Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 32: What Did I Touch?

’These two brothers, they’re really playing me for a fool.’

"Fine. Since you’ve admitted it, just tell me, when are we getting a divorce?" Nina Thorne fumed, like a feral cat with its fur on end.

She didn’t want to ask any more questions. "Whenever you have time, we can go finalize the divorce. I won’t stay here and be in the way."

With that, Nina Thorne turned to leave.

Suddenly, a force gripped her wrist.

The warmth of a broad palm spread across her skin as Nina was yanked back, forced to look up at the dark and brooding Justin Kane before her.

His bottomless black eyes were fixed on her. "So you do know how to get angry at me."

Nina flared up. "How am I getting angry at you?"

’Give me a break!’

’He just spent a wonderful night with the person he likes. What’s the point of keeping a fake wife like me around?’

She couldn’t stand for it, even if she didn’t love him.

And even if she did love him, she would never tolerate something like this.

Justin Kane stared at her, his gaze dark and profound. "Isn’t this it?"

"I’m clearly..."

Nina gave up on explaining and pulled her hand back. "Fine, say what you want. The fact is, we don’t like each other."

Nina started up the stairs, her slender back radiating a stubborn resilience.

Her feet felt inexplicably heavy on the steps, but the thought of him having someone he liked made her stride quicker and more determined.

For the past five years, she had been foolishly manipulated by Cole Kane, mistaking his harsh treatment for affection.

To win Cole Kane’s favor, she had spent those five years changing into someone who wasn’t herself.

Now, she would never again try to force things with anyone.

Only by loving yourself could you be invincible.

Nina Thorne was standing in front of the closet, rummaging through clothes, when she heard soft footsteps behind her.

"You’re leaving?"

Before she could turn, Justin Kane grabbed her wrist, his gaze dark and grim. "Packing your clothes to leave already? Are you that desperate to end our marriage?"

Nina sensed that he seemed to be angry.

’How ridiculous.’

’She wasn’t even mad at him for violating the spirit of their contract, yet he had the nerve to turn the tables and blame her.’

"I..."

Before Nina Thorne could speak, Justin Kane cut her off, his voice low and raspy. "If you had shown this side of your personality to Cole Kane back then, you never would have been bullied."

Justin Kane’s expression was stern, as if coated in frost.

Nina Thorne frowned, flushing with the shame and anger of having her painful past brought up. "Who said I was packing?"

Justin Kane’s gaze fell to her hands. "Isn’t this?"

Nina Thorne was holding a black nightgown. When Justin Kane saw it, his expression softened slightly.

’She wasn’t packing to leave?’

"I was just getting my nightgown to take a shower," Nina Thorne said, snatching her hand back and glaring at him indignantly.

"Yes, I liked Cole Kane, so I deserved to be bullied by him. But Justin Kane, what’s wrong with my personality now? I haven’t bullied you, have I?"

Everyone said Nina Thorne had an arrogant and domineering personality. At school, there were even rumors that she used her status as a rich man’s daughter to bully people.

For all four years of college, her world had revolved around Cole Kane; she’d had eyes only for him and paid no mind to any of it.

Four years later, those rumors stabbed into Nina Thorne’s heart like knives.

’Was being born into a good family my fault?’ 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

’She was devoted, loving one person with all her heart. How did that make her shameless and love-obsessed?’

Nina Thorne’s eyes turned red, a moist fog spreading over them as she bit her lip, holding back her tears.

Her aggrieved yet stubborn expression made Justin Kane’s heart clench, and most of his anger instantly dissipated.

"No, you haven’t bullied me." Justin Kane’s brow furrowed, a trace of heartache hidden in his dark eyes.

Nina Thorne pouted, looking up at him with reddened eyes. "You were the one who said you have someone you like. I just don’t want to get in your way."

She let out a long breath, her hands clenching into fists. "We’re just in a contract marriage that can end at any time. I’m just conscientiously stepping aside. Is that wrong?"

Her voice was choked with tears.

Justin Kane was much taller than her. Looking down, he saw the teardrops clinging to her lashes, her red eyes, her tightly pressed lips, and the way she struggled to control her emotions—it all exuded an air of extreme fragility.

"I’m sorry." Justin Kane’s heart felt as if it had been struck by a hammer. He hated that he had been so impulsive and said something to hurt her.

He hadn’t known that single sentence would provoke such a strong reaction from her.

It was clear how much psychological damage that brat Cole Kane had caused her.

Nina Thorne lowered her gaze, a bitter feeling spreading through her heart.

’His apology is just a tacit admission that everything I just said was true.’

’Just as I thought.’

’Our marriage is going to end after all.’

"You don’t have to say sorry..." Nina Thorne gave a relieved smile. "Like I said, a contract marriage can end at any time."

"Who said anything about a divorce?" Justin Kane’s expression tensed.

Nina was confused. "But you said you were sorry..."

She didn’t finish her sentence. Justin Kane had a sudden realization, and the tension in his brow eased.

"Vanessa Walsh is just a friend and business partner," he explained. "She’s not the person I like, and I’ve never thought about divorcing you."

Nina could tell he wasn’t lying and froze for a few seconds.

’What kind of partnership involves being together in the middle of the night?’

’And answering his phone for him?’

Nina was full of questions.

Justin Kane seemed to guess her thoughts. His deep, pleasant voice continued, "She’s the vice president of my company. She happened to be in Marinus for a business trip, so we had dinner together. That night, we were reviewing the details of a merger and acquisition case."

"I had to step out for something and didn’t take my phone. She answered it because she was worried it might be something important."

After Justin Kane’s detailed explanation, Nina Thorne finally understood.

’So that’s what happened.’

’Wait...’

Something occurred to Nina Thorne, and a suspicious look appeared in her eyes. "What’s my contact name in your phone?"

Justin Kane cleared his throat twice. "Your name."

"What name?"

"..."

Nina Thorne held out her hand, asking for his phone. He didn’t give it to her, so, with a sudden burst of courage, she started searching him for it.

First, she patted his suit pockets. Not finding it, she went for his pants pockets. Justin Kane tried to back away, but she just moved closer.

She reached for his pants pockets with both hands, patting them down. In a moment of carelessness, her slender fingers brushed against something they shouldn’t have.

In that instant, Nina Thorne froze, the blood in her veins seeming to turn to ice.

She stood there, mortified and motionless, her eyes secretly darting toward Justin Kane’s face.

’It seems like...’

’He’s... reacting?’

Justin Kane’s dark eyes were bottomless pits, and the corner of his mouth curved into a slight smirk. "On purpose? Did you touch it?"

He took a step closer to Nina Thorne, his presence radiating an overpowering pressure.

Nina Thorne didn’t dare to breathe. Her gaze was level with his throat, and her eyes fell upon his sexy, prominent Adam’s apple. Looking up, she saw his chiseled, exquisite face, so divinely handsome it was breathtaking.

For some reason, the sensation from moments before popped into her head, and the words tumbled out before she could think.

"I touched it..."

"Hm?" A hint of amusement surfaced in Justin Kane’s dark eyes.

"No, I didn’t touch it..." Nina Thorne shook her head frantically, her heart pounding so hard she wanted to die.

’God, what am I saying!’

’What on earth is going through my head!’

"Nina Thorne," Justin Kane said, taking another step forward. He clamped a large hand on her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace, and leaned down to her ear. "What did you say you touched just now?"