Being Dumped by My EX, I Marriied His Older Brother-Chapter 98: Marriage, Public Banquet

Seeing her come in, Justin Kane shot to his feet. "I was just chatting with Seth. Why are you awake?"

Nina Thorne thought she had vaguely heard something about a ’heartless girl’, but she hadn’t caught it clearly.

She walked further into the room as she replied, "I just woke up suddenly. I thought you were working. I didn’t expect President Lawson to be here."

She walked up to Justin Kane and, with a polite smile, looked at Seth Lawson, who was sitting on the sofa.

Seth Lawson saw them standing together—a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match. He smiled and began to tease her again. "Nina, why so formal? Just call me Seth."

"Okay, Seth." Nina Thorne smiled and nodded.

Seth Lawson and Justin Kane were around the same age and had been good friends for many years.

She remembered that back in the day, whenever the Kane Family held a banquet, she would often see him and his friends there.

But back then, Nina only had eyes for Cole Kane. She wasn’t familiar with Justin Kane’s friends and didn’t pay them much mind.

Ironically, none of Cole Kane’s friends liked her.

Strictly speaking, one of them had helped her, but he later moved abroad.

Returning to the present, Nina Thorne was relieved to see Justin Kane wasn’t busy. "You two keep drinking. I’m going back to my room."

Before Justin Kane could say anything, Seth Lawson extended an invitation. "Nina, do you drink? Why don’t you sit down and have one with us?"

Nina Thorne smiled and politely declined. "I’m not much of a drinker, so I’ll pass. You two take your time and chat."

"We were just talking about you,"

Seth Lawson’s smile widened. "We were just talking about you, actually. We brought up that time at Seraph Lake when you ignored us."

Nina Thorne’s memory was suddenly jogged, and she turned to look at Seth Lawson.

"Seraph Lake?"

Nina Thorne remembered it. That was the scenic park her father had taken her to ten years ago. It was the name of the lake she had fallen into.

The park was still open to this day, but she had never gone back after that first visit.

"You forgot?"

Seth Lawson tried to jog her memory. "It was the theme park that The Kane Group and The Thorne Group developed together."

Nina Thorne’s heart leaped into her throat. ’Maybe he knows what happened when I fell into the lake all those years ago,’ she thought.

She asked Seth Lawson with anticipation, "I remember that. I was ten years old. Seth, were you there that day?"

Seth Lawson stood up and chuckled. "The park’s construction had just been completed, so Shawn and I went to check it out. You were so aloof back then; you completely ignored us."

"Speaking of which, you even fell in the water back then."

Justin Kane’s brow furrowed slightly as he shot a look at Seth Lawson.

Nina Thorne froze at his words, not noticing Justin’s look. She appeared calm as she pressed on, "Yes, I did fall in. Seth, did you happen to see who saved me?"

Seth Lawson blurted out, "Of course, it was Ka—"

Suddenly, the ringing of a cell phone cut him off.

Seeing the caller ID, Seth Lawson’s expression instantly darkened. He didn’t even answer the call. "It’s getting late. I won’t intrude on you two any longer. Something’s come up, so I have to go."

He put down his wine glass as he spoke.

"What call is so urgent?"

Justin Kane raised an eyebrow. "Your mistress?"

Seth Lawson shot him a sidelong glance, ignored the jibe, and declined the call. He then turned to Nina Thorne. "For the celebration party in a few days, you’re the guest of honor, so make sure to come early."

"Okay," Nina Thorne nodded, her mind elsewhere.

Then, Seth Lawson walked out. Just as he reached the door, the faint sound of his phone ringing started up again.

Nina Thorne watched him leave, and the heart that had been lodged in her throat slowly settled back down.

She’d heard him say "Ka-" just now. ’It must have been Cole Kane,’ she thought.

That meant Serena Kane had lied to her again.

"What’s wrong? Can’t bear to see Seth leave?" Justin Kane noticed she was spacing out and teased her in a gentle voice.

Nina Thorne turned to him with a slight smile. "If anyone’s sad to see him go, it should be you. Your drinking buddy just left."

As she spoke, she leaned in and sniffed the faint scent of alcohol on him. "You’re sleeping in the guest room tonight."

She turned to leave, but her wrist was suddenly seized, and a moment later she was pulled into a broad, warm embrace.

The scent of alcohol, mixed with his unique, cedar-like cologne, filled her senses.

"I can sleep in the guest room, but you have to come with me."

Justin Kane’s magnetic, playful voice sounded from above her head. "I’m not one for sleeping in separate rooms. What do you say, Mrs. Kane?"

Nina Thorne tilted her face up to meet his obsidian-like eyes. His gaze was deep and bewitching, crashing into her heart when she least expected it.

That look was both deeply affectionate and incredibly seductive.

In an instant, Nina Thorne’s heart began to race.

Her breath hitched, and her cheeks burned hot. She averted her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes again.

"Who wants to sleep with you?"

Her gaze was lowered, her raven-like lashes casting a shadow on her eyelids. She looked both demure and captivating.

Even with the bruises still visible on her face, they couldn’t conceal her radiant charm.

"You, of course,"

Justin Kane suddenly swept her up into his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "My dear Mrs. Kane."

Startled, Nina Thorne instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

With long strides, Justin Kane carried her back to the bedroom.

After he placed her on the large bed, Justin Kane’s tall frame loomed over her. He lowered his head, his deep, dark gaze locked on her face.

Nina Thorne’s heart pounded in her chest. She held her breath as she looked at him. "Justin~"

Her soft call trembled slightly, tinged with a hint of coquettishness.

A fire coursed through Justin Kane’s veins. His thumb caressed her temple as he asked in a strained, husky voice, "Nina, will you give yourself to me?"

They were so close, nose to nose, eye to eye, that their warm breaths intertwined.

The temperature in the room seemed to skyrocket, the atmosphere growing thick with intimacy.

Blushing furiously, Nina Thorne shyly nodded. "Okay."

Her voice was soft and sweet, like an invitation that sent a thrill through him.

Justin Kane’s pupils dilated in excitement. Without another moment’s hesitation, he lowered his head and captured her lips.

His kiss was just like all the others before it—possessive yet gentle, as he explored and savored her mouth... 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

-

「The next morning.」

When Nina Thorne opened her eyes, she found herself lying on her side, facing Justin Kane. A handsome, chiseled face came into view.

His sculpted features were like a masterpiece crafted by God himself, with a strong brow and a high-bridged nose. From any angle, he was breathtaking.

She was mesmerized. Then she suddenly remembered last night, and a sweet feeling blossomed in her heart, causing the corners of her lips to curve into a smile.

They had been passionately entangled, just one step away from becoming one.

But perhaps because things had gotten too heated, the bruises from her assault had begun to ache terribly.

His heart ached for her, so he forced himself to suppress his desire. In the end, he simply lay down, kissed her forehead, and held her as they drifted off to sleep.

She had been so embarrassed at the time. Cradled in his arms, her lips pressed against his neck, she had taken the initiative and said, "It’s okay. You can just be gentle."

Justin Kane had tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head dotingly. "Mrs. Kane, we have all the time in the world."

He paused, then added in a husky voice laced with a smile, "I want our first time together to be a beautiful memory."

In that moment, Nina Thorne found herself getting lost in his tenderness and steadfastness. The feeling of being cherished moved her to her core.

He didn’t just respect her; he truly cared for her and felt her pain.

Whether he loved her or not suddenly didn’t seem so important anymore.

-

"What are you thinking, staring at me so intently?"

Justin Kane’s magnetic, slightly husky voice suddenly broke through Nina Thorne’s thoughts.

Startled, she snuggled closer into his embrace and held him tight. "I was just wondering how many people know that I’m Mrs. Kane."

A flicker of surprise passed through Justin Kane’s dark eyes. He looked down at her. "Hm? Are you afraid of people finding out?"

Nina Thorne shook her head against his chest, then tilted her face up, her breath brushing against his chin. "I was thinking about when we should make our marriage public."

She said it tentatively, watching his expression for any reaction.

Ignoring the ticklish sensation of her breath, Justin Kane suddenly shifted back a little.

An unreadable expression flickered in his deep eyes as he stared into hers. "You want to go public?"

Nina Thorne looked at his face, unable to discern his thoughts. She nodded and added, "But if you think it would be a hassle, we don’t have to."

As she finished speaking, a pang of disappointment washed over her.

’Perhaps he’s still waiting for the one he truly loves,’ she wondered.

"Okay."

Justin Kane’s strong voice replied, "I’ll arrange it."

Nina Thorne’s eyes snapped open. She stared at him, stunned. "So, you agree to make it public?"

A smile played on Justin Kane’s lips, and a look of doting affection surfaced in his dark eyes. "We should have done it a long time ago."

The reason he’d agreed to keep the marriage a secret was, for one, she had wanted to break off her previous engagement first, and of course, he had to respect her wishes.

And two, her engagement to Cole Kane was common knowledge in their social circle. He hadn’t wanted their sudden marriage to cause any negative backlash for her.

They really did need to find the right opportunity to announce their marriage openly and properly.

Now that she was the one to bring it up, he would naturally seize the opportunity.

Besides, it was about time.

Nina Thorne’s heart hammered in her chest. She looked at him with her clear eyes and nodded obediently. "Okay."

The thought that they were about to announce their marriage filled her with ecstatic anticipation.

She couldn’t help but wonder, ’Does this mean he’s finally let go of his past love and is ready to build a real life with me?’

-

Nina Thorne was in a wonderful mood all day.

Her creativity was overflowing, too. She immediately dove into her workspace and hammered out the entire framework for her new script in one sitting.

Just as she closed the document, a message from the producer popped up on her computer. "The new script has been scheduled for filming. The male and female leads were originally slated to be Cody Kirk and Jessica Jenkins."

"But you’ll need to be on set for this shoot. Will you be available, Ms. Thorne?"

Nina Thorne asked, "When does filming start?"

The producer replied instantly, "No rush. We have to wait for the official project approval to come through."

"Okay."

After replying, Nina Thorne was about to close the chat window.

A message from Jessica Jenkins came through. "Nina, are you still mad at me?"

"I’ve done a lot of soul-searching lately. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Nina Thorne wasn’t one to hold a grudge, but she despised betrayal.

Her stance was firm. She replied with a single, decisive sentence: "We’re adults, and everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions."

That one sentence completely extinguished Jessica Jenkins’s hope.

After that, Nina Thorne got up and went downstairs.

Just then, a call came in from Justin Kane. His voice was magnetic and full of affection. "Has my Nina been eating properly at home?"

Nina Thorne couldn’t help but smile. "I have. You told Miss King to keep an eye on me. I wouldn’t dare disobey."

"Such a good girl."

Justin Kane glanced at his watch. "A gown will be delivered to the house in a little while. Try it on and see if you like it."

"A gown?"

’Why is he sending me a gown all of a sudden?’

As if sensing her confusion, a fond smile touched Justin Kane’s lips. "The gown is for the party to announce our marriage."

His voice was both magnetic and possessive. "When the time comes, my wife, Mrs. Justin Kane, will outshine everyone."

Nina Thorne’s heart skipped a beat.

Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise, her voice lilting upwards. "An announcement party? When?"