After an utterly exhausting night, Noella Bennett woke up feeling like her head had been stuffed with cotton.
The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was Lucas Graham—leaning lazily against the headboard, sharp-featured and calm like he owned the universe.
Sensing her stir, Lucas set his phone aside and turned to look at her.
Noella froze. The rush of last night's madness hit her like a truck. She shot up in bed like she’d touched a live wire.
Only to have a stabbing pain remind her, loud and clear, just how wild last night had been.
Face heating up with shame, she yanked the blanket tighter around herself and started scooting back, desperate to put some space between them.
Too bad for her, she forgot she was already at the edge of the bed. That one panicked move—and she slipped.
With a startled gasp, she tilted backward, bracing for the fall.
It never came.
A strong arm looped firmly around her waist, pulling her right back into bed.
But in her flustered flailing, she'd let go of the blanket. It slipped down to her waist, her skin—marked with faded red traces—exposed under Lucas's gaze.
Panic surged through her. She immediately shoved him away, turned her back, yanked the covers up, and practically bolted off the bed.
And since she'd taken the only blanket with her, that left Lucas—completely bare—sitting there without a shred of modesty.
Noella’s eyes widened as if electrocuted, the tips of her ears turning so red they could burn.
The image of him, that just graced her vision, stayed etched in her mind like a brand. Her brain practically short-circuited.
She had never, not once, lost control like this in her life.
Still facing away, she stammered with a trembling voice, "S-Sixth Uncle… I-I’m sorry!"
Lucas’s lips quirked, barely noticeable.
He got out of bed, calmly pulling on his clothes like this was all routine, and said, totally deadpan, "Wow, you really made it out well. Other people get a glance, and you? You saw the whole package."
Noella felt her soul leave her body.
This wasn’t just any guy—Lucas Graham was the youngest powerhouse in the entire Graham family, one of the top business moguls in the country.
And he just so happened to be the uncle of her best friend, Liam Graham.
Though he was only six years older than her, she’d always treated him like some terrifying elder thanks to years of Liam constantly bad-mouthing him in her ear.She used to think Lucas was scary as hell, super strict—the kind of guy you’d never want to mess with. So much so that even just seeing him made her tense up.
She could swear on her life, never in a million years did she think something would actually happen between them. But... last night did.
Behind her, Lucas was already dressed, looking calm and collected as ever. He didn’t seem like he was in any rush to leave. Instead, he sat down on the armchair by the window, legs crossed, totally composed. “About last night…”
“I get it, it was… a mistake,” Noella cut him off, sounding flustered.
After hesitating for a bit, she turned around, her face flushed with embarrassment. “Lucas, about last night... can we just forget it ever happened?”
Lucas let out a soft chuckle, stood up slowly, and started walking toward her.
His calm yet intense presence made her uneasy. She instinctively backed away until her back hit the wall—nowhere left to go.
Her lips were pressed so tight they’d practically gone pale.
Lucas caught on to her panic. He raised his hand, gently brushing her cheek, skin smooth and flawless like porcelain.
He always thought—honestly—that face of hers was just made to drive men crazy.
His gaze barely shifted, voice even, “Something like that doesn’t just ‘didn’t happen.’ Noella, I don't lie to myself. And you—are you really sure last night was just an accident?”
He knew Noella wasn’t stupid. Once the shock wore off, she’d piece everything together sooner or later.
So he didn’t push it. Just dropped the hint and sure enough, her expression froze.
Last night, Vivian had called her, saying her mom was seriously ill. Worried sick, Noella rushed back to the Shaw house.
But when she got to the room, her mom wasn’t there—instead, there was this weird smell hanging in the air.
That’s when she knew something was off. She tried to leave, but the door slammed shut—locked from the outside.
Next thing she knew, her body went limp, her head was spinning, burning up... and then she blacked out.
When she came to, someone was on top of her.
Through the haze, she saw his face. Lucas.
Every fiber of her was screaming at her to push him away.
But her body... just wouldn’t listen.
Now, thinking it through, there was no doubt—she’d been drugged. Set up.
Her fists clenched so tight her knuckles went white. She shot him a glare full of barely contained anger and asked, “Did the Shaws seriously sell me out to you?”