No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 120

CHAPTER 0120

LAUREN’S POV

At first, he says he knows about Ethan and my marriage, like it were some kind of revelation that would shake my world.

That’s old news. Anyone who has ever worked in the business world knows Ellian Black had an ex–wife. It been in gossip columns, whispered about at corporate events, and probably even printed in magazines five years

ago.

And now, after all this time, he’s just finding out?

I tried to stay composed, to keep my expression neutral, but internally I was rolling my eyes. I mean, come on, Roman. That’s the big secret you wanted to reveal to me so dramatically?

Still, I decided to play along, to pretend like his words actually caught me off guard. It’s always safer to play along especially with someone like him. But then…. he had to twist everything around.

Because apparently, according to him, Aria is Ethan’s daughter.

I nearly choked when I heard that.

Where on earth is he even getting his information from? Whoever’s feeding him this nonsense seriously needs to be fired. No, scratch that they need to be sent back to school and taught what real research looks like. There’s no way he could’ve dug into my past and found out about Ethan without discovering the full story without realizing I lost my child because of him.

So, what’s going on here? Did he stop halfway through the digging? Or is this just some wild assumption he came up with on his own?

My best guess right now is that he’s lazy. That he got halfway through the truth, saw something that made him assume, and went, “Ah, that’s it. Case closed.” Because honestly, that’s what this feels like -like a half–baked investigation.

And that’s both good news and bad news for me.

The bad news is obvious he’s started digging into my past. The very thing I’ve been afraid of all this time is finally happening. Every question he asks, every curious look he gives, it’s all part of him trying to piece things together. And if this keeps up, if he keeps poking around, it won’t be long before he finds out the real truth that Aria is his daughter, not Ethan’s.

But the good news… the good news is that since he’s convinced she’s Ethan’s child, I can use that to my advantage. I can deflect. I can play along. Maybe even steer the conversation in a direction that makes him stop digging for now, at least.

Still, the whole thing leaves a heavy weight sitting in my chest.

I don’t understand why he’s so interested in me in the first place. Why does he still look at me like he’s trying to solve some mystery that refuses to give up its secrets? It’s been five years. Five long, complicated years.

We were nothing back then. There was no bond, no love story, no deep connection. We barely even knew each

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other. We shared a night, a single night and that was it. I left the next morning. No strings attached, no reason for him to chase me or care.

So why can’t he leave me alone now?

Why does he look at me like I’m someone worth uncovering, like my life is a puzzle he’s determined to solve piece by piece?

Sometimes I feel like my puzzle. Every day, a new piece locks into

the existence has become exactly that place, revealing just a bit more of the picture I’ve been trying so hard to keep hidden.

And if my lunch is right, he said all those reassuring words earlier about how my past with Ethan wouldn’t affect my job because he wanted to make it clear that he’s not like Ethan. Or maybe it’s just because he hates Ethan. I can’t tell which. But I can feel the tension in the air whenever that name comes up.

My life is truly ridiculous. I divorced my dumb husband, then without knowing it slept with his business rival. And now, I have a daughter for that rival. If irony were a person, it would be laughing right in my face right now.

“Lauren.”

His voice snapped me back to reality, dragging me out of my chaotic thoughts. My eyes lifted automatically to meet his, and for a second, I wondered if he could somehow read everything I’d just been thinking.

“I hope I didn’t say anything that brought back old memories you’re trying to bury,” he said, his voice low and surprisingly gentle. “A lot of people don’t like talking about their ex, and I understand if you feel that way too.”

He was watching me closely, his tone considerate, but there was still something probing in his gaze, something that made my stomach twist. He was trying to be careful, but I could tell that his curiosity wasn’t satisfied yet.

Hopefully, this would be the last thing he claimed to “know.” If I could keep things calm, maybe he’d stop digging

I took a deep breath, forcing a small, polite smile. It was time to play the part of the composed professional. The woman who wasn’t shaken by the past. The one who was strong enough to move on.

“No, it’s fine,” I said quietly. “Hearing his name just made me… blackout in my own thoughts for a moment

there.”

That wasn’t entirely a lie. Hearing Ethan’s name always did bring a flood of old memories. I’d rather keep buried painful moments, cruel words, and the unbearable loneliness of that marriage. But Roman didn’t need to know any of that.

He nodded slowly, still studying me. “Every marriage comes with its own challenges,” he said finally, his tone shifting to something softer. “But from the way I’m seeing this, it didn’t reallyria’s life much… I mean,

with her studies and all.”

I blinked, trying not to show how absurd his comment sounded.

“No,” I said with a short chuckle. “She took it better than I expected. I think it’s because she was still probably in my stomach when it happened.” I added that last part with a hint of sarcasm, trying to lighten the mood.

He let out a faint laugh, but his eyes, those piercing eyes remained fixed on me.

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