Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 170: Would You Be Happy If I Were Gone?

Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Would You Be Happy If I Were Gone?

Why was Raina Reddington looking for Ethan Lancaster? ’Is she going to tell him she’s sick?’

Gwen Sharp nearly dropped the bowl in her hands. She wanted nothing more than to grab Ethan Lancaster and stop him from leaving.

She didn’t dare use the excuse of feeling unwell to keep him there again. Besides, Gwen Sharp knew exactly where she stood in Ethan Lancaster’s heart.

The moment he walked out the door, she impatiently dialed Cameron Fairchild’s number.

When Ethan Lancaster arrived back at The Verdant Garden, Seth Sinclair opened the car door for him.

"Fourth Master, should we come back for you in the morning?"

The man shook his head slightly. "Just wait for me here."

Seth Sinclair glanced toward the courtyard. The living room lights were on. Ethan Lancaster had no idea what Raina Reddington’s motive was for calling him back, but he knew there was no way he would be spending the night.

He opened the familiar door and stepped inside. The aroma of stir-fried dishes filled the entire house. A candelabra sat on the dining table, its candles already lit.

Raina Reddington came out of the kitchen with a bowl and chopsticks. When she saw Ethan Lancaster, she turned off the lights.

He changed his shoes and walked to the dining table in a few long strides. "Why did you turn off the lights?"

"For the atmosphere."

There was also wine on the table. Ethan Lancaster picked it up for a look as Raina Reddington pulled out a chair and sat down first.

The man glanced at her. She was wearing a loose-fitting loungewear set and, even though she was at home, a hat. It was clearly styled for a fashionable look; the beret gave her a chic touch. Raina Reddington had put on light makeup today and had some color in her cheeks.

Ethan Lancaster settled into the seat across from her. "What’s the special occasion?"

Of course, for Raina Reddington, today was the best day of all. She placed a hand lightly on her neck. "Are you so busy that you need a special reason just to have a meal?"

Ethan Lancaster’s fingers twitched before he picked up the chopsticks on the table. "You didn’t poison this, did you?"

Raina had bustled about, all for nothing. She had been so careful in the kitchen, chopping and preparing, anxiously trying not to cut herself. She never expected this to be Ethan Lancaster’s response.

She stood up to take his chopsticks away. Seeing this, Ethan Lancaster grabbed her by the hand. "What are you doing?"

"If you’re afraid it’s poisoned, then don’t eat."

"Raina, you don’t hate me anymore?" As Ethan Lancaster spoke, his grip on her hand tightened. Raina felt like her bones were about to be crushed. She didn’t want to mention a single word about the past tonight. ’I might be gone in a few days, so why do we still have to fight to the death at a time like this?’

"What about you?" Raina retorted. "You agreed to come to dinner. Does that mean you don’t hate me anymore?"

The corners of Ethan Lancaster’s mouth tightened. With the dining table between them, the man gave a sudden, hard pull. Raina lunged forward, forced onto her tiptoes with her legs pressed against the edge of the table.

"How could I not hate you? I want to—"

He gritted his teeth, but he didn’t know how to finish the sentence. Raina finished it for him in one breath. "Want to strangle me? Kill me? Take my life?"

Ethan Lancaster’s lips moved. Her eyes were noticeably different from before. He saw a glimmer of light in their depths; they were no longer a dead, silent pool.

Raina smiled faintly. "Maybe you won’t have to lift a finger." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"What do you mean?"

’If I don’t survive even after the bone marrow transplant, then Ethan Lancaster will truly get his wish.’ "They say only the good die young. You don’t have to do anything, I’ll live to be a hundred."

Ethan Lancaster’s hand loosened, and Raina nearly lost her balance. She sank back into her chair.

"Can you tell me why you insisted on getting rid of the baby?"

Raina had been alone for too long; she just wanted to have a meal with someone. "You... can’t you just let me eat in peace?"

She had finally managed to work up an appetite and the mood for it. Raina stared at the dishes before her, a lump forming in her throat again.

"Don’t you ever think about that child? Wonder if it was a boy or a girl?"

"Ethan Lancaster, is this a hurdle you’ll just never get over?"

"Yes, I can’t get over it." The incident weighed on Ethan Lancaster like a mountain, so much so that he would seethe with hatred every time he saw Raina. "You’re ruthless. I could never be."

Raina wanted to say he was no better. ’He tortured Miles Hawthorne to such a state that he ended up dead. Is he some kind of saint?’

But she knew if she said that, they would definitely part on bad terms again. Raina picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her bowl. "If you don’t want to eat, then don’t. If you want to keep settling scores, then take your time."

Ethan Lancaster stared at her, watching her eat in small bites. In the dim light of the room, he couldn’t see the paleness of her face, and he even overlooked her gaunt, bony frame.

’Is it only after losing me that she’s realized how good I was?’

But he really couldn’t forgive her so easily. Just thinking about it now made his stomach churn with anger.

"Don’t think that just because you made me one meal, everything from the past can be wiped clean..." Ethan Lancaster knew her cooking skills were poor. He glanced at the dishes on the table. "And it’s all store-bought. What sincerity."

Raina thought she must have been out of her mind today. Why else would she have thought to invite him over?

They were clearly in a state of mutual hatred, but deep down, she knew it as clear as day: she just wanted to see Ethan Lancaster. She was afraid she would never see him again.

Her eyes started to turn red. Ethan Lancaster abruptly fell silent, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.

The two of them ate in silence. Raina couldn’t manage more than a few bites. She stared intently at the man across from her, knowing full well that if she hadn’t called him, Ethan Lancaster would never have come back.

He looked up, his gaze suddenly locking onto Raina’s. "What’s wrong with you tonight? You’re acting strange."

"Is it good?"

He took a bite of the scrambled eggs with tomato. It seemed like too much salt had been added; it was terribly salty. Ethan Lancaster swallowed without a change in expression. "It’s alright."

"Ethan Lancaster, you hate me. I know. If I died one day, you probably wouldn’t be sad, would you?"

Ethan Lancaster’s brow furrowed. Afraid he would notice something was wrong, Raina softened her tone. "Look at me. No matter how much I might hate you, I’d never wish you dead. But you’re different. You really do wish you could take my life. So I think... if I were really gone one day, you’d be happy."

Ethan Lancaster’s heart clenched in pain, and even the hand holding his chopsticks trembled.

He had never had such a thought. Ethan Lancaster didn’t know what to say. He was just so furious that he found it hard to face her.

Ethan Lancaster picked up a piece of meat and placed it in Raina’s bowl. "You don’t have to go to the hospital anymore. What do you do at home all day?"

"There’s plenty to do. Read a book, watch some TV, clean the house by myself."

’There was no way Ethan Lancaster could let her go in his heart.’ Raina obediently ate the piece of meat in her bowl. ’If I can get through this, I’ll have the energy to properly discuss the divorce with Ethan Lancaster.’

’And if I don’t make it, then I’ll just have to let tonight be our last good memory.’