The Heiress' Revenge-Chapter 86

A R I A N A

I stood outside the door to Asher’s room It was a quiet room, away from the ICU.

It’s been a week since the surgery took place and thankfully Asher was recovering.

I took a deep my lips tugging into a slight smile as I pushed open the door. The sight inside made my heart feel both full and empty.

Asher was sitting up in his bed looking so much better.

Sarah was there sitting in a chair nearby and the twins were all around his bed, they missed their big brother.

They were all playing a card game al lost in their game that they didn’t even notice me walk in, I haven’t heard them laugh so much since Asher got sick.

Isabella was trying to explain the rules while Sophia was trying to cheating as she was hiding a card under her leg.

"Mummy!" Asher saw me first his whole face lit up.

"Hi my love," I said as I walked to the bed and kissed his forehead.

"Mummy you’re back!" Sophia yelled as she jumped up and hugged my waist.

Isabella looked up from her cards. "Mummy we are playing a game do you want to join"

I tried to laugh "I see that... no thank you, I’ll just watch you play" i say as I sat down on the edge of the bed as I watched them.

My mind drifts yet again as I settled in Dante’s

His words played in my head over and over like a record of my biggest mistake.

Why didn’t I just tell him? Why did I let him believe that? The truth was right there but the words were stuck.

I was so scared.

I could have just told him the truth then maybe he’d still be here yet I choose to remain silent.

I wanted to speak up but i couldn’t.

Now he was gone after paid for my son’s life our son’s life and then he walked away from me.

Forever.

"Mummy? Mom!"

I blinked.

Sophia was tugging on my sleeve all three children were looking at me.

Sarah was looking at me too her head tilted.

"Yes, sweetie?" I said.

"I asked you three times," Sophia said, pouting. "Do you want to play with us? You can be on my team!"

I looked at the cards.

They were a blur of colors and numbers I could not focus, my brain felt heavy.

"I... not right now, baby. Mummy is a little tired."

Asher’s smile faded, just a little. "Are you okay mummy? You look sad."

My heart broke.

He was the one in the hospital bed, he was the one who almost died and he was worried about me.

"I’m not sad baby. I’m just... thinking."

Isabella studied my face she was too smart for an four year old "You are thinking about the man aren’t you?"

My blood went cold. "What man?"

"The one who paid the money," Asher said, simple and direct. "The doctor told the nurse that a man paid for everything... a rich man. He said he was my father."

I could not breathe.

I looked at Sarah her eyes were wide too.

She gave a small shake of her head she did not tell them.

"He’s not..." I started but my voice was a whisper. "He was just... helping."

Sarah interrupted before I could say anything, she clapped her hands together. "Okay! Game over! Who wants juice?"

The twins immediately forgot about the conversation. "Me! Me!" they shouted.

Asher still looked at me like he wanted answers but luckily he didn’t ask again.

Sarah handed out juice boxes as she started talking about a funny movie she saw.

The room was filled with the children’s voices again but I was still lost in thought, remembering the feel of the wall against my back.

The smell of his cologne.

"We are done."

Each word was a stone thrown at my heart.

Sarah came outside with me while she left the kids to play.

"You’re not here Ari," she said. "You haven’t been here all week."

I looked at my hands.

"It’s Dante isn’t it?" she whispered. "You’re still thinking about him."

I just nodded as single tear fell onto my hand to which I hurriedly wiped it away.

"I tried to call you," she said. "To warn you he came to the house looking for you, he said you hadn’t come to work and he seemed to be pissed so I told him you were at the hospital, he didn’t let me explain he just asked for the hospital and left, I didn’t tell him anything"

"Sarah I don’t know what to do, I’m tired and confused," I say

She put a hand on my arm. "You need to talk to him, he deserves to know"

"I don’t know Sarah... I really don’t know, I just—" I paused "Can we not talk about this right now"

"No we need to talk about this, you are hurting."

"I’m just tired It has been a long week."

"This is not about being tired," Sarah said. Her voice was firm. "This is about Dante."

I shook my head. "Don’t say his name."

"Why not? He is the father of your child, of your children!"

"He is not their father," I said. But my voice was weak.

Sarah stepped closer. "Ariana stop lying to me, to yourself. Asher is his son, the twins are his daughters. He has a right to know."

"No, he doesn’t!" I snapped "he hates me, he doesn’t want me anymore Sarah"

"He hates you because he thinks you lied! Because he thinks you had a baby with another man! He hates you because he thinks you betrayed him and stole for your father’s sake, If you tell him the truth—"

"If I tell him the truth what?" My voice got louder. "He will be even angrier! He will take them from me!"

"He would not do that!"

"You don’t know him! I know him! His world is about power, about control. He will see this as the biggest betrayal and he will take my children to punish me!"

"Your children?" Sarah’s eyes were wide. "Ariana they are his children too! They need their father."

"They have me! They don’t need him! We have been fine without him for years!"

"Fine?" Sarah threw her hands up. "Is this fine? Living in a small apartment? Working three jobs? Your son almost dying because you couldn’t pay? This is not fine Ariana! This is you being too proud! Too scared!"

"I am protecting them!" I shouted.

"From what? From a man who can give them everything? From a man who paid eighty thousand pounds without blinking? A man who is their blood?"

"From his world! From his family! From the lies and the games! I left that life to keep them safe!"

"You left because you were scared! You ran away! You never gave him a chance!"

"He never loved me! It was all a contract and you know that, my father sold me to him!"

"And you?" Sarah yelled. "You still want him! I can see it! You look at the door like you hope he will walk in. You are hurting because you still want him in your life! You are lying to yourself!"

Tears were streaming down my face. "You don’t understand anything!"

"I understand that you are a coward!" she shouted. "You are so scared of getting hurt again that you are hurting your children! You are hurting yourself! Asher asks about his father every day! The twins want to know why their friends have dads and they don’t! What will you tell them?"

"I will tell them he is gone! That he did not want us!"

"But that is a lie!" Sarah’s voice broke. "Ariana please for once stop running. Tell him the truth maybe he will be angry but maybe... maybe he will understand."

I shook my head as I hugged myself. "No. It’s too late he said we are done."

"Then fight for him!" she pleaded. "Fight for your children! Fight for yourself!"

"I can’t!" I cried. "I can’t go through that pain again I can’t." I cried out.

I love Dante and I still want him in my life but Dante wants nothing to do with me.

Sarah looked at me with sad eyes. "Then you will lose him forever and you will have to live with that."