Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 41: Justin Kane, Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
Looking at her resolute face, Cole Kane felt a tremor in his heart, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
Nina Thorne’s eyes were icy. Though her voice was weak, it rang in his ears like thunder. "From the day you didn’t show up for our marriage license, from the moment I told you we were breaking up, I was truly over you."
"It’s been five years. I’m tired."
"Cole Kane, if you had shown me even a sliver of concern, you’d know I wasn’t just throwing a tantrum."
"Yes, for the past five years, I was always clinging to you, always giving in to you. Everything you said was wrong with me, I tried so hard to change..."
"But Cole Kane, you never appreciated what I did for you. You just thought you’d won, that you’d made me love you so desperately, and that gave you the right to hurt me again and again."
"You don’t trust me, you don’t care about me, and you don’t love me... So, why on earth would I have to be with you?"
After saying all this, Nina Thorne looked completely drained. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and with a deathly pale face, she leaned weakly against Macy Lynch.
"Let’s go," Nina Thorne said weakly.
The rims of Macy Lynch’s eyes were so red they looked as if they might bleed, but she nodded lovingly. "Okay, let’s go."
Macy Lynch helped Nina Thorne into a car, and they quickly drove away.
Cole Kane’s mind went blank with a deafening ROAR.
He whipped his head around to stare in the direction they had gone, Nina Thorne’s words echoing relentlessly in his ears.
Cole Kane’s heart suddenly began to pound. An intense fear washed over him. He was terrified—terrified that he was really about to lose Nina Thorne...
"Cole," Serena Kane said, clutching her chest with a weak and pained expression. "It hurts. My chest hurts so much. Macy Lynch must have injured me when she hit me."
Cole Kane’s attention was diverted. He turned to look at her, but he didn’t show the same anxious concern he usually would have.
Serena Kane’s heart skipped a beat. She clutched her chest again, pretending to be in agony. "Cole, I feel awful. What if the skin from my burn tore open? It hurts so, so much, Cole..."
Panic suddenly flashed in Cole Kane’s eyes. He bent down and scooped her up. "Don’t be scared. I’ll take you to the hospital."
...
In the car, Nina Thorne was in so much pain that she broke out in a cold sweat. Her small frame was curled into a ball, and her face was so pale it looked almost blue, scaring Macy Lynch half to death.
Fortunately, Macy Lynch got her to the hospital in time.
The doctor gave Nina Thorne a painkiller shot, ran some tests, and had her admitted to a temporary observation room.
Nina Thorne was now lying in bed, already asleep.
Macy Lynch kept watch by the bedside. Seeing that some color had finally returned to Nina’s face, her own expression softened with relief.
But when she remembered the words Nina had spoken to Cole Kane, Macy Lynch’s heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
Having known Nina Thorne for a decade, she was all too familiar with every injustice Nina had endured at Cole Kane’s hands.
Fortunately...
Nina Thorne had finally come to her senses.
Macy Lynch even found herself thinking, ’If one day even Justin Kane hurts Nina, I’ll definitely take her away, stay by her side, and protect her.’
The door to the hospital room swung open, and a figure strode in, his usually stern face etched with urgency.
"How is she?"
Justin Kane walked to the bedside and took a long look at Nina Thorne before turning to Macy Lynch. "What did the doctor say?"
Macy Lynch could clearly see the worry on his face; it wasn’t an act.
A wave of relief washed over her.
’Thank goodness, Justin Kane really does care about Nina Thorne.’
’Although I’m not sure why Justin Kane married Nina, or whether he even likes her.’
’But I guess that a man as exceptional as Justin Kane wouldn’t marry Nina Thorne simply because she was a suitable match.’
"They gave her a painkiller, and she’s asleep now." Macy Lynch came back to her senses and pointed to Nina’s lower back where she had been kicked. "The doctor said there’s no bone damage, just a soft tissue contusion. It’s a massive bruise."
"Who did this?" A murderous glint flashed in Justin Kane’s eyes, and his chilling aura was terrifying.
Macy Lynch looked him in the eye and told him exactly what had happened in front of the restaurant.
When she finished, Macy Lynch scoffed. "That dear little brother of yours... he’s a real piece of work."
"He is." The chill in Justin Kane’s eyes didn’t recede in the slightest. He looked up at her and spoke with the weight of a promise, "I won’t let her suffer this injustice for nothing."
Looking into his eyes, Macy Lynch inexplicably found herself believing him and nodded.
At the very least, the Justin Kane she was seeing seemed genuinely worried about Nina Thorne.
That kind of worry didn’t seem like...
...something born from a mere marriage of convenience between families.
...
Nina Thorne didn’t wake up until the middle of the night.
In the soft lamplight, she glanced around at her surroundings, her gaze finally locking with a pair of deep, dark eyes.
"You’re awake," Justin Kane said, raising the head of the bed. He leaned over her, his voice soft and raspy. "Are you hungry? Does anywhere hurt?"
Nina Thorne turned her head to look out the window.
In the distance, neon lights as brilliant as a river of stars illuminated the dark night.
"What time is it?"
"Nine-thirty."
"..."
Nina Thorne slowly turned her head back to meet Justin Kane’s eyes and asked out of the blue, "Justin, what does ’gas’ mean?"
Her voice was very soft.
Her face was bloodlessly pale, and the light cast shadows across it. Her eyes shimmered with a watery mist, giving her an air of utter brokenness.
Justin Kane’s heart plummeted. He gently stroked her forehead. "If you want to know, you need to rest," he said, his voice husky. "I’ll tell you after you’ve recovered."
Nina Thorne wanted to refuse, but her body was so weak she didn’t even have the strength to protest.
She then asked about Macy Lynch. Justin Kane told her that Macy’s company had sent her to a last-minute show in Bramwell, but that she was fine and Nina shouldn’t worry.
Nina Thorne obediently hummed in agreement. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment before she fell back into a deep sleep.
Justin Kane remained by her bedside, his chest tightening as he watched her sleep peacefully. He leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.
He then straightened up. As he turned to leave, murderous intent flared in his eyes, and he strode out of the hospital room.
Vanessa Walsh saw him come out and went to meet him. "How’s Nina Thorne?"
She had been on her way to Marinus, but then Justin Kane received a call that Nina Thorne had been hospitalized.
Vanessa Walsh was quite fond of Nina, so she immediately changed her plans and came to the hospital with Justin Kane.
"She was awake for a moment, but she’s asleep again." A grim, deadly look filled Justin Kane’s dark eyes. "Stay here with her."
Vanessa Walsh understood immediately. She nodded. "Go. I’ll watch over her."
After a pause, she added, "Don’t be too hard on him."
Justin Kane left the hospital.
「The Kane Family Villa.」
Justin Kane strode into the main hall. Servants hurried forward to greet him respectfully, and the butler at their head looked both deferential and surprised.
"Master Justin, has something happened?" The butler could tell from his grim expression that all was not well.
"Where’s Cole?" Justin Kane’s voice was devoid of any warmth.
Butler Kane pointed upstairs. "He’s with Miss Serena..."
Before the butler could finish, Justin Kane brushed past him, an icy chill radiating from him as he headed up the stairs.
The butler shivered involuntarily, his eyes following Justin’s retreating form.
「The second floor, Serena Kane’s room.」
"Cole, don’t worry too much. Nina Thorne will be fine. This isn’t the first time she’s acted out like this."
"Besides, the things she said today were completely out of line, and she just let Macy Lynch attack us. Even I think she went too far this time..." Serena Kane said, her delicate voice dripping with insinuation.
Cole Kane’s brow was furrowed, his mind clearly elsewhere. After a long pause, he said, "I’ve spoiled her too much. To think she’d drag this fight out for so long without backing down."
He couldn’t suppress his irritation. "Even if she got hurt today, she had it coming. Why does she have to be so disobedient all the time, insisting on hanging around classless people like Macy Lynch?"
The bedroom door was thrown open.
The pair sensed an unusual aura and whipped their heads toward the doorway.
Both of them froze.
"Big Brother?"
Serena Kane was stunned.
Cole Kane was also taken aback. He took two steps forward. "Big Brother, what are you—"
BAM!
His face dark, Justin Kane swung his fist and landed a heavy blow square on Cole Kane’s face.
