The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Cynthia’s POV

Nikolai finally let me go, his arms loosening around me after what felt like the longest hug of my life. Applause still lingered in the air, polite and admiring, but all I wanted in that moment was distance. Distance from the stage, from the lights, from the whispers, from the weight of eyes that felt like they were stripping me bare.

I stepped down from the aisle carefully, smoothing my dress, forcing a composed smile as I walked back toward the table. My only plan was simple: grab my purse, make a quiet excuse, and leave. I was done with this event. Done with the attention. Done with the assumptions. Done with Nikolai’s well-meaning but increasingly complicated gestures.

I was just a few steps away from my seat when I heard it.

A voice.

“WHERE IS THE DESIGNATED AREA FOR KIDS FOR THIS EVENT?”

The sound sliced clean through the murmurs in the hall. Conversations died instantly. Heads snapped toward the entrance like synchronized puppets.

My heart skipped.

That voice sounded… familiar.

For a second, my mind rejected the thought outright. No. That’s not possible. I had left Ethan at home. Bryan was with him. Amber too. There was no reason… no logical reason, for Ethan to be here.

Still, my fingers tightened around my clutch.

Before I could fully process that first shout, the voice came again, louder this time, more desperate, edged with something that made my stomach drop.

“WHERE IS MY SON?!”

Everything inside me froze.

My breath caught painfully in my throat.

That was Ethan.

There was no mistaking it now. The cadence, the fury barely containing panic, the way his voice cracked at the edges — it was him. And if it was him…

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

Amber.

A rush of panic surged through me so fast I felt dizzy. My clutch slipped slightly in my grip as adrenaline took over my body.

I turned sharply and started toward the entrance, pushing past stunned guests, muttering hurried apologies I didn’t even hear myself say.

People were gathering now, drawn by the commotion. I weaved through them, my pulse roaring in my ears.

And then I saw him.

Ethan stood near the entrance, one hand buried in his hair, tugging at it like he was trying to keep himself grounded. His face was flushed red with anger — or fear, or both. His chest rose and fell erratically, his entire body radiating tension.

Beside him was Bryan.

Bryan looked just as panicked, his eyes darting around, his posture rigid, like he was bracing for something terrible. The sight of them together like that — so unlike their usual composed selves — sent a fresh wave of dread through me.

My heart slumped violently, like it had dropped straight into my stomach.

This wasn’t a misunderstanding.

Something was wrong.

“Where is Amber?” I asked again, my voice barely above a whisper now.

But Ethan didn’t even look at me.

He turned away immediately, following the security guard without a backward glance, his movements stiff, urgent, like he was holding himself together by sheer will alone.

I stood there, frozen.

My chest felt tight, my lungs burning as if I’d forgotten how to breathe properly.

I turned slowly to Bryan, desperate for answers, for context, for anything that would make this make sense.

His eyes met mine and the disappointment in his eyes cut deeper than I expected, like he’d expected something better from me and was hurt to discover otherwise.

I frowned, shaken. “Bryan… what’s going on?”

He just looked at me for a long second, then glanced in the direction Ethan had gone, before looking back at me again.

“Let’s go”