Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 7: He Can’t Do It

When Ethan Lancaster returned, his expression was surprisingly serious.

"Grandpa, what are you doing here so late? Oh—Mom, you’re here too."

Jessica Jacobs rolled her eyes at him. She knew Mr. Lancaster’s temper and wanted to stand up to protect her son, but Mr. Lancaster had already risen to his feet, viciously striking Ethan Lancaster’s arm with his cane.

The dull thud of the blow reached Raina Reddington’s ears. It was a powerful strike, and though Ethan Lancaster was only lightly dressed, he didn’t even let out a grunt.

"You bastard!"

"Dad!"

"You shut up!"

Terrified, Jessica Jacobs sat frozen on the sofa.

"Wasn’t causing that scene at the wedding embarrassing enough? Tell me, who do you take after?! You’re the biggest playboy in this family. Sooner or later, you’re going to die on top of a woman!" Mr. Lancaster never held back when he cursed someone out. When he realized what he’d just said, he immediately looked at Raina Reddington’s expression. "No, that’s not what I meant, Raina..."

But Ethan Lancaster, ever the smart-ass, jumped in, "Hear that? I’m gonna die on top of you. Scare you to death."

Mr. Lancaster’s cane swung out again.

It struck the same spot. Ethan Lancaster’s shoulders flinched, but he still didn’t make a sound.

"You brat!" Mr. Lancaster sat back down on the sofa. After taking two deep breaths, he turned to Raina. "Raina, if he ever dares to act like this again, you just tell Grandpa."

"Okay."

’He’s a grown man. This was probably the only way to discipline him. After all, even though he’d resorted to violence, it’s not like he could actually beat him to death, right?’

After the lecture was over, the two family figureheads finally left. Ethan Lancaster walked to the foot of the stairs and saw Raina Reddington still sitting there, not moving.

"Not going to bed?"

Raina took a few steps forward, wondering how to begin. "Tonight really had nothing to do with me. They were already here when I got back, and Grandpa was the one who told me to call you."

"I never said it had anything to do with you. Why are you so nervous?"

The two of them went upstairs, one after the other. Ethan Lancaster sat on the edge of the bed. Since they had to live under the same roof, Raina offered a few words of feigned concern. "Are you okay?"

A chill flashed through the depths of the man’s eyes, but his tone was light. "I’m fine."

"It’s getting late. You should take a shower first."

"You first. I’ll sit here and reflect on my actions."

Raina gave him a skeptical look. ’I can’t believe Ethan Lancaster is the type to admit his mistakes.’ But she had worked overtime and was exhausted; all she wanted was a hot bath and a good night’s sleep.

She took her pajamas into the bathroom and filled the tub. Billowing steam blurred her vision, and a slick layer of moisture clung to her skin. Raina soaked comfortably for a while before finally picking up the shower head to rinse off.

A faint noise came from the door. When she looked up, she saw Ethan Lancaster striding toward her, wearing nothing but a pair of designer brand underwear with large letters on the waistband. Her whole body tensed. She distinctly remembered locking the bathroom door.

Even if she covered herself with both hands, there was little she could hide. Raina stared wide-eyed in embarrassment.

Ethan Lancaster snatched the shower head from her hand. He lifted his leg and stepped into the jacuzzi tub. Raina quickly pulled her legs back. Once the man was standing, he started spraying himself with water.

Splashing water landed on Raina’s face, droplets brushing against her thick eyelashes. The steam was boiling hot. She managed to force her eyes open, only to see the single piece of fabric on Ethan Lancaster’s body completely soaked through.

Raina wiped her face. "How many times do I have to tell you? Tonight had nothing to do with me."

He was no longer interested in that topic. Raina didn’t dare to look straight ahead as Ethan Lancaster aimed the shower head at her face.

A sudden suffocating sensation cascaded down her face. Raina quickly shielded her face with both hands. "Ethan Lancaster, are you crazy!"

"You really don’t know what’s good for you. You’re the first person I’ve ever deigned to help wash."

Raina choked on some water. Ethan Lancaster sat down on the edge of the tub. She scooped up a handful of water and splashed it in his face. He closed his eyes, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.

She finally managed to take a deep breath and soothe the tickle in her throat, only to see Ethan Lancaster abruptly stand up. He tossed the shower head into the water with a dull THUD.

’I’m done for,’ Raina thought. ’This man is vengeful; he’s not going to let me off. But with my personality, I have to strike first.’

She reached out, grabbed Ethan Lancaster’s single piece of fabric, and yanked it down with all her might.

He really hadn’t expected her to do that. ’What, did she think I’d be so thin-skinned that I’d get scared and run away?’ "You’re so used to pulling down women’s pants, you’re just as slick with men, huh?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Raina couldn’t be bothered with that now. She shot up and ran out barefoot.

Ethan Lancaster hooked a finger on the waistband of his underwear but didn’t pull it up. "What’s the meaning of this? Pulling them off and then running away? If you want to look, just say so. Did you not get a good look that night in the dark..."

Raina couldn’t listen to another word. She ran to the door and slammed it shut, locking the man’s filthy words behind her.

「The next day.」

Before Raina’s alarm could even go off, a series of loud KNOCKS reached her ears.

Her brow twitched. Beside her, an arm’s length away, Ethan Lancaster was the first to get angry. "Who is it!"

"Fourth Master, Young Madam, the Madam has arrived."

Butler Cameron was usually very discreet. He wouldn’t have come to knock on their door if he hadn’t been following Jessica Jacobs’s orders.

The two of them scrambled out of bed, this time with a rare sense of coordination. One went to the walk-in closet to change, while the other went to wash up first.

Raina entered the dining room and saw Jessica Jacobs sitting at the table. Ethan Lancaster went over and pulled out a chair. "Mom, what are you doing here so early?"

"Your grandpa didn’t hurt you last night, did he?"

"No. How much strength could he have?"

Raina saw an empty food container on the table; all the food that had been inside was now laid out. Jessica Jacobs glanced at her. "Raina, eat."

"Thank you, Mom."

"I was thinking about it after I went home yesterday. You two should have a child as soon as possible."

Raina’s heart skipped a beat. Ethan Lancaster picked up a crab roe steamed dumpling and popped it into his mouth. "Mom, why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"Isn’t this the most important thing? Once you have a child, you can finally settle down!"

The corner of Ethan Lancaster’s mouth twitched up, and he crossed his legs. "Mom, no rush, no rush. We’ll take our time."

"No rush? How long are you planning to wait?"

"Raina has a problem. Don’t we have to treat that first?"

Raina nearly spat out the mouthful of congee she was eating. ’Is this guy even human? If I have a problem, how come I don’t know about it?’

Jessica Jacobs was also confused. "The pre-marital checkup was completely normal. Raina, what’s wrong with you?"

Ethan Lancaster cut in, "Mom, she’s frigid... in *that* way. She’s not like a woman."

Jessica Jacobs was caught off guard, dragged into this topic. She was so embarrassed she was at a loss for words. After Ethan Lancaster had eaten several more steamed dumplings, she finally heard Jessica Jacobs turn to Raina. "Raina, you..."

’How am I supposed to talk about this?’

’Is this considered a problem? Can it be treated?’

"You’re a doctor yourself. See if there’s anything you can do about it..."

Raina saw Ethan Lancaster’s lips curl into a vicious, roguish smirk. "Mom, you’re a woman, so you know. Whether or not you can have children has nothing to do with a woman’s libido. The key is whether the man can perform."

Holy shit!

Ethan Lancaster almost bit his tongue off!

’What did she just say? She’s actually questioning if I can’t perform!’