The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 167: Anger

Ethan gripped the wheel, his knuckles bone-white as he sped through the streets. Beside him, Steph tapped furiously at the laptop balanced on his knees, eyes flicking between the screen and the road.

"Maybe we should call the police," Steph said carefully, sneaking a glance at Ethan. He could see it, the pain, the fury simmering just beneath the surface. This wasn’t going to end well. And with the judge granting Lucy temporary custody, it was a legal minefield waiting to blow.

"I already called the commissioner," Ethan snapped, his voice low and cold. "Just focus on finding out where that bitch took my son."

Steph sighed, the weight of the night pressing down on him. He watched the tracking software trace Lucy’s car to its last known location. "Funny enough..." he started.

"Wait — did you find it?" Ethan asked, anxious, leaning toward Steph without taking his eyes off the road.

"Not exactly." Steph’s brow furrowed. "But there was another car following Lucy’s." He tilted the screen so Ethan could see. The grainy footage from a traffic cam showed Lucy’s car, and just a few cars behind, a familiar vehicle.

Ethan’s stomach twisted. "Who the hell is that?"

Steph zoomed in, the license plate barely visible. "It belongs to the Shephards."

"Wait... what?" Ethan’s voice was sharp, his mind racing. "You think Mara went after Lucy? Does that mean she knows? About Andrew that he’s her son?"

Steph looked at him, just as lost. "Hell if I know, man. But whatever’s happening, it’s about to get messy."

The car sped faster, the night closing in around them.

"You really think a mother wouldn’t feel it?" Steph finally said, his voice breaking the heavy silence in the car. "When she’s holding her own son? Even if she didn’t know it, wouldn’t something in her just... feel it?"

Ethan let out a long, shuddering breath. "Damn. That would explain everything." His mind reeled back, the night Mara insisted they stay at the Shephard mansion, her strange glances at Andrew, the way she clung a little too tightly when she hugged him goodbye. "It all makes sense now."

"Guess so," Steph muttered, watching the streetlights blur past them.

Without another word, Ethan snatched up his phone and dialed Mara’s number. It rang. And rang. And rang. No answer.

He cursed under his breath, tried again. Still nothing.

"Shit," Ethan growled, scrolling to the Shephard mansion’s landline. The call connected, a maid’s soft, nervous voice answering.

"Hello, Shephard residence."

"I need to speak to Mara. Now. It’s urgent," Ethan barked, his pulse hammering in his ears.

"I—I’m sorry, sir... she’s not at home."

"Where is she? Please, it’s important. I need to find her."

There was a pause, the soft rustle of movement on the other end. Then, a deeper, cooler voice cut through the line.

"Hand me the phone."

The maid murmured something as she left, and then Steve Shephard’s voice filled Ethan’s ear. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"Ethan," he said smoothly, too calmly for a man whose world was about to implode. "To what do I owe the pleasure this late at night?"

The car seemed to tilt for Ethan, dread settling like lead in his gut.

"What do you want, Ethan?" Steve’s voice snapped over the line, sharp as glass. "She already told you she’s not home." He sounded ready to hang up.

"Then what about Rafael? I don’t have his number, could you call him? Find out where they are?" Ethan pressed, trying to keep his voice steady, though the edge of desperation was starting to show.

Steve sighed, a cold, humorless sound. "Listen to me carefully. Stay the hell away from my sister. Where she is, who she’s with, that’s none of your business."

The words landed hard, but Ethan gritted his teeth, holding on to the last threads of his patience.

"This isn’t about me, Steve." His voice dropped, thick with urgency. "I have reason to believe she went after Lucy. And if I’m right... She’s in danger."

A heavy silence hung between them. Even over the phone, Ethan could feel Steve’s distrust, that stubborn, bone-deep hatred that hadn’t eased in a year. No matter what happened, no matter what Ethan did to them, he was still the outsider.

"Why the hell would she go after Lucy?" Steve snapped, his voice laced with suspicion. "She’s fine. She’s finally healing. This sounds like one of your damn schemes to drag her back into your mess."

"Because Lucy has Andrew!" Ethan shot back, his temper flaring. "And you know what? Forget it. It’s pointless talking to you. I’ll find her myself."

Without waiting for a response, Ethan ended the call, tossing his phone onto the passenger seat, his pulse pounding in his ears.

"Asshole," he muttered under his breath, slamming his foot on the gas.

Ethan slammed the phone onto the passenger seat, jaw clenched so tight it ached. The city lights blurred past them, a mess of neon and shadow.

"Well?" Steph asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Useless," Ethan growled. "Steve’s still got his head so far up his own ass he couldn’t see a threat if it walked through his front door."

Steph sighed, glancing down at the screen. "I’m still tracking the feed. Lucy’s car stopped a couple of blocks from a gas station. Signal’s patchy there, though."

"Of course it is," Ethan muttered, his pulse pounding. "And Mara? Anything on that second car?"

"Still tailing Lucy’s last route." Steph frowned, tapping rapidly at the keys. "It’s weird, though, no traffic cams picked it up after that last corner."

Ethan felt a cold knot form in his stomach. "You think something happened?"

"Either that, or someone didn’t want it to be seen."

The car went quiet for a long beat, save for the steady hum of the tires and the occasional ping of Steph’s laptop.

"You really think Mara knows?" Steph asked quietly, breaking the silence. "About Andrew?"

Ethan didn’t answer right away. His fingers drummed against the steering wheel, the weight of it all threatening to crush him.

"I don’t know," he admitted. "But if she does... and she went after Lucy alone..."

He didn’t finish the thought. He didn’t have to.

Steph’s phone buzzed suddenly. He snatched it up, eyes scanning the screen. His face paled a shade.

"I got the location now, a villa up the moutains."

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat, he breathed, slamming his foot on the gas.

The city blurred, the night pressing in around them.