Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 99: Chapter 99

"Mommy?"

Lane paused while dressing her son when he spoke up to get her attention.

"Yeah, honey?" she asked as their eyes met.

"Am I going to school now?"

"Not yet, Calvin. I’m going to head over and enroll you today," she replied.

She needed to get him signed up today so he could get settled in for next week’s classes.

She had already called the daycare center she and Ethan had picked out. They told her she needed to get the paperwork in immediately so he wouldn’t fall behind.

She’d also double-checked the requirements for enrollment. Once she had the list, she scrambled to get everything ready so there wouldn’t be any hiccups once they arrived.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Is Uncle Ethan coming with us?"

Lane blanked for a second, unsure how to answer. It seemed like Calvin was getting way too used to having Ethan around, even expecting him to be there for a school errand.

"What did he tell you?" she asked. Truth be told, Ethan knew exactly what her plans were because he’d been standing right there when she called the school.

"He told me he’s coming," Calvin said.

She was about to say something when a soft knock at the bedroom door cut her off. It was already propped open, and she saw Mae peeking in.

"Ma’am Lane, Mr. Ethan is outside," she announced.

Hearing his name made Lane’s heart do a frantic little dance again. She watched Calvin bolt off the bed and sprint out of the room the second Mae mentioned his name.

"Calvin, you’re not even dressed yet!" she called after him. He didn’t have a stitch of clothing on.

She just shook her head when he ignored her and kept right on running.

She got up and followed him out into the living room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Calvin already hoisted up in Ethan’s arms.

"Why aren’t you dressed yet?" Ethan asked him.

"You’re gonna catch a cold." His voice was thick with genuine concern.

"Mommy was gonna dress me, Uncle Daddy," the boy chirped.

Lane decided to make her presence known.

"Calvin, come here. I’ll get your clothes on."

Both of them looked up at her. The second Ethan saw her, his gaze locked onto hers and didn’t let go.

She swallowed hard, trying to stay composed.

"C-come on, Calvin. Let me get you ready so I can get dressed, too."

"I’ll handle Calvin, Lane. You go ahead and get yourself ready," Ethan told her.

When she hesitated, he took a step closer. "I’ve got him, Lane. Don’t worry about it."

She didn’t really have a choice, so she handed over Calvin’s little outfit.

"I’ll be in the room," she muttered. She turned to her son.

"Behave yourself, Calvin, okay?"

"I will, Mommy!"

She didn’t say another word. She turned on her heel, went into the room, took a lightning-fast shower, and got dressed. Once she was finished, she grabbed her bag and the folder with all of Calvin’s documents and headed back out.

The sound of laughter hitting her as she entered the living room felt like a warm hug.

She could hear Calvin’s giggles as Ethan tickled him. Seeing the pure happiness in her son’s eyes and the joy on Ethan’s face was almost too much to take.

Part of her wanted to just let them be and give them more time together, especially since Calvin looked so incredibly happy. But she had to break it up because they were on a schedule.

She stepped closer, and Ethan must have sensed her because he looked up.

Lane caught the unmistakable sparkle in his eyes the moment they made eye contact.

"Let’s get moving," she said.

He nodded and stood up from the sofa.

"Carry me, Uncle Daddy!" Calvin shouted, reaching his arms up. He was definitely getting used to the royal treatment from Ethan.

Calvin didn’t have to ask twice. Ethan scooped him up immediately. Ethan walked over to her. "Ready?"

Instead of answering, she just headed out of the condo. He followed right behind her, still carrying their son.

It didn’t take long to get to the parking lot. Ethan was behind the wheel today, so his driver was nowhere to be found.

"You guys can both sit up front in the passenger seat, Lane. I drive like a pro,"

Ethan said, clearly wanting them right next to him.

She didn’t argue as Ethan opened the passenger door with his free hand.

He helped her into the car, and once she was settled, he handed Calvin over to her. He leaned halfway into the car to help them get situated.

Lane nearly held her breath as the scent of his cologne filled the small space.

She found herself staring at him as he reached over to pull the seat belt across them.

He adjusted it carefully to make sure both she and Calvin were secure. Once he was satisfied, he straightened up and gently clicked the door shut.

He hopped into the driver’s seat and, true to his word, he was incredibly careful. He drove so slowly that the usual thirty-minute trip to the daycare turned into a full hour.

Ethan pulled into the daycare lot and was out of the car in a flash and was out of the car in a flash, circling around to open her door.

He helped them out, and the second Calvin’s feet hit the pavement, he asked to be picked up again.

Ethan was just about to lift him when a familiar voice cut through the air.

"Daddy!"

Lane’s heart sank as she saw Olivia approaching with Tyler in tow.

Seriously? Why are these two everywhere we go?

It didn’t feel like a coincidence anymore. It felt like Olivia was stalking them on purpose.

________

"Daddy, are you here to help me enroll in school?"

Lane’s brow furrowed even deeper when she heard Tyler say that to Ethan.

Instead of answering the boy, Ethan turned his gaze toward Olivia. Lane noticed the questioning, almost suspicious look in his eyes as he stared at her cousin.

"We’re here to enroll Tyler. He’s starting school, too," Olivia replied, acting as if she could read Ethan’s mind. She then shifted her attention to Lane.

"What are you doing here, Lane?"

"I’m enrolling Calvin," she replied simply.

A smug smile played on Olivia’s lips.

"Oh, that’s great! Tyler and Calvin will be in the same class," she chirped, seemingly thrilled about the idea.

Lane felt the exact opposite. She wasn’t happy about this at all.

"I really hope they get along," Olivia added, and Lane didn’t miss the hidden edge in her voice.

Instead of taking the bait, Lane looked down at Calvin, who was currently watching Ethan and Tyler.

When she looked back at Ethan, she realized he was staring intently at Calvin, completely ignoring Tyler.

"Calvin," she called out.

He looked up at her. "Mommy?"

She gave her son a small smile and held out her hand. Calvin immediately walked over and took it.

She gently led him toward the entrance of the daycare center, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw him looking back. She knew exactly who he was looking for.

Ethan.

"Mommy, aren’t we waiting for Uncle Daddy?" he asked, and the sadness in his voice hit her like a physical blow.

She stopped walking immediately. She looked at her son and saw that the excitement from earlier had vanished, replaced by pure disappointment.

Seeing him like that made her realize something. Why was she depriving him of the happiness he felt when he was with his father? Why was she trying to keep him away from Ethan? If anyone should be staying away, shouldn’t it be Olivia?

They were the real family. They were the ones who actually belonged together.

With that realization, she looked back at Ethan. Olivia was buzzing in his ear, but his focus was locked entirely on her and Calvin. When he realized she was looking back, he straightened up.

"Calvin is waiting for you," she told him.

Ethan looked stunned, like he hadn’t expected her to invite him along.

Once he recovered from the shock, he stepped toward them, bringing Tyler with him but leaving Olivia standing there.

Olivia’s eyebrows shot up in annoyance, but Lane ignored her. She focused on Ethan and noticed the way his eyes lit up as he approached.

When he got close, he reached down and took Calvin’s small hand. Just like that, the joy returned to her son’s face. The sight of it felt like a warm hand touching her heart.

"Ready?" Ethan asked.

She just nodded. They stepped inside the daycare center with Ethan holding both boys’ hands.

A moment later, she noticed Olivia scurrying to catch up, clearly refusing to be left behind.

Lane just shrugged and kept walking, refusing to give her any more attention.

They entered the registration office, and Ethan finally let go of the boys’ hands.

"Good morning, sir. Good morning, Ma’am," the registrar greeted them.

"Good morning," Lane replied.

She was about to explain why they were there when Olivia cut her off.

"Hi. I’m here to enroll our son," Olivia said.

Lane wanted to roll her eyes at the way she emphasized the word "our," but the registrar didn’t seem to notice.

"Do you have the required documents?" the woman asked.

Olivia’s face clouded over. "Is all that really necessary? Can’t I just sign him up?"

"It’s a requirement, ma’am," the woman replied firmly.

"Well, what are we supposed to do now? We don’t have the paperwork," Olivia grumbled.

Lane fought the urge to butt in. Who shows up to enroll a kid without being prepared?she thought. It was obvious Olivia didn’t have a plan. She was just there because she knew Ethan would be.

Ethan cut in before things got awkward. "Would it be possible to follow up with the paperwork later?"

"Yes, we can do that, sir," the woman agreed.

Ethan glanced at Olivia. "Get Tyler’s documents together and bring them in as soon as possible."

"Ma’am, here is the list of what we need," the registrar said, handing a slip of paper to Olivia .

"We need these soon if you want him to start next week." She took down Tyler’s name but marked his status as pending.

Once Olivia was done, Lane stepped up.

"Good morning again. I’m the one who called earlier about enrolling my son," she said.

The woman smiled. "Do you have his documents?"

Lane nodded and handed over the folder. The woman opened it to check everything.

As she worked, she glanced over at Calvin, who was playing with Tyler in the corner, then looked back at Ethan.

"Your son is his twin, sir," she said to Ethan with a smile.

"He looks exactly like you."

The second those words left the woman’s mouth, Lane glanced at Olivia.

Her cousin’s face was a mask of pure fury. She clearly hated hearing the truth.

Lane wanted to smirk and tell her that the woman was right. Calvin really was the spitting image of his father.

"Yeah, he definitely is," Ethan replied, his voice full of pride. That comment seemed to make Olivia’s blood boil even more.

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