Ex Wife's Collapse After Divorce novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59

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Sophie’s breathing grew ragged, and her hands began to tremble. Damn it. She had finally reunited with Ethan after so much trouble. Why was everyone forcing her into a corner!

“I can’t do it, Dad.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. “Please, I beg you, just let Ethan and me be together!”

But Augustus showed no mercy. He did not, as he used to, gently comfort Sophie with heartache the moment she began to cry-for a daughter’s heartbreak always broke her father’s heart.

He merely looked at Sophie with disappointment. “No,” he said simply.

Sophie’s breath hitched in her throat.

“You are too blind; you have absolutely no idea how to balance your personal desires with the interests of the family,” Augustus sighed deeply. “In this regard, you are far inferior to your sister, Aurora.

“Aurora had the sense to reject a marriage proposal from the heir of the wealthiest family in this city to preserve our family’s standard. Yet you are fooling around with a complete nobody!

“When will your taste in men ever match Aurora’s?”

Sophie froze. For a moment, she did not even know how to respond. Was she supposed to tell him that her taste in men was actually identical to Aurora’s-and that they had both fallen for the exact same nobody?

No. If she uttered those words, Augustus would likely dispose of Ethan immediately.

Augustus, however, mistook Sophie’s silence for defiance.

“Enough,” he said coldly. “You only just woke up from a hangover yesterday, so you are clearly not thinking straight today. You will stay home for the next ten to fifteen days, and then you can tell me your decision.”

Sophie gasped. He was putting her under house arrest! If she were forced away from Ethan for half a month now, how far would things progress between him and Aurora? Sleeping together would be the least of it; by the time she was let out, they might already be back from their honeymoon!

“No! Dad, I can’t stay at home-”

“Take her away,” Augustus cut her off. At his gesture, his personal bodyguard, Derek, stepped out from the corner of the office and dragged Sophie out by force.

On the other side, about twenty minutes later, a familiar silver Maserati pulled up to the curb.

Ethan slid into the passenger seat. Before he could even buckle his seatbelt, Aurora was already side- eyeing him with that look-half-exasperated, half-fond.

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“You’re the deputy manager now.” She pulled back into traffic, one hand on the wheel. “Market research? Really? You couldn’t send Travis or one of the interns?”

“I’ve been cooped up in that office for days.” Ethan leaned back against the leather headrest, stretching his legs. “Needed some air.”

Aurora shot him a glance. “You needed air. So you spent your afternoon walking around construction

sites in the development zone.”

“Fresh air comes in many forms.”

She shook her head but didn’t push it further. That was one of the things he appreciated about her-she knew when to let something go.

They drove for a while, the city lights beginning to flicker on as dusk settled. Aurora navigated the evening traffic with the same decisive efficiency she brought to everything else.

“So,” she said, eyes on the road. “I heard you took on the economic development zone project.”

Ethan turned his head. “Word travels fast.”

A smile curved her lips-small, knowing. “You’re luckier than you think, young master.”

“How so?”

“The friend we’re meeting tonight-Bianca.” Aurora changed lanes smoothly. “Her father is Jamie Donovan. He runs Donovan Brokerage, but more importantly, he’s the man who controls the underground network in that entire district. Every deal, every permit, every contractor in that zone answers to him one way or another.”

Ethan’s brow lifted slightly.

“Why do you think I was planning to build a processing plant out there?” She tapped the steering wheel. ” With Bianca on your side, that project goes from impossible to done.”

‘So that’s the connection.’ Suddenly, it all clicked for Ethan. This was exactly why a project that appeared highly challenging on the surface, yet held immense potential, had ended up on his desk. Aurora had arranged all of this.

Everyone believed the project was incredibly difficult to pull off, but Aurora was going to step in and resolve the biggest hurdle for him directly. This way, once he completed the project, his prestige within the company would skyrocket, paving the way for him to eventually take over the company

“You could’ve told me sooner,” he said.

“I’m telling you now.” Her eyes sparkled with quiet amusement. “Besides, I wanted to see your face.”

A few minutes later, Aurora swung into the valet lane of a restaurant with gold-leaf lettering above the entrance and floor-to-ceiling windows that made the diners inside look like expensive paintings. Ethan spotted her before they’d even stepped through the door.

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A woman with violet waves cascading past her shoulders sat by the window booth, arm raised, fingers waggling in their direction.

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