Chapter 97 CHAPTER 97
Let’s live in peace
The living room was quieter than it had ever been.
No security chatter. No angry footsteps. No raised voices. Just the faint hum of the air conditioner and the smell of coffee someone forgot to drink.
Ares stood by the long glass table, his palms pressed against the edge, his head bowed slightly as though he was trying to find the right words before the storm came again.
Julian stood behind him, arms folded, eyes moving between Tessa and Chloe who sat opposite each other like two opposing magnets forced to share the same air.
The quadruplets sat together on the couch, side by side, their faces curious, confused, and quiet. The nanny, Faith, stood by the stairs waiting for a cue to take them away if things got too heavy again.
Ares finally straightened, drawing in a slow breath. “Alright,” he began, his voice steady but heavy, “we’re going to have a family conversation.”
Tessa’s hands were clasped tightly in her lap. Her face looked smaller than usual — tired, pale, but softer.
Chloe sat back with her legs crossed, chin high, pretending she wasn’t shaking inside.
Ares moved around the table and crouched in front of the kids.
“Listen,” he said gently. “I need you all to hear this, okay? And I need you to understand that I made a mistake.”
Beauty’s brows furrowed. “A mistake?”
Ares nodded. “Yes, sweetheart. A big one.”
He turned slightly, his gaze finding Tessa. For a brief second, the world seemed to pause. “This woman right here,” he said slowly, “is your mother.”
The kids looked at each other. Silence stretched long enough for a pin to drop.
Tessa’s lips trembled.
“I know,” Ares continued, voice softer now, “I told you things before that made her look bad. And maybe I was angry, maybe I was hurt, but that doesn’t change the truth. She’s your mother. She carried you, loved you, and she deserves your love and respect. She didn’t abandon you guys, she was kidnapped when you guys were very little…I hope you four can forgive us for behaving childishly for the past year.”
Jamal blinked rapidly, as if trying to remember old fragments of her face from somewhere far away. But he couldn’t remember.
Tessa’s eyes filled. “Hey,” she whispered, her voice cracking, “my babies…”
They slipped off the couch and walked up to her. They hesitated only a second before wrapping their arms around her waist.
Tessa let out a quiet sob and held him tight, pressing her lips to his hair.
The other kids followed, one by one.
By the time Beauty reached her, Tessa was crying freely, shaking her head in disbelief. “I missed you so much,” she whispered. “So, so much.”
Ares looked away, jaw clenched, his throat tight.
When the kids finally pulled back, their faces were tear streaked but calm as though something broken inside them had been quietly mended.
Ares cleared his throat and stood. “From now on,” he said, “we’re going to do this the right way. No lies, no secrets. Tessa will be around, and we’re going to figure out how to co parent properly.”
He turned to Tessa. “For now, you can stay here in the house with us, until we find something that works better. I want you to feel safe. And I want them to have both of us.”
Tessa nodded slowly, still wiping her eyes. “Thank you,” she said softly, “for doing this right… finally.”
Julian smiled faintly from his spot by the window. “That’s progress,” he murmured. “And since I don’t trust any of you not to burn the house down emotionally, I’ll be sticking around for a bit, at least until I’m sure everyone’s stable.”
Ares gave a quiet chuckle. “Fine. I could use a second brain.”
Julian smirked. “You could use a therapist, but let’s start small.”
That broke some of the tension, a soft laugh from Pretty, a grin from Kamal.
Ares turned to the nanny. “Faith, take them upstairs. Let them rest a little, maybe cartoons, something light.”
“Yes sir.”
The kids hugged their parents one more time before leaving awkward but sweet, like rediscovering the rhythm of something they once knew.
As the sound of their footsteps faded upstairs, the air shifted again, heavier now, laced with adult tension.
Ares leaned back against the table. “Now that we’ve cleared that,” he said, his tone cooling, “Tessa, you need to make peace with Ayisha.”
Tessa froze. “Ares—”
He raised a hand. “I mean it. You can’t build something new while dragging old wars behind you. Whatever money is still with you, return it. Every cent.”
She lowered her head, nodding slowly. “You’re right,” she whispered. “I’ll call her today. I’ll fix it.”
“Good,” Ares said. “It’s time we all stopped making enemies where there should be none.”
Julian shot him a look, half impressed, half skeptical. “Wow. When did you become the voice of wisdom?”
Ares gave him a dry smile. “The minute I almost lost everything.”
Tessa exhaled shakily, her eyes flicking briefly to Chloe who had been unusually quiet.
The silence stretched until Tessa tilted her head slightly, her tone turning sharp again.
“So,” she said, crossing her arms, “what exactly are you still doing here?”
Chloe blinked, her lips parting slightly.
Tessa’s eyes narrowed. “Last I checked, Ares divorced you. You ran away from prison. And now you’re here… hiding in a house where my kids live. You’ve got some nerve.”
Julian rubbed his temples. “Oh no,” he muttered, “here we go again.”
Ares straightened, his tone warning. “Tessa…”
But Tessa didn’t stop. “No, she needs to answer! You’ve been here playing nanny, pretending to care for my children while the world thinks you are behind bars. You don’t belong here, Chloe. You destroyed my life.”
Chloe smiled faintly, not the soft kind, the cold kind that hides pain.
She reached into her bag slowly, pulled something out, and set it on the table between them.
A white stick.
The air instantly grew still.
“What’s that?” Julian asked, stepping closer.
Chloe leaned back in her chair, folding her arms, eyes never leaving Tessa’s. “A test,” she said quietly. “Two lines. Two weeks.”
Tessa frowned, not understanding yet.
Ares’s face paled a little. “What are you saying?”
Chloe’s smile trembled but held. “I’m saying I’m pregnant, Ares.”
The words dropped like thunder.
Julian blinked. “Wait—what?”
Tessa’s jaw dropped. “You’re lying.”
Chloe shook her head slowly. “No lie this time. Two weeks pregnant for Ares.”
For a full ten seconds, nobody moved.
Ares just stared at her, eyes searching for a joke, a trap anything but the truth.
“Chloe,” he said finally, voice low and careful, “that’s impossible.”