Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 196: Provoking Him by Any Means

The air was thick with the scent of flowers—a fragrance born of their death throes that assaulted Ethan Lancaster’s senses and his equally vulnerable heart.

Raina Reddington wasn’t just venting; she was also provoked by the stark whiteness of the flowers. ’When I was alive, he never cared whether I lived or died, let alone about a single plant in The Verdant Garden. So what’s the meaning of this whole act now?’

Seth Sinclair couldn’t bear to watch. He rushed forward to stop her. "Young Madam, stop!"

Raina Reddington glanced at the glass house in the distance, her gaze hardening. Seth Sinclair saw her intention and cried out, "Don’t—"

By the time Ethan Lancaster snapped back to reality, Raina Reddington had already gunned the engine, speeding toward the glass house. He sprinted after her without a second thought. She was completely determined, wanting to obliterate everything here.

The man reached Raina’s car in a few quick strides and yanked on the door. "Stop!"

Her eyes were full of cold resolve. Ethan Lancaster followed her gaze and saw two lamps hanging by the entrance of the glass house, swaying gently in the wind. Raina couldn’t see that her own photos were affixed to the lampshades, or that the lights within them were always on, day and night.

Ethan Lancaster had called them eternal flames. As long as they burned, she could always find her way back.

"Fourth Master—"

Seth Sinclair’s voice cracked. The calm composure on his face shattered, replaced by sheer panic.

Raina instinctively slammed on the brakes. The tires screeched as they gripped the ground, but the car still struck Ethan Lancaster’s leg. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The man stumbled back a step, steadying himself against the nearby doorframe. Raina showed no intention of getting out of the car, not a flicker of concern in her eyes. "Are you going to let him go or not?"

When had Ethan Lancaster ever felt this pathetic? He was always the one threatening others, yet here was Raina Reddington, on his doorstep, wreaking havoc.

Raina cranked the steering wheel, clearly intending to ram the glass house again.

The man’s hand instinctively went to his leg. "Fine. I’ll take you to see him."

Raina stared at him, half in disbelief. Ethan Lancaster didn’t move, afraid she would make another move if he left. Seth Sinclair walked over to the car and tapped twice on the body. "Young Madam, let’s go inside."

Raina killed the engine and got out. ’If it weren’t for Ian Sinclair, I would never set foot in this place again.’

Gwen Sharp was left behind, and no one bothered to ask how wronged she felt. She was nothing more than a pawn, a casualty caught between Ethan Lancaster and Raina Reddington.

’Cameron Fairchild was right,’ she thought. ’I’ve been worthless for a long time.’

Raina followed Ethan Lancaster inside. The first thing she saw was Ian Sinclair lying motionless on the floor. His face and body were covered in injuries, all far more severe than when he was taken.

She hurried over to Ian Sinclair, crouching down to gently shake his shoulder. "Ian?"

The man on the floor’s eyelids fluttered, but he didn’t open them. They were so swollen he could hardly make out the face opposite him, but he recognized her voice. "You’re here."

"Yes, I’m here."

"What are you doing here?"

"To take you home, of course."

’Did they beat the sense out of him?’

Ethan Lancaster listened to their exchange, dripping with cloying affection.

"Don’t agree to any of his demands. Just go."

Raina reached for him but hesitated, unsure where he was hurt and afraid to touch him. "Don’t worry, I won’t agree to anything. If he really won’t let you go, I’ll burn this whole place to the ground."

Her words were utterly ruthless, and he knew she was capable of carrying out the threat. Ethan Lancaster glanced down imperiously at the man on the floor.

"Let’s go. We’re going home." Raina helped Ian Sinclair sit up. He clutched his side, clearly in great pain.

"Are you okay?"

"I’m fine."

Ethan Lancaster walked to the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "I never said you could just leave."

"Then what do you want?" Raina demanded, her voice sharp. It wasn’t angry, but it held an authority that seemed to give her the upper hand over Ethan Lancaster.

"Raina Reddington, don’t forget, you’re the one who needs something from me!"

"A joke!" Raina retorted without hesitation. "You throw your weight around bullying people, and you still expect me to beg you? If the Fourth Master is going to be this reckless, then so can I. We’ll just see who has fewer morals, won’t we? I heard the Fourth Master’s father had an ’accident’ a few years ago and your mother isn’t well. And while your grandfather has high hopes for you, you still have a cousin vying for control of the family. At a sensitive time like this, I’d advise the Fourth Master to tread carefully. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind paying a visit to the Lancaster family..."

"Is that so?" It was the first time in three years Ethan Lancaster had heard Raina mention his parents and grandfather. "They’d be happy to see you if you went back."

"I’ll be sure to ask them where they were when the Fourth Master drove Mrs. Lancaster to her death."

She refused to take his bait. Ethan Lancaster’s voice was low and haunting. "Did I really drive her to her death?"

"Fourth Master, it’s getting cold out. You shouldn’t let your new flame freeze."

Raina supported Ian Sinclair and pulled him to his feet, but Ethan Lancaster put out a hand to block their path.

"Does that woman outside bother you?"

Gwen Sharp had cautiously walked to the door, just in time to hear their conversation.

"If you don’t want to see her, I can make her disappear right now."

Gwen Sharp froze, then retreated, hiding fearfully outside the door.

A cold laugh escaped Raina’s lips. "Disappear? How so?"

"However you want. Just say the word."

Gwen Sharp began to tremble uncontrollably. ’In Ethan Lancaster’s eyes, I’m really nothing. Someone to be taken when wanted and discarded when not. How is that any different from a dog?’

But even after Ethan Lancaster went this far, Raina remained unmoved. "Is the Fourth Master tired of his new toy? I have no interest in cleaning up your messes. Right now, I just want to take him and leave."

"Fine, I’ll let you go, but you have to agree to one condition."

"What condition?"

Ethan Lancaster’s gaze shifted to the staircase. "Come upstairs with me for a moment."

Raina was cautious, wary of every step. Who wouldn’t be afraid of repeating the mistakes of the past? "Look at what?"

"It will only take ten minutes. After that, I’ll let you both go."

"Don’t believe a word he says," Ian Sinclair said, his hand gently gripping Raina’s shoulder. "A man’s mouth is full of lies... except for mine, of course."

"Don’t worry," Raina said, pulling a nearby chair over so he could sit. "Wait for me."

"What if he tries something?"

Raina had, of course, prepared for the worst, but she knew that refusing him would only make things more difficult. "Do you really think the great Fourth Master of Stoneworth is that desperate? I just crawled out of your bed this morning..."

Ethan Lancaster’s expression changed instantly. The other men in the room exchanged uneasy glances. Her words were jarring, so crude that even they found them offensive.

Ethan Lancaster seized Raina’s arm and began dragging her upstairs. She struggled twice to break free but couldn’t. "Let go of me! I can walk on my own."

The man walked so fast that Raina could barely keep up, nearly tripping on the steps.

When they reached the second floor, Ethan Lancaster pushed Raina ahead of him, wanting to see if she still remembered which room was hers.