The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 73: The little whispers

Lucy took a slow, steady breath, forcing the initial wave of shock down. Anger was powerful, but control, control was a weapon. And she intended to wield it.

She turned to her father, her expression carefully composed, though the fire still burned beneath the surface. "You knew."

Her father smirked slightly, taking a sip of his drink. "Not for certain. But I suspected. The way Shepherd senior moved tonight, the way the brothers looked at her, it wasn’t just admiration. It was claim." He glanced at her, amused. "Didn’t think to do a little background check before dismissing her, did you?"

Lucy’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing.

She had underestimated Mara.

And that mistake would not happen again.

She took a step forward, her eyes scanning the room, her mind already working, calculating. She wouldn’t lash out. No, that was what jealous women did. Lucy wasn’t jealous she was strategic.

She needed to turn the tide.

First, the whispers.

Lucy moved effortlessly through the crowd, a soft, knowing smile on her lips as she greeted old acquaintances. She didn’t need to say much just a lingering glance, a whispered remark about how quickly Mara had been accepted. About how convenient it all was.

"Isn’t it interesting?" she mused to a well-connected senator’s wife, her voice low but just loud enough to be overheard. "How a woman with no known past suddenly resurfaces as an heiress?"

The woman’s brows lifted, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

Lucy smiled innocently, tilting her head. "I mean, I don’t blame her. It’s every girl’s dream, isn’t it? To wake up and find herself part of an empire?"

She let out a light laugh, leaving just enough implication in her tone.

Was Mara truly who they said she was? Or was this just a story too convenient to be real?

Lucy knew how the elite worked. They thrived on scandal. And doubt, doubt was a virus.

Next, the men.

Powerful men were already circling Mara, trying to align themselves with her. If Lucy wanted to weaken her, she had to disrupt that power play.

She moved toward a well-known businessman, his son standing beside him a potential suitor for Mara.

Lucy sighed softly, feigning concern. "You know, I just worry for her. The poor girl must be overwhelmed. One minute, she’s... well, wherever she was before." She let that sink in before adding, "And now, suddenly, she’s running a foundation? Making decisions that affect millions? It’s a lot for someone with no real experience."

The businessman frowned slightly, glancing toward Mara. The seed was planted.

Lucy smiled and excused herself before she could be questioned further.

Finally, Ethan.

Lucy had known Ethan long enough to understand one thing—he despised deception. If she could make him doubt Mara, even just a little, she could create cracks in whatever bond they had.

She didn’t approach him right away. No, she let him see her first.

Standing near the balcony, bathed in soft golden light, looking effortlessly composed. Their eyes met across the room, and Lucy let a flicker of sadness touch her expression before she turned away, as if hurt.

Make him come to you.

And then, when the moment was right when Ethan had taken a step closer, almost unconsciously she would strike.

A few careful words. A soft, broken sigh.

"Ethan... I’m truly sorry for what I did to Mara, I mean Stefania Shepherd."

And just like that, Lucy’s game began while Ethan wondered what game she was up to again, he walked away not wanting to cause a scene.

At first, Mara noticed the shift subtly glances that lingered too long, conversations that quieted when she walked by, the careful words spoken in hushed tones.

Then, it became bolder.

A woman in a sapphire gown, whom she barely knew, sighed dramatically while speaking to a group of wives. "Poor girl," she murmured, not bothering to lower her voice. "Thrown into power overnight. Can you imagine? Running a foundation with no real experience?"

A young businessman, who had been all too eager to introduce himself earlier, now regarded her with calculating skepticism. "I heard she didn’t even know she was a Shepherd until recently," he muttered to another guest. "Strange, isn’t it? How someone can just... appear? With her memory of her childhood lost,"

Mara smiled, staring at Lucy’s direction.

Ah. So this was Lucy’s play.

She had expected something from Lucy, of course. The woman had too much pride to sit back and watch quietly. But spreading doubt? Whispering rumors in the ears of Salvador’s elite?

Childish. She still hadn’t made her pay for what she did to her at the Anderson’s party.

Mara had spent too much time in survival mode, learning how to stand tall in rooms full of men who underestimated her.

And now, as a Shepherd, as Ethan’s wife, or ex-wife, whatever, tonight if admitting Ethan was her husband just so Lucy could be hurt, then hallelujah she wasn’t about to let anyone especially Lucy question her place.

Mara approached a small circle of business tycoons, the same men Lucy had poisoned with doubt. They were talking among themselves when she stepped in, confidence radiating from her like a force.

"Gentlemen." Her voice was calm, steady.

They turned, slightly startled. Some exchanged glances.

Mara smiled, elegant yet sharp. "I couldn’t help but overhear concerns about my ability to run the Shepherd Foundation."

A tense pause. No one wanted to admit they had been gossiping.

She let the silence settle before continuing, "I understand why there might be questions. After all, power in Salvador is usually inherited, not earned."

A few of the men straightened, caught in her words.

Mara tilted her head slightly, a knowing glint in her eyes. "But let me remind you, Shepherd men don’t hand out titles. They don’t tolerate weakness. If I stand here today, it’s because I belong here. And I suggest you remember that."

The men shifted uncomfortably. One of them, clearly embarrassed, cleared his throat. "Of course, Miss Shepherd. We meant no offense."

Mara’s smile widened. "I know." But her gaze said otherwise.

Lucy, still basking in the belief that her plan was working, stood by the grand piano, watching Mara like a cat ready to pounce.

Mara met her eyes across the room. Then, without hesitation, she walked straight toward her.

The room quieted just slightly, sensing a moment about to unfold.

Lucy lifted her chin, her lips curving in amusement. "Mara."

Mara smiled but it wasn’t friendly. It was final.

"I hear you’ve been worried about me, Lucy." Her voice was sweet, mockingly concerned.

Lucy’s expression barely faltered. "Worried? Of course not. I was just discussing how... overwhelming it must be for you."

Mara chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "Oh, Lucy. You poor thing."

Lucy stiffened. "Excuse me?" freewёbnoνel.com

Mara leaned in just slightly, keeping her voice low but sharp. "You spent all this time telling people I was just some desperate woman sleeping my way to power."

"Only to find out I was a Shepherd all along. How humiliating for you, I mean I got the name, the money, and the man, everything you ever wanted,"

A soft gasp from someone nearby. The words had landed like a dagger.

Lucy’s face paled, but she recovered quickly. "My dear, I was simply looking out for Ethan. You know, the man you abandoned?"

A few guests shifted, eyes darting between them.

Mara didn’t flinch. Instead, she did the one thing Lucy never expected.

She laughed.

A soft, rich, utterly amused laugh.

And then she stepped closer.

"Abandoned? You mean my husband, the same one you have been pinning for years," Mara’s voice was sweet poison. "Lucy, darling. It must be exhausting, convincing yourself that Ethan was ever yours to begin with. That he actually cared,"

The final blow.

Lucy’s eyes widened slightly, her breath catching. That was it. That was the truth she had spent years refusing to admit.

Ethan was never hers, never loved her, and all her efforts to make him see her was fruitless.

And now, everyone knew it, well at least those close enough to hear.

Just then, as if fate itself had aligned with Mara, a deep, familiar voice broke the tension.

"Mara."

She turned and there he was.

Ethan.

Tall, and commanding, his dark eyes locked onto hers. Unwavering. Possessive. Hers.

He strode towards her, ignoring everyone, stopping just close enough that the heat of him brushed against her skin. He looked down at her, his gaze softening in a way it never had for anyone else.

Without hesitation, in front of Lucy, in front of everyone, Ethan reached for her hand. His grip was warm. Strong. Absolute.

Mara lifted her chin, letting her fingers intertwine with his. She turned to the small crowd, to the doubters, to Lucy, and smiled.

"I hope that clears up any confusion."

Silence.

And then, the final humiliation.

Ethan, still holding Mara’s hand, leaned down not for a kiss, but something even more intimate.

A whisper against her ear. "You called me your husband," Something meant only for her.

Lucy watched, her throat tightening, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

Mara had won.