Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

The marble floors were cold beneath Lane’s bare feet as she descended the grand staircase slowly, one hand lightly gripping the polished mahogany railing while the other pressed against her stomach.

From downstairs, the faint sound of laughter echoed, mixing with the soft clinking of wine glasses and silver. The entire mansion glowed warmly beneath crystal chandeliers, the golden light reflecting against massive glass windows that overlooked the glittering city skyline.

Everything looked elegant and perfect from the outside—exactly the kind of pristine atmosphere her family demanded—yet Lane felt anything but calm.

A sudden wave of nausea twisted violently in her stomach, forcing her to halt halfway down the steps. She shut her eyes briefly and inhaled a slow, tentative breath, praying the uncomfortable sensation would fade. It had been happening repeatedly over the past few days.

At first, she desperately tried to convince herself it was just stress. After all, stress had practically become her second skin ever since that fateful night.

That single, catastrophic mistake had ruined everything.

Her fingers tightened around the railing unconsciously as fragments of blurred memories flashed unbidden through her mind: the dim, shadowed lights of the hotel suite; the bitter taste of champagne still lingering on her tongue; Ethan’s dark eyes, clouded by alcohol and raw frustration.

She remembered the sound of heavy rain lashing against the windows while emotions neither of them fully understood spiraled completely out of control.

He had pulled her closer, mistaking comfort for something deeper in the middle of his explosive fight with Olivia, and though she remembered wanting to stop things before they crossed the line, she also remembered failing. And then, the merciless morning light had come.

Swallowing hard, Lane forced herself to continue down the stairs, aggressively pushing the memories away before they could suffocate her again.

The voices grew clearer as she reached the bottom floor. Her mother’s soft, practiced laughter filled the dining room while servants moved like ghosts around the long table, clearing desserts and pouring after-dinner drinks.

The atmosphere was unusually lively tonight. Olivia was supposed to be in Paris for a few more weeks, but her trip had been cut short, and naturally, Ethan had come to the estate to visit alongside her. Watching them from a distance, Lane instantly wished she had stayed upstairs.

The moment she stepped into view, Eleanor noticed her daughter immediately. "Lane, you’re finally awake," her mother said warmly, setting her teacup down on its saucer. "Come, greet everyone."

Lane froze slightly. Ethan was seated directly beside Olivia at the center of the table, dressed in a black tailored suit that looked painfully expensive even for a casual family dinner.

His sharp features remained as unreadable as ever, his attention entirely focused on whatever business merger her father was discussing. Even seated informally, Ethan carried the same intimidating, untouchable presence he always did—calm, controlled, and completely unaware that her entire world was falling apart because of him.

Olivia turned next, her beautiful face brightening instantly. "Lane!" she exclaimed, standing up and gliding toward her. "You disappeared all day. Are you feeling okay?"

Lane forced a weak, fragile smile. "I’m fine."

"You don’t look fine," Olivia murmured, genuine concern flickering in her eyes as she reached out. "You’re completely pale."

The nausea returned with a vengeance, stronger and more violent than before. Lane’s expression changed instantly as a wave of dizziness hit her.

Her stomach churned so fiercely that before anyone could utter another word, she covered her mouth, pushed past Olivia, and rushed down the hallway.

"Lane?" her mother called out in alarm, but Lane barely heard her.

She practically threw herself into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Dropping heavily to her knees in front of the sink, she trembled violently as the sickness overtook her completely.

Tears burned the corners of her eyes from the sheer force of it, her breathing turning ragged as a cold panic crept into her chest. No, no, no. Please, not now. Not in front of them. Not in front of Ethan.

After several exhausting minutes, the sickness finally eased enough for her to slide back against the tiled bathroom wall, weak and depleted. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she pressed them against her face.

Deep down, she already knew the truth. The missed cycle, the bone-deep exhaustion, the constant nausea, and the unbearable, suffocating fear—she had spent days lying to herself because acknowledging reality meant destroying everything. But now, reality was staring her directly in the face.

A soft, firm knock shattered the quiet. "Lane?" her mother’s worried voice came through the wood. "Open the door, please."

Panicking, Lane quickly splashed cold water onto her face, dried her skin, and unlocked the door.

The moment Eleanor saw her daughter clearly, her expression shifted from maternal concern to sharp alarm. "My God, Lane..."

"I’m okay," Lane whispered frantically, trying to smooth down her clothes.

"You’re shaking."

"I just felt a little sick to my stomach."

Eleanor stared at her carefully, her eyes narrowing as a heavy realization slowly began to take shape. Mothers noticed the very things daughters wished they could hide. "Lane," she said quietly, her voice dropping to a serious register. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Lane’s heart stopped.

Before she could form a lie, footsteps approached in the hallway behind Eleanor. Olivia appeared first, her brow furrowed, followed by Richard, and finally Ethan, who remained a few paces back near the hallway entrance.

The moment Ethan’s eyes landed on Lane’s ghost-pale face, his expression darkened imperceptibly.

"Maybe she just ate something bad," Olivia suggested nervously, looking between them.

Richard frowned, his posture rigid. "Food poisoning doesn’t usually look like that."

Lane felt utterly trapped beneath the weight of everyone’s collective gaze. Then, her mother spoke the exact words Lane had been dreading for weeks.

"Lane..." Eleanor’s voice softened, laced with a terrifying gravity. "Are you pregnant?"

A suffocating silence crashed through the hallway. Complete, total silence.

Lane’s lips parted soundlessly, her vision blurring instantly with tears. Nobody moved; nobody seemed to breathe. Sensing the shifting air, the nearby servants lowered their heads awkwardly and quickly vanished from sight.

Olivia stared at Lane as though she had suddenly stopped understanding the world around her, while Richard’s expression hardened into deep disbelief.

And Ethan... Ethan was staring directly at her now. His gaze was cold, sharp, and dangerously unreadable.

Lane couldn’t speak because the damning truth was written all over her face.

Olivia’s voice began to tremble. "Lane...?"

The tears finally spilled over, burning Lane’s eyes as she looked down at her shaking hands, entirely unable to meet anyone’s gaze.

That silence became her ultimate confession. Eleanor inhaled sharply, while her father’s face darkened with a mixture of shock and rage.

"Oh my God," Olivia whispered, taking a step back.

"Who is the father?" Richard demanded suddenly, his voice booming in the confined space.

Lane felt her chest tighten painfully, the air leaving her lungs. She couldn’t answer. How could she? How could she utterly destroy Olivia like this? Her agonizing silence dragged heavily through the hallway until, slowly and almost unwillingly, Lane’s eyes shifted down the corridor toward Ethan.

Following her gaze, Eleanor’s eyes snapped to him next. Olivia turned last.

"No," Olivia whispered instantly, her voice cracking. "No..."

Ethan’s jaw had tightened visibly, his expression turning colder than Lane had ever seen it. His dark eyes locked onto hers with a lethal mixture of anger and disbelief that made her stomach twist all over again.

He knew. Of course he knew. The memory of that night had clearly returned to haunt him, too.

Olivia stepped backward again, her head shaking in disbelief as she looked between the two of them. "Tell me this isn’t true. Ethan, tell me she’s lying."

Nobody answered. Lane’s tears spilled silently down her cheeks as Olivia let out a broken, breathless laugh. "You’re lying. Both of you are lying to me."

"Olivia—" Lane began weakly, reaching a hand out.

"Don’t." Olivia’s voice cracked sharply, full of venom and betrayal. "Don’t you dare say my name." The raw pain on her cousin’s face shattered whatever resolve Lane had left. "I trusted you," Olivia whispered, her chest heaving. "You were the one person in this family I actually trusted."

Lane shook her head desperately, the guilt consuming her. "It wasn’t supposed to happen—it was a mistake—"

"But it did!" Olivia cried out, her voice echoing off the high ceilings.

The mansion fell profoundly quiet again. Finally, Ethan moved, stepping forward slowly from the shadows of the hallway. His expression remained terrifyingly calm, which somehow made the atmosphere ten times worse.

"When did you find out?" he asked coldly.

Lane looked at him in utter disbelief. That was his first question? Not whether she was alright, not whether she was coping, but a calculated question about a timeline. "I... a few days ago," her voice trembled.

"And you said nothing?"

Fear mixed painfully with humiliation inside her chest. "I didn’t know what to do, Ethan."

Olivia laughed bitterly through her tears, crossing her arms tightly.

"Of course she didn’t." Then, spinning around to face Ethan directly, she demanded, "Was it just one time? Tell me the truth."

Ethan remained stubbornly silent, and that silence answered everything. Olivia’s face crumbled completely. Without another word, she turned on her heel and fled down the hallway, her frantic footsteps echoing as she disappeared up the staircase.

Eleanor called after her anxiously before rushing to follow.

A heavy doorslam echoed from upstairs moments later, vibrating through the walls.

Lane stood frozen in place, the cold air biting at her skin. Everything felt entirely unreal. Richard exhaled a heavy, furious breath before rubbing a hand over his face in sheer frustration.

"This is going to be absolutely disastrous for the family."

Beside him, Ethan’s expression only darkened further, his eyes locked onto Lane like a predator analyzing a threat.

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