The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return (Cynthia and Ethan) novel Chapter 87

Cynthia’s POV

I got home with bags full of groceries, already mentally planning the menu. Kevin wanted that garlic butter shrimp pasta and Julian had been hinting about my roasted chicken.

I was just setting everything on the kitchen counter when my phone buzzed.

A text from Ethan.

[PTA is tomorrow. Amber is expecting you at Westbridge Academy. Come without your men, please.]

I stared at the message.

Then I burst out laughing.

My men? What did he mean by “my men“? Did he think I was running around Missford with a harem?

The absurdity of it all- Ethan’s jealousy, his assumptions, his complete inability to understand anything about my life – struck me as hilarious.

“What’s making you laugh?”

Kevin appeared in the kitchen doorway, curious. Before I could react, he snatched the phone from my hand.

His eyes scanned the message.

His expression darkened.

“He’s making you laugh now, huh?” Kevin hissed, handing the phone back with obvious distaste.

I was still giggling. “It’s just so ridiculous. ‘Your men.‘ As if I’m some kind of…”

“Yeah, hilarious,” Kevin muttered, but he wasn’t smiling.

I noticed the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw was set. This wasn’t just about Ethan.

“Kevin.” I set the phone down. “Did Matilda tell you anything?”

He stiffened. “Anything like what?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.” I crossed my arms, studying him. “I remember you practically sprinted out of the house to go to Euphoria Club that night. What happened there? Did you meet her?”

Kevin was quiet for a long moment. I could see him wrestling with himself, deciding whether to open up or shut down.

“Spill it,” I said firmly.

He exhaled heavily. “We made love, Cynthia.”

I gasped. “What?”

“That night at the club. We got a room. We…” He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. “It wasn’t just physical for me. I was catching feelings. Real feelings. I thought she felt the same.”

My heart ached for him. “Oh Kevin…”

“But then I saw her with Nikolai at that restaurant.” His voice hardened. “The way she grabbed his arm. The way she looked at me like I was nothing. Like what we shared meant nothing.”

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“Maybe there’s an explanation…”

“She made it clear, Cici.” Kevin’s eyes were bitter. “Crystal clear. She was just using me. Scratching an itch.” He laughed humorlessly. “She probably knows Nikolai is the heir to Cross Energy Group. Old money. Billions. I’m successful, sure, but I’m not Nikolai–level rich.”

“What are you trying to say? She is after the money?”

“What else am I supposed to think? She slept with me one night and was hanging off Nikolai’s arm the next morning.” He shook his head. “She’s going for the richer option. Simple as that.”

I didn’t want to believe it.

Matilda had been my friend in college. We’d shared late–night study sessions, her relationships drama, dreams about the future. The Matilda I knew wasn’t calculating or mercenary.

But I’d also noticed that Matilda wasn’t the same person anymore. There was something sharper about her now. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

And the way she’d acted at the restaurant, the shrillness in her voice, the possessive grip on Nikolai’s arm, the pointed comments about Ethan being “the husband“. none of it felt like the warm, genuine friend I remembered.

–

A cold thought crept into my mind.

I’d told Matilda about my identity as a Laurent.

Back when I thought I could still trust her. Well, she’d helped me sneak into Amber’s hospital room because I’d been grateful enough to confide in her.

Did I make a mistake telling her who I was? Has she become a snitch? Oh no!

“Cici?” Kevin’s voice pulled me back. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” I said automatically. “Just… thinking.”

“About Matilda?”

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