The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 83: Cramps

Mara sat at her desk, staring blankly at the paperwork in front of her, but the words blurred together, meaningless against the storm raging in her mind. She tried to focus, to drown herself in work, but the confrontation with Ethan clung to her like a shadow.

Her heart was heavy, her mind restless. She needed a moment of comfort, maybe even a little pampering, but Steve was busy—meetings lined up one after another. There was no one to turn to, no escape from the weight pressing down on her chest.

Just as she was about to force herself to at least attempt productivity, a knock at the door broke through the silence.

She looked up as her assistant stepped in, holding a brown envelope.

"This just arrived for you, ma’am. It was delivered by courier."

Mara’s breath hitched the moment her eyes landed on it. Her stomach twisted painfully, and her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.

There was only one thing this could be.

The divorce papers.

Her fingers trembled as she reached for it but stopped just short, staring at the envelope as if it were a ticking bomb.

"Ma’am?" her assistant called hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

Mara forced herself to breathe, schooling her expression into something unreadable. She nodded quickly, reaching out with steady hands—or at least trying to make them appear steady. "I’m fine. Thank you. You can go."

Her assistant hesitated but nodded and quietly left the office.

The moment the door clicked shut, Mara let out a shaky breath. She placed the envelope on her desk and just... stared at it.

She had told herself she was ready for this. She had told herself over and over again that their marriage was beyond saving. That this was the only way forward.

Then why did it feel like the ground was slipping from beneath her?

She had known Ethan would send the papers. He had promised he would. And yet, the sight of them—so official, so final—made her stomach churn violently. It was real now. It was happening.

Her breathing grew uneven, and before she knew it, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She winced, pressing a hand to her stomach, trying to breathe through the discomfort, but the pain didn’t ease.

Panic began to creep in. Something wasn’t right.

Grabbing the envelope, she stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. She didn’t think—she just moved, snatching her car keys and rushing out of the office.

She needed to see a doctor. Now.

Mara gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white as another sharp pain twisted in her stomach. She sucked in a shaky breath, willing herself to stay calm, but panic clawed at her chest.

With trembling fingers, she pressed the call button on her car’s dashboard, dialing Stefan’s number.

It rang twice before his steady voice came through the speakers. "Stef?"

Her breath hitched. "Stefan... something’s wrong."

Immediately, his tone sharpened. "What do you mean? What’s wrong?" novelbuddy.cσ๓

"I—" Her voice faltered as another wave of pain shot through her abdomen. "It hurts. My stomach... the cramps... I—"

"Mara, listen to me," Stefan said firmly, slipping into his doctor mode. "Cramps happen during pregnancy. I need you to stay calm, okay? Take deep breaths."

"It’s unbearable," she gasped, pressing a hand to her belly.

"Where are you?"

"I—I’m on my way to the hospital."

"Good," Stefan said. "Keep breathing, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You’re almost here. I’ll be waiting."

Mara focused on his voice, clinging to the stability in his words as she forced herself to breathe. The drive felt endless, but soon, the familiar sight of the hospital’s parking lounge came into view.

Through the windshield, she spotted Stefan standing at the entrance, phone still pressed to his ear, his gaze scanning the lot until he saw her car pull up. Without hesitation, he rushed to her side as she struggled to step out.

"Easy," he murmured, slipping an arm around her waist for support. "I’ve got you."

Mara clung to him, breathing through the discomfort as he led her inside.

Minutes later, she lay in an examination room, the cold gel from the ultrasound soothing against her skin as Stefan carefully conducted the scan. The tension in the air was thick until finally, he let out a small sigh of relief.

"The baby’s okay," he said gently, turning the screen so she could see. "Strong heartbeat. No signs of distress."

Mara released a shaky breath, closing her eyes. Relief flooded her body, but exhaustion weighed her down.

"You scared me there for a second," Stefan admitted, wiping the gel off her stomach. "What stressed you out so badly?"

Mara hesitated, her eyes flickering to the brown envelope she had placed beside her bag.

Stefan followed her gaze, frowning. Without a word, he reached for it.

Her eyes widened as she shot up. "Stefan, don’t—"

But it was too late.

The sound of tearing paper filled the room as Stefan opened the envelope. His eyes skimmed over the contents, his jaw tightening.

Mara turned her face away, her heart pounding.

After a long beat, Stefan spoke, his voice eerily calm. "Stef..."

Her brows furrowed, and she turned back to him, confused.

He exhaled sharply. "This is from the foundation. There’s a virus outbreak in Alcester. They need medical aid—millions of people are dying." He looked up, his expression darkening. "Do you think this is one of Uncle’s traps to get rid of you?"

Mara’s breath caught. Their uncle, if this was his doing then got her in a place she couldn’t turn away, this involves millions of lives

Her eyes flickered over the document as she took it from Stefan’s hands. The request was urgent, detailing the severity of the outbreak. People were suffering. Thousands infected. A disaster.

Would her uncle truly risk the lives of millions just to set her up?

She bit her lip. No. He might be cruel, but he wasn’t that reckless. Besides, she was the only person who had access to the medical aid shipments.

Mara sat on the hospital bed, gripping the papers tightly as Stefan pulled out his phone.

"This isn’t right," he muttered, already dialing. "I’m calling Stanley and Stanford."

Mara barely had time to process before Stefan was speaking urgently into the phone.

"Something happened."

A pause.

"It’s serious. We need to talk."

Mara’s heart pounded as Stefan moved on to Steve next, calling him even though she knew he was in an important meeting.

Minutes later, Steve’s voice came through the speaker. "Stefan, this better be good."

"It’s not," Stefan said. "Cut your meeting short and get here. Uncle had acted up again."

Silence. Then, a clipped response. "I’m on my way." Mara swallowed hard as Stefan hung up.

The hospital room felt suffocating, thick with tension as Mara sat on the edge of the bed, gripping the document in her hands. Her mind was racing, torn between the risk her uncle might be setting and the undeniable reality that millions of people were suffering.

Stefan sat beside her, arms crossed, his doctor’s coat slightly wrinkled from the long day. He was calm, but she could see the flicker of worry in his eyes. His phone was propped up against a small table, a video call already in session. On the screen, Stanley and Stanford sat side by side in one of their penthouse offices, their expressions serious.

Stanley, the ever-composed CEO, leaned forward. "This has our uncle’s fingerprints all over it."

Stanford, always a little less patient, scoffed. "The timing is too perfect. First, Ethan’s drama, now this? He’s setting you up, Stef."

Before Mara could respond, the hospital door swung open.

Steve strode in, his presence commanding as always. His suit jacket was slightly undone, his tie loosened—clear signs that he had left a meeting abruptly. His sharp gaze swept across the room before settling on Mara.

"I dropped everything the second I heard," he said, his voice laced with concern. "Are you okay?"

Mara swallowed hard and nodded. "I’m fine. The baby’s fine."

Steve let out a slow breath of relief before turning his attention to the video call. "Alright," he said, straightening. "Somebody explain. What the hell is going on?"

Stefan wasted no time, summarizing what had happened. The brown envelope, the foundation’s request for medical aid, the outbreak in Alcaster, and the looming question of whether their uncle was behind it.

When he finished, silence hung in the air.

Then, Stanley spoke. "Trap or not, this is big. If we don’t send aid, people die. We can’t ignore it."

Stanford exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "But we also can’t ignore the possibility that Stef is walking into something dangerous."

Mara finally found her voice. "Even if it’s a trap, I can’t turn my back on this. If there’s even a chance that I can help, I have to."

Steve’s jaw tightened. "You mean you want to walk straight into a setup?"

She looked at him, determined. "I mean I don’t have a choice."

Stanley’s voice came through the phone, cool and calculating. "The foundation’s storehouse isn’t just a storage unit for medical aid, is it?"

Mara hesitated before shaking her head. "No. It holds a lot more. High-security resources, emergency supplies, even classified shipments from international health organizations, cash and golds well according to the document I saw some time ago,"

Steve’s expression darkened. "Then that’s the real target."

Stefan frowned. "What do you mean?"

Steve turned to Mara. "If Uncle set this up, it’s not just to get you in trouble. He wants access to something inside that storehouse. Something only you can authorize."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Stanford, ever the strategist, leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "So, if we want to get ahead of this, we need to know exactly what’s inside that storehouse."

Stanley nodded. "And we need a way to control the situation before Uncle does."

Mara took a deep breath. "Then I have to go there."

Steve shook his head immediately. "Absolutely not."

"Steve—"

"I said no, Mara." His voice was firm, protective. "You’re pregnant. You’re not putting yourself in danger for this."

Mara lifted her chin. "You know I’m the only one who can access the storehouse."

Stanley sighed. "She’s right."

Steve shot him a glare, but Stanley held up a hand. "I don’t like it either, but this is bigger than our feelings. If she doesn’t go, Uncle will find another way to access it. And if this is a setup, wouldn’t you rather we be in control of it?"

Steve clenched his jaw but didn’t argue.

Stanford smirked. "So, we make a plan."

Stefan looked at his brothers, then at Mara. "If she’s doing this, she’s not going alone."

Mara exhaled, nodding. "Then we need to move fast. I’ll access the storehouse, but we do it our way."

Steve crossed his arms. "And that means we don’t walk in blind." Stanley’s voice was