No Second Chances Ex-husband novel Chapter 49

49 /50

SOFIA'S POV

The car door shut with a satisfying click, sealing the two of us away from the dreary gray of the cemetery. As the tinted windows muted the world outside, I leaned back in my seat and allowed myself the smallest, most indulgent smile. The kind of smile that starts slow and deep, curling up from the chest like smoke.

God, that had gone perfectly.

I could still see the look on Ethan’s face when the whispers began, when Lauren’s sharp eyes narrowed and her lips parted in that little gasp of disbelief. And the way the rest of the crowd had turned like vultures scenting a fresh kill toward him, toward the man who’d been so certain he could keep his dirty little visit to me a secret.

Of course, he hadn’t realized that when I’d leaned in with what he thought was affection to straighten his collar, I was really doing something far more delicious. My fingers had lingered just enough to press the tiny mic — no bigger than a button — into place. The mic was already connected to the speakers set up for the ceremony. It had taken a bit of bribing and sweet-talking to get the sound tech to help me, but I’ve never met a man who could resist me for long when I wanted something.

From there, all it took was timing.

I’d steered the conversation toward the moment I knew would sting the most. I brought up when Ethan came to see me, the day he left Elena all alone. I said it lightly, almost carelessly, as if it was just between us except of course, it wasn’t. Every word echoed through the cemetery, through the speakers, through every set of ears present.

Lauren had heard it. Every guest had heard it. Even the priest’s expression had tightened.

And Ethan… oh, Ethan. His eyes had widened just a fraction, enough for me to savor the flicker of realization before he tried to cover it. But there was no covering that. Not with so many witnesses.

I pressed my fingertips to my lips now, holding back a laugh. “You’re awfully quiet,” I said to him, letting my voice drip with faux innocence.

He gave me a sidelong glance from the driver’s seat. “I’m just… thinking.”

“About what?” I tilted my head. “Elena?”

He flinched ever so slightly, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning outright. Perfect.

Of course, Elena’s burial hadn’t even happened — not properly, anyway.

That part had been even easier to pull off.

Before we left the cemetery, I’d taken Ethan aside, telling him that there was no need to spend his money on people like Lauren. I’d said it in that breezy, confident tone that made people believe me without question. He’d nodded, too distracted and too trusting or maybe just too stupid to bother thinking it through.

In reality, I’d ensured the payment was stalled, tied up in “pending” just long enough for the staff to refuse to proceed. Without full payment, they wouldn’t lower the casket. It would be quietly wheeled back to storage, and I’d caught the faint murmur of confusion ripple through the guests as we walked away.

The image of it made me almost giddy. That brat Elena, not even in the ground yet, had her grand send-off delayed because Ethan had listened to me. Because I’d told him not to worry.

And he hadn’t suspected a thing.

I glanced at him now, watching the tense line of his jaw. He was focused on the road, his hands gripping the wheel a little too tightly. Maybe part of him was starting to wonder why the day had gone so wrong. Maybe he’d even guess at my involvement.

But even if he did, what could he prove? Nothing.