Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 141: I Won’t Beg You

Gwen Sharp looked as if she had been deeply humiliated. "I didn’t!"

Raina Reddington walked straight to the door and threw it wide open. The message was clear: ’Get out. Now.’

Ethan Lancaster strode up to her. "As expected of the Lancaster family’s Young Madam. So tough. But are you sure you’ll never have a reason to beg me for anything?"

"Never again."

A jolt went through Ethan Lancaster. "You said it."

"I said it."

The man walked out first. Gwen Sharp didn’t dare to look at Raina Reddington again as she followed him.

Seth Sinclair was standing a short distance away on the phone, his expression grim and his brow furrowed with irritation. When he saw Ethan Lancaster approaching, he ended the call and hurried over. "Fourth Master, that Xavier Zane is stuck to us like glue. We threw him out, but now he’s just waiting at the hospital entrance, trying every trick in the book to sneak back in."

Ethan Lancaster was in no mood for this nonsense. "Don’t tell me you can’t even handle something this minor." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"His position is crystal clear. He just wants money. Pay him, and he’ll shut up. If not, he’ll start lashing out like a rabid dog. I honestly don’t know what he has on her, but what if..." Seth Sinclair trailed off, his gaze flicking toward Gwen Sharp.

Gwen Sharp knew what that glance meant. She quickly waved her hands, rushing to explain, "There was nothing between us! We were completely platonic, nothing ever happened. It’s impossible for him to have any dirt on me..."

Ethan Lancaster couldn’t care less. "He dares to try and extort me? Money? He won’t see a single cent. If he tries anything else, break his legs and throw him out of Stoneworth."

He turned to glance at Gwen Sharp. "She came from The Regalia Palace. Did I expect her to be pure? What a joke!"

Seth Sinclair saw the color drain from Gwen Sharp’s face. Ethan Lancaster’s meaning was perfectly clear: he didn’t care if Xavier Zane really had something on her, even if it was a scandal that could ruin her. ’He never thought she was clean to begin with, did he?’

"Fourth Master, I know what to do." With that go-ahead, Seth Sinclair was confident he could resolve the issue.

Ethan Lancaster’s displeasure was obvious, and his voice dripped with sarcasm. "Shooting herself in the foot."

He scoffed, then left without ever saying why he had come to the hospital to see Gwen Sharp. She watched him stride away on his long legs.

Gwen Sharp was left standing there alone. Seth Sinclair, focused on handling the matter, also left without a word.

Over the next few days, calls from the Reddington family flooded Raina Reddington’s phone, but she didn’t answer a single one.

She didn’t even pick up when Ronan Reddington himself called.

After work, as she was driving back to The Verdant Garden, Raina saw a car parked near the entrance from a distance.

Raina was tempted to turn around and leave, but she knew she couldn’t avoid them forever. She had no choice but to drive up to the gate.

Ronan Reddington was the first to get out. His driver retrieved a wheelchair from the trunk and then carefully lifted Mia Reddington out of the car.

Raina parked her car to the side. Ronan Reddington’s expression was foul when he saw her, but he didn’t immediately start yelling. She walked up and greeted them. "Dad. Mom."

"Do we need to book an appointment just to see you now?"

"Things have been hectic at the hospital. I’ve been swamped," Raina said as she led the way inside.

Once in the living room, Raina gestured for them to sit on the sofa. "I’ll get you some water."

"Don’t bother," Zoe Scott said, waving her over. "Your father has something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

The problem Ronan Reddington was facing was indeed a thorny one. "Where’s Ethan? The company has a situation and we need his help."

Raina frowned instinctively. ’After everything that’s happened between me and Ethan, do they really expect me to go groveling to him for help?’

"Dad, Ethan is having an affair. He doesn’t live here anymore."

Mia Reddington was shocked, her voice sharp with agitation. "An affair? With who?"

Raina sat down, her expression unreadable. "It would be pointless to ask him. He’s completely smitten with that little vixen of his. He hasn’t been home in ages..."

"And whose fault is that but your own!" Zoe Scott blurted out. "Do you think Ethan and the Lancaster family have no sense of shame? When you were running around all those filthy places looking for that person, did you ever stop to think about his reputation?"

Raina didn’t even bother to blink. "Which is why it’s useless for me to ask him for help."

Just then, as luck would have it, Ethan Lancaster walked in, much to Raina’s surprise.

The front door opened and Ethan Lancaster came in, changing his shoes. He looked a little surprised to see the room full of people. "Dad. Mom."

"Ethan, you’re back," Zoe Scott said, standing up with a smile.

Ethan Lancaster walked over to Raina’s side. "You should have let us know you were coming. I would have prepared something."

"We... just stopped by for a visit," Zoe Scott said, then slowly sat back down.

Raina decided to cut to the chase. "The Reddington family is in trouble. My parents are here to ask for your help."

"Oh?" Ethan Lancaster said, squeezing onto the armchair next to Raina. Ronan Reddington had intended for Raina to plead their case to Ethan in private; he never expected her to just blurt it out in front of everyone.

"So, Dad, what kind of trouble is the family in?"

Now that it was out in the open, there was no point in hiding anything. Ronan Reddington gave a rough outline of the company’s recent predicament. Raina felt exhausted just listening. "If you didn’t have the financial means, why did you have to bite off more than you could chew?"

"That’s easy for you to say, Sis. Isn’t that how you run a business? If you don’t try to take on bigger projects, you’ll just have to watch the Reddington family go bankrupt." Mia Reddington kept glancing at Ethan Lancaster. She was clueless about the rumors and didn’t know if what Raina had said earlier was true.

Ethan Lancaster looked thoughtful. "Dad, you know the Lancaster family’s situation right now. With my father’s health, we have to play it safe with a lot of things. If I get involved, it could cause problems for us."

"Brother-in-law, the Reddingtons’ problems are your problems too. My sister is married to you, after all..."

The words grated on Raina’s ears. ’No wonder Cameron Fairchild said what he did. My own family really believes my only purpose in marrying into the Lancaster family was to bring them benefits.’

"Is that right? Just because she married me, I have to help?"

Mia’s lips twitched into a smirk. "Of course. That’s my sister’s greatest purpose, isn’t it?"

Ethan Lancaster crowded Raina so much she could barely stay on the chair. She tried to stand, but he grabbed her hand. "But your sister doesn’t see it that way. She’s so proud and arrogant, she thinks *I* was the one who married up. If only she had a bit of your self-awareness, we wouldn’t be in this mess."

"Ethan, don’t hold it against Raina. She’s had that temper since she was a little girl," Zoe Scott chimed in softly.

Ethan Lancaster patted the back of Raina’s hand. "She certainly has quite the temper. Even I have to humor her. How about this? If she’s willing to ask me nicely, I’ll do my best to help. Deal?"

Hearing a hint of flexibility in his tone, Zoe Scott quickly shot Raina a meaningful look.

But Raina just scoffed. "I will never beg you for anything."