The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 105

#105

Chapter 105

Cynthia’s POV

My heart betrayed me.

When Ethan had said that sentence

–

“I love you”

–

my heart had leaped like it longed to hear those words. Like some

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pathetic, desperate part of me had been waiting three years to hear him say them.

That was betrayal in the highest order.

As I drove away from Walker Mansion, I hit my chest really hard with my fist, trying to stop my heart from fluttering and my stomach from feeling butterflies.

At thirty–five, I was easily swayed by words from a man? Jesus Christ! I really needed to grow up.

Get it together, Cynthia. He doesn’t mean it. He just wants control back. He just wants to win and get you back so he can make you a door mat again and make you apologise to Anna when she plays her evil game.

“Your teacher, Mrs. Pierre, was amazing yesterday,” I said, trying to distract myself from my traitorous emotions. I watched Amber through the rearview mirror.

He was oddly quiet, staring out the window with a contemplative expression that seemed too heavy for a child his age.

“Yes,” he answered quietly.

I knew something was wrong. “What’s on your mind, Amber?”

He just shrugged, his small shoulders rising and falling. Then he took a deep breath, like he was gathering courage.

“I really, really wish you would come back home, Mom.”

My hands tightened on the steering wheel.

“I am very excited that you’re back,” he continued, his voice small and careful. “And that you love me again. But… would it be selfish if I said I wanted more than just that? I want you to actually make Christmas sauce for us this Christmas. Like you used to. Like… like when we were together.”

The vulnerability in his voice made my throat tight.

I glanced at him in the mirror and saw his eyes were bright with unshed tears, his bottom lip trembling slightly as he tried to hold himself together.

God, what was I doing to this child? Ping–ponging between his parents, never knowing what to expect, always hoping for something more permanent that I couldn’t give him.

I pulled over in front of his school and put the car in park, then turned around in my seat to face him properly.

“I will make you Christmas sauce this Christmas,” I said firmly, reaching back to take his hand. “All you have to do is do well in class and be good. Okay?”

Amber’s entire face lit up. “Really? You promise?”

“I promise.”

He unbuckled his seatbelt and practically launched himself between the seats to hug me, his thin arms wrapping around my neck with desperate tightness.

“Thank you, Mom. Thank you, thank you, thank you! When you come, I have a gift for you”

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I held him close, breathing in the scent of his shampoo, feeling his heartbeat against mine. “I can’t wait!” I said in genuine excitement, anticipating what gift he had waiting for me.

When he finally pulled back, he was grinning ear to ear.

I helped him gather his backpack and walked him to the school entrance, where other parents were dropping off their children. Some of them stared recognizing me from the PTA yesterday. They must have gossiped about me, the prodigal wife returned.

“I’ll be here right after school to pick you up,” I promised, giving him one more hug.

“I’ll be waiting!” Amber waved enthusiastically as he ran toward his classroom, joining a group of friends who immediately pulled him into their circle.

I watched him go, my heart feeling full and broken at the same time.

Then I got back into my car and sat there for a moment, my hands resting on the steering wheel, my mind racing.

As I prepared to drive off, I remembered Nikolai.

He had called me yesterday when we were at the arcade–I’d stepped away to take the call while Ethan supervised Amber. Nikolai had wanted to remind me about the things he’d bought for Amber when he’d returned from his father’s funeral. Gifts that were still sitting in his car trunk, waiting to be picked up.

I really didn’t want to get closer to Nikolai.

I didn’t trust my heart around him. He was kind, attentive, -everything Ethan hadn’t been during our marriage. And that made him dangerous to my peace of mind.

I didn’t even know what my heart was doing right now. Fluttering at Ethan’s “I love you,” feeling warm when Bryan looked at me with those gentle eyes, responding to Nikolai’s sophisticated charm.

I was a mess.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to my security detail.

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