No Second Chances Ex-husband novel Chapter 41

ETHAN'S POV

I woke up before dawn, but for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like getting out of bed. The room felt impossibly large and unbearably quiet, the silence pressing down on me like a thousand tons of steel. My pillow was still damp from tears I didn’t remember shedding, and my chest felt hollow, as though something vital had been ripped away from inside me.

I turned my head to the side, and my eyes fell on Elena’s blue blanket. I folded on the nightstand, though there were still traces of blood on it, but I didn’t care about that, the blanket was the one thing Elena cared about the most, Lauren must have brought it yesterday… before everything fell apart. My throat tightened painfully, and I pressed a fist against my mouth to keep from crying out loud.

Yesterday. God. Just yesterday.

My little girl. My only daughter. Gone.

I had imagined so many things for her future. Her first day at college. Teaching her to ride a bike. Walking her down the aisle on her wedding day. Watching her grow into the kind, strong woman I knew she would be.

But now… There was nothing. Just this unbearable emptiness.

I swallowed hard, my jaw clenching as I forced myself to sit up. The sheets were tangled around my legs, my suit from the day before still crumpled on the floor. My eyes burned from a night without sleep, haunted by images I couldn’t forget — Elena lying there… so still, so cold, her blood soaking the floor beneath her.

And I wasn’t there to protect her.

It was my fault.

All of it.

If I hadn’t left…

If I’d stayed just a little longer…

My fists clenched tighter until my knuckles turned white. Regret clawed at my insides, an agony sharper than any physical pain.

A soft knock broke through my spiraling thoughts.

I cleared my throat, trying to steady my voice. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Rosa stepped in, her usually warm eyes red and puffy. She was followed by the rest of the house staff, people who had worked for me for years, people who had watched Elena grow up. They stood in a solemn line, heads bowed, their silence speaking louder than words.

Rosa stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her apron. “Sir…” Her voice cracked, but she forced herself to continue. “We all heard the news… about little Miss Elena. We wanted to come and say how truly sorry we are. She was… she was loved by all of us. And… we wanted to check if you were okay.”

For a moment, my resolve wavered. My vision blurred as fresh tears welled up, threatening to spill.

But I couldn’t. Not in front of them.

I had always been the one they relied on, the pillar that held everything together. Showing weakness now felt like a betrayal of that role.

I swallowed hard and gave them a stiff nod. “Thank you. I appreciate it. But I’ll be fine… eventually. You may go now.”

Rosa hesitated, as if wanting to say more, but finally gave a small nod. “Of course, sir. If you need anything… anything at all, please tell us.”

The rest of them murmured soft condolences as they turned and filed out of the room, leaving me alone once more.

The silence returned, even heavier than before.

I dropped back onto the edge of the bed, burying my face in my hands. My mind refused to stop replaying that awful scene, the blood, Lauren’s screams, Elena’s lifeless body.

But there was something else nagging at me, something that refused to let go. Who could have done this?

It wasn’t a robbery. That was obvious.

None of the safes had been touched. My watches, jewelry, cash, everything was still exactly where I left them. The alarm hadn’t even been triggered.

Which meant whoever did this… came only for Elena.

The thought made my stomach turn. Who would want to harm a five-year-old girl? Who could be so cruel?

I racked my brain, thinking of enemies, rivals, anyone I might have wronged in the past. But I couldn’t come up with a single name. I had business competitors, sure, but none of them seemed capable of something so vile.

And why now? Why her?

I needed answers. I couldn’t stand the thought of not knowing.

Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I unlocked it with trembling fingers and dialed a number I hadn’t used in months.

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