Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Lane tightened her grip on Ethan’s arm the moment she heard that voice calling his name. Looking to her side, she saw an unfamiliar man approaching them with a smile, accompanied by a beautiful woman. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Ethan glance down at her, clearly feeling the way she squeezed his arm.

"Haven’t seen you for a while, Ethan," the man said as he reached them.

"Julian," Ethan replied, evidently knowing him well. Lane pressed her lips together as Julian shifted his gaze to her. When their eyes met, she offered him a slight, polite smile.

She noticed a flicker of confusion in his expression. She suspected he was wondering why Ethan was with a different woman; they were clearly close enough that Julian likely knew his former fiancé. Julian looked back at Ethan with a questioning glint in his eyes. Ethan seemed to read the silent inquiry instantly.

"This is Lane," he began. Lane didn’t expect a formal introduction, knowing Ethan was usually completely closed off to acknowledging her in public. She certainly didn’t expect what he said next. She looked up at him, stunned.

"My wife," he said, his voice dropping into a serious, unwavering tone. It wasn’t just his voice—his entire expression was firm and resolute. She searched his face for any sign of displeasure or hesitation at having to claim her, but she found none.

"Your... wife?" Julian seemed just as shocked as Lane. He looked at her as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. Ethan didn’t bother to elaborate. He felt the simple statement was enough for Julian to understand her place in his life.

The two men spoke for a few moments before parting ways. But before Julian and his companion were out of earshot, Lane heard the woman whisper, "Isn’t his fiancé someone else? Why did he introduce someone else as his wife?"

Lane bit her lower lip. Her instincts had been right. People knew who his previous partner was, and she couldn’t help but wonder what they thought of her. They likely thought she had schemed to take another woman’s place.

She took a deep breath. When she looked at Ethan, she was surprised to find him studying her, as if he were trying to read the emotions swirling in her eyes.

"S-shall we find Aunt Catherine?" she stammered, silently scolding herself for the stutter. He held her gaze for a beat longer before giving a slight nod.

They continued through the hall until she spotted Aunt Catherine. Lane’s heart sank, and her feet felt heavy when she realized who was standing with her: Uncle Lucas and Aunt Rebecca. Ethan noticed her sudden hesitation and stopped, looking at her with furrowed brows.

"S-shall we go?" she invited him, not waiting for a response as she averted her eyes. She forced herself to keep walking, and he followed her lead.

Aunt Catherine eventually noticed them, turning away from Aunt Rebecca with a bright, automatic smile. Lane saw Aunt Rebecca follow her gaze. The moment her aunt saw her, the smile vanished from her lips and was replaced by a cold seriousness. Aunt Rebecca’s eyes dropped to Lane’s hand resting on Ethan’s arm, and her brows knitted together in disapproval.

"Lane!" Aunt Catherine said warmly. Lane released Ethan’s arm as the older woman approached to pull her into a hug. "You look stunning, Lane," Aunt Catherine commented, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind Lane’s ear.

"Thank you, Auntie," she replied gratefully. "You look beautiful as well."

Lane then looked at Aunt Rebecca, whose expression remained frozen. It was clear she hated seeing Lane here, especially being treated with such affection by Ethan’s family. Lane knew exactly what she was thinking: that another woman should be the one in that gown, and that someone else should be the one on Ethan’s arm.

Despite the cold reception, Lane knew she had to show respect. She approached Aunt Rebecca to hug her. With so many eyes on them, she had no choice but to force a smile. She knew that if Aunt Catherine weren’t standing right there, she wouldn’t have been able to manage even that.

"How are you, Lane?" Aunt Rebecca asked.

"I’m well, Auntie," she replied politely. "And you?"

"I’m fine," she replied shortly. After a pause, she added, "What are you doing here, by the way?"

Lane was about to answer when a voice cut through the tension for her.

"She’s with us."

Her heart raced as she saw Ethan’s hard, serious gaze directed straight at Aunt Rebecca.

"Ethan, why don’t you invite your wife to dance?"

Lane’s lips parted in surprise as she glanced at Aunt Catherine, completely stunned by the suggestion.

"Auntie, I don’t know how to dance," Lane admitted softly, her face heating up under the ballroom lights.

"It’s okay, Lane. You don’t need to be an expert. Just sway gently to the rhythm of the music," Aunt Catherine encouraged her with a warm, reassuring smile. She then turned her attention back to her son. "Dance with your wife, Ethan."

Lane fully expected Ethan to protest. He usually pushed back firmly whenever his mother asked him to do something he wasn’t interested in, especially anything that drew public attention to their relationship. But to her complete shock, he simply extended his hand toward her. She looked up and found him staring down at her with an unreadable intensity.

"Let’s dance, Lane," Ethan invited, his voice a low, commanding rumble.

For a moment, she was frozen on the spot. If Aunt Catherine hadn’t given her a gentle nudge forward, she might not have found the courage to take his hand. Lane couldn’t ignore the venomous glares shooting from Uncle Lucas and Aunt Rebecca as she and Ethan walked toward the crowded dance floor. If looks could kill, she felt she would have dropped dead right then and there.

They stopped in the middle of the floor among the other high-society couples. Even in her heels, Lane had to tilt her head back significantly to meet Ethan’s eyes. She nearly gasped when their gazes locked; his eyes were dark, intense, and almost devilish in the dimming ballroom lights.

She hesitated to touch him, but eventually, she raised both hands and placed them lightly on his broad shoulders. She pressed her lips together nervously as Ethan placed his large hands firmly on her waist, his grip anchoring her securely. They danced in silence, moving slowly to the rhythm of the music.

"Sorry," she whispered a moment later, having accidentally stepped back onto the hem of her gown. She stumbled slightly, losing her balance.

She would have fallen entirely if Ethan hadn’t caught her firmly by the waist. Her heart hammered erratically against her ribs as he wrapped his powerful arms around her and pulled her flush against his solid chest. She could feel the heat rising rapidly in her cheeks, turning them crimson.

The intoxicating scent of his expensive cologne immediately invaded her senses, overwhelming her completely. By the time the song ended, they were practically embracing on the floor, the space between them completely gone.

As they walked back toward the edge of the ballroom, she saw Aunt Catherine watching them with a sweet, satisfied smile, while Aunt Rebecca looked as though she were about to fume with rage. Overwhelmed by the tension, Lane quickly excused herself to go to the restroom to breathe.

When she finished and stepped back into the quiet hallway, she wasn’t surprised to find Aunt Rebecca waiting for her in the shadows. From her aunt’s cold, calculated expression, Lane knew she had been deliberately cornered.

"You’re really enjoying the attention the Blackwoods are giving you, aren’t you, Lane?" Aunt Rebecca spat, her voice dripping with malice.

"Please, Auntie. I don’t want to argue right now," Lane pleaded, instinctively placing a protective hand over her stomach.

Aunt Rebecca’s eyes narrowed into slits. "Do you think I’m arguing with you?" she asked sharply, taking a step forward. "I am talking to you to make sure you remember your place. All of this is temporary. It will all vanish the moment his former fiancé returns.

I assure you, Lane, everything my daughter lost will be returned to her. Everything you stole will be given back, especially Ethan."

Aunt Rebecca repeated these threats every single time they met, and yet the words never stopped hurting. It pained Lane deeply that they were family, yet her aunt spoke to her as if she were a common criminal who had broken into their lives.

"If I were you, I wouldn’t get used to this life, because you’ll only end up hurting yourself—"

"Lane."

Aunt Rebecca stopped mid-sentence at the sound of the deep, familiar voice cutting through the corridor. Lane looked up in relief, and Aunt Rebecca spun around to see Ethan walking toward them. His expression was stony and deadly serious.

"Oh, Ethan," Aunt Rebecca said, her voice instantly shifting gears. She had been a vicious tiger facing Lane just a second ago, but now she sounded like a meek lamb.

Ethan gave her a curt, icy nod before focusing his attention entirely on Lane.

He searched her face, his eyes scanning her features as if reading every bit of the distress she was trying so hard to hide.

Lane cleared her throat, trying to find her voice through the tightness in her throat.

"What is it, Ethan?"

"Mom is looking for you. She said we’re leaving now," he informed her calmly. He then looked over at Aunt Rebecca, his gaze dropping to sub-zero temperatures. "We’ll be heading out now, Aunt Rebecca."

"We’re leaving, Auntie," Lane added politely, maintaining her manners despite the trembling in her hands.

Ethan didn’t leave her side for a single second. As she began to walk down the hall, he matched her pace perfectly, his presence shielding her from any backward glances. They walked in silence, but the moment they stepped out of the venue and into the cooler night air outside, Lane instinctively hugged herself against a sudden chill.

She watched in silence as Ethan stopped walking and unbuttoned his black tuxedo jacket. Her heart raced in her chest when he stepped closer, expanding his arms to drape the warm, heavy fabric over her bare shoulders, shielding her completely from the cold.

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