The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 199

Chapter 199

Ethan's POV

The security guard's fingers flew across the keyboard, his movements precise and urgent. Lines of code scrolled rapidly across one of the monitors as he worked to restore the corrupted footage. The room was silent except for the clicking of keys and the low hum of the machines.

I couldn't breathe properly.

Every second that passed felt like an eternity. My chest was so tight it physically hurt, like someone had wrapped steel cables around my ribs and was pulling them tighter with each passing moment.

"Got it," the guard said suddenly.

The screen flickered.

The frozen image jolted back to life.

Everyone in the room leaned forward simultaneously, eyes locked on the monitor as the footage resumed playing. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might break through.

There was Amber, walking beside the woman through the parking lot. His small frame looked even smaller next to her, his gadget still clutched in one hand, earbuds dangling around his neck now.

The woman led him toward a car—a dark sedan parked in a far corner, away from the main flow of traffic.

My stomach twisted violently.

"No," I whispered.

On screen, the woman opened the back door and gestured for Amber to get in.

He hesitated.

I could see it in his body language—the slight backward step, the way his head tilted as if asking a question. He said something to her. I couldn't hear the words, but I could see his mouth moving.

The woman leaned down, speaking to him, her expression unreadable from this angle.

Then she reached for his arm.

Amber jerked backward violently, yanking his arm out of her grip. Without hesitation, he swung his gadget like a weapon, smashing it against the woman's hand.

She recoiled, stumbling slightly.

Amber didn't wait.

He bit her arm, his small teeth sinking in hard enough that even through the grainy footage I could see her mouth open in what must have been a scream of pain.

Pride surged through me so violently it almost knocked the air from my lungs.

That's my boy.

The woman released him immediately, clutching her injured hand. Amber didn't give her a second chance. He turned and ran.

His little legs pumped as fast as they could carry him, his arms swinging wildly as he tore across the parking lot, away from the woman, away from the car, toward the exit that led to the main road.

The woman started after him briefly, but then stopped, glancing around frantically as if realizing how exposed she was. She got into the car quickly and drove off in the opposite direction.

My son had escaped.

Relief crashed into me like a tidal wave, so powerful my knees nearly buckled. I gripped the edge of the desk to steady myself, my breath coming out in sharp, uneven gasps.

"He got away," Bryan said beside me, his voice thick with emotion. "He got away, Ethan."

But the relief was short-lived.

The footage followed him as far as the parking lot cameras reached—and then he disappeared off-screen, running toward the main road, toward the busy street beyond the hotel's property line.

Where the hotel's CCTV coverage ended.

My chest tightened all over again, panic flooding back with renewed force.

"Where did he go?" I demanded, my voice hoarse. "Where is he now?"

The security guard shook his head grimly. "Our cameras don't extend beyond the hotel perimeter. We'd need to check external footage."

"Then check it!" I snapped.

"The nearest surveillance would be from businesses along that street," another guard said quickly. "There's a supermarket about two blocks down. They have external cameras mounted that might have caught him."

"Then let's go," I said immediately, already moving toward the door. "Please."

I didn't.

I turned toward the door again — and that's when I noticed Nikolai.

Standing near the exit, his expression unreadable but his posture tense, like he was preparing to insert himself into a situation he had no right being part of.

Something inside me snapped.

"You're not coming," I said sharply, my gaze locking onto him.

Nikolai frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," I said, my voice dropping dangerously low. "You're not coming with us to check the next footage."

"Ethan…" Cynthia started.

"No," I snapped, turning on her. "He doesn't get to play hero here. He doesn't get to swoop in and act like he's part of this family."

Nikolai stepped forward, his jaw tight. "I'm trying to help…"

"I don't want your help!" I roared, the words exploding out of me with a force that made everyone in the room flinch.

Silence fell like a hammer.

My chest heaved, my hands shaking with barely suppressed rage. I could feel everyone staring at me… Bryan, the security guards, Nikolai.

And Cynthia.

She looked at me like I'd just slapped her.

"You're being childish," she said quietly, her voice breaking.

The word hit me harder than any accusation she could have thrown.

Childish.

I walked out of that security room without sparing anyone another glance.