The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 152: If only

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, the sun glinting in his hair. "What about you, Miss Shepherd? What’s your drink of choice at a royal tea party?"

"Lukewarm mystery juice with a side of half-chewed biscuit." She held up a slobbery cracker, which Audrey had abandoned mid-snack. "Parenting is glamorous, didn’t you know?"

He laughed, watching her gently wipe Audrey’s hands. There was something magnetic about the way Mara moved, the effortless blend of strength and softness. The mother. The warrior. The woman who had survived so much and still found a way to smile.

"You’re really good with her," he said softly to think she didn’t even know if she was ready to be a mum. Ethan should have been here, her son should have been alive. That was the life she had dreamt of and wanted.

Mara looked up, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "I try."

"No," he said, his voice more serious now. "You are. You don’t try; you are good. Watching you two like this... it feels like home." She swallowed. Something warm stirred in her chest — too warm. She glanced down at Audrey, who was now babbling to her stuffed bunny.

"I never imagined this," Mara said. "All of it. Laughing like this. Being... safe."

"With me?" Rafael asked gently.

She looked at him, her eyes locking with his. "Yes. With you."

---

For a heartbeat, the air between them changed. Charged. She could feel it, the tension, the softness, the wanting, but neither of them moved, not yet.

Then Audrey hiccupped, very dramatically, and both of them burst into laughter.

"You okay, little drama queen?" Rafael asked, picking her up and twirling her once, earning another cascade of giggles.

"She gets that from her father," Mara said with a soft smile, trying hard not to make it seem she was still thinking of him.

Rafael gave her a look. "Really? And here I thought you were the queen of dramatic exits and righteous threats."

"Don’t make me unleash the teddy bear army," she warned.

"I live dangerously." She smiled, biting her lip.

And then, as Audrey yawned and snuggled into Mara’s arms, Rafael stood and stepped closer. He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, his fingers lingering just a moment too long.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"For making me laugh again." Rafael’s eyes softened. "Always."

They stood there a moment longer, baby Audrey nestled peacefully between them, the sky above painted with streaks of orange and rose.

And though neither of them said it out loud, the truth lingered in the air:

—

Penthouse, late afternoon.

The doorbell chimed once, and Mara, in a loose shirt and jeans, glanced up from where she was building a block tower with Audrey.

Rafael, half-distracted with a spoon of mashed banana, called from the kitchen, "I got it unless it’s the landlord asking about that broken vase. In which case, I wasn’t here."

Mara grinned, standing to join him, only for the door to swing open and—

"SURPRISE!!"

In came Steve, arms wide, grinning like he owned the building.

Stanley, holding a giant stuffed unicorn and shaking his head. "She’s going to ride this as she walks."

Stefan, with snacks.

And Stanford, in a suit, clearly having come straight from a board meeting but still somehow carrying a baby-sized designer dress bag.

Mara froze in shock, then let out a laugh that none of them had heard in over a year.

"You guys!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to hug them all at once. "You didn’t even warn me!"

"We wanted to see your face," Stanley said, pulling her into a real hug. "Totally worth it."

"Besides," Stefan added, plopping down beside Audrey. "We missed our favorite niece."

Audrey squealed in delight at the sight of four very tall men now suddenly fighting over who got to hold her first.

Rafael, smiling from the kitchen, leaned casually against the doorframe. "You guys are always this dramatic?"

Steve raised a brow. "Depends. You’re always this familiar with our sister?"

Rafael shrugged, wiping a banana smudge off his sleeve. "She lets me live. I take what I can get."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Don’t start measuring testosterone levels, please."

As the brothers settled in, playing with Audrey and teasing Mara, Rafael fit in like he’d always been there. He knew when to joke, when to be quiet, when to toss a snarky line that made Stanford chuckle or Stefan raise a brow.

And as they watched Mara laugh, truly laugh, Stanford whispered to Steve, "I didn’t think we’d see her like this again."

Steve nodded solemnly. "Not after everything."

Just then, Mara’s phone buzzed on the table. Unknown number. She frowned and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, niece."

The voice was familiar, cold, snake-smooth.

Philip.

Rafael’s body went rigid from across the room. The brothers fell silent.

Mara narrowed her eyes and hit the speaker.

"Should’ve known prison couldn’t keep your mouth shut," she said, but not for long this time, I will make sure of it

"You won, Stef," Philip said, voice strained. "I underestimated you. I always thought I had the upper hand, but now I’m in a country where I don’t even speak their language... I have no friends... no protection..."

"You want sympathy?" Steve muttered under his breath.

"I’m going to die here," Philip said. "But before I do... if you help me avoid the death sentence, I’ll tell you something about your son."

Mara stiffened. "What about my son?"

Silence.

A crackle.

Then nothing.

The line went dead.

Mara stared at the screen, heart pounding.

Rafael stepped forward, instantly sensing her unraveling, which used to be Steve’s job, but he had grown to trust the man by his sister’s side, the one he trusted to catch her whenever she fell, and he was right not to have been wrong.

"Stef?"

"What could he possibly mean?" she whispered. "The DNA test said it was Andrew who died. A year ago. You saw the report. I buried him."

The brothers exchanged dark, confused glances. Rafael gently reached for her hand.

"Stef," Stanford said carefully, "is it possible... he’s lying? Trying to manipulate you one last time?"

"I don’t know," she said hoarsely, eyes wide. "But why offer that? Why mention my son if he didn’t have something?"

"And if he did..." Steve said slowly, "...what truth was buried with that DNA test?"

Audrey cooed from Stefan’s lap, completely unaware of the sudden weight in the room.

Mara sat down slowly, her face pale but calm.

"I need to find out what he knows," she murmured. "Because if there’s even one chance... that Andrew is alive—"

She didn’t finish the sentence.

She didn’t have to.

The brothers looked at each other. Rafael reached down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Whatever came next... none of them were going to let her face it alone.

FLASHBACK — ONE YEAR AGO

Mara sat on the couch in the living room of the Shepherd mansion. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap, her face pale. She hadn’t slept. Her eyes, rimmed red from crying, stared blankly ahead.

She could still hear the sound of the bomb going off.

That single, soul-crushing sound that announced the death of her baby.

Andrew Her body still ached from labor. "Miss Shepherd," the police called softly, approaching with a folder in hand. "The DNA result you requested... It’s here."

Mara stood on trembling legs. "Thank you," her brother said next to her. The police gave her a sympathetic look, one that tried to say I’m sorry for your loss, but Mara didn’t want pity. She wanted certainty. She needed the truth.

She took the envelope and stepped into her bedroom quietly. Cold. The only sound was the rustling of paper as she unfolded the report.

Her eyes scanned it. DNA Test: Confirmed biological match between Stefania Shepherd and the deceased male infant.

Her breath caught. A sob escaped her throat, not relief, not grief, something numb and hollow. The paper fell to her lap. It was true. It was real. Her son was indeed dead.

But just as she slumped forward, shaking, her eyes caught something through the window. She looked up through watery eyes and saw the police man stepping into his car, but something about him seemed off.

She didn’t see the Policeman slip something into his pocket. A folded copy of the same DNA result that Mara had seen.

Nor did she hear him murmur as he left, "Let’s hope this version sticks."

PRESENT DAY — MARA’S BEDROOM

Mara sat upright in bed, a cold sweat across her skin. Audrey was sleeping soundly beside her. Rafael had stepped out to give her space.

Her heart pounded. That day... she’d buried it deep.

But now, Now it didn’t feel right. Why had she gotten the result so quickly? Why... did Philip seem so confident he knew something? She clutched her pillow, shaking. "If there’s even one chance...