Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 129: A System? I Can Make One

The search results were overwhelming.

One of them, in particular, caught her attention:

If your husband is unhappy, take the initiative to kiss him, hug him, and pounce on him. There’s nothing a good screw can’t fix.

If it can’t, then just do it a few more times...

"!!"

’What kind of shameless advice is this?’

Nina Thorne felt her face flush and her heart race, but it wasn’t out of shyness.

It was lust.

’The thought of pouncing on him later, running her hands over his eight-pack abs and his sleek, gorgeous V-lines... She couldn’t contain her excitement just thinking about it.’

’Justin Kane’s handsome, gentle-eyed face, so ascetic on the surface, would be twisted in a frenzy just for her...’

Nina Thorne grew hot all over just from the thought.

Suddenly, the sound of running water from the bathroom stopped.

The bathroom door opened.

Justin Kane emerged in a white bathrobe, its belt tied in a loose knot and its collar gaping open to reveal the sharp lines of his muscles.

Water droplets trickled down his chest, making him look like a devilish temptation.

Leaning against the headboard, Nina Thorne stared at him in a daze.

"Still awake? Waiting for me?" Justin Kane asked, drying his wet hair as he walked over to the bed and glanced down at her.

Nina Thorne’s heart skipped a beat. She let out a dry laugh. "Just scrolling on my phone. I’m about to sleep."

"No rush. I’ll join you."

His semi-dry hair hung loose, not as meticulously styled as usual, and he gave off the fresh scent of his shower.

’I never realized I could be this thirsty,’ Nina Thorne thought for the first time.

The sight of him made her heart feel like it was about to leap out of her chest.

But she was still a coward at heart. She quickly lay down and forced her voice back to normal. "Okay, then hurry up."

Justin Kane was indeed quick.

He returned to the bathroom to blow-dry his hair.

When he came back out, he had changed into a comfortable set of white pajamas and lay down beside her.

"Want me to hold you while you sleep?"

Justin Kane asked in his warm, deep voice, his eyes lowered to look at her.

Her small face was fair and delicate, her skin clear and flawless. The light from the headboard cast a glow on her, illuminating the fine peach fuzz on her cheeks.

She looked so soft and pliant, so docile and well-behaved.

"Yes."

Nina Thorne had made up her mind. Without a trace of hesitation, she snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his bicep.

’We’re husband and wife, after all.’

’Cuddling while we sleep is perfectly normal. I’m just exercising my rights as his wife.’

Justin Kane placed his arm under her neck, his large hand wrapping around her slender shoulder. "Go to sleep. I’m here with you."

Nina Thorne lay obediently in his arms and asked in a conversational tone, "Aren’t you going to sleep?"

’Perhaps...’

An idea began to form in her mind.

Justin Kane’s magnetic voice sounded from above her. "There are some urgent documents for the new energy project that I need to handle. I’ll go take care of them after you fall asleep. Now, go to sleep."

’That busy?’

’But then again, this business with the tampered system... even Albert Locke might not be able to solve it quickly.’

Nina Thorne suddenly thought of something, and her earlier excitement fizzled out. "Okay, then. Don’t stay up too late."

"Alright."

Justin Kane’s voice was husky, and his thumb gently caressed her shoulder.

Breathing in his pleasant cedar scent and feeling the rhythm of his steady breathing, Nina Thorne unknowingly drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next day, filming on set went very smoothly.

Just as filming wrapped up, a call came from Justin Kane. "Want to have dinner together tonight?"

"Weren’t you supposed to be busy today?" Nina Thorne asked in surprise.

Before he left that morning, he had mentioned a meeting with Mr. Wagner’s team and said he probably wouldn’t be able to spend time with her.

"I have a dinner meeting tonight. Let’s go together. I don’t feel right leaving you at the hotel alone."

Justin Kane always knew how to warm her heart with just a few simple words.

It was such a thoughtful gesture; naturally, Nina Thorne wouldn’t refuse. "Okay."

"I’ll come back and get you tonight, then."

"Sounds good."

After hanging up, Nina Thorne packed her laptop into her backpack and glanced at her phone. It was almost three.

Perfect. She could head back to the hotel to rest for a while, and Justin would likely be back around that time to pick her up for dinner.

The timing was perfect.

"Nina Thorne, someone’s looking for you."

A crew member called out as they walked in from outside.

"Okay."

Surprised, Nina Thorne looked up.

After speaking, the crew member walked away.

Then, Nina Thorne saw April Graham walking in behind him.

She was dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, her look exquisite and elegant. Her face was glamorous, but her sharp eyes glinted with arrogance as she approached Nina Thorne with a provocative expression.

"Can we talk?"

She opened with a haughty tone, her chin tilted slightly upward.

Nina Thorne had a good idea of what she wanted to say, but she didn’t refuse. "Sure. Let’s talk."

The set was too crowded, and people talked.

Nina Thorne led her to a more secluded spot, and they stood facing each other in a lakeside pavilion.

"No one’s around. Say what you came to say," Nina Thorne said, taking the initiative.

April Graham radiated an ostentatious and unconcealable confidence. She shot Nina Thorne a contemptuous look and snorted.

"Leave Justin. You’re not right for him."

Nina Thorne frowned, meeting her gaze calmly. "And I suppose you are?"

April Graham said haughtily, "I’ve known him for years. We’ve been through a lot together—things someone like you could never compare to, let alone understand."

Nina Thorne remembered Justin Kane mentioning some things about their past, but she hadn’t pressed for details.

The key was that they had no children together and had never even been a couple.

April Graham wasn’t even the woman he loved.

That was more than enough.

"And?"

Nina Thorne didn’t give April Graham a chance to respond. "If you two went through so much together, then why didn’t you end up as a couple? Why was I given the chance instead?"

April Graham’s expression faltered.

She hadn’t expected Nina Thorne to be so calm; the question had caught her completely off guard.

"That’s between him and me. It has nothing to do with you. What you need to do is know your place and get lost. Stop pestering him," April Graham ordered, her tone condescending.

Nina Thorne had learned a great deal from Justin Kane over the past few months.

Above all, she had rediscovered her former self.

"The only one I want to ’get lost’ is you, Miss Graham."

Nina Thorne’s expression was placid, showing no sign that April’s words had affected her. She landed a precise counterattack. "And by the way, he’s the one pestering me."

"Do you even know what you look like right now?"

The question stunned April Graham. "What?"

"A shameless homewrecker trying to force out the actual wife," Nina Thorne said, perfectly composed. Her voice was gentle and calm, but her words cut like a knife.

"Back in the old days, you would’ve been beaten to death for this."

"How dare you call me a homewrecker! Who the hell do you think you are!" April Graham shrieked, enraged, and swung her hand to slap Nina Thorne.

Caught completely off guard, Nina Thorne took the full force of the blow.

Her cheek stung, the pain so sharp it went numb.

April Graham snorted, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Even if you are the precious daughter of the Thorne Family, you’re still a good-for-nothing piece of trash. The moment your old man dies, the Thorne Family will be devoured, left with nothing."

"And you? You’re just a lowly scriptwriter. What makes you think you can compare to me?

I’m a senior engineer from a top-tier university. There are few in this country who can match my skills. Only I can truly help Justin.

You, on the other hand, should just stick to writing your trashy scripts. If you do, I might let you keep a shred of your dignity."

April Graham’s face was a mask of arrogance, her eyes filled with contempt and disdain for Nina Thorne. A wave of immense satisfaction washed over her.

In her eyes, Nina Thorne was nothing but a useless waste of space.

Even if Justin Kane was with her now, it was just for the novelty of it—a way to maintain the Kane Family’s long-standing business relationship with the Thornes.

Unfortunately for her, she was a Graham.

The Grahams and the Kanes had always been fierce rivals. If not for that, Nina Thorne would never have even had a chance with Justin Kane.

"Are you done?" A red, five-fingered handprint was already swelling on Nina Thorne’s fair cheek, but the look she gave April Graham had turned icy cold.

"Isn’t this enough for you? Do you need me to humiliate you further, to keep putting you in your..."

She never got to finish the question.

SLAP! SLAP!

Two crisp slaps echoed through the air.

Nina Thorne decisively delivered two slaps of her own, one with each hand.

Her expression was icy. "Returning the favor," she said calmly.

Stunned by the blows, April Graham shrieked, "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you hit me?"

"And who the hell do you think *you* are?"

Emotion finally flashed in Nina Thorne’s eyes—sharp and self-assured. "In my eyes, you’re the clown here. So what if I write scripts? There’s no hierarchy of professions."

"And for someone from such a prestigious family, you sure have a filthy mouth."

"If we really were to compete, I’m afraid your ’senior engineer’ credentials would leave you wanting to die of shame."

Three months ago, Nina Thorne would have instinctively backed down.

Because back then, Cole Kane always said he hated sharp, shrewish women.

She had started to believe that defending herself was a character flaw.

Five long years had gradually molded her into a hesitant, timid person who always held back.

But now, she had woken up.

How could she let a creature like this walk all over her?

April Graham pointed a finger at her nose and raged, "Who do you think you are, looking down on me? Believe it or not, I’ll have Justin put you in your place..."

"Then go ahead and try," Nina Thorne cut her off coldly, having lost all patience.

"If he comes to ’put me in my place’ over a few words from you, then you won’t have to say a thing. I’ll be the one to leave him."

With those calm, composed words, she turned and walked away, her back held ramrod straight.

Her retreating figure radiated pride, nothing like the spineless woman described in the rumors.

April Graham was stunned.

’How could this be happening?’

Nina Thorne’s mood wasn’t the least bit affected by April Graham’s provocations.

On the contrary, she felt fantastic.

She had been gaslit and manipulated for far too many years, which had destroyed her confidence.

Her ability to realize this so quickly was all thanks to Justin Kane’s guidance and companionship over the last few months.

For that, she had him to thank.

Sure enough, just as she’d expected, Justin Kane returned a little after five to take her out to dinner.

"Later, just focus on eating. Don’t mind us, and don’t be shy. The most important thing is that you eat your fill," Justin Kane reminded her considerately.

Nina Thorne smiled, her face bright and full of life. "Don’t you worry. I won’t."

There were several people in the private room. Besides Mr. Wagner, the others were the engineers on the project.

As soon as Justin and Nina entered, the others rose to their feet to greet them respectfully.

Throughout the dinner, Justin Kane was especially attentive to Nina Thorne.

He would put food on her plate one moment and pour her tea the next.

He also asked if she wanted any dessert or other drinks.

Every time he fussed over her like this, the engineers, who were in the middle of giving their reports, would pointedly stop and wait for him to finish.

Anyone could see that he treated Nina Thorne with special care.

"Mr. Kane is so good to you, Miss Thorne. So gentle," one of the engineers suddenly remarked with a genuine smile.

Nina Thorne paused, taken aback.

She thought so too. Smiling politely, she said, "He’s a very considerate person. Please don’t mind me; just carry on with your conversation."

Justin Kane shot her a doting look but said nothing. Under the table, his large hand found her thigh and gave it a little squeeze as he refocused on the engineer’s report.

The topic was likely the tampered system. If it couldn’t be restored to its original state, the entire production batch of cars would have to be destroyed.

This would not only drive up costs but also delay the product launch.

Mr. Wagner spoke with a grave expression. "I just heard back from Engineer Locke. He says he’s not entirely confident he can restore it..."

"I can do it."

The door to the private room was suddenly thrown open, and April Graham strode in. She walked right up to the table and announced with complete confidence, "I can solve the problem with the tampered system."

Everyone was pleasantly surprised.

"Miss Graham, you really can do it?"

"Of course."

April Graham puffed out her chest. When she saw Nina Thorne sitting next to Justin Kane, she clenched her fists in anger.

She shot Nina Thorne a disdainful glance before walking over to stand beside Justin Kane.

She rested a hand on his shoulder and curved her lips into a suggestive smile. "Justin, your problems are my problems. All you have to do is ask, and I’ll do whatever it takes, unconditionally."

The strong scent of her perfume made Nina Thorne wrinkle her nose in distaste.

She looked calmly at Justin Kane. "There’s no need for outside help. I’ll take care of it."