The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 172: Two halves

"Don’t ever do that again," Rafael murmured, pulling Mara into a hug so tight it knocked the breath out of her. Relief poured off him in waves, his voice thick, cracking at the edges. Across the side, Ethan stood stiff, jaw clenched, trying to keep himself together.

"Did you file the police report?" Mara asked, eyes flicking to Ethan, her voice steady, sharp.

"Yes," he sighed, a weight behind the word. "But the arrest hasn’t been issued yet."

Mara smirked, the kind of smirk that said she knew how this game played out. "It’ll be ready after she runs," she muttered, moving toward Steph, who was cradling baby Andrew in his arms.

Mara hadn’t laid eyes on him in a year.

"Hello," Steph whispered, carefully passing the child into Mara’s waiting arms.

"There, there, my little lion," Mara crooned softly, pressing her cheek to his. "You’re with Mummy now."

The air stilled.

Steve’s face twisted in confusion, his heart skipping something dangerous. "What... what did you just say?" he asked, voice tight with worry. Was his sister losing it now?

Mara turned, cradling the boy like something holy. "Guys... meet your nephew Andrew..

"What?" Stefan blinked, like the words were foreign. "He’s your... Andrew? All this time?"

Mara’s gaze hardened, her voice a quiet storm. "Yes. My Andrew. That bitch Lucy was working with Uncle Philip all along."

Shock rippled through them, not just at the revelation, but at themselves. Guilt crept in like a shadow. All this time, they’d brushed her off, called her paranoid, and wished to tell her to let it go. And now here it was, ugly and undeniable.

Their faces cracked into fragile smiles, a mix of heartbreak, pride, and a little shame. Mara had been right.

"Finally, Stef," Stanley sighed, his voice soft with something like awe. "You can have some peace."

"Yes, brother," Mara murmured, rocking the baby gently in her arms. "He’s where he belongs now... and some justice too."

"Don’t worry," Ethan cut in, his gaze steady on Mara. "Lucy’s going to pay for everything."

As if summoned by the weight of his words, Ethan’s phone buzzed. He answered, his expression darkening as the commissioner’s voice crackled on the other end.

Mara watched his face tighten.

"What now?" Ethan asked, rubbing his temple. "Can Lucy charge us with kidnapping?"

A pause.

"Yes," the commissioner confirmed grimly. "She can. The DNA test wasn’t done with her consent, so custody hasn’t been officially revoked... not even with the new evidence she might not be the mother."

A curse caught in Ethan’s throat.

"She won’t dare," Mara snapped, eyes gleaming like cold fire. "Not even dare to file for assault. Besides... Caleb was helping her because he thought Andrew was his. But trust me, he knows better now."

Ethan let that sink in, nodding slowly. "Yeah... that makes sense," he muttered. The pieces finally clicked in his mind like a cruel, twisted puzzle.

"It’s going to be okay out here now, right, baby?" Mara whispered, turning her attention to the little boy nestled against her chest. Andrew let out a soft sigh, as if he too was done with the storm.

Ethan ended the call and stepped forward, his arms outstretched. "Come on, son," he said gently. "Let’s get you home."

But Mara froze.

She took a step back, her heart twisting. Did she hear him right? The word hung between them like a loaded gun.

Mara’s grip on Andrew tightened, her pulse racing. Ethan’s hands hovered in the air, unsure now, with the brothers holding their breath.

"Andrew’s coming with me," Ethan said, his voice low, as if the decision was already made. "Come on, Mara... you’ve got Audrey at home. Andrew’s been with me all this time, it’s how it was before."

It made sense in his head. Like it was reasonable. But it wasn’t. Not even close.

Mara’s laugh was sharp, bitter, slicing through the air like glass. "Excuse me?" she spat, clutching Andrew tighter. "My son is coming with me. He was with you while I was grieving, thinking my baby was dead. And now you think you can just take him from me?"

"I’m not taking him," Ethan shot back, eyes stormy, his voice cracking. "I’m saying... he stays with me. That’s all. He’s my son, too, Mara. When I thought he was gone, I grieved too. I was in pain, too. I’m his father."

"Oh, so what now?" Mara’s voice rose, venom and heartbreak laced together. "We split them down the middle? You keep one, I keep one? Twins divided like property? Are you hearing yourself right now?"

It went deathly still as both the Shepherd brothers didn’t know what to say..

"You’re sick if you think I’ll let that happen," Mara snarled. "What kind of father stands by while a twisted psycho like Lucy takes our son, and then has the audacity to ask for him back once I fought through hell to get him?"

"Mara, just... try to understand," Ethan pleaded, his voice softer now, desperate. "He’s used to me. He knows me."

"And now," Mara hissed, tears shining in her eyes but her grip unshaken, "he’ll get used to me. Both my children, my son and my daughter, are staying with me, do you hear me?"

Ethan opened his mouth, but the weight of her words flattened him, left him speechless. Because Mara wasn’t asking.

She was taking back what was hers.

"Could you two please stop?" Steph cut in, her voice sharp enough to slice through the chaos. "All this yelling isn’t going to fix anything."

Both Mara and Ethan froze, the air around them still crackling, thick with unspoken words.

"Ethan," Steph continued, her tone softer now, steady, the kind of calm you pull out in the middle of a storm. "It’s freezing out here. Let Mara take Andrew home. You can figure out a solution in the morning... when heads are clearer."

Ethan’s jaw clenched, conflict written all over his face. But Mara didn’t wait for his answer.

Without another word, she turned and headed straight for the car, Andrew nestled in her arms like a promise. Rafael was right behind her, his eyes locked on Ethan, a silent warning in every step.

Her brothers followed too, piling into their cars like soldiers retreating from a battle that wasn’t over yet. Engines roared to life, headlights slicing through the cold night as they drove away, leaving Ethan standing there in the dark. Along with his choices.