Chapter 83 CHAPTER 83
Birthday preparations
The evening light slanted across the room where Ethan and Ayisha sat, its walls bearing the faint smell of cigarette smoke and whiskey. A single lamp flickered, throwing sharp angles across Ethan’s face as he leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. His eyes were calculating, cold…fixed on Ayisha, who sat opposite him with her arms folded, watching him like a hawk.
He didn’t waste time. “Get ready,” Ethan said, his tone clipped and decisive. “Ares is throwing a very private birthday party this weekend. For his kids. Eight years old.”
Ayisha tilted her head slightly, lips curving into a slow smile. “Ares throwing a private party?” She scoffed. “Interesting.”
“Exactly,” Ethan replied, sliding a crumpled piece of paper across the table. “It’s perfect. Not many guests, tight security, but nothing we can’t crack. We go in disguise, blend in…” He let the sentence dangle in the air, heavy with menace.
Ayisha tapped her manicured nail against the table, her dark eyes glinting. “Then kidnap the kids.”
Ethan’s lips twitched, not quite a smile, more of a grim satisfaction. “With the kids in our hands, Ares is powerless. He’ll come crawling. Tessa…” He leaned back, the chair creaking under his weight. “She’ll do anything. Between the two of them, we can break them. Control them. Finally.”
Ayisha’s laugh was low, dangerous, the kind that sent chills through anyone unfamiliar with her brand of cruelty. “I like the way you think. Four little hostages… leverage Ares can’t ignore. He pretends to be untouchable, but he has a weakness. And it walks on four pairs of tiny feet.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, a shadow passing over his features. “This is our chance. We can’t miss it. No slip ups.”
Ayisha’s fingers trailed lazily over the table as though tracing invisible lines. “And the disguises?”
“Already arranged,” Ethan said. “Masks, catering uniforms, whatever it takes. We’ll get in. We’ll get out. And Ares will finally cry.”
There was a pause, a silence that pulsed like a heartbeat between them. Then Ayisha leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “What if we fail?”
Ethan’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Think about revenge, you want it right?”
Ayisha nodded once, firm. “More than anything. Tessa betrayed me…scammed me of every penny.”
The plan hung in the air, dark and sharp, as though the walls themselves had heard and recoiled. Ethan reached for the whiskey bottle, pouring himself a shot. He raised the glass slightly in Ayisha’s direction.
“To the party,” he said.
“To the party,” she echoed, clinking her glass against his. The liquid burned down their throats, Ayisha coughed slightly.
Across town, the world spun in a very different rhythm.
Chloe wiped her hands on her apron, her hair tied up in a neat bun as she leaned against the counter of the small restaurant where she worked. The place was cozy, with its warm lighting, wooden tables, and the hum of customers drifting in and out. The aroma of rice and miso soup lingered in the air.
Her boss’s husband, Mr. Tanaka, a middle aged man with a permanent crease in his brow, clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Listen up, everyone!” he called out from the kitchen doorway.
Chloe straightened, curiosity flickering through her tired eyes.
Mr. Tanaka beamed. “We’ve been booked for a very special event this weekend. A children’s birthday party. Very high profile but private clients. Big house, lots of money. That means—” He raised a finger dramatically. “Bonuses.”
A ripple of excitement swept through the staff.
“Bonuses!” Mei, one of Chloe’s coworkers, squealed, nearly dropping the tray she was carrying.
“Finally,” another waiter groaned with relief. “Rent’s due.”
Laughter filled the air, the mood lifting instantly. The thought of extra pay made everyone’s faces shine with anticipation.
Chloe smiled faintly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She watched her colleagues chatter, their voices tumbling over each other in bursts of joy—what food might be served, what games the children might play, how much tip they might pocket. It was the kind of simple happiness Chloe found herself unable to fully join.
Her chest felt heavy.
She slipped a hand into her pocket, feeling the smooth cold surface of her phone. As the voices rose around her, she quietly excused herself to the back hallway, where the noise dimmed.
With trembling fingers, she scrolled to Lady Bianca’s number and pressed call.
It rang repeatedly but no answer.
She tried again, this time it went to voicemail.
Chloe bit her lip, her stomach twisting. It had been days since she had trying to get to Lady Bianca. Every attempt to reach her had ended the same way, silence. Blocked on another number.
Her pulse quickened, unease clawing at her chest.
She ended the call, staring at the blank screen, as though willing it to light up with a return call. Nothing. Just the quiet hum of the restaurant beyond the hallway door.
“Chloe?” Mei’s voice called from the kitchen. “Aren’t you excited? A kids’ party! We’ll get to see the house!”
Chloe forced her lips into a faint smile as she rejoined them. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Excited.”
But her heart wasn’t in it.
As her coworkers laughed and swapped guesses about what kind of cake the wealthy family might serve, Chloe’s mind stayed elsewhere. She felt a sense of foreboding deep down.”