Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 135: Chapter 135

Olivia gazed at Nathan’s back as he busily prepared dinner.

They were staying at his condo because Nathan and her son had accompanied her to New York when she decided to track down Lane after discovering she was marrying Ethan.

Ever since her son had been hospitalized due to her destructive greed, Nathan had refused to leave their side.

No matter how many times she tried to push him away, he stood firm, determined to prove his love.

When Ethan had originally discovered the truth, he threatened to ruin anyone involved in keeping secrets from his family.

Later, when Lane had confronted her in a fury of well-deserved slaps and harsh truths, Nathan had materialized out of nowhere, as if sensing she was on the verge of breaking.

Hearing those brutal truths forced her to wake up from the nightmare she had created. She realized how toxic, bitter, and entirely consumed by greed she had become.

She had failed not only as a human being and a cousin, but worst of all, as a mother to Tyler. She had neglected him, hurt him, and let money poison her soul. If she could turn back time, she would have stayed far away from New York. She would have chosen a simpler life.

Standing before the mirror that day, she wept for the monster she had allowed herself to become. Nathan had wrapped his arms around her, offering unconditional comfort.

For the first time, she allowed herself to lean on him completely, letting go of the walls she had built against the only man who truly loved her.

She had asked him through her tears why he stayed when she treated him so poorly, pointing out that dozens of women deserved him more.

Nathan had simply told her that true love does not walk away just because things get hard. He accepted every flaw, every mistake, and every broken piece of her past.

That confession broke her remaining defenses. She finally admitted that she loved him too, not out of desperation or because Ethan was unavailable, but because Nathan was her true home.

She had insisted on one condition: she needed time to heal herself, to find self-worth, and to clear the crushing guilt from her conscience so she could love him the way he deserved.

Nathan had happily agreed to wait by her side every step of the way.

A sharp ring of the doorbell shattered her thoughts. Olivia looked away from Nathan, calling out, "I’ll get it," as he turned from the stove.

Stepping out of the kitchen, she pulled open the front door, expecting a delivery. Instead, two men in police uniforms stood in the hallway.

"Miss Olivia?" one of them asked.

She nodded cautiously. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"May we ask you to come down to the station with us?"

Her stomach dropped. Before she could demand an explanation, Nathan’s deep voice echoed from the hallway.

"What’s going on here?" He stepped up beside her, his sharp gaze locked on the officers.

"Sir, we just need Miss Olivia to accompany us to headquarters," the officer repeated.

Nathan’s brow furrowed aggressively. "For what?"

"For questioning, Sir. We need to ask a few things regarding the disappearance of Miss Lane Blackwood."

Olivia gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "L-Lane is missing?"

"Yes, ma’am. She never made it to her wedding."

The shock paralyzed her. She had spoken to Lane just hours earlier at the mansion, begging for forgiveness.

The idea that Lane had vanished on her wedding day felt impossible.

"And considering she was one of the last people to see or speak with her," the officer continued, "you are currently a person of interest."

Olivia couldn’t even argue. She knew how much she was hated, and Ethan certainly had every reason to point a finger at her.

"I’m calling our lawyer--" Nathan started, reaching for his phone.

Olivia caught his arm, shaking her head. "No, Nathan. I’ll go with them."

"Olivia, you can’t just--"

"They just want to ask questions," she interrupted gently, seeing the fierce panic flash across his face.

"I’m coming with you."

"What about Tyler?" she asked softly, gesturing toward the back room. Nathan froze. "You need to stay here and look after our son."

started, reaching for his phone.

Olivia caught his arm, shaking her head. "No, Nathan. I’ll go with them."

"Olivia ,you can’t just--"

"They just want to ask questions," she interrupted gently, seeing the fierce panic flash across his face.

"I’m coming with you."

"What about Tyler?" she asked softly, gesturing toward the back room. Nathan froze.

"You need to stay here and look after our son."

Reluctantly, he nodded, though his jaw remained clenched.

"Let me just grab my bag," she told the officers.

She ran inside to grab her purse, whispering a quick goodbye to Tyler so he wouldn’t worry. Returning to the door, she gave Nathan a reassuring smile.

"I’ll call you as soon as I can. Take care of Tyler."

She stepped out into the hallway and climbed into the squad car. Her conscience was entirely clean regarding Lane’s disappearance, which gave her the courage to face whatever was waiting at the precinct.

The moment she walked into the police station, the heavy, hostile air practically choked her.

Ethan stood near a desk, his eyes locking onto her with a terrifying level of pure hatred. If looks could kill, she would have dropped dead right on the linoleum.

She swallowed hard, squaring her shoulders as an officer led her to a small interrogation table.

"Can you explain the nature of your visit to the Blackwood mansion earlier today?" the detective asked.

Olivia took a steady breath. "I went there to apologize to Lane."

Across the room, she could feel Ethan tracking her every movement, his dark gaze burning holes into the back of her head.

"And what did you talk about?"

"I apologized for every single cruel thing I did to her in the past," Olivia answered honestly, holding the detective’s gaze to prove her sincerity.

"I wanted to clear the air and make amends."

She glanced briefly at Ethan. His jaw was locked so tight a muscle ticked violently in his cheek.

"Do you have any involvement in Ms. Blackwood’s abduction?"

Before Olivia could answer, Ethan slammed his hand down on the metal table, stepping into the room like a localized storm.

"Save the performance, Olivia," Ethan growled, his voice a lethal whisper.

"Tell me where Lane is right now while I’m still asking politely. Because if you push me past my limit, you won’t survive the consequences."

"I swear to God, Ethan, I have nothing to do with this!" Lianne cried out, her voice shaking. "My conscience is completely clear!"

Ethan looked ready to lunge across the table, but the sharp buzzing of his cell phone pierced the room. He pulled the device from his pocket, his eyes darting to the screen before he abruptly pressed it to his ear.

Ethan had glared at Olive with pure venom. She was the only person on earth with a bitter enough grudge and a motive dark enough to pull off something like this.

He had been convinced she was behind the kidnapping.

Just as he was about to rip into her again, his phone started ringing.

He glanced down at the screen, and his breath caught.

He stared at Olivia, who looked just as confused by his sudden hesitation.

"It’s your father," Ethan muttered coldly into the air, answering the call with a sinking feeling in his gut.

Uncle Lucas. That was the only other name that made sense. Lucas was desperate, hunted, and entirely unhinged.

"Uncle Lucas," Ethan answered, his voice dropping an octave into a dangerous register.

"How are you holding up, Ethan?"

Ethan’s knuckles turned white around the phone. "Where is Lane?" he demanded, bypassing pleasantries.

A harsh, grating laugh crackled through the speaker.

"Straight to the point, I see. Want to say hello to your bride first?" A brief shuffle echoed on the line before a terrified, muffled sob came through.

"Go ahead, sweetheart. Tell your husband where you are."

"Ethan..."

Hearing Lane’s voice crack with absolute terror felt like a knife twisting in his chest. A ragged breath escaped his lips.

"Lane! Hang on, I’m coming for you," Ethan swore fiercely, his heart hammering against his ribs.

"I will find you, I promise."

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the lead investigator frantically motioning for him to hit the speakerphone button. Ethan tapped the screen, amplifying the call for the entire room to hear.

Uncle Lucas’s voice boomed back, dripping with malicious satisfaction.

"You’ll only get her back if you play by my rules, Ethan."

"What do you want?" Ethan ground out, his body rigid. He would gladly burn his entire empire to the ground right this second if it meant getting Lane back alive.

"Simple. I want every single cent of your wealth signed over to me. That is the price for your precious wife’s freedom."

....

"Are you entirely sure about this, Ethan?"

Ethan looked up from the heavy stack of legal documents spread across his desk. He met his father’s worried gaze head-on.

"For Lane, yes, Dad. I’d give up every last dime I own," Ethan replied firmly.

"Nothing matters except getting my family back."

He hadn’t hesitated for a single second when Uncle Lucas laid out his ransom demand.

Wealth could be re-earned, empires could be rebuilt from scratch, but Lane and their unborn child could never be replaced. He was ready to walk away with just the clothes on his back as long as they were safe.

Still, this was only plan A. The police had immediately set up a covert entrapment operation the moment the call ended.

While Ethan played along with Lucas’s demands to keep Lane safe, the authorities were tracking the signal and preparing to swarm the drop point.

The weight of the risk made his stomach turn. If Lucas figured out he was walking into a police trap, Lane would pay the price. But the police had sworn they had every angle covered.

Just as Ethan reached for his pen to sign the asset transfer papers, a soft knock echoed at the library door.

His mother stepped inside, looking hesitant. "Ethan, someone is here to see you."

"Who is it, Mom?" he asked tiredly. His mother wouldn’t interrupt unless it was urgent.

Instead of answering, she stepped aside. Olivia and her mother, Aunt Dianne, walked slowly into the room.

Ethan shot up from his chair, his expression hardening.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We came to help, Ethan," Olivia answered softly.

"How could you possibly help?" he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Aunt Dianne stepped forward, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Has Lucas contacted you yet?"

"I’m waiting for his final call about the handoff," Ethan admitted stonily.

"We’re coming with you," Aunt Dianne said with a fierce, unexpected resolve.

"Let us talk to him. We can convince him to let Lane go and finally turn himself in."

Ethan stared at them in disbelief. "Why on earth should I trust either of you?"

Olivia’s mother broke down, covering her mouth as a sob escaped. Olivia wrapped an arm around her, tears finally spilling over her own lashes.

"We know we were monsters. We let greed destroy our family," Aunt Dianne wept.

"B-but it’s not too late to stop him. We love him, but we won’t let him ruin any more lives. Please, Ethan. Let us help fix this."

Ethan looked at them, searching their faces for deceit. Instead, he saw raw, aching sincerity and a desperate desire for redemption.

He let out a slow, heavy breath and gave a single, sharp nod.

At this point, he would take any ally he could get to bring Lane home.

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