Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 102: Let Her Keep You Company

Raina didn’t know how to answer. Ethan Lancaster tried to walk past her.

"Isn’t it over yet?"

Ethan Lancaster had just forced himself to vomit, and his stomach felt like it was on fire. He furrowed his brow. "What, does seeing me like this make you feel sorry for me?"

"You’ve had enough. Let’s just go home."

Ethan Lancaster crossed his arms and studied Raina Reddington’s face. "Since you’re so concerned about me, come on. You can watch me."

He reached out and grabbed Raina Reddington’s arm, dragging her forward a few steps. Ethan Lancaster walked to the door of the private room and shoved it open.

The room was thick with smoke and foul air. The pungent smell of cigarettes mixed with alcohol assaulted Raina’s senses, and she instinctively held her breath.

Al and Cameron Fairchild were both there, along with a few unfamiliar faces at the same table. Ethan Lancaster kept a firm grip on Raina’s arm, pulling her to the table. Al seized the opportunity to smooth things over. "Since Mrs. Lancaster is here, we should probably call it a night. Fourth Master has had a lot to drink tonight. You should get him home."

Seeing this, the others at the table were happy to take the cue. "Yeah, let’s wrap it up. We can drink to our hearts’ content next time."

Ethan Lancaster pulled out a chair but showed no intention of leaving. He snapped his fingers. "Waiter, bring another set of tableware."

Al tugged at his arm. "Fourth Master, you’ve had so much to drink..."

"If we’re going to have fun, we might as well do it now."

Cameron Fairchild had been sitting to Ethan Lancaster’s left, but seeing the situation, he moved to the adjacent chair.

Raina was pulled down into the seat by Ethan Lancaster. He propped his face up with his hand, reeking of alcohol. His charming eyes held a hint of allure; in any other setting, people would surely say that Mr. Lancaster was effortlessly flirtatious, charming others without even realizing it.

The necessary topics had already been discussed, and the required connections had more or less been forged. If Ethan Lancaster had just gone along with Al’s suggestion and left, no one would have accused him of being a poor host. But he was holding in a deep-seated frustration, and the feeling was suffocating.

’If it weren’t for the trouble back home, others would have to wait a month or more just to schedule a dinner with him. When would he ever need to be the one toasting others?’

Ethan Lancaster picked up the bottle of hard liquor on the table and filled a small glass the waiter had brought over. He placed the glass in front of Raina.

Her gaze fell on his profile. "I drove here to take you home. I can’t drink."

"We can just have Seth Sinclair come over. Besides, the hotel has designated drivers. Why are you being such a killjoy?" Ethan Lancaster’s tone was nasty. Al and Cameron Fairchild exchanged a look. Everyone knew how Ethan used to treasure Raina. Why would he ever drag her into a social function like this?

Raina sat frozen in place. Ethan draped an arm over the back of her chair. "To show our sincerity, I’ll have my wife toast you all a few rounds on my behalf. Whether you want hard liquor or red wine, we’ll see it through to the end."

"Oh, we couldn’t possibly."

"Yes, a little drink is just for fun..."

Ethan Lancaster leaned toward Raina. He had drunk so much that his body bumped against her arm. "You think you’re so high and mighty, don’t you? You can’t even offer a single toast?"

Cameron Fairchild watched with cold detachment, but he took in every single word.

He glanced discreetly at Raina. Her face was pale, her thin lips pressed into a tight line. Ethan simply picked up the glass and pressed it to her lips. "Come on, open your mouth." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Raina tried to block it with her hand. "Ethan Lancaster, do you really have to be like this?"

His arm smoothly wrapped around her shoulder, and he pressed his forehead against her head. His thin lips whispered in her ear, "You’re so delicate and precious, but that’s only because I spoiled you that way. Raina, if I stopped giving a damn about you, do you think your life would be easy?"

Ethan Lancaster pressed the glass down forcefully. Raina was forced to take a sip. The high-proof liquor was harsh and burned her throat. Beside them, Al looked a little embarrassed; after all, he was the one who had called her over.

"Fourth Master, Fourth Master, let’s just go home."

Ethan Lancaster stood up, but he yanked Raina up by the wrist. He led her in front of the other men. "Weren’t you afraid I’d drink too much? Fine. From now on, you’ll drink in my place."

Raina knew he was doing it on purpose. ’But if it really makes him happy, then so be it,’ she thought.

She pressed her tongue against her teeth and forced down a mouthful. The burning, spicy taste seared her throat, feeling like a pair of hands tearing at her esophagus and stomach.

The three men sat together. They had heard a few things about Ethan Lancaster, and rumor had it that Mrs. Lancaster was the least favored wife. Looking at the scene now, it certainly seemed true.

’Could it be that he called her here just to humiliate her?’

"Mrs. Lancaster, you can really hold your liquor! Come, come, let me toast you." The man standing next to Raina got up, clinked his glass against hers, and then downed half of his in one go. Even though Raina felt sick to her stomach, she could only brace herself and drink half her glass as well.

The man had just sat down, and before Raina even had a moment to recover, another one stood up.

Al shifted over to sit next to Cameron Fairchild. "This isn’t right. What is Fourth Master playing at?"

"You see it too?"

"Is he taking his anger out on Mrs. Lancaster?"

Cameron Fairchild lit a cigarette, holding it between his fingers. ’Is it because of Miles Hawthorne? But it’s not like Ethan just found out about his and Raina’s past.’

Her glass was quickly emptied. The man closest to her saw this and refilled it. Ethan Lancaster stood to the side without a word, his silence a tacit approval of their torment.

Raina wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I’ve had about enough. I’m a lightweight. I really can’t drink anymore."

"Mrs. Lancaster, you must be joking. We’ve barely gotten started! Look, we still have red wine. How about... we switch to that?"

Mixing drinks would be even worse. Raina tried to bargain with them. "How about I just finish this one glass?"

"Finish it first, then we’ll talk."

She tilted her head back and downed the whole glass. Ethan Lancaster’s eyelid twitched. He knew she couldn’t hold her liquor; she’d be miserably sick when she got drunk later. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Raina’s temples. A storm of conflicting emotions churned inside Ethan. He forced himself to look away and returned to his own seat.

There were two other beautiful women at the table, brought by Cameron Fairchild to entertain the guests. This was a time when they should have stepped in, but Cameron gave them a look, signaling them to stay out of it.

Cameron Fairchild offered a cigarette to Ethan Lancaster. Ethan’s thin lips were pressed into a tight line, and he didn’t reach for a lighter.

Seeing this, one of the women lit a lighter and brought it to his lips. Ethan took a light drag from the ice-blue flame.

The flame illuminated his exquisite face, making him look all the more captivating. Forget the women; even Al, sitting beside him, felt that even if he were reincarnated ten times, he probably couldn’t end up with looks like that.

With the cigarette dangling from his lips, Ethan Lancaster propped his face up with both hands, lazily staring at Raina across the table.

Her face was flushed, and she watched as the man prepared to pour yet another drink.

"No, I really can’t drink anymore."

"Come, come, Mrs. Lancaster, sit over here with us. We’re counting on you to keep us company for a few drinks tonight."

The man grew bold and pulled Raina down into the seat next to him. She lifted her gaze to look across the table, where the woman beside Ethan Lancaster was gently massaging his temples.