounts have just been frozen!"

My heart sank.

That project was Sterling Tech's entire future. If it failed, the company would go under.

"I got it. I'm on my way."

I hung up, my expression turning to ice.

I didn't even need to think about who did this. It was Ethan.

He wanted to break me until I crawled back to him.

"What's wrong?" Adrian noticed my shift.

"Just a minor setback. I can handle it." I didn't want to start our marriage by begging him for favors.

Adrian didn't press. He just looked at the driver. "Drive to Sterling Tech."

When we arrived, I got out of the car and walked into the lobby, only to find Chloe Vance standing there, surrounded by my senior executives.

She wore a delicate white dress, looking like an innocent angel, but the smug triumph in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Summer," Chloe called out, walking toward me with a pitying smile. "Ethan said that if you just apologize, admit your mistakes, and merge Sterling Tech into the Mercer Group, he might consider letting you off the hook."

Summer's POV

Looking at Chloe's fake, innocent face made my stomach churn.

In my past life, it was this exact fragile act that fooled everyone and pushed me off the edge of a building.

"Admit my mistakes?" I sneered, taking a step forward and backing her into a pillar. "And what exactly did I do wrong? Was it being blind enough to love a piece of trash like Ethan, or was it not tearing down a fake snake like you sooner?"

Chloe's face turned pale. She took a step back, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "Summer, how can you say that? I only came here to help you..."

"Help me?" I cut her off ruthlessly. "By bringing Ethan's pity to rub in my face? Chloe, drop the act. This is Sterling Tech, not your personal stage. Get the hell out."

"Summer, don't you dare push your luck!"

A furious roar echoed from the entrance.

Ethan stormed into the lobby, pulling Chloe behind him. He glared at me. "Chloe came here out of the goodness of her heart, and you're acting like a psycho! I'm telling you, you will sign this buyout contract today, or you can get ready for bankruptcy and prison!"

Ethan slammed a hostile takeover agreement right in front of my face.

I didn't even look at it. I grabbed the papers, ripped them into shreds, and threw them into the air.

The white pieces drifted down like snow.

"Ethan, do you really think you've won?" I asked, my eyes cold and fearless.

"Oh, I know I have," Ethan laughed. "I have your core data. Your investors are gone. What do you have to fight me with? Summer, kneel down, beg me, and apologize to Chloe. Maybe then I'll leave you with some dignity."

"Kneel to her?" I laughed as if he had lost his mind. "Ethan, did you hit your head this morning?"

"You!" Ethan's face flushed with rage. He raised his hand, aiming to slap me.

But before his hand could descend, a powerful grip caught his wrist mid-air.

Adrian had appeared behind me. His eyes were like deadly daggers, his entire aura radiating a terrifying, suffocating anger.

"Ethan, who gave you the right to touch what's mine?"

Adrian shoved him back. Ethan stumbled, nearly crashing to the polished floor.

"Adrian..." Ethan's voice shook, his face turning pale as he stared at his uncle. "You're going against me for this woman?"

"She is my legal wife," Adrian said, his voice deadly quiet. "Who are you to yell at her in her own building?"

Ethan clenched his fists, staring at me with a mix of shock, anger, and a strange, bitter jealousy.

In all the years I had known him, I had never seen that expression on his face. He looked like someone had stolen his most prized possession, leaving him utterly humiliated.

"Fine! Great!" Ethan laughed bitterly. "Adrian, if you want to protect her so badly, don't blame me for what comes next. Let's see how you save a bankrupt, empty shell of a company!"

With that, Ethan grabbed Chloe and stormed out.

The lobby fell into a tense silence.

I turned to Adrian. "You just..."

"I told you, I'll handle the fallout," Adrian interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll have my finance team transfer enough funds to cover Sterling Tech's deficit. As for the mole who leaked your data, I'll have them hunted down."

Looking at him, a complex wave of emotion hit my chest.

"Adrian, why are you doing all this for me?"

Adrian looked at me, a deep, unreadable emotion swirling in his dark eyes.

"Because," he murmured, his voice low and commanding, "you are Mrs. Mercer now. And my woman only stomps on others. She doesn't get stomped on."

Summer's POV

The air inside Sterling Tech's executive boardroom was so thick it was hard to breathe.

BANG!

I slammed a thick stack of bank statements onto the glass table, glaring coldly at the trembling man sitting across from me.

It was Ryan Carter, my head of R&D, who had been with me for three years.

"Fifty thousand dollars," my voice was like ice. "That's all it took for Ethan to buy your dirty soul and throw away three years of our team's hard work. You really are pathetic, Ryan."

Ryan collapsed onto his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Summer, please! My mother needed a kidney transplant, and Ethan threatened me... I had no choice!"

"You had no choice, so you decided to bury my entire company with you?" I showed absolutely no mercy. "Security, call the cops. You can tell your sob story to a judge."

After Ryan was dragged out, the room fell silent again.

The mole was caught, but the crisis was far from over.

My VP rushed in, dripping with sweat. "Summer, we have a bigger problem. Ethan put out a warning in the tech sector. Anyone who funds our project is an enemy of the Mercer Group. All the venture capitalists who agreed to talk to us just blocked our numbers."

"And our server host just terminated our contract. They are shutting down our servers at midnight tonight."

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached, my nails digging into my palms.

Ethan was trying to suffocate my company.

No data, no funding, and now, no servers.

If the servers went dark, we would face massive breach-of-contract lawsuits. It would be the end.

"We have six hours until midnight," I stood up, my head spinning from exhaustion. I had to grip the table to keep from falling. "Contact overseas server providers. I don't care how much it costs, migrate our data now!"

"It's useless."

A deep, cold voice drifted from the doorway.

Adrian Mercer stood there, looking sharp in his custom black suit, followed by two elite assistants carrying briefcases.

He walked over to me, looking down at my pale, exhausted face. "Ethan has blocked every exit. Overseas server migration takes at least three days to clear security audits. You don't have that kind of time."

I lifted my chin, my eyes bloodshot. "I'm not going down without a fight."

"I can give you access to Mercer Group's private servers. My tech team can migrate your data in two hours," Adrian said casually, as if talking about the weather.

I stared at him warily. "What's the catch?"

I wasn't stupid.

Adrian was a ruthless businessman. He never did anything for free.

Adrian leaned in close, his long fingers pinching my chin, forcing me to look directly into his dark, dangerous eyes.

His presence was heavy, intoxicating, and completely dominant.

"Move into my estate," he said, his voice low and commanding. "Tonight is the Mercer family dinner. My father wants to meet you. As my wife, you need to play your part. If you ruin this, Sterling Tech disappears by tomorrow morning."

My chest tightened.

Was this another trap?

Looking into his cold, handsome face, a wave of bitterness washed over me.

I had escaped Ethan's cage, only to step right into Adrian's web.

To this man, I was just a convenient chess piece he could manipulate at will.

"Fine," I forced a hollow smile. "I agree."

Adrian let go of my chin and tossed a black titanium card onto the table. "Buy yourself a proper dress. I'll pick you up at seven. Don't embarrass me."

With that, he turned and walked out.

I stared at the black card, my eyes burning with unshed tears. But I forced them back.

Right now, I didn't even have the luxury to cry.

Summer's POV

Seven PM. The Mercer Estate.

The century-old mansion was blazing with lights, the driveway packed with multi-million-dollar supercars.

Wearing a dark emerald silk gown, I held Adrian's arm as we stepped into the grand ballroom.

The lively chatter in the room died down instantly the moment we walked in.

Every gaze turned toward me like sharp knives, filled with judgment, disgust, and whispered malice.

"Is that Summer Sterling? The girl who slit her wrist for Ethan? How did she end up with Adrian?"

"What a gold digger. Her family is practically broke, and she thinks she can climb into the Mercer family?"

"She must have used some cheap tricks to play both Ethan and his uncle."

The nasty whispers drifted into my ears.

I kept my spine perfectly straight, but my hand on Adrian's arm tightened involuntarily.

Adrian noticed my tension. He didn't say anything comforting, but his icy glare swept over the crowd.

The moment people met his eyes, they quickly looked down in fear.

"Father," Adrian said, stopping in front of the head of the room.

Old Charles Mercer sat in a large velvet chair, holding a delicate cup of English bone china.

He didn't even look at me. He just let out a cold snort. "So you finally decided to show up? I thought some gold digger had completely blinded you to who you are."

"Father, this is Summer. My wife," Adrian's voice was calm, but it held a terrifying strength.

Smash!

Charles slammed his teacup down right at my feet.

The hot tea and sharp ceramic shards exploded across the floor, splashing onto my bare legs. A sharp sting flared up where the hot liquid hit my skin.

I gasped from the pain, but I bit my lip and didn't make a sound.

"Wife? Since when does the Mercer family let a trashy, scandalous girl be the mistress of this house?" Charles roared, slamming his fist on the table, rattling the silverware. "Adrian, divorce her immediately! Or you can say goodbye to your inheritance!"

"Adrian, Grandfather is right."

Ethan walked out from the crowd, holding Chloe's hand, a smug, vindictive smirk plastered on his face.

"I know exactly what kind of trash Summer is. She's a psycho who will do anything for money. Don't let her fool you. Her company is failing, and she's just using you as a lifeline."

Chloe chimed in with a sweet, fake voice. "Yes, Adrian. Summer was ready to die for Ethan just days ago. Now she suddenly marries you? She definitely has an agenda. Please don't fall for her trap."

Looking at the two of them, I wanted to throw up.

I turned my head to look at Adrian.

I wanted to see what my new "husband" would do.

Adrian's expression didn't change. He slowly pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket, knelt down on one knee, and gently wiped the tea from my legs.

The entire ballroom went dead silent.

The ruthless head of the Mercer Group was kneeling in public to clean a woman's legs?

Adrian stood up, tossed the dirty handkerchief right into Ethan's face, his eyes colder than ice. "Ethan, who the hell gave you permission to speak about my wife? Who I marry is my business, and no one tells me what to do."

He turned to his father, his voice dripping with deadly venom. "Father, I don't care about the inheritance. But Summer is mine to protect. Anyone who touches a single hair on her head is dealing with me."

With that, he wrapped his arm tightly around my waist and led me out of the mansion, leaving the stunned crowd behind us.

The night air was chilly.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I looked at the man driving beside me, my heart beating fast.

"About earlier... thank you."

"Don't mention it," Adrian said, staring straight ahead, his voice cold. "I was only protecting my own reputation. Even if I have to discipline her, it is no one else's business."

My heart dropped. To him, I wasn't even a human being.