Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 82: Chapter 82

Before Ethan headed over to Aunt Eleanor’s, he swung by a fruit stall to grab some stuff for Uncle Richard. He also figured he’d pick up some flowers for Lane.

He hadn’t gotten the chance to give her the bouquet from his last visit since she wasn’t around, and he wasn’t about to waste this second chance.

He wanted to hand them over as soon as they ran into each other. Even though seeing her would be a major bonus, that wasn’t the only reason he was stopping by.

Even with them working in the same office, it never felt like enough time together. He constantly craved her presence, probably because he’d spent so many years just wishing he could see her again.

The main reason for the visit was to talk to Aunt Eleanor about a therapist he knew who could help Uncle Richard with his recovery.

Once Ethan had everything, he headed back to his car. He tossed his bags on the passenger seat, making sure to position the flowers so they wouldn’t get crushed.

He hit the road, and it wasn’t long before he pulled up to the house. Just as he put the car in park, his phone started buzzing.

He grabbed it off the dashboard and sawOlivia’s name on the screen. He knew it was actually Tyler calling.

He let out a sigh before picking up. He’d promised Tyler he would always answer, and he didn’t want the kid thinking he didn’t love him just because he missed a call.

"Dad!" Tyler’s high-pitched voice chirped the second he answered.

"Hey, Tyler. What’s up?"

"Dad, where are you?"

"Just running some errands," he replied.

"Will you be long?" the boy asked. Before Ethan could get a word in, Tyler kept going.

"Mom made my favorite food, Dad. You have to come eat with us. It’s so good because Mom cooked it herself. She said you used to love her cooking."

Ethan was floored by that. He wanted to tell the kid that his mom wasn’t the one who actually cooked back then and that she didn’t even know her way around a kitchen, but he kept his mouth shut.

"I’m a little tied up right now, Tyler. Maybe another time," he said.

"But you’re not at work, Dad. Are you still busy?" Tyler whined. "Come on, Dad. We’ll wait for you."

"I’ll try, Tyler," he muttered. He was terrified that a hard "no" would send the kid into a crying fit.

"Okay, Dad. I love you," Tyler said.

Ethan froze when he heard those words.

"I love you, Mommy," he remembered hearing another voice say.

He thought back to the conversation he’d overheard Lane having on the phone.

That had been the very first time he’d heard his actual son’s voice. Hearing it had made him want to burst into tears because he’d been waiting five long years for that moment. Hearing how sweet and respectful the boy was to his mother had really hit him right in the heart.

He felt that deep ache again, wanting to hear his son’s voice in person. He wanted to hear an "I love you" directed at him for once.

After hanging up, he sat there for a second before finally getting out of the car. He grabbed the fruit basket and the flowers and headed inside.

A housekeeper met him at the door. He handed her the fruits but kept the flowers in his hand. She told him to make himself at home on the sofa while she went to grab Aunt Eleanor.

Ethan sat down, hoping Lane might pop out at any minute. He set the flowers down on the cushion beside him.

As he looked around, his eyes landed on a ball sitting on the floor. He frowned and picked it up.

Whose ball is this? It definitely looked like a kid’s toy.

"Ethan."

He looked up from the ball when he heard Aunt Eleanor calling his name. She was walking toward him, and he noticed her eyes go straight to the ball in his hand.

"Whose is this?" he asked.

Aunt Eleanor hesitated. "I-it’s your Uncle’s, Ethan. He uses it for his physical therapy exercises," she finally said.

Ethan just nodded. "I actually came by to talk to you about Uncle Richard’s therapy," he said.

"Let’s go back to the room so Richard can hear, too," she suggested.

He nodded and stood up. He glanced at the flowers on the sofa, debating whether to bring them or leave them. He decided to leave them there for now.

He followed Aunt Eleanor down the hall and into the bedroom. Uncle Richard was awake and propped up in bed. Ethan walked over to show his respect, taking the older man’s hand.

A moment later, he spotted something that looked like a notebook sitting on the nightstand. Curious, Ethan picked it up and realized it was a coloring book.

"Whose is this, Aunt?" he asked, looking up at her.

Ethan couldn’t help but narrow his eyes when he saw the look of pure panic on Aunt Eleanor’s face.

___________________

"Come in," Lane called out when she heard a soft knock at her door. A second later, the door swung open and Michael stepped inside.

"Good afternoon, Ma’am," he greeted her, catching her eye before shifting his gaze over to Ethan, who was relaxing on the sofa.

"Good afternoon, Sir," he added before looking back at her.

"Ma’am Lane, just a heads-up that you have a three o’clock meeting with Mr. Qui at the restaurant," he told her.

She checked her watch and saw it was already two. She still had an hour to get her act together .

"Got it. Thanks, Michael," she said.

He gave her a quick smile. "You’re welcome, Ma’am," he replied before heading out. Once he had cleared the room, she went back to focusing on her computer.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ethan stand up. She bit her lip as he started heading her way, stopping right in front of her desk.

The scent of his expensive cologne immediately hit her. "Lane," he said softly.

She took a breath and slowly looked up at him, her eyes locking with his dark ones.

Staring at him like that brought back everything that had happened when she first got to work today.

Even though she’d told Ethan to stop picking her up at her house, he’d still gone.

Of course, he didn’t find her there because she was staying at her condo now, something her mother had called to tell her about earlier.

When she’d finally made it to the office, Ethan was already waiting outside with a bouquet of flowers.

When he got close, he handed them to her. It was the first time he’d ever actually given her flowers, and she had no idea how to play it. She ended up taking them just because Michael was watching.

She didn’t want to make things awkward or embarrass Ethan by turning him down. When she took the bouquet, she noticed a sparkle in his eyes, like he was genuinely stoked that she’d accepted them.

Her mom mentioned that Ethan had brought flowers twice when he visited their place. Even though he didn’t spell it out, her mom knew they were for her.

Then she remembered what her mother had told her about Ethan’s last visit.

Ethan had spotted Calvin’s ball, which had been left behind after his visit with Mae. Her mom had to think fast and make up an excuse when he asked about it.

She’d really been backed into a corner when Ethan found the coloring book, too. She ended up telling him it belonged to the kid of one of the staff members.

Ethan didn’t push it, and her mom wasn’t sure if he actually bought the story. But Lane knew Ethan wasn’t dumb.

He probably had a hunch. That was exactly why she was avoiding him even more now, staying quiet so he wouldn’t have the chance to grill her about it.

Lane shook her head to clear the cobwebs.

"W-what is it?" she asked, mentally kicking herself for the stutter.

"Did you get a chance to review the proposal for Mr. Qui?" he asked.

Lane nodded. "No more questions?" he followed up.

She shook her head. "So you’ve got it all down?"

She nodded again. She understood the whole thing perfectly thanks to the notes he’d left for her.

"Good," he replied.

Unable to handle his intense stare any longer, she looked down. Ethan kept his eyes on her for a moment, she could even hear his heavy breathing, before he finally backed off and headed back to his seat.

Lane knew Ethan was feeling the silent treatment she was giving him. Even though she was being cold, he didn’t complain. Maybe he finally got why she was acting this way.

When Lane saw it was almost time to go, she started packing up. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ethan doing the same.

He was going to go with her, and honestly, she was glad he volunteered. This was her first time meeting such a big-shot client, and she definitely needed his guidance so she wouldn’t blow it.

"Ready to go?" Ethan asked after a moment.

She nodded again, slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading out the door with Ethan right on her heels.

She said a quick goodbye to Michael before they left the building. Ethan must have paged his driver, because his car was already idling out front.

Instead of heading for his car, she started walking toward the parking lot where her own car was. She hadn’t gotten far when his baritone voice stopped her.

"Where are you going, Lane?"

She turned back and saw him looking at her with a confused frown. "To my car?" she answered, her voice trailing off. He let out a sigh, and before he could say anything, she kept going.

"Let’s just meet—"

Lane didn’t even get the words out before Ethan closed the gap between them in a single stride. Her eyes went wide as he grabbed her hand.

Her breath hitched when he intertwined his fingers with hers.

The feeling of his hand in hers sent a literal shiver down her spine.

Lane couldn’t help but look down at their joined hands. She could feel the warmth and his firm grip, like he was terrified she was going to pull away.

She looked up from their hands and met his eyes again. Ethan’s dark gaze held something she just couldn’t ignore.

Longing... and deep down, could it actually be love?

"Let’s go together, Lane. I want to be with you," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

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