His Ex-Wife Is A Billionaire (Evadne and Thaddeus) novel Chapter 1043

The white rose hit the floor with a soft crash, petals scattering everywhere.

On screen, the two of them looked every bit the happy couple.

And he—he was just the outsider, watching someone else’s joy.

The video, casual like a home vlog, was shot by Cassius himself, camera in hand.

The setting: their house, that familiar four-story place.

They cooked together, fooled around in the backyard raking leaves, clinked glasses of wine on the balcony, laughing as the sunset poured in. In every frame, Cassius was at the center—beaming, alive.

Chasel and Cassius had done all these things, too.

Back then, those memories were sweet as honey. Now, they burned like acid. Every inch of this room felt like a torture chamber, every breath a punishment.

“Dr. Bright, he looks a lot like you, doesn’t he?”

Ian stared at the man on the screen, his eyes red and wet with hate. “Let me introduce you. That’s Aubrey—my brother. And, once upon a time, Cassius’s lover. His soulmate.”

“Lover… soulmate…” Chasel whispered, staring at the screen, tears spilling down his cheeks as his whole body shook.

“But Aubrey and I? We’re not blood. We met in foster care, grew up together. Ethan—he didn’t even know his own last name. He called me his brother. He picked the name Aubrey for himself, because he wanted to belong somewhere.”

Ian’s pain twisted into a cruel smile as he turned to Chasel’s shell-shocked face. “Back then, Ethan faced the world’s judgment just to be with Cassius. In the end, he took a bullet—Cassius’s bullet—just to set Cassius free.”

“My brother’s only been in the ground a few years, and Cassius couldn’t wait to find someone new. The guy who swore he’d love him forever dumped those promises and moved on to his next thrill. You know what’s even more pathetic? He picked you—a cheap copy. Like he’s so deep and lost in grief, he just had to find someone who looks like Ethan to fill the void.”

A replacement. A stand-in. A ghost of a love that never really died.

Those words sliced through Chasel’s chest, sharp and bloody. He’d never expected to be Cassius’s only love. He just wanted to be the last one. The one who mattered now. The past was the past—until he realized:

Cassius loved him, was drawn to him… because of a face that looked just like the one he’d lost.

Ian let out a bitter laugh, tears streaming down his cheeks. “If I ever get the chance, I’d love to ask Cassius: does picking up someone new make it fair to Ethan? And you, Dr. Bright—does being the stand-in make it fair to you?”

He laughed harder, voice breaking with spite. “But Cassius will never think he’s wrong. The guy’s arrogant, ruthless—he always gets what he wants, no matter who gets hurt. Dr. Bright, you were never a coincidence. You were part of his plan.”

His plan. All along.

Chasel stumbled back, vision swimming with red and black, collapsing onto the cold floor.

…

Time ticked by. Eight o’clock came and went.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify