Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 2: At the Wedding, the Groom Is Missing

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: At the Wedding, the Groom Is Missing

Raina Reddington was roughly dragged into the master bedroom by Ethan Lancaster. Inside, a woman acted like the lady of the house, already changed into sleepwear and lounging on the large bed that should have been Raina’s.

Ethan Lancaster let go, kicking the door shut with a long leg. The water stains on the floor had yet to be cleaned, and as Raina Reddington stood there, the cuffs of her long pants grew damp. Ethan shoved her shoulder. "Weren’t you the one who wanted to sleep here?"

The woman on the bed sat up, clutching the comforter with a provocative look on her face. "So, Mrs. Lancaster has such... exotic tastes. Still, there’s a first-come, first-served rule for this sort of thing. And I was here first tonight."

Raina Reddington thought this was the most disgusting joke she had ever heard. She walked to the edge of the bed, threw back the thin comforter, and lay down. "Be my guest."

Ethan Lancaster didn’t hold back. Raina turned over, her back to them, but the noise was incessant. The woman couldn’t handle being teased, surrendering with little prompting.

Ethan Lancaster propped himself up on his hands, one on either side of the woman. He was completely bored. In truth, he could never muster any interest in women who threw themselves at him. He just couldn’t believe it. ’What wife could possibly tolerate her husband behaving so outrageously?’

Raina closed her eyes. Ethan Lancaster’s arm bumped against her—whether intentionally or not, she couldn’t tell. She scooted closer to the edge of the bed.

After a sharp jab to her lower back, Raina couldn’t take it anymore and turned over.

Her eyes met those of the heavily made-up woman. Their pillows were now pressed right next to each other.

Ethan Lancaster leaned down, burying his face in the crook of the woman’s neck.

The woman giggled flirtatiously, lightly tapping Ethan Lancaster’s chest. "She keeps staring at me. It’s so creepy."

Raina’s gaze remained fixed on the woman’s face. It wasn’t for any particular reason. ’It’s just that her face seemed a little familiar.’

Ethan Lancaster lifted his head and snapped at Raina, "Close your eyes."

"Are you Jean Walker?"

The woman let out a little "ooh." "Impressive, Mrs. Lancaster. Did you already run a background check on me?"

"I forgot to introduce myself. I’m an OB/GYN. You had an appointment with me a few days ago. I remember telling you quite clearly that your infection was severe and that you were strictly forbidden from having intercourse for six months..." Raina paused, a gloating smile playing on her lips as her gaze shifted to Ethan Lancaster’s stiff expression.

The woman’s face paled instantly. "You... You’re lying."

Raina propped herself up on her elbows. "Fourth Master, are you feeling uncomfortable... down there?"

The woman tried to explain, but Ethan Lancaster was already utterly disgusted. He grabbed her by her sleepwear and threw her off the bed.

"Fourth Master, she’s framing me!"

"Medical records are all on file. If you have doubts, why don’t you check them yourself, Fourth Master?"

The woman scrambled to pull up the strap of her nightgown that had slipped off her shoulder. "I’m going to report you! You disclosed a patient’s private information!"

"I just don’t want you to harm anyone. This condition of yours is no small thing. Once the Fourth Master has intimate contact with you, tsk, tsk—" Raina shook her head lightly. "I suspect he’d kill you."

"Get out!" Ethan Lancaster sat up, his handsome face frigid. Terrified, the woman hastily gathered her things and practically crawled out of the master bedroom.

Raina let out a small yawn, ready for bed.

Ethan Lancaster yanked at the comforter. Raina knew what he was thinking. "Don’t worry, it’s not contagious like that. Good thing you pulled back from the brink, Fourth Master." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Ethan Lancaster was seething. He swung a long leg onto the bed, and just as Raina sensed the danger, he forcefully pinned her to the mattress.

He loomed over her, his eyes locking onto hers. "Impressive. First, you doused me with water, and now you’ve chased off the woman I brought home. Raina Reddington, did you scheme this hard just to lie next to me?"

"Fourth Master, your every word doesn’t have to be so barbed. As long as you don’t bring people back to The Verdant Garden, I promise to turn a blind eye."

"Then why put yourself through this? Why don’t you just go tell Grandpa you want a divorce?"

Raina’s eyes met his. Despite being trapped between his arms in such a compromising position, her expression showed no hint of discomfort. "If you want to say it, you say it. I won’t."

’If my saying it made any difference, would I have been forced into this marriage in the first place?’

Ethan Lancaster lowered himself until his chest almost touched Raina’s. She held her breath. The man blew a soft breath against her ear. "How many times have you done this?"

Her expression was cool, her gaze placid. ’Looking at her,’ Ethan thought, ’she seems just like a little nun, pure and devoid of desire.’

He stared at the pale skin of her neck and lowered his head to kiss it.

"Why aren’t you concerned about what illness that woman from before actually has, Fourth Master?"

Ethan Lancaster’s brow furrowed, twisting into a tight knot.

"I changed gloves several times while examining her," Raina said, raising her right hand. His eyes fell on her slender arm. Taking him by surprise, her fingers brushed against the corner of his mouth. "And I seem to recall one of the gloves tore..."

Ethan Lancaster shot upright, his stomach churning. ’This woman is definitely not to be trifled with!’

Raina’s hand was still in mid-air. Ethan slapped it away. "Fine. Go to bed, my dear wife. You’ll need your strength for what’s coming tomorrow."

He rolled over to his side, pulling the comforter over himself. Raina replayed Ethan’s last words in her mind, a sense of unease welling up inside her.

「The next day.」

The auspicious time of 6:08 had passed. Raina sat before the vanity mirror in her wedding dress, but the groom was nowhere to be found.

The people the Lancaster family sent out had been searching for a long time, but there was no sign of Ethan Lancaster. Calls to his phone went straight to voicemail. The guests were all seated, and a hungry child kept tugging on his mother’s sleeve. "Mommy, why isn’t it starting yet? I’m starving!"

The master of ceremonies tried everything to stall for time, but there was still no sign of Ethan Lancaster.

Zoe Scott kept muttering in Ronan Reddington’s ear, "What’s going on? The wedding’s about to start. Is the Lancaster family trying to back out?"

"Mom," Raina said, gazing at her own reflection. She looked like a stranger. "Why were you so insistent that I marry into the Lancaster family? I still don’t get it. Our families are worlds apart. Why would the Lancasters agree?"

Zoe Scott’s gaze flickered away. "The Lancaster family... Countless people dream of marrying into a family like that. We’re doing this for your own good."

"That Fourth Master Lancaster... what’s so great about him?"

Ronan Reddington’s head was pounding. If Ethan Lancaster didn’t show, he’d be utterly humiliated. The venue was full of his business partners. He snapped impatiently at Raina, "Aside from being a bit of a playboy, he’s perfect. Besides, for a man, that’s hardly a major flaw."

Raina felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. She knew it was pointless to say more. ’If her own parents didn’t care, it was no wonder Ethan Lancaster treated her this way.’

A knock came from the dressing room door. Zoe Scott hurried to open it and found a staff member standing there, holding a cardboard box.

The person handed the box to Zoe Scott. "The Fourth Master asked me to deliver this."

"Ethan’s here? Where is he?"

Raina’s phone, which was sitting on the table, began to ring. She glanced at the caller ID—an unknown number—but quickly answered it anyway.

Before she could speak, a roguish voice drawled into her ear, "Getting anxious? Scared?"

"Ethan Lancaster."

"That’s me."