The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 139: I will find you

Mara looked up, not startled, strong. For the first time in weeks, they saw the storm in her eyes. The storm said: You took one of mine. I’m coming for you.

"She’s singing," Stefan whispered, stunned.

"She’s back," Steve said, not hiding the emotion in his voice. Mara kissed her baby’s fingers and looked at her brothers.

"I want every name Philip ever worked with. Every shadow. Every crooked friend. He’s hiding, but he won’t hide from me. I’m done being broken."

She held Audrey tighter.

"I’m going to find Andrew. And I’m going to bring him home."

The brothers nodded, hearts thundering with hope.

Stefania Shepherd was back. And God help anyone who tried to stand in her way.

—

Ethan stood by the nursery door, just watching.

Mara was sitting on the floor in a loose hoodie, her hair tied back, cheeks still soft with sleep. Audrey babbled in front of her. The room smelled faintly of lavender and baby lotion, a soft lullaby humming in the background.

He hadn’t planned to come so early, but he couldn’t stay away.

She looked up briefly. Not cold. Not warm. Just... distant.

"Good morning," he said quietly.

"Morning," she replied.

"She’s... Audrey?" he asked softly, motioning toward the baby.

Mara nodded. "Audrey. And Andrew, our baby boy."

He smiled gently, the name tasting sweet in his mouth. "It’s beautiful. She’s beautiful. Audrey and Andrew sound perfect,"

A small smile tugged at Mara’s lips, but it faded just as fast.

"I’ve started exercising," she said abruptly, her voice clipped. "I want my strength back. I want to be ready for whatever comes next."

Ethan’s smile faded, too. "I get it," he said. "Whatever you need, I’m here."

Mara stood slowly, brushing herself off. "You’ll be here for Audrey," she corrected. "For her. Not for me. Not anymore."

His breath caught, but he didn’t interrupt.

"Our divorce... It’s still happening. That hasn’t changed." Her eyes met his now, clear, determined, but so heavy with pain. "After we find Andrew, I’m going to the States. I need space. I need something new."

"Mara..." he whispered, eyes stinging.

"You don’t have to agree. Just understand."

"I do," he said. "I understand. You’re hurting. You’re surviving. And you don’t owe me anything."

He stepped forward slowly, gently, and knelt beside Audrey, brushing a kiss against her forehead.

"But I need you to know something," he said quietly, his eyes lifting to Mara’s. "I’ll be there. For her. For Andrew, when we find him. And if you ever let me... I’ll be there for you too."

Mara’s eyes shimmered, but she didn’t cry. Not this time.

"Don’t wait for me, Ethan."

"I’m not," he said, smiling just enough to hide the crack in his chest. "I’m just... hoping."

And with that, he kissed Audrey one more time and left the room, the echo of his words lingering long after the door shut.

---

The soft clink of glass echoed in the silent room as Ethan set his untouched whiskey down on the table. Papers, case files, and anything that has to do with Philip were scattered across his desk like broken pieces of a puzzle.

His heart ached.

Not just from the cold way Mara had spoken to him earlier that morning, but from the hole where his son should’ve been. He buried his face in his hands.

"Come home, son... I’ll find you."

His phone buzzed. An unfamiliar number. But he knew who it was even before he picked up. He answered it without hesitation.

Lucy.

She was on video. Her face glowed with that fake softness she’d perfected over the years, a smug smile pulling at her lips. She panned the camera downward.

Her belly showed a perfect baby bump in her designer maternity dress.

"I thought you might want to see your baby boy," she said sweetly. "He’s kicking a lot today."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched. "You’re early," he said flatly. "Isn’t it too soon for the act?"

Lucy pouted. "I might go into labor any moment, Ethan. They want to do a C-section. I told you I have that little heart condition, remember? Pushing isn’t safe for me."

He didn’t blink. "Let me know when the DNA test can be done."

Lucy blinked, caught off guard by his coldness. "Is that all you have to say?"

"No," he said darkly. "Stay alive until the test. That’s all I care about." And with that, he ended the call. He exhaled hard, hands shaking.

But he didn’t stop there.

With a few strokes on his keyboard, Ethan opened his secure tracing software and tracked the call. His eyes scanned the screen.

Alcester. His heart stopped. That didn’t make sense. Lucy was already in Alcester?

He was now sure Philip had his son hidden somewhere else but why?

—

The soft hum of a choir filled the small church, candles flickering gently at the altar. Mara stood in a flowing pale blue dress, Audrey nestled in her arms, her tiny head adorned with a silk bonnet.

Ethan stood beside her, sharply dressed but distracted—his phone buzzed again and again in his pocket. Each vibration pulled his attention, but he held still, trying to stay present for this moment.

A blessing. A promise. A memory for their daughter.

Audrey’s christening was small, just close friends and family. Valerie had tears in her eyes. Stefan smiled proudly, and Steve, stoic as ever, kept glancing back at the church doors, instinctively on guard.

When the ceremony was over and guests began to trickle out, Ethan finally slipped aside and returned the call.

Lucy.

Her voice came over the line with breathy exhaustion and satisfaction.

"It’s done," she said. "You can come now. The baby’s here. You can finally have your precious DNA test."

Ethan’s jaw tightened. "Where?"

She gave the name of a private clinic in Alcester.

Ethan hung up without another word.

He walked back toward the courtyard where Mara sat under the shade, Audrey in her lap, gently kicking her feet in the air.

He sat beside her and exhaled deeply. "Lucy gave birth."

Mara went still. Her lips pressed into a tight line.

"She says I can get the DNA test now," he added. "And I will. As soon as I get the results, I’ll expose her for everything. You won’t have to worry about her anymore."

Mara didn’t speak at first. She watched Audrey’s tiny hand wrap around her finger.

"Okay, poor child," she finally said, barely a whisper as a part of her wishes it’s not his

Ethan’s breath caught. "Not because I hate the child," she added. "I guess Lucy gets to win." He looked at her, wanting to reach out—but he didn’t.

"I’ll find out," he said. "I’ll make sure the truth comes out." And then, quietly, he stood and left. Mara watched him go, her heart heavy, her mind spiraling with what-ifs and quiet hopes she wouldn’t dare say aloud.

—-

The walls of the clinic were white and pristine, but to Ethan, it felt like walking into a storm cloud. Every step echoed with the weight of what was to come.

He paid a small fortune to expedite the process—no waiting days. No delays. He needed the truth now.

The nurse led him to a private room. Lucy was already there, cradling a newborn wrapped in blue. Her makeup was flawless. Her eyes glittered, not from tears, but from triumph.

"You’re here," she said sweetly. "Told you I’d let you have your test."

Ethan didn’t reply. He was already scanning everything—the baby, the paperwork, the nurse, the ID band on the child’s tiny wrist. Every detail mattered. He wasn’t giving her a sliver of space to twist this.

The nurse swabbed the baby gently. Then Ethan. The samples were rushed to the lab.

Lucy hummed to the baby, rocking slowly. "He looks like you," she said. "Strong chin, sharp little nose..."

Ethan remained silent, eyes locked on the clock.

Time ticked painfully slow.

Two hours later, the doctor returned with a sealed envelope. Ethan took it before Lucy could even reach it. He ripped it open, hands steady, heart racing.

His eyes scanned the page.

Paternity: Positive.

It was his son.

Ethan stood there, stunned. Like the floor had vanished beneath him. Like everything he’d built in his heart for a different future had just been erased with a single line of truth.

Lucy leaned back in her chair, victorious. "So," she said lightly, "what are we naming our son?"

Ethan’s voice came low, hollow.

"Andrew."

Lucy tilted her head. "I thought you’d want to name him after yourself. Ethan Jr., maybe?"

He didn’t look at her. "Andrew’s a good name." She smirked. "Andrew, it is."

But behind that smirk, something flickered. A twitch in her brow. The realization that even though she won, he didn’t choose her. Ethan stepped closer to the baby and stared at the tiny sleeping face.

This was his son. But it didn’t feel like a miracle. It felt like a storm had just begun, and he wondered why he still didn’t remember ever touching Lucy.