The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 189

Chapter 189

Ethan’s POV

“I can’t believe we are doing this.”

Bryan’s voice was low, almost embarrassed, as I eased the car into a discreet spot across the street from the grand hotel. The building rose like a monument to excess and power, its glass façade glowing under carefully placed lights. Crystal chandeliers were visible through the tall windows, casting a golden shimmer over guests in designer gowns and tailored suits. Valet attendants moved with military precision, opening doors, bowing slightly, ushering people inside. Cameras flashed every few seconds, catching smiles, waves, curated confidence.

I didn’t respond immediately.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel as I cut the engine, the sudden silence inside the car making everything feel heavier. My jaw clenched as I stared straight ahead, watching another luxury car pull up, another burst of camera flashes exploding like small fireworks.

In the back seat, Amber was completely oblivious to the tension thickening the air.

He had his earpiece in, shoulders hunched forward, fingers flying over his tablet screen. Explosions lit up his face in quick bursts of color, cartoon characters shouting faintly through his headphones.

We hadn’t had a choice but to bring him along.

Mrs. Daniels was not home. Grace was still unconscious in the hospital. And there was no universe where I was leaving my son alone in that house tonight.

Not with Pascal on the loose with secrets crawling out of every corner of my life. When my world felt like it was cracking open piece by piece.

So here we were.

Two grown men sitting in a parked car like guilty teenagers, watching a high profile gala from across the street, about to do something I would have mocked relentlessly if it had been anyone else.

Stalk my wife.

The thought made my stomach twist, but I did not look away.

Then I saw Cynthia stepped out of her car, and for a split second, everything else faded into background noise.

My breath caught hard enough that it felt like someone had punched me in the chest.

She looked unreal.

The dress clung to her like it had been made for her body and no one else’s. Elegant without trying. Classy without effort. It hugged her waist, skimmed her hips, flowed just enough to hint rather than reveal. Her hair fell softly over her shoulders, framing her face in a way that made my fingers itch to touch it. Her makeup was subtle, tasteful, just enough to highlight eyes I knew too well.

She looked powerful and confident.

And the way everyone responded to her arrival only drove the knife deeper.

Hotel staff rushed toward her instantly. A woman in a sleek black suit approached her with clear urgency, speaking quickly, gesturing respectfully. Cynthia listened, nodded once, smiled politely, then followed her inside without hesitation like she belonged there.

Like she owned the damn place.

“I may not deserve her,” I finally said, my voice lower now, stripped of its earlier edge. “She’s such a wonderful soul. But what makes you think you deserve her?”

Bryan turned fully toward me.

His expression was not smug. If anything, he looked tired. Like someone who had been carrying feelings he never wanted in the first place.

“I care about her,” he said simply. “And I know details about her that you don’t.”

That stung more than I wanted to admit.

I laughed again, sharper this time. Defensive. “Clearly. What do you know about her that I don’t? Huh?”

It felt like a challenge. Like confirmation. Like he was holding something just out of my reach on purpose.

“Answer me, Bryan,” I pressed, leaning closer. “You don’t even know what her body feels like. Guess why? Because she has no atom of interest in you. She only sees you as a friend. To her husband.”

The words tasted bitter and desperate as they left my mouth, but I said them anyway.

Bryan’s jaw clenched. His eyes flicked briefly to the back seat, checking on Amber, before returning to me, his gaze steady and controlled.

“Are we going to stay in the car arguing like kids,” he said coolly, “or are we going to find a way to get in?”