Chapter 139 CHAPTER 139
New Roots
Marcus Langford sat in his study, a cigar burning slowly between his fingers, the smoke curling in lazy patterns toward the ceiling.
On his desk lay a newspaper from the day before, its front page featuring a blurred photo of Ares leaving a gala with Lila. Marcus didn’t bother reading the headline again.
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling smoke, his expression tight. “He’s not called once,” Marcus muttered to himself. “Not a single damn time.”
His assistant, Raymond, stood quietly by the bookshelf. “Sir, perhaps he’s… embarrassed. It’s been a rough few weeks for him.”
Marcus turned sharply. “Embarrassed? No, Raymond. If Ares had an ounce of shame left, he’d be here begging me to reconsider. Instead, he’s out there parading that girl — what’s her name — Lila? Like she’s some trophy.”
Raymond hesitated. “And Lady Bianca?”
Marcus gave a low, humorless laugh. “That one’s worse. Always playing queen when she’s nothing but a noise maker. The moment I seized the company and the accounts, I thought she’d come crawling, crying, begging on her knees for me to forgive her arrogance.”
He ground the cigar into the ashtray, his movements slow and deliberate. “But not a word. Not from either of them.”
He stood up, straightened his coat, and walked to the window, gazing out at the city skyline. “They think I’m bluffing, Raymond. They think this is some lesson. But I’m not teaching — I’m cleansing. I built Langford Enterprises from nothing. My own son thought he could run it with emotions and women in his head.”
Raymond cleared his throat. “So what do you plan to do, sir?”
Marcus smiled, a cold, calculated smile. “I’m going to Tokyo. If Ares won’t come to me, I’ll go to him.”
He picked up his phone and dialed. “Prepare the jet. I leave tomorrow.”
Across the city, in a modest neighborhood on the quieter side of Tokyo, life was beginning again, simple, slow, and real.
Tessa stood in front of her small three bedroom apartment, wearing a simple shirt and jeans, her hair tied back with a scarf. The air smelled faintly of rain and fresh soil. She bent over a small patch of earth beside the building, planting vegetable seeds she’d bought at the local market — tomatoes, spinach, and peppers.
It wasn’t much, but it was hers.
Behind her, she could hear the laughter of Pretty and Beauty chasing each other in the yard, Dorcas scolding them gently in the background.
“Madam,” Dorcas called out. “Please don’t stay there too long, you should rest.”
Tessa chuckled, wiping her hands on her jeans. “Leave me, Dorcas. This farm will save us money.”
Dorcas laughed. “You are now a country woman in Tokyo.”
“Then I’ll be the happiest country woman alive,” Tessa replied, smiling faintly.
The apartment wasn’t large, but it was warm. There were three bedrooms — one for her and Ayisha, one for the kids, and one for Chloe and Dorcas. The rent wasn’t cheap, but compared to what she was used to, it was reasonable. And the neighborhood was peaceful, lined with small stores, flower pots, and neighbors who minded their own business.
Inside, Ayisha was sweeping the living room, her hair tied up in a messy way. “We need curtains, Tess. These windows make me feel like people can see right through me.”
“We’ll get them,” Tessa said softly, standing at the door. “Maybe next week.”
Ayisha rolled her eyes. “Or maybe Julian will show up again with another car full of stuff.”
Tessa frowned. “He’s already done too much.”
Ayisha leaned on the broom, looking at her. “He’s doing it because he cares.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want him to,” Tessa said. “I don’t want to be anyone’s burden again.”
Ayisha sighed. “You know you can’t do everything alone, right?”
Tessa smiled faintly. “Watch me try.”
The sound of the gate creaking open pulled her attention. A black sedan rolled into the compound, and Julian stepped out, looking as effortlessly clean as ever in a casual white shirt and black pants. He was holding two grocery bags in each hand, and a smile that made the kids scream his name.
“Uncle Julian!” The four kids ran to hug him.
Julian crouched down, laughing as they wrapped their little arms around him. “I missed you two troublemakers!”
“You bring chocolate?” Beauty asked immediately.
Julian winked. “You know me too well.” He handed each of them a small pack from the bag, and they squealed in delight before running back to Dorcas.
Tessa stood by the doorway, arms folded. “You really don’t have to keep doing this, Julian.”
He turned to her, that gentle smile softening his expression. “I know. But let me do it anyway.”
Tessa sighed, walking toward him. “We’re okay. We have food, rent’s paid, the kids are fine.”
“Food, maybe,” Julian said, lifting a brow, “but I saw that fridge. There’s more air than groceries in there.”
Tessa laughed despite herself. “Julian.”
He looked around the compound. “You’ve done well here, Tess. It’s… peaceful.”
“That’s the point,” she replied quietly.
He nodded. “How are the kids adjusting?”
“Better than I expected. The new school is good. Cheaper, but decent. The teachers are kind.”
Julian smiled. “And you?”
Tessa hesitated before answering. “I’m… learning how to be me again.”
Julian’s gaze softened. “You deserve that.”
Dorcas came out, wiping her hands. “Sir Julian, please can you help us buy a small gas cylinder for the kitchen next time? Ours is leaking.”
Julian chuckled. “You got it, Dorcas.”
Dorcas smiled. “God bless you, sir.”
As Dorcas went back inside, Julian turned to Tessa. “So… what’s next for you?”
Tessa looked at her little garden, then back at him. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll start selling vegetables, maybe do home catering again. I just want to build something that’s mine.”
Julian nodded approvingly. “That sounds like you?”
Tessa looked at him curiously. “I will figure it out. How about you, still working with Ares?”
Julian’s jaw tightened a bit. “Yes.”
An hour later, Julian was back in his car, the city lights flickering against the windshield as he drove through the evening traffic.
He replayed everything in his head, the sight of Tessa smiling faintly while planting vegetables, the way her kids ran barefoot around the yard, the peace in that small home compared to the chaos he’d just left behind in Ares’s mansion.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
He couldn’t stand what Ares had become — arrogant, blind, led by the manipulations of Lila and Lady Bianca. He knew Lila was up to something more than just clinging to Ares. He’d seen the way she whispered into his ear, always planning, always scheming.
Julian took a deep breath, his jaw setting as he turned into the main road.
“If I want to know what she’s planning,” he muttered to himself, “I’ll have to play her game.”
He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, the decision solidifying in his mind.
“I’ll act like I’m on Ares’s side. I’ll smile, nod, pretend I’m part of their little team.”