Early in the morning, Sophia opened her eyes—only to find the person who had been beside her already gone.
It was the weekend, so there wasn’t much she needed to do.
But still...
Where did Lucas go?
Sophia curled her lips into a smile. She picked up the white dress shirt beside her and slipped it on before getting out of bed.
...
In the kitchen—
Lucas was wearing a little yellow-duck apron, busy cooking.
She walked straight up to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
Lucas’s mouth lifted. "You’re awake."
Then he turned around, and his gaze darkened instantly.
"Sophia, you—"
"Your shirt fits pretty well on ."
"Sophia, that’s not what I ant—"
"What? You don’t like it?"
She laughed, but the look on his face made her pause.
Was she... less attractive now?
"Lucas, do I look bad?"
She spun around—and halfway through her turn, she spotted soone behind her.
"Ah!! Uncle Gordon! W-When did you get here?!"
Marcus’s fingers curled slightly. He coughed into his fist, amusent dancing across his face.
He looked away with a teasing smile. "Relax. Your Uncle Gordon has seen plenty in his life."
Sophia imdiately ducked behind Lucas, untying the apron from him and strapping it onto herself instead.
She pretended to glare. "Why didn’t you tell Uncle Gordon was here?!"
Lucas gave a helpless sigh. "You didn’t give a chance."
But once Sophia finished tying on the apron, Lucas’s eyes darkened even more. He pulled her straight into his arms.
"Uncle Gordon, have a seat. I need to run upstairs."
Marcus nodded, chuckling. "You two go on. I’ll take care of things here."
He walked right into the kitchen.
...
Back in the bedroom, once Lucas shut the door, Sophia felt like dying of embarrassnt.
"Why didn’t you tell !"
"And you’re asking that?"
Lucas braced a hand against the door behind her and kissed her without warning.
"Make it quick?"
Sophia gasped, pushing him back.
She lifted a brow, teasing, "Why don’t you last three seconds instead?"
Lucas’s eyes went dark. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, both of them stumbling onto the bed.
...
anwhile downstairs, Marcus was happily playing with the kids.
Dustin, in particular, was surprisingly good at chess.
By the ti the couple finally ca downstairs—looking like they had barely survived a war—Marcus didn’t even bother looking up.
"Seems I arrived at the wrong ti. Sorry for interrupting you two lovebirds."
Sophia shoved Lucas in frustration.
This was all his fault!
Her image in Uncle Gordon’s mind had definitely been destroyed!
"Uncle Gordon, did you eat yet?"
"I already ate. Should I have waited until you two finally ca down for lunch? Lucas invited to breakfast, rember?"
Marcus wasn’t angry—his tone was playful.
If anything, he looked relaxed.
Sophia walked over and found him playing chess with her fourth son.
"Dustin, let Mommy show you a move—"
Marcus stopped her without even glancing up. "Don’t interrupt. Dustin plays better than you."
Sophia let out a tiny "Oh," instantly deflated.
Uncle Gordon must think she was completely improper now!
Her image... ruined. Utterly ruined.
She held her forehead in despair.
Angela whispered beside her, "Mommy, Grandfather isn’t mad. He said if you want, you can even have two more babies. He still has the energy to help take care of them."
Sophia couldn’t help laughing.
Marcus spoiled her deeply—but not blindly. When she went off track, he always pulled her back.
But if she wanted the stars in the sky, Marcus would find a way to bring them down for her.
She even wondered sotis if she had spent so much ti with Uncle Gordon that they’d begun to look alike.
If only—if only—Uncle Gordon were her father, she would probably wake up laughing from her dreams.
When the two finally finished their match, Marcus won.
Barely.
He let out a long breath, sweat gathering at his temples. Dustin, on the other hand, looked serious and focused, completely calm—
Even in defeat, he didn’t show a single flicker of emotion.
"Sophia," Marcus said, still panting slightly, "Dustin is going to be an incredible chess player one day!"
Sophia curved her lips into a smile.
Uncle Gordon adored chess—and he was very good at it—yet he had almost lost to Dustin.
She had noticed it earlier.
Dustin had deliberately held back.
Sophia laughed softly. "Uncle Gordon, let’s eat."
...
At the dining table—
Marcus finally revealed the second reason for his visit.
"Actually... I ca to tell you I’ve booked my flight for next week."
"Uncle Gordon, you’re leaving?!"
He had co because of her, and now—after just a few days—he was leaving again.
Marcus nodded, his smile warm and gentle. "I ca to help you. But now I see... you’ve grown up. You don’t need Uncle Gordon anymore. You have soone better by your side now. And your children have their father. So leaving you in Lucas’s care... I’m at ease."
Marcus said he wasn’t reluctant to leave, but that was impossible.
He had wondered more than once what he would do the day Sophia got married.
Marcus placed a card on the table in front of Lucas.
"Uncle Gordon... what is this?" Lucas frowned, unsure.
"I didn’t attend your wedding," Marcus said, "but what I owe, I will make up."
Then he smiled.
"Sophia’s mother is watching her from above. I can’t let her be disappointed. The Morgan family may or may not matter to her—but I’m upgrading myself a generation and acting as her parent. This card holds all my savings. It was ant to be my ’marriage fund.’ But I’ll probably never marry, so I’m giving it to Sophia as a daughter’s dowry. I’m handing it to you, Lucas. Don’t disappoint ."
Sophia had been fighting her tears from the mont he set the card down.
By the end, her eyes had completely reddened.
"You’re a grown woman," Marcus teased gently. "Still crying like a kid?"
"Uncle Gordon..."
She tried so hard to keep her emotions in check.
"Don’t cry. You’re a mother of six—you need to set an example. Besides, your mother entrusted you to . That’s been the greatest blessing of my life. I just hope... one day, you can let go of the past and face the future properly."
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Sophia nodded.
But everyone at the table knew—
She would never let go.
...
The al ended in somber quiet.
When Marcus was about to leave, Sophia wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"Still acting like a child? No more clinging. Uncle Gordon was your safe place when you were young... but now, you should be going into soone else’s arms."
He took Lucas’s hand and placed it over Sophia’s.
"I’ll go now. I’ll visit the branch office tomorrow."
When even the shadow of his car disappeared down the road, Sophia crashed into Lucas’s chest, hiding her tear-streaked face.
"There, there. Don’t cry. I’m right here," Lucas whispered.
"Lucas... actually... he never truly let go..."
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