Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 106: Sneaking a Bite

The person on the other end sneered. "So, Nina Thorne, how does it feel to see that photo?"

From the voice, Nina Thorne recognized it was Serena Kane.

’Like a vengeful ghost that just won’t go away.’

But knowing it was her, Nina’s heart settled a bit. "What are you trying to pull now?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wanted to share my brother’s little romantic escapades with you."

Serena Kane laughed smugly. "It took a lot of convincing to get this from a friend of mine. I heard it’s a sweet photo the woman herself kept."

"Oh, right. The leading lady has already come to Sylport. They say she came back just to find my brother."

"I also heard they had a child back then..."

Serena Kane’s words were barbed, and like images on a projection screen, they made Nina immediately think of the woman from the celebration party.

From the photo, she could vaguely make out the contours of April Graham’s face.

Though she didn’t want to care, Nina’s heart couldn’t help but ache.

She forced herself to calm down and said flatly, "You have too much time on your hands, don’t you?"

"What?"

"If you’re that bored, you should find someone to marry," Nina retorted coolly.

Serena Kane seethed, "You’re a joke, Nina Thorne. You think just because my brother helps you out that you’re special to him?"

"Let me tell you, the one he really loves is April Graham. Everyone in our circle knows that."

"Even if he’s just playing around with you for a bit of fun, it’s only because you’re the Thorne family’s heiress."

"Cole Kane didn’t even want you. My brother would never be interested in a cast-off woman like you. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see. You’ll find out if he loves April Graham."

Serena Kane’s malicious words were like a thicket of thorns, plunging deep into Nina’s heart.

Nina’s face went white, and she couldn’t stop herself from trembling in pain.

Finally, she forced a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in her voice, and retorted with cold sarcasm, not to be outdone, "I admit, I can’t compete with the ’pride’ you must feel for scheming to drug your own adoptive brother and throw yourself at him."

"Watch your mouth, Nina Thorne!" Serena Kane roared.

Nina was in no mood to continue the conversation and abruptly hung up.

But the sharp pain in her chest didn’t let up, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.

She wanted to look at the photo again, but a notification showed it had been unsent.

Nina’s breath caught in her throat.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the study door.

Then, Justin Kane opened it from the outside and strode calmly over to her.

"What’s wrong?"

Seeing her pale face, the smile instantly vanished from Justin Kane’s. He gave her a worried look, then glanced at the password-locked page on her computer.

"Can’t solve it? Is that why you’re upset?"

Justin Kane took her hand. Its icy touch made him frown.

Nina looked at him, her thoughts a tangled mess. Unsure about the photo, she forced herself to remain calm.

"It’s nothing."

"Really?"

Not wanting him to notice, Nina forced a small smile. "Really, it’s nothing."

Seeing her expression soften, Justin Kane didn’t press the issue. He glanced at the screen. "You can’t crack it?"

"Do you want another hint?"

Nina was terrible at hiding her emotions.

Afraid he would notice something was off, she said in a rush, "It’ll spoil the fun if you tell me. I’ll figure it out on my own."

"Alright."

The corner of Justin Kane’s mouth curved up. He reached out to ruffle her hair. "Whenever Mrs. Kane wants a hint, feel free to ask."

He leaned down, his face close to hers, forehead against forehead. "You just need to give me a little something in return."

Nina instantly thought of the photo and recoiled from his touch, a subconscious reaction.

She forced a faint smile. "I need to get back to work, Mr. Kane."

Just then, Justin Kane’s phone chimed.

After a glance at his phone, his brow furrowed. He looked at Nina, his expression unreadable. "Alright. Well, Mrs. Kane can keep busy at home. I have to go out for a bit."

Nina caught the flicker in his expression and asked tentatively, "Is it something for work?"

"Meeting a friend. What, is Mrs. Kane checking up on me?" Justin Kane’s lips curved into a half-smile, his dark eyes sizing her up.

Nina calmly averted her gaze and smiled faintly. "I’m not that bored. Go on."

’I can’t face him a moment longer, or I’ll break.’

"Alright."

Justin Kane’s tall, imposing figure left the study.

Nina’s tense nerves finally relaxed.

She took a deep breath.

She had no heart to continue writing and couldn’t make sense of what had just happened. She dialed her love guru, the supermodel Macy Lynch.

"Shouldn’t you be getting cozy with your Mr. Kane right now? What made you think of calling me? Don’t tell me he’s already broken?" Macy Lynch joked bluntly.

Nina’s tone was grave. "Macy, I think his old flame is back."

"What old flame?" Macy asked in disbelief.

Not until Nina had explained what just happened and told her about Justin Kane’s supposed old flame.

Macy clicked her tongue. "Sounds like this woman is a real piece of work."

"Look, in my opinion, the foundation of any relationship is trust. No matter what you hear or see, you need to ask him about it directly."

"If it’s true, *then* you can decide what to do. Besides, you were able to walk away from a five-year relationship. You can walk away from a marriage, too."

After offering her opinion, Macy tried to console her. "Babe, try to look on the bright side. No matter how it ends, you got to enjoy a snack like him. It’s no loss."

Hearing her friend say that, Nina’s heavy heart lightened a little.

It still hurt, but she had to admit Macy had a point.

’I should just ask him directly.’

She had been too flustered just now and had avoided it instinctively.

’I’ll ask him properly when he gets back.’

But she waited late into the night, and Justin Kane never came home.

The next morning, she woke up to find the spot beside her in bed still warm.

’He came back.’

Nina thought he was downstairs. She quickly washed up and went down, only for Miss King to tell her he had already left again.

"So early?"

Nina checked the time. It wasn’t even eight o’clock. "What time did he go out?"

"Around seven." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Miss King smiled and added, "Mr. Kane said that when you get up, you shouldn’t forget to take your supplements. They’re good for you."

’He’s so thoughtful, at least.’

Nina replied softly, "Okay, I will."

After her meal, she suddenly got a call from the butler at the Thorne family estate. Her grandfather was in the hospital.

Her grandfather was getting on in years. Nina’s heart leaped into her throat. She rushed to the hospital and found his room.

"How could he have just collapsed at home like that?" Nina asked the butler, worried.

The butler replied respectfully, "The doctor said it was due to high blood sugar. He needs to stay for two days of observation. We’re waiting for the full test results to know the exact cause."

Nina’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. Her clear eyes glanced over at her grandfather. "You couldn’t resist sneaking some sweets, could you?"

"All those pastries and desserts... you’ve been eating them, haven’t you?"

Master Thorne avoided her gaze and stammered, "No, I didn’t... I didn’t eat anything..."

"If you don’t believe me, ask Wood."

Nina usually called the old butler Mr. Wood, an old man who had been with her grandfather for decades.

He was a simple and honest man, unable to lie.

Mr. Wood looked pained. "Yes... yes, he did."

"Grandpa, don’t make it hard for Mr. Wood. We have security cameras at home, do you need me to check them?" Nina Thorne smiled playfully.

Master Thorne surrendered, "Alright, alright, I ate some. I promise, I won’t eat any more, okay?"

As he finished speaking, he glanced behind Nina.

"Why isn’t Kane here?"

"He went to the office."

"Good. With him at the helm of the Kane Family, things are as stable as a mountain. I can rest easy."

Master Thorne nodded, satisfied, then sighed. "But what about you? Are you really going to continue being a screenwriter?"

Nina Thorne heard what her grandfather was trying to say, and lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze. "There’s nothing wrong with being a screenwriter. I love the stories."

"I saw that production of yours. It was well made."

Master Thorne’s gaze was sad, his voice gentle and deep. "But child, Grandpa is old. I won’t force you to take over the company, but your father’s last wish... you should at least fulfill that, right?"

A sharp pain pierced Nina Thorne’s heart.

Her body felt as if it had been struck by something, so stiff she couldn’t move.

A tidal wave of grief washed over her. Nina felt a pained numbness and couldn’t squeeze out a single word for a long time.

Finally, suppressing her emotions, she managed a compliant smile. "Grandpa, you rest well. I’m going to go ask the doctor for the details."

Nina Thorne hurriedly left the hospital room, looking as if she were fleeing.

Master Thorne sighed. "That girl still can’t get over it."

Mr. Wood nodded sympathetically. "Don’t worry too much, Master. Perhaps one day the young miss will figure things out."

"Now that she has her husband to help her, she should be able to recover soon."

Master Thorne looked troubled. "That incident was too big a blow for her. That punk Cole Kane couldn’t help her get better. We can only see if Justin Kane has what it takes."

「 」

After speaking with the doctor about her grandfather’s condition and confirming it wasn’t serious, Nina finally relaxed and left the room.

As she passed through the corridor, she noticed a familiar, tall figure.

The man was tall and imposing, with a noble yet aloof aura.

His exceptional height, perfect proportions, and stunningly handsome face were particularly striking in a hospital, making him impossible to miss.

It was Justin Kane.

Nina Thorne was stunned for a moment.

She quickened her pace toward him, opening her mouth to call out, "Jus—"

But Justin Kane did not notice her. He strode forward on his long legs with his back to her, and after a few steps, entered a hospital room.

Nina’s brows furrowed slightly.

It wasn’t her grandfather’s room. Moreover, it was a female ward.

Thinking about how late he came back last night and how early he left this morning, Nina Thorne subconsciously walked to the door of the hospital room.

Inside, a woman’s clear voice sounded, "Justin, I came back this time just for you."

"Even if you’re really married, I don’t care. As long as I can see you and be by your side, I don’t mind not having a title."

The woman’s voice was full of deep affection, clear and firm, as if she was hopelessly in love with this man.

Nina’s hand fell away from the doorknob.

She was familiar with this voice.

She had heard it in the restroom on the night of the celebration party; it was identical to April Graham’s voice.

After a moment, she heard Justin Kane’s deep voice from inside again, "Why bother? You shouldn’t have come to Sylport."

"If I hadn’t come, I’m afraid I would regret it for the rest of my life."

April Graham was slightly agitated. "I love you so much. Besides you, I don’t want any other man in this world."

"Justin, I know you still mind what happened back then, but can you really bear to let me lose you again?"

"I have nothing left. All I have is you."

April Graham’s words were filled with suppressed pain, and her voice held a faint sob.

Justin Kane’s thick brows knitted together, the color in his eyes deep and dark, his entire presence sharp and intimidating.

April Graham paused for a moment, then looked at him with teary eyes. "You once said that as long as I asked, you would agree to anything I said."

"Then divorce her, and let’s get married."

Nina felt as if she’d been struck by lightning, her mind buzzing and going instantly blank.

Her body stumbled back several steps.

’So, when Justin Kane said April Graham wasn’t his old flame... he was lying to me.’