©Novel Buddy
The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 245: You are wrong
Chapter 245: You are wrong
Inside the room, Mara lay on her bed, her body still humming with the memory of Rafael’s hands, his kisses, the way he whispered, "wait for me." She smiled faintly, tracing invisible shapes on her bedsheet. She imagined the surprise he’d promised—maybe flowers, maybe a planned dinner, or something bold like a weekend away. Maybe even...
Her smile deepened. A proposal.
In her mind’s eye, she saw it: her in a white dress, Rafael waiting at the altar with that boyish grin, surrounded by her brothers, by her children, by love. A life she’d only dared to imagine until now. For once, her heart felt full.
Then the door opened.
Steve, Stefan, Stanley, and Stanford stepped inside—silent, still, their faces carved in grief.
Mara sat up slowly. "What’s going on?"
They didn’t speak.
Steve moved first, sitting beside her on the bed. Then Stanley knelt in front of her, gently taking her hand. Stanford stood by the window, his fists clenched. Stefan leaned against the doorway like he couldn’t bear to take another step.
Mara blinked. "What came over you guys?" No one answered.
She looked between them, the unease rising in her chest like a slow, suffocating tide. Still, silence. Then, all at once, they moved toward her, surrounding her in a quiet, desperate embrace. Strong arms wrapped around her from all sides. They held her like they could shield her from the truth with the weight of their love.
Mara’s breath hitched. "Why are you hugging me like this?"
Her heart began to race.
"Steve?" Her voice trembled. "Stanford? What happened?" Stanley shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes.
She pulled back, searching their faces—reading the truth before anyone had the courage to say it.
Ethan had just tucked the children into their beds when he noticed the flashing red-and-blue lights outside the mansion gates. His heart sank. From the top of the stairs, he overheard Stanford’s trembling voice as he relayed the news to the brothers.
And that’s when he knew.
He didn’t go to Mara. He dared not. He quietly closed the kids’ doors. They didn’t need to hear what was coming.
Upstairs, Mara sat on her bed, wrapped in the warmth of her brothers’ embrace. She smiled gently, unaware of the storm brewing beyond her room. To her, everything was perfect. Everyone who mattered to her was here. She could still hear the distant giggles from the baby monitor. Rafael would be back any moment with his surprise.
What could possibly be wrong? Then the door opened.
The maid stood in the doorway, her voice trembling. "Miss Shepherd... the police are downstairs. They said they need to speak with you."
Mara’s brow furrowed. "Police? Why would the police want me?"
She stood, but her brothers reached out to stop her. "Just wait," Steve said softly. "Please, let us talk to them first," Stanford added.
But she was already moving—heart thudding, thoughts racing, brushing past their hands, down the stairs. Her bare feet hit each step with urgency. At the bottom of the staircase stood two uniformed officers.
"Miss Shepherd?" one of them asked gently.
"Yes," she said, her voice strong but confused.
The taller officer stepped forward. "I’m afraid... we have some difficult news. A man named Rafael Diaz was involved in a vehicular accident this afternoon. He died at the scene."
Mara blinked.
No. That didn’t make sense. Rafael had just left. Just two hours ago. Probably smiling, still humming, maybe rehearsing whatever surprise he had planned for her. There had to be a mistake.
"This can’t be real," she said, shaking her head.
"We recovered these items on his body," the officer said softly, handing her a small blood-stained evidence pouch.
Inside it was Rafael’s watch—cracked and streaked with dried blood. And next to it, a small velvet ring box, its edges darkened with the same red.
Her world tilted.
"No... no, that’s not possible," Mara whispered, backing up. "It’s not him. It’s not Rafael. He just left. He was happy. He was fine."
"I’m so sorry for your loss," the second officer said quietly. "We’d like you to come down to the station to confirm—"
"No!" Mara barked, eyes wide. "No, this is wrong!"
Her brothers were already behind her, arms stretched to catch her if she collapsed. Stefan quickly stepped forward. "Thank you, officers. We’ll be in touch," he said firmly, guiding them toward the door.
They offered one last condolence, then left.
Mara stood frozen in the foyer, her breath coming in shallow, frantic waves. Her lips trembled. "I told you... It’s not him."
She turned and bolted up the stairs.
"Stef!" Steve called after her, but she didn’t stop. She locked her bedroom door behind her, her fingers shaking violently as she grabbed her phone. She took a breath and pressed Rafael’s number.
It rang.
And rang.
And rang.
No answer.
She redialed. Again. Again.
Her heart crashed in her chest. She scrolled to his chat, trying to check his last Google location, but instead, a news video automatically played at the top of the page. A shaky recording taken by a bystander.
A black car is flying forward. A truck is descending out of control. The car slammed into it, just in time to stop it from crushing a school bus.
Gasps from the crowd. Cries of disbelief. A man’s body was pulled from the wreckage, clutching a bloodied ring box.
Her Rafael. The phone slipped from Mara’s hands and hit the floor with a dull thud. And that’s when it hit her. Rafael wasn’t coming back.
He had died saving a bus full of children... while still carrying the ring meant for her.
Mara fell to her knees, the sound of her own cries filling the silence, breaking what little was left of her heart.
Her brothers were begging her to open the door as she bit her hand just not to scream or numb the pain.
The hours passed, but time meant nothing to Mara.
The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on fre(e)webno(v)el.𝒸𝑜𝘮