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Todos os capítulos de The Billionaire Ex-Wife's Return: Capítulo 41 - Capítulo 50

320 Capítulos

#41

Chapter 41Anna's POVThe wine glass trembled in my hand as I stared at my phone, scrolling through yet another article about Cynthia's triumphant return to Missford."Chef Cynclair's Maison Cynclair continues to dominate the culinary world...""Michelin star chef: The inspiring transformation of...""Mystery woman at Grand Prix revealed to be culinary icon..."I threw the phone across the room. It bounced off the couch cushion and clattered to the floor.Everything was falling apart.Everything I'd worked for, everything I'd sacrificed, everything I'd carefully built over the past three years was crumbling like a sandcastle against the tide of Cynthia's return.I'd tried the university students, paid good money to have them turn other students against her by asking personal questions, only for them to give up when she shuts them up with an intelligent and dismissing response. I'd tried Marcus Chen. Failed.And then the gala. God... I could still feel the humiliation burning in my ch

#42

Chapter 42 Cynthia's POV I was mid-sentence, explaining the delicate balance of acids in French cuisine, when the lecture hall door opened. My heart stopped. It was Ethan. He stood in the doorway, dressed in a sharp business suit. His eyes scanned the room before landing on me, and even from across the lecture hall, I felt the impact of his gaze. What was he doing here? "Professor Cynclair?" One of my students raised her hand. "You were saying about the lemon juice?" I blinked, dragging my attention back to the whiteboard. "Right. Yes. The lemon juice acts as both a flavor enhancer and a..." I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way Ethan was now leaning against the back wall, arms crossed, watching me. "...a preservative for the color of certain vegetables." My hands trembled slightly as I continued writing. I could feel him staring.Focus, Cynthia. Just finish the lecture."The key is timing," I continued, my voice steadier now. "Add the acid too early, and you risk brea

#43

Chapter 43**Kevin's POV**Missford had been amazing to me.Sun, ocean, beautiful women who didn't ask complicated questions about my family or my feelings. I'd come to Missford to support Cici during her return to university and coincidently had the hometown racing competition, but honestly? It had its own appeal.There was this girl, Rebecca. Met her at the grand prix. She had the kind of smile that suggested she understood the difference between a good time and a serious relationship, and I appreciated that clarity."You should come watch me train," I'd told her over the phone. "Nothing serious. Just a casual F1 training with some guys. You'd enjoy it."She'd shown up in a sundress that did excellent things for her figure, and when I came out of the car after winning…which, let's be honest, was never in question, she'd thrown down her binoculars and wrapped her arms around me like I was the best thing she'd ever seen."Oh my God, Kevin. You're so impressive," she'd breathed, her bo

#44

Chapter 44 Cynthia's POV It didn't take less than thirty minutes after that call before all three of my brothers appeared at the house, practically storming through the front door like a trio of overprotective sentinels. Kevin arrived first, still slightly disheveled, his hair messier than usual. Julian came in right behind him, medical bag in hand as if he thought I might need emergency treatment. And Nathaniel, ever the composed businessman, walked in last, his expression calm but his eyes full of concern. "Alright," Kevin said, dropping onto the couch beside me. "What did that bastard say to you?" "Kevin," Julian warned, settling into the armchair across from us. "What? He is a bastard. We all know it." Kevin turned back to me. "So? What happened?" I took a breath, gathering my thoughts. Having all three of them here, their attention focused entirely on me, was both comforting and overwhelming. "Well," I began slowly, "I've been thinking about everything. About Amber. About

#45

Chapter 45Ethan's POVThe dining room was quiet. Amber sat across from me, pushing his food around his plate without much enthusiasm. My mother, Grace was at the head of the table, composed as always, occasionally making comments about Amber's posture or table manners.It was a typical Walker family lunch…formal, controlled, lacking warmth.Then Anna strolled in with Hayden.I looked up, startled. "You didn't tell me you were coming."Anna smiled that bright, effortless smile she always wore when she wanted something. "Oh, Ethan. Since when did I tell you before coming over?"She was right. She'd been doing this for years, even when Cynthia was around — walking into my house whenever she pleased.And I was just beginning to realize how much it annoyed me.Maybe it had always annoyed me, and I'd just been too guilty or too indifferent to care. But lately, everything about Anna grated on me. The way she spoke about Cynthia to Amber. The cruel little comments she'd made, the seeds of do

#46

Chapter 46 Cynthia's POV I couldn't stop smiling. My hands trembled slightly as I stood in front of my closet, pulling out outfit after outfit, trying to decide what to wear. What does a mother wear to meet the son she hasn't seen in three years? What says "I'm sorry" and "I love you" and "please forgive me" all at once? My phone buzzed on the dresser. A text from Ethan. "We can meet at the house or an enclosed restaurant. Whatever makes you comfortable. Just let me know." I stared at the message, my excitement dimming slightly as reality set in. The house would be more cozy, more comfortable for Amber. It was his home, his safe space. Meeting there would feel natural for him, familiar. But I couldn't step foot in that house again. Just the thought of it made my chest tighten. That house held too many memories — too many nights spent crying in the bathroom, too many dinners where I'd sat alone at the table, too many moments of feeling invisible and unwanted. And Gra

#47

Chapter 47Cynthia's POV"How bad is it?" Kevin asked, though his expression said he already knew."Bad," I whispered. "Health violations. Food poisoning complaints. Anonymous tips. The press is already circling.""It's a setup," Julian said sharply. "Remember the Le Jardin Secret incident last year? I’m suspecting them."I remembered it all too well. Maison Cynclair had been thriving— until Le Jardin Secret planted a spy in our kitchen, stealing our recipes and reporting our progress. They were caught, taken to court, and we won… but they're still in business. And Celeste Kingsley, their owner, has always wanted what we have. We stole their spotlight the moment we opened our doors, and they’ve been bleeding customers ever since.I get the jealousy. I even understand the resentment. But is that enough to go this far? To try to destroy *Maison Cynclair*?"I know it’s a setup," I said, pressing my fingers to my temples as a headache threatened. "But that doesn’t change the fact that my

#48

Chapter 48Ethan's POVWe arrived at the restaurant at 2:30 PM, thirty minutes early because Amber had insisted we couldn't be late."What if Mom gets there first and thinks we're not coming?" he'd said in the car, his leg bouncing with nervous energy.Now, sitting in the private dining room I'd reserved, I watched my son arrange and rearrange the items he'd brought with him. A folder of drawings he'd made over the past three years. A handmade card with "Welcome Back, Mom" written in his careful handwriting."Do you think she'll like these?" he asked for the third time, holding up a drawing of our family — him, me, and Cynthia, all holding hands under a bright sun."She'll love them," I assured him, my throat tight.I checked my watch. 2:45 PM.Fifteen minutes until Cynthia was supposed to arrive.My own anxiety was building, though I tried to hide it for Amber's sake. What would I say to her? How would this work? Would she look at me with that same distant coolness she'd had at the u

#49

Chapter 49Ethan's POV"Ethan!"I turned at the sound of my name, my hand on Amber's shoulder.Devian stood near the entrance with a woman I didn't recognize. He was grinning that easy, careless grin of his that suggested he hadn't a care in the world.I envied him in that moment."Devian," I said, forcing my voice to sound normal even though everything inside me felt like it was cracking apart."Man, what are you doing here?" He approached us, the woman trailing behind him. She was pretty with long dark hair and the kind of confident posture that suggested she knew exactly how attractive she was. "This is my cousin, Sienna. Remember I told you about her? It's her birthday today."Sienna extended a perfectly manicured hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Ethan. Devian's told me so much about you."I shook her hand mechanically, barely registering the touch. "Nice to meet you."But it wasn't. Nothing was nice right now. Meeting Devian's beautiful cousin was the absolute least of my problems

#50

Chapter 50Cynthia's POVNikolai stared out the window at the darkness, his reflection in the glass showing a man barely holding himself together."Tell me about him," I said softly, breaking the silence we'd maintained since takeoff. "Your father."Nikolai turned to look at me, surprise flickering across his features. He gave a wry laugh. "Herman Cross," he said, and there was both pride and pain in his voice. "The oil baron, they call him. Though he hates that title. Says it makes him sound like a cartoon villain."I offered a small smile. "Is he?""No." Nikolai's lips curved slightly. "He's... complicated. Demanding. Brilliant. He built an empire from nothing, came from a small village outside Moscow with literally nothing but ambition and a head for numbers. Now Cross Energy is one of the largest oil and gas companies in Eastern Europe.""That's impressive.""It is." He paused, his jaw tightening. "It's also exhausting being his son"I understood that feeling more than he knew."I

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