Chapter 66 CHAPTER 66
Hidden Truths
The desert sun blazed high above Dubai, spilling golden light over the glittering city. Skyscrapers rose like monuments of glass and steel, each one glinting against the cloudless sky. Palm trees lined the avenues, exotic cars roared past, and the hum of wealth filled the air.
But far from the crowds, tucked in a quiet gated villa on the outskirts of the city, four children’s laughter carried across the courtyard. Jamal, Kamal, Beauty, and Pretty ran across the garden barefoot, their giggles echoing as they played a game of tag. A fountain gurgled in the center, and a shimmering pool reflected the sun like liquid diamonds.
Julian, Ares’s closest confidant, sat beneath a shaded canopy with a glass of juice in hand, watching them. He was relaxed, dressed in linen, his face hidden behind designer sunglasses. To any outsider, he looked like a wealthy uncle enjoying a vacation with his nieces and nephews.
The children weren’t on a trip. They weren’t here with their mother. They were here because Ares wanted them safe.
The best safety was taking them away from everyone.
“Uncle Julian!” Jamal shouted, racing to the canopy. Sweat dripped down his forehead, his curls bouncing. “Kamal cheated! He said I was out, but I tagged him first!”
Kamal sprinted up behind him, out of breath, shaking his head furiously. “Lies! He’s the one who cheats!”
Julian chuckled, ruffling both their hair. “Alright, alright. No fighting. You both win.”
“Not fair!” Jamal protested, but his pout vanished the moment Julian pulled out a tray of fresh fruit skewers.
“Snack break,” Julian said.
Pretty and Beauty skipped over too, their laughter still trailing behind them. Pretty grabbed two skewers at once, her small hands sticky with juice as she grinned. Beauty, more reserved, sat beside Julian and leaned against his arm.
“Uncle Julian,” she asked softly, “when is Daddy coming?”
The question hung heavy in the air. Jamal and Kamal froze mid bite, their eyes wide. Pretty stopped chewing.
Julian removed his sunglasses slowly, exhaling. He glanced toward the villa, where his phone sat waiting with a scheduled call. “Soon,” he promised. “He’ll call in a few minutes. You’ll see him.”
Their faces lit up instantly, the cloud of worry vanishing like smoke.
Inside the villa, Julian tapped the screen and connected the video call. Ares’s face filled the tablet—his jaw sharp, his expression softened at the sight of the children. For the first time in days, his features broke into a genuine smile.
“Daddy!” they shouted in unison, crowding around the screen.
Ares leaned closer, his voice warm, almost breaking. “My babies. Look at you. Are you behaving for Uncle Julian?”
“Yes!” Pretty shouted first, bouncing. “We went swimming!”
“And we ate ice cream for breakfast!” Kamal added proudly.
Julian smirked at Ares through the camera, shrugging as if to say, Don’t blame me.
Ares chuckled, shaking his head. “Ice cream for breakfast? Only Uncle Julian would allow that.”
Beauty climbed onto Julian’s lap, holding the tablet closer. Her dark eyes locked on her father’s face. “Daddy… why can’t you come here now?”
The smile slipped from Ares’s lips for a fraction of a second. His throat tightened. He wanted nothing more than to take the next flight, hold them in his arms, and forget the rest of the world existed. But he couldn’t, not yet.
“Soon, my princess,” he said softly. “Very soon. I promise.”
Jamal leaned in, whispering loudly as if Ares couldn’t hear. “Mommy Tessa would cry if she knew where we are.”
Ares froze. His chest ached. He forced a smile. “Don’t worry about Mommy. Just focus on having fun, okay? Daddy will fix everything.”
The children nodded eagerly. To them, it was enough. Their father had promised.
Julian ended the call after more laughter and goodbyes. But when the screen went black, he turned to the kids, his smile fading. For a moment, he wondered if they understood more than they let on. Children had a way of hearing truths adults tried to bury.
Meanwhile, oceans away, Tessa’s world was crumbling.
Her home was too quiet, the silence oppressive. Reporters no longer camped outside her gate—public interest had shifted, but the hatred online only grew. Strangers messaged her daily, accusing her of being careless, selfish, unfit.
But none of that hurt as much as the empty bedrooms upstairs.
Tessa sat on the edge of Jamal and Kamal’s bed, clutching one of their shirts to her chest. She inhaled deeply, desperate for their scent. It was faint now, fading with every day they were gone. Her hands shook as she pressed the fabric to her face, tears dripping onto it.
Ayisha entered quietly, carrying a tray with food. “Tessa… you haven’t eaten since morning. You need strength.”
“I don’t want food,” Tessa whispered.
Ayisha set the tray down anyway. “You’ll make yourself sick. What if they come back tomorrow? Do you want to greet them looking like this?”
Tessa’s head snapped up, eyes wild. “If they come back?”
Ayisha cursed herself silently. “I mean when they come back. They will. Ares promised he’d help.”
At the mention of Ares, Tessa’s shoulders stiffened. “Ares.” She spat his name like poison. “Don’t say his name in this house.”
Ayisha didn’t argue. She only reached out and squeezed Tessa’s trembling hand.
Night came heavy, wrapping the city in darkness. Ares sat alone in his study, the whiskey glass untouched beside him. His phone buzzed—Lady Bianca. He didn’t answer. He couldn’t face her questions, her manipulations, not tonight.
He scrolled back to the screenshots of his children on the call, their smiles radiant. It should have comforted him. Instead, it carved him open. He was lying to everyone—Tessa, the world, even himself.
But he told himself it was necessary.
It was the only way to protect them.
Across the city, in her bedroom, Tessa lay curled on her side, her body wracked with silent sobs. She pressed her face into the pillow, muffling her cries, not wanting Ayisha to hear. She hated showing weakness. But tonight, she couldn’t hold it back.
Her mind replayed every moment—the judge’s verdict, the day they left her house, the sound of their laughter. Now all of it was gone.
She didn’t know where they were, if they were safe, if they were crying for her. The not knowing was worse than death.
Maybe they were even happy. Not like they liked her away or wanted to be with her.
Tears soaked her pillow until she drifted into restless sleep, her body trembling even in dreams.
And somewhere in Dubai, her children laughed freely under Julian’s watch, unaware that their joy was built on secrets that could shatter everything.