Chapter 27 CHAPTER 27

Chapter 27 CHAPTER 27
The unexpected guest
The morning sun streamed through the wide windows of the new house, filling the spacious living room with a golden glow. Boxes of makeup kits, ring lights, cameras, and stacks of fashion clothes were spread out on the floor. The white walls still had that new paint freshness, and the air smelled faintly of vanilla scented candles Ayisha had lit earlier.
Ayisha moved around briskly, her phone clutched in one hand while she arranged the camera tripod with the other. “Tessa, angle the second ring light a bit to the left. I want us glowing, not washed out,” she said with her usual enthusiasm.
Tessa, dressed in a silk robe, adjusted the ring light silently. Her hands trembled slightly, not from fear of the lights but from the storm in her chest. Even after all the months of transformation, after the surgeries, the fame, and the constant encouragement from Ayisha, there was still a hollow space in her heart. The space belonged to her children.
Ayisha noticed the absent look on Tessa’s face and sighed. “Babe, not this face again. Cheer up. Today we’re shooting the vlog episode that’ll blow us past a million subscribers. Do you know what that means? Sponsorships. Bigger deals. More power.”
Tessa tried to smile, but the weight inside her didn’t shift. “Ayisha… I don’t know if all of this is enough. Every day I wake up and I think of their little faces. What if they don’t even remember me anymore?”
Ayisha turned sharply, her glossy hair swinging over her shoulders. “Stop it. Stop talking like that, Tess. You’re doing this because of them. All this fame, the money, the platform—it’s for when the day comes. Do you want to go begging again and be humiliated? Or do you want to rise so high they won’t be able to deny you?”
Tessa’s throat tightened, but she nodded faintly. Ayisha was always fire where she was water.
They were still adjusting the background—fluffing throw pillows, setting props of luxury perfumes and beauty products when a sudden, heavy knock rattled the front door.
Tessa froze. Her heart jumped into her throat. She turned toward Ayisha, her eyes wide.
“Who is that?” she whispered, already feeling her palms damp.
The knock came again, firmer this time. A man’s knock. A familiar authority behind it.
Ayisha frowned, striding to peek through the curtain. The moment her eyes landed on the figure outside, her lips parted in disbelief. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “It’s him.”
Tessa’s stomach dropped. “Him?” She rushed to the window too, pressing her face beside Ayisha’s.
There he was—Ares. The man who haunted her dreams. The man with her children. Dressed in a suit, tall and intimidating, his jaw set with determination. His knuckles pressed against the door again in a knock that demanded obedience.
Tessa gasped, her knees almost buckling. “Oh God, it’s Ares,” she whispered, panic flooding her chest. She dropped the pillow she had been holding and instinctively rushed toward the door.
Her body acted before her mind could stop it. She wanted to throw the door open, to fall to her knees, to cry and beg: Please, give me back my children. Please, let me hold them.
But just as her fingers brushed the doorknob, Ayisha darted forward and gripped her wrist tightly. “No,” Ayisha hissed, her eyes blazing with urgency.
Tessa looked at her like a drowning woman clinging to the last piece of wood. “Ayisha, it’s my chance! I can’t let him leave. I have to ask him about my babies…”
Ayisha shook her head violently. “No, Tess. Don’t you get it? That’s exactly what you don’t do.”
Tessa’s chest heaved. “Why? Why not? He has them. He’s the only one who can give them back to me. I can’t keep pretending…”
Ayisha leaned close, lowering her voice to a razor-sharp whisper. “Because desperation makes you weak. Begging makes him powerful. Do you want him to look at you as the pathetic mother he tossed aside? Or do you want him to crave you, need you, and choose to give them back himself?”
Tessa’s lips parted. Her heart screamed one thing, her mind another. “Ayisha, I don’t care about games. I just want my kids.”
Ayisha’s grip tightened, her nails digging lightly into Tessa’s skin. “Listen to me. The trick is to make him want you. Not pity you. Men like Ares don’t respond to tears. They respond to what they think they can’t have.”
The knock came again, this time followed by his deep voice. “Tessa. I know you’re in there.”
Tessa’s heart nearly stopped. Hearing him call her name after so long cracked something inside her. Tears stung her eyes. She bit her lip hard, struggling not to sob.
Ayisha gave her a little shake. “Pull yourself together. You’re not a victim anymore. You’re a goddess. Look at you.” She cupped Tessa’s chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. “Act calm. Smile. Don’t ask for your kids. Let him chase you. Trust me, Tess. Trust me like you always have.”
Tessa inhaled shakily. Her trembling eased, though the ache in her heart still screamed. Slowly, she nodded.
Ayisha released her wrist, then straightened her own posture. She whispered one last time, “Make him want you.”
With that, Tessa smoothed her robe, wiped her tears quickly, and took a steadying breath. Together, they opened the door.
Ares stood there, tall and commanding. For a second, his expression faltered when his eyes landed on her. The transformation had clearly stunned him. She was not the broken, fragile he used to know. She was radiant, sculpted, breathtaking, her beauty almost otherworldly.
“Tessa,” he said, his voice deep, controlled, but heavy with something he couldn’t hide.
Tessa tilted her head slightly, her lips curving in the faintest of polite smiles. “Ares.” Her voice was calm, steady, nothing like the frantic beating of her heart.
He blinked, as if thrown off balance by her composure. His eyes flicked briefly to Ayisha before returning to Tessa.
“Can I come in?” he asked, his voice clipped.
Ayisha folded her arms, leaning casually against the wall. “We’re actually about to film, but sure. Make it quick.”
Tessa simply stepped aside gracefully. “Please, come in.”
Ares entered, his presence filling the room. He looked around at the lights, the cameras, the makeup, the clothes. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. His eyes remained locked on Tessa.
She moved to sit elegantly on the couch, crossing her legs. Ayisha perched beside her, but it was clear she wanted Tessa to take the lead.
For a long moment, silence stretched between them, heavy and charged. Ares finally spoke. “You’ve changed.”
Tessa arched a brow, feigning mild amusement. “People do, Ares. Seven years is a long time.”
His gaze darkened. He was used to her trembling, to her tears. This calm confidence unsettled him.
“You didn’t come back,” he said quietly, almost accusingly. “You didn’t… even try.”
Tessa’s lips twitched faintly, but she didn’t let the pain show. Instead, she shrugged lightly. “Some doors close for a reason.”
Ares clenched his fists, then released them. His eyes raked over her, frustration and something else simmering in his gaze.
Ayisha cleared her throat pointedly. “If you came to insult or interrogate, you can leave. We have work to do.”
But Ares ignored her. His entire focus was on Tessa. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he said, “Have dinner with me.”
The words hung in the air.
Tessa’s heart stuttered. Her first instinct was to scream Give me my children instead! But Ayisha’s voice echoed in her mind: Make him want you.
She swallowed and forced a calm smile. “Dinner?”
“Yes.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal. Yet his eyes betrayed a flicker of vulnerability.
Tessa let the silence stretch, as if considering. Finally, she nodded once. “Alright. Dinner.”
Ares exhaled, tension easing from his shoulders. He gave her one last long look before turning to leave.
As soon as the door shut behind him, Tessa gasped, clutching her chest. Excitement, fear, and hope all swirled inside her like a storm.
Ayisha grinned like a cat who had caught a canary. “See? What did I tell you? He’s already chasing. Trust me, Tess. Play this right, and soon you’ll have your kids back.”
Tessa’s eyes filled with tears, but this time they were mixed with anticipation. “Ayisha… do you really think so?”
Ayisha hugged her tightly. “I don’t think. I know.”