Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 76: Chapter 76

A dead silence followed.

"E-Ethan." She looked down at Ethan. Her eyes were searching his. "Sit here," she whispered, starting to stand up. He placed a steady hand on her shoulder.

"It’s okay, Lane," he said. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, telling her to stay put. He had this.

She nodded slowly and sat back down.

Ethan turned his attention to Uncle Lucas, his eyes narrowing. What was this guy even doing here? He wasn’t on the board.

"Ethan, Lane only has one vote," Lucas said, sounding smug. "The majority of the board voted for me. Combined, the shares are a 50-50 split, and I’m clearly the candidate the board prefers."

The board members nodded like puppets. Ethan stayed stoic. "How sure are you about that?"

"What?"

"How sure are you that it’s a 50-50 split?"

"Richard owns 50 percent, and the board owns the other 50," Lucas replied, acting like he was explaining basic math to a child.

"That means the board decides who fills Richard’s shoes."

Ethan realized then just how much Lucas had been plotting. He’d clearly been studying the company for a while.

Ethan felt like an idiot for ever believing Lucas’s lies about Richard being the one with the bad motives. Now that he knew Lucas’s own company was a sinking ship, the whole play was obvious.

Lucas was trying to hijack Richard’s legacy to pay off his own debts.

And Ethan wasn’t about to let that happen. He’d protect this company like it was his own family.

"You’re right," Ethan said, nodding slowly. He saw a predatory smile creep onto Lucas’s face, like he’d already won.

"The board controls 50 percent," Ethan continued.

"However, I personally hold 15 percent, and naturally, my wife’s shares are included in our block." He glanced at Lane, whose eyes went wide with shock. "There’s also a 10 percent share in her name," he added. He had bought those shares for her years ago, a move Richard was fully aware of.

"Together, we control 75 percent. Since we hold the majority, we’re the ones who decide who succeeds Richard," he stated flatly.

Lucas’s smile died instantly.

"Richard wants his daughter to lead, under my direct guidance," Ethan said. "And to make sure this company stays on top, the Ashford Group is investing a hundred million dollars into the business immediately."

Another gasp hit the room. Ethan knew it was over. The board didn’t care about Lucas anymore. They cared about the money.

"I expect everyone here to give Lane their full support."

He wasn’t wrong. One by one, the board members flipped, offering their congratulations. Lucas didn’t say a word. He just turned and walked out. Once the room cleared, Ethan turned back to Lane.

She was sitting perfectly still, her head bowed. Then he noticed the tears hitting the table. It felt like his heart was being crushed.

He took a single step and pulled her into a hug.

The warmth of her against him felt like a long-overdue relief. He was just glad she didn’t push him away.

"It’s okay now, Lane. No one is going to take you down. I’ve got you," he whispered, tightening his hold.

"As long as I’m breathing, nobody touches you... or anyone else in your family."

He’d messed up before, but he wasn’t that man anymore. He’d take a bullet before he let her get hurt again.

"You can do this, Lane," she whispered to herself, staring at her reflection in her bedroom mirror.

Today was day one as the new CEO of her father’s company. To be honest, she was a wreck. She didn’t know the first thing about running a corporate giant.

She wasn’t used to pushing papers or reviewing contracts; she was used to holding knives and ladles.

That was her world. Sure, she had managed her own business, but that was peanuts compared to her father’s empire, where so many people’s livelihoods were on the line.

The only thing keeping her from a total meltdown was Ethan’s promise to show her the ropes.

Thinking of him, she suddenly flashed back to yesterday. She had been right on the edge of losing everything her father had worked for until Ethan showed up out of nowhere.

He had completely flipped the script in their favor. It was Lane’s first time seeing him in boss mode dealing with heavy hitters, and he was incredibly confident.

She was still reeling from the news that he held shares in her father’s company and that she did, too. At first, she figured her dad had set that up for her.

But when she visited her father in the hospital and asked him about it, she finally got the truth through his shaky, fragmented speech. It wasn’t her dad who bought those shares. It was Ethan. He had bought them all for her.

She couldn’t bring herself to confront him about why he did it or why he put them in her name. She was just too embarrassed about the whole situation. She realized how much she was starting to lean on him again.

For the second time in a week, Ethan had been her rock. First, when her father got sick, and second, when the board of directors finally backed off and promised to support her. Honestly, without Ethan and his smooth talk, they would have never trusted a rookie like her.

She was genuinely grateful, but given their history, she had no idea how to even say it. A simple "thank you" should have been easy, but whenever she was face-to-face with him, the words got stuck in her throat.

Lane let out a long sigh, took one last look at herself, and checked her watch. It was go-time. She grabbed her stuff and her phone, tossed them in her bag, and headed out of the house.

Her eyes went wide the moment she stepped onto the porch. Ethan was leaning against his car, arms crossed over his chest, staring at the ground.

Even though she tried to play it cool, her heart started hammering against her ribs. She swallowed hard, unable to look away. He must have sensed her because he looked up right then.

Lane’s heart nearly doubled its pace when their eyes met, especially when a small smile played on his lips.

Back when they were together, he hardly ever smiled, and he definitely didn’t smile at her. But now, it seemed like smiling at her was the easiest thing in the world for him.

She kept walking, and he moved away from the car to meet her halfway. He didn’t take his eyes off her for a second. Her knees felt like jelly under his gaze, so she stopped and let him come to her.

"Good morning, Lane," Ethan said, his deep voice vibrating in the morning air.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked, totally skipping the greeting. She internally cursed herself for the stutter.

"I’m here to pick you up," he said simply.

She went quiet for a beat. "You don’t have to do that, E-Eth—" She cut herself off, suddenly shy about saying his name.

"But I want to, Lane," Ethan replied, his eyes locked on hers. "I really want to."

She looked away, unable to handle the intensity. She could see a clear sense of longing in his eyes, like he had been dying to see her, like he had actually missed her.

"Ready to go?" he asked. She jumped slightly when he touched her elbow, a jolt of electricity shooting through her.

"I’m sorry," he whispered. He didn’t let go though. He just moved his hand to the small of her back to guide her.

She wanted to shrug him off, but it was like her arms were glued to her sides.

Lane sighed again and started walking. She was so distracted by the hand on her back and the weird sensations it was causing that she tripped over her own feet.

If Ethan hadn’t been right there with those quick reflexes, she would have eaten pavement. He caught her by the waist and grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Are you alright, Lane?" he asked, sounding genuinely freaked out. When she looked up, his eyes were full of worry.

She couldn’t explain why she couldn’t look away. It was like he was a magnet. She couldn’t even find her voice to answer.

"Lane, you okay?" he asked again.

That finally snapped her out of it. She straightened up and stepped out of his personal space. She heard him take a deep breath as she turned her head.

"I-I’m fine," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear.

Without waiting for another word, she headed for the car. Ethan beat her to it and pulled the door open.

"Hop in," he said. She slid into the backseat without a word. He even held his hand over the door frame to make sure she didn’t bump her head. Once she was settled, he shut the door carefully and climbed in on the other side.

As the car pulled away, their shoulders brushed, sending a fresh round of shivers down her spine. The smell of his cologne filled the car. It was the same expensive scent she used to love.

She discreetly scooted toward the window. From the corner of her eye, she saw him glance over and let out a heavy sigh when he saw her moving away.

Before long, they pulled up to her father’s office building. Ethan opened her door, and they walked inside together, heading straight for the executive suite.

"Good morning, Ma’am Lane," her father’s secretary, Michael, greeted her. He gave Ethan a polite nod as well.

"Morning, Michael," she said with a smile. Michael smiled back, but when Lane caught Ethan’s expression, he was scowling at the poor guy. Michael noticed it too, and his smile vanished instantly. He looked visibly nervous under Ethan’s stare.

She gave a little fake cough to break the tension. "We’re heading inside, Michael. Just bring in the documents I need to look over."

"Yes, Ma’am," he replied, quickly opening the door for them.

"Thanks," she said, stepping inside with Ethan right on her heels.

Lane’s eyes immediately went to her father’s big executive desk. There was only one desk in the room. Where was Ethan supposed to sit? She looked at the desk, then at the sofa, then finally back at Ethan.

Her breath hitched when their eyes met. He was looking at her like he’d never stopped.

She cleared her throat, trying to stay professional. "Y-you take the desk. I’ll work from the sofa."

"You’re the CEO, Lane. That’s your chair," he replied, his gaze never wavering.

"Don’t worry about me. As long as you’re comfortable, I’m good."

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