Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 46: Demanding a Reward

Raina Reddington’s phone, which was sitting on the table, rang again.

She put down the cake, walked over, and answered the phone. "Hello, Joanna."

"Raina, where did you go?"

"I’m sorry, Joanna. Something urgent came up and I had to leave. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you."

Joanna Lloyd was still outside looking for her. Hearing Raina’s words, she slowed her pace. "Don’t scare me like that..."

"No, it was about work."

"Okay, that’s a relief."

Raina told her they would get together some other time. Ethan Lancaster watched her hang up, noticing she hadn’t mentioned him once the entire conversation.

Raina Reddington’s lips curved in a self-mocking smile. ’But what was she supposed to say?’

’Everyone knew how utterly ridiculous Ethan Lancaster was. Was she supposed to let Joanna Lloyd think he could just snap his fingers, and a single birthday cake would be enough to lure her back?’

While Raina had been in the bathroom showering, Ethan Lancaster had already instructed Seth Sinclair to look into the registration for room 1050.

Seth Sinclair had sent a text. It showed the room was registered to Joanna Lloyd, and even included her ID information.

’But even so, that didn’t really prove anything. Joanna Lloyd could just be a front. It all came down to whether he chose to believe it or not.’

Ethan Lancaster put down his phone and stood up. He picked up the cake box and walked out onto the balcony. "Come out here."

Raina followed him. Ethan Lancaster placed the cake box on the coffee table and carefully untied the ribbon on top. The doorbell rang, and Ethan ordered Raina, "Get the door."

She turned back, hurried to the entrance, and opened the door. A server with a room service cart greeted her politely. "The meal Mr. Lancaster ordered is ready."

"Oh," Raina said, quickly stepping aside to let the server push the cart in.

The cart was wheeled onto the balcony, where Ethan Lancaster had just finished setting up the cake. The server placed an array of lavish dishes on the table, one by one, along with a full set of cutlery. It was clear everything had been meticulously prepared.

"Mr. Lancaster, shall I open the wine now?"

"Go ahead."

The server removed the bottle of red wine from the ice bucket. Raina sat down in the chair across from Ethan Lancaster. Once the wine was opened, Ethan gave the server a tip and dismissed her.

He stuck the candles on the cake. The flames flickered, nearly extinguished by the breeze. Ethan Lancaster cupped his hands to shield the tiny flames. Seeing Raina just sitting there blankly, he reminded her impatiently, "Make a wish."

Raina snapped out of her daze, quickly clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes.

Making a wish was supposed to be a simple formality, but Raina kept her eyes closed for a long while. Her lips moved nonstop, as if she were muttering to herself, yet he couldn’t hear what she was saying.

Ethan Lancaster leaned in, trying to hear, but his hand brushed against a candle, and he jerked back from the heat.

Raina opened her eyes, leaned forward, and blew out the candles.

"What did you wish for?"

"It won’t come true if I say it out loud."

Ethan Lancaster scoffed. "You took forever. You must have made a lot of wishes, huh?"

He had seen right through her, and her face flushed crimson. "So what? Is there some rule that says you can only make one wish?"

She saved up a wish every year on her birthday. No one ever celebrated it with her, and she never celebrated it herself. A birthday cake eaten alone tasted bitter, and she only liked sweet things.

"Greedy," Ethan Lancaster said, motioning for her to cut the cake. Raina picked up a birthday hat from the side and put it on.

Ethan Lancaster watched her, thinking, ’She actually cares this much about a birthday? Enough to even wear a party hat.’

Raina cut him a large slice of cake and then cut one for herself.

She had just taken her first bite when her grandmother called.

A smile played on Raina’s lips. Perhaps it was because she was eating something sweet, but her voice was tinged with a sugary sweetness as she spoke. "Grandma."

Ethan Lancaster poured wine into both their glasses as he heard Raina lower her voice. "Thank you, Grandma. I’m celebrating my birthday, yes. I really am. We’re cutting the cake right now."

The man said nothing, simply sitting there quietly after he finished pouring the wine.

Raina’s eyes kept darting toward his face. "Mhm, Ethan’s here."

Ethan Lancaster met her glance with a deep, penetrating stare, only to see her eyes shift away. "Mom and Dad are here too. Really, I’m not lying..."

"Yes, Mom even got me a present. I’ll show it to you next time I’m home."

When Raina finally managed to end the call, Ethan Lancaster was eating his cake. He had heard the entire conversation. Raina awkwardly took the birthday hat off her head. "I’m hungry."

"Then eat."

The two of them had just been fighting, so the atmosphere was strange. As Raina cut into the steak on her plate, she said, "I made plans to come here with Joanna today. I didn’t know you’d be here, and I definitely didn’t know Miles Hawthorne was here either."

Ethan Lancaster didn’t respond. He wasn’t one for unnecessary explanations. He already knew exactly what he was going to do going forward.

After dinner, Ethan Lancaster went into the bedroom. He opened the wardrobe and took out a gift box.

Raina stood up instinctively as he walked over with the box. Ethan Lancaster held it out to her. "It’s for you."

"A birthday present?"

"What else would it be?" ’A gift for catching you in the act?’ Ethan couldn’t let his thoughts go any further. The more he dwelled on it, the more he wanted to storm out and pick another fight with Miles Hawthorne.

Raina took the box and opened it. Inside was a laptop computer. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Your current laptop freezes just from opening a web page. Was it really that hard to get a new one?"

’It wasn’t about the effort, it was about the money,’ Raina thought. Her salary was meager. She had to pay for her car and support herself, so of course she cut corners wherever she could on things like this.

Raina glanced at the logo on the laptop. "This is really expensive."

"I have money."

’Yes, of course. Who doesn’t know that the one thing Fourth Master Lancaster has in spades is money?’

"The gifts I give other people are even more expensive."

Raina knew that a single piece of jewelry he gave away on a whim could buy her dozens of these laptops. It was one thing for him to be arrogant, but did he really have to rub it in her face?

"Thank you."

Ethan Lancaster walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned his hands on the railing. The cold wind, carrying the distinct humidity of the hot spring resort, lifted a corner of his bathrobe. He pulled back his right hand, took his phone from his pocket, and sent a few texts to Seth Sinclair.

Raina walked over to his side, and Ethan promptly put his phone away.

"Afraid I’ll sneak a peek? Even if you were up to something, I’d just turn a blind eye."

Ethan Lancaster turned, looking down at Raina. "How noble of you. But from now on, everything about you is my business."

"What do you mean?"

"Don’t you get it? From the big things, like where you live and what you wear, down to the small things, like who you hang out with—I’m going to be in charge of it all."

Raina furrowed her brow. "That’s ridiculous."

She turned to leave, but Ethan Lancaster yanked her back. "Where are you going?"

"It’s getting late. I’m going home."

"You’re staying here tonight. We’re not going back."

Raina tried to push his arm away, but he didn’t budge. "I want to go home. I can’t sleep in unfamiliar beds."

"Then I’ll be your bed. You can sleep on me."

Not only did Raina fail to push him away, but Ethan Lancaster pulled her flush against his chest. "Shouldn’t you give me a little something in return tonight?"