That night, Sophia quietly brought a glass of warm milk to her uncle Herbert’s room.
He was half-reclined on the bed, his hands restlessly shifting beneath the covers. In a low, sultry voice, he murmured toward the darkness, “Baby… come help me.”
Sophia froze, her cheeks instantly flushing red.
But still, she walked forward slowly and gently placed the cup on the bedside table.
Just as she reached out to help him, Herbert suddenly stiffened. His hand pushed her away.
His brows knitted tightly. “You’re not her… Her body isn’t like this.”
Sophia sat frozen on the edge of the bed, stunned.
“Uncle, didn’t you just ask me to—help you?”
At that, Herbert shoved her off the bed with force.
“Sophia? Who told you to come in?! Get out!”
Bandages still wrapped around his eyes, Herbert fumbled to his feet, stumbling as he tried to usher her out.
“Go call Kelsey! Now!”
In that moment, everything became clear to Sophia.
The person who had been sneaking into Herbert’s room every night… was the university nurse, Kelsey Davis.
Standing outside the door, Sophia clenched her fists until the veins on the back of her hand bulged. From behind the closed door, she heard the sound of moans—intimate, shameless.
Tears welled in her eyes.
And in that instant, something inside her broke.
She vowed never to love Herbert again.
She would change herself—completely—until the day he could no longer recognize her.
Ten days later, she stood by his bedside one last time, watching him sleep. Then, without a word, she boarded a flight to Germany.
---
Sophia’s feelings for Herbert were no secret—everyone knew, except Herbert himself.
But after that night, everything was out in the open.
His relationship with Kelsey became undeniable.
Whenever desire struck, it was Kelsey he sought—not just as a caregiver, but as a woman.
Though Herbert realized his mistake in time that night, he remained furious.
The next morning, with Kelsey supporting him, he descended the stairs. Before the gathered nannies and housekeepers, his face was grim.
“Sophia,” he said coldly, “you’ve crossed the line. You knew I was your uncle, yet you shamelessly tried to climb into my bed.”
He turned to the housekeeper.
“Bring the whip. I’ll deal with her according to family rules.”
The entire room fell silent.
The housekeeper, Lewis, who had always doted on Sophia like his own daughter, hesitated, face pale with disbelief.
“Sir Herbert,” he said gently, “Sophia was just confused. She made a mistake. Just reprimand her. There’s no need to resort to the family law.”
He gave Sophia a meaningful look, urging her silently to apologize.
Sophia knew exactly what ‘family law’ meant.
A hundred lashes, from head to toe—without mercy.
This brutal punishment hadn’t been used in over a decade.
Lewis once told her it was last enforced when Herbert’s father was caught cheating on his wife.
But Sophia couldn’t understand—why was Herbert this angry?
Hadn’t everyone seen how close they were all these years? Did he truly feel nothing for her?
She wasn’t ready to believe that.
She wanted to gamble—just once—on whether he would really punish her like this for another woman.
But Herbert didn’t hesitate.
He stood firm, shielding Kelsey behind him like she was priceless.
“Bring the whip!” he ordered again.
This time, with a chilling resolve.
Uncle Lewis immediately stepped in front of Sophia.
“Run, Sophia!” he whispered urgently.
But before she could escape, Kelsey intercepted her.
“Sophia, you’re absolutely shameless.” Her voice was cold, condescending. “You knew how much Herbert hates taboo relationships, yet you still tried to seduce him. And now you want to run? Do you think you can walk away from the Winter family like nothing happened?”
Sophia stared at Kelsey’s flawless face.
In this house, Kelsey had no right to speak out like this.
The next second, Sophia slapped her. Hard.
“You know damn well this is the Winter family.”
“And you think you have the right to interfere?”
