Chapter 52 CHAPTER 52
Pulling out
The night was heavy with silence. The kind of silence that wasn’t peace, but pressure dense, suffocating, waiting for something to crack.
Ayisha sat cross legged on the couch, her eyes fixed on Tessa across the room. Tessa had been pacing for the past ten minutes, her fingers running through her hair, her lips moving silently as if repeating words to herself. Her restlessness filled the room like static electricity.
Finally, Ayisha spoke. Her tone was calm, but beneath it was steel. “Tessa, sit down.”
Tessa froze mid step, her eyes darting to Ayisha’s face. The firmness there made her shoulders sag. With a defeated sigh, she lowered herself into the armchair, curling into herself like a child caught in mischief.
Ayisha leaned forward, elbows on her knees, hands clasped. “You’ve been avoiding me, avoiding the truth. But I can’t stand by while you walk off a cliff with your eyes wide open. Talk to me. Really talk.”
Tessa’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. Her voice came out cracked. “You don’t understand. I…”
“I do understand,” Ayisha cut in, her eyes sharp. “I understand better than anyone. I know what it feels like to want something so badly you’d trade your soul for it. You want your children back. But the path you’re walking on? That’s not the way, Tess.”
Tessa’s lips trembled. Her gaze fell to her hands, twisting in her lap. “She promised me a way out. She promised me I could finally have them. Jamal, Kamal, Beauty, Pretty—they’d be mine. I’d hold them every day. I wouldn’t have to wonder if they’re safe, if Chloe’s poisoning their minds against me. Lady Bianca said…”
“Lady Bianca,” Ayisha spat, her voice sharp as glass, “is a viper. You know this. I know this. She doesn’t care about you. She doesn’t care about those children. She’s using you, Tess. You’re a pawn in her game.”
Tessa flinched at the word pawn.
Ayisha pressed on, softer now, but no less firm. “Do you want to know why she chose you? Because she knows you’re desperate. Because she knows your heart yearns for those kids. She doesn’t admire that. She doesn’t respect it. She’s exploiting it. She’s twisting your love into a weapon to stab Chloe and to control Ares. And once she’s done using you, she’ll toss you aside like yesterday’s trash.”
Tessa’s breathing quickened. Her hands trembled on her lap. “You make it sound so easy. Like I can just walk away. But what if this is the only chance I ever get? What if this is my one shot to bring them home?”
Ayisha rose from the couch, pacing toward her friend. She crouched in front of her, taking her cold, shaky hands into her own. Her voice dropped to a fierce whisper. “Listen to me, Tess. Those children—your children will come home to you one day. But not like this. Not through lies, not through traps, not by letting Bianca turn you into her puppet. They need their mother strong and free, not bound by debt to a monster. If you sell yourself to Lady Bianca now, you may gain them for a moment, but you’ll lose them forever when she takes control. Is that what you want?”
Tessa’s eyes filled with tears. “No,” she whispered.
“Then fight the right way,” Ayisha urged, squeezing her hands. “Through the law, through truth, through time and persistence. Not through Lady Bianca’s schemes. You’ve already survived too much, Tess. Don’t let her write the rest of your story.”
Silence hung heavy, broken only by Tessa’s ragged breaths. Her tears spilled freely now, sliding down her cheeks as she shook her head. “I feel so powerless,” she admitted. “Every day I wake up and I see their faces in my dreams, and then I remember—they’re not here. They’re not with me. It feels like I’m failing them.”
Ayisha’s chest ached, but her voice was steady. “You’re not failing them. You’re fighting for them, every single day. Even when you feel powerless, you’re still their mother. And that means something. Don’t let Lady Bianca strip that from you.”
Tessa broke then, collapsing into Ayisha’s arms. Her sobs were quiet but fierce, years of longing and fear crashing out of her all at once. Ayisha held her, stroking her hair, whispering fiercely, “You’re stronger than you know. Don’t let her break you. Don’t give her that power.”
It took nearly an hour for Tessa’s sobs to quiet, for her trembling to subside. When she finally pulled away, her eyes were swollen but clearer, a spark of resolve glimmering there.
“You’re right,” she said softly, her voice hoarse. “You’re right. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep letting her pull my strings. I’ll tell her tomorrow. I’ll tell her I’m out.”
Ayisha smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “That’s my Tess. Do it. Cut her out before she sinks her claws deeper.”
The next afternoon, Tessa walked into the low key restaurant Lady Bianca had chosen for their meetings. It was quiet, tucked away from the city’s noise, with booths shrouded in shadows. Lady Bianca was already there, sitting regally in the corner, a glass of red wine in hand.
When Tessa approached, Bianca’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “My dear. Right on time. I’ve already set things in motion. You’ll be pleased to know Chloe won’t see what’s coming.”
Tessa sat down slowly, her fingers tightening around the strap of her handbag. She took a steadying breath. “That’s why I came. To tell you… I can’t go through with this.”
Bianca’s smile froze. Her eyes, sharp and cold, flicked over Tessa’s face. “Excuse me?”
“I’m out,” Tessa said, firmer now. “I can’t do it. I won’t. Framing Chloe, taking the kids this way—it’s wrong. I won’t be part of it.”
Bianca’s laughter burst out, sharp and mocking. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I’ve already arranged everything. Lawyers, bribes, the perfect little scandal to ruin Chloe. All you have to do is play your part. And now you say you’re pulling out?”
“Yes,” Tessa said, standing. Her voice shook, but she didn’t back down. “I’m sorry, Lady Bianca. I’m grateful for the… offer. But I won’t sell myself or my children into your games. Not anymore.”
Bianca’s face hardened, the smile gone. Her eyes gleamed with malice. “This isn’t your decision to make anymore, girl. You think you can walk away now, after I’ve invested so much?”
Tessa’s chin lifted. “Watch me.” She turned, walking out of the booth, her legs trembling but her heart beating strong.
Behind her, Lady Bianca’s voice dripped venom. “I know this is Ayisha’s doing. That girl has always been a thorn in my side. She thinks she’s clever, turning you against me. But she forgets, I deal with thorns by burning the whole garden.”
Tessa didn’t look back. She pushed out of the restaurant into the cool evening air, her chest heaving with both fear and freedom. For the first time in months, she felt like she had taken back a piece of herself.
Inside, Lady Bianca swirled her wine, muttering darkly. “Ayisha. Yes, I’ll deal with Ayisha. She won’t know what hit her.”
And with that vow, the storm grew darker.