Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Lane was about to speak when Olivia’s son, Tyler, suddenly cut her off.

"Daddy!"

Tyler bolted from Calvin’s side and ran straight for Ethan. The second he reached him, he threw his arms around his father in a tight hug.

Lane couldn’t help but look at her own son. She saw Calvin staring at them for a heartbeat before he hung his head.

He was biting his lower lip, clearly fighting back tears. Seeing that felt like a massive hand squeezing her heart.

She could hardly breathe, feeling a sharp pang of hurt for her son. She knew he was envious of the bond Tyler had with Ethan.

Taking a deep breath, Lane stepped closer to Calvin. She rested a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at her immediately.

"Mommy?"

She gave him a small smile, trying to let him know she was right there with him. She gently rubbed his back to comfort him.

Then, she turned her gaze toward Olivia, who was walking over to join Tyler and Ethan. When Lane looked at Ethan, she saw his brows knit together.

Before Olivia could get any closer, Ethan took a step toward Lane and Calvin, with Tyler trailing behind him like a shadow. Lane didn’t miss the way the smile vanished from Olivia’s face the moment Ethan moved away from her.

Lane cleared her throat.

"What are you doing here, Olivia?" she asked after a moment.

She’d noticed a pattern. Whenever they were with Ethan, Olivia would suddenly pop up with Tyler as if she had some kind of radar for the man’s location.

Olivia’s smile returned the second she faced Lane. "Oh, Tyler just really wanted to see and play with his... cousin?"

Lane’s jaw tightened at the word cousin. Olivia was clearly throwing shade and implying something deeper.

"Daddy, what are you doing here?" Tyler asked, looking up at Ethan.

Ethan started to answer, but Calvin beat him to the punch.

"We’re hanging out with Uncle Daddy," Calvin said.

Lane caught the sharp glint in Olivia’s eyes. She obviously hated hearing that.

"Daddy?" Tyler repeated, his expression souring just like his mother’s.

"Why are you calling my Daddy ’Daddy’? He’s my Daddy," Tyler snapped, his voice thick with possessiveness, as if he couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else sharing that title.

"Uncle Daddy told me to call him that," Calvin fired back.

"Daddy, why do you let him call you Daddy? He’s not even your son," Tyler said, turning to Ethan.

"Tyler, I’m the one who told Calvin to call me Daddy," Ethan said, his voice dropping into a serious, stern tone.

"But Daddy, I’m your only child," Tyler insisted.

Lane saw Ethan’s face darken. "Tyler, I don’t like this selfishness," Ethan said firmly.

"That’s not a good look for you. Now, apologize to Calvin."

Tyler went quiet for a second, looking stung. Finally, he managed a shaky, "S-sorry, Calvin."

"It’s okay," Calvin replied softly.

Lane took a breath and looked back at Olivia. Her expression hadn’t changed at all.

"I’m gonna leave you guys for a bit, Olivia. I need to go whip up some snacks," Lane said.

"Mommy?" Calvin looked up at her.

"Yeah, honey?"

Calvin gestured for her to lean down, clearly wanting to tell her something in private. She leaned over, and he whispered right into her ear.

"Can I come with you, Mommy? I don’t want to stay here," he pleaded.

She smiled and gave him a nod. She held out her hand, and he grabbed it instantly.

Without waiting for the others to say a word, she and Calvin headed for the kitchen, leaving the three of them in the living room.

Olivia claimed they were there because Tyler wanted a play date, but Lane wasn’t buying it. She knew it was all about Ethan.

What really bugged her was how Olivia always seemed to know exactly when Ethan was at her condo.

"Thank you, Mommy," Calvin said once they were safely in the kitchen.

Lane tilted her head. "What are you thanking me for, Calvin?"

"For taking me with you. I really didn’t want to stay out there. Aunt Olivia might pinch me."

Lane’s brow furrowed even deeper. "Did she hurt you, Calvin?"

He shook his head. "No, Mommy. But she scares me. She looks at me like she’s really mad. Like this, see?" He scrunched up his face, mimicking Olivia’s icy stare.

She patted his head gently. "Don’t you worry, sweetie. No one is going to hurt you.

Mommy’s got your back." She might usually stay quiet, but if anyone touched a hair on her son’s head, she was ready to go to war.

"And Uncle Daddy will protect me too, Mommy," he added confidently.

She ran her fingers through his hair and helped him onto a kitchen chair. "Just hang out here, okay? Mommy’s gonna make your favorite spaghetti."

He nodded happily. Lane was just about to head to the fridge when Ethan walked into the kitchen.

"What are you doing in here, Ethan?" she asked, surprised he’d left Tyler and Olivia alone in the living room.

"Because you two are in here," he replied simply.

"What?"

"Wherever my family is, that’s where I’m gonna be, Lane," Ethan said, his voice completely serious.

Lane felt her heart do a frantic little dance at his words.

"Wherever my wife and children are, that’s where I belong, Lane."

Lane couldn’t take her eyes off Ethan when those words left his lips. He didn’t look away, either. His eyes were swimming with love as he stared at her, making her heart pound wildly against her ribs.

Wife and children. He was talking about her and Calvin, not Olivia and Tyler. The thought felt like a warm hand gently touching her heart.

"Uncle Daddy?"

The two of them finally broke eye contact at the sound of Calvin’s voice. Ethan stepped toward the boy and knelt down to meet his level.

"Yes, Calvin?" he asked tenderly.

"I’m sorry," the little boy whispered.

Lane’s brow furrowed at the apology. "Why are you saying sorry, Calvin?"

"Because you got on Tyler’s case because of me," Calvin explained, looking down at his feet.

Ethan reached out and gently cupped Calvin’s cheek.

"You don’t need to apologize for that, buddy. What Tyler did wasn’t right, and I had to tell him so," he explained.

"Tyler thinks I’m taking you away from him, Uncle Daddy," Calvin said, his voice dropping into a sad, soft tone.

"Maybe I shouldn’t call you Daddy anymore so he won’t be mad." The heartbreak in his voice was obvious.

It was clear it killed him to think he might lose that title for Ethan.

Lane didn’t expect what Ethan did next. He scooped Calvin up into a hug. "It’s okay, Calvin. You can call me Daddy whenever you want."

"But Tyler’s gonna be so mad at me. He really thinks I’m stealing you," the boy said sadly.

"Don’t you ever think that, Calvin. And don’t worry about Tyler. I’ll handle him, okay?" Ethan promised.

"Is it really okay to call you Daddy? Even if I’m not... yours?"

Lane bit her lower lip, feeling her eyes start to sting. In that moment, she realized just how selfish she’d been. By keeping the truth from Calvin, she was robbing him of his own father.

Watching how Ethan made both of them feel, she was seeing firsthand that they were his priority.

She realized she’d been dead wrong to think they were just a "Plan B" or that he still chose Olivia. With that realization, the idea of finally introducing them as father and son started to take root in her mind.

But she had no clue how to actually do it. How do you tell a child that his father has another kid with another woman? Especially since he’d already met Tyler and saw how possessive the boy was over Ethan.

Lane knew her son. He would have a million questions if she told him the truth, and honestly, she didn’t have the answers.

"Of course, Calvin. You can always call me Daddy."

"Thank you, Daddy!" Calvin chirped, throwing his arms around Ethan’s neck. Ethan squeezed him back, and Lane watched him press a kiss to the top of the boy’s head.

"I love you," Ethan whispered to his son.

Lane couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. One escaped and rolled down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly before anyone could catch her.

She took a deep breath and headed for the fridge to get started on the food. She was just grabbing what she needed when Tyler’s voice chirped up behind her.

"Daddy, let’s go play with Calvin!"

She turned around to see that Tyler wasn’t alone. Olivia was right there with him.

Olivia walked over with a practiced smile.

"Let me help you with the cooking, Lane," she offered, reaching for the ingredients.

Lane shook her head. "I’ve got it, Olivia," she said firmly.

"Oh, come on. It’s like you’re saying I don’t know my way around a kitchen," Olivia said with a light laugh.

Lane wanted to snap back with a "Well, do you?"but she bit her tongue.

"Ethan used to be obsessed with my cooking," Olivia added, throwing a pointed look in Ethan’s direction.

Lane raised an eyebrow, nearly laughing out loud. She knew it was wrong to think this way since Olivia was her cousin, her own flesh and blood, but the audacity was staggering.

Olivia was standing there acting like she used to whip up five-star meals for Ethan, when in reality, Lane was the one doing all the heavy lifting. Ethan used to constantly ask for his favorite dishes, and Lane was the one who made them.

She was just about to set the record straight when Ethan beat her to it. She couldn’t believe what came out of his mouth next.

"You don’t know how to cook, Olivia."

Lane’s jaw nearly hit the floor. The smile vanished from Olivia’s face instantly.

"Lane was the one who cooked for me back then," he added.

Lane was stunned. How did he know? She’d never told him.

Even back when Ethan insisted on only eating the food Olivia brought him, she’d never let slip that she was the one behind the stove.

She hadn’t wanted to trash her cousin’s image. She never imagined he’d figure out the truth on his own.

"It’s Lane’s cooking I want," Ethan added, looking directly at Olivia. "Always has been."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!