No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 181

CHAPTER 0181

LAUREN’S POV

I stole a quick glance at Roman, then shifted my gaze to Cassandra. The deliberate, measured way she moved toward the door was a clear sign she was preparing to make a run for it. Her shoulders tensed up noticeably, and her breath became shallow and sharp—an unmistakable posture of someone plotting a frantic escape.

For a brief moment, I found myself frozen in place. The atmosphere in the room thickened, heavy with the kind of silence that precedes a storm. The only sound breaking the quiet was the faint ticking of the wall clock. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Roman’s face—calm, almost unnervingly so. He didn’t flinch or shift an inch.

Before any of us could react, Cassandra suddenly spun on her heel and bolted toward the door.

The wooden door slammed open with a loud thud that echoed through the office. My chair screeched as I sprang to my feet, ready to pursue her. But Roman remained motionless, his expression unreadable. He didn’t look worried in the slightest. In fact, there was a subtle, confident gleam in his eyes, as if he already knew she wasn’t going to get far.

And he was absolutely right.

Just as Cassandra yanked the door open, she froze mid-stride. Her eyes widened in shock, as if she’d just seen a ghost. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she stepped back into the room. Standing just outside the door were two uniformed officers, their faces stern and unreadable, their presence commanding immediate attention.

A small, relieved smile tugged at the corner of my lips. There was no way she was escaping now.

“I’m disappointed in what you’ve done,” Roman said, finally rising from his chair. His voice was calm but carried a weight of restrained anger.

Cassandra remained silent. Her lips quivered slightly, but she held her head high, refusing to show weakness.

“You’re fired,” Roman continued, his tone sharpening. “And you are banned from ever setting foot in any branch of Hale Industries again. I hope you enjoy your time behind bars.”

His words were like ice—cutting and precise. He didn’t need to raise his voice; the authority in his tone alone was enough to slice through the tension in the room.

Then, unexpectedly, Cassandra’s gaze snapped to me. The fury burning in her eyes was like a live wire, ready to ignite.

“You’re the reason this happened!” she spat.

I blinked, caught off guard. My eyebrows knit together as I glanced over my shoulder, wondering if she was addressing someone else.

“How,” I asked evenly, though disbelief colored my voice, “am I the cause of your mistake?”

Her lips curled into a bitter, twisted smile. “If you hadn’t been going around sleeping with every man you meet—especially him,” she said, pointing a trembling finger at Roman, “I would’ve gotten the position I’ve worked for years to earn!”

The room fell into a heavy silence. Even the officers exchanged a brief, surprised glance.

A laugh escaped me—not from amusement, but sheer disbelief. Was that really what she thought? That my success was nothing more than sleeping my way to the top?

I took a slow step forward, the sharp click of my heels cutting through the stillness. “You honestly believe I got here by sleeping around?” I asked, my voice steady but firm. “Is that the story you tell yourself to explain away your own failure?”

Her glare wavered for a moment, but stubborn pride kept her from looking away.

“I didn’t sleep with anyone to get where I am,” I said, now standing directly in front of her. “Everything I have, I earned through the same hard work you claim to have put in. The difference between us is that while I was focused on bettering myself, you were consumed by hatred for everyone around you. Jealousy destroyed you.”

Her jaw clenched tightly. I pressed on.

“Maybe fate had a reason for keeping you from that position. Because after what you’ve done—betraying this company, betraying your colleagues—you don’t deserve it.”

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