Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 111: Chapter 111

Lane’s heart wouldn’t stop racing as Ethan pulled into the parking lot of his office building.

They were only there because Ethan had insisted. His secretary had called that morning saying he needed to sign some urgent papers, and he’d invited them along.

Lane had tried to bail, saying maybe some other time, because she wasn’t quite ready to face his office yet.

She’d told him she had her own work to finish at her place, but Ethan wasn’t having it. He sweet-talked her and used Calvin as leverage until she finally caved.

Man, time really flies. It had already been a week since she’d finally told Calvin that Ethan was his father.

A week since their son had accepted him, and in that short time, the two of them had become practically inseparable. Ethan was basically living at her condo now. He even had a whole wardrobe moved in.

Throughout the week, Ethan had been showering them with love.

He didn’t just show it through his actions, he told them constantly. He was doing everything in his power to make up for those lost five years, dedicating every spare second to her and the boy.

Lane was riding a wave of pure happiness, the kind she’d honestly given up on ever feeling again.

For five years, she’d buried the hope of having a complete family. She’d made peace with the idea that it would just be her and her son against the world. Ethan had broken her heart so badly that she’d sworn off men entirely, deciding to pour every ounce of her love into her child.

It wasn’t like she didn’t have options. Back when she was living in Richmond, plenty of guys showed interest.

Even as a single mom, there were men lined up, willing to step in and be a father figure, wanting to give her a real family. But she never gave them the time of day.

It wouldn’t have been fair to them because, deep down, she knew her heart was still stuck on Ethan.

No matter how much he’d hurt her in the past, he was the only one she ever loved. She couldn’t even explain why her heart was so damn loyal to him.

Lane watched Ethan as he stopped the engine and hopped out. He opened her door and helped her out, even placing his hand over the door frame to make sure she didn’t bump her head. Then he headed to the back to get Calvin.

"Ready?" he asked.

She gripped Calvin’s hand as they stepped into the building. It had been nearly five years since she’d set foot in his company.

The second they walked through the doors, every single employee stopped what they were doing to stare. Calvin must have felt the eyes on them because he stopped dead in his tracks and clung to her leg.

Lane stopped too, leaning down to check on him. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ethan stop and turn back toward them.

"What’s up, Calvin?" she asked.

"Mommy, I’m shy. Everyone is staring," he whispered.

She stroked his hair, but before she could say anything, Ethan chimed in softly. "Don’t be shy."

Instead of answering, Calvin let go of her leg and reached up to his father. As Ethan went to pick him up, Lane tried to intervene.

"Calvin, let Daddy carry you later. You’re going to wrinkle his suit," she said.

Calvin started to pull his hands back, but Ethan swept him up anyway.

"It’s fine, Lane. If my boy wants a lift, he gets a lift," Ethan said, looking her in the eye.

"I don’t care if my clothes get a little messy."

"Thanks, Daddy," Calvin beamed, his face lighting up with pure joy.

"You don’t have to thank me, kiddo. But I appreciate it," he replied.

Lane’s heart skipped a beat when Ethan suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. A jolt of electricity shot through her as he intertwined their fingers.

"Let’s go?" he said with a gentle squeeze, softly pulling her along. He led the way, holding her hand while balancing their son on his other arm.

Lane bit her lip as the whispers started rippling through the lobby.

"Is that Ma’am Lane?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Wait, is that Sir Ethan’s kid he’s carrying?"

"Must be. Look at the kid. He’s the spitting image of the boss. A total carbon copy. Both of them are handsome as hell," another whispered.

"But wait, why doesn’t his other kid with Ma’am Olivia look like him? I don’t see a single resemblance there. It’s almost like Tyler isn’t even his."

Lane’s jaw practically dropped at that.

"I’ve always wondered if Tyler is actually his. He just doesn’t look the part."

Honestly, she had to admit she’d thought the exact same thing. Tyler looked nothing like Ethan, whereas Calvin was like a mini-me of his father.

Had Ethan ever wondered about that? She figured if he’d had doubts, he would have done something about it. He probably had a DNA test done and figured Tyler was his; otherwise, why would he still be co-parenting with Olivia?

"Shh! Shut up. Sir Ethan might hear you. You want to get fired?"

The lobby went dead silent. Lane looked at Ethan when she felt his grip on her hand tighten. He was scowling, his brows knit together. He’d definitely heard the gossip.

Lane gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, catching his eye. When their gazes met, she gave him a small smile, and she

watched his expression instantly soften. He pulled her a little closer to his side. Her heart did another backflip as he leaned in and whispered the three words she’d never get tired of hearing.

"I love you, Lane."

.....

"Is everything ready?"

Lane paused what she was doing when she heard Ethan’s voice. She looked up and saw him leaning against the doorway, watching her.

"Yeah, almost," she replied before turning back to the bags she was packing for their quick getaway.

Calvin had invited his dad on a short trip, and Ethan had said yes before the kid even finished the sentence.

Ethan never says no to him. He’d even asked Calvin to pick the spot, and the kid said he wanted to go to a beautiful beach where he could swim.

Once Ethan knew the plan, he started hunting for the perfect family-friendly beach.

He suggested New Jersey, but Lane shut that down, saying it was too far and a total hassle to book flights and hotels on such short notice. Plus, they couldn’t stay long because Calvin had school, and they both had mountains of work waiting at the office.

Ethan brushed it off, reminding her that he literally owned an airline. To him, everything was a breeze, even if they decided to jet off to the Maldives. He told her they could go anywhere in the world as long as they were together.

Even though he pushed for New Jersey, he eventually caved to her wishes.

He told her she could call the shots on the destination. She suggested Sandbridge Beach instead. It had gorgeous beaches, and she wanted to check on her house and the little coffee shop she owned there. She missed her staff and wanted to see how the business was holding up.

Ethan was all for it. He was actually curious to see where she and Calvin had spent the last five years.

After she finished packing, she stood up from the edge of the bed. She’d kept it light since she and Calvin still had clothes left over at the beach house.

Ethan immediately grabbed her bag. She didn’t even try to argue. She knew he wasn’t going to let her carry it anyway.

They walked out together and met up with their son. Calvin was already dressed and waiting on the sofa, thanks to Ethan.

"Calvin."

He looked up at her call. "Yeah?"

"Let’s move out," she said.

"Okay!" He hopped up and walked over, immediately taking her hand.

The three of them headed out and stepped into the elevator. Lane’s brows knit together when she realized Ethan hadn’t hit the button for the lobby. He’d pressed the button for the rooftop. She looked at him, and he must have felt her staring because he glanced over.

"Hmm?"

"What are we doing on the roof?" she asked.

"Our ride is waiting up there," Ethan said simply.

Lane’s jaw dropped. Once she found her voice, she stammered, "A... a chopper?"

"Yeah, Lane. A chopper. We’re taking it to Richmond so you don’t get worn out by a long drive," he explained.

The elevator doors slid open at the roof, and they were hit with the roar of the engines and the heavy wind from the blades.

The noise clearly spooked Calvin because he immediately lunged for his mom’s leg.

"M-mommy..." he whimpered. "I’m scared."

Ethan heard him and knelt down to get on the kid’s level. "Don’t be scared. Daddy’s got you," he said gently.

Calvin let go of Lane and reached for his dad. Ethan swept him up into his arms. "Still scared?"

"Just a little," Calvin admitted.

"Don’t worry, okay? Daddy and Mommy are right here." Ethan looked up at Lane and noticed her face had gone totally pale. He raised an eyebrow.

"You scared too, love?"

She looked away, her heart hammering. She was definitely nervous. She’d flown on commercial planes and tour jets before, but she’d never been in a helicopter.

A moment later, Ethan pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist. She looked up into his dark, intense eyes.

"Don’t be scared, babe. Your man is here," he whispered.

Lane felt her heart skip a beat. Your man? Hearing him say that felt incredible.

Instead of saying anything, she just leaned into him, feeling his grip tighten. She closed her eyes and felt his heartbeat speeding up, matching her own. Her pulse went wild when she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head.

The moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Lane pulled back, blushing hard when she saw a man standing there, grinning at them. She tried to step away from Ethan, but his hand stayed firmly on her waist.

"Sorry to interrupt," the man said, making her turn even redder.

"I-it’s fine," she managed.

"The chopper is ready, sir. We’re all..."

"The chopper is ready, sir. We’re all set to board," the man added.

"Alright." Ethan said. He led them over, hopping in first to get Calvin buckled in.

The other man reached out to help Lane up, but Ethan’s voice dropped into a firm, protective baritone.

"I’ve got her."

Ethan helped her in himself, personally fastening her seatbelt before checking on their son again. He double-checked everything before finally taking the seat next to her.

Lane held her breath as the engine revved and they lifted off. Her anxiety started to fade, though, the moment Ethan grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

He didn’t let go until the chopper touched down in a wide-open field in Richmond.

As soon as they landed, Ethan unbuckled to help Calvin out.

Lane started working on her own belt. Ethan handed Calvin to a staff member who had approached them, then turned back and reached out a hand for her. She took it, standing up as he assisted her out.

The second her feet hit the grass, her legs turned to jelly. She almost lost her balance, but Ethan caught her, his free arm snaking around her waist to pull her flush against him.

"You okay, Lane?" he asked, his voice low and husky.

She looked up at him. "My legs are just a little shaky," she admitted.

Ethan’s dark eyes narrowed as he looked her over, and then he dropped a line that made her face go up in flames.

"You’re not underneath me right now, Lane. So why are your legs shaking?"

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