The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back

Mara tugged Ethan into bed, but something caught her eye the shopping bags the maid had left by the bed. She frowned, curiosity sparking in her chest.

"What's this?" she asked, walking over and pulling out a dress.

Ethan smiled, leaning against the bed. "I picked up something for you at the mall," he said. "Why don't you try them on? I think they'd look beautiful on you."

Mara held up the dress, studying the piece of cloth between her fingers. It was lovely and elegant but something about it felt off. A slow smile spread across her face, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"These are more Maria's style," she said lightly, folding the dress and placing it back in the bag. "But they're beautiful. Thank you."

Ethan noticed the flicker of disappointment in her eyes. He could almost hear her thoughts racing through her mind. Did he think of her when he picked them out? Or was Maria the one on his mind?

Mara pushed the thought aside and climbed into bed beside him. She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"Goodnight, baby," she whispered.

Ethan kissed her back, but it was brief and distant. His mind was elsewhere.

"Goodnight," he murmured, turning onto his side. Mara lay awake for a while, staring at the ceiling. Something wasn't right.

Ethan slipped out of bed the moment he was sure Mara had drifted off to sleep. Moving quietly, he walked out onto the balcony, letting the cool night air clear his head.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and that's when he noticed Steph's message. He had been so distracted after the surgery that he hadn't even checked his phone.

Without thinking, he dialed Steph's number.

"Boss, who's dying?" Steph muttered sleepily, struggling to keep his eyes open as he answered.

Ethan ignored the sarcasm. "Did they agree to our terms?" he asked sharply.

Steph squinted at the clock. Seriously? His boss had left his gorgeous wife in bed for this?

"Yes, they did," Steph grumbled. "But, uh… what happened? Can't sleep? I mean, you left your wife alone in bed just to call me about work? Makes me wonder." His voice lowered. "Everything okay? Did you two fight?"

Ethan exhaled, rubbing his temple. "No, we didn't fight. I just… I think I'm messing things up."

Steph sat up a little, suddenly more awake. "How so?"

Ethan hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Mara is great. I love her—deeply. But when I talk to Maria… I don't know… it's different. It's like…" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm starting to compare them, and I shouldn't be."

Steph went silent for a moment before exhaling dramatically.

"You're used to getting your way with women," Steph said, his voice calm but firm. "Women who obey you, run after you, worship you, and put you on a pedestal. You've been surrounded by women like Maria your whole life. It's easy with them. But Mara? She's different. She challenges you, in a good way.

"With Mara, you earn her respect, and in return, she respects you. It's not effortless, but it's real. And the boss I know? He never took the easy way out. Mara is worth the effort. And it's not like she doesn't meet you halfway."

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "I don't know what's wrong with me," he admitted. "You're right. Maybe I'm just… scared. After the surgery, what if things aren't the same? What if our sex life changes? And the fact that we can't have kids…" His voice faltered. "What if she leaves?"

Steph sighed. "Ethan, you're just looking for an excuse. What you think you're feeling for Maria, that easiness—it's not love. It's just your instinct to fix something that's broken."

Silence stretched between them before Ethan finally let out a low chuckle.

"Goodnight, Steph," he said, shaking his head. "I'm going to my wife."

Hanging up, he lingered on the balcony for a moment, staring into the skies. Why was he feeling this way? He was still madly in love with Mara just as much as the first day he saw her. Maybe even more

Ethan was about to leave the balcony when his eyes drifted downward. There, in the dim glow of the moon, Maria stood in her long white nightgown. He knew he should turn away, go back to bed to Mara. But something held him in place.

He watched her for a moment, then shook himself out of it and finally stepped inside. Mara was still sleeping soundly, her face peaceful, her breathing soft and steady. This is where I belong, he told himself.

And yet, against his better judgment, he found himself walking outside to check on Maria.

Maria couldn't sleep. Her past haunted her, creeping into every quiet moment, filling the darkness with memories she wished she could erase. But what disturbed her even more was the way her heart clenched when she saw Mara and Ethan together. She had tried to push the feeling away, to convince herself it was nothing.

But it wasn't nothing. The more she tried to suppress it, the stronger it grew.

Frustrated, she rushed to the kitchen for water. She cupped her hands under the faucet, splashing cold water onto her face, hoping it would wash away her thoughts. Her grip on the glass tightened too tight. It shattered in her hand, sharp fragments piercing her skin.

She barely noticed. Because the pain in her heart was far worse.

Then, as she stood there, trembling, she felt a presence. She looked up and there he was. Ethan. His gaze was warm and completely locked onto her.

"Maria!"

Ethan's voice was sharp with concern as he rushed toward her, his eyes locking onto her bleeding hand. Without hesitation, he grabbed a kitchen towel and pressed it against the wound, trying to stop the blood.

Maria didn't react.

Her gaze was distant, lost in a place Ethan couldn't reach. She stood still, staring at him but not really seeing him. Even as he carefully pulled the glass shards from her palm, she didn't flinch.

"Maria?" Ethan whispered, searching her face for any sign of pain, any sign of emotion. But there was nothing.

A cold dread crawled up his spine. He had seen this look before. The same empty, hollow stare his sister had the night she died.

A wave of fear surged through him, stronger than he expected. He didn't think he just acted.

Gently, yet firmly, he pulled Maria into his arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace. He held her close as if trying to anchor her, to pull her back from whatever dark place her mind had drifted to.

"Maria, I've got you," he murmured against her hair. "You're safe." But as he held her, Ethan realized something terrifying. He wasn't just worried about her. He cared. And that, more than anything, scared him the most.

Maria blinked, her vision clearing as she finally saw Ethan. The fog in her mind lifted, pulling her soul back from whatever abyss it had wandered into.

And then, without hesitation, without thought she leaned in.

Her lips met his in an intense, desperate kiss, raw with emotion. She wasn't just kissing him; she was pouring herself into him—her pain, her longing, everything she had suppressed for so long.

Ethan froze.

For a fleeting moment, his mind screamed at him to stop her, but the pull was too strong, too consuming. As if possessed by the same force, he kissed her back with equal intensity.

It wasn't just passion. It was a storm, a hurricane raging through them, igniting something neither of them were ready to face. 

Suddenly, a loud bang shattered the moment.

Ethan and Maria jerked apart, their breath ragged, eyes wide with shock. Maria's heart pounded in her chest as fear replaced the heat that had just consumed her. Ethan's fists clenched. Had he been caught? Was his marriage over? What did he just do? He was washed by guilt.

Maria's hands trembled, blood still dripping from her wound. She couldn't tell if it was guilt or terror that made her feel lightheaded.

Ethan turned sharply toward the source of the noise, his instincts on high alert.