Real Heiress: Flash Marriage With Boyfriend's Uncle - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Need time to move on

Four years ago, Lucius was returning from a funeral, dressed in a black suit. His appearance was disheveled; his hair unkempt, bruises marring his face. His eyes were swollen and bloodshot, revealing that he hadn’t slept in days.

The driver stood by the passenger door, holding it open for Lucius, but he shook his head, declining the ride. “You go ahead. I’ll make my own way home,” he muttered before walking aimlessly down the pathway, barely aware of his surroundings.

He had no sense of time or direction. The weight of grief and exhaustion clouded his mind until he happened to glance up. The sky was darkening, the evening clouds heavy and threatening rain.

Lucius lowered his gaze, focusing on the ground ahead, when suddenly a young boy bumped into him. Startled, both stopped, and the boy quickly apologized, his voice small and nervous.

Lucius’s eyes locked on the white daisy in the boy’s hand. An unexpected surge of anger flared within him, and without thinking, he snatched the flower from the boy’s grasp. The boy’s eyes widened in shock, and tears welled up as he began to cry.

Ignoring the boy’s distress, Lucius started to walk away when a sharp voice stopped him in his tracks.

And that daisy made him recall…

“Stop right there!”

He turned, his gaze cold and unforgiving, meeting the eyes of a young woman who had rushed over to the boy’s side.

Layla knelt beside the crying child, soothing him with gentle pats on his back, her eyes never leaving Lucius. There was fire in her gaze, but he was in no mood for confrontation. Turning on his heel, he prepared to leave.

But her voice cut through the air again.

“Mister, behaving like that towards a child is beneath you,” Layla said, standing tall. “I understand you’re upset, but your pain doesn’t give you the right to ruin someone else’s happiness.”

Lucius froze, her words striking him harder than he anticipated. His eyes flicked to the boy once more, now clinging to Layla’s hand, still sniffling.

Layla gave him a last glance before turning to the boy. “Come on, Sam. I’ll buy you a whole bouquet of daisies,” she said softly, leading the child away without looking back.

Lucius stood there, his hands trembling as the crumpled daisy fell to the ground.

**Flashback Ended**

Layla still couldn’t believe that the man before her was Lucius, the same man she had encountered that fateful day. Back then, he had looked so broken, so far removed from the polished and composed individual she knew now.

“Your words could have been harsher, but they were soft. Why?” Lucius’s gaze lingered on her, searching for an answer in her eyes.

“Well, you didn’t seem like you were in the best condition,” Layla admitted, a soft chuckle escaping her. “But how could you fall for me?”

“Because no one ever spoke to me like that before,” Lucius replied without hesitation.

Layla sensed there was more behind his words, a deeper story he wasn’t sharing. But she didn’t want to press him, not now. Instead, she shifted the conversation.

“You’ve kept so many things hidden from me. You sent me a proposal because you liked me. But were you always aware I was with Roderick? I know he never mentioned our relationship to anyone, but did you know?”

Lucius paused, contemplating whether to reveal the truth or craft a lie. In the end, he chose honesty. “I knew. I saw you both together many times on your dates.”

Layla’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You stalked me?”

“Not exactly,” Lucius corrected, his tone calm. “It just so happened that the places you two went on dates were often the same places where I had business meetings. Eventually, I would see you both.”

“Hmm,” Layla murmured, processing his words. “You could have told me the truth about Roderick and Orabela if you liked me.”

‘If I had, my plan wouldn’t have worked,’ Lucius thought to himself, though he kept that sentiment hidden. Outwardly, he simply said, “I thought you’d find out on your own.”

Brushing past her, Lucius changed the subject. “Should we get some rest? We have a flight to Norway tomorrow,” he reminded her as he settled on the mattress.

“Lucius, I need to tell you something,” Layla said, her tone shifting to something more serious.

“Hmm? I’m listening,” he replied, his eyes now fixed on her.

Layla took a deep breath, steadying herself before speaking. “I was in love with Roderick. And you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t reacted much to everything that happened between us. I’ve been trying to convince myself to move on, to act as if it doesn’t affect me. I thought if I ignored the feelings long enough, my heart and mind would let go of him. But it hasn’t worked. I haven’t spoken to him. I haven’t even asked him why he did it—why he slept with Orabela, or why he kept me in the dark about his feelings. I need time to move on.”

Her voice trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. She swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to cry. She didn’t want to break down in front of Lucius or anyone, knowing that if she let herself cry now, she wouldn’t be able to stop.

Lucius remained quiet for a moment before responding, “Then take your time.”

She was stunned to hear him. She thought he would be angry for a moment.

“Thank you,” Layla whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know how long it’ll take. I’m sorry I can’t return your feelings the way you want me to. But in such a short time, you’ve made me feel special.”

Lucius watched her closely, understanding her pain more than he let on. He simply nodded, knowing that sometimes, time was the only remedy for wounds so deep.

“It’s alright. Forcing love isn’t my thing anyway. Then, I should cancel the trip to Norway,” Lucius said.

“No. We can go there to know about each other. I have yet to discover a lot about you. I may sound selfish but I want to come out of the memories I made with Roderick. Perhaps a new place can help me cope it,” Layla asserted. She knew Lucius was so excited for this trip. He planned so much for it, so she didn’t want him to get upset.