The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 142: A Brother’s Love

Ethan stood frozen, rooted to the marble floor of the courthouse walkway long after the car door shut behind Mara.

His hands trembled slightly at his sides not from rage, not even from helplessness, but from the devastating weight of regret. He had thought he was prepared for this moment. He had braced himself for the coldness in Mara’s eyes, for the silence he had earned.

But nothing could have prepared him for the quiet grace with which she nodded and said, "Thank you," as though her heart wasn’t breaking beneath every word.

It was the kindness in her voice that shattered him.

He brought his hand to his chest, right where it hurt the most. The name Andrew now carried two lives, two babies, one in his arms, and one still out there in the shadows. And he knew, deep down, he had failed both of them.

He had failed Mara.

He hadn’t meant to name Lucy’s baby after the son he shared with the woman he truly loved. But in that moment, when the nurse asked him and the baby opened his eyes... it came out before he could stop himself: Andrew.

Now, every time Lucy said it, chirping it in that smug voice of hers, it sounded like a betrayal.

He felt like a stranger in his own life.

Ethan closed his eyes, the walkway blurring into muffled echoes. His suit felt too tight, his breath too shallow. Every instinct screamed at him to do something to make it right, to go after her, to tear down every wall and beg her not to leave.

But what right did he have?

What could he possibly say to Mara, the woman who had fought through a coma, through trauma, through the brutal ache of losing one twin, only to be met with another wound, the man she once loved giving her stolen son’s name to someone else’s child?

He hated himself for it.

He hated how Lucy was still tangled in every moment, every decision, like poison in his bloodstream. And now he had a child with her, a child he didn’t ask for, but couldn’t abandon. What kind of father would that make him?

And still, even with all the noise in his head, Mara was the only thing that felt clear.

Her strength. Her silence. The way she held her pain like a crown and dared the world to question it.

He whispered to himself as he finally moved away from the door, "I’m not giving up. Not on you. Not on our son."

Because if Mara had the strength to rise again, then so would he.

Even if it killed him.

---

The grand doors of the Shepherd mansion opened, and for a moment, the world paused.

Mara stepped inside, her body weary but her gaze unshaken. The silence that met her wasn’t cold, it was sacred. Her four brothers stood lined up like soldiers waiting for their queen. Not one of them said a word. Steve, the eldest, moved first, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

The rest followed, creating a shield around her that spoke louder than any words could. They didn’t need to say "Welcome home." Their arms said it for them: we missed you. We’re sorry. We love you. We will never let you fall again.

Mara didn’t shed a tear. Not today.

She couldn’t afford to.

Every breath she took was for her missing son. Every step forward was a vow. I will not rest until I find you, baby boy.

Later, as the fire crackled in the study, Steve hesitated before sharing the latest intel. "We got word... Philip was spotted in an abandoned estate outside the city."

Mara turned slowly to him, eyes calm. "And?"

Steve’s jaw tightened. "When the police got there... it was a bloodbath. Everyone was dead. No trace of him."

Another dead end. Another cruel echo in a long tunnel of disappointments.

But Mara smiled, a small, sad smile that carried a thousand storms behind it.

"We’ll find him," she whispered.

Just then, the nanny entered with a bundle of life in her arms, baby Audrey, cooing softly. Instinctively, the five of them moved toward her. The Shepherd brothers, once feared tycoons and powerful men, now stood helplessly in awe of this tiny girl in pink cashmere.

Stanford had ordered her a diamond-studded rattle. Stanley had brought her a baby-sized designer coat from Milan. Stefan handpicked organic baby lotions made from ingredients sourced from the Swiss Alps. Steve, quiet and reserved, had set up a scholarship in her name, a small promise that one day, her dreams would never be denied.

Audrey’s soft giggles echoed through the hall, washing away the heaviness like a song. For that moment, peace returned.

Then the doorbell rang.

And peace left with it.

Ethan stepped in cautiously, his presence shrinking beneath the towering shadows of the Shepherd men. The room stiffened. No one greeted him. Not even Mara, who didn’t spare him a glance. Her voice, however, rang out clearly, steady, firm, cold.

"Her father is here to spend time with Audrey," she said to the nanny. "Please stay with them. Ethan is allowed to visit her. But he may not take her away."

Ethan flinched at her words, not because of what she said, but how she said it.

Without love.

One by one, the brothers retreated, their silent glares making sure Ethan knew where he stood.

He was a guest. Nothing more.

Left alone with the nanny and the baby, Ethan swallowed down the ache in his throat. He walked toward Audrey’s movable crib and hovered, his heart softening at the sight of her sleepy eyes and rosy cheeks. She yawned, then blinked up at him and smiled.

It was that smile that broke him.

He placed the teddy bear he’d brought beside her and handed over a tiny silver bracelet engraved with her initials. The nanny gently picked Audrey up and helped place her in Ethan’s arms, adjusting her head with the tenderness of someone who understood the fragility of both baby and father.

"You two look lovely together," she said with a soft smile.

Ethan blinked back tears and kissed his daughter’s forehead. "Hi, sweetheart," he whispered, voice thick with emotion. "Daddy’s here."

But in his heart, he made a silent vow: One day, I’ll earn your mother’s forgiveness. And I’ll bring your brother home.

The Anderson mansion was cloaked in silence, the kind of silence that comes not from peace, but from tension too thick to speak through. Lucy paced the living room, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. The ornate clock ticked steadily on the wall, but Ethan was still nowhere to be found.

She had checked everywhere. His office, closed for the day. His firm hadn’t seen him. And he hadn’t set foot in the mansion since morning.

He’s with her again, Lucy thought bitterly, her lips curling with disdain. Mara. Always Mara.

Fury and fear twisted in her chest. The longer Mara searched, the more dangerous everything became. The Shepherd brothers had money, power, and the kind of ruthless loyalty that could destroy anyone who got in their way. And if they found out the truth... Lucy shuddered.

She pulled out her phone and dialed quickly.

Philip answered on the third ring, his voice low and amused. "I was wondering when you’d call, princess."

"We have a problem," Lucy said sharply, stepping toward the windows. "Mara isn’t giving up. The more they search, the closer they’ll get to the truth. We need to... mislead her. Throw her off. If she believes her baby is dead, she’ll stop."

There was a pause, and then Philip chuckled darkly. "I’m already handling it. Don’t worry. I’m working on finding a dead baby around the same age. Mara won’t know the difference."

"You’d better," Lucy hissed, "because I can’t have her finding out my baby is hers."

Philip’s voice turned cold. "And you, bring me, Vera."

Lucy blinked. "What? Why Vera?"

"There’s something I need her to see. It’s time she understands how her father loves her. She may not be on my side now, but she will soon."

Lucy didn’t question further. She nodded, then turned.

And froze.

Standing by the staircase, halfway concealed in shadow, was Mrs. Bella Anderson.

Her hands were trembling. Her eyes were wide, wounded, and boiling with fury, locked onto Lucy with an intensity that sent chills down her spine.

"How... dare you," Bella whispered, her voice hoarse with rage.

Lucy’s heart stopped. "It’s not what you think—"

"It’s exactly what I think," Bella snapped, stepping closer. Her voice rose with each word. "That baby, that baby in this house, is Mara’s. You’ve lied. You’ve stolen. You’ve manipulated my son’s grief, and you’ve broken my daughter-in-law’s heart."

Bella’s voice cracked, but her fury didn’t waver. "I saw the look in his eyes when he held that boy. I should have known, I should have known."

Lucy backed away, her mouth dry. "Please, listen to me—"

"No," Bella said, now trembling with emotion. "You will listen. If you think for a second I’ll stay silent about this, you don’t know me at all. You may have fooled Ethan, but you will not fool this family again."

Without another word, Bella turned and stormed down the hallway, her voice ringing through the house.

"VALERIE! VERA! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

Lucy stood frozen in place, her throat tight, her mind racing. The secret was unraveling. And she was running out of time.