Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 127: Chapter 127

"Lane."

Lane looked up when she heard Ethan calling her.

"I’m heading to the office. Chris called and said there’s something I need to sign," he said.

She nodded. "Are you coming back?"

"I don’t know if I’ll finish quickly, but I’m sure I’ll come back to pick you up. We’ll go home together," Ethan replied.

"Okay," she said.

When Ethan heard her answer, he grabbed the black coat draped over the back of the sofa. He also picked up his cellphone and car keys from the center table.

Instead of stepping out of the office, he moved closer to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

"If there’s a problem or you need me, don’t hesitate to call," he instructed as he pulled away.

Lane smiled and nodded. "Take care."

Ethan gave her another quick kiss, said goodbye, and stepped out of the office.

When Ethan finally left, instead of returning her attention to her computer, she picked up the phone on her desk and made a call. It rang a few times before it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Ava," she said, addressing her friend.

"Oh, Lane. You called?" Ava said from the other end.

"Are you busy?" she asked.

"Not really," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was hoping you could come with me."

"Where?"

Lane clenched her fist on the table. "To see Olivia," she said.

"And why?"

"I’ll tell you later," she said. "Could you pick me up here at the office?"

"Sure. I’ll text you when I’m close," Ava replied.

"Thanks, Ava," she said before ending the call.

While waiting for Ava, she got ready to leave. It wasn’t long before she received a call from Ava, saying she was downstairs.

She told her she was on her way down. After hanging up, she stood up and stepped out of her office. She informed her secretary that she was heading out and to tell anyone looking for her to come back later.

Soon, Lane was downstairs. She immediately saw Ava’s black car and walked over to it. She got into the front seat.

"Why are you going to see Olivia, Lane?" Ava asked.

"I want to confront her," she replied.

She noticed Ava furrow her brow. "Why?"

"For deceiving all of us," she replied. Then she told her friend what Ethan had told her.

She noticed Ava’s eyes widen. It seemed she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "You mean Tyler isn’t Ethan’s son?"

She nodded. She couldn’t help but seethe with anger at her cousin’s deception.

"Yes. She made Ethan believe he was responsible for her pregnancy just to break us apart."

"What the fuck! I can’t believe your cousin would stoop that low," Ava said in disbelief.

"So, you’re going to confront her?"

She nodded again.

"I want you there, Ava. If anything goes wrong, make sure to protect us." She didn’t know what would happen during the confrontation. She might get violent, or Olivia might.

To be honest, she felt so much anger toward her that she might not be able to hold back, and she needed to protect her unborn child.

"Protect us? What do you mean?"

Instead of speaking, she raised a hand to cradle her stomach. Ava noticed the movement, and her eyes widened.

"Are you...?"

"Yes. I’m pregnant," she finished.

"Oh, god!" Ava exclaimed, and she noticed the sparkle in her eyes. But then she noticed Lane’s serious expression.

"Let’s not go, Lane," she said moments later.

"Who knows what Olivia might do to you," she added, her voice filled with concern.

"That’s why I’m taking you with me. If anything goes wrong, protect us," she explained.

Ava seemed to notice the determination in her eyes, because she had no choice but to nod.

Moments later, Ava started the car and drove off. It didn’t take long before they reached the building where Olivia’s condo was located. They got out of the car together and walked inside.

Soon, they were at the door of Olivia’s condo. She pressed the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door opened, and she saw Olivia.

When Olivia saw her, she frowned. "What are you doing here, Lane?"

When she saw her cousin, she felt anger surge as she remembered what Olivia had done, and the things she had said before.

Unable to contain her anger any longer, she lashed out and slapped her. Still unsatisfied, she slapped her again.

"How dare you!" Olivia was about to attack her when Ava quickly intervened.

"Go ahead. Try it," Ava said.

"Stay out of this, Ava. Get out of my way," Olivia said angrily.

She became even more furious.

"What, Olivia? You’re the one who’s angry? You have no right to be angry. Between the two of us, I have the right," she said.

"Those two slaps you received? That’s not enough for everything you’ve done to me, and to us."

"And are you that desperate to get Ethan’s attention? Are you that desperate for him to come back to you? To make someone else take responsibility for your child and claim it as Ethan’s? What kind of woman are you?"

"Have you forgotten, Lane? I was Ethan’s first."

"I haven’t forgotten that you were his first. But I’m the one Ethan loves now and will continue to love in the days to come. It’s time to move on, Olivia. If someone doesn’t want you anymore, don’t force yourself into their life. You’re a person, not a parasite, Olivia," she said.

She glanced at Ava, who laughed at that remark. She frowned at her because, despite the anger in the air, Ava still had the nerve to laugh.

She turned her gaze back to Olivia.

"If you have any respect left for yourself, stop this. Remember this: don’t try to provoke me, because if I find out you’re planning to ruin Ethan and me again, it won’t just be a slap you’ll get," she threatened.

After that, she looked at her friend. "Ava, let’s go," she urged.

She didn’t wait for Olivia to respond, as she turned and walked away. Ava quickly followed her.

"Where did you get that line, Lane?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your line earlier, ’You’re a person, not a parasite, Olivia,’" she said.

Lane pouted. "I just heard it in a movie," she replied.

Ava laughed, but then her expression turned serious.

"But are you okay? Do you feel anything? You were really angry earlier."

"I’m okay," Lane replied. "But still, come with me to the doctor just to be sure," she added.

She had been livid a moment ago. It might have had an effect on her pregnancy, and she wanted to make sure the life inside her was safe.

...

Lane looked away from the computer and turned her attention to Ethan when she heard his phone ring.

She saw him glance away from the laptop to focus on the phone resting on the center table. She watched as he picked it up to answer the call.

As she watched, she noticed Ethan’s eyebrows knit together before he answered.

"What?" Ethan said, falling silent as he listened to the person on the other end.

After a while, his eyebrows almost formed a single line, indicating he didn’t like what he was hearing.

"And where the hell is he?" Ethan asked, his voice authoritative.

"Find him no matter what. He’s not allowed to leave the country due to his court order," Ethan added.

Lane didn’t know who Ethan was talking to, but she had a good idea. She knew he was referring to Uncle Lucas.

Four days had passed since they discovered the truth about what Uncle Lucas and Olivia had done.

Ethan had carried out his threat to make everyone involved pay. He taught the private investigator who deceived him a lesson, not only getting him fired but also filing charges that led to his imprisonment.

Ethan used his power and connections to make it happen quickly, and she knew he could easily do that. Ethan spared Olivia because of Tyler, but he didn’t spare Uncle Lucas, the mastermind behind everything.

He was the one responsible for the chaos in their lives, but it seemed he didn’t want to face the consequences because he was now hiding.

She knew it wasn’t just Ethan he was hiding from.

They found out that Uncle Lucas owed a lot of people due to his gambling addiction. She also learned that he had gambled away all his properties.

Everything was clear to Lane now. The reason he tried to separate her and Ethan was that he wanted Olivia to end up with Ethan, as he would benefit from it all. When his plan failed, he attempted to take over her father’s company, but fortunately, he didn’t succeed.

Her mother also found out what Uncle Lucas had done, and she was furious. Lane told her mother not to inform her father yet about what happened, fearing it might affect his recovery.

Her father’s condition was improving, and she prayed for his full recovery so he could walk her down the aisle to Ethan.

With everything happening, their wedding planned for this month might not go ahead. Still, they continued to work on the details with the help of Miss Ivy.

Up until now, she still hadn’t told Ethan about her pregnancy. She was four weeks along, which she confirmed during a check-up with Ava.

She planned to tell him the good news, but she couldn’t find the right moment because Ethan was always busy.

Since she couldn’t find the perfect timing, Lane decided to reveal her pregnancy on their wedding day. That would be her gift to him, and she was certain he would be thrilled.

"Okay. I’ll check," Ethan said a moment later before ending the call.

She wanted to ask what happened but didn’t get the chance as he immediately turned his attention back to the laptop, seemingly engrossed in something.

His brows furrowed once more and his jaw tightened. She also heard him mutter a soft curse.

After a moment, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

"What’s wrong, Ethan?" she asked, curiosity and concern evident in her voice.

He looked up, and she saw anger in his expression, but his face immediately softened when their eyes met.

"Is Uncle Lucas hiding?" she asked, suspecting that was why he was upset.

"Yes," he replied. "But you don’t need to worry, Lane. He can’t hide for long. The authorities will find him," he added.

She nodded. "I have something to ask you, Ethan," he said a moment later.

"What?"

"How did you meet Mae?"

She frowned. Why was he asking how she met Mae?

"Noah hired her so I’d have someone with me when we went to Virginia," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

She noticed his jaw clench again.

"She’s also in cahoots with Uncle Lucas, Lane. Uncle Lucas paid her to give him information about you. That’s why he knew your every move."

Lane was taken aback. She couldn’t believe Mae would do that to her, especially since Mae had been with her for a long time and she trusted her.

Money truly wields a powerful influence. It was true what they said: The love of money is the root of all evil.

"Ma’am Lane, you’re early."

Lane couldn’t bring herself to respond to Mae after she entered her condo. She couldn’t help but clench her fists in anger.

She had trusted Mae for a long time and even treated her like a sister. She was generous with her.

She always took her along whenever they went out, and whatever they ate, Mae ate too. She even gave her money whenever she went home to her family.

All of this was done out of the goodness of her heart. Calvin also loved her dearly because he considered Mae an older sister.

But what did Mae do? She betrayed them. She traded their trust for the money Uncle Lucas offered in exchange for information. She couldn’t believe Mae would destroy that trust for money.

"Are you okay, Ma’am Lane?" Mae asked after a while, seeing her reaction. Lane could only take a deep breath.

"Were you happy, Mae?" she asked instead of answering.

She noticed Mae’s eyes were filled with confusion. But after a moment, it seemed she understood the question.

"In working for you? Yes, Ma’am Lane. I was happy."

She couldn’t explain it, but she felt a pang in her heart. If she was happy, why did she trade them for money? Was money more important to her than being with them? "But why?"

"What?"

"If you were happy, why did you betray us?" she said. When Mae remained silent, Lane seized the opportunity to continue.

"If you were happy, why did you trade us for money? Why did you side with Uncle Lucas for money?"

Her reaction confirmed what Ethan’s investigator had said about others being involved with Uncle Lucas.

"Why did you do this to us, Mae? I trusted you, loved you, treated you like a sister, but why did you still trade us for money?

Why did you deceive us?" At that moment, her voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Why, Mae?"

She was surprised when Mae suddenly knelt in front of her. "I’m sorry, Ma’am Lane. I’m sorry," Mae repeatedly begged for forgiveness. She started crying, but Lane was too hurt to feel any pity for her.

"I was just in a tight spot, so I accepted the money Sir Lucas gave to provide information about you, Ma’am Lane," Mae explained.

"I was in desperate need of money."

"If you needed money, you should have told me. I’m not selfish, Mae," she said.

"You didn’t have to destroy the trust I placed in you. Being in need or needing money is not a valid reason to engage in wrongdoing. Why? Are you proud of yourself? Are you proud that you’re feeding your family with money from wrongdoing, huh, Mae?"

Instead of answering, Mae bowed her head while she repeatedly asked for forgiveness. She couldn’t even look directly into her eyes, guilty of what she had done.

As she looked at her, a question suddenly came to her mind. "Mae."

She looked up, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Did you intentionally not pick up Calvin from school when Ethan called you?" she asked.

She suddenly remembered that incident, thinking she might have reported it to Uncle Lucas, and he ordered her not to pick up the child.

Mae didn’t need to answer because Lane already knew the truth. It felt like her heart was being choked, and she couldn’t breathe.

She felt deeply betrayed, wondering how she could do such a thing to her child.

"Get your things, Mae, and leave," she said in a firm voice.

"Ma’am Lane..."

"I can’t trust you. Who knows what you might do to my child if given another chance?" she said.

That was one of Lane’s fears, that if she gave her a second chance, she might repeat what she did for money. And it might not just end there.

"I won’t..."

"Leave, Mae. While I’m still willing to be civil," Lane said. It seemed Mae felt the finality in her voice because she stood up and stepped toward her room.

Lane also stepped toward her room. She sat on the edge of the bed as she felt her knees trembling.

As soon as she sat down, she couldn’t hold back the tears she had been fighting. She cried because she had trusted Mae and never imagined she would betray both her and Calvin.

"Lane!"

Lane looked up when she heard Ethan’s voice. Her tears flowed even more when she saw the worry etched on his face.

He closed the distance between them in one step and immediately embraced her.

She couldn’t hold back her emotions anymore.

"I’m here, Lane. I’m always here," he said tenderly as he tightened his embrace.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!