Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 98: Chapter 98

Lane looked up when she felt Ethan approaching her desk.

After a beat, he set his laptop down in front of her. She glanced at the screen and couldn’t help but stare.

There was a list of several local day care centers pulled up in a Word document. She blinked at it for a moment before looking back up at him.

"What’s all this for?"

"Calvin mentioned he’s about to start day care," Ethan said. Lane pressed her lips together, stunned that he had actually remembered such a small detail.

"So, I did some digging to find a solid place for him to go," he added.

He moved closer, leaning over and bracing his hands on the edge of her desk.

"Take a look at these, Lane," he said, pulling the laptop toward her.

She bit her lip, noticing a PowerPoint presentation he’d put together.

That must have been what he was so focused on earlier while she thought he was busy with work.

"All of these are great schools, but I think this one is the best fit for Calvin," he explained, walking her through each slide.

To be honest, Lane barely heard a word he said. His closeness was a total distraction, and she was losing her concentration fast.

"But obviously, it’s your call where he goes. I’ll send you the slides so you can look them over properly," he added when she didn’t say anything right away.

She was just about to respond when Calvin popped up between them.

"Mommy? Uncle Ethan? What are you guys doing?"

Ethan straightened up.

"Hey, buddy. Your Mommy and I are just talking about where you’re going to go to school," he answered.

"Really?" Calvin’s eyes lit up as he looked at her. "Do I have a school now, Mommy?"

Lane gave him a small nod. "Where am I gonna go, Mommy?"

"Have you picked one, Lane?" Ethan and Calvin asked almost at the same time.

She gave Calvin an answer, but in doing so, she was really answering Ethan too. She bit her lip as she saw a small, satisfied smile spread across Ethan’s face.

The school she’d picked for Calvin was the exact one Ethan had recommended. She trusted his judgment.

Ethan was about to say something else when his phone started buzzing.

"Daddy, your phone’s ringing," Calvin chirped.

Ethan excused himself and headed over to the sofa where he’d left his phone. Lane watched him, noticing the way his eyebrows shot up in a frown.

Is it Olivia? she wondered.

She assumed he might ignore it, but he picked up. She couldn’t explain the sharp pang of jealousy that hit her at the thought of him answering a call from Olivia, but the feeling vanished the second he spoke.

"Hello, Ma?"

It was Aunt Catherine.

As she watched him, Ethan’s frown deepened.

"What?" he snapped. "I told you that’s not happening yet, Ma." He shot a quick, nervous glance at Lane, which made her knit her brows in confusion.

He let out a heavy sigh before saying goodbye and hanging up.

"That was my mom, Lane. They’re on their way over," Ethan informed her.

Lane’s eyes went wide. She instinctively looked down at Calvin standing right beside her.

"Don’t worry. My mom won’t say anything to Calvin, I promise," he assured her.

Lane felt a little relieved, but she figured they had at least a few minutes to prepare.

She was wrong. A second later, the intercom buzzed. It was her secretary letting her know they had visitors. Lane didn’t need to ask who it was. She just told the secretary to show them in.

She stood up from her swivel chair and rested a hand on Calvin’s shoulder.

"Mommy?"

She gave him a reassuring smile and leaned down toward him.

The door swung open, but Lane’s heart sank. Instead of Aunt Catherine and Uncle Victor, Olivia and Tyler walked into the office.

What are they doing here again?

"Daddy!"

The moment Tyler saw Ethan, he bolted toward him. He held up his arms, basically demanding to be carried.

As Ethan hoisted him up, Lane felt Calvin lean into her, hugging her leg. She gently patted his back.

"What are you doing here, Olivia?" Ethan asked, his voice cold.

"Your son was looking for you," Olivia replied. Lane’s jaw tightened at the way Olivia emphasized the word son.

"Yeah, Daddy. I was looking everywhere. You promised to take me out, but you flaked,"

Tyler added. "I’m mad at you, Daddy."

Ethan started to respond, but the secretary walked in again.

"Ms. Lane, your other visitors are here."

Aunt Catherine and Uncle Victor walked in right behind her. Aunt Catherine had a huge smile on her face, but the second she saw who was already in the room, her expression went totally flat.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Tyler shouted.

He scrambled down from Ethan’s arms and ran to them. Lane watched as he hugged his grandparents before his eyes landed on the bags they were carrying.

The clear plastic made it easy to see what was inside.

"Wow, toys! Are those for me?" Tyler asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

Lane noticed Aunt Catherine freeze, unable to find the words. It was obvious the toys were meant for Calvin, not Tyler. But before Aunt Catherine could say a word, Tyler started thanking them as if there was no doubt they were his.

"Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa! You guys really love me the most."

Lane leaned down to her son. She could see him watching the whole scene unfold. When she rubbed his back, he finally looked away from them and up at her.

When their eyes met, she gave him a soft smile. He reached up for her, and she scooped him into her arms, knowing he needed the comfort.

She felt Ethan step up beside her. He rested a hand on the small of her back, a silent show of support while she held their son.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Olivia’s icy stare. If looks could kill, Lane would have been a goner.

"Daddy! Grandpa and Grandma gave me some toys."

Lane felt Calvin’s grip tighten around her the second he saw Tyler approaching Ethan. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, trying to hide.

She pulled her son closer, holding him tight. "Look, Daddy. They gave me a toy car," Tyler added as he reached them.

Ethan just let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t even look at the toy.

After a moment, Aunt Catherine turned to Olivia. Her voice was flat and serious. "What exactly are you doing here, Olivia?"

Lane watched them closely. Earlier, Olivia’s expression had been sharp and cold while looking at her, but now it had shifted back to that sweet act.

It was finally hitting Lane just how fake her cousin really was. Olivia was far from kind. She just put on a show whenever she was face-to-face with someone, only to turn around and tear them down the second their back was turned.

How did I not see through her sooner?

Lane wondered.

"Tyler was just looking for his Daddy, Aunt Catherine," Olivia replied smoothly.

"We knew Ethan was here, so we figured we’d stop by."

"Grandma, did you come here because you knew I was here too?" Tyler piped up.

Aunt Catherine’s mouth opened and closed, but she seemed totally at a loss for words.

Ethan noticed her struggling and finally stepped in.

"Tyler, Daddy’s right in the middle of work. How about you head home for now, and I’ll come by and visit you after I’m done, okay?"

Tyler shook his head, looking stubborn.

"No, Daddy. You won’t come later. You never do."

Ethan let out another deep breath. "I promise, Tyler. I’ll be there."

"Pinky promise, Daddy?"

Ethan paused for a beat before nodding. Then, his expression turned ice-cold as he looked up at Olivia. "Olivia," he said, his voice hard. "You and Tyler need to go home. Now."

Olivia didn’t say a word. It was obvious she wanted to stay and cause more trouble, but when Ethan started to scowl, she realized she didn’t have a choice.

"Tyler, go to your mother," Ethan instructed.

Lane pressed her lips together as she watched Ethan escort them out.

She couldn’t explain the sharp pang of jealousy that shot through her as she watched him walk them to the door. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

Stop it, she told herself. Jealousy is just going to eat you alive.

"Lane."

She looked up when Aunt Catherine called her name.

"Aunt Catherine," she replied softly. She noticed the older woman staring at Calvin, who was still hiding his face against Lane’s shoulder.

Lane took a deep breath. She knew exactly why Ethan’s parents were here. They were finally ready to meet their grandson. She gave Calvin’s back a gentle rub.

"Calvin, honey," she whispered.

He pulled back slightly and looked at her. "What is it, Mommy?"

"Uncle Ethan’s Mommy and Daddy are here," she said. She caught the way Aunt Catherine gasped at the fact that she was still calling Ethan Uncle to the boy.

Calvin turned his head to look at the people she was pointing out.

Lane watched Aunt Catherine’s lips part as she saw the boy’s face clearly for the first time. Uncle Victor was standing right beside her, staring intently at his grandson, his eyes wide with realization. Aunt Catherine shot a quick look at her husband before turning all her attention back to Calvin.

"H-hi there," Aunt Catherine said, her voice cracking.

Lane set Calvin down on his feet. She didn’t have to tell him what to do. He already knew his manners. He stepped toward the two of them and reached for their hands to show his respect.

"Hi, Grandma and Grandpa," he said politely.

Aunt Catherine immediately dropped to her knees to get on Calvin’s level. Uncle Victor stayed close, steadying his wife as she reached out. She stared at the boy for a long time before clearing her throat.

"Can I... can I give you a hug, Calvin?" she asked.

Instead of answering right away, Calvin looked back at Lane. When their eyes met, she gave him a reassuring nod and a smile. He turned back to Aunt Catherine.

"Okay," he whispered.

Aunt Catherine didn’t waste a second. She pulled him into a tight embrace, and Calvin wrapped his small arms around her neck, hugging her back.

Lane felt her own eyes tear up when she saw the first few drops fall from Aunt Catherine’s eyes.

They were still locked in that hug when Ethan walked back into the room. His eyes went straight to them.

It seemed Calvin noticed Aunt Catherine was crying because he pulled back and looked at her with concern.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, watching the tears stream down her cheeks.

She reached up to wipe her eyes. "I-I’m just really happy, Calvin."

"Really?" Calvin tilted his head, looking puzzled. "Shouldn’t you be smiling if you’re happy?"

"These are tears of joy, Calvin," Aunt Catherine explained with a shaky laugh.

Calvin nodded slowly. "Oh, okay. But next time, Grandma, try not to cry, okay? Because it’ll make Uncle Daddy sad if he sees you crying."

Aunt Catherine beamed at that. Calvin reached up with his tiny hand and gently wiped away a stray tear she’d missed.

"You still have a little bit right here," he said sweetly.

"Thank you, Calvin," she whispered.

"You’re welcome!"

Calvin walked back over to Lane and took her hand. A moment later, Ethan stepped up beside them.

Lane’s heart did a little flip when she saw the way he was looking at her. He didn’t say a word at first, just stared at her with a raw intensity that made her breath hitch. Then, his gaze dropped to Calvin.

He smiled and scooped the boy up. Lane’s eyes went wide when Ethan reached out with his free hand, interlaced his fingers with hers, and gently pulled her toward his parents.

She felt a massive blush take over her face as Aunt Catherine looked down at their joined hands. The sparkle in the older woman’s eyes told Lane everything she needed to know.

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