The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 58

Cynthia’s POV

The call from Nathaniel came a few minutes later.

“We got him,” Nathaniel said, his voice carrying a note of grim satisfaction. “Dragon’s in custody.”

I sank into a chair in my office at Maison Cynclair, relief washing over me. “Did he talk?”

“He confessed to everything–orchestrating the fake health inspection, planting evidence, hiring Michel Beaumont, coordinating the online attacks. All of it.” Nathaniel paused. “But he’s refusing to name whoever hired him. Says he’ll die before he gives up his employer.”

“So we still don’t know who’s behind this.”

“Not yet. But we’re working on it. The police are applying pressure. He’ll break eventually.”

I rubbed my temples, exhaustion settling deep into my bones. We’d caught the foot soldiers, but the general was still out there. “There’s more,” Nathaniel continued. “It turns out the food agency and health inspectors didn’t actually find anything wrong with your restaurant. They received falsified reports and photos, and they didn’t bother to do a thorough check before making their accusations public. The people who came online claiming food poisoning? All paid. Every single one of them.”

“Paid,” I repeated hollowly. “Someone paid people to lie about getting sick from my food.”

“Yes. It was a coordinated attack, Cici. Whoever orchestrated this had serious resources and connections.”

The scope of it was staggering. This wasn’t just sabotage, it was a full–scale assault on everything I’d built.

“What happens now?”

“Now we wait for Dragon to crack. And in the meantime, I’m pulling every string I have to trace the money. Whoever paid for all of this left a trail somewhere. I’ll find it.”

I believed him. Nathaniel had resources and determination that few could match.

My phone buzzed with an incoming video call

–

all three of my brothers this time.

“Hold on,” I told Nathaniel. “Julian and Kevin are joining in.”

And suddenly all three faces filled my screen.

“Cici,” Julian said, his expression warm with concern. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m… managing.”

“My baby sister, you better be doing well because I’m going to crack somebody’s bone”

Julian and Kevin kept keeping me company while Nathaniel in the background was making a phone call.

“We have good news,” Nathaniel said as soon as he was done with the background call, shifting into business mode. “I just got off the phone with the director of the Paris Food Safety Agency. They’re officially dropping all accusations.”

My heart stuttered. “What?”

“They’re apologizing,” Nathaniel continued. “Said it was a ‘misunderstanding in their judgment‘ and that their investigation found nothing to support the initial claims. They’re going to issue a public retraction and pay for damages.”

I should have felt relieved. Vindicated. Instead, I just felt angry.

+25 Bonus

“A misunderstanding?” My voice came out sharper than intended. “They accused me without doing a proper check. They nearly destroyed my reputation, my business, everything I’ve worked for and now they call it a misunderstanding?”

“I know,” Nathaniel said calmly. “And they’re going to pay for it. Literally. Our lawyers are already drafting the lawsuit.”

“There’s something else,” Kevin added. “Someone’s been working behind the scenes to clean up the social media mess. Negative comments and posts are being taken down at an incredible rate. Someone with serious influence is pulling strings.”

“Yeah, my informant told me that too. He was able to trace it to the Cross family,” Nathaniel confirmed. “They own majority stakes in several major newspaper outlets and media platforms. They’ve been systematically removing the negative coverage and replacing it with retractions and corrections. It is such an awe, we do not have any business with them, why do they care?”

The Cross family.

Nikolai.

A small smile tugged at my lips despite everything. He’d kept his promise. Even while dealing with his father’s health crisis, he’d used his family’s influence to protect me.

“Cici?” Julian’s voice pulled me back. “You’re smiling. That’s a good sign.”

“It’s nothing,” I said quickly. “Just… grateful for the help. I also have my own connections you know”

Kevin raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, why do I smell that minor in this?”

I burst out laughing, “God, Kevin can you stop picking on him? He is 25, he is not a minor”

“You’re going to be sued for child abuse” Kevin rolled his eyes. 1

Nathaniel and Julian were confused about what we were talking about and were curious but Kevin didn’t mention Nikolai’s name, just gave them a hint of the fact he thinks Nikolai is interested in me.

And I wondered if he was actually interested in me. He had texted me back in Missford for dinner. That’s a greenlight, right? and he had done research about my marriage with Ethan.

I shrugged it off, there is no way he is interested in me, he wouldn’t want to be with a woman eight years older than him.

–

The conversation continued strategy discussions, legal options, next steps for rebuilding Maison Cynclair’s reputation. My brothers were thorough and protective, wrapping me in a cocoon of family support that I hadn’t known I needed until I had it.

And then, like a bucket of cold water, reality crashed back in.

Ethan. Amber.

“Fuck,” I breathed, cutting Nathaniel off mid–sentence. “Ethan and Amber.”

All three brothers went quiet.

“I have to go,” I said, already reaching for my phone. “I need to call them. I need to explain to Ethan that,..”

My brothers exchanged glances that silent communication they’d developed over years of brotherhood.

–

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