Ex Wife's Collapse After Divorce novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81

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Damian came up the steps with a lazy, insolent stride, one hand resting at the small of Vivian’s back the instant he reached her, pulling her in close against his side.

She let him. More than let him-she leaned into it, tilting her chin up at Ethan with open triumph.

Damian smiled. It was a smooth, handsome, poisonous smile.

“I honestly didn’t think you’d go through with it,” he said. “All the way here, signature and all.”

He clicked his tongue. “Tell me, Carter-have you really not heard the news? Lockwood Industries and Hale Realty. A full strategic partnership. It’s all anyone’s talking about.”

Vivian’s eyes shone. “Lockwood is entering a whole new phase,” she said, her voice ripe with pride. “A bigger stage than you can imagine. So since you were so determined to sign those papers, Ethan-”

Her smile sharpened “-just make sure you don’t come crawling back with regrets.”

Ethan looked at the two of them for a moment.

Then he laughed. Short, cold, and genuinely amused.

“A new phase,” he repeated.

“Lockwood lost every single contract it had with Stellaris. Every one. And now, what-you’ve scraped together a fresh partnership with Hale Realty, ink still wet, and that’s your new phase?” His gaze moved from Vivian to Damian, unhurried. “And I’m supposed to regret it?”

The smile slid off Damian’s face.

“Watch your mouth,” he snapped, color rising in his cheeks. “Stellaris, Hale Realty-these are names that trash like you doesn’t get to speak. You don’t have the standing.”

Ethan said nothing, which only seemed to enrage him further.

“You know,” Damian went on, recovering, forcing the sneer back onto his lips, “I heard how you got your little title. Deputy head of marketing at Stellaris. Very impressive. And all it cost you was warming Aurora

Sinclair’s bed.”

He laughed. “The great Sinclair goddess’s kept man. That’s what they call you, isn’t it?”

Vivian’s expression curdled, but Damian wasn’t finished.

“And do you know the very first thing this genius did once he had his little office?” He spread his hands to an invisible audience. “He forced out Nathan. A veteran. A man who’d given years to that company. Threw him out on his first day, just to throw his weight around.”

His smile turned oily. “So really, I ought to thank you, Carter. For your arrogance. For your stupidity. For your sheer, blind ignorance. Because Nathan is at Lockwood Industries now, doing very well for himself. You practically gift-wrapped us a warhorse.”

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Ethan’s brow lifted, and he let out a soft, incredulous scoff.

“A warhorse,” he said. “You’re calling Nathan a warhorse.”

He shook his head slowly, almost pitying.

“No-wait. Let’s talk about you for a second.” He took a step closer. “You keep reaching for other people’s things to insult me with. First it’s Hale Realty. Now it’s Nathan. Your uncle’s company, some employee I

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