The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Ethan's POV

I had dropped Hayden too quickly and too roughly when I'd first seen Anna submerged in that bathtub.

The panic had overridden everything else.

All I'd seen was Anna's lifeless body beneath the water, and my brain had shut down every other instinct except save her.

Now, as I dragged her soaking, limp form out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, laying her carefully on the floor because the bed felt too far, too slow.

Hayden cried tirelessly. I felt so bad, she could be crying for two reasons, the neglect she has been experiencing and the sight of seeing her mother on the floor, looking completely lifeless.

I understood exactly how that felt because I felt as terrible.

I glanced back and saw her in the doorway of the bathroom, tiny hands braced against the frame, her legs shaking as she tried to stand. She'd crawled part of the way, then forced herself upright, wobbling unsteadily on toddler legs that weren't meant to carry this much fear.

She stumbled forward, tears streaming down her face, eyes locked on her mother.

"Mama," she whimpered, voice cracking.

My chest tightened painfully, but I had to brace up myself and try to resuscitate Anna. She can’t fucking die of me.

"Stay back, sweetheart," I said, my voice strained as I positioned Anna flat on her back. "Just… stay there. Please."

Hayden didn't listen. She kept moving, crawling the last few feet until she was right beside us, her small hand reaching out to touch Anna's arm.

I tilted Anna's head back, checked her airway again—still nothing.

My hands moved on autopilot, locking together over her sternum.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

The compressions were hard. Harder than they should be. But I couldn't afford to be gentle.

Six. Seven. Eight.

My mind was racing, spiraling into a thousand catastrophic possibilities I couldn't shut out.

What if she doesn't wake up?

What if she's already gone?

What if...

The thought that made my stomach drop completely:

What if the world thinks I did this?

I could already see the headlines. The accusations and the overly exagerrated reasons why I would have wanted her killed. The narrative Anna herself had been building for days—Ethan Walker, the man who abandoned her, who destroyed her life—twisted into something even darker.

Ethan Walker, the man who drowned her.

My hands faltered for half a second.

No.

No, I couldn't think like that.

I bent down, sealed my mouth over hers, and breathed.

Once.

Twice.

Back to compressions.

"Come on, Anna," I muttered through gritted teeth. "Come on. Don't do this."

Why would she do this to herself?

Her body jerked suddenly, and her eyes flew open — wild, unfocused, filled with panic.

She started yelling.

"Why…" she gasped, her voice hoarse and broken, barely audible. "Why didn't you let me die?"

I froze.

"Your mom would kill me anyway!" she choked out, her words tumbling over each other in frantic desperation. "My life is over! My usefulness is over!"

She tried to push me away, her hands weak and trembling.

"Get off me, Pascal!"

My brain stuttered.

Pascal?

"Who is Pascal?" I asked, my voice sharp with confusion.

Anna shoved at me again, harder this time, her breath coming in ragged sobs.

"Get away from me!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "Just let me die! Let me…"

Then she stopped.

Her eyes focused.

She looked at me, and realisation dawned on her, and her entire body went rigid.

Her face drained of what little color it had left.

"Ethan?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.