The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back
Chapter 195: I know

Chapter 195: I know

The car ride after that call was a graveyard of unspoken words. The hum of tires against the road, the occasional laugh from the twins in the backseat, it all felt muted, like someone had turned the volume down on the world and left Mara alone with her thoughts.

She could still hear Rafaal’s voice. I love you more than life itself. And her own cowardly response. I know.

It tasted bitter now, settling in the back of her throat like old regret.

And then, because of course, Ethan couldn’t leave it alone, he chuckled again, shaking his head as though he pitied her.

"Wow," he said, glancing at her. "I mean... ’I know?’ Poor guy. Is that seriously the best you could do?"

He wasn’t even pretending to be kind. He just wanted to prove it, that she still felt something for him, that her heart hadn’t entirely made it to Rafael. That she was still that same girl, still carrying the ghost of him in the corners of her soul.

Mara turned to him, fury in her gaze sharp enough to draw blood. "Shut up, Ethan," she snapped.

He grinned, like he’d won some invisible game.

But neither of them said another word for the rest of the drive.

At the school, the mood lifted, if only slightly. The twins were ecstatic, bouncing in their new uniforms, their backpacks glittering under the morning sun. Mara made sure the security was tight, speaking with the head of school security and confirming the two personal guards stationed discreetly on campus.

Ethan, to his credit, handled the kids well. Audrey tugged at his sleeve, pointing out the jungle gym. Andrew clung to his hand until a cheerful teacher coaxed him away with the promise of paints and toy cars.

They both stood together by the gate once the kids disappeared inside.

It felt almost... normal.

Almost.

"You heading to the foundation?" Ethan asked, his voice lighter now, like he hadn’t just kicked her heart around like a soccer ball.

Mara nodded, already signaling for her van.

Ethan smirked. "I could give you a ride, you know. Old times’ sake."

She didn’t even grace him with an answer. The van door opened, and she climbed in, not bothering to look back.

Ethan leaned in the open door as she settled into the seat. "Okay then. See you in the afternoon, baby girl," he said, that crooked smile of his a mixture of charm and challenge.

Mara slammed the door in his face.

As the van pulled away, she leaned her head against the cool window, heart pounding, her mind on Rafael, on his words, on her failure to say what he deserved.

She promised herself right then: she was going to fix this. No more running. No more half-truths and almost-love.

Because for the first time in a long time, Mara didn’t want to lose the one person who loved her without needing to win.

—-

At the mansion, Steve pretended to check emails but really just stared out the window. Stefan slipped away.

He grabbed his jacket, the pill still hidden in the pocket, and stepped out onto the garden. The garden smelled like damp earth and blooming jasmine, the kind of scent that felt like peace you couldn’t place.

He needed air. He needed out.

His fingers hesitated over his phone for a second, hovering over her name like it might burn him. Aveline. It felt too soon for how fast his heart moved when he saw her name light up his screen. But she was his one good thing lately, and God, did he need a good thing.

He pressed call.

It rang twice before her voice came through, soft and a little sleepy. "Hey, Stefan."

That voice. It made his chest ache. "Hey," he said, his voice rougher than he meant. "I, uh... I hope I didn’t wake you."

A soft laugh. "No, I’ve been up. Almost at work." He smiled, leaning against the railing. "Sounds productive."

"You know me," she teased. "So what’s up, Doc?"

Stefan hesitated, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Was this too soon? Should he wait? Should he get his brother’s blood test results back before letting himself feel something good?

But then he thought about last night. About secrets. About how short everything could be.

"I wanna see you," he blurted out.

A pause.

"Like... actually see you. Not texts, not calls. A real date. Dinner. Or brunch. Or a walk. I don’t care. Just... you. Me. Somewhere we don’t have to be anyone else."

He held his breath like he’d just said something reckless.

Another pause. Then, her voice, soft and warm like sunlight through curtains. "I’d like that, Stefan."

His chest loosened.

"Yeah?" he asked, smiling.

"Yeah. I’ve been hoping you’d ask."

And just like that, for the first time in a while, Stefan felt like the world wasn’t about to swallow him whole.

"I’ll pick you up at seven?" he offered, his heart racing like a teenager’s.

"Seven’s perfect, no need to pick me up, send me the address, I will meet you there."

They stayed on the line a moment longer, neither of them wanting to hang up, both too stubborn to say so. "Okay then, see you tonight, Aveline."

"See you, Stefan."

He ended the call, slipping the phone into his pocket next to the pill. The world still felt heavy, but now it had a sliver of light in it.

—-

Anderson Law Firm’s lobby was a glass-and-marble kingdom, sharp suits and sharper gazes. Aveline walked beside Ethan, heels clicking in perfect time, the kind of woman that made heads turn and pens freeze mid-signature. She knew it. She weaponized it.

"Hello, sir," she greeted smoothly, her voice a velvet knife.

Ethan barely glanced at her. Too dangerous. Too familiar. The curve of her jaw, the way her eyes narrowed when she smiled, it wasn’t her fault she looked like Mara, but it was his burden to bear.

"What’s the name again?" Ethan asked, disinterested, eyes flickering toward the elevators.

"Aveline," she replied, smiling like she could read his mind. Like she knew, she made him uneasy. Good.

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