Unmasked My CEO Ex-Husband’s Regret novel Chapter 13

A suffocating wave of despair washed over Elara, every inch of her body running cold.

But her stunned trance lasted only a few seconds before she violently pulled her rationality back.

With trembling hands, Elara pulled her phone from her purse. Taking several deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down and switched to the video recording app.

She had agreed to come to this birthday banquet precisely to catch him in the act, so nothing she saw should surprise her. She was confident she could compose herself as quickly as possible.

It would be a fatal mistake to lose her cool before securing the evidence.

Feigning the demeanor of someone who had wandered into an unfamiliar area and was recording a video to prove it, Elara started filming from the entrance, gently pushing the door of every room she passed.

Then, as naturally as possible, she pushed open the second door on the right—the bathroom where the sounds were coming from.

But Elara didn't push it all the way open.

She made it seem as though she only realized something was wrong after nudging it ajar. Opening it just a hand's breadth, she acted as if the scene inside had shocked her into a daze, holding her phone perfectly still.

The camera lens pointed directly at the entangled couple, who were angled sideways toward her.

The man's pants were half-lowered, clinging to his thighs. The woman pinned against the wall had her elegant gown shoved up to her waist. One long, slender leg was wrapped tightly around his waist as she passionately clung to him, her eyes glazed over as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Because they were turned sideways, only their profiles were captured, but it was more than enough to identify them.

There was still a lot to do, and Elara didn't want to alert them. Once she finished recording, she released her grip on the door, letting the bathroom door automatically swing shut with a soft click.

It was quiet, but it was enough to catch the attention of the pair inside.

Julian paused, looking suspiciously toward the door.

Unsatisfied and burning with need, Vivian proactively sought out Julian's lips.

Julian regained some clarity. He allowed her to kiss him, his eyes lingering on the closed door for a moment before his tongue finally met hers in response.

Vivian was soon kissed breathless, slumping against his shoulder as she panted. "Wh-what's wrong?"

Julian showered her neck with kisses, murmuring vaguely, "I think someone was just here."

Startled, Vivian jerked her head up to look at the door, but quickly melted back against him.

"The Vance family banquet is so busy right now. The staff wouldn't dare slack off at a time like this."

Saying that, Vivian poked his cheek in dissatisfaction, her tone dripping with jealousy. "You're actually just anxious to get back to your daughter and her mother, aren't you?"

Julian used his actions to prove he was in no rush to leave, driving Vivian so wild she had no extra energy to think about anything else.

"She'll be your daughter in the future, too."

Julian kissed her, pouring out promise after promise between their lips. "I abandoned Elara to come to my nephew's birthday party with you. Does that not prove how much I love you?"

The moment the door clicked shut, Elara's forced tough facade completely crumbled. Her legs felt like lead, and she couldn't take a single step.

She didn't even have the extra strength to stop the recording, simply letting her hand drop weakly to her side. Unexpectedly, she managed to capture that entire exchange on video.

After a brief moment of silence in the bathroom, the intense thudding and moaning resumed. Elara snapped back to her senses.

Elara met his eyes.

When did he get here?

How long had he been there?

Did he hear the commotion inside?

A flurry of questions raced through Elara's mind, but she didn't say a word, walking back as if nothing had happened.

Sebastian didn't stop her. Only when she was about to walk past him did he suddenly speak up. "Do you need my help?"

Elara stopped walking. After a long moment, she turned to face him.

She had completely composed herself. Other than her pale face, there was no trace of the devastation the wretched scene inside had caused her. She even turned the question back on him: "Help with what?"

Sebastian frowned, his eyes full of concern. Afraid of causing her secondary trauma, he found it difficult to say exactly what he meant.

"Oh, you mean the situation inside," she replied.

Elara was surprised and touched that Sebastian was willing to help her. However, he was Julian's nephew after all, and blood ran thicker than water. She didn't believe that their brief childhood friendship could eclipse his familial ties.

She wasn't sure if Sebastian was being sincere or just testing her.

Elara looked at Sebastian for a moment, then let out a detached laugh. Sounding as though she were gossiping about strangers, she kept her tone light and casually probed, "I don't know which little couple was so desperate they couldn't wait, but they ruined my chance to use the restroom."