No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 171

ETHAN’S POINT OF VIEW

The sterile scent of disinfectant mixed with the sharp tang of rubbing alcohol filled the small examination room. My doctor’s latex gloves made a faint squeaking noise as she carefully adjusted the Velcro straps on the cast encasing my arm. The instant the cast was removed, an irritating itch spread across my skin, followed by a stiffness that made my arm feel almost alien to me. Slowly, I began to flex my fingers, each subtle movement a stark reminder of the damage Roman had inflicted.

A dull, persistent ache radiated from my elbow up to my shoulder, a nagging discomfort that, while unpleasant, was far from unbearable. It was a sign of healing—progress, however slow.

“Try straightening your arm,” my doctor instructed, her voice calm, measured, and clinical.

—

I obeyed her, moving my arm cautiously. A sharp sting shot through my muscles, brief but unmistakable. I winced, then exhaled slowly through clenched teeth. “It’s getting better,” I murmured, more to convince myself than anything else.

She nodded approvingly, making notes on her clipboard. “Good. The bone is healing nicely, but you need to avoid lifting anything heavy for now. Keep up with the exercises, but don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve made significant progress since the injury.”

I forced a dry, tight smile, but my mind was elsewhere. That day—the day my arm snapped—played on a loop in my head like a broken film reel. Roman’s hand crashing into me, the sickening crunch of bone twisting, and the sharp sting of humiliation that followed. The physical pain paled in comparison to the blow to my pride.

Just hearing his name made my blood boil.

First, he manipulated Lauren, turning her against me and convincing her I wasn’t fit to see our daughter. Then he shattered my arm like I was nothing, leaving me weak and vulnerable. And if that wasn’t enough, he had the audacity to stroll into that auction and snatch away what should have been mine—the Pink Star Diamond Ring.

My lips pressed tightly together as I thought about it. That ring was meant to be my company’s grand comeback, a symbol of power and dominance that would reestablish Black Corporation’s place at the top. Cassandra had been working overtime, pulling every string to secure me an invitation to that auction. Every move I made, every dollar spent, was aimed at making that moment count.

But in the end, it was all for nothing.

Lauren had entered the auction with an unsettling calmness, bidding alongside Roman as if she’d done it a thousand times before. Each number she called out cut through my patience like a blade—eighty-five million, one hundred million, then an astonishing two hundred and twelve million.

She humiliated me in front of everyone.

My jaw clenched tightly as the doctor’s voice pulled me back, but her words barely registered.

If things had gone my way, they would have been the ones shocked to see me there. I was supposed to be the unexpected contender—the underdog who walked away with the prize. I had imagined the expression on Roman’s face when I outbid him, his confidence cracking for the first time. That was the vision I had built in my mind.

But reality had twisted it the opposite way.

Instead of seeing him defeated, I watched Roman remain relaxed, confident, utterly unbothered. And Lauren… she didn’t even flinch when she saw me. No surprise, no hesitation—just the same cold detachment I had come to despise.

My fingers curled into a fist involuntarily, the muscles in my healing arm tightening with the motion.

They think they can shame me, make me appear weak? No. This isn’t how it ends.

Roman Hale has already destroyed enough of my life. First, he blocked Lauren from working in my company. Now, he’s trying to take my daughter away. But this time, I won’t sit back and let it happen.

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