Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 68: Chapter 68

Ethan lifted his gaze from the documents in front of him when his phone started buzzing on the executive desk. He saw it was his mother, Catherine, calling. He took a second to lean back in his swivel chair before picking up.

"Hey, Ma," he said.

"Ethan," his mother replied, her voice sounding heavy.

"Did something happen?" he asked, sensing the mood.

"Haven’t you heard the news about Lane’s father?"

Ethan’s brow furrowed. "What happened to Uncle Richard?"

"He’s in the hospital. He had a heart attack," she replied, leaving Ethan stunned. "Eleanor told me he’s still unconscious," his mother added.

Ethan felt a wave of genuine worry for Uncle Richard. If he had been furious years ago when Richard forced him to marry Lane, he was thankful for it now.

He felt a deep pang of regret for every nasty thought he’d ever had about Lane’s family. Back then, his mind had been poisoned by anger and the lies Uncle Lucas fed him.

He used to think they were just gold diggers trying to trap him, but he couldn’t have been more wrong.

That was why he’d spent the last five years trying to make it up to them. He had secretly invested in Richard’s company and stepped in whenever they hit a rough patch. He didn’t do it to put them in his debt or to leverage them for info on Lane’s whereabouts.

He did it because he wanted to atone for his mistakes. To him, they were Lane’s parents, which meant they were his family too.

Beyond the worry, he felt something else stirring in his chest. Hope.

Ethan was positive that Lane had heard the news by now. He knew she wouldn’t be able to stay away while her father was fighting for his life. She was going to come out of hiding to be by his side.

Damn. If she did, he might finally see his family again. It felt like his nightly prayer was finally being answered.

As soon as he hung up with his mother, he shoved his paperwork aside, stood up, and walked out of his office. Chris stood up the moment he saw him.

"Chris, cancel all my appointments for today and the next few days," Ethan barked. "I’ll let you know when to reschedule."

"Yes, sir," Chris replied.

"If there’s an emergency, call me. I won’t be in the office," Ethan added.

He didn’t wait for a reply. He headed straight for the elevator and called his driver to have the car ready. The second he stepped out of his building, the car was waiting. His driver opened the door, and Ethan barked out the destination the moment he sat down.

It didn’t take long to reach the hospital. He rushed inside, got the room number from the front desk, and headed up.

He stopped right in front of the private suite and took a long, steadying breath. He wasn’t sure if he was about to walk into a room and see his wife and child.

He didn’t even know how he’d react. He just knew he wanted to pull them into a hug and never let go. He was determined to make them stay this time.

He took another deep breath and knocked. When the door opened, Ethan’s face fell. He wasn’t looking at Lane.

"Uncle Lucas," he said, his voice flat.

This was the last person he expected to see. He noticed Lucas seemed to be blocking the doorway like he didn’t want Ethan coming inside. Ethan’s suspicion spiked.

Is my family in there?

"Lucas, who is it?" he heard Aunt Eleanor call out from inside.

"It’s Ethan, Auntie," he called back. Once she peeked around the door at him, Lucas had no choice but to step aside.

Ethan scanned the room the moment he stepped inside. Disappointment washed over him when he realized Lane wasn’t there. Only Olivia’s parents were in the room with Eleanor. He did his best to hide the letdown as he turned his attention to Uncle Richard.

The man looked frail, hooked up to a web of tubes and monitors. Ethan stared at him for a moment before turning to Eleanor. Her eyes were red and swollen from hours of crying.

"How is he doing, Auntie?" Ethan asked gently.

"The surgery was a success, Eleanor," she replied. "We’re just waiting for him to wake up now."

"And how are you holding up?"

Ethan felt a sudden surge of empathy. Lane wasn’t here to be her mother’s rock, and he could tell Eleanor was struggling to stay strong. It seemed his question was the breaking point.

The second he asked, she burst into tears. It was like all the pain she’d been holding back finally came crashing out.

Ethan let out a soft sigh and pulled her into a hug.

"Everything is going to be okay, Auntie. Don’t lose hope. Uncle Richard is a fighter. He’s going to get through this. He won’t leave you like this," he reassured her.

Eleanor just sobbed harder into his shoulder, clinging to him as the tears finally took over.

"Auntie, please go home for a while. I’ll look after Uncle Richard," Ethan said as he walked over to Aunt Eleanor.

Uncle Lucas and Aunt Rebecca had already headed out. They’d invited Ethan to go with them since they were stopping by to see their grandchild, but Ethan passed.

He told them he wanted to stay and keep Aunt Eleanor company. He wasn’t just hanging around waiting for his wife and kids to show up. He genuinely felt like she shouldn’t be left alone in that room.

She looked up at him and shook her head. "I’m staying right here, Ethan," she replied.

"Richard might wake up and look for me."

Ethan didn’t push it. He knew he couldn’t force her to leave when he could see the pure love and worry she had for her husband. If he were in her shoes, he would’ve done the exact same thing.

He’d be glued to his spouse’s side too. In sickness and in health, just like the vow says.

"At least try to rest for a bit, Auntie. I’ve got Uncle Richard covered," he told her. She started to argue, but he cut her off.

"You need to sleep or you’re going to get sick too. I’m positive Uncle Richard wouldn’t want that."

Without waiting for her to answer, he guided her over to the nearby sofa. "Just close your eyes for a while. I’m watching him."

"Th-thank you, Ethan," Eleanor whispered.

He just gave her a small smile. But the second she sat down, her phone on the coffee table started buzzing.

Ethan glanced at the screen. Before she could even reach for it, he saw the name Lane flashing on the display.

His heart started thumping against his ribs. He caught Aunt Eleanor shooting him a nervous look.

"E-Ethan, I need to take this," she said. He just nodded, even though he was dying to stay and listen. He wanted to hear anything about Lane, but her expression made it clear she wanted privacy. He watched in silence as she stepped out of the room.

A moment later, his own phone started vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and felt his mood sour when he saw it was Olivia. He really didn’t want to pick up, but he remembered his own rule. He’d told her to only call if it was about Tyler.

He’d already laid it all out for her when she first came back pregnant. She had wanted to pick up right where they left off, but he told her that ship had sailed.

He’d apologized for the past and for his change of heart, but he made it clear he was only there to support the kid. As for marriage, it was off the table. He was still married to Lane, and she was the only woman he ever wanted to be with.

He stared at the screen for another second before hitting answer. Immediately, he heard Tyler’s hysterical crying in the background.

"I’m... I’m sorry for bugging you, Ethan," Olivia said, sounding stressed.

"But I can’t get Tyler to calm down. He won’t stop crying. I think he might be in pain."

"I want my Dad! I want my Dad!" the boy wailed through the phone.

"Why don’t you take him to the ER and see what’s going on?" Ethan suggested.

"I tried, but he’s refusing to go. He just wants you," she replied.

Ethan knew how stubborn Tyler could be. When the kid had his heart set on something, he wouldn’t let it go until he got his way.

"Let me talk to him," Ethan said.

"Sure. Tyler, your Dad wants to talk to you," he heard Olivia say.

"D-Dad?"

"Tyler, hey. Why are you crying, buddy?"

Ethan asked. He paused as the door opened and Aunt Eleanor walked back in, looking like she’d just finished her call. She entered quietly, giving him space to finish his conversation.

"Dad, I want you here," Tyler sobbed.

"Dad is busy right now, Tyler. I can’t go..."

"D-don’t you love me, Dad?" Tyler blurted out, cutting him off. His crying got even louder.

"Mama, Dad doesn’t love me because he won’t come see me!"

"I love you, Tyler," Ethan said, feeling the guilt creep in.

"Then come here. If you love me, you’ll come here right now, Dad."

Ethan let out a long, heavy sigh. "You love me, right Dad?" the boy asked again.

"Yes," Ethan replied.

"Then come see me. I want to see you."

"Okay," Ethan finally said, just to get the boy to stop crying.

"Yeheey! I’ll wait for you, Dad. Love you!"

After hanging up, Ethan looked over at Aunt Eleanor. "Auntie," he said. She turned to look at him.

"I have to head out for a bit. I’ve got somewhere I need to be."

"It’s fine, Ethan. I’m probably just in your way anyway," she said.

He shook his head. "Not at all. I’ll be back later to check on you."

Aunt Eleanor was about to say something else, but her phone started ringing again. When she looked down at the screen, she let out a frustrated sigh. It was Olivia calling her now.

__________

The second Lane pulled into the hospital parking lot, her phone started buzzing. She grabbed it off the dashboard to catch the call, seeing Brad’s name flash across the screen. She swiped to answer immediately.

"Hello?"

"Lane."

"Hey Noah, did you call me?" she asked.

"Where are you right now?"

"I’m already in New York," she told him.

"Okay, but where exactly?"

She told him she had just arrived at the hospital where her father was being treated.

"I literally just pulled in, Noah," she added.

She heard him let out a heavy sigh. "Is your son with you?"

She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. "No. I left him back in Richmond. Mae is looking after him."

Lane had gone rounds with her son before leaving the house. He had begged to come along because he wanted to see his Grandpa, but she told him it wasn’t a good idea. She made up an excuse about kids not being allowed in the hospital unless they were sick. Luckily, he bought it.

She promised to call him constantly so they wouldn’t miss each other too much.

Truthfully, this was the first time in nearly five years she’d been away from him. For five years, he had been her constant shadow.

"Are you ready?" Noah asked after a moment of silence.

"Ready for what?" She frowned, confused by the question.

"For you and Ethan to run into each other. Now that you’re back, it’s bound to happen."

Her heart did a painful somersault at the mention of his name. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

"I have to be ready, Noah," she said, finally being honest. Even if she wasn’t prepared, she had to suck it up for her father’s sake. She’d put her own messy feelings aside to be there for him.

She knew a reunion with Ethan was inevitable eventually, but eventually turned out to be right now. When she called her mother to check in earlier, she found out Ethan was already at the hospital and had been hanging around for a while.

Lane couldn’t wrap her head around why he was there. They were over, so what was his deal? Was he waiting for her? What was his angle?

Probably the kid, Lane, she told herself.

Maybe he’s doing it for your son. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the what-ifs.

Noah sighed again. "Ava and I are planning to drop by too. We’ll probably come tomorrow morning so we don’t get in your way since it’s already so late."

"Sounds good, Noah," she replied.

Once they hung up, she tossed her phone in her bag, hopped out of the car, and headed inside. She already had the room number from her mother, so she went straight there.

As she reached the door to her father’s

private room, her heart started racing. She was terrified that the moment she pushed that door open, she’d be staring at the man who was the very reason she ran away in the first place.

She gathered her courage, knocked, and pushed the door open. She fully expected to meet those familiar dark eyes the second she walked in.

But the room was quiet. The only people there were her mother and her father, who were fast asleep in the bed.

Lane felt her eyes sting the moment she saw her father. He looked so small in that hospital bed, unconscious and hooked up to a maze of humming machines. She bit her lip, trying to stay composed, but the pity she felt for him was overwhelming. Despite her best efforts, the tears started falling.

Her chest tightened as she walked over to the bedside. Her hand trembled as she reached out to take his. Feeling the warmth of his hand for the first time in years broke whatever was left of her composure.

The tears came scouting out like a waterfall. She buried her face against his hand and let it out.

"I’m so sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry," she whispered through her sobs.

"I’ve failed you so much. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me. I’m sorry I didn’t even visit for five years."

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