The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 121: She Is Gone

Dr. Bennett’s Office – 9 Minutes Later

"Dr. Bennett speaking," the voice answered calmly on the other end.

"Hi, it’s Ethan Anderson," he said, trying to sound composed. "I’m calling about Lucy. She said she had an appointment with you today, some follow-up about her pregnancy..."

There was a pause. Not long, but enough to make Ethan’s jaw tighten.

"Yes," Dr. Bennett replied professionally. "Lucy was here earlier."

"And?" Ethan pushed, pacing near the foot of the bed. "Is everything alright with the baby? Can we proceed with a DNA test now? I need to know where things stand."

Another pause.

Then Dr. Bennett said, "I’m sorry, Mr. Anderson, but I’m only permitted to share limited information with you. Lucy is fine that’s all I can disclose."

Ethan’s brows furrowed. "That’s all you can tell me?"

"I’m bound by confidentiality laws. You’ll have to speak to Lucy directly."

Click.

The call ended.

Ethan stood there, phone still in his hand, frustration simmering beneath his skin.

He turned back to the framed sonogram.

The gift no one asked for.

The perfectly timed silence.

The strange way Lucy had vanished without a word.

He runs downstairs moments later like a madman, Ethan searches the house, calling her name once. Then again.

No answer.

He checked the guest room she’d been using. Her things were gone.

No shoes by the door.

No perfume on the dresser.

Nothing.

Lucy had left.

Just like that.

But not without leaving something behind.

Ethan stared at the framed sonogram once more, his eyes narrowing as suspicion took root.

—

Two weeks had passed.

Two weeks of unanswered calls, unreturned messages, and nothing no sign of Lucy. Not a trace. Not even a whisper.

Ethan sat at his desk in the office, the dull hum of the fluorescent lights above blurring his focus. His hand gripped the phone tightly, the screen flickering with the dozens of unsent texts and missed calls. His jaw was tight, his mind racing.

There had been no news. No word from her.

For the first time in weeks, Ethan allowed himself to think beyond the mess with Lucy. He rubbed his temples, the ache in his skull intensifying as his thoughts shifted.

His grandfather was still in recovery, though stable, requiring constant attention. The weight of his family’s legacy loomed over him. The firm was buzzing with its usual chaos, demanding his presence, decisions, and leadership at every turn.

Then there was Ayla. He hadn’t expected her to show up after their last interaction, but she had showing up at his office, sending him texts, emails. She wanted answers. She had some twisted notion that Ethan owed her some explanation for why he hadn’t called after their night together.

Ethan could barely stomach the thought of it. How had it all come to this? A few moments of weakness and now there were strings pulling in every direction, none of them leading to anything good.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the wall, but his thoughts kept shifting to Mara.

The only woman who seemed to matter anymore. The only person who had seen him—really seen him—in all his complexity.

She was slipping further away.

After everything that had happened, after all the tension and confusion, Mara refused to even acknowledge him. Not in the way he needed her to. She’d shut him out, a barrier he couldn’t break through, no matter how many apologies he tried to offer. Her indifference stung, leaving him feeling like a man caught in a web of his own making.

Mara didn’t need him. She didn’t want him. And deep down, Ethan knew it wasn’t just her pride—there were other things. Things he couldn’t change. Things that had always been in the way between them.

His mind wandered again, and this time, it was darker. The weight of it all seemed so much heavier now, suffocating him with every breath.

How did my life become this complicated?

Two weeks of searching for a woman who had vanished without a trace. Two weeks of trying to juggle family obligations, business responsibilities, and the emotional wreckage of his own choices. Women demanding answers. The endless mess.

His phone buzzed another call from the office. Another emergency. He let it ring, letting the weight of it all settle in deeper.

What if I just walked away?

The thought flashed across his mind like a lightning bolt. But where would he go? What would he do?

He had obligations. He had the firm to run. His family.

But it all felt like a tangled mess.

And what about Mara?

If he could fix it with anyone, it would be her.

But she wasn’t here. She wouldn’t even look at him.

A loud knock on his office door pulled him from his spiral of frustration. He looked up, heart racing, the exhaustion in his eyes evident.

The door opened, revealing his assistant, Steph, standing with a small stack of papers. "Ethan, I have the reports you requested for the meeting. But... there’s someone here to see you."

He sighed. "I’m not seeing anyone right now."

Steph hesitated before speaking again. "It’s Dr. Ayla Devreux. She says she needs to speak with you."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts clouded with frustration. Of course, it was Ayla.

"Send her in."

Ethan sat at his desk, the weight of the decision to let Ayla into his office hanging heavy in the air. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to reset his mind, to push the exhaustion from his body.

The door opened, and Dr. Ayla Devreux stepped in—confident, poised, yet with an edge in her demeanor that matched his own. She closed the door softly behind her and stood for a moment, observing him.

Ethan didn’t stand up. His eyes met hers, tired and cold.

She wasted no time. "You left without a word."

"Are you here to talk about that or my grandfather?" he asked, voice low, clipped. "Because I’m done talking about it."

Ayla’s lips pressed into a thin line. "You think it’s that simple, don’t you?"

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze unwavering. "You slept with me. I didn’t call you back. That’s the whole story, Ayla."

Her eyes darkened slightly, though her posture remained stiff. "That’s not the only story. I know you’ve been busy with your grandfather, but don’t pretend like you’ve forgotten everything else."

Ethan tensed, fingers tightening around the edge of the desk. "You need to stop assuming you know anything about me, Dr. Ayla. I don’t owe you any explanations."

She took a step forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. "You don’t think I deserve an explanation?"

Ethan shot her a look, his patience fraying. "No, I don’t. You’ve been in my life for a fraction of a minute. I’m not the man you think I am. I’ve never been, and I never will be. But thank you for operating on my grandfather."

Ayla’s expression flickered, her voice dropping to a softer tone. "Then why did you let it happen?"

He stared at her, as if trying to decipher her motives. Her vulnerability, her frustration—they felt like a mask. The woman who had once been calm and collected was now wearing a face of need. But it wasn’t about him, he realized. It never had been.

"I don’t know," Ethan finally replied, his voice quieter but firm. "I was caught up in everything... too much on my mind. But I’m not going to play these games with you, Ayla. I’m done."

Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms, her lips curling into a small, almost sadistic smile. "Is that it, Ethan? Are you really walking away from this?"

He didn’t answer at first. His gaze dropped to the papers on his desk distractions he wished he could focus on but didn’t have the energy for.

"Ayla," he said after a long pause, his tone even, "I’m married. Soon to be a father do you get that, what happen was nothing we were both adults, we let it happen."

Ayla stepped closer, her voice lowering, and a small glint of desperation flashed in her eyes. "And what about Lucy? You don’t even seem concerned she’s disappeared. Not a word. Not a trace."

Ethan’s eyes snapped back to hers. The mention of Lucy made his stomach tighten. "I’m not concerned? I’ve been trying to find her. She’s the one who vanished without a word. Not me. She’s playing games. And I’m done."

There was a brief silence before Ayla spoke again, this time her voice a bit more controlled, though still tinged with that sharp edge. "Maybe she isn’t the one playing games, Ethan. Maybe you are."

Ethan felt his jaw tighten. The last thing he wanted was a lecture from her. Especially not now. "You don’t know anything about me, Ayla. So stay out of it."

But Ayla’s gaze softened, a flicker of understanding or was it manipulation?crossing her face. "You think it’s just her you’re fooling around with? You think it’s just your life you’re playing with?"

Ethan pushed himself up from the desk, his temper flaring. "What are you talking about? You can’t possibly think you—"

"I’m just saying," she interrupted, stepping back and giving him space to breathe, "if you’re going to keep pushing people away, at least stop pretending you can do it all alone."

Ethan watched her, his frustration giving way to something more bitter, more resigned.

"You think I don’t know that?" he muttered. "Do you think I’m asking for this?"

Ayla’s voice softened, almost like she was offering an olive branch. "You can’t keep running, Ethan. It’s only going to catch up with you. You can’t fight it forever."

He looked at her for a long time, weighing the words she’d just said. Then he turned away, walking back to his desk. His mind was too full to engage with her any longer. Too full of everything else.

"Get out," he said, voice cold.

For a moment, Ayla hesitated, as if she might push further, but then she simply nodded. "I’ll let you figure it out, Ethan. But don’t say I didn’t warn you."

With that, she turned and left the room, her heels clicking sharply in the silence. Ethan stood by the window, staring out into the city as the lights twinkled in the distance. The weight of everything pressed down on him, more than it ever had before. Ayla, Lucy, Mara, his grandfather, the firm it all felt like it was spiraling out of his control.

A voice in his head whispered, You can’t keep running.