Ex Wife's Collapse After Divorce novel Chapter 71

Chapter 71

This time the department did not just whisper.

People flat-out gaped at him.

How dare he?

He was not mocking some middle manager. He was openly insulting the CEO of Lockwood Industries in

the middle of the office.

Nathan’s expression twitched. Caleb’s smugness cracked.

But Ethan was already looking back at Yvonne.

“You still haven’t said everything,” he said. “That wasn’t your full reason. What’s the rest?”

Yvonne’s fingers tightened at her side. Under Ethan’s gaze, she felt her throat go dry.

After a few seconds, she forced the words out. “If Nathan leaves, I believe many others may leave with him. The department would fall into chaos.”

The moment those words landed, Nathan’s confidence came rushing back.

He straightened his back. Several employees looked at Ethan again, waiting to see if this was where he would finally retreat.

Ethan just laughed. It was a short, contemptuous sound.

“So what?” he said. “What kind of people follow a man like Nathan? If they want to leave with him, let

them leave. I don’t care.”

The office exploded.

“What the hell did you say?”

“Who do you think you are?”

“You’re insulting all of us now!”

“Just because you climbed into the CEO’s bed, you think you can treat everyone like trash?”

Voices burst out from every direction. Faces turned red. A few people even took half a step forward, as if

anger alone could give them courage.

Then a shout ripped through the noise.

“Shut up!”

The crowd instantly fell silent.

A moment later, reality set in for the crowd. They were just about to shout over Ethan in anger when they

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froze in shock once more, quickly becoming bewildered.

For the one who had yelled for them to shut up was Nathan.

Nathan lifted a hand, putting on a false expression of gratitude and restraint.

“Everyone, thank you,” he said in a heavy voice. “I appreciate that you’re standing up for me. Really. But I don’t want to drag all of you down with me.”

He looked around the department as though he were some tragic hero forced into sacrifice

I

“So fine,” he said. “Since Ethan wants this so badly, Caleb and I will leave Stellaris. We’ll go to Lockwood Industries instead.”

A stir ran through the room.

Nathan took his time walking up to Ethan.

When he stopped in front of him, his face was full of challenge.

“You can use dirty tricks to suppress me if you want, Nathan said. “But at the end of the day, you’re still just a relationship hire who climbed up through a woman.”

His eyes flashed with malice.

“And when the economic development zone project in your hands crashes and burns, you’ll regret what you did today.”

Ethan looked at him and gave a low scoff.

“My business isn’t your concern,” he said. Then his gaze hardened. “Though I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to still have the nerve to provoke me.”

Before anyone could react, Ethan moved. His arm came up fast.

Smack!

The slap cracked through the office so loudly that several people flinched.

Nathan’s head snapped sideways. Half his face turned red on the spot.

The entire floor froze.

Nathan covered his cheek and turned back slowly, his eyes burning with rage. Instinct took over. He jerked his arm up, ready to hit back.

Then he met Ethan’s eyes.

Ethan stood there without moving, but something about him was terrifying.

His shoulders were loose. His posture was balanced. His gaze was not the gaze of someone bluffing in an office argument. It was the gaze of someone who had no problem breaking another man where he

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stood.

Nathan’s raised hand stalled in midair. A chill ran straight down his spine.

He did not know about Ethan’s family combat training. He did not know what kind of hell Ethan had endured to sharpen himself into this. He only knew one thing in that moment.

If he swung, he would lose badly.

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