Ex-Husband(Your Step-Brother Is Hotter)

Chapter twelve

~UNFOLDING TRUTHS~

AMAYA’S POV

“I really want to tell you everything,” Ethan said after a moment, his voice calm enough to almost sound reassuring. “But this isn’t the right time.”

I frowned slightly behind the scarf.

He leaned back into the couch, watching me carefully before continuing. “I promise I’ll explain everything once you’re in a better state physically and mentally.”

That answer unsettled me more than I expected.

My fingers tightened around each other in my lap.

“What exactly are you hiding?” I asked quietly. “Because I need to know if my daughter and I are in danger.”

The question came out more serious than emotional. I had already spent years being blindsided by men who kept secrets until those secrets destroyed me. I wasn’t willing to repeat that mistake.

Ethan held my gaze steadily.

“Not at all,” he answered immediately. “You’re safe here. Completely.”

There was no hesitation in his voice. He continued after a brief pause. “It’s just… there are things about me I’d rather explain properly later instead of throwing them at you while you’re already overwhelmed.”

His expression hardened slightly, like he was choosing his next words carefully. “And when I do tell you everything, I’ll ask for something in return.”

That made my stomach tighten again.

“What kind of request?”

“It’s optional,” he said calmly before I could overthink it. “You’ll have every right to refuse.”

I studied him quietly.

Most powerful men liked control, trapping people into debts disguised as kindness. But Ethan wasn’t pressuring me. If anything, he sounded unusually patient for someone clearly used to being obeyed.

“For now,” he said, “focus on healing. That’s all you need to worry about.”

Silence settled between us briefly.

Then I nodded slowly.

“As long as my daughter and I are safe,” I said softly, “I can wait.” I looked down at my hands for a second before adding honestly, “You saved us. The least I can do is give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Something shifted in Ethan’s expression at those words. It wasn't pride, and it wasn't satisfaction. It was something quieter. Almost like guilt. And for some reason, that made me even more curious about who he really was.

After our conversation, Ethan handed me a phone to use temporarily. “You can use it however you want,” he said. “And order whatever you and Ariel need.”

I thanked him quietly before returning upstairs.

By the time I got back to the room, Maria had already bathed and dressed Ariel in the same outfit she wore the night we escaped. The clothes had been washed neatly, and her curls were brushed properly now.

The second she saw me, she ran over excitedly.

“Mummy!” She threw herself into my arms. “Maria said she’ll make me pancakes every morning.”

I laughed softly at how serious she sounded about it. “Did you say thank you?” I asked.

Ariel immediately turned toward Maria. “Thank you!”

Maria smiled warmly while adjusting Ariel’s little sleeve. “You’re welcome, little princess.”

After she left the room, I sat beside Ariel on the bed with the new phone and started ordering things we needed. Clothes first. I needed comfortable ones for Ariel, along with shoes, hair products, kids' lotion, soap, and pajamas.

Then toys. Ariel became fully invested the second she saw the toy section.

“Mummy, look!” she gasped dramatically, pointing at a pink teddy bear almost identical to the one she left behind. “This one looks like Princess.”

Princess was the name of her old teddy bear.

The one Brown stepped on during an argument. He never even bothered replacing it, not even after Ariel cried herself to sleep over it. I eventually replaced it with the last one we had left in the car.

I swallowed quietly and added the new teddy to the cart immediately. “You like it?” I asked softly.

She nodded excitedly. “Yes!”

I ordered it without hesitation.

Then I picked a few things for myself too. Simple clothes. Toiletries. After placing the orders, Ariel climbed off the bed and looked at me hopefully.

“Mummy, can I go downstairs and ask Maria for cartoons?”

I smiled faintly. “Yes, baby. Go ahead.”

I kissed her cheek before walking her to the door and helping her open it. She rushed off happily toward the staircase without fear in her little steps this time.

The room became quiet again after she left.

I sat back on the edge of the bed, staring down at the phone in my hand.

Then the thought came back.

Brown. Part of me wanted to ignore him completely. Another part needed to know if he had publicly announced that Ariel and I were missing.

I hesitated before finally opening i********:.

I didn’t want to log into my real account, so I created a new one quickly using a random cat picture as the profile photo.

Then I searched his name. His page appeared immediately. Perfect pictures, perfect suits, perfect life, nothing had changed.

I scrolled briefly, my chest tightening with every single post. After our first year together, Brown slowly erased me from his feed, deleting the few pictures he had ever put up. I ignored it back then, completely blind to the red flag because he claimed he wanted privacy.

But the truth was uglier than that. Things changed after I gave birth to Ariel. Pregnancy was difficult. Childbirth nearly broke me physically, and postpartum hit harder than I ever expected. I needed support, patience, and my husband.

Instead, Brown became cold and distant.

He spent more nights away from home than in it. His mother defended him constantly, saying men like him naturally needed excitement and freedom.

Meanwhile, I was recovering alone while trying to raise our daughter. The rumors of his affairs started not long after. It began with texts from his secretary, followed by late-night messages and pictures deleted too quickly for me to fully process.

The first time I confronted him about it, he slapped me hard enough to split my lip. Shaking my head, I forced my eyes open. I couldn’t let myself drown in those memories again, so I focused back on the screen instead.

He hadn’t posted anything new on his main feed, but his story had been updated.

My stomach tightened instantly as I tapped it.

The first video showed Brown drinking and laughing with one of his closest friends, the same disgusting man who always encouraged him to control me because women supposedly respected fear more than love.

They looked relaxed and happy.

Like his wife and child hadn’t vanished overnight.

I tapped to the next story and froze. My sister was sitting right beside Brown. Laughing at something he said while his arm rested behind her chair casually.

My chest dropped so fast it physically hurt.

I quickly tapped through the rest of his stories, but they were just plain. Moving to the search bar, I typed in my sister’s name. My hands shook as I went straight to her page and clicked on her story. The very first video showed her wrapped tightly in his arms.