Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 9: Fourth Master Wants to Play, I’ll Play with You

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Fourth Master Wants to Play, I’ll Play with You

GLUG GLUG GLUG—

Al had swallowed a bellyful of water. Helpless in the pool, he simply couldn’t shake Raina Reddington off. He suspected she was actually trying to drown him.

He finally broke the surface. "Fourth Master!"

His voice was a desperate squawk. Ethan Lancaster strolled to the edge of the pool, adding fuel to the fire. "Let her. I don’t believe she has the guts to kill you!"

’Is he even human?’ Al could barely breathe. The arm wrapped around his neck felt like a constricting vine. "Please, ma’am, spar—"

The people gathered around cast their lines again, and a few hooks hit Raina. Only then did she notice that the tips had been specially treated so they wouldn’t break the skin. A wave of nausea washed over her. ’Clearly, these people play this kind of game often.’ She turned to Annabelle Spencer at the edge of the pool and yelled, "Strip his clothes off."

"Huh?" Annabelle Spencer froze.

Al felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. Before he could even react, Raina started yanking at his jacket.

Seeing this, Annabelle Spencer caught on immediately. She grabbed his collar and helped tear at his clothes.

They managed to wrench the jacket off him. Annabelle Spencer quickly put it on and buttoned it up, one button at a time.

Ethan Lancaster crouched down, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed it at Raina. "Your friend seems to be quite the social butterfly. I guess there’s nothing wrong with introducing her to a few more of my friends, is there?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Fourth Master. She’s met your friends now, and you’ve had your chance to blow off some steam. Can we get out now?"

"You can get out. She can’t."

Raina quickly tried to reason with him. "If you want to target someone, target me. There’s no need to drag my friend into this."

Annabelle Spencer was thoroughly terrified. Al, having broken free, scrambled toward the edge of the pool. ’Women were not to be trifled with,’ he thought, ’especially a powerful man’s woman.’ He would never dare to retaliate against her.

He scrambled onto the deck, a pathetic, soaking mess. Cameron Fairchild tossed him a dry towel.

"Thanks, Mr. Fairchild."

Raina looked at Annabelle Spencer beside her and gently rubbed her shoulder. "It’s okay now."

"Raina, I don’t want to be here."

"Let’s go."

Raina led Annabelle Spencer to the side of the pool. She climbed out first. Someone moved to block them, but since Ethan Lancaster said nothing, they didn’t dare to act so brazenly. After all, Raina was the legitimate Mrs. Lancaster. It wouldn’t do to take things too far.

A man stepped forward, took off his overcoat, and offered it to Annabelle Spencer. "You should change out of that wet jacket. You’ll catch a cold."

Raina instinctively shielded Annabelle Spencer behind her. ’Could she really expect to find any decent people here?’

"No, thank you. I have clothes in my room."

But the men and women in the crowd clearly had no intention of letting Annabelle Spencer go so easily. They closed in, the circle around the two women tightening. Water dripped from their soaked clothes.

A man standing nearby suddenly reached out, trying to forcibly rip the jacket off Annabelle Spencer. Raina twisted to block him, and the man’s hand grabbed her shoulder, yanking down one side of her low-cut sweater in the process.

Raina wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and the motion exposed her entire shoulder.

The man snatched his hand back in fear. Someone shoved through the crowd and kicked him hard in the side. The man stumbled and fell to the ground. Ethan Lancaster was radiating pure fury. "Get out," he roared. "All of you, get out!"

The man scrambled to his feet. Knowing Ethan Lancaster’s temper, he didn’t dare say a word.

Cameron Fairchild gestured for the crowd to leave. Annabelle Spencer hid behind Raina, clutching the collar of her jacket without a word.

Raina pulled her close. "I’ll take you home."

"No, it’s okay. I drove."

"Let me get you some dry clothes."

Annabelle Spencer was trembling uncontrollably. She timidly glanced up at Ethan Lancaster. She had always been fearless, but that was only because she had never encountered anyone like him.

This time, he didn’t stop them. Raina led Annabelle Spencer upstairs to the master bedroom and told her to take a hot shower.

The two were about the same size, so Raina picked out a set of loungewear for Annabelle Spencer. She took a quick shower herself in a guest room, and by the time she returned to the bedroom, Annabelle had changed.

"You should dry your hair."

"It’s fine." Annabelle Spencer stepped forward and gently hugged Raina.

"Annabelle, I’m so sorry."

"I was the stupid one. I let my guard down and got tricked into coming here. It’s only natural he’d want to settle the score with me, especially since I humiliated him at the wedding. It’s just..." Annabelle Spencer couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought. "Raina, how are you going to live like this? It’s too difficult."

’Yes,’ she thought. ’It is very, very difficult.’

Raina and Ethan Lancaster were from two completely different worlds.

The Reddington Family had forced her on Ethan Lancaster, and from that moment on, no one cared whether she lived or died. She was left to fend for herself in the Lancaster Family.

"If you can’t stand being treated like this, you should go home."

Ethan Lancaster leaned against the doorway, listening as the voices from inside drifted out to him, sometimes soft, sometimes sharp.

"Are you hoping the warmth of my family will soothe my wounded heart?" Raina gave a bitter laugh. "Annabelle, I’m doing fine here."

’Compared to the Reddington Family, the Lancaster Family is actually wonderful.’

Annabelle Spencer felt a sting in her nose. "But that bastard, Ethan Lancaster..."

"You should get going. From now on, don’t trust any invitation unless it comes directly from me. I’ll walk you out."

Seeing that Raina’s hair was still damp, Annabelle Spencer felt her heart ache even more. "Don’t walk me out. You’ve been through enough and must be exhausted. I’ll see myself out."

When they went downstairs, Ethan Lancaster was gone. Annabelle Spencer got in her car and drove away, but Raina remained standing at the door for a long time without going back inside.

She felt completely unsafe, worried that those people wouldn’t let Annabelle Spencer off so easily.

Ethan Lancaster waited in the study for a long time, but Raina never appeared. He went back to the bedroom to look for her, and finally stepped out onto the balcony.

It was late, and the night wind was much colder than it had been during the day. The thin layers of her clothes offered no protection from its chill. He rested his hands on the railing and saw Raina sitting on a bench in the courtyard below. She was a solitary, motionless figure.

The moment Annabelle Spencer got home, she called Raina. She had been on edge the entire drive, and only now could her heart finally be at ease.

Ethan Lancaster waited upstairs for nearly half an hour, but Raina just sat there, still as a statue.

He grew impatient, a lingering dissatisfaction gnawing at him. He had intended to take his anger out on Annabelle Spencer today, but even now, he still felt an unvented frustration.

Raina heard the rustle of footsteps on the grass behind her. The battle between them had been raging all evening, and it was like a wildfire that could not be extinguished, ready to flare up again at the slightest provocation.

"So, did you enjoy today’s little fishing competition?"

Raina tilted her head to look at him. "Did you have fun, Fourth Master?"

"It was a blast. Just a bit too short, and not enough people. I was thinking of holding an even bigger one some other day."

"Fine. How about I play with you right now?" Raina said, getting to her feet. "Should I change into a swimsuit? I don’t have one, but I can just take off the clothes I’m wearing. If you want to play, Fourth Master, why bother involving other people? I’ll be your playmate."