Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 82: Nina Thorne and Justin Kane Go Public at the Banquet

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Nina Thorne and Justin Kane Go Public at the Banquet

Nina Thorne didn’t answer, dodging the question instead.

After a pause, she explained what happened that night. "And about that night, I really didn’t mean to order male escorts. Macy Lynch was just in a bad mood and messing around. She’s not that kind of person."

Her expression was earnest, and she looked at him without blinking as she explained, not wanting him to misunderstand her any longer.

This feeling was unbearable.

She’d had more than enough of it with Cole Kane.

Justin Kane’s anger instantly dissipated. His lips curled slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Nina Thorne nodded earnestly again, looking like she was about to raise her hand and swear an oath.

Justin Kane couldn’t help but be amused by her demeanor. His sharp features softened as if ice were melting, and his expression relaxed. "I’ll take your word for it for now."

The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled. The tightness in Nina Thorne’s chest instantly eased, and she felt much more comfortable.

-

Justin Kane took a shower and lay down beside Nina Thorne.

The scent of cedarwood immediately filled Nina Thorne’s senses, but this time, she wasn’t nervous at all.

She hadn’t gotten used to being apart these past few days. Having him here was actually reassuring.

His scent was especially pleasant, a mix of his own unique masculine pheromones.

"Did you just get back from a business trip?"

Nina Thorne turned her head to glance at him. "Are you tired?"

’The teenage Nina Thorne I remember was prickly, with a flamboyant personality and way of doing things.’

’Now she’s too well-behaved. Unbelievably so.’

Justin Kane’s dark eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing. "Mhm, I rushed back to confirm whether my dear wife was actually going to divorce me, lest I hold her back from finding male escorts."

His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Nina Thorne felt a pang of guilt. She frowned slightly, not having the nerve to retort.

A mistake was a mistake.

She’d own up to it.

The soft, dim light cast her face in a resentful glow, illuminating the way she wanted to argue but held herself back. It was strangely amusing.

A low chuckle escaped Justin Kane. "What, not happy about it?"

"If I said I wasn’t, would you drop it?" Nina Thorne rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.

’What did everyone in our social circle used to say about him?’

’A sharp tongue, more venomous than a wasp.’

’Perhaps his mature and gentle behavior recently had made her forget what he was really like.’

"I wouldn’t,"

Justin Kane moved closer, his warm breath tickling her ear. "I have to remind you constantly to prevent similar incidents from happening again."

His breath seared her skin, and Nina Thorne felt a ticklish sensation, her own breath catching.

Her body tensed involuntarily, and she could no longer process what he was saying.

"First, a little interest."

Seeing her distracted, Justin Kane suddenly leaned in, his lips capturing her soft ones, nibbling with a slight pressure.

Caught completely off guard, Nina Thorne instinctively raised her hands to block his chest.

The next second, he grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them above her head.

The kiss was forceful, plundering her lips and mouth, just like his style in the business world—dominant, giving his opponent no chance to react.

Nina Thorne was kissed until she was completely defenseless. Just as she was about to run out of breath, his lips slowly parted from hers.

Nina Thorne’s eyes were wide open, her breathing shallow. She reproached him, "How is what you’re doing any different from a hooligan?"

Justin Kane’s long fingers pinched her chin. His lips curled, still wanting more. "A hooligan isn’t as handsome as me, nor as rich."

"..."

Nina Thorne was speechless. She couldn’t even refute it.

’He’s acting like a hooligan so brazenly now,’ she thought.

’But it’s not the least bit annoying.’

’It’s even... a little...’

"I know you’re tired."

Justin Kane lay back down, his strong arm pulling her into his embrace. "Go to sleep. Get some rest. I’ll come collect the principal some other day."

With that, he pulled Nina Thorne’s soft body tighter into his broad embrace, so she was facing him.

Their bodies were pressed together with almost no space in between. The temperature shot up, and even the atmosphere became ambiguous and warm.

Nina Thorne was held so tightly, his chin resting on her forehead, that she could barely breathe.

She shifted, trying to get some air.

Suddenly, his magnetic, husky voice sounded from above her head. "Be good. Don’t move."

Then, the arm around her tightened even more, as if he were afraid she would escape.

Nina Thorne froze, gazing at his handsome yet weary face, an indescribable feeling welling up in her heart.

In the end, she resisted the urge to disturb him, and they fell into a deep sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

-

After that night, the relationship between the two naturally grew more nuanced.

Justin Kane returned to his previous routine, instructing Miss King to brew nourishing soups for her and texting her to report his whereabouts.

After two consecutive days of this, Nina Thorne was convinced he wasn’t angry anymore and could finally relax completely.

’Come to think of it, she quite liked this calm and stable married life.’

’The key was, Justin Kane was wonderful in every aspect.’

’Except for the fact that he had someone he loved.’

’But at least he wasn’t cheating, there was no emotional betrayal.’

Nina Thorne spent the morning organizing her script, then went to the company in the afternoon.

After three days of trending, the show had shot into the top ten on the charts, officially becoming a blockbuster hit.

Cody Kirk and Jessica Jenkins, the male and female leads, immediately became a trending "ship."

Besides giving praise, the main purpose of this meeting was for the director and producer to ask Nina Thorne to quickly write another script for the two actors, to pair them up a second time.

Coincidentally, the script Nina Thorne was currently working on was a "getting back together after a breakup" story, where the man chases after the woman he lost. It was perfect for them.

She quickly agreed. "I can do that. The one I’m working on now is suitable."

The director and producer were eager to see it.

Nina Thorne organized the first few episodes and the outline and sent it to them. After they read it, they clapped their hands in approval.

"Yes, this is good! It has a lot of potential and is perfect for them."

"I think it’ll work."

The producer and Director Aldridge hit it off immediately.

"Ms. Thorne, we’ll have to trouble you to rush this out. Could you finish half of the script by around the tenth of next month? What do you think?"

If the producer had been a bit standoffish at first...

...then this time, he was polite and respectful toward Nina Thorne.

The short-form drama market was fiercely competitive these days, with hundreds of new shows launching daily. It was a dog-eat-dog world.

To be able to climb into the top ten charts in just three days showed just how popular the script was.

Nina Thorne calculated that she had half a month, which was quite reasonable. "No problem, I’ll do my best."

The producer said with a smile, "Then it’s settled."

"That’s great, Nina Thorne! I get to be in your show again!"

Jessica Jenkins smiled sweetly and happily. "I told you this script would be a hit. See? I was right."

"In the future, Ms. Thorne, if you have any new works, you have to consider me for the male lead," Cody Kirk said fawningly.

"With this hit, our team’s bonuses will be pretty substantial. This is great."

"It’s all thanks to Screenwriter Thorne. She’s amazing."

"..."

The other staff members also showered Nina Thorne with praise for her achievement, showing their full approval.

"That’s right, your bonuses this time are indeed substantial."

The conference room door was pushed open, and Seth Lawson strode in, announcing magnanimously, "This is the biggest hit short-form drama in the last two months.

I declare that everyone’s bonuses will be doubled."

The room immediately erupted into a boiling frenzy of cheers.

"Long live President Lawson!"

Amid the excitement, Jessica Jenkins saw Seth Lawson, and her eyes lit up.

’So handsome!’

She had previously thought that Cole Kane was one of the few tall and handsome men in the circle of the wealthy.

She never expected that seeing the company’s legendary president today, he wouldn’t be the slightest bit inferior to Cole Kane.

"Tonight, we’ll have a small gathering with our investors. On another day, I’ll throw a proper celebration party for everyone."

One phrase came to her mind: equally matched.

"He’s so handsome,"

Jessica Jenkins exclaimed, nudging Nina Thorne beside her with her elbow.

Nina Thorne looked up at Seth Lawson.

’He’s good-looking, sure,’ she thought, ’but compared to Justin Kane, he’s still a step below.’

「A private room in the banquet hall.」

That evening, when it was time for the gathering, Nina Thorne was shocked to find that the investors for the show were none other than Cole Kane, Serena Locke, and Felicia Yates.

"This is our star screenwriter, Nina Thorne."

Just as Seth Lawson was about to continue the introduction, Nina Thorne cut him off. "No need for introductions. We know each other."

"I didn’t realize you were old acquaintances. That’s great," Seth Lawson said, awkwardly lowering his hand and sitting back down.

"Not acquaintances. Enemies. As the saying goes, it’s a small world for enemies."

Serena Locke, arrogant and domineering, raised her voice. "Nina Thorne, don’t be ungrateful. We’re the investors for this show."

Nina Thorne remained silent.

She just looked at Serena Locke with a faint smile.

"Serena, don’t cause trouble. Nina Thorne is the guest of honor at this dinner today."

Serena Locke turned to Felicia Yates and whined coquettishly, "Second Brother, you’re so biased."

Felicia Yates patted her hand. "Cole Kane, even though this show is a huge hit thanks to Nina Thorne, we are the investors. Your sister is on our side. You can’t treat her like this."

Cole Kane turned a deaf ear and instead raised his glass to Nina Thorne. "Screenwriter Thorne, I’m delighted by your brilliant work."

Nina Thorne didn’t accept the toast. Instead, she stood up to leave.

"I’m tired today, so I’ll be skipping this meal. Please enjoy yourselves. I’ll see you at the celebration party."

Serena Locke stared daggers at Nina Thorne. ’At the celebration party, Nina Thorne, you won’t be able to run away!’

Justin Kane’s car was already waiting outside.

After Nina Thorne left, Cole Kane chased after her, just in time to see this scene.

"Second Brother, I told you her relationship with Big Brother wasn’t simple! Do you believe me now? She got into Big Brother’s car!" Serena Locke said, watching Nina Thorne and Justin Kane. But Cole Kane’s reaction was completely different from what she had imagined.

"Isn’t it all because you pissed her off?! Otherwise, she’d definitely still be deeply in love with me! How could she have gotten involved with Big Brother?" Cole Kane was agitated. A valet had already brought his car over, and Cole got into the driver’s seat.

Since Nina Thorne hadn’t drunk that glass of wine, he hadn’t drunk any either.

Serena Locke got into the passenger seat.

"Second Brother, she’s just a fickle, promiscuous woman! What’s so good about her?!"

"That’s still better than you drugging your own brother!"

"Get out!" Cole Kane was furious. Serena Locke was just making him more irritated.

"I won’t!"

This time, Cole Kane ignored her. He floored it, pushing the sports car to 200 kph and speeding onto the highway. Serena Locke was so scared she trembled all over, gripping the handle for dear life.

—

「On the day of the party,」 Justin Kane had specially prepared a gown for Nina Thorne that was a matching set with his own suit.

Nina Thorne hadn’t invited him, so Justin Kane didn’t tell her that he would also be at the banquet hall. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The party organizers were playing a slideshow with company information and promotional materials for the short-form drama.

Halfway through, the lights and the screen suddenly went dark. The malfunction caused a stir of panic among the attendees.

Nina Thorne’s brow furrowed. This scene felt familiar.

Sure enough, a spotlight shone down, and Serena Locke was standing on the stage with a microphone.

"Hello everyone. I am Ms. Serena Locke, the representative for this show’s investors."

Thunderous applause erupted from below.

Nina Thorne’s lips twitched, her eyes cold and indifferent. ’Serena Locke, I hope you don’t do anything stupid.’

Everyone assumed this was some kind of special segment.

"Today’s main star is my dear Nina Thorne. Ten years ago, she fell in love with my second brother, Cole Kane, and they were together for three years. We had some misunderstandings before, so today, I’ve specially prepared some wonderful material to thank my dear Nina Thorne."

Cole Kane’s face turned ashen, his eyes dark and gloomy.

"I hope my dear Nina Thorne can forgive me."

The video showed a montage of wonderful pictures of Nina Thorne and Cole Kane, filled with love and happiness. In the photos, Nina Thorne’s eyes and heart were full of only Cole Kane.

Nina Thorne sneered.

’Serena Locke, it’s definitely not going to be this simple!’

The last few slides of the video were secretly taken photos of Nina Thorne and Justin Kane.

"Who’s that man?"

"I think that’s Justin Kane!"

"Is Nina Thorne two-timing?"

Cole Kane rushed up and snatched the microphone from Serena Locke’s hand. "Serena Locke, even if you’re throwing a tantrum, you should know when to stop."

"Second Brother, this isn’t the original video! Believe me, Serena! The video I prepared didn’t have these photos!" Serena Locke looked pitiful, and tears even started streaming down her face.

But Cole Kane showed no mercy and shoved Serena Locke to the ground.

"Stop! These photos really aren’t Serena’s doing. I was the one who added them to this video." Before the party, Felicia Yates had received an anonymous letter containing these photos.

When she learned that Serena Locke was preparing a video for Nina Thorne, Felicia Yates paid someone off to tamper with it.

Felicia Yates looked at Serena Locke and said, "Serena, Mom knows you’ve been wronged. This time, Mom will vent your anger for you."

’What did Serena do wrong? She just fell in love with her non-blood-related brother, that’s all.’

’But Nina Thorne, she wants her cake and eats it too, monopolizing two men of the Kane family.’

When Felicia Yates thought of the injustice Cole Kane had suffered, she felt she had no choice but to resort to these tactics today.

There was no one from the Kane family’s circle here today, only Nina Thorne’s colleagues and friends. Today would be enough to utterly ruin Nina Thorne’s reputation.

Previously, Serena had known everything and had planned to expose Nina Thorne at the last party.

Who would have thought that she would be framed last time, causing her to be expelled from the Kane Family Tree and forced to change her name from Serena Kane to Serena Locke.

In truth, she also found Justin Kane’s attitude toward Nina Thorne to be very strange.

Regardless, Nina Thorne had to be taught a lesson tonight.

Nina Thorne gave a provocative smile. "Why exactly are you publicly slandering me in front of so many people?"

"Is it because Cole Kane and I already broke off our engagement?"

"Mr. Kane already said that on the day we broke the engagement, I had no more ties to Cole Kane! Even if I’m with Justin Kane now, it’s perfectly legitimate. If we were to get married, it would be because we’re in love." Nina Thorne knew their relationship couldn’t be hidden forever.

But she didn’t want Justin Kane to get hurt by the reveal.

They weren’t the ones in the wrong, so why should they be the ones to suffer public scorn?

Besides, they were the legitimate, married couple!

The crowd was in an uproar once again.

Felicia Yates snapped, "Nina Thorne, even if you broke off your engagement with Cole Kane, stop spouting nonsense here."

"You know better than anyone whether it’s nonsense or not," Nina Thorne said with a cold, sarcastic, and provocative smile.

Seeing her smile, Cole Kane suddenly felt a surge of unease in his chest.

"Nina Thorne, stop trying to sling mud at us. It was clearly you who deliberately seduced Big Brother and then forced Second Brother to break off the engagement. I was originally going to give you a chance on this matter,

but since you don’t want it, I can only seek justice for my second brother!"

Serena Locke turned her head and shouted to the crowd, "Everyone, I happen to have photos of them being intimate! Once you see them, you’ll know we’re not slandering them!"

After speaking, Serena shot Nina Thorne a triumphant smile, took a small remote control out of her purse, and pressed a button.

Instantly, a video clip appeared on the projection screen.

This time, it wasn’t the video that Serena had swapped out last time, but a video of Nina Thorne and Justin Kane.

But after just one frame, the video stopped.

No matter how many times Serena pressed the remote, the video wouldn’t play.

A tall, slender figure suddenly came into view.

The man, always cold and noble, was naturally handsome. Dressed in an expensive, custom-tailored suit, his mere presence made everything around him pale in comparison.

Nina Thorne’s gaze froze in shock.

’It’s Justin Kane. Why is he here?’

’And... we’re wearing matching outfits!’

Nina Thorne never expected to see him here. Even though they were already a married couple, her heart still sped up.

It gave her the feeling of a legitimate couple having a secret affair.

’How strange.’

"Mr. Kane!"

Someone shouted.

"If you’ve caused enough trouble, you can all go back to the Kane family’s old residence. Grandpa is waiting for you at home." Justin Kane said to the three on stage, his presence completely overpowering.

Cole Kane ran up to Nina Thorne. "Grandpa wants me to go back to the old residence. Don’t worry, I promise what happened today will never happen again."

She didn’t dare believe his promise one bit!

Nina Thorne’s silence was taken as agreement by Cole Kane. ’As expected, my Nina Thorne still loves me. As long as I say the word, she’ll forgive me.’

And just like that, the farce came to an end.

The three members of the Kane family left, but Justin Kane remained where he was.

Nina Thorne came back to her senses and heard Jessica Jenkins’s excited, hushed voice. "Oh my god, it’s Justin Kane! Nina Thorne, he didn’t come here specifically for you, did he?"

An unnatural expression crept onto Nina Thorne’s face. She didn’t know how to answer.

Because she wasn’t sure either.

Justin Kane walked up, passing by Seth Lawson’s side. His gaze swept coolly around the room as he gave a slight nod. "Am I interrupting your work discussion?"

After speaking, his dark eyes seemed to land on Nina Thorne, yet not quite.

Director Aldridge shot Nina Thorne a subtle look. He remembered that Justin Kane had sought out Nina Thorne last time at Vistara.

’Their relationship is clearly not simple,’ he thought.

"Not at all, not at all."

Director Aldridge quickly and respectfully stood up, his face wreathed in smiles. "It’s our honor to have you here, Mr. Kane. Not an interruption at all."

"We were just complimenting Ms. Thorne on her excellent script, which earned everyone a bonus."

Nina Thorne wrote scripts purely as a hobby. Being praised over and over, especially in front of Justin Kane, made her feel a little awkward.

She forced a smile. "I was just lucky."

Jessica Jenkins stood up for her. "It’s not because of luck at all! Nina Thorne’s writing is genuinely good. It was so easy for me to get into character while filming."

"That’s right, we all loved it. It was really good."

The others all nodded in agreement.

The producer chuckled. "Ms. Thorne, don’t be so modest. The reason this show became such a breakout hit is because your script is well-written. Most of the credit goes to you."

"Thank you for the recognition."

Nina Thorne smiled humbly and said sincerely, "No matter how good a script is, it needs a good production team. The two complement each other. The credit belongs to everyone."

Hearing this, everyone felt a deep sense of gratification.

Having their hard work and effort acknowledged was the most comforting feeling.

By not taking all the credit for herself, Nina Thorne naturally won the respect of the entire team.

Justin Kane’s dark eyes gazed at her for a moment, then his lips curled. "Well said. Teamwork is crucial."

He walked past the director and producer in the main seats, stopping in front of Nina Thorne. A smile played on his lips. "Ms. Thorne, would you do me the honor of having a meal together?"

Nina Thorne looked at him strangely, not understanding his intentions. Her heart was pounding wildly.

’With so many people watching, isn’t he afraid they’ll speculate about their relationship?’

"What, you’re not willing?" Justin Kane’s deep eyes held a smile, as if he didn’t care in the slightest about the others’ gazes.

"Mr. Kane, publicly inviting a member of my team to dinner... that’s not quite appropriate, is it?"

"Otherwise? You’d have her stay here for your company’s celebration party to turn out like this?" Justin Kane deliberately teased.

Seth Lawson was rebuffed. "Fine. I don’t think much of this celebration party anyway. We’ll hold a better one later. How about you join us in celebrating tonight?"

"No need."

Justin Kane glanced at him, a faint, taunting smile in his eyes. His words were thick with implication. "A moment this important, of course, can only be celebrated with me by her side."

His words were like a declaration.

Everyone was stunned.

’Could it be... Mr. Kane and Nina Thorne?’

Nina Thorne was dumbfounded, unable to process what was happening.

Justin Kane extended his large hand to her, a doting light in his eyes. "Isn’t that right, Mrs. Kane?"

When Nina Thorne heard those two words, she was shocked, unable to believe her ears.

The minds of everyone present instantly exploded.

Mrs. Kane?

Could Nina Thorne be...

Justin Kane’s wife?