Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 8: Five Years Later, She Became His Wife

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Five Years Later, She Became His Wife

Nina Thorne laughed.

’What an idiot!’

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear that day. We. Are. Broken. Up." Nina Thorne sneered. "Are you incapable of understanding simple words?"

The look on her face was serious. She clearly wasn’t joking.

Cole Kane’s composure faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered with a cold laugh. "As soon as Serena gets back, you start pulling all these tricks."

"Fine, I admit it’s my fault. Okay?"

Cole Kane reined in his temper and softened his tone. "I was wrong about not getting the license. Can you stop throwing a tantrum? I’m apologizing."

He held a box out to Nina Thorne and opened it.

Inside was a sapphire and diamond bracelet.

Three days before they were supposed to get their marriage license, Nina Thorne had seen this bracelet in a magazine.

She said she liked it.

Cole Kane had scoffed. "Why do you like all this gaudy junk? So materialistic!"

Back then, the smile had visibly vanished from Nina Thorne’s face.

’And now he was buying it for her?’

’What was this supposed to be?’

"I know you like this bracelet, so I bought it for you. Calm down, okay?" Cole Kane said, his tone placating.

Over the past five years, he’d always found some effortless way to smooth things over after a fight.

He thought buying a gift and offering a half-hearted apology would make everything go away, as if nothing had happened.

But every single slight from the past five years was still vivid in her mind.

Every time, she would end up questioning herself. ’Am I just being dramatic?’

All she had ever wanted was to feel like she mattered to him.

But every time, she was left to pick up the pieces herself, trapped in a cycle of being ignored and having to heal on her own.

"Let me put it on for you."

Cole Kane took Nina Thorne’s hand to put the bracelet on her.

"Take it away."

She flung his hand away, and the bracelet clattered to the floor. Nina Thorne’s face was cold as she repeated, "Listen to me. We are broken up."

Cole Kane’s patience snapped. "Nina Thorne, that’s enough."

He shoved her hard on the shoulder. Her body lurched, and she stumbled backward, nearly falling.

Suddenly.

A large hand wrapped around her waist, and she fell back into a warm chest. The familiar scent of pine filled her senses.

Nina Thorne looked up and froze.

The man holding her was Justin Kane. His face was devastatingly handsome and exquisitely chiseled, with a prominent brow and eyes as dark and deep as a bottomless pool.

"Are you all right?" Justin Kane’s voice was low and magnetic.

Nina Thorne’s heart raced. She shook her head.

Justin Kane steadied her, his sharp gaze sweeping over to Cole Kane. "Gotten bold, have we? Hitting women now?"

Seeing Justin Kane, Cole Kane was startled. "Big Brother, what are you doing here?"

He’d heard Justin Kane was back.

But this was the first time the two brothers had seen each other in half a month.

Justin Kane’s expression was frosty. "If I hadn’t come, would you have been allowed to disgrace the Kane family name?"

He let go.

Nina Thorne stood steadily and tilted her head to look at him, her expression full of astonishment.

’Isn’t he afraid Cole will find out we got married?’

Cole Kane didn’t notice the strange dynamic between them and hurriedly explained, "I wasn’t trying to get physical. I just lost control of my strength for a second and gave her a little push."

Nina Thorne rolled her eyes at him, sneering inwardly.

’To think she’d loved this man blindly for five years.’

Cole Kane shot her a look, trying to signal her to come to his side, but she wouldn’t even spare him a glance.

"Big Brother, Nina and I have been fighting lately. I’m just trying to calm her down," Cole Kane said in a dismissive tone. "She’s always like this, prone to throwing little fits. Sorry you had to see that."

Nina Thorne frowned.

’So that’s the kind of person she was in his eyes?’

Before, hearing that would have upset her for a long time, making her think there was something wrong with her personality.

For some reason, she felt nothing now. Maybe it had something to do with Justin Kane. Or maybe she had just reached the pinnacle of disappointment and simply didn’t care anymore.

Justin Kane watched her, his own eyes darkening as he saw her cast her gaze downward, the picture of dejection.

’Looks like she still cares a lot about Cole.’

"Didn’t you two break up?" Justin Kane said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leveling a cold glare at Cole Kane.

Cole Kane was surprised that even his brother had heard about it.

’This time, Nina had really gone too far!’

"She has a bad temper and threatens to break up over every little thing. She’s making this huge scene just because I threw a welcome-home party for Serena instead of going with her to register our marriage."

Cole Kane felt humiliated, his expression turning to one of disgust. "She’s so calculating and petty. I’ll have a serious talk with her about it, so this doesn’t make Serena feel unwelcome in her own country again."

Nina Thorne couldn’t believe how shameless he could be, saying such things with such righteous indignation.

She opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off by Justin Kane’s cold laugh. "So you skipped getting your marriage license to throw a welcome-home party for Serena Kane, and you think you’re justified?"

Cole Kane was speechless.

Meeting Justin Kane’s dark, profound gaze, his own eyes flickered guiltily. "Big Brother, Serena had to go abroad three years ago because of her. I was just..."

"Enough."

Justin Kane cut him off coldly. "I have no interest in hearing about your mindless antics."

"If you don’t cherish someone, you can be sure someone else will."

As Justin Kane spoke, his profound gaze fell upon Nina Thorne.

Cole Kane felt that something was off.

His older brother had always been cold toward Nina Thorne—one could even say hostile.

’So why was he suddenly defending her?’

The residents from the other three apartments on the floor had come out and were standing in the hallway, watching discreetly. Some were even pulling out their phones to record.

Justin Kane shot a look at Assistant Cheney, then threw a cold glance at his brother. "Aren’t you leaving?"

Assistant Cheney went to speak with the neighbors.

Cole Kane had always been afraid of Justin Kane.

Justin Kane wasn’t just the head of the Kane Group; the financial firm he’d founded abroad had become a major player in recent years.

Cole Kane didn’t dare defy him. He shot Nina Thorne a resentful look. "I’ll contact you later."

With that, Cole Kane left in a sulk.

Nina Thorne watched his retreating figure, feeling nothing but tranquility inside.

’It was as if five years of love for him had vanished without a trace.’

But to Justin Kane, that look seemed tinged with sadness.

He frowned and flicked her forehead lightly. "Having second thoughts?"

Nina Thorne winced in pain, her brow furrowing. "Of course not."

"But your timing is perfect," she said, turning back into the apartment. "I just finished packing. We can take my things now."

Justin Kane followed her, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Wasn’t it you who called me here?"

’A phone call?’

Something clicked. Nina Thorne quickly pulled out her phone and checked her call log. Sure enough, she hadn’t disconnected the call.

A glimmer of understanding dawned on her. "So you were worried Cole Kane was giving me trouble and rushed over?"

’But then again, that seemed unlikely.’

’Justin Kane had only married her to fulfill some objective.’

’He hadn’t told Cole that they got their license, which meant he probably wanted to keep the marriage a secret.’

"I’ll do a good job keeping our marriage a secret," Nina Thorne said, forcing a smile.

’Justin Kane’s brow furrowed. Was she that afraid of people finding out they were married?’

Just then, Assistant Cheney returned from dealing with the neighbors. Nina Thorne asked him to call some people to come up and move her packed belongings downstairs.

Nina Thorne glanced around the apartment she had lived in for five years, a wave of relief washing over her.

’From now on, she and Cole Kane had nothing to do with each other.’

’Or if they did, it was only as his older brother’s wife!’

Justin Kane watched her, his eyes darkening as he took in what he perceived as her lingering reluctance to leave.

’It seemed she still hadn’t given up on Cole Kane.’

’No matter.’

’He had already waited five years. He didn’t mind waiting a little longer.’

’Five years ago, he had been forced to watch as Nina Thorne became Cole Kane’s girlfriend.’

’Five years later, Nina Thorne was his wife.’