No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 112

LAUREN’S POV

“Isn’t that your boss?” Tessa said, leaning closer toward my side of the window, squinting like her eyesight needed confirmation.

–

I didn’t even bother answering right away. Of course, I knew it was my boss. Even from a distance, I could recognize that tall figure, the way he carried himself too composed, too confident. There was no mistaking him. What unsettled me wasn’t who he was, but why he was standing right outside my gate, waiting like he had every right to be there.

There was no need for Tessa to state the obvious. The real question spinning in my mind was: how did he find my house, and what in the world was he doing here?

“Did you invite him over? I thought you said you turned him down?” Tessa asked, snapping me out of my daze. Her voice carried a mix of suspicion and excitement, like this was some soap opera she’d been dying to watch play out.

1 didn’t answer immediately. My eyes stayed locked on him through the tinted glass. From where I sat, I could see him clearly – his expression, his posture, even the faint movement of his hand as he tapped something on his phone. But from the outside, I knew he couldn’t see me. There was a strange safety in that, watching him while he remained unaware.

Finally, I turned to her. “Can’t you see the expression on my face? I’m just as shocked as you are. I didn’t invite him here. I don’t even know how he found my house.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, laced with the panic bubbling beneath my ribs.

I thought of the one thing that made it worse: today was my approved leave. My one chance to breathe, to rest without work hovering over me like a shadow. And now here he was, crossing that invisible line between professional and personal. Why? I refused to believe he came here just to continue yesterday’s conversation. Even as my boss, this was overstepping. You don’t just show up at someone’s house unannounced.

Tessa tilted her head toward him, studying him like he was an exhibit. “Looks like he’s waiting for you. And from the way he’s been standing there, I doubt he’s planning to leave any time soon. Aren’t you going to go say hi, at least figure out why he’s here?”

I scoffed softly, my fingers drumming against the steering wheel. “Or,” I countered, “I can just drive into my compound, close the gate, and let him stand there until he gets tired. He’ll eventually leave. Besides, he didn’t see that it was me driving, so when I get back to work, I can simply tell him I never noticed him.”

It sounded like a solid plan in my head, but Tessa’s side–eye killed it in an instant.

ahead

“First of all,” she said, pointing a finger at me as if she were scolding a child, “he’ll know that’s a lie. You’ve been parked here for more than four minutes, and your gate is still wide open. That’s enough for him to know you saw him. And secondly…” her tone shifted to something, even more threatening “even if you try to go with that silly excuse, I’ll step in. That’s right, I’ll go outside myself and invite him in for you two to talk. So either way, you’re going to face him.”

I whipped my head toward her, glaring. The problem with Tessa was that when she made threats like that, she meant them. She wasn’t bluffing, and I wasn’t about to test her. The last thing I needed was for her to march up

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to him and embarrass me even further.

Why did I bring her along today of all days? If I had come alone, I could’ve easily ignored him. But with her he I had no escape. And, of course, she would be on his side.

Still, there was another option. I could just tell him I was busy, that something urgent came up, and he’d have no choice but to leave. That was reasonable. Right:

I exhaled, frustration prickling at my skin. Without another word, I slowly pulled the car forward, finally driving into my compound. The tires crunched softly over the gravel until I came to a stop. The engine died with a low hum, and for a moment, the silence pressed against me, heavy and suffocating.

I let out a small sigh as I unbuckled my seatbelt. My chest felt tight, my heart beating a little too quickly for

comfort.

go find out why he came,” I muttered, resigned.

*I’ll go

“Good girl,” Tessa said with a smirk, stepping out of the car like she had won some kind of victory.

I didn’t reply. My gate was still wide open, and I forced myself to walk past it, my shoes hitting the concrete road with deliberate slowness. Each step felt heavier than the last.

He was there, leaning casually against his car, his eyes fixed on his phone. There was something about the way he looked that irritated me the ease, the patience, like he had all the time in the world and would gladly stand there forever if it meant waiting for me.

I swallowed, p

pushing down the unease twisting in my stomach. Because he was my boss, I slipped on the mask I always wore at work: the polite, professional smile, the one I reserved for clients I didn’t particularly like but had to impress.

“Mr. Hale,” I said as I reached him, my voice polite, even cheerful. “How was your night?”

The words tasted sour in my mouth, and inside, I cringed. God, it sounded so forced, so fake, but it was all I could manage.

His head lifted, and his eyes met mine. He slipped his phone into his pocket and straightened up, his attention fully on me now.

“It was fine, thanks for asking,” he replied smoothly “Hope yours was just as good?”

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