Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 83: Marital Relationship

Seth Lawson stared at Justin Kane in disbelief.

’Is he about to make it public?’

But even though everyone was shocked, no one dared to ask any questions.

Every gaze was more curious than the last.

Seeing so many people watching, Nina Thorne came to her senses, quickly placed her hand in his palm, and stood up.

Unsure of Justin Kane’s intentions, she just wanted to leave quickly.

"We’re leaving now."

As Justin Kane walked past Seth Lawson, he tossed out the words casually, then openly led Nina Thorne by the hand out of the conference room.

As they passed through the main office area, they once again caused a sensation.

Before long, a crowd had gathered at the entrance to the conference room.

Seth Lawson found himself the target of a dozen gossipy stares, as if they were all asking, "Mr. Kane and Nina Thorne... are married?"

Seth Lawson gave them a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "With all this gossiping, it’s a shame you’re not reporters. How about I transfer you all to the press department?"

WHOOSH. The crowd scattered in an instant.

’Reporters?’

That was a job that made enemies, and they wanted no part of it.

Jessica Jenkins’s starry-eyed gaze was fixed on Seth Lawson, reluctant to look away.

As Seth Lawson prepared to leave, he glanced back at her. With a faint, flirtatious smile in his eyes, he turned and left.

In that instant.

Jessica Jenkins’s heart jolted as if she’d been hit by an electric shock. ’I think I’m in love,’ she thought.

-

The car drove on, but Nina Thorne still hadn’t figured out how to ask.

When the car turned right at the intersection ahead, she realized this wasn’t the way back to the villa. "Where are we going?"

"Dinner,"

Justin Kane raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Your script is a huge hit. I’m taking you out to celebrate."

A strange feeling stirred in Nina Thorne’s heart. He was so different from Cole Kane.

Cole Kane would have looked down on her work, calling it undignified, but Justin Kane never would.

"Don’t you feel like... this is just a small thing?"

She couldn’t help but ask, "That it’s not really worth celebrating?"

"Why would you think that?"

Justin Kane looked her in the eye, his own gaze dark and profound. "Have you forgotten what I told you? Every profession deserves respect."

"This society needs every profession to shine with its own light."

Nina Thorne hadn’t forgotten.

But this time, she would remember it more deeply.

She suddenly realized that over the years, Cole Kane had unknowingly suppressed her so much that she was always influenced by his way of thinking.

It had fostered so much self-doubt.

Just as she was about to say something, Justin Kane suddenly reached out and patted her head. "You must always believe in yourself. The things you like, the things you want to do, the things you believe are right—that is what defines your purpose."

"No one can judge whether you are right or wrong, only you."

Nina Thorne was stunned.

At the same time, a small crack quietly opened somewhere in her heart.

The afterglow of the sunset filtered through the car window, blurring Justin Kane’s handsome features.

In that moment, Nina Thorne’s memory was pulled back ten years.

At twelve years old, she had nearly drowned. When she was pulled from the water, she tried to open her eyes to get a clear look at her rescuer’s face.

That day, too, a similar afterglow had blurred the young boy’s face, dazzling her eyes.

In her daze, she only remembered the boy saying one thing: "Don’t be afraid. I’m here. You’re safe now..."

In a daze, the two figures seemed to overlap.

Nina Thorne thought her recent feelings for Justin Kane were growing so strong it was absurd; she was even starting to hallucinate.

But still, she had to ask if he was there that day.

"Justin Kane,"

Nina Thorne began, "Ten years ago, I dro—"

A ringing phone cut her off.

It was Nina Thorne’s phone. Macy Lynch was calling.

Nina Thorne took a moment to compose herself, then answered the call.

"AHHHH, BABE! I just finished watching the new short series! It was good, so good, unbelievably good!"

"It makes me want to fall in love!"

Macy Lynch was both happy and excited for her. "I just checked, and it’s already ranked number eight! Babe, I’ve always said you’re the best!"

Hearing the noisy background on her friend’s end, Nina Thorne couldn’t help but laugh. "The supermodel Lynch, mind your public image. Be careful you don’t get your picture taken."

"Let them. I’m just a model, not a movie star."

Macy Lynch paid it no mind, as happy as if she’d won the lottery. "At this rate, it’ll hit number one in less than two days. Babe, is there anything you can’t do?!"

Nina Thorne laughed along with her. "Yes, yes, in your eyes, I’m the most amazing person in the world."

"You really are! And your talents don’t stop here, not by a long shot."

Macy Lynch’s tone seemed to carry a hint of regret.

Nina Thorne pretended not to understand and didn’t reply.

The car was quiet, and Macy Lynch’s voice easily carried from the phone’s earpiece. Justin Kane’s dark eyes grew more somber, his thick brows furrowing unconsciously.

It wasn’t until a staff member on the other end urged her to hurry up...

...that Macy Lynch reluctantly hung up. "All right, this workhorse has to get back to the grind. I’ll take you out to celebrate when I’m free."

"Okay."

Nina Thorne managed a smile, waiting for the call to disconnect before lowering her phone.

The car fell silent again.

Nina Thorne had just put her phone down when Justin Kane, who seemed to have been waiting, immediately asked, "What were you about to tell me earlier?"

By now, Nina Thorne had calmed down. Thinking her earlier idea was too absurd, she shook her head. "It’s nothing."

"Really nothing?"

"Really."

Justin Kane squeezed her hand, his voice rich and smooth. "You can ask me anything. That’s a right you can exercise at any time as Mrs. Kane."

The warmth from his palm enveloped hers, making her unable to resist looking up at him.

Speaking of Mrs. Kane, she frowned in confusion. "What you said in the conference room... Aren’t you afraid people will find out about our relationship?"

"There’s nothing I’m afraid of."

Justin Kane’s eyes narrowed playfully as he studied her face. "Do you want to go public, or keep it a secret?"

The hand resting on her lap clenched into a fist. Nina Thorne hesitated. "If going public would affect our families, then I want to keep it a secret."

Justin Kane was in charge of the entire Kane Group, and countless people were eyeing it like a pack of wolves.

They say business is a battlefield.

Their marriage could easily be used by others to stir up trouble.

The Kane and Thorne families had cooperated for many years; she couldn’t let them suffer a terrible loss because of her momentary fit of pique.

Justin Kane stared into her eyes, his own gaze deepening. "And what if it won’t?"

Nina Thorne met his unreadable gaze and asked in return, "Are you sure there won’t be any impact?"

"I am."

Justin Kane’s expression was grave, but his lips quirked. "As long as you trust me, there won’t be."

Nina Thorne hesitated. For a moment, her first thought wasn’t about any potential damage to their families’ reputations.

It was about the woman he loved.

If they announced their marriage and that woman came looking for him, what was she supposed to do?

Seeing her prolonged silence, Justin Kane said in a low voice, "It’s all right. Think it over. You don’t have to answer right away."

With that, his large hand came to rest on hers, patting it reassuringly.

Nina Thorne looked at his handsome face. For a second, she really wanted to tell him that she wanted to go public.

But in the end, she was still scared.

Even she wasn’t sure what she was afraid of.

Maybe it was the fear of being abandoned again, or maybe...

Other than her grandfather and Macy Lynch, he was truly the only person left who was good to her.

Selfishness made her recoil.

She just wanted to see what it was like, just once, to be treated with genuine kindness by someone other than Macy Lynch.

-

Word of Nina Thorne and Justin Kane’s relationship spread privately throughout the scriptwriting department.

As the script became a massive hit, it sparked heated discussions among industry insiders.

The news soon reached the ears of their social circle as well.

The Zenith Club—a gathering place for the elite.

Money alone wasn’t enough to get in; you needed power, too.

The men in the private room, hailing from some of Sylport’s most powerful and influential families, were discussing this very matter.

"Who would’ve thought a minor scriptwriter could cause such a stir? And over an insignificant short series, no less."

"For a proper lady from a prestigious family, her actions are so beneath her. It’s a disgrace."

These young scions were all friends of Cole Kane, and as usual, they were bad-mouthing Nina Thorne.

Zane Jarvis said with a look of disgust, "That’s why Second Young Master Kane put off marrying her for so many years."

"She only got lucky being born into the Thorne Family. Otherwise, how could a good-for-nothing like her ever end up with Second Young Master Kane?"

Listening to their disparaging comments, Cole Kane’s expression darkened.

In the past, he would have only felt more disdain for Nina Thorne, but now, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. He downed his drink in one gulp.

An observant friend immediately refilled his glass, assuming he was annoyed with Nina Thorne and continuing the mockery.

"Calling off the engagement with you this time is probably just a ploy to get you to chase her. Wasn’t she the one who deliberately slandered your and Serena’s innocence at Mrs. Lawson’s birthday party?"

Zane Jarvis held a deep grudge against Nina Thorne and never missed a chance to speak ill of her. He certainly wasn’t going to let her get away with what happened last time.

So, he had intervened and completely absolved Serena Kane of any wrongdoing, claiming the video had been maliciously edited.

Whether it was true or not was completely unimportant to them.

What mattered was who Cole Kane wanted to protect. That’s who they would side with.

For the past five years, it had always been Serena Kane they protected.

Suddenly, someone gasped. "But I heard recently that Nina Thorne is with First Young Master Kane now."

The group was stunned.

"Cole, that’s your older brother. What’s the deal with them now?"

"Everyone’s saying Nina Thorne successfully seduced your brother. Is that true?"

"..."

Cole Kane’s expression was venomous. He was grinding his teeth in silent fury, wishing he could shatter the glass in his hand.

"If you want to know if it’s true or not, why don’t you just ask me?"

The door to the room suddenly opened. Justin Kane’s tall, imposing figure strode in. Standing in the dim light, his dark eyes looked even more forbidding.

A smirk that wasn’t quite a smile played on his sharply defined, handsome face.

With one hand in his pocket, he slowly raised his eyes and swept a casual gaze over them. "What is it you want to know?"

The moment he entered, the private room fell dead silent.

Especially since he was accompanied by Shawn Sinclair and Seth Lawson.

Their families represented the absolute apex of this social circle.

And the man they had just offended was none other than the one famously known in their circle as The Ice Devil.

The young man who had spoken earlier hastily lowered his head, trembling. "Mr. Kane, what brings you here? I was just talking nonsense, I didn’t mean to gossip."

"You’re a bigger man than me, please don’t stoop to my level. I was just running my mouth, I shouldn’t have said anything."

The young man lightly slapped his own face a few times. He knew full well who held the real power here.

The entire Kane Group was in Justin Kane’s hands; he was not someone to be trifled with.

He poured a glass of wine and offered it with a deferential bow, his eyes filled with fear.

Justin Kane raised a cool eyebrow. "What are you so afraid for? I’m just here to satisfy your curiosity."

The young man’s hand was trembling, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

The others, including Zane Jarvis, didn’t dare to breathe.

He had suffered at Justin Kane’s hands before and didn’t dare provoke him lightly.

Seeing his friend’s pathetic display, Cole Kane gritted his teeth. "Brother, what are you doing here? I thought you didn’t come to places like this."

A chilling aura radiated from Justin Kane as his sharp gaze swept over to Cole. "If I didn’t come, how could I clear up your questions about Nina Thorne’s and my relationship?"