The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 200

Chapter 200

Bryan's POV

I had watched enough pain in my life to recognize it when I saw it.

And standing in that security room, watching Cynthia's face crumble as tears streamed down her cheeks, watching her shoulders shake with the weight of fear and helplessness—it broke something inside me.

I wanted to fix it.

God, I wanted to fix everything.

I wanted to find Amber immediately, wrap him in a blanket, and deliver him safely back into his mother's arms. I wanted to erase the terror from Cynthia's eyes, the guilt eating at Ethan, the chaos that had consumed all of us in the span of thirty minutes.

But All I could do was stand there, hands clenched uselessly at my sides, watching the woman I loved fall apart while two other men circled her like wolves claiming territory.

Ethan's words still echoed in my head.

"I'm done trying."

He'd said it earlier, back in the hall, his voice thick with bitterness and defeat. And part of me—a small, selfish, shameful part of me—had felt relief at hearing those words.

Because if Ethan was done…

Then I had a better chance.

The thought made me sick even as it took root in my mind. This wasn't the time. This wasn't the place. A child was missing, and here I was, calculating romantic probabilities like some opportunistic bastard.

But I couldn't help it.

I couldn't help the way my heart leapt when Ethan turned his back on Cynthia, couldn't help the flicker of hope that ignited when he walked away without looking back.

And I definitely couldn't help the surge of irritation and anger that burned through me when I looked at Nikolai.

Nikolai fucking Cross.

Standing there with his hand on Cynthia's shoulder, leaning in close, whispering reassurances like he had any right to comfort her. Like he knew her. Like he understood what she was going through.

It made my blood boil.

When Ethan insisted Nikolai stay behind, I supported him immediately.

Not because I agreed with Ethan's reasoning—though I did think Nikolai had no place inserting himself into a family crisis.

But because I wanted him gone.

I wanted him out of Cynthia's orbit, out of her line of sight, out of the equation entirely so she could focus on what mattered: finding Amber.

And maybe, so she could see that I was the one who stayed.

…

The supermarket which had the closest CCTV wasn't far, the moment we stepped inside, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, the manager recognized me immediately.

"Mr. Ferdinand!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up with surprise and eagerness. "What an honor. How can we help you?"

I didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"We need access to your external CCTV footage," I said briskly. "Immediately. A child went missing near here about forty minutes ago. We believe your cameras may have caught him."

The manager's expression shifted instantly from star-struck to serious. "Of course. Right this way."

He led us through the back corridors quickly, past storage rooms and employee break areas, into a small office cluttered with monitors and filing cabinets. Another staff member was already seated at the desk, and the manager instructed him to pull up the footage from the relevant time frame.

Cynthia stood beside me, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her breathing shallow and uneven. I wanted to reach out, to touch her shoulder, to offer some kind of physical reassurance…

The footage loaded.

The camera angle showed the street outside the supermarket—a moderately busy road lined with storefronts, streetlights casting pools of yellow light across the pavement.

And then, there Amber was

He looked so small.

So fragile.

He was moving quickly, his little legs carrying him down the sidewalk with determination even though his face was streaked with tears.

Cynthia let out a choked sob beside me, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God… Amber…"

"We understand, ma'am," the older officer said gently but firmly. "We're doing everything we can. But I'd advise you all to go home or to the station and wait. We'll update you the moment we have any information."

"Go home?" Ethan repeated incredulously. "You expect us to just…"

"There's nothing more you can do here," the officer interrupted. "The footage has been secured. We have the plate number. We have officers on the ground. The best thing you can do right now is stay reachable and let us work."

Ethan looked like he wanted to argue, but Bryan placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"They're right," I said quietly. "We need to stay calm. Stay accessible."

Ethan's jaw clenched, but he didn't protest further.

The officers thanked the supermarket staff and left quickly, already speaking into their radios as they disappeared through the door.

Silence fell over the small office.

Cynthia stood frozen, staring at the monitor where Amber's image was.

"Cynthia," I said gently, stepping closer. "Let me drive you somewhere. Home. The station. Wherever you want to wait for news."

She didn't respond immediately, still staring at the screen.

"Cynthia," I repeated softly.

Ethan turned sharply, his eyes locking onto mine with barely concealed hostility.

"Okay..," Cynthia said suddenly, her voice small but resolute.

Ethan's face went blank, his jaw working silently as he fought to control whatever he was feeling. For a moment, I thought he might explode, might lash out, might say something unforgivable.

He just looked at her and then he turned away.

He walked out without a word.

“Come on," I said gently. "Let's get you out of here."

She nodded numbly and let me lead her toward the exit.