Chapter 143 CHAPTER 143
The real reason
The music thumped so hard the walls of the VIP suite trembled. Purple lights flashed in rhythm with the bass, champagne foam ran down the sides of glass flutes, and laughter spilled across the room like perfume. Lila was in the center of it all, her hips moving, drink in hand, hair wild and glossy under the neon. She looked like sin wrapped in designer fabric, the kind of woman who lived to be watched. And everyone was watching.
Ares stood beside her, suit jacket long abandoned, shirt halfway unbuttoned. He was pretending to dance, pretending to be present, pretending to care. His eyes were glassy but not from alcohol. He had poured more than he drank tonight. Across the lounge, Julian was slumped on a couch, two girls on either side of him, laughter spilling from his lips. He looked gone, far gone.
When the DJ switched songs, Ares leaned over to whisper something in Lila’s ear, his hand brushing her waist. She laughed and turned around to press her body against his. He smiled faintly, a trained smile. Then his gaze flicked toward Julian again, looking wrecked, swaying, muttering something that sounded like “I’m fine.”
Ares excused himself from Lila, brushing off her attempt to pull him back. He crossed the room quickly and grabbed Julian by the collar.
“Come on,” he said in a low voice.
Julian blinked, confused. “What—what’s your problem, man?”
Ares didn’t answer. He pulled Julian up and led him through the hallway, past the smoke, the perfume, and the pulsing bass. He shoved open the restroom door. The heavy soundproof walls muffled the music instantly.
Julian staggered against the marble sink, looking at Ares in disbelief. “What the hell, bro?”
Ares folded his arms. His tone was calm, too calm. “What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? You dragged me in here like a criminal!”
“You’re getting drunk and wasted like an idiot. What’s going on?”
Julian laughed humorlessly, swaying slightly. “Oh, don’t start. You’re doing the same damn thing. Don’t act like you’re better than me.”
Ares stared at him, silent for a long beat, then slowly shook his head. “No, Julian. I’m not doing the same thing.”
Julian scoffed. “Oh, please. You’ve been partying for days. You’re out here every night with Lila, snorting God knows what. Don’t lie.”
“I’m not lying,” Ares said, voice steady. He took a deep breath. “I’m not drunk. I’m not high either.”
Julian frowned, unsteady. “What are you talking about?”
Ares leaned against the counter, eyes fixed on his reflection in the mirror. “Every time she gives me a drink, I pretend to take a sip. Every time she passes me those pills, I throw them away when she isn’t looking.”
Julian blinked, confused. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not,” Ares said simply.
Julian’s face twisted with disbelief. “Then why are you pretending? Why the hell are you even with her if you’re not back into this lifestyle?”
Ares’s lips pressed into a hard line. For a moment, he looked older, heavier, like the weight of years had just dropped on him. He looked at Julian finally. “Because I’m broke, Julian.”
The words hung in the cold bathroom air. Julian froze.
Ares continued quietly. “I’m going bankrupt. Father took everything, every company, every share, every account. The only thing I have left is this mansion in Tokyo and my cars. That’s it, you know this.”
Julian swallowed hard. “I… I didn’t know it was that bad that you’ll have to do this…”
Ares gave a hollow chuckle. “Of course you didn’t. I didn’t tell anyone how bad it is. Lila is the reason I can still afford food or the reason I haven’t sold the house. She thinks she’s controlling me. But I’m the one using her.”
Julian straightened up a bit, trying to process. “Using her?”
“Yeah.” Ares looked him dead in the eye. “Her father’s company. It’s the only thing keeping me afloat. If she trusts me long enough, I can pull myself out of this hole, stabilize my assets, and then…”
“Then what?” Julian asked quietly.
Ares’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Then I’ll go back to Tessa.”
Julian’s expression fell. “You’re serious.”
“Dead serious.”
Julian laughed bitterly. “You kicked her out, Ares. You broke her heart. You threw her kids out like they were trash. And now you’re saying you did all that because you love her?”
Ares clenched his jaw. “Yes.”
“That doesn’t make sense!” Julian snapped. “You don’t hurt someone to protect them!”
Ares’s face tightened, a shadow flickering across his features. “You think I don’t know that? You think it doesn’t kill me every time I remember her face when I told her to leave? But you don’t get it. If I didn’t do this, if I didn’t play along with Lila I would have lost everything. My father would have crushed me completely. And then what? What kind of man would I be for Tessa and those kids?”
Julian stared at him, breathing unevenly.
“I’m doing this,” Ares said, voice low, “so that when I come back to her, I come back with something. Stability. Power. Freedom from that old man’s control. I’m not letting my father dictate my life anymore.”
Julian shook his head slowly. “And what if Lila finds out?”
“She won’t,” Ares said simply.
“You’re playing with fire,” Julian murmured. “She’s dangerous. And you know it.”
Ares gave a grim smile. “Yeah. But she’s useful.”
Silence filled the room. The faint sound of the club music hummed through the walls like a heartbeat.
Julian rubbed his temples. “You’re losing yourself, Ares. You’re turning into your father.”
Ares’s gaze turned sharp. “The first big money I hit I’ll give you to anonymously give Tessa and the kids.”
Julian didn’t reply. He leaned against the sink, staring at the floor. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue more, but the fight drained out of him. “And Tessa?” he finally asked. “Do you really think she’ll take you back after everything?”
Ares didn’t answer right away. He looked at the mirror again, at his tired eyes and unshaven jaw. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “But I’ll make her see the truth when the time comes. She’s the only woman I ever loved, Julian. The only one.”