Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex’s "Uncle"

Dinner was finished by 8:30. BW Town didn't have much of a nightlife. By this time, the streets were deserted, with only a few streetlights glowing.

Uncle Ford had already prepared rooms for Selina and Logan. After showering, Logan stood at the window in a silk robe.

"The view's actually pretty nice," he remarked.

Outside the window was the villa's private garden. Uncle Ford had carefully maintained it, adding a few uniquely shaped streetlamps. It didn't match the luxury of Sapphire Valley Villa, but it had its own charm.

At 9:30, a heavy rain started falling in BW Town.

Raindrops clung to the green leaves and flowers in the yard. A mist hung over the entire scene.

Before age five, Logan was unwanted in the Reid Family. After that, he was dumped in the slums and saw the worst of the world. Later, the Carter Family locked him up and used him as a living blood bank. His life had either been at rock bottom or in complete control—rarely, if ever, had he seen a scene like this.

Before he turned five, the Reids abandoned him in a remote courtyard, which no one maintained. Weeds ran wild—there weren't even green leaves, let alone flowers.

Later, in the slums, he fought stray dogs for food. Everyone around him was just trying to survive—no one had the energy to care about things like gardening.

Then came the Carter Family—he was locked in sterile rooms, subjected to constant blood draws, barely conscious most of the time.

When he returned to the Reid Family and clawed his way to power, the elite didn't care for this kind of simple garden charm. They preferred grand landscapes with artificial mountains and flowing waterfalls.

So this was the first time Logan had ever seen such a scene—something so peaceful—right outside the place he was staying.

Selina shut the window to keep the rain out. "Uncle Ford really likes taking care of the garden. He has a bunch of rare orchids in the backyard. I'll show you tomorrow."

"Mm," Logan nodded and glanced at the time. "Time to sleep?"

Besides their villa, most homes in BW Town had already gone dark. The town was mostly elderly folks—they went to bed early.

Logan usually worked late or had too much on his mind to sleep by 9:30.

So he was surprised when Selina nodded. "Yeah, sleep early. The town gets noisy around five. The villa's on the main road—it'll wake you up."

There wasn't much choice about being near the road. Honestly, every house in town basically faced the street.

Logan couldn't help but picture it… People waking up at five to sell breakfast, others heading out to buy groceries. The simple routines of everyday life… Yet, to him, it all felt new and interesting.

So he didn't argue. "Alright, let's sleep early."

...

Sure enough, Logan was woken up early the next morning.

He was already a light sleeper, and years of insomnia meant even the smallest noise could wake him.

The moment Selina heard the vendors shouting, she jumped out of bed. "Hurry up! The baozi from that place downstairs are amazing. If we don't go now, they'll sell out!"

Logan: "…"

He stared at her energized figure, momentarily speechless.

To him, food was just food—there wasn't much difference. It was hard to imagine Mrs. Reid getting this excited over breakfast.

By the time he finished washing up and went downstairs, it was exactly 6 a.m. The sky was already bright, light rain was still falling, and the road was uneven and full of puddles. But that didn't put a dent in Selina's enthusiasm.

Watching her from behind, an image flashed through Logan's mind—

Back when she lived in BW Town, did Selina get up like this every day?

Head out for breakfast, eat quickly, then take a 40-minute bus ride to school.

In the evenings, Uncle Ford would pick her up and bring her home.

She was just like everyone else in this small town—like countless ordinary people.

Her life was simple, but far happier than the one she had after returning to the Clark Family.

Selina rushed up to the baozi stall. "Auntie Taylor, four baozi, please!"

Auntie Taylor clearly recognized Selina, but she didn't go online or use Twitter. She had no idea how many times Selina had made headlines over the past year, or how powerful the man beside her was. She just teased warmly, "I heard from Uncle Ford you got married. Is this your husband?"

Selina nodded. "Yeah, came back with me to visit Uncle Ford. We'll be leaving in a few days, so I want to hit up all the good food in town while we're here."

Logan listened quietly as Selina chatted with the locals and couldn't help but smile.

This version of her… felt so real.

At that moment, Logan felt something incredibly grounding and genuine—Selina was real, and she truly loved this place.

After breakfast, most of the morning crowd had dispersed. Selina took Logan around to a few more spots.

She retraced the paths she used to walk as a kid and brought Logan along with her.

"When I was eight, the Clark Family abandoned me. They dumped me in a village near BW Town. Luckily, some villagers found me and didn't let me starve. Not long after, Grandpa found me. At first, he kept me close and helped me get used to my brothers."

"Later on, when I started middle school, I moved back to BW Town. The middle school here is kind of far—like a 40-minute drive—so most students stayed in the dorms. But Uncle Ford couldn't bear to let me board, so he drove me every day."

"When he was busy, I'd take the bus. But the bus stop was far—two kilometers from home. I'd get off there and walk back along this road."

"In the fall, the whole path would turn golden. It was beautiful."

Logan could picture it easily: little Selina walking home in the glow of the setting sun, her shadow stretched long behind her.

He asked, "If your adoptive grandfather found you, why send you back here to live alone with just Uncle Ford?"

At that age—twelve or so—with no parents, no grandpa or brothers around, wasn't she scared?

Selina shook her head. "I don't know, but I think Grandpa made the right call. He gave me two years of life as an ordinary girl."

Whether it was as the Clark Family's heiress, or as Damien and Aiden's little sister—none of her identities were ever really "normal." But here, walking to and from school alone, riding public buses, she got to have a carefree childhood—just for a little while.

"Logan, I know it hurts you that the Clarks abandoned me, and that they only came looking for me again because of the inheritance. I know it hurts you that I spent ten years out there with no real family around."

"But honestly, I think those ten years were pretty amazing. My time here in BW Town was only two short years, but it means a lot to me. That's why I wanted to share it with you."

In that moment, Logan felt like his heart was full—so full it might burst.

He suddenly wanted to experience a little of Selina's past for himself. So he asked softly, "What's for lunch? You'll take me to eat, right?"