Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 81: Chapter 81

OLIVIA

Olivia couldn’t help but feel majorly annoyed with Ethan because he was totally blowing her off. He didn’t even look her way, acting like she was made of thin air. His attention was locked solely on Tyler.

Getting herself invited on this outing hadn’t been easy. She’d had a serious heart-to-heart with her son last night, basically coaching him on how to handle his Dad.

She told him that when they were about to leave, he had to insist she come along. She coached him to tell his Dad that he wanted her there, and if Ethan said no, he should cry and not stop until his Dad gave in.

To make sure her plan went off without a hitch, Olivia personally dropped Tyler off to meet Ethan at the mall.

There was no way she could pull this off if the nanny was the one bringing him. If she wasn’t there at the start, how was she

supposed to wiggle her way in?

Olivia managed to crash the outing, but to Ethan, she was practically invisible. How was she supposed to make him fall for her again if he wouldn’t even look at her?

Olivia had to put her plans into overdrive because her father mentioned Lane was already back in town. She had to hurry, especially since she’d found out that Lane had brought Ethan’s kid back to New York with her.

Luckily, the father and son hadn’t crossed paths yet since it seemed Lane was keeping them apart. They had to stay apart because Tyler was the only one who should be recognized as Ethan’s kid.

Tyler was the sole heir to the Blackwood fortune, and Olivia wasn’t about to let some rival mess with her son’s birthright. She was going to make sure Lane’s kid didn’t stand in the way of her plans.

Even if Ethan ignored her, she’d find a way to wedge herself back into his life. She’d do whatever it took to get him back. She knew she still had a spot in his heart. After all, she was his first love.

While they were walking, she spotted some familiar faces. She took a discreet look and her brows knit together when she saw Lane and her friend Ava.

She glanced down at the child Lane was holding, realizing it was her kid. Olivia felt her blood boil when she saw him because it was obvious Lane’s son looked just like Ethan. Just thinking about it made her hate her cousin even more.

They couldn’t be allowed to meet. If they did, her whole plan would go up in smoke. She needed a way to keep them apart and make Lane run for the hills.

She knew Lane would bail the second she saw them together, but she wanted to twist the knife before she left.

Olivia got a wicked idea and secretly smiled. She subtly moved closer to Ethan, knowing Lane and Ava were right behind them and would definitely see. She made sure to look happy so Lane would think she and Ethan were one big happy family and stay out of his life for good.

Olivia waited for the perfect moment to strike. When she noticed Lane looking their way, she pretended to trip.

She secretly loved Ethan’s quick reflexes as he caught her to keep her from hitting the floor. She clung to his arm and looked up at him like she was head over heels. He immediately met her gaze, his face twisted in a frown.

"Watch where you’re going, Olivia," he said, his voice ice-cold. He dropped her like a hot potato, as if touching her was some kind of sin.

But Olivia didn’t care because the plan worked. She caught a glimpse of Lane leaving and smiled to herself. Even though Ethan continued to ignore her afterward, she felt like she’d won.

She couldn’t stop smiling even after she and Tyler got home, but the grin vanished the moment she saw who was waiting outside her condo.

It was her Dad.

Looking at him, she could see how much weight he’d lost and the dark circles under his eyes. It was obvious he hadn’t been sleeping. Olivia knew exactly why he was a nervous wreck. She knew why they were so desperate for her and Ethan to get back together.

"Grandpa," Tyler said to him.

Her Dad just gave the kid a stiff nod. She told her father to come inside.

"Tyler, go to your room for a minute," she told her son.

"Any progress, Olivia?" her Dad asked.

"I’m doing my best, Dad," she replied. She was convinced Lane would keep her distance after what she’d seen today.

She’d successfully broken them up once, and she could definitely do it again. This time, she hoped Lane wouldn’t even try to fix things.

"You need to move faster, Olivia. Lane and that boy are back. You have to win him over before the father and son meet. If they cross paths, Olivia, your little game is over. Tyler will lose everything, and all your hard work will just end up benefiting Lane’s brat. Your cousin will be the one winning."

"Don’t worry, Dad. I won’t let Tyler lose what’s his. No one is taking Ethan’s wealth from my son."

"Then do whatever it takes, Olivia, while Ethan is still in the dark," her Dad said, his tone heavy with meaning.

Olivia clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palm as her father’s words sank in.

LANE

"Bye-bye, Mommy."

Lane smiled when she heard Calvin say goodbye as she was getting ready for work. Since she had woken up early that morning, her son was already wide awake.

She walked back over to him and leaned down so they were eye-level.

"Can you give Mommy one more kiss?" she asked. Calvin didn’t need to be told twice. He immediately grabbed her shoulder and planted a big kiss on her cheek. She grinned at the sound of it.

"I love you, my Mommy," he said.

It felt like a warm hand gently touched her heart when he said those words.

"I love you more, my Calvin," she replied before straightening up. "Now, don’t forget what I told you, okay? Don’t give Miss Mae a hard time."

"Yes, Mommy," he answered. "Hmm...

Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can I bother you at work? Can I call you?"

She nodded. "Of course. Just ask Miss Mae to call me whenever you want to talk, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy."

Lane ruffled his hair and said one last goodbye before stepping out of the condo. She gave Mae a quick reminder of the plan, though Mae already knew the drill by heart.

Just as she stepped into the hallway, her phone started ringing inside her bag. She pulled it out and saw it was her mother. She answered immediately.

"Hello, Ma?"

"Lane," her mother said.

"Is everything okay?"

"Ethan was here, Lane," her mother informed her.

Lane pressed her lips together at the mention of his name. It instantly brought back the memory of seeing him with his *family* the other day.

Even though she tried to bury the feeling, she couldn’t help the pang in her chest. She had told herself she was only hurt for her child’s sake, but deep down, she knew she was hurting for herself, too.

"Why did he come by?" she asked.

It was still Ethan. Even after five years and all her efforts to move on, she just couldn’t shake her feelings for him.

From then until now, it had always been him. She didn’t understand why her heart refused to forget.

She took a deep breath and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"He left when I told him you weren’t here," she heard her mom say.

"Alright, Ma. I’ll just tell him to stop going over there so he doesn’t waste his time," she replied.

Her mom didn’t drag out the call and said goodbye. She had just wanted to give her a heads-up. Lane put her phone away and kept walking.

It didn’t take long to reach the office building. After parking, she headed straight for the elevator and made her way up to her floor. She stopped in her tracks when she saw who was leaning against the wall outside her office, looking like he was waiting for someone.

Once again, her heart raced the second she saw Ethan. She noticed him checking his watch. She stared for a split second before forcing herself to walk past him.

"Good morning, Ma’am Lane," Michael greeted her as she approached.

Hearing that, Ethan quickly stood up straight and looked her way.

"Good morning," she said... to Michael.

She kept walking, passing Ethan while he stared intently at her.

"Good morning, Lane," he said, his voice deep and steady.

"Morning," she muttered, barely audible. She didn’t know if he heard her and she didn’t really care.

Just as she reached the office door, Ethan moved faster to get it for her. Instead of the handle, her hand accidentally brushed against his.

Just like before, a surge of electricity shot through her entire body. She yanked her hand back and balled it into a fist before walking inside.

She felt him following her as she went straight to her desk.

"Lane."

She bit her lip and looked up, meeting his dark gaze. "Hmm?"

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just kept staring. Finally, he spoke. "I went to your house earlier."

"Oh," she said flatly. "Next time, don’t bother. You’re just wasting your time."

He was about to respond, but she looked away and focused on her computer screen. Ethan didn’t back down, though.

"It’s not a waste of time, Lane. Seeing you is never a waste of time," he said firmly.

She bit her lip again but stayed silent, keeping her eyes glued to the monitor. She heard him let out a long sigh before he walked over to the sofa and sat down.

She couldn’t resist a quick glance and saw him pull out his laptop to start working. Before he could catch her looking, she snapped her eyes back to her screen.

A little later, there was a soft knock, and Michael entered with a stack of folders. Lane frowned. It looked like another long, busy day. Michael handed her the files and was about to leave when she stopped him.

"Could you bring me some coffee?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Ma’am," he said before turning to Ethan. "Sir? Would you like some, too?"

Ethan nodded. When Michael left, Lane went back to work, but she looked up when she sensed someone standing over her.

She knew it was him from the familiar scent of his cologne. She met his intense gaze again.

"Do you need something?"

"I’ll take a look at these first and review them for you," he said. He didn’t even wait for her to agree. He just took the folders Michael had brought and walked back to his spot.

Honestly, she let him do it because he actually made her life easier. His explanations were always clear and easy to follow. Soon, they were both buried in their work.

After a while, Ethan stood up. "I need to step out for a second," he said.

Lane just nodded. Once he was gone, she refocused on her computer, but her phone started buzzing with a video call request. It was Mae.

She answered immediately, and a smile lit up her face when she saw her son.

"Hello, my Mommy!" he cheered.

She spun her chair around to face away from the door. "Hi, my Calvin!"

"What are you doing, Mommy?"

"Mommy’s working, baby."

"Am I bothering you?"

"Never, baby," she said softly.

"Is it okay if I talk to you?"

"Of course. You can talk to me whenever you want," she promised.

"Okay! I just finished coloring in my book, Mommy," he said. "But Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"My crayon broke," he complained, holding the broken piece up to the camera.

"It’s okay, Calvin," she told him. "I’ll buy you a brand new set."

"Thank you, my Mommy!"

"You’re welcome, Calvin."

They chatted for a few more minutes until he had to go eat.

"Miss Mae and I are going to eat now. You should eat, too, okay? Don’t get hungry. Eat a lot so you stay strong."

"Don’t worry, honey. Mommy will eat a lot," she promised.

"Okay. Bye-bye, my Mommy. I love you! Mwah!"

She laughed. "I love you too, baby."

She ended the call and, using her leg, spun her chair back around. Her eyes went wide and her smile vanished instantly.

Ethan was standing right there, staring at her. His eyes were bloodshot and raw as he stood frozen, looking at her in total shock.

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