Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 44: Nina Thorne, Do You Remember the Night 3 Years Ago?
A crimson blush quickly spread across Nina Thorne’s cheeks. Her face burned hot, and her eyes widened as she stared at him. The tip of his high-bridged nose brushed against hers, and the contact sent an electric jolt through her.
Nina Thorne’s heart pounded in her chest. His scent filled her senses as she let him take from her, his actions both dominant and gentle. Their breaths tangled together.
Nina Thorne’s mind went blank. Just as she felt she couldn’t breathe, Justin Kane’s lips reluctantly parted from hers.
"You silly girl, you still don’t know how to come up for air?" Justin Kane let out a low chuckle.
The heat on Nina Thorne’s face refused to subside, and she was at a loss for words.
"Not bad," Justin Kane’s eyes darkened as his thumb stroked the corner of her mouth. "Very sweet."
Nina Thorne’s cheeks burned as if they were on fire.
Gazing into his obsidian eyes, her heart hammered against her ribs like a frightened deer.
Forcing herself to appear calm, she chided, "Justin Kane, how did I never notice you were such a scoundrel?"
The corners of Justin Kane’s lips lifted, a smile dancing in his dark eyes. "We’re a legally married couple, so it doesn’t count."
Nina Thorne retorted without thinking, "Ever heard of marital rape?"
Hearing that, Justin Kane’s thick brows knitted together slightly. "Hm? With a tongue that sharp, how do you always end up getting bullied?"
He straightened up after speaking, his expression returning to its usual inscrutable depth, his dark eyes unreadable.
Nina Thorne’s heart sank as she thought about everything that had happened recently. Her expression turned cold but remained stubborn. "That was their fault, not mine."
A strange glint flashed in Justin Kane’s eyes. He said pointedly, "You should have realized that a long time ago."
Nina Thorne understood his unspoken meaning. He was referring to how she used to constantly doubt and change herself because of Cole Kane.
She had suppressed her true nature, transforming from a free-spirited, confident woman into someone cautious and timid, full of self-doubt and subservience.
A subtle warmth stirred in Nina Thorne’s heart. She met his gaze and smiled, a sense of relief washing over her. "I won’t be that foolish again."
"I believe you." The corners of Justin Kane’s mouth remained lifted, clearly pleased with her answer.
Nina Thorne looked into his deep eyes, humming in firm yet gentle agreement before nodding again.
’Never again. Not anymore.’
’You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else.’
’People like Cole Kane, who do nothing but trample on the genuine feelings of others, deserve to swallow a thousand needles.’
’I’ll wait for the Kane parents to return, then I’ll annul the engagement as quickly as possible and completely sever the ties that bind me to Cole Kane.’
After that kiss, Justin Kane seemed to be in a good mood. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "Get some more sleep. I’ll be back to take you home when you wake up."
Nina Thorne agreed. After Justin Kane lowered the head of the bed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep again.
Perhaps because Justin Kane was there, Nina Thorne slept soundly until ten o’clock in the morning.
By this time, Justin Kane was gone. Miss King was keeping watch in the hospital room, and she had prepared a steaming bowl of vegetable and lean pork congee.
Miss King explained that Justin Kane had specifically asked her to make it and bring it over. He had also instructed her to make sure Nina Thorne ate it, adding that he would be back in the afternoon to take her home.
’Maybe this is just the difference between people,’ Nina Thorne thought.
’When she was dating Cole Kane, if she caught a cold and had a fever, he wouldn’t even buy her medicine, let alone stay with her or take care of her.’
’But Justin Kane was different. He might look cold and have a sharp tongue, but he was actually quite considerate when it came to taking care of someone.’
’Even if he didn’t love her, his sense of responsibility and their status as a married couple compelled him to look after her.’
But the memory of last night’s kiss made Nina Thorne’s cheeks burn again. ’Well,’ she thought, ’we’re married now, so a kiss is just a kiss, right?’
She didn’t dare let her imagination run wild. After she finished the bowl of congee, a call came in from Macy Lynch.
"Nina, are you feeling any better? It’s all my fault. I couldn’t protect you yesterday, and you ended up getting hurt because of me."
Macy Lynch sounded full of guilt. There was a lot of noise in the background, making it seem like she was at work and calling on her break.
Nina Thorne laughed, trying to console her. "You can’t always be the one protecting me. What’s wrong with me protecting you for once?"
Macy Lynch sniffled, deeply moved, before launching into another tirade against Cole Kane.
"That blind bastard Cole Kane! Getting played for a fool by Serena Kane, losing an amazing girlfriend like you, and now his ex is his sister-in-law... He’ll live to regret this!"
Nina Thorne had long since moved past all that. "I don’t know if he’ll have any regrets," she said nonchalantly, "but I certainly won’t."
’As far as I’m concerned, Cole Kane died the day he stood me up at the marriage registry.’
’But all the love I invested in him will just push me to become a better person.’
The two chatted for a few more minutes until Macy’s assistant reminded her it was time to resume filming. She told Nina they’d get together when she was back and then hurriedly hung up.
At two in the afternoon, Justin Kane came to the hospital in person to take Nina Thorne back to the villa.
The side of Nina Thorne’s waist was still a little sore. A dark purple bruise marked the spot where she’d been kicked, and it would take several days to fade.
There was nothing to do but let it heal.
The first thing she did after getting back from the hospital was head to the master bedroom for a shower, while Justin Kane went to his study to deal with work.
A call came in from Assistant Cheney. "Sir, we located the girl who was bullied all those years ago. She confirmed that it was indeed Madam who helped her, and that Madam was not the one bullying her."
He added, "The real bullies were Serena Kane, Corinne Kerr, and their friends."
"Proceed as planned."
"Yes, sir."
"Wait."
Justin Kane’s fingers tapped lightly on his desk. He leaned back in his office chair, and though his posture appeared relaxed and indolent, his eyes held a chilling light.
"Deal with the ones who spread the rumors first. Some people can’t be let off that easily."
"Understood. I’ll get right on it."
After hanging up, a sharp light entered Justin Kane’s eyes.
’If they want to bully her, they’ll have to get through me first.’
...
Nina Thorne had just stepped out of the bathroom when Justin Kane pushed the bedroom door open and entered. The air instantly filled with the fresh, clean scent from her shower, mingling with the cool cedarwood fragrance that clung to him.
The two scents mingled, charging the atmosphere with an ambiguous intimacy.
Nina Thorne looked at Justin Kane, only to find him already looking at her. The moment their eyes met, they saw their own reflections in the other’s pupils.
Nina Thorne couldn’t stop herself from remembering last night’s kiss, and that other night, three years ago. She froze on the spot, completely still.
"All clean?"
Justin Kane strode toward her, his gaze sweeping down from her elegant collarbones to the injury on her waist. "Let me put some medicine on that for you."
Nina was wearing a flimsy, black silk slip that clung to her stunning figure. Her delicate skin, fairer than snow, was flushed a rosy pink from her shower, making her exquisite face seem all the more radiant.
The fresh, clean scent wafting from her, in particular, tugged at Justin Kane’s senses.
Flustered by his intense gaze, Nina Thorne quickly refused. "There’s no need. It’ll be fine in a few days."
She hurriedly tried to sidestep him and head for the bed.
Suddenly, a hand closed around her wrist. The warmth of Justin Kane’s palm seeped into her skin, and Nina Thorne’s heart leaped into her throat. She whipped her head around to look at him, her heart thumping wildly.
"What are..."
She started to ask what he was doing, but Justin Kane didn’t give her the chance to finish. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his arms.
Then, he leaned down, his hot breath ghosting over her ear as he whispered, "Nina Thorne, do you remember that night three years ago?"
