Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 4: Willingly Be Mine, How About It?

A warm kiss landed on the side of her face. Ethan Lancaster’s fingers tightened slightly, hooking her chin to turn her face toward him before sealing her lips.

Applause swelled from below the stage. Raina Reddington felt her breath catch in her throat. ’So this is my marriage,’ she thought. ’This rakish and unrestrained man before me is now my husband.’

A step forward was an abyss; a step back, a pit of fire.

The commotion at the wedding was quickly quelled. Ethan Lancaster led Raina Reddington from table to table for toasts. She wasn’t used to wearing high heels and felt like her feet were about to break.

In the car back to The Verdant Garden, the only sound in the cramped space was their breathing.

The moment the car stopped, Ethan Lancaster pushed the door open and got out without a backward glance. He strode to the front door and unlocked it with his fingerprint.

Raina followed behind him. Her fingerprint hadn’t been registered yet. She hurried forward, enduring the sharp, chafing pain in her feet, but could only watch helplessly as the door was slammed shut in her face.

Ethan Lancaster yanked off his tie, took off his jacket, and changed his shoes. Just as he walked into the living room, he saw several people sitting on the sofa.

Mr. Lancaster wore a stern expression; he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

"Grandpa, why aren’t you home resting? It’s so late."

Sitting on the other side, Jessica Jacobs shot him a look, signaling for him to keep quiet.

"Where’s Raina?" Mr. Lancaster glanced behind him.

The doorbell rang, and Butler Cameron hurried to answer it.

"Don’t you know you got married today? Why were you late? And what’s this about those photos?"

Raina came in and immediately sensed the tense atmosphere. Although Mr. Lancaster was furious, he still managed to force a smile for her. "Raina, you’ve been on your feet all day and must be tired. Go on upstairs and get some rest."

"Okay," Raina agreed meekly, heading upstairs without a single glance at Ethan Lancaster.

After she removed her makeup and took a shower, there was still no sign of Ethan Lancaster. Raina’s mind was perfectly clear. ’There’s no benefit in offending Ethan Lancaster,’ she thought. ’After all, I still hope to secure my place in this family.’

She changed her clothes and went downstairs. In the living room, no one dared to utter a word over the sound of Mr. Lancaster’s reprimands.

"You will go to the study and kneel all night! Reflect on what you’ve done!"

Hearing this, Jessica Jacobs grew anxious. "Dad, it’s Ethan’s wedding day, after all. No matter how big his mistake, you can’t..."

The Lancaster family had very strict rules. Ethan Lancaster might act lawless in front of others, but ever since he was a child, his one greatest virtue was that he always listened to Mr. Lancaster.

Raina hurried into the living room. "Grandpa, please don’t be angry. We were both in the wrong today. If there’s to be a punishment, punish us together."

"Raina, this has nothing to do with you."

"It was thoughtless of me to dress like that at the wedding. Ethan already promised me that he’ll be good to me from now on and that there won’t be any more of that nonsense."

Ethan Lancaster shot a sideways glance at the woman beside him. Mr. Lancaster’s tone had clearly softened, and most of his anger had dissipated, as if she had fed him some bewitching potion.

Seeing her chance, Jessica Jacobs quickly urged the two of them to go back to their room.

Raina walked ahead and pushed open the bedroom door. She felt a bit unnerved, and her steps quickened involuntarily.

The CLICK of the door closing reached her ears, followed by the sound of Ethan Lancaster’s quickening footsteps. Just as Raina was about to turn, a hand seized her by the waist. Trapped in his arms, she was hustled toward the balcony.

Raina was about to ask what he was doing when she felt his grip on her waist tighten. He lifted her off the ground, and in an instant, flipped her over the waist-high railing. Terrified, she flailed for something to hold onto but could only find purchase for her feet on the narrow outer ledge.

She instinctively glanced down. ’This is the third floor.’ She was standing on the outside of the railing; if Ethan Lancaster so much as loosened his grip, the fall would either kill her or leave her gravely injured.

Raina’s legs grew weak, and her voice trembled. "What are you doing?"

The sound of voices drifted up from downstairs. Zachary Lancaster and Jessica Jacobs were following Mr. Lancaster as they walked outside; Raina could see their figures below. Ethan Lancaster leaned in, his lips brushing her ear. "Go on, scream. The second you make a sound, your precious protector will come running."

Raina swallowed hard, keenly aware of her predicament. "Fourth Master, please don’t misunderstand. I knew nothing about the photos."

Ethan Lancaster’s arm around her waist loosened slightly. A scream rose in Raina’s throat, but she forced it back down. "We’ve gone through the motions. From now on, Fourth Master can live however he likes. As long as you don’t make things difficult for me, I’ll be sure to cooperate."

Ethan Lancaster rested his chin on Raina’s shoulder. She had just showered, and a faint fragrance still clung to her skin. The sharp bridge of his nose brushed against her smooth neck, tickling her. Yet, she remained frozen, her heart pounding with the fear that he would let go.

"I could let you fall. You’d break your spine and be bedridden for the rest of your life. I’d even hire a maid just to take care of you. That way, you really couldn’t meddle in my business." Ethan Lancaster grew more animated as he spoke. ’What a brilliant idea!’ he thought. "I wouldn’t mind supporting you, you know."

Raina felt the hair on her arms stand on end. Her hands subconsciously dug into his arm. She had worked so hard to finish medical school and had come so far; she valued her life more than anyone.

"Fourth Master, please be merciful. Instead of keeping an invalid at home, it would be better to just pretend I don’t exist. Besides, if something were to happen to me, it would happen here at The Verdant Garden. The rumors wouldn’t be good for the Lancaster family." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"It seemed to me you were very reluctant to marry me. Have you had a change of heart?"

"No, it’s my great fortune to marry into the Lancaster family. I couldn’t be happier."

She lied without even batting an eye. Ethan Lancaster stared at her profile, finding her utterly hypocritical. ’This woman might be a viper,’ he thought. ’How can I keep someone like her by my side?’

"Fine. If you willingly become mine, then I’ll believe you. How about it?" he murmured in her ear, every word fraying Raina’s nerves. The fine hairs on her earlobe prickled at the intimate gesture.

’Of course,’ she thought, ’I know what he means.’

Raina forced the corners of her stiff mouth into a semblance of a smile. "Okay."

"Really?"

Raina reached out and gently took hold of Ethan Lancaster’s fingers. His arm tightened, and he lifted her back over the railing.

He led her back into the bedroom. Even though they had reached this point, Raina felt completely unprepared. Ethan Lancaster tore open the collar of his shirt while she stood rooted to the spot, like a wooden doll.

Raina’s face flushed beet-red. She averted her gaze, trying to calm herself.

Ethan Lancaster grabbed the hem of her nightgown and started to lift it. Not expecting him to be so direct, she scrambled to stop his hand.

"What? Unwilling?" Ethan Lancaster asked, his tone rising in a taunt.

He stared at her with keen interest, having already caught the flicker of panic in her eyes. ’Let’s see how long she can keep up this act.’

Raina raised a hand and gently caressed Ethan Lancaster’s shoulder. "We’re married now. Why would I be unwill—"

He suddenly shoved her onto the large bed. Raina watched as he finished unbuttoning his shirt. ’Desperately resisting or trying to escape now would do me no good. Besides,’ she reasoned, ’his words are full of disgust. It’s not like he’s desperate to have me. If I don’t lose my composure, I should be able to get out of this, just like last night.’