Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 6: Asking for a Beating

It wasn’t that Raina Reddington didn’t care; she simply had no other choice.

She pulled out her chair and sat back down at her desk. "I can help you raise the child of that woman from earlier."

"Your Reddington Family insisted on marrying you into ours. What do you think they’re after?"

This was the last topic Raina wanted to discuss. She picked up the pen on her desk but didn’t know what to write.

A sudden weight settled on her shoulder. Ethan Lancaster pressed his hand down, leaning forward until he had put almost half his weight on her. "If your parents knew you were swallowing your pride like this in the Lancaster Family, could they really bear it?"

A heavy expression flickered across her face, as if he had just jabbed a sore spot. Raina tried to push his wrist away, but he simply gripped her shoulder, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t move him.

"What, playing mute now?"

Raina decided this wasn’t a bad tactic and resolved to stick with it.

But he wasn’t one to be trifled with. The Fourth Master of the Lancaster Family had a reputation as a playboy; from Aristor Hall to Peach Blossom Drunk, this dashing rake was a familiar face everywhere.

The moment his lips curled into a smirk, she knew he was about to say something nasty.

"You were much more interesting in my bed, screaming your lungs out."

Raina’s face went pale. She had always considered herself thick-skinned, but this was a hospital, for goodness’ sake. She had a professional reputation to uphold.

"Fourth Master, that night you said I was like a patient under anesthesia."

Ethan Lancaster found it exhilarating to have someone argue with him. He was the type who loved it when people gave in to him, whether they were truly convinced or not. It couldn’t be helped; his family had spoiled him rotten since he was a child. Now Ronan Reddington was desperately trying to rein him in, but it was far too late.

Now that he’d run into a tough nut who didn’t know what was good for her, all he wanted to do was crack her open.

Ethan patted her shoulder. "Raina, you’re a doctor yourself. Why don’t you do something about curing that frigidity of yours?"

She slapped at his hand, but Ethan was too quick, pulling it away before she could land the hit.

He stood and walked to the door, but turned back with his hand on the knob. "I look forward to seeing you all fiery and passionate, Doctor Reddington. Don’t go ruining your reputation as the rising star of the gynecology department."

A knot of anger formed in Raina’s chest. She struggled to swallow it down, but the suppressed rage gave her a piercing stomachache.

She had surgery that day, so it was almost eight in the evening when she returned to The Verdant Garden. Raina changed her shoes in the entryway and took a few steps inside before sensing something was off. When she looked up, she saw two people sitting on the living room sofa.

She put down her bag and hurried forward. "Grandpa, Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Raina, come here." Mr. Lancaster, who had always been fond of her, beckoned. Jessica Jacobs sat beside him, glancing repeatedly at her watch.

Raina did as she was told and went over, sitting down next to Mr. Lancaster.

"Tired from work?"

"Not at all, Grandpa."

After asking a few more questions about her work, Mr. Lancaster changed the subject. "Where’s Ethan? He isn’t back yet?"

Since he was asking, he obviously hadn’t seen Ethan yet. Raina’s mind worked fast. "He’s probably working overtime."

"That’s right, Dad. Working overtime is common at the company," Jessica Jacobs chimed in.

But Mr. Lancaster knew his grandson’s character all too well. "You call him. Call him right now."

Huh?

Raina was in an awkward position. ’She’d just told Ethan she wouldn’t meddle in his affairs, and now she had to check up on him. That ’master’ of hers was bound to be furious.’

’And when he was furious, she was the one who paid the price.’

But Mr. Lancaster was staring at her. She had no choice but to make the call.

Raina took out her phone and found Ethan Lancaster’s number.

"Call him."

Raina had no choice but to press the call button. Mr. Lancaster immediately added, "Put it on speaker."

Her heart leaped into her throat as she tapped the speakerphone button.

When the call connected, before Raina could even speak, Ethan’s arrogant voice shot through the phone, "What is it? Cured your little problem?"

Mr. Lancaster shot Raina a confused look. She racked her brain, trying to figure out how to navigate this minefield. With Jessica Jacobs right there, she couldn’t just lead Ethan into a trap.

"Are you on your way home?"

"Why? Miss me already?"

’That’s not an easy question to answer,’ Raina thought, her head starting to ache. "Yes. It’s late. Come home."

Ethan’s unrestrained laughter echoed from the speaker, dripping with provocation and mockery. "I’m not coming home. Any one of the beauties here at Peach Blossom Drunk is better than you. They’re soft, fragrant, and absolutely soul-stealing..."

Jessica Jacobs’s face turned ashen. Mr. Lancaster’s mustache was practically bristling with anger.

The people sitting around Ethan, who had been trying to stifle their laughter, could no longer hold back.

"Fourth Master, you’re a newlywed! Looks like your new bride isn’t cutting it."

"Yeah! Don’t be so selfish. Bring her over some time and let beauties like Spring Blossom and Autumn Moon teach her a thing or two..."

Raina’s mouth twitched as she watched Ethan dig his own grave. "Ethan Lancaster, stop spouting nonsense."

"Fourth Master, why waste your breath on her? You must be thirsty. Here, have a drink." The woman nestled in Ethan’s arms lifted a small glass to his lips. His own lips were moist and glistening, as if he had just savored the most exquisite delight.

The sound of him swallowing the liquor was a low rumble in his throat, laced with pure temptation and raw desire. It made everyone watching and listening feel a tickle of longing.

"You’re terrible! If you’re going to drink, just drink. Why did you bite my hand?"

Raina couldn’t listen to any more of this, but Ethan showed no intention of hanging up first.

"Just looking at you makes my whole body go weak. If I can’t bite you, who can I bite?"

The woman giggled, and the phone picked up the suggestive sounds of rustling, as if they were embracing and fooling around.

"The Fourth Master only talks big like this when he’s here. When you go home to your delicate little wife, I bet you go as soft as a puddle of water."

"You’re right, you’re right. When I’m with her, there’s only one place that goes soft..."

Mr. Lancaster was so angry he nearly leaped to his feet. He had always known that Ethan was a troublemaker who loved to fool around, but tonight, these words were thrown right in his face. He couldn’t hold back any longer. He snatched the phone from Raina and roared into it, "You get your ass back here! Right now! Immediately!"

The roar was deafening, making Raina’s eardrums vibrate.

"Grandpa?" The voice on the other end sounded incredulous.

"You—you—you bastard!"

Ethan’s eyebrows twitched. Listening to his grandfather, he could tell the old man was so furious his teeth must be chattering. "Grandpa, don’t get so angry you make yourself sick. It’s not worth it. I’ll come home right now."

Mr. Lancaster couldn’t be bothered with his nonsense and quickly turned to comfort Raina. "Raina, don’t be angry, and don’t be sad. Grandpa will stick up for you."

A chill ran down Raina’s spine. ’How did she get dragged into this again? To make matters worse, the call was still connected.’

She was just about to say there was no need, or to force herself to say that she trusted Ethan, when the line went dead.

Ethan shoved the woman off his lap, clenching his phone as he shot to his feet. ’He had really underestimated that Raina Reddington. To think she could so easily get his family involved.’