My Uncle In Name, My Forbidden First Love

Leanna Powell grew up as the Holland family's ward. At sixteen, she ran from an abusive uncle and stood in the Holland mansion like a beggar. Christy Holland, Nate's stepmother, told the staff to give her a hundred dollars and throw her out. Nate appeared in a gray suit, arms folded, watching from above. He told Christy to let her stay. That moment, Leanna fell in love. Over four years, he gave her a bedroom, designer clothes, tutors—and she kept her feelings hidden.

One night, she sneaked home from university with a scholarship certificate, wanting him to be proud of her. She pushed open his bedroom door and saw his back pressed against another woman. The papers slipped from her hand. She grabbed a shoe, hurled it at him, and screamed that she hated him, then slammed the front door. What she didn't know was that Nate was wearing his pants the entire time. He lit a cigarette, eyes cold, no lust in them at all. He told his assistant to bring her the study-abroad papers and ensure she signed. The whole scene was a performance.

Two years later, she returns as a urologist at Elsmont General Hospital. On her first day, two bodyguards arrive to escort her home. She tells them if Mr. Holland has a problem with his private parts, he can visit the andrology department. Minutes later, Nate storms in, yanks her by the wrist, and throws her over his shoulder. He demands she quit. She refuses. He freezes her bank cards, gets her evicted, and threatens to shut down the entire department. She calls his grandfather Colton for help—the one family member who offers her genuine warmth. But by the next morning, Nate has persuaded Colton that her profession is inappropriate. She loses that backing too.

At a banquet, she approaches the Lambert family to earn their protection by treating the eldest son's fertility issues. Janelle Holland, Christy's daughter, publicly humiliates her. Leanna pricks her with a needle, exposes the fake injury, and walks away with a grin. Security moves to throw her out. Nate's voice cuts through the crowd. He announces she is his woman. Afterward, he grabs her wrist, furious. Leanna kicks him. She tells him she will repay his kindness someday, but he cannot control her life. He says he is protecting her. She demands respect. What she still doesn't know is that the betrayal she witnessed two years ago was a show designed to trick her—but it never tricked him.