The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 153: He is alive

Anderson Family House: Late Morning

The old house still carried the echoes of better days, though the scent of lavender and lemon polish now lingered in the halls again, thanks to Vera and Valerie’s tireless effort to make it feel like home.

The living room was calm and warm, sunlight streaking through the lace curtains. Mrs. Bella sat in her usual chair by the window, bundled in a soft shawl, her once sharp eyes now softer, yet alert, more alert than they had seen in months.

Ethan stepped inside, carrying baby Andrew in his arms, his expression unreadable. The past year had carved lines of regret and exhaustion into his once-proud face. But here, with his son nestled against his chest, he looked... almost whole.

"Ethan," Valerie said with a small smile. "You came."

"Yeah," he said quietly, "it was time."

Vera walked in from the kitchen, wiping her hands. "It’s good to see you," she said genuinely. "Andrew’s grown so much."

Ethan nodded and knelt beside Mrs. Bella’s chair. "Hey, Mom," he said gently. "Look who came to see you."

He placed Andrew carefully on her lap, supporting him. The toddler blinked up at his grandmother with wide eyes and then immediately grabbed a fistful of her scarf.

Mrs. Bella looked down, her hands trembling slightly... but not from weakness.

Her eyes locked on Andrew, and her breathing grew rapid. Her lips moved, barely forming sound. Her fingers twitched against the blanket, trying to speak. Trying hard.

"Mom?" Ethan asked, noticing her sudden change.

"Is she okay?" Vera moved closer. freёnovelkiss.com

"She’s just... overwhelmed, maybe," Valerie offered, watching closely.

Mrs. Bella raised one hand slowly, shakily pointing at Andrew. Her mouth opened again. Her eyes were wide with something that wasn’t just love or grandmotherly affection.

It was panic. Desperation.

Her lips formed words silently, over and over again. "Not..."

"Not... him..." "Not..."

But no sound came.

Ethan leaned in, brow furrowed. "What is it, Mom?"

Mrs. Bella’s eyes welled with tears. She grasped Andrew’s little hand and looked at Ethan, shaking her head just once, but it was sharp. Clear.

"She’s not just happy," Vera said slowly, her eyes narrowing. "She’s... trying to say something."

Andrew gave a soft, cool pat to her face, and Mrs. Bella broke down entirely tears sliding down her cheeks, her shoulders trembling. Valerie rushed to get tissues.

Ethan stood, gently lifting Andrew from her lap. "Mom... what is it?" His voice had turned hoarse.

Still no words. But her expression said enough: haunted, scared, and warning.

And no one in the room could shake the feeling that what she was trying to say...

Was it that Andrew wasn’t who they thought he was?

—

PRISON VISITATION ROOM — EVENING

Mara sat alone behind the thick glass, the weight of a thousand questions pressing down on her chest. On the other side, Philip was led in, chained at the wrists, his once-slick arrogance dulled by weeks in a foreign prison cell. Still, he smirked.

She didn’t blink.

"I want the truth," she said flatly. "Now."

Philip leaned forward, eyes glinting. "You’re not wasting time with small talk, are you?"

She exhaled sharply. "Is my son alive?" He smiled again, slow and venomous. "I underestimated you, Stefania. You’ve changed."

Her voice cracked slightly. "Answer me."

Philip leaned back, crossing his arms as the chains rattled. "Give me what I want, help me avoid the death penalty. And I’ll tell you exactly where your son is."

Mara’s heart twisted. "You’re playing games—"

"I’m not," he said. "You want to know what happened that night? Why does the DNA report come back confirming a child you never buried? Help me, and I’ll tell you everything."

Just then, an officer approached the glass from Mara’s side. "Ma’am, time’s up. He’s due in court tomorrow morning."

Philip raised an eyebrow. "Tick-tock." He was confident Mara would save him.

As the guards hauled him out, he threw one final, cruel lifeline over his shoulder. "Your baby is alive, Stefania. You have no idea what they did behind your back. But I do."

Mara was in deep thought as her wound was open again, when she thought she could finally close that Chapter, when she thought she would start to live her life again, Mara walked out slowly, face pale. Her brothers were waiting at the prison parking lot, tense and ready to charge in if she’d given the signal.

She said nothing at first. Then, came her small and shaking voice: "He said my son is alive."

Gasps. Steve stepped forward immediately, hands gently on her shoulders.

"What?" Stanford asked, stunned. "He wants a deal," Mara whispered. "To avoid the death penalty. He said if I help him, he’ll tell me where my son is." Stefan clenched his jaw. "That lying snake."

Stanley, ever the quiet strategist, stepped in. "It’s a trap. Or it’s real. Either way, we play it our way."

Mara’s knees buckled, and Rafael was beside her in an instant, wrapping his arm protectively around her. "We’ll find out the truth," he murmured. "One way or another. You’re not doing this alone."

Steve looked at her, fire in his eyes. "I swear, Stef. We’ll find your son. Even if I have to break into every damn record, every medical file, every prison document. We’re not leaving until this is over."

Maybe she believed that, maybe she didn’t, but she was really tired of how her life was playing out like a drama series with many plot twists to entertain people, but this was her life, and every wound cut deep into her soul.

She never had an easy life, she wasn’t arrogant or a rich, spoiled brat with no regard for humanity, she was good, kind in fact, too kind, but she wondered why all the bad times in the world keep happening to her. What has she done to go through this when all she has ever done was be good to people? If she could give away all her riches for a moment of peace, she would. It doesn’t work that way, does it?

—

The Shepherd brothers, Rafael and Mara, entered the courtroom, heads held high, dressed in black like a unit forged by pain and love.

Philip was brought in, cuffed and chained, his smirk still present but dimmer now, especially when he saw them all watching.

The judge entered.

"All rise."

This wasn’t just a court hearing.

It was war in daylight.

And if what Philip said was true, if Mara’s son was out there, then this was only the beginning.

The courtroom was deadly quiet as the judge’s gavel slammed down with finality.

"This court, having reviewed the evidence and testimonies, finds the defendant, Philip Shepherd, guilty on all counts."

Philip’s face twitched.

"Given the severity of these crimes, drug trafficking, money laundering, and involvement in medical conspiracies leading to multiple deaths, this court sentences you to death by execution."

A collective gasp echoed.

Philip shot up from his seat, face red with fury.

"NO! You can’t do this!" he shouted, eyes blazing.

Guards rushed to hold him down, but he twisted, locking eyes with Mara in the front row.

"Stefania!" he bellowed. "You think you’ve won?! You’ll never find your son if I die! NEVER!" There, that was when it hit him that he might not have the last card after all.

Mara’s entire body froze.

His voice cracked, for the first time not laced with arrogance, but genuine fear.

"He’s out there," Philip growled, his voice shaking. "I made sure of it! You want to know where he is? You help me live!" He knew Mara had the power to get him a lesser sentence or perhaps being a fugetive of Salvador he could be taken back to his country, Salvador had abolish dead penetly and for all he has done to them locking him in a small cell like the animal he was wasn’t going to stop him from raising again.

Mara’s heart stopped.

The courtroom erupted in chaos as the judge slammed the gavel again and again. "ORDER! ORDER IN THE COURT!"

Philip kept yelling as the guards dragged him out. "You’ll regret this! You’ll die wondering where he is!"

And then silence. The doors slammed behind him. Mara stood frozen, her hands trembling, her breath uneven.

Steve pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"We’ll find him," Steve whispered. "We stopped searching because we believed he was gone... but not anymore. Not now. We’re going to move heaven and hell."

Stanford nodded, firm. "I’ve already sent people back to the hospital records. We’ll reopen everything."

Stefan rubbed her shoulder. "And if there’s one thing we Shepherds don’t do, it’s give up on family."

But Mara... she couldn’t speak. She was staring at the courtroom doors as if they’d swallowed her last chance.

"What if he’s telling the truth?" she whispered.

"He is, your baby angel is alive," Rafael said quietly, standing beside her, his voice steady. "I saw it in his eyes. Philip was terrified of his death and what you might find after he’s gone."

Mara’s voice cracked. "But where do I even start?"

Rafael leaned in gently, brushing her hair behind her ear. "We start together."