Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 16: Gambling Herself Away

Raina Reddington’s expression faltered. She really had to wonder if this man had left some kind of scar on her psyche.

She grabbed Ethan Lancaster’s wrist. "That’s not a joke you can just throw around."

"A husband and wife wanting a child—is that so funny?"

Raina feigned composure. "Don’t you have one already?"

"You’re a smart woman. You couldn’t possibly not know I was lying to you about the child. What’s with this act?"

Raina watched the man lean in close, his rhythmic breath washing over her face. Right now, her only options were to play weak or act stupid. "Huh? I really had no idea..."

"You didn’t come here to steal something, did you?"

Ethan Lancaster kept her dangling like this. Raina’s heart was on a roller coaster, lurching up and down.

He watched coldly as her composure crumbled, only for her to piece it back together. "What could you possibly have here for me to steal?"

"Perhaps you came here to catch someone in the act. Or perhaps you’re harboring some other, more sinister, motive?"

"Ethan Lancaster!" Raina shoved him hard in the chest, but he just pushed back, sending her sprawling onto the king-sized bed. She quickly scrambled to pull her legs back, trying to retreat, but Ethan saw it, grabbed her by the ankle, and dragged her right back to him.

His gaze fell pointedly on Raina’s purse. She quickly wrapped her hands around Ethan Lancaster’s shoulders, pulling herself closer to him.

"What other motive could I have? I just want us to have a good life together. That’s why I’m suddenly making a fuss about your... extracurriculars."

Ethan Lancaster studied the face before him. Raina’s beauty was bold and unapologetic. She was simply stunning, the corners of her eyes and the arch of her brows exuding a natural allure. Even though his anger had yet to fade, he couldn’t resist the urge to toy with her.

"If you really have a problem with it, you could’ve just told me."

Raina gently draped her arms around Ethan Lancaster’s neck. "And what good would that do? Would you really go and get rid of all your little flings for me?"

"I would. For you, of course I would."

’She didn’t believe a single word.’ This was a battle of wits between two foxes. Ethan Lancaster raised a hand, his cool fingers tracing patterns on her face. "Moved?"

She forced a smile. "So moved."

"Then give me a kiss."

The corners of Raina’s mouth stiffened, her brow twitching involuntarily. She pressed her lips lightly against his, but just as she started to pull away, Ethan clamped a hand on the back of her head, deepening what had been a fleeting kiss.

Though she was repulsed, she didn’t dare struggle too hard.

Footsteps approached the door from outside, followed by a knock from Ethan Lancaster’s special assistant. "Fourth Master, it’s getting late."

Ethan Lancaster released Raina but showed no sign of getting up. She hurried him along. "You have business to attend to. You should get going."

"It’s nothing," Ethan Lancaster said, bracing his hands on either side of her. "I want to see what you look like when you care about me."

Raina was at the end of her rope with this charade, but she also had a personality that would go for broke. She stared deep into Ethan Lancaster’s eyes, lying without so much as a blink. "This is exactly what I admire about you."

Ethan Lancaster pressed a hand to Raina’s shoulder, pushing her back down. As she fell back onto the bed, her hands instinctively shot up to grab his collar, pulling him down with her.

"If you truly admire me, then you should act like it."

Raina balled her fists and tried to sit up, but Ethan placed a finger over her lips. His eyes were filled with thick scorn and contempt. "Raina Reddington, don’t you forget how you lost your virginity."

Her expression tensed. Ethan’s palm moved to her face, pressing it into the mattress with a bit of force. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, enunciating every word, "If you’re going to put on an act, at least make it convincing. Otherwise, I might actually take you seriously. And Raina Reddington, you don’t want to end up losing your bait and your fish."

"Fourth Master, can’t you even tell the difference between truth and lies?"

Ethan Lancaster’s teeth clenched in a sudden fit of frustration. "Fine, then I’ll take you at your word. I want you, right now. Yes or no?"

"Yes," Raina answered without a flicker of hesitation. "As long as you promise to treat me well from now on and come home to be with me every day."

A knock came from the door again. "Fourth Master, you can’t miss the upcoming meeting."

Ethan Lancaster was done playing games with Raina. He straightened up, his gaze drilling into her. "I’d feel dirty just by touching you."

He backed away, his eyes sweeping over Raina’s purse for a brief moment before he turned and walked out.

The moment he was gone, she sat up and clutched her purse to her chest. Raina smoothed down her hair, straightened her disheveled blouse, and then got up to leave.

After leaving The Veridian Tower, Raina didn’t go straight home. She found a nearby coffee shop and settled into a quiet corner before taking out the video camera to inspect its contents.

The picture was sharp and completely unobstructed. Ethan Lancaster’s face was in full view.

Raina knew whoever wanted this video didn’t have good intentions. She patiently watched the rest of it. Thankfully, the woman’s face was never shown—Ethan Lancaster had kept it covered from the start.

’This guy is such a pervert.’

Raina didn’t want to risk any complications from delaying. She found the person’s number and called them back. Someone picked up almost immediately. "Hello."

"I’ve got what you wanted."

"Oh? Where are you?"

Raina told him the address of the coffee shop. The man’s voice was placid, betraying no emotion. "Don’t move. Someone will come to you."

"And what about what you have of mine?"

"Rest assured, I’ll delete it completely."

"I don’t believe you!"

The man on the other end of the line chuckled softly. "You don’t have a choice. Even if I gave you the video, how could you be sure I didn’t make a copy? So, your only option is to trust me."

Raina choked on her anger. She gripped her phone tightly. "What do you want this video for?"

"If I told you I wasn’t going to do anything with it, would you believe me?"

Raina hung up. ’Another one of those foxes that devours you whole, bones and all.’ It was a waste of breath to talk to people like him.

The server brought her coffee. Raina took a sip. It was horribly bitter. After waiting for a while, she grew agitated, glancing toward the door every so often.

A sudden weight landed on her shoulder. Raina looked up instinctively and saw a young woman standing beside her.

"Hello, I’m here to pick something up."

The woman’s purpose was clear, and she cut right to the chase.

Raina pulled her purse closer. "Who sent you?"

"He just said it’s an even trade. You’re not getting a raw deal."

At that, Raina took the video camera from her purse and handed it over. The woman took it and slipped it into her own bag.

Back at The Verdant Garden, the staff had already prepared dinner, but Raina only picked at her food.

Things had ended on a sour note with Ethan Lancaster, so she certainly didn’t expect him to come home that night.

After a shower, Raina read for a while before getting ready for bed.

She turned off the lights. The glow from the garden’s landscape lighting reached all the way up to the third floor. She pulled the covers over her head, but the images from the video camera kept replaying in her mind like a film.

Those two entangled bodies... one of them her husband. No matter how little she cared, a knot of resentment was tied in her chest.

Suddenly, the bedroom door was thrown open with such force that it slammed against the doorstop and bounced back. Raina jumped, startled. She knew that maniac, Ethan Lancaster, was home.