Four Babies and a Billion Dollar Lie.
img img Four Babies and a Billion Dollar Lie. img Chapter 2 Welcome to the Family
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Chapter 6 Running img
Chapter 7 Regret in your tears img
Chapter 8 Running back to my babies img
Chapter 9 Please help me img
Chapter 10 Stranded img
Chapter 11 Times flies img
Chapter 12 See the light img
Chapter 13 Out of prison img
Chapter 14 Fresh Air img
Chapter 15 Take a chill pill img
Chapter 16 Nooooooooo!!! img
Chapter 17 How convenient img
Chapter 18 Wedding night img
Chapter 19 Money or Love img
Chapter 20 Possessed img
Chapter 21 More deals img
Chapter 22 Journey to good life img
Chapter 23 A new beginning img
Chapter 24 Recovering img
Chapter 25 The good life img
Chapter 26 Anger img
Chapter 27 The unexpected guest img
Chapter 28 Another date img
Chapter 29 Where is he going to img
Chapter 30 Dinner with her No way! img
Chapter 31 Behind bars img
Chapter 32 Fake it till you make it img
Chapter 33 Let the media know img
Chapter 34 The Slap img
Chapter 35 The Threat img
Chapter 36 The Shattered Afternoon img
Chapter 37 The Hospital Walls img
Chapter 38 Time running out img
Chapter 39 The Cut Off img
Chapter 40 Fortress img
Chapter 41 The Shattered Truth img
Chapter 42 Cracks in the Empire img
Chapter 43 Court img
Chapter 44 An Unholy Proposal img
Chapter 45 Drawing the Line img
Chapter 46 I want the deal img
Chapter 47 Something fishy img
Chapter 48 The Price of Fury img
Chapter 49 She is ready img
Chapter 50 Act as instructed img
Chapter 51 State your mission img
Chapter 52 Pulling out img
Chapter 53 A New Spark img
Chapter 54 The Wrong Knock img
Chapter 55 Unspoken Goodnights img
Chapter 56 The Court of Fire img
Chapter 57 Judgement img
Chapter 58 Fractures img
Chapter 59 Broken Bonds img
Chapter 60 Stones and Shadows img
Chapter 61 Vanishing Shadows img
Chapter 62 Fire on the Mountain img
Chapter 63 Good loving img
Chapter 64 Everybody is confused img
Chapter 65 Hold on... img
Chapter 66 Hidden Truths img
Chapter 67 New plans img
Chapter 68 Moves img
Chapter 69 Empty Hands img
Chapter 70 Tokyo! img
Chapter 71 Realization img
Chapter 72 The Quiet Unraveling img
Chapter 73 Speed home img
Chapter 74 The Pact of Vengeance img
Chapter 75 A curious Neighbor img
Chapter 76 Streets That Cross img
Chapter 77 The Reverend Sister img
Chapter 78 The Nun img
Chapter 79 The rich customers img
Chapter 80 Watching Her img
Chapter 81 Go home img
Chapter 82 The Invitation img
Chapter 83 Birthday preparations img
Chapter 84 The Watcher img
Chapter 85 The Party img
Chapter 86 Watch the nun img
Chapter 87 No one leaves img
Chapter 88 Hide and seek img
Chapter 89 After the Fall img
Chapter 90 Regrets img
Chapter 91 The jump img
Chapter 92 Jamal img
Chapter 93 A bad dream img
Chapter 94 We stay img
Chapter 95 The Return img
Chapter 96 Echoes of the Night img
Chapter 97 Let's live in peace img
Chapter 98 The bitter truth img
Chapter 99 The Garden of Love img
Chapter 100 The Ice Cream and the Olive Branch img
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Chapter 2 Welcome to the Family

Ares Langford had survived many wild nights. But nothing...not drugs, not women, not crashing his father's Bentley into the golf fountain had prepared him for this.

He stood in the grand marble foyer of Langford Manor, holding a screaming baby while three more wailed in the arms of stunned maids. Tessa, the girl he'd bribed less than two hours ago, looked like she'd entered the gates of hell disguised as a mansion.

"This one's leaking," he muttered, holding the baby away from his Prada shirt like it was radioactive.

Tessa snatched the baby back. "She's peeing. You hold her upright, genius."

"Right. Okay. Noted."

Bianca Langford swept into the hallway like a queen returning from war. "Oh, the joy in this house!" she cried, dabbing her eyes dramatically. "Ares, darling, I've waited years for this moment. And look at you...already a father of four!"

Tessa gave him a sharp look. Ares cleared his throat.

"Yeah, uh... we went big. Or went home."

"Speaking of home," Bianca said, gesturing to the butler, "set up the East Wing nursery immediately. We'll have the decorators in by noon. These children deserve elegance. Royalty. No...legacy!"

"Wait," Tessa said, stepping forward. "I...uh...I don't think I can stay here."

"Of course you can, sweetheart," Bianca smiled. "You're family now."

Ares leaned in and hissed under his breath, "You're not helping if you blow the cover. Just stay calm. Collect your check. We'll fix this."

Tessa glared. "You signed birth certificates. You made this real."

He paused.

He had, hadn't he?

His name was now legally printed under four tiny humans. Ares Langford. Father. That title hit harder than any hangover.

Bianca turned. "Oh, and darling? I've arranged for the press to do a tasteful front page spread. We'll announce the surprise birth and your beautiful love story."

"What...press?" Ares panicked.

"We must control the narrative. Your father doesn't know yet."

"My father doesn't..." Ares dropped his voice and grabbed Tessa's arm, dragging her into a side hallway.

"Okay. We've got maybe six hours before my dad finds out and rips my throat out with his bare hands."

"You think he'll kill you?" she asked, not even sarcastic.

"He's ex military, hates drama, and he's very allergic to scandal. So yes, I think murder is on the table."

She sighed. "You dragged me into this mess."

"You agreed!"

"For a million dollars, which I have not seen."

"Because the transfer hasn't gone through yet! Besides, it's not like I expected this! My mom just kidnapped your uterus and adopted it."

Tessa crossed her arms. "You want me to keep pretending?"

"Just until I figure something out. I'll double your payment."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Triple."

"Add lifetime diapers and one private nurse per baby."

"Done."

A throat cleared behind them. Ares turned and nearly dropped dead on the spot.

Marcus Langford. Towering, broad shouldered, crisp suit, face carved from stone. The man radiated billionaire rage.

"I got a call from a reporter," his father said coolly. "Imagine my shock. Quadruplets? A secret girlfriend? A whole family?"

Ares fumbled for words. "Dad, I can expla...."

"I don't want explanations," Marcus snapped. "I want results. Where are the babies?"

"Sleeping," Ares lied. Screaming was more accurate.

Marcus's eyes moved to Tessa. "You're the mother?"

Tessa gave a tight smile. "Apparently."

"Hmm." His eyes narrowed. "What do you do?"

"I'm a nursing student. I graduate in six months."

"Hmm. At least she's educated. That's a start."

Ares let out a slow breath.

Then Marcus delivered the bomb.

"You'll marry her. Immediately."

"What?!" Ares and Tessa shouted at the same time.

Marcus folded his arms. "If you want to stay in my will, if you want to run Langford Global, and if you want to keep those babies under this roof then you make this right."

"But..."

"No buts," Marcus growled. "I built this family from dirt. You will not turn it into a circus."

And just like that, he walked away.

Tessa turned to Ares slowly. "What the hell did you drag me into?"

"I think..." Ares swallowed, heart pounding. "I'm not getting married to you...never!"

"Neither do I want to." Tessa scoffed, folding her arms. "Just pay me so I can leave, okay?"

"No!" Ares looked around, then lowered his voice. "You're not going anywhere until I figure this out."

            
            

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