Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 84: Chapter 84

Jeric, their meeting companion, had already left, but she and Ethan were still at the restaurant. Her heart hadn’t calmed down yet. It was racing, and it had been doing that ever since Ethan told Jeric she was his wife the second the guy showed interest in her.

When he’d said that, she noticed his jaw clench. His voice was thick with possessiveness and jealousy. Honestly, he looked like he was on the verge of clocking Jeric just for looking at her.

Lane felt totally embarrassed by how Ethan had acted. The shame was so bad she ended up apologizing to Jeric herself.

Fortunately, he didn’t take it personally. He said he understood where Ethan was coming from. He figured if he were in Ethan’s shoes and another man started hitting on his wife right in front of him, he would’ve reacted the same way. He probably wouldn’t have been able to hold back from swinging, either.

"Lane."

She bit her lower lip for a second when she heard Ethan call her name. She glanced at him standing right beside her.

"What is it?"

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "Since we’re already here, let’s just grab a bite."

"I’m still full," she replied. She looked away when she saw the disappointment in his eyes after her rejection. "Let’s go," she said, not waiting for a response as she headed out of the restaurant first.

She could feel him trailing behind her. Once she got outside, she checked her watch. It was almost time to head home, so she decided not to go back to the office.

She needed to hit the mall to buy a coloring book and crayons for her son. Calvin had mentioned his crayons were broken the other day, but she’d been too busy to pick up new ones. Luckily, the mall was right near the restaurant.

She looked at Ethan. "It’s okay if I don’t go back to the office, right?"

"Of course, Lane," he replied.

She nodded. "Okay, then. I’ll head out," she said, saying her goodbyes.

"I’ll give you a ride," Ethan offered.

She shook her head fast. "No thanks, Ethan. I have somewhere else to go."

She caught his slight frown. "Where?" he asked.

Even though she wasn’t obligated to give him an answer, she told him anyway. "To the mall," she replied.

"We’ll take you."

"Thank you, but really, there’s no need," she said.

"Uh... okay." She didn’t wait for him to get another word in. She just started walking away, and when she saw a taxi passing by, she immediately hailed it.

When it pulled up, she opened the door and hopped in. A moment later, the door on the other side flew open. Her eyes went wide when she saw Ethan sliding into the cab with her.

"What... what are you doing?" she asked.

"I’m also going to the mall," he told her.

Lane’s mouth hung open, her words failing her. "You have a car. Why did you get in here?"

"Because you’re here," Ethan replied, his voice firm. "I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I want to be with you. Always."

She stared at him, speechless. Not knowing what to say, she just looked away and stared out the window. The driver asked for their destination, and she let Ethan handle the answer.

Lane tried to settle her racing heart. From the beginning until now, the effect Ethan had on her remained exactly the same. It felt like it was never going to change.

It didn’t take long to get there. Ethan paid the driver before she even had a chance to reach for her wallet, and she just let him.

She scrambled out of the taxi, but Ethan caught up quickly and walked right alongside her. She ignored him and just kept moving until they were inside the mall.

She assumed they had different errands to run, so she headed toward the bookstore to get Calvin’s things. However, she noticed he was still shadowing her.

She tried to let it go, thinking maybe they were just headed in the same direction. But as she got closer to the bookstore, it became obvious. Ethan was following her like a total stalker.

It finally dawned on her that he had no other reason to be at the mall. He was literally just there to follow her. If he kept this up, she wouldn’t be able to buy what Calvin needed without him finding out about her son.

Unable to hold back her frustration anymore, she stopped dead in her tracks and shot Ethan a sharp look. He seemed caught off guard, and she caught the flash of shock on his face when their eyes met.

"Why are you following me?" Lane asked, her voice sharp with irritation.

Ethan started to say something, but they were cut off by a familiar, high-pitched voice.

"Mommy!"

Lane spun around toward the sound. Her heart dropped when she saw Calvin running right toward her. She couldn’t help the wave of anxiety that washed over her as she watched him get closer.

"Mommy!"

___________

To be honest, Ethan had zero intention of going to the mall when he tagged along with Lane. It was all a lie. He just wanted to be near her.

He didn’t care if she gave him the cold shoulder or refused to say a word. He just wanted to be in her presence, so he followed her like a shadow.

Wherever she went, he was right there. Ethan knew she’d noticed, but she was clearly choosing to ignore him.

He felt like a total stalker, and honestly, this was a first for him. He’d never acted like a puppy trailing behind someone in his life. But when it came to the woman he loved, he was willing to do whatever it took just to be close to her.

He also wanted to keep an eye on her because he knew there’d be other guys like Jeric trying to move in.

Just thinking about what Jeric had said made his blood boil all over again. He was furious that the guy had the audacity to flirt with his wife right in front of him.

He’d actually wanted to pull Lane away much earlier because he saw the way Jeric was eyeing her during the meeting. As a man, he knew Jeric wasn’t paying attention to the deal. He was staring at Lane. He’d been right, too. As soon as they finished, the guy made his move.

Before Lane could even get a word out, Ethan stepped in and let him know she was his wife. It was a good thing Jeric knew when to back off. If he hadn’t, Ethan would’ve used every bit of his power and every connection he had to burn that man’s company to the ground.

At that moment, Lane finally snapped. She turned to him, catching him off guard with a sharp look. He noticed the way she frowned at him, and for some reason, he couldn’t help but think she looked even cuter when she was annoyed.

"Why are you following me?" Lane asked. Her voice was laced with irritation, and her face made it clear she was done with his games.

He opened his mouth to answer, but he was cut off by the high-pitched sound of a child’s voice.

"Mommy!"

As he watched Lane, he saw her eyes go wide as she looked past him. He furrowed his brows and followed her gaze.

"Mommy!"

Ethan’s heart started hammering against his ribs. His mouth hung open as he saw a familiar little face running toward them with a huge smile.

The boy’s face hit Ethan like a bolt of lightning. It was like looking at one of the old photos his mother used to cherish.

His heart raced even faster as the boy reached Lane and threw his arms around her legs.

"C-Calvin," he heard Lane whisper the name.

When he heard that name, Ethan’s world came to a dead stop.

For a second, he couldn’t even move. Once the shock wore off, he looked down at the child hugging Lane’s legs.

"Mommy, I told auntie! I saw you! She said it wasn’t you," the boy said, looking up at his mother.

Ethan had prayed a thousand times to see this child and hear his voice in person. Now, all those prayers were being answered right in front of him.

He was finally hearing the voice he had only ever dreamed of. He didn’t even know how to process it. A flood of emotions hit him all at once, but pure joy was winning out. He felt like he might actually cry. His family was right there, within arm’s reach.

"What... what are you doing here, Calvin?"

Lane asked, her voice trembling.

"Auntie bought me a gift, Mommy! She got me a toy car. She wanted to buy me a bunch of toys, but I told her just one. I’m a big boy now, so I don’t really play with coloring books anymore," he explained politely.

"She just got me a coloring book and some crayons," he added.

"S-sorry, Lane. I didn’t know you were here."

He heard another familiar voice a moment later, but he didn’t look up. His eyes were locked on the boy in front of him. He wanted to scoop him up and hug him tight, but his body just wouldn’t cooperate.

"C-Calvin," he managed to choke out the name.

He noticed Lane stiffen when she heard him say the boy’s name. She tightened her grip on Calvin, pulling him closer.

The boy looked up at him, and Ethan couldn’t stop the tears from welling up when their eyes met.

Calvin stared at him intently. "Do you know me?" the boy asked politely.

"O-of course I do," he replied quickly, his voice cracking. How could I not know you? You’re my son, he desperately wanted to say.

Calvin was quiet for a second, just studying him. Ethan met his gaze. Looking into those eyes was like looking into a mirror.

They had the exact same color and shape as his own. He couldn’t even describe the feeling. It was like a warm hand was resting on his heart. He felt a massive, instant connection to Calvin, something that was strangely missing whenever he was around Tyler.

"Why are you crying?" Calvin asked after a moment. Only then did Ethan realize tears were streaming down his face.

He quickly wiped them away. He was about to speak, but Calvin stopped him by leaning in and giving him a hug. Ethan felt like he was going to lose it again. He dropped down to Calvin’s level, and the boy looked him in the eye.

"I’m hugging you now, so don’t cry, okay?" Calvin said. "I always hug Mommy when she cries. When I hug her, she always stops."

He glanced up at Lane and saw that her eyes were red. When they made eye contact, she immediately looked away.

He looked back at Calvin and reached out a hand to gently stroke the boy’s hair. "T-thank you for taking such good care of your Mommy, Calvin," he said.

Calvin pulled back from the hug and went back to Lane’s side.

"You don’t have to thank me. I’ll always hug my Mommy. It hurts me when she’s sad,"

Calvin said. "By the way, how do you know my name? I don’t know yours," he asked curiously.

Ethan’s heart ached. The realization that his own son didn’t know he was his father was devastating. He took a deep breath and was about to answer when Lane beat him to it.

It felt like someone had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart when he heard how she introduced him.

"He’s... your Uncle Ethan, Calvin. He’s a friend of mine."

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