Broken Engagement His Uncle's Bride (Serena and Trevor) novel Chapter 326

“It’s nothing,” Lucinda said, her nervous laugh sounding brittle even to her own ears. “Just some random painting. I don’t even know who sent it.”

Julian narrowed his eyes, his casual curiosity sharpening into a momentary, focused scrutiny. The way she had frozen the moment she lifted the lid, only to snap the box shut when he spoke, didn’t sit right with him.

“Let me see it. What kind of painting makes you react like that?”

Lucinda’s eyes wavered for a split second, her grip tightening on the box as if to shield it. “There’s nothing special about it. Really. It’s just a painting.”

But her mind was already miles away, snagged on the signature at the bottom–a name she once knew better than her own.

Why would he go to the trouble? The questions tangled into a suffocating knot in her chest. Did he ask someone to deliver it, or is he back in the country himself?

Julian didn’t miss the way the color drained from Lucinda’s face, nor the sudden, defensive stiffness that had taken over her.

He knew she was hiding something, but he wasn’t about to let a mystery gift spoil their first night as husband and wife.

Tonight wasn’t for interrogation.

“Alright,” he said, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped into her personal space. “I’m sure it’s nothing exciting anyway.”

He reached out, his hands sliding slowly from her shoulders to her waist, pulling her back to the present. “You must be exhausted after wearing that dress all day,” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. “Let me help you out of it.”

Lucinda’s eyes widened, the breath catching in her throat before she could even manage a

response.

Julian didn’t give her the chance to overthink. He swept her up in one fluid motion, carrying her away

from the table and the lingering mystery of the painting.

The gifts on the table meant nothing now.

As her focus shifted entirely to him, the rest of the world simply fell away, leaving only the

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Chapter 326 Newlyweds and Old Lies

heat between them.

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Then came the pain–sharp and overwhelming enough to make Lucinda break into a cold

sweat.

“You liar!” she gasped, her voice strained. “You said it wouldn’t hurt!”

Julian was hardly comfortable himself. “It’ll ease up,” he insisted through clenched teeth, his voice a mix of strained patience and desperation. “Just give it a moment. I love you, Lucinda. I really do.”

At that moment, she couldn’t feel any of that love right now, only the stinging intrusion of the pain. She couldn’t tell if his words were an honest confession or just the sweet talk of a man caught in the heat of the moment.

As tears welled in the corners of her eyes, his expression softened, and he leaned down to kiss them away gently.

But by morning, that tenderness felt like a distant rumor.

The reality of the night before had settled into a dull ache, and as Lucinda clutched her sore lower back, her irritation flared anew. “You lied to me!” she snapped, the accusation sharper now that the sun was up.

In stark contrast to her misery, Julian looked refreshed, radiating the ease of a man with a perfectly clear conscience. He had even come prepared with a tube of ointment like the world’s most considerate husband.

“What’s with the face? Woke up on the wrong side of bed?” he teased. “Go back to sleep if you’re still tired.”

Outraged, Lucinda aimed a kick at him, but Julian caught her ankle mid–air without effort.

“Careful now. It was your first time. You’re bound to be sore. Hold still and let me apply this for you.”

Lucinda’s eyes snapped open. “First time?” she bit out, her voice rising in disbelief. “Then, what exactly was that other time?”

Julian blinked at her, the picture of wide–eyed innocence. “What other time?”

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Chapter 326 Newlyweds and Old Lies

She bit her lip, her face flushing. “The night after the concert. When we got drunk.”

In truth, absolutely nothing had happened that night.

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Julian had simply let her assume the worst, misleading her into thinking that she needed to take responsibility for a night that never was.

If not for that guilty conscience, she never would have rushed into marriage with this shameless jerk.

“Oh, you must have misunderstood,” Julian said casually, unscrewing the cap of the ointment. “You were drunk, Lucinda. I would never take advantage of you in a state like that.”

Lucinda stared at him as if seeing him for the very first time. This man was far more devious than she had ever realized.

Blake had not actually planned on sightseeing. The suggestion had been little more than a bait tossed out just to see how Sebastian would react.

There was no way he would actually let Serena exhaust herself playing tour guide just for his sake.

“One day around Denton is plenty,” he said. “No need to overdo it, Rena.”

Sebastian gave him a sidelong glance of approval, his eyes narrowing slightly as he appraised him. At least he’s quick on the uptake, he thought.

Blake almost laughed. The shift in attitude was so instantaneous that it was bordering on

transparent.

The conversation was hitting its stride when Serena’s phone lit up on the table. At the sight of the name on the screen, a faint, unreadable glint stirred in Blake’s gaze. It was a momentary lapse in his composure that he quickly masked with a neutral stare.

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