บททั้งหมดของ The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return: บทที่ 191 - บทที่ 200

Chapter 191Cynthia’s POVThe party officially began with the usual formality that came with gatherings like this — soft orchestral music fading into the background, a well-dressed emcee stepping up to the podium, and a sequence of managers, executives, and board members taking turns to deliver welcome speeches filled with polished words and rehearsed smiles.I sat there, hands folded neatly on my lap, nodding at the right moments, smiling when everyone else smiled, clapping when everyone else clapped. On the outside, I probably looked composed, elegant, perfectly at ease in the seat reserved for the guest of honor.On the inside, I was anything but.I felt like a fish out of water, acutely aware of every glance thrown my way, every whispered comment that floated just slightly too close to my ears. The weight of the gossip earlier still clung to me, sticky and uncomfortable. Still married to Ethan Walker, yet sitting beside Nikolai Cross. The sentence repeated itself in my head like a

Chapter 193Cynthia’s POVWhen Nikolai called my name, my heart almost stopped.For a split second, I honestly thought I’d misheard him. That maybe the applause, the music, the murmur of voices had twisted the sound into something familiar.What the hell is he doing?My palms went cold. My stomach tightened painfully as hundreds of eyes turned in my direction. I could feel the weight of their curiosity, their expectations, their judgment, pressing down on me all at once.I wanted to disappear.I wanted to sink into the floor, crawl under the table, do anything but stand up and walk toward that stage. This wasn’t part of the plan. I hadn’t even planned to be here tonight. I definitely hadn’t planned to be honored.For a brief, cowardly moment, I considered staying seated. Pretending I didn’t hear him. Pretending I was just another guest.But I knew that would embarrass him.And despite everything—despite the gossip, the stares, the whispers I’d already overheard—I didn’t want to hurt N

Chapter 195Cynthia’s POVNikolai finally let me go, his arms loosening around me after what felt like the longest hug of my life. Applause still lingered in the air, polite and admiring, but all I wanted in that moment was distance. Distance from the stage, from the lights, from the whispers, from the weight of eyes that felt like they were stripping me bare.I stepped down from the aisle carefully, smoothing my dress, forcing a composed smile as I walked back toward the table. My only plan was simple: grab my purse, make a quiet excuse, and leave. I was done with this event. Done with the attention. Done with the assumptions. Done with Nikolai’s well-meaning but increasingly complicated gestures.I was just a few steps away from my seat when I heard it.A voice.“WHERE IS THE DESIGNATED AREA FOR KIDS FOR THIS EVENT?”The sound sliced clean through the murmurs in the hall. Conversations died instantly. Heads snapped toward the entrance like synchronized puppets.My heart skipped.Tha

Chapter 197Ethan’s POVI sank lower in the chair, my spine curving inward as if my body itself was trying to collapse under the weight pressing down on me. My fists were clenched so tightly that my knuckles screamed in protest, a dull, throbbing pain I welcomed because it grounded me.The video feed played relentlessly on the screen in front of me, every frame cutting into me like shards of ice. I couldn’t look away. I wouldn’t let myself. My eyes burned, stinging with unshed tears as I watched the moments unfold — moments that should have been simple, safe, mundane. Moments that should never have mattered this much. And yet here they were, unraveling into chaos because of my own failures.There he was.My son.Completely engrossed in his gadget, little fingers swiping across the screen with practiced ease, earbuds snug in his ears, blocking out the world. He looked calm. Comfortable. Safe. Totally unaware of the storm that had erupted around him, unaware of the terror clawing throug

Chapter 199 Ethan's POV The security guard's fingers flew across the keyboard, his movements precise and urgent. Lines of code scrolled rapidly across one of the monitors as he worked to restore the corrupted footage. The room was silent except for the clicking of keys and the low hum of the machines. I couldn't breathe properly. Every second that passed felt like an eternity. My chest was so tight it physically hurt, like someone had wrapped steel cables around my ribs and was pulling them tighter with each passing moment. "Got it," the guard said suddenly. The screen flickered. The frozen image jolted back to life. Everyone in the room leaned forward simultaneously, eyes locked on the monitor as the footage resumed playing. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might break through. There was Amber, walking beside the woman through the parking lot. His small frame looked even smaller next to her, his gadget still clutched in one hand, earbuds dangling around