Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Ethan rubbed his temples as the elevator doors smoothly glided open on the executive floor. He had just emerged from a grueling, hours-long meeting with one of his most demanding primary investors, and his mind felt completely drained. Walking into his spacious office, he immediately shed his suit jacket, draping it over the back of his leather chair, before aggressively rolling up his sleeves.

He glanced at his desk and let out a sharp breath. The mahogany surface was practically buried under stacks of folders. His assistant had clearly made sure every single piece of delayed paperwork was waiting for him the exact moment he returned.

Sighing, Ethan sat down and immediately pulled the first file toward him. Before he could dive into the data, a soft knock sounded at the door, and his assistant stepped into the room.

"Sir, I’m heading out now," his assistant said politely. "As we discussed the other day, my approved leave ."

Ethan paused, a brief flicker of realization crossing his mind. With everything going on, he had completely forgotten about the man’s scheduled time off. He simply gave a tight, understanding nod.

"I’ve transferred your updated digital schedule directly to your phone, and the rest of the pending files have been uploaded to your shared drive," the assistant added, stepping back.

"Have a good evening, sir."

Ethan nodded again, dismissing him with a brief "Alright," before turning his full attention back to the documents.

He lost himself in the monotony of reviewing clauses, verifying financial metrics, and signing his name on the dotted lines. The office around him grew quiet as the rest of the building emptied out, but he didn’t stop—not until a sharp, burning ache flared in his shoulder, forcing him to finally sit back.

He straightened up, rolling his neck, and glanced down at the digital clock on his desk.

6:50 PM.

"Fuck," Ethan muttered under his breath, a sudden jolt of adrenaline erasing his fatigue. He had been working for that long without realizing it. He was already a few minutes late for the dinner at Lane’s parents’ house, but if he hurried right now and bypassed the usual routes, he might still make it in time. His mind instantly flashed back to the hollow look on Lane’s face when he had missed her prenatal appointment. A wave of heavy guilt washed over him. He couldn’t miss this tonight, too.

He grabbed his jacket, took the elevator down, and strode out of the building. His driver already had the sleek sedan waiting at the curb. But just as Ethan reached for the door handle, another luxury vehicle cut sharply into the executive parking lot, blocking his path.

The door opened, and Aunt Rebecca stepped out. A tight, deliberate smile formed on her lips as her eyes locked onto him.

"Ethan, what a coincidence," Aunt Rebecca said, smoothing down her coat as she approached. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"I’m in a hurry, Auntie," Ethan replied, his tone clipped and uninviting. "Maybe another time."

"It will only take ten minutes, Ethan," Aunt Rebecca insisted, her smile fading into a look of calculated gravity. "It’s about Olivia. It’s urgent."

Hearing that name, Ethan’s jaw tightened. He hesitated, looking at his watch, but the sheer weight of the mention forced his hand. With a dark expression, he turned around and led her back up to his office.

They sat down across from each other, the silence in the room heavy. "What about her?" Ethan asked coldly.

Aunt Rebecca leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I received word from a close contact abroad. Olivia is finally sorting out her affairs. She might just come back."

Ethan sat rigidly, but his eyes kept darting down to the screen of his phone resting on the desk. The minutes were slipping away like sand. 7:15. 7:30. 7:45. His chest grew tighter with every passing second, Aunt Rebecca’s voice fading into background noise as the reality of the time sinking in hit him.

Finally, as the clock ticked to almost 8:00 PM, Ethan abruptly stood up, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Alright, Auntie,I need to leave now."

Without waiting for her response, he turned on his heel and strode out of the office. He practically threw himself into the backseat of his car, his voice low and dangerous as he barked at the driver, "Hurry. Get us to the estate immediately."

The car tore through the city streets, but twenty minutes into the drive, the brake lights ahead flared red. The sedan came to a sudden, jarring halt.

"What’s wrong? Why are we stopping?" Ethan demanded, leaning forward fiercely.

"I’m sorry, sir," the driver replied anxiously, looking through the windshield. "It looks like there’s a major multi-car accident up ahead. The entire intersection is completely blocked."

Ethan slammed his fist against the armrest, a stream of curses muttered under his breath. He was trapped. It took thirty agonizing, agonizing minutes before the emergency crews finally cleared a single lane, allowing traffic to crawl forward again. By the time the sedan finally tore up the long, familiar driveway of Lane’s parents’ mansion, the night was entirely dark.

Ethan threw the door open before the car even came to a complete stop. As he stepped onto the porch, Maria, the maid, met him at the door with a somber look.

"Good evening, Mr. Ethan," she murmured quietly.

"Is Lane still inside?" Ethan asked, his breath coming in short, uneven intervals.

Maria offered a sad, pitying shake of her head. "No, sir. Miss Lane left some time ago."

At her words, Ethan felt a sharp, physical pain lance through his chest, a suffocating weight settling over his lungs. Before he could ask anything else, the heavy inner door opened, and Lane’s mother stepped into the foyer.

"Auntie," Ethan said, his voice uncharacteristically strained as he looked at her.

Lane’s mother looked at him, her expression a mix of profound disappointment and quiet dignity. "Lane already left, Ethan. We can always have dinner another time."

"I’m incredibly sorry," Ethan muttered, the apology feeling entirely empty and inadequate even to his own ears. "There was an unexpected situation, and then an accident on the road—"

"It’s fine, Ethan," she interrupted softly, though the sadness in her eyes spoke volumes.

"Drive safely on your way back."

Meanwhile, the dark city streets blurred past Lane’s window. After leaving her parents’ estate, she hadn’t felt like going back to the Blackwood mansion at all. The thick, stifling atmosphere of loneliness waiting for her there felt entirely too heavy to face.

She had desperately wanted to ask her mother if she could just stay in her old childhood bedroom for the night, but she had seen the immense, aching pain in her parents’ eyes as they watched her wait. She knew that staying would only make them sadder, forcing them to witness the full extent of her marital misery.

So, she drove. She didn’t go directly home. Instead, she wandered aimlessly through the quiet, midnight streets, letting the humming of the engine pass the time while she silently cried, letting the tears dry on her cheeks.

Eventually, the exhaustion of her pregnancy caught up to her. Pulling up to the Blackwood mansion, she parked the car and walked inside, her movements slow and mechanical.

But the moment she stepped into the living room, she froze mid-step.

Sitting directly next to Aunt Catherine on the main couch was Ethan. He looked exhausted, his hair slightly disheveled, his eyes locking onto her the second she entered the room.

Lane tore her gaze away from him entirely, her voice trembling slightly as she addressed the older woman. "Auntie..."

Aunt Catherine looked between the two of them and let out a long, heavy sigh. "Lane, sweetheart. You should go upstairs and freshen up, then come back down. I’ll have the kitchen prepare a warm cup of milk for you."

"I’m fine, Auntie. Really, I’m full," Lane replied, her voice completely devoid of emotion as she deliberately avoided meeting Ethan’s intense, searching gaze.

Aunt Catherine sighed again, the palpable tension in the room breaking her heart.

"I’ll just go upstairs now. Goodnight," Lane murmured quietly, turning toward the staircase without giving Ethan a single glance.

Entering the master bedroom, she walked straight into the bathroom. She took a quick, half-shower, intentionally keeping her hair completely dry because she knew the sheer amount of time it would take to blow-dry it would leave her standing awake for another hour. Slipping into a simple nightgown, she climbed into the massive, freezing bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

She turned her back to the empty side of the mattress and closed her eyes, but sleep refused to come, no matter how hard she tried to force her racing mind to quiet down.

A while later, the quiet click of the bedroom door signaled his arrival. Lane immediately went rigid, keeping her eyes tightly shut and her breathing shallow, feigning sleep. She felt the mattress shift slightly, and then a heavy, burning gaze settled over her back.

Ethan stood by the edge of the bed for a long moment before he reached out, his large hand surprisingly gentle as he carefully adjusted the heavy blanket, pulling it higher up over her shoulders to shield her from the air conditioning.

He quietly changed into his gray sweatpants, turned off the lamp, and slid into the bed beside her.

Lane lay perfectly still in the dark. She didn’t know how much time had passed—maybe thirty minutes, maybe an hour—until the rhythm of his breathing shifted into a soft, steady snore. Knowing he was finally fast asleep, the tight restraint holding her together completely shattered.

Slowly, silently, Lane rolled over to face him. The moonlight cut through the window, illuminating his sharp, handsome features. Looking at the man who held her entire heart, she could no longer stop the hot, bitter tears from spilling over her lashes, soaking into her pillow.

"Ethan..." she whispered into the dark, her voice cracking with an unbearable, agonizing ache. "Of all the things you did... this, and missing the appointment, hurt the most."

She swallowed a sob, gripping the edge of the blanket tightly.

"I know you were forced into this marriage," she cried softly, her eyes blurring as she stared at his sleeping face. "I know you never wanted me. But please... don’t punish the baby. I can take anything you throw at me. I can take the silence, the coldness, the rejection... but don’t punish the innocent baby."

A heavy tear slid down her nose as she let out a shaky breath, the words she had buried deep in her soul finally pouring out into the empty room.

"I wish Olivia would just come back," Lane whispered, her heart breaking into a million pieces as she made the ultimate sacrifice.

"Once she returns, the baby and I will leave immediately. We won’t get in your way. I won’t be the villain in your story. I’ll give you your freedom... and I’ll return you to your true love."

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