The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 181

Chapter 181

Cynthia’s POV

The Laurent kitchen was louder than I remembered.

Not noisy in a chaotic way, but full. Full of warmth and life, overlapping voices, the soft clatter of baking trays against counters, the low hum of the oven working overtime. The air smelled like butter and sugar, vanilla and something faintly citrusy. It was the kind of atmosphere that wrapped around you and made you forget, just for a moment, that the world outside was unraveling at the seams.

Amber sat on one of the island stools, his small hands dusted with flour as Helen patiently guided him, showing him how to roll the dough into neat little balls. He took the task very seriously, brow furrowed in concentration, as if the fate of the pastries depended entirely on him. Lily stood beside him, tongue sticking out, copying his movements with exaggerated care. Every so often she glanced at him, measuring her own progress against his.

Julian hovered nearby, pretending to be a strict French pastry chef, his accent thick and theatrical as he corrected their shapes. “Non, non, that one is far too lumpy,” he declared dramatically, reshaping one of Amber’s dough balls before giving an exaggerated nod of approval. Amber giggled, clearly enjoying the attention.

Kevin leaned against the counter with a mug of coffee cradled between his hands, watching the scene with an easy, amused smile. There was something deeply grounding about the way he stood there, relaxed and present, like this was exactly where he was meant to be. Nathaniel sat at the far end of the island, scrolling through something on his phone, but every few seconds his gaze flicked up, tracking Lily’s hands to make sure she was not sneaking raw dough into her mouth.

Victoria stood near the oven, arms folded, overseeing everything like a general in a very chic apron. She had that look on her face that said she was pretending not to care while missing absolutely nothing.

For a brief, dangerous second, I almost forgot everything..

The way my life felt like it was balancing on the edge of a blade, one wrong step away from catastrophe.

Here, in this kitchen, everything felt normal.

And everyone started sharing what they would be doing for the holiday.

Then Julian spoke.

“I’m going to be away for a while,” he said casually as he sprinkled sugar over a baking tray. “I’ve got some meetings with a few colleagues, and some friends from Paris are coming into town. I’ll be with them for about two weeks.”

Victoria froze mid-step.

“Two weeks?” she repeated slowly, turning around to face him. “Julian Laurent, I just got back from Paris myself and you’re already running away from me?”

Julian laughed easily, though there was something just a little too practiced about it. “Mom, I’m not running away. It’s work. And friends. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes at him. “You always say that.”

I watched Julian carefully as he smiled, too casual, too bright, his hands a little too busy arranging pastries that did not need rearranging.

Tony was the work he had to do. He was the mysterious “friend from Paris” who had slowly, quietly become the most important person in Julian’s life.

As in tonight tonight?

I had lost all sense of time. Between Grace’s fall, the hospital, the tension with Ethan, the DNA test, and worrying about Amber, days had blurred together. I had not checked a calendar.

My phone rang again before I could spiral any further.

Pierre.

My manager.

I closed my eyes briefly, already feeling the beginnings of a headache bloom behind them.

“I need to take this,” I said, forcing a small smile as I excused myself. I stepped away from the island, leaving behind the warmth, the laughter, the illusion of safety.

The noise faded as I walked down the hallway toward the sitting room, the house suddenly quieter, I hoped deep down that this call wasn’t bad news.

“Hello?” I answered.