Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 25: She Loves Someone Else

The next day, Nina Thorne was up bright and early.

She didn’t see Justin Kane when she got up and figured he had already left for the office.

Just as she threw back the covers and got out of bed, the bedroom door suddenly opened. Justin Kane strode in and came to stand before her. "You’re awake."

Nina was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

Justin Kane said gently, "Good timing. Get up and have something to eat, then I’ll put some ointment on your hand."

Nina gave a small "oh" and nodded again.

She went into the bathroom and was surprised to see her toothbrush resting on her cup, with toothpaste already applied.

’In the past, this was something she would have done for Cole Kane.’

’Even though they didn’t live together.’

’Sometimes, to make sure he didn’t miss an important meeting, Nina would go to his house early, make breakfast, and then coax him out of bed.’

’She would squeeze the toothpaste onto his brush, lay out the suit he was to wear for the day, and learn how to take care of him, trying to be a proper girlfriend, and later, a proper fiancée.’

’If two people were in love, doing these things would be called mutual care and affection.’

’Otherwise, she was just kidding herself.’

’Clearly, as far as Cole Kane was concerned, her efforts fell into that last category.’

As Nina was lost in her self-mocking thoughts, Justin Kane’s concerned voice sounded from behind her. "What’s wrong? Does your hand hurt?"

"Do you need me to help you?" Justin Kane’s voice grew tense without him realizing it.

Nina turned to look at his anxious gaze. She paused for a moment but didn’t dwell on it, soon pressing her lips together and shaking her head. "No."

Justin Kane watched her for a few seconds before saying evenly, "I’ll wait for you downstairs."

Nina smiled at him. "Okay."

They had been together for some time now, and their interactions seemed to be growing more and more natural.

Nina quite liked these peaceful, easygoing days. It felt like what a real life should be.

...

After washing up, Nina changed into a long dress and went downstairs.

Justin Kane was waiting for her in the living room. When he heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps, he raised an eyebrow and looked up.

He saw Nina wearing a light blue, knee-length sundress with a cinched waist. It hugged her graceful, slender figure and showed off her long, straight legs. Her long, wavy hair was styled in a soft, elegant fashion.

The light blue dress made her skin seem as white as snow and gave her a gentle yet radiant air.

The only thing marring the perfect picture was the gauze wrapped around her hand.

Justin Kane gazed at her intently, a subtle emotion flickering in his dark eyes. He was wearing a black shirt with a burgundy tie, which made his stern features look even more intense and ascetic.

His gaze was fixed on her, and he realized she could perfectly pull off any color, any style.

Her stunning figure, in particular, made him think of last night...

Justin Kane’s prominent Adam’s apple bobbed a few times. The hand resting on his leg tightened slightly as he said, his voice strained, "Come here."

His voice was a little hoarse. Nina obediently went over and sat down beside him. "What’s wrong with your throat?" she asked, concerned.

’Looking at her clear, innocent eyes, Justin Kane felt his earlier thoughts had sullied her.’

"It’s nothing."

He averted his gaze, took her injured wrist, and began to unwrap the gauze.

Fortunately, they had treated it promptly yesterday. The burn hadn’t worsened, and a few more applications of the ointment should be enough for it to heal.

Justin Kane picked up the ointment and used a cotton swab to gently apply it to the back of her hand. "Try not to get it wet today, either," he instructed carefully. "It’ll heal faster that way."

His voice was gentle, and his movements were meticulous and soft. When the pads of his fingers brushed against her skin, Nina felt a strange flutter in her heart.

"All done." Justin Kane released her hand and tossed the cotton swab into the trash can.

Nina looked at her newly bandaged hand, an inexplicable and fleeting sense of loss flashing through her.

"I will." Nina pulled her hand back, her right hand covering the spot on her wrist where he had just held her, her mind drifting.

’For some reason, her feelings for Justin Kane seemed to be changing.’

’Perhaps it was because, for the first time since her parents and grandfather, she finally felt cared for and valued by someone else.’

Justin Kane glanced at her but said nothing. After breakfast, he left for the office.

Nina stayed home, working on her manuscript at the living room table.

Thankfully, her hand wasn’t hurt badly enough to affect her typing.

The staff had returned from their holiday, and Miss King brought a plate of sliced fruit over, setting it down beside her.

"Ma’am, have some fruit."

"Thank you, Miss King." Nina smiled at her.

She was always polite and courteous to the household staff, which had earned her their respect and affection.

Miss King grinned. "If you need anything at all, Ma’am, just let us know. We’re all old-timers in the Kane family. In all these years, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen the President be so gentle and attentive to someone."

Nina grumbled, "Maybe people change. He used to be awful to me."

Miss King said, "The President may have been abroad for three years, but I practically watched him grow up. He’s a cold person by nature. For him to be this gentle, he must really like you, Ma’am."

’Justin likes me?’

’Miss King must be reading too much into it,’ Nina thought.

She worked until just after four in the afternoon, when she got a call from her old university class monitor, Lance Chapman.

He told her that in a few days, the alumni were holding a fundraising gala for their alma mater. The goal was to expand and renovate the campus, and he was inviting her to attend.

It was a very meaningful event, so Nina readily agreed.

That evening, Justin Kane came home from the office.

As they sat across from each other at the dinner table, Nina brought up the fundraising gala. "Are you going?"

"I’ll have to check my schedule." Justin Kane had also received an invitation.

He was also a Sylport U alumnus, several years her senior.

At home, he was dressed in black trousers and a white shirt with the collar slightly unbuttoned, giving him a lazy, casual air that was a far cry from his stern, intense demeanor at the office.

Nina murmured "oh" and didn’t press the matter.

Justin Kane looked up at her and said in a warm voice, "I have to go on a business trip for a few days, starting tomorrow. I’ll do my best to get back in time to go with you."

Nina’s eyebrows shot up. "A business trip? So suddenly?"

Justin Kane answered patiently, "An M&A deal is in its final stages. I need to go there in person to handle the negotiations."

Nina looked at his impossibly handsome face and thought, ’Does this count as him keeping me in the loop about everything?’

’Either way, he’s so much better than Cole Kane.’

Nina’s lips curved into a smile. "Alright. Well, I wish you success."

Justin’s eyes met her smiling ones, and the corners of his own mouth lifted unconsciously. "I will be."

...

Justin Kane left before dawn the next day.

When Nina got up and didn’t see him, her heart felt strangely empty. She recalled their conversation from the night before, just before they went to sleep.

They had been lying in bed together, chatting idly, when Justin had said, "Nina, you still owe me one thing."

Nina had looked at him, asking blankly, "What?"

Justin’s face had drawn closer, his lips curling into a wry smile. "I told you. The kind of marriage I want is one where we can... do what married couples do."

Nina’s mind had gone completely blank with a loud BUZZ.

’He looked completely serious, not like he was teasing her.’

’Weren’t they a contract couple?’

’Did that mean they had to... do *that*?’

Seeing her hesitation, Justin hadn’t pressed the issue. Instead, he’d suddenly held out his arm. "How about a little interest first? Let me hold you."

Nina couldn’t find the words to refuse. It seemed she had no reason to, either.

She had complied, lifting her head to rest it on his arm. Her body was stiff and motionless at first.

But as they continued to talk, she gradually relaxed.

Nina had turned to face him, asking with sudden curiosity, "Justin, in the three years you were abroad, did you never meet someone you liked?"

An almost imperceptible emotion flickered in Justin’s deep eyes. "There was someone."

Nina’s heart sank. Her lips trembled slightly. "Why didn’t you get together?"

Justin’s dark eyes were fixed on her. "I’ve loved her for years. She never knew. And, of course, she was in love with someone else."