Chapter 28 CHAPTER 28
Another date
The restaurant was dimly lit, the chandeliers dripping gold over crimson tablecloths, a place where whispers floated like secrets and every clink of silverware felt intentional.
Ares had chosen a discreet corner, far from the prying eyes of anyone who might recognize them. He sat tall, dressed in a sharp black suit, but his jaw was tense, his expression tight like a man forcing control over an inner storm.
Tessa sat across from him, her heart pounding so loud she wondered if the entire restaurant could hear it. She looked stunning, her transformation over the past months was undeniable. Her skin glowed, her features were sharper, her curves fuller. But beneath all the beauty, there was still the same vulnerability, the same mother who cried herself to sleep over children she hadn’t held in months.
Ares’s gaze kept traveling over her face, her shoulders, her hands resting lightly on the table. He seemed unable to decide whether he wanted to glare or stare in awe. His fingers tapped lightly against his wine glass, betraying his restlessness.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence between them, he leaned forward. His voice was low but sharp.
“I just have one question, Tessa.”
She swallowed, her fingers clenching in her lap.
“What is it?”
Ares’s dark eyes bore into hers, like he was trying to rip the truth from her soul.
“Why did you leave?”
His tone wasn’t mocking, nor angry, it was raw. There was no businesslike detachment, no coldness that Chloe or Lady Bianca often saw in him. It was a man asking the one question that had haunted him every night since she disappeared from his life.
Tessa’s lips parted, but no sound came out. Her throat tightened. She had imagined this moment so many times: falling to her knees in front of him, begging, crying, demanding her children. But Ayisha’s voice echoed in her head: Don’t ask for the kids yet. Don’t look desperate. Make him want you.
So instead of answering honestly, instead of pouring her pain onto the table between them, she steadied her breathing and forced herself to lean back in her chair. She lifted her glass of water and sipped, masking her trembling hands.
“I’m not willing to talk about the past,” she said finally, her voice soft but firm.
Ares froze. He stared at her, disbelief flashing across his features.
“You’re not willing…” he stopped, his fist tightening against the table. His nostrils flared as though he was struggling to contain himself. “Do you have any idea what it’s been like? The rumors, the shame, my children asking questions I couldn’t answer?” His voice grew harsh, though he kept it low enough not to draw attention.
Tessa lowered her gaze, her lashes sweeping down to hide the tears that were threatening to spill. She bit down on her lip to keep her face composed. Every instinct screamed at her to reach across the table and tell him everything…that she never left willingly, that she had been kidnapped, betrayed, stripped of her family. But Ayisha’s warning wrapped around her like chains.
“I’m not here to talk about yesterday,” Tessa murmured, her voice breaking slightly but her resolve intact. “I came because you asked me to. Isn’t that enough?”
Ares leaned back slowly, his chest rising and falling with suppressed anger. He studied her with an expression she couldn’t decipher…half fury, half longing. She looked so different, yet he couldn’t ignore that it was still her. Still Tessa. The one who haunted his thoughts every night.
“You’ve changed,” he finally muttered. His voice was low, almost grudging.
Tessa gave a small, practiced smile. “People change.”
The waiter approached with their meals, breaking the charged silence. Dishes were set down, steaming plates of steak, vegetables, and wine glasses refilled. But neither touched their food. The tension between them was thick, filling the space like smoke.
Ares finally picked up his knife, but instead of cutting into his steak, he pointed it at her like an accusation.
“You left your children…my children. And now I see you all over the internet with Ayisha, flaunting yourself like some… celebrity.” His jaw tightened, his words dripping bitterness.
Tessa’s stomach clenched. Her fork slipped from her hand and clattered against the plate. She wanted to scream at him but she kept her composure.
“I’m not here to justify myself,” she said quietly. “Believe what you want, Ares. I don’t owe anyone an explanation.”
The finality in her tone seemed to both infuriate and intrigue him. He leaned forward again, studying her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t solve. His fingers drummed against the table, and after a long silence, his lips curved into something between a smirk and a challenge.
“You’ve grown colder,” he said. “More stubborn.” His eyes flickered with admiration, perhaps.
Tessa held his gaze, refusing to break. “Maybe I finally learned to protect myself.”
Ares tilted his head, his stare lingering on her face. For the first time that evening, the fury seemed to fade into something else. Something softer. A glimmer of the man she once knew, the man she once loved.
“Maybe I want to see more of this version of you,” he muttered.
Tessa blinked, her chest tightening. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Ares said, setting down his knife and folding his arms on the table, “this won’t be our last dinner. I want to see you again. Tomorrow night. A date.”
The word hit Tessa like a thunderclap. She froze, her lips parting. This was the moment Ayisha had promised would come, the moment Ares would reach out first. Her instinct screamed to say no, to tell him she wasn’t here for romance, only her children. But Ayisha’s voice echoed in her mind again: The trick is to make him want you.
So she nodded. Slowly, deliberately. “Alright. Tomorrow.”
For the first time that evening, Ares leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable but his posture more relaxed. He picked up his fork and finally began eating, as though the deal had been sealed.
The rest of dinner was quiet. Tessa barely touched her food, her mind spinning. She couldn’t decide whether to feel hopeful or terrified.
When Ares finally drove her back to the new house, he didn’t linger. He didn’t try to kiss her or hold her. He simply parked, turned to her, and said, “Tomorrow night. Don’t be late.” Then he drove off, his sleek car disappearing into the night.
Tessa stood frozen by the gate, her heart pounding wildly. She felt excitement, confusion, dread…all tangled together. Could this truly be the first step toward getting her children back?
Inside the house, Ayisha was waiting. She jumped up when she saw Tessa enter, her eyes wide with expectation.
“Well? What happened?”
Tessa sank into the couch, covering her face with her hands. “He asked me for a date tomorrow.”
Ayisha squealed, clapping her hands together. “I told you! I told you this would happen. You just had to trust me. This is how we win, Tessa.”
“Don’t forget he is now married to my friend, Chloe.” Tessa dropped her hands, her eyes wet. “I don’t care about winning, Ayisha. I just want my kids.”
“And you’ll get them,” Ayisha assured, sitting beside her and gripping her hand tightly. “One step at a time. Trust me. He’s already coming back to you.”
Before Tessa could respond, the doorbell rang. Both women froze, exchanging wary glances.
Ayisha stood first. “I’ll get it.”
When she opened the door, her smile instantly faded. Standing there, regal and intimidating as ever, was Lady Bianca. Dressed in her flawless designer gown, pearls at her throat, and a magazine tucked beneath her arm, she exuded authority and disdain.
“Good evening,” Bianca said coolly, stepping inside without invitation. Her eyes flicked over the lavish furniture, the evidence of their growing wealth and influence. “I see you’ve settled in… comfortably. Far too comfortably, in fact.”
Ayisha crossed her arms, her posture defensive. “What do you want?”
Lady Bianca arched a brow. “What I want is to know why you’re still here. I thought we had an agreement. You were to leave this city, never to return. Yet here you are building a brand, flaunting your faces online, and apparently entertaining dinners with my son.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
Ayisha smiled sweetly, though her voice dripped with venom. “Because we’ve changed our minds.”
Lady Bianca’s nostrils flared, her elegant composure cracking for just a moment. She turned her gaze toward Tessa, who sat stiffly on the couch, her hands trembling in her lap. “You,” Bianca hissed. “You should have disappeared when you had the chance. Don’t think for a second that I’ll let you worm your way back into this family.”
Ayisha stepped forward, placing herself firmly between Bianca and Tessa. “We’re not going anywhere. And if you don’t like it…” She tilted her head, her smile widening. “Too bad.”
Bianca’s eyes flashed with fury, but she didn’t speak again. She turned sharply on her heel, her heels clicking against the floor as she stormed out.
The door slammed shut behind her, leaving a heavy silence in the room.
Ayisha exhaled, turning back to Tessa with a grin. “Perfect. Now they’re nervous.”
But Tessa sat frozen, her heart pounding. She couldn’t shake the fear in Bianca’s voice, the warning hidden in her words.
Tomorrow’s date with Ares suddenly felt even more dangerous.