The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 34

Cynthia’s POV

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The car ride home was suffocating.

Jace sat behind the wheel, his posture straight and professional, eyes fixed on the road ahead. The low hum of the engine filled the silence between Kevin and me in the back seat. Kevin sat beside me. His hand drummed restlessly against his knee, and every so often, he’d glance at me like he wanted to say something, but the words never came.

He is probably feeling guilty for not being with me on the dance floor. I was too sad to try to reassure him not to blame himself.

I stared out the window, watching the city lights blur past. I was so hurt, I felt a huge lump in my throat and I was fighting it so well, I couldn’t afford to cry and hurt Kevin more than he is already hurt.

I hadn’t felt this terribly in a while, probably since the night I’d left Missford three years ago, certain I was going to die alone in

Paris.

“Cici…” Kevin finally broke the silence, his voice rough.

“Don’t.” The word came out sharper than I intended, I just didn’t want him to give me that pity party, I didn’t want to cry.” Please. I just… I just want to go home.”

He flinched like I’d slapped him, but he nodded and said nothing more.

The Laurent mansion in Missford, Jace pulled into the driveway and killed the engine, but neither of us moved.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, staring straight ahead. “I shouldn’t have left you. I should have…”

“Kevin.” I turned to look at him, and the guilt etched across his face made my heart ache. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is.” His voice cracked slightly. “I… I got distracted…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“I need to go inside,” I said, opening the car door before this conversation could go any further. Before I broke down right here in the driveway.

***

Julian was in the living room when we entered, sitting in with a cup of tea and a stack of medical journals spread across the coffee table. He looked up as we came in, and I watched his expression shift from casual interest to immediate concern.

“Hey baby sis,” He set down his tea, already rising. “What happened?”

I opened my mouth to say I was fine, to brush it off and pretend I was okay but I couldn’t even go past the word, ‘L‘

The tears came hot and sudden, spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them. Then the sob caught in my throat, and suddenly I was gasping, choking on three years of suppressed emotion that was clawing its way out

“Cici…” Julian was across the room in seconds, his hands on my shoulders, glancing over at Kevin who was behind ine hey. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, but I couldn’t form words around the grief lodged in my throat

Kevin stood frozen near the door, watching me fall apart with, “she saw Ethan,” he said quietly “Hehe danced with her and guess they spoke at length.”

Julian’s expression hardened. “What did he say?”

The more I tried to fight in the tears, the more It came deeper, the sound of broken sobs that came from onewhere so deep inside me I’d forgotten it existed. I cried till my chest ache and my head pound and my whole body shake

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I’d held it together for so long but Ethan’s actions tonight had cracked something fundamental, and now everything was pouring out at once.

Julian guided me to the couch, “It’s okay,” he murmured, sitting beside me. “You’re safe now. You’re home. Just breathe, Cici. Just breathe.”

Every time I tried to breathe, another sob caught in my chest.

Kevin paced near the fireplace, his hands in his hair, his face a mask of guilt and fury. “I should have been there,” he said, more to himself than to us. “I should have stayed with her. One dance…one fucking dance with some random woman, and he…”

“Kevin.” Julian’s voice was sharp. “Not helping.”

“I know!” Kevin spun around, his eyes bright with unshed tears of his own. “Don’t you think I know that? I left her vulnerable and he swooped in like the predator he is and…”

“Stop.” I managed to choke out the word. “Please. Just… stop.”

Both my brothers went quiet.

“He made it sound like…” I was crying harder now, the words tumbling out between sobs. “Like it was my fault. Like it was selfish for me to leave instead of dying in a house where nobody wanted me, he made me feel like i’m the villain in his story.”

“You’re not,” Julian said firmly. “Cynthia, look at me.”

I raised my eyes to his, and his expression was fierce with conviction.

“Damn him.” Kevin’s voice cut through my spiral, “He’s a manipulative bastard who’s trying to rewrite history to make himself feel better about being a terrible husband.”

“Kevin’s right,” Julian added. “Ethan is gaslighting you. Making you question your own reality. That’s what abusers do when their victims escape.”

“L…”

“Neglect is abuse,” Julian interrupted gently as though he knew what I was going to say next. “Emotional cruelty is abuse. Choosing to believe another woman over your dying wife is abuse. Just because he didn’t raise his hand doesn’t mean he didn’t hurt you.”

Kevin sat down on my other side, and suddenly I was sandwiched between my brothers.

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