The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Ethan’s POV

The drive back from the gala felt endless. I’d dropped Anna off first, making sure the sitter was really there like she’d said and that Hayden was safe in her room.

When Hayden saw me, that tiny sleepy laugh of hers nearly undid me. She had that same brightness in her eyes that Amber once had at her age- innocence mixed with curiosity.

She clung to my neck when I picked her up, calling me “Daddy” in that soft sleepy voice that melted every wall I thought I had left. I held her a little longer than usual.

After kissing her forehead, I tucked her in, lingered by her bedside for a few seconds, and then walked out quietly before Anna could start another unnecessary conversation about what happened at the gala.

Now back at the Walker mansion, I realized Amber and my mother were already fast asleep.

I shrugged off my jacket, loosened my tie, and walked straight toward the bar. The liquid in the decanter glowed faintly as I poured myself a glass, the burn of whiskey meeting my throat like punishment.

Everywhere I looked around the house reminded me of her. The passage she used to walk through in those quiet mornings, the dining table where she’d sit, gently trying to make conversation I was too proud or too distracted to entertain.

I took another long sip but the whiskey didn’t help. If anything, it made the memory sharper.

She was radiant tonight – and I couldn’t stop replaying that smile she gave when that damn Kevin Laurent leaned close and whispered something to her.

“Welcome back, sir” one of the staff appeared too suddenly, startling me.

I looked up at her and back at my drink, a sign I didn’t want to be disturbed.

“You have guests” she said as she gestured at Bryan and Devian who strolled in just in time like they owned the place. Of course, they didn’t even bother to tell me they were coming over at 11pm in the night.

“Ethan Walker!” Devian announced dramatically, shrugging off his coat and tossing it over the couch. “How was the big night, huh? The Bennett Project toast to success! Vincent’s Wine Industries practically rolled out the red carpet for you!”

Bryan followed behind him, already loosening his cufflinks. “Yeah, man, I saw the live stream. You must be proud. Congratulations.”

I mumbled a thank you because I didn’t know what to say, I wasn’t in a good mood and I was not about to start pretending. Devian stopped mid–stride, arching an eyebrow. “Okay… what’s with the long face? Did someone forget your name on the banner or something?”

Bryan squinted at me, already sensing the shift in my mood. “Something’s off,” he muttered “What went wrong?”

I looked down into my glass, swirling the whiskey slowly before setting it on the counter. My voice came out quieter than intended. “I saw her.”

Bryan was just taking in whiskey he had poured for himself, he choked on the sip, coughing hard before setting his drink down “Wait. Hold on. Her?”

Devian’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean…”

“Cynthia,” I said, cutting him off. “Yes. Her.”

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Devian let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “No way. So it wasn’t her doppelgänger after all, huh? Did she recognise you as her husband?”

Bryan shot him a glare. “Not funny, Devian.”

“I’m just saying,” Devian muttered, raising his hands in surrender. “It’s insane. I mean…three years? That’s straight out of a soap opera.”

“She looked different,” I said quietly. “Confident. Like she’d built an entirely new life.”

Bryan studied me closely, his tone softening. “Did you get to talk to her?”

“She came with Kevin Laurent.” The words came out bitter, acidic. “Apparently, they’ve known each other for a while.”

That shut both of them up.

Bryan frowned. “The F1 racer?”

“Yeah.”

Devian gave a low chuckle. “Well damn, she really upgraded, huh? Guess she likes men who know how to accelerate fast.”

Bryan shot him another glare. “Dev, for once, can you not?”

Devian shrugged. “Hey, I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.”

I ignored them both, running a hand through my hair. “It felt like our years of marriage meant nothing to her, she just ignored

me…”

Bryan exhaled slowly. “That was expected”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“She left for three years intentionally,” Bryan said, setting his drink down, “you don’t expect her to still be the same Cynthia who did everything she could to keep the marriage.”

I clenched my jaw. “Why did she leave? I just don’t get it!” I was already getting upset thinking of it, “She left without a damn word and worse, she left Amber!”

“Anna has been taking good care of Amber, when is that a problem?” Devian scoffed

Bryan’s voice stayed calm, “I wonder why you care so much about her disappearance. It’s obvious she got tired of living in a marriage she clearly wasn’t accepted.”

“What do you mean she wasn’t accepted? I didn’t chase her out…”

“You spent those years married to her acting like she was a burden, not a wife, she got fed up and left”

Devian tilted his head, “I get why you’re upset. I bet you miss her cooking, I miss it too man, I tell you, I miss her beet…”

I shot Devian a glare and he stopped talking for a few seconds, and as always continued with his uncontrolled speeches.

“Looks like she’s moved on completely. The woman’s got an entire new life. She is a Michelin chef and professor.”

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