Chapter 31 CHAPTER 31
Behind bars
The house was dark when they returned, but the silence did nothing to soften the storm raging between them. Chloe marched into the living room, her heels striking the marble floor with a sharp, angry rhythm. She spun on Ares, her eyes wild, her breath coming fast.
“You embarrassed me!” she shouted, voice breaking. “In front of her—of that woman! You dragged me out like I was some stranger when I’m your wife! Your wife!!! Did you hear that?”
Ares followed slowly, his expression unreadable but his jaw locked tight. His tie hung loose around his neck, his shirt rumpled from the scuffle at the restaurant. He ran a hand down his face, as though he might rub away the anger still simmering in his chest.
“You assaulted her, Chloe,” he said, voice low but edged with steel. “You hit her. You drew blood. You flipped a table like a madwoman. What was I supposed to do? Applaud you?”
Her lips trembled, torn between fury and heartbreak. “You were supposed to defend me! I’m your wife, Ares! Six months, and you’ve never touched me. Never kissed me, never looked at me the way you looked at her tonight. And you still expect me to smile and act like nothing is wrong?”
Ares’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t turn this into some twisted justification. You knew what you were doing when you hit her. Don’t play the victim now.”
The word victim struck her like a slap of its own. Chloe staggered back a step, her shoulders shaking. For a long moment, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of her uneven breathing and the faint hum of the air conditioning.
Then came the knock. Loud. Sharp. Insistent.
Both turned toward the door, startled.
Ares frowned. “It’s past midnight. Who the hell…”
Another knock, harder this time. Ares strode to the door and pulled it open.
And there stood Ayisha, arms folded, a thin, satisfied smile tugging her lips. Behind her, two uniformed police officers stood tall, their expressions grim.
“Good evening, Mr. Ares,” Ayisha said sweetly, though her eyes gleamed with cold triumph. “We’re here for your wife.”
Chloe blinked, confusion and panic colliding across her face. “What?!”
The taller officer stepped forward, his voice clipped and professional. “Mrs. Chloe Langford, you are under arrest for physical assault and public disturbance.”
Chloe’s jaw dropped. “This is insane! Ares, say something!”
Ares held up his hands, trying to control the situation. “Ayisha, this is unnecessary. Whatever happened tonight, I’ll handle it. We don’t need to…”
Ayisha cut him off sharply, her voice firm. “No, Ares. You had a chance to handle it but you didn’t. Chloe assaulted Tessa in public. She injured her. That’s a criminal offense, and it won’t be swept under your family’s expensive rug. Justice for Tessa.”
Chloe stumbled back, shaking her head wildly. “No, no, no..this is ridiculous. She provoked me! She’s the one destroying my marriage! She’s…she went on a date with my husband!”
“Save it for the judge,” Ayisha snapped.
The officers moved in. One reached for Chloe’s arm, and she jerked away, eyes wide with disbelief. “Don’t you dare touch me!”
“Chloe,” Ares said quickly, trying to keep her calm, “just…just cooperate. We’ll sort this out.”
His attempt at soothing her only made her angrier. Tears welled in her eyes as she glared at him. “Sort this out? You’re letting them drag me away like a criminal while your precious Tessa sits at home playing victim?”
The officer caught her wrist, snapping cold steel handcuffs around it before she could protest further. The metallic click echoed like a death knell. Chloe froze, horror dawning on her face.
“Ares!” she screamed, twisting in the officers’ grip. “Don’t let them take me! Please! I’m your wife! You can’t let this happen!”
Ares stepped forward, his voice low, urgent. “Ayisha, listen. Please. Don’t do this here, don’t…”
But Ayisha stood unmoved, her eyes locked on him, her smile faint but victorious. “She put her hands on Tessa. She pays the price. End of story.”
Chloe’s sobs filled the foyer as the officers led her out, her cries echoing down the marble hall. “Ares! Don’t let them take me! Please!”
The front door slammed shut behind them, leaving only silence.
Ares stood rooted, fists clenched, his chest heaving. He turned on Ayisha, fury burning in his eyes. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Ayisha tilted her head, her voice calm, measured. “Yes. I protected my friend. Something you should have long ago.”
“She’s my wife,” Ares ground out, his voice dangerously low.
“And Tessa is the mother of your children,” Ayisha shot back. “One of these women actually matters. One of them is family. You figure out which.”
Her words cut sharp and merciless. With that, she turned, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she walked away into the night.
Ares stood in the empty house, rage and guilt colliding in his chest. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t know what to do.
“Didn’t she know she was a mother when she ran off with some man?!”
The next morning dawned gray and heavy, clouds blanketing the city. The mansion was unusually quiet without Chloe’s presence. Ares sat in his office, staring at his untouched coffee, his mind circling in restless loops.
The knock on the door came mid morning.
When the butler opened it, Lady Bianca swept in, her presence as commanding as ever. She wore a silk suit the color of emeralds, her hair pulled into an immaculate bun. Her eyes, sharp as daggers, scanned the room until they landed on Ares.
“Where is she?” she demanded.
Ares rose slowly. “She’s in custody. Ayisha or Tessa pressed charges. Assault.”
Lady Bianca’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Of course they did. Hungry girls.” She exhaled, a long, weary sigh, then turned toward the door. “Come. I’m going to bail her out.”
The police station smelled of stale coffee and paperwork. Chloe sat behind a metal table, her eyes red-rimmed, her hair disheveled. The fire from last night had burned itself into exhaustion; now, she just looked broken.
When Lady Bianca appeared, Chloe’s face crumpled. “Mother…”
“Save it,” Bianca snapped, though her hand softened slightly as it touched Chloe’s arm. “Let’s get you out of here first.”
It took hours of negotiation, paperwork, and the weight of Lady Bianca’s name, but eventually Chloe walked free, her wrists still red from the cuffs.
They slid into the back of a waiting black car. The driver pulled away, city streets rolling by in silence. Chloe leaned against the window, tears slipping quietly down her cheeks.
For a long time, Bianca said nothing. She simply stared ahead, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Then, finally, she spoke.
“Tessa is suing.”
Chloe’s head whipped around, eyes wide. “What?”
“Sixteen million dollars,” Bianca continued crisply. “She claims she’s been physically injured, her face scarred. She’s alleging she requires extensive plastic surgery and emotional damages.”
The words fell heavy in the air, sinking into Chloe like stones.
“Sixteen… million?” Chloe whispered, her voice breaking.
“Dollars,” Bianca said firmly, her tone clipped. “She’s playing it smart. And you’ve handed her the perfect weapon. Public assault, witnesses, video evidence from the restaurant security. We are walking into a war, Chloe. And you may have just armed the enemy.”
Chloe sat frozen, her mind reeling, her heart pounding.
Sixteen million dollars.
And Tessa’s bleeding face filled her mind again.
Her own hand burned with the memory of the strike.