Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex's 'Uncle' Chapter 3: Falling Into His Arms

Selina's face turned even redder as she fumbled to close the door. "I'm sorry! I didn't an to!"

Once the door was shut and her view blocked, the heat on her cheeks began to fade, and a sense of unease crept over her.

Why was Logan in her bathroom?

Selina looked around the room. The neutral tones of white and gray, combined with the minimalist decor, gave the impression of a guest room—or so she had assud. Could she have accidentally chosen Logan's room instead?

Before she could make sense of it, the bathroom door swung open. Logan stepped out, his damp hair dripping slightly and his torso still bare.

Selina clenched her hands tightly to avoid letting her eyes wander and asked tentatively, "Mr. Reid, this... this isn't your room, is it?"

Logan's lips curved into a faint, teasing smile. "I thought my wife would know. After all, not just anyone gets to sleep in my bed."

A flicker of frustration flashed through Selina's eyes. She had just promised not to bother him, yet here she was, occupying his room. Would Logan think she was playing coy on purpose?

"Apologies, Mr. Reid. I didn't know. I'll move out right away," she said quickly, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

In her haste, Selina's left foot tripped over her right, and she stumbled forward.

"Ah—!"

Logan's expression shifted in an instant. He took two quick steps and caught her as she fell, pulling her firmly into his arms. Selina collided with his warm chest, her forehead hitting his solid pectoral muscle, eliciting a soft grunt from him.

Flustered, she lifted her head just as Logan lowered his. Their lips brushed fleetingly across his cheekbone.

Selina froze. Would he believe her if she said it wasn't intentional?

Logan's throat bobbed as his gaze dropped to the alluring curve of her figure pressed against him. Amusent flickered in his eyes.

"Throwing yourself into my arms, are you, Miss Clark?"

Selina scrambled out of his hold, too flustered to co up with an explanation that wouldn't sound like an excuse. Fortunately, a knock at the door interrupted the tense mont.

"Sir, Madam, breakfast is ready," ca a servant's voice.

After breakfast, Logan left for the office, and Selina let out a long sigh of relief. The morning's events left her feeling strangely self-conscious around him.

Shaking her head to dispel the awkwardness, she refocused on her imdiate priority: retrieving her mother's engagent token, the jade necklace.

Selina changed into fresh clothes and made her way to the hospital where Jillian was staying.

When Ryan saw her, he imdiately assud she had co to beg for reconciliation. Of course, she can't bear to leave , he thought smugly.

"Selina, we've already called off the engagent. What are you doing here?" Ryan sneered.

Selina shot him a cold look, her voice dripping with disdain. "Give back the jade necklace."

Her blunt demand startled Natalia, who was standing beside Ryan. "Sister, isn't that jade necklace the engagent token between the Carter Family and the Clark Family? How could it be yours?"

Selina's expression darkened, and her sharp gaze pinned Natalia in place. "That jade necklace is my mother's keepsake. Since when did it beco the property of the Carter and Clark families?"

Natalia instinctively stepped back, her face turning pitifully pale. "I'm sorry, Sister. I didn't know."

Ryan stepped protectively in front of Natalia. "Selina, Natalia's right. That jade necklace is the engagent token between the two families. Now that Natalia and I are engaged, the necklace naturally belongs to her. What does it have to do with you?"

Selina almost laughed out loud. How thick-skinned could one person be to say sothing so shaless with a straight face?

"Ryan, stop twisting the facts! Give back the jade necklace!"

"Return it? What for? Your mother's things are Clark Family property!" Jas's voice rang out as he approached, his face set in a scowl as he glared at Selina.

"Your two-timing scandal has spread through every corner of City A's elite circles. I can't even hold my head up in public anymore, and you still have the audacity to demand the engagent token? Shaless!" Jas snapped, his face twisted with anger.

Selina let out a derisive laugh. "Mr. Clark, I doubt your reputation is any better than mine. After all, your affair and the fact that you brought your mistress and her daughter into the house less than six months after my mother's death—who in City A's elite circles doesn't know about that?"

"You—" Jas was montarily struck speechless, his face darkening. Overco with rage, he raised his hand to slap her.

Selina, of course, wasn't going to stand still and take it. As her gaze caught Natalia's smug, gloating expression, she reached out and pulled Natalia forward.

Jas' hand ca down with a loud "smack," landing squarely on Natalia's cheek. The sound echoed through the room.

Natalia was stunned. She had been pampered her entire life—Jas and Katie had never even scolded her harshly, let alone hit her. Her cheek burned, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Ryan, seeing her distressed, imdiately pulled her into his arms. "Natalia, are you okay?"

Jas also looked stricken with regret. He hadn't ant to hit her so hard. But seeing Selina standing there with a smirk, clearly enjoying the spectacle, reignited his anger.

"You ungrateful daughter!" he roared. "You pushed your sister to take the hit for you? How could I have raised such a vicious child?"

Selina's lips curled into a cold smile, her eyes gleaming with frost. "Vicious? Compared to Natalia, I don't even co close."

With that, she pulled out a voice recorder and pressed play.

"Your sister made do it," the man's voice admitted. "She gave half a million to pretend to be your boyfriend. And those fake photos? She made do it, too, just to ruin your reputation. I'm sorry! I'll never do it again!"

The surrounding nurses, doctors, and even patients from nearby rooms turned their eyes toward Natalia, who was still in Ryan's arms.

"So Selina's being frad by her half-sister?" one of them whispered.

"That's putting it lightly," another replied. "The girl's the daughter of a mistress. I knew it—people like that are always up to no good!"

"God, how ruthless. She's stepping all over her sister's reputation to climb up the ladder. Probably learned it from her mother!"

The murmurs spread through the crowd. Most of the patients in this hospital were from City A's elite families, well-inford about the chaos at the Clark-Carter wedding. Now, they whispered freely, sparing no thought for discretion.

Natalia's face turned deathly pale. How could Selina have found out it was her?

No, she couldn't admit to it. If she did, her reputation would be ruined forever!

She bit her lip, swaying weakly in Ryan's arms, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Sister, I know you hate , but I never thought you'd go so far as to falsely accuse ."

Ryan didn't hesitate for a mont. To him, Natalia was the picture of kindness and innocence. There was no way she could do such a thing.

His gaze hardened as he looked at Selina. "Selina, don't think you can sar Natalia's na with a re recording. I know her better than you do!"