Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 109: Public Humiliation

Everyone at the dinner table was lost in their own thoughts. Zoe Scott and Ronan Reddington had visited the Lancaster Family to see Zachary Lancaster, so they knew about his condition and avoided the subject entirely.

"Ethan, eat more. You look like you’ve lost weight recently."

"Thanks, Mom."

Zoe Scott shot Raina a look. "Don’t just serve yourself. Get some food for Ethan."

Raina reached for the shrimp in front of her, picking up two and placing them in Ethan Lancaster’s bowl.

But the man just glanced down at them. "I don’t like shrimp."

’How come I’ve never heard him say that before? He always seemed to enjoy them whenever I gave them to him in the past.’

Ethan Lancaster’s tone was displeased, his brow furrowed slightly. "Are you confusing my tastes with Miles Hawthorne’s?"

His words instantly turned the atmosphere at the table to ice.

Zoe Scott and Ronan Reddington looked utterly embarrassed. They had no idea what this was about. Mia Reddington, however, let a smirk play on her lips. "Brother-in-law, you know about my sister and Hawthorne, too?"

"Mia, don’t talk nonsense!" Zoe Scott chided gently.

"I didn’t say anything," Mia said innocently, taking a couple of bites of rice.

Her prodding made it seem as if there really was something going on between Raina and Miles Hawthorne. Ethan Lancaster put down his chopsticks. "Still calling him ’Hawthorne,’ I see. How intimate."

"He’s the one who asked me to call him that."

"Mia," Raina Reddington cut her off. "Stop talking nonsense."

"I’m not," Mia muttered. "Once, a long time ago, you came home for the New Year. He called the landline, and I was the one who answered. He said he was your boyfriend, which would make me his little sister..."

"Mia," Zoe Scott said with a forced, gentle laugh, "even I didn’t know about that." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Ronan Reddington, on the other hand, didn’t think it was such a big deal. "Even if it was true, the kids were all young back then..."

"But Dad, they’re still in contact, and they’re close. Who knows, maybe he’ll even become your son-in-law in the near future."

With so many pairs of eyes on her, Raina Reddington felt the words catch in her throat. "I didn’t!"

The name Miles Hawthorne... Now that he thought about it, it sounded familiar. Ronan Reddington looked at Raina in disbelief. "Is that the one who filed the official complaint?"

Mia quickly chimed in, "Yes, that’s him."

Ronan Reddington slammed his chopsticks down on the table, and just like that, the dinner ended on a sour note.

Before leaving, Raina went upstairs for a moment. As she was about to head back down, she heard voices coming from Mia’s room.

"Brother-in-law, stop teasing me. You were so mean to me last time."

The door was ajar, and the voices drifted out faintly. "Will your leg be able to recover?"

"There’s basically no hope."

"Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you find a doctor. I’ll get the top specialists to consult on your case."

How could Mia Reddington resist these few words from Ethan Lancaster? All her previous dissatisfaction and resentment vanished into thin air. "Thank you, brother-in-law."

"You’re at the age where you should be dating. When the time is right, I can introduce you to someone good..."

Mia’s face reddened at his words. "Brother-in-law, stop it."

"Do you have anyone you’re interested in?"

Mia blushed and lowered her head, remaining silent. Ethan Lancaster chuckled. "How about someone like me? Do you like that type?"

Raina shoved the door open, and it banged against the doorstop. She saw Ethan Lancaster sitting on Mia’s desk, his long legs crossed. When he saw her enter, he showed no intention of getting up.

"Leaving so soon?" Ethan Lancaster asked lightly.

Mia’s eyes filled with hostility, clearly not wanting Raina to interrupt them.

"Yes. Let’s go home."

Ethan Lancaster bounced his leg. "I’m not finished talking."

"You’ll have another chance next time."

Ethan Lancaster stood up and gave Mia’s shoulder a squeeze. "Look at your sister, guarding against us as if we were thieves."

Raina turned and walked to the doorway, only to hear Ethan joke to Mia again, "Say, if I were to make you mine, you think your sister would try to kill me?"

"She’s two-timing him herself. What right does she have to make demands of anyone else?" Mia said airily.

Outside the Reddington residence, Ethan Lancaster walked straight toward the car waiting at the gate. Raina hurried after him.

Seth Sinclair opened the car door for him, but Raina rushed forward and slammed it shut.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

"Ethan Lancaster, don’t you get any ideas about Mia."

Ethan Lancaster’s posture was rigid, and he exuded an oppressive aura as he stood before Raina. "Don’t tell me you’re warning me because you’re so concerned about your dear little sister. Even if I did have something in mind, she would have to be willing."

"No!" Raina’s tone was firm. "Not her."

"And what makes you think she isn’t?" A certain image seemed to cross Ethan Lancaster’s mind, and he smirked. "It’s just her legs that don’t work..."

Seth Sinclair lowered his gaze, noticing that Raina’s hands had clenched into fists. He was honestly afraid she was about to slap Ethan.

"You’re disgusting."

"I didn’t just become disgusting today."

"Anyone else is fine. Just not Mia."

Ethan Lancaster lifted an arm and leaned it on the roof of the car. "Given your relationship with Mia, you can’t possibly be worried about her falling into a pit of fire, can you? Oh, I get it. You’re afraid that if I touch Mia, your parents won’t be able to handle it. Then they’ll take their anger out on you, and you’ll lose your last safe harbor. You’re afraid of losing your family, aren’t you?"

His words hit their mark. "A man as discerning as the Fourth Master, why waste your time on Mia?"

"I just happen to enjoy wasting my time. Seth, arrange for someone to see about Mia’s leg tomorrow."

Caught off guard by being addressed, Seth Sinclair could only agree. "Yes, sir."

"Anything else?" Ethan Lancaster’s tone turned cold again.

Raina’s lips parted, but she found she couldn’t say a word. Ethan Lancaster pulled open the car door and got in, while she remained standing motionless.

"Mrs. Lancaster?" Seth Sinclair called out to her. "Are you getting in the car?"

She shook her head and stepped aside. The car quickly pulled away from the Reddington residence. ’Tonight,’ she wondered, ’will he be parking in front of some other woman’s house, or in a hotel garage?’

Raina drove her own car home. Her work at the hospital was already more than she could handle, but it was clear she had many more troubles ahead of her.

When she returned to The Verdant Garden, she was surprised to see Ethan Lancaster’s car parked at the house. Before going inside, Raina glanced up at their bedroom window. The light was on.

Her heart sank. She was afraid to face Ethan Lancaster. Ever since the trouble with the Lancaster Family, they hadn’t had a single chance to sit down and talk things out properly.

Raina went back to the bedroom to find Ethan Lancaster showering in the bathroom. It seemed he was planning on sleeping at home tonight.

She walked over to close the floor-to-ceiling windows. Just as she turned around, she saw Ethan emerge from the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe.

Raina watched him walk straight to the side of the bed, throw back the covers, and sit down. He was drying his hair with a towel; he truly had no intention of leaving. A sense of panic began to rise in Raina’s chest.