Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 61: The Flamboyant Man

May Sullivan hadn’t appeared at Mercy Seas Hospital again, but since Miles Hawthorne now knew she was sick, Raina believed he would take her to see a doctor right away.

Annabelle Spencer had called her early in the morning. She said it had been too long and wanted to have dinner with Raina.

In weather like this, hot pot was the most comfortable and pleasant meal. The two of them had just started eating when a call came from Ethan Lancaster.

"Where are you?"

"I’m having dinner with a friend."

"Where are you eating?"

Raina told him the address and the restaurant’s name. "I can get back on my own later."

"I’m on my way. I’ll take you out for some fun."

"Wait, where could we possibly go for fun this late at night?"

Ethan Lancaster didn’t answer, simply hanging up the phone.

By the time he got to the hot pot restaurant, they were still dawdling over their meal. They spent most of their time chatting, only occasionally picking up their chopsticks for a bite. Ethan Lancaster waited in the car for a bit, but his patience quickly wore thin, so he got out and went inside to find her.

Annabelle Spencer was joking with Raina, but Raina wasn’t in high spirits. She seemed preoccupied.

Ethan Lancaster walked over, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to her feet. Raina jumped. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you out."

"My... my friend is here."

Ethan Lancaster glanced at Annabelle Spencer. "You can come too."

Annabelle Spencer frantically waved her hands in refusal. The last fishing incident had given her quite a scare. Seth Sinclair walked over and picked up the bag Raina had left behind. "Miss Spencer, this time we’re really just going out for some fun. There’s no need to be alarmed."

"Who’s—who’s alarmed? It’s not like I’m afraid your Fourth Master Lancaster is going to eat me alive, am I?"

Seth Sinclair smiled. "The Fourth Master has a small appetite these days. As for eating people... one is enough to fill him up."

Annabelle Spencer got in her car and followed them. Raina glanced at the time; it was almost nine o’clock. "I want to go home and get some rest."

"You can sleep anytime." Ethan Lancaster knew Raina had grown up with her grandmother, doing farm work and working her way through school. She’d never had the chance to just let loose and have fun at the age when she should have.

’That’s why she always looks so prim and proper, so young yet with an air of having no wants or desires.’

When they arrived at a bar, Ethan Lancaster dragged Raina out of the car. She looked up, refusal written all over her face. "You’re not actually taking me in there, are you? Ethan, places like that aren’t good."

"Is there a sign on the door that says ’Not a good place’?"

Ethan Lancaster grabbed her arm, but Raina squatted down, refusing to budge. A small bar like this wasn’t a high-end club like Aristor Hall; it was a mess inside.

When Raina was a student, her grandmother had lectured her daily: don’t make bad friends, don’t go to internet cafes, and as for places like bars, they were so forbidden you couldn’t even speak of them.

Annabelle Spencer had parked her car and now walked over. Ethan Lancaster gave his arm a shake. "What are you doing? You’re making a scene."

"Ethan Lancaster, you said the Lancaster Family rules are so strict. So how did they manage to raise a..." ’...scoundrel like you?’

"Does that need to be taught? I’ve always been a fan of being self-taught." As he spoke, Ethan Lancaster scooped her up into his arms. Raina was half-carried, half-dragged into the bar just a few feet away.

The moment the door swung open, they were hit with a blast of smoky air and the sight of a writhing crowd. Lights flashed erratically across their faces as a waiter came over, greeting them and leading them to a nearby table.

Raina was reluctantly pushed down onto the sofa by Ethan Lancaster. A waiter brought over a menu. Seth Sinclair ordered some snacks first, then asked Ethan what he wanted to drink.

"Bring one of everything. Except for the soft drinks."

"Who’s going to drink that much with you?" Raina had to practically shout just to be heard over the noise.

Annabelle Spencer sat down next to Raina. "We’re here now, might as well have some fun."

"You don’t get it," Raina whispered in her ear. "These places are a mess. Spiking drinks, abducting women... anything can happen. I’m telling you, you stay right here. Don’t even go to the restroom, you hear me?"

"What’s there to be afraid of?" Annabelle laughed. "Your husband is right here."

"We’ll be lucky if *he’s* not the one who gets snatched away." Raina glanced at the next table. Two women in heavy makeup were sitting there, wearing nothing but tank tops in the dead of winter. Their eyes had been roving over Ethan Lancaster and Seth Sinclair ever since they walked in, as if they wanted to strip them bare right then and there.

Raina shot them a harsh glare, but they completely ignored her.

Several waiters came over, placing bottle after bottle on their table until it was completely covered.

"Open them," Ethan ordered, the picture of extravagance. He gestured casually. "Nobody’s leaving sober tonight."

Raina clutched her purse to her chest. "I have to work tomorrow."

"Relax. The alcohol content isn’t high enough to kill you. Sleep it off tonight, and you’ll still be human in the morning."

Annabelle Spencer snorted with laughter and nudged Raina with her elbow. "Your husband has a sharp tongue."

"It’s not just his tongue that’s vicious; his heart is too. Remember how he treated us before."

At that, Annabelle was so spooked she sat bolt upright, placing her hands primly on her lap and not daring to move.

Ethan Lancaster picked up a bottle and handed it to Raina. "Drink."

"I’m not drinking it."

"You’re already here, don’t be a buzzkill." The man sat down on her other side. "It’s plum wine. It’s good."

The DJ on stage was spinning a track. After being remixed, the familiar lyrics had a completely different vibe. Many people got to their feet and started dancing, swaying their hips to the beat.

"The rain’s heart shatters, the wind weeps, oh... Dreams linger on, and love feels so far, oh—"

Annabelle couldn’t help but sway to the beat. "Hey, this has a great vibe! This tune is pretty good."

Raina looked toward the stage and saw a DJ in a hat, holding a microphone in his right hand. He looked incredibly cool and handsome as he danced. Raina lightly kicked Annabelle’s leg and gestured with her eyes for her to look.

"So handsome!" Annabelle had zero resistance to good-looking guys. "He looks like he’s from a boy band!"

Raina took a sip of the plum wine. ’It’s actually pretty good. Sweet and sour, with none of the harshness of strong liquor.’

The two women were practically glued to the sight. Who was it that had been protesting so vehemently just moments before? Ethan Lancaster called Raina’s name from the side, but she didn’t hear him at all, staring into the distance like a starstruck fan.

Annabelle excitedly patted Raina’s hand. "Look at all those muscles! Quick, look at his chest..."

"What, you have X-ray vision now? He hasn’t taken his shirt off."

"Tsk, tsk. His clothes are so tight. Can’t you use your imagination?"

Ethan Lancaster set down his bottle, stood up, and walked around the other side of the table.

Raina wanted to tell Annabelle to quiet down and be more reserved, but every flashing light and every thrum of sound seemed to stoke the restlessness inside a person. Even Raina found the environment novel, and it inexplicably made her own blood run hot.

She thought the wine was delicious and, before she knew it, had downed half the bottle.

Annabelle suddenly shoved her. "Oh my god, your husband!"

"Huh?"

"Look at the stage! Quick, look!"

Raina’s ears were filled with wild screams. She lifted her gaze and saw that Ethan Lancaster had somehow gotten on stage. And if getting on stage wasn’t enough, he had started dancing. And if dancing wasn’t enough, he was dancing so... provocatively!