No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 101

CHAPTER 0101

LAUREN’S POV

I knew he was going to be here the very moment I saw Sofia. Her presence had already confirmed the possibility, but still, a part of me prayed it wouldn’t be true. Yet here he was, standing before me after five long years, the man I had once called my husband, the man who destroyed everything.

Ethan my ex–husband

The sight of him was like a sudden crack of thunder in the middle of a silent night. My chest tightened, not with longing or regret, but with a burning reminder of betrayal. Memories surged through me, his betrayal of Elena, the way he walked away as if none of it mattered.

“What are the chances that we could have met here,” Ethan said smoothly, lifting the glass of champagne in his hand before taking a slow sip. His voice was exactly as I remembered it–calm, arrogant, dripping with that same condescension that used to make me doubt myself.

I stiffened. From his voice alone, I could tell nothing about him had changed. The years had done nothing to soften him, nothing to humble him. That same sick attitude, that same smugness, it clung to him like a second skin. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if he had ever once thought about what he had done, about how his choices had led to Elena’s grave. Had he ever spent even a single night asking God to forgive him?

No. I could see it in his eyes. He hadn’t changed. He had no remorse, no apology waiting on his lips.

And the truth was, I didn’t even need his apology anymore. I wasn’t the same broken woman he left behind five years ago. I wasn’t the grieving widow drowning in pain and silence. No, I had rebuilt myself. I had carved out my own place in this world. Whether he apologized or not no longer mattered because soon enough, he was going to pay for everything he did.

“Give us some time,” Ethan suddenly said, leaning closer to Sofia.

Her eyes widened slightly. “You want me to leave you two alone?” she asked, as though she couldn’t quite process what he had just requested.

“Yes,” he replied firmly. “Just a few minutes to talk with her.”

Sofia’s lip curled into a sneer. “What would you possibly want to talk with her about? She’s a nobody, a lowlife pretending to be who she’s not.”

Her words dripped with venom, but Ethan didn’t flinch. “You don’t know that,” he said sharply. “Just do as I say and give me some time. This is important.”

I caught the brief flicker of irritation in Sofia’s eyes before she finally relented. “We’re going to talk about this when you’re done,” she snapped, pointing a finger at him as if to remind him of her hold over him. Then her gaze slid back to me, full of hatred and scorn. Even after seeing me for the first time in five years, her expression carried the same venom as it once had. With one last contemptuous look that swept me from head to toe, she finally turned on her heel and walked away.

I let out a small scoff and shook my head. How pathetic. She had marched over here with her insults ready, throwing words at me without even knowing the truth about who I was. She thought she was putting me down,

1/2

but all she had done was expose her ignorance.

There was no need for me to defend myself, no need to waste breath correcting her. She had already made herself look foolish. This is why you should always know your enemy before you attack because walking in blind only gets you humiliated.

At least Ethan knew who I was. Of course he did. He was still a businessman at heart, a man who calculated

1. g. He had always known the value of information. So now, I wanted to hear what this businessman had

to me.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie, as though preparing for some kind of negotiation. His posture was too familiar, the slight tilt of his head, the measured way his shoulders squared. It was the same stance he used to take before presenting his deals, as if every conversation with him was some kind of transaction.

“I see after all these years you’re doing good,” Ethan began, his tone smooth, almost practiced. “You’ve gotten your own standing in the business world. That’s good for you. Honestly, if someone had told me this five years ago, I would’ve just laughed. I thought you would die working a 9–to–5 job. I thought you didn’t have a standing without me, but… I guess I was wrong.” 1

I raised an eyebrow, my lips curling slightly. Oh, so now he admits he was wrong? I couldn’t wait to hear where he was going with this.

“Anyways,” he continued, swirling the champagne in his glass, “I heard about your incredible work in Italy. How you lifted up the fallen branch of Hale Industries. That wasn’t just luck that was impressive. And you know what? I’m actually glad I met you here again, right in this place, under these circumstances.”

I folded my arms across my chest, studying him carefully. His words were laced with admiration, but it wasn’t genuine. No, this wasn’t admiration. This was a strategy. I could already see the gears turning in his mind, the same way they always did when he wanted something.

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