WAR GOD : Rise After Betrayal

Chapter 13

That afternoon, the atmosphere in the Cole mansion still felt heavy even though activities had resumed. The police had already left the premises, but security remained tightened. Elara returned to her office, while Ares chose to stay in the family room on the lower floor.

The television was on, its volume not too loud. Ares sat on the sofa, holding a cup of coffee that had begun to cool. His mind had not fully settled since last night’s incident. Images of Elara, the sound of shattering glass, and the strange sensation in his chest kept resurfacing without warning.

He let out a soft breath.

“Just calm down,” he muttered to himself. “It’s all over.”

But at that exact moment, the television screen displayed a face he knew all too well.

Ares straightened.

A news anchor smiled broadly on the screen.

“We now move on to happy news from the business and social elite world. The CEO of Wilson Corporation, Mr. Maxim Wilson, has officially announced his marriage to Miss Rachel Corriere.”

The image changed. Max stood before the media in a neat suit, a confident smile clearly displayed. Beside him, Rachel stood gracefully in a softly colored dress. Her hand rested on her stomach, which still appeared flat.

“The wedding will take place next week,” Max said on the screen. “At the same time, I would like to announce that my fiancée is currently carrying the future heir of the Halford family.”

Rachel smiled shyly, then gently stroked her stomach.

“We hope for everyone’s prayers,” Rachel said softly.

The coffee cup in Ares’s hand trembled.

His fingers clenched unconsciously. His jaw tightened. His eyes stared at the screen without blinking.

“I already knew she was pregnant…” he whispered quietly. “But why do I feel angry?”

In his chest, that pulse appeared again. This time, far stronger. Heat spread rapidly, climbing up his neck and into his head. His breathing grew heavy.

The anchor continued speaking, but Ares no longer heard a word.

In his mind, one thought spun violently.

That… is impossible.

His fists clenched tighter. The muscles in his arms tensed.

“No,” he muttered more firmly. “That’s impossible. Why does my instinct say Rachel is carrying my child?”

Yet the instinct arose on its own, impossible to suppress. The same feeling he had when he saw Elara in danger. A certainty that did not come from logic.

That child…

Suddenly, the television emitted a faint cracking sound.

Ares turned his head. The table in front of him trembled. Fine cracks spread across its surface, as if pressed down by something immensely heavy.

“What the—”

Before he could finish speaking, a wave of pressure spread throughout the room. The curtains stirred even though there was no wind. Several small objects on the shelf fell to the floor.

Ares’s eyes glowed brightly.

“Stop…” he said through clenched teeth, but his body did not obey.

He stood up. The floor beneath his feet let out a faint cracking sound.

“Why do I feel like this?!” he shouted, louder this time.

His emotions boiled over. Anger, confusion, and something far deeper merged into one. Rachel’s face on the screen kept flashing in his mind. Her smile. Her hand on her stomach.

“Lies…” Ares’s voice trembled. “That’s a lie. That child isn’t mine!”

Inside him, the seal opened again. This time it felt rougher and more feral.

Ares stepped forward. The wall beside him shook. A photo frame fell and shattered.

“I don’t care,” he said in a low voice filled with pressure. “But don’t—”

He cut himself off. His chest rose and fell rapidly. His head felt hot.

“No,” he said quickly, as if speaking to himself. “I can’t be like this.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. Both hands gripped his head tightly.

“Calm down,” he repeated. “Calm down.”

Several seconds passed. The pressure in the room gradually subsided. Objects stopped trembling. The light in his eyes faded little by little.

Ares dropped back onto the sofa. His breathing was ragged. His shirt was damp with sweat.

“What did I just do…?” he whispered.

He stared at his hands. Still intact. No injuries. But he knew that what had just happened was not normal.

Ares closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again toward the television screen. The program had already switched to another topic.

But one phrase continued to echo in his mind.

Future heir.

That instinct whispered again, softer, deeper.

The blood of the Ninth Heaven.

Ares swallowed hard.

“No,” he said firmly. “I don’t want to think about that.”

He stood up and turned off the television. The room fell silent.

“I’m nobody anymore,” he muttered. “I’m just an ordinary human.”

Yet his heart beat faster as Rachel’s face returned to his mind. His memories drifted to the past. Three years of marriage. Simple nights. And one final night before he was cast out.

“No,” he repeated, more softly this time. “That’s no longer my concern.”

Ares rubbed his face roughly.

“I was discarded. She and I are already divorced.”

He paced back and forth briefly, then stopped near the window. From there, the mansion grounds looked calm. No Elara. No Tom.

“Good,” he muttered. “No one saw.”

He took a long breath, trying to calm what remained of his emotions.

“If I keep going like this, I’ll be found out.”

Inside him, the seal slowly tightened again. But not completely. As if it were waiting.

Ares closed his eyes once more.

That child is not my concern.

He repeated the sentence in his mind like a mantra.

“Whoever the father is,” he whispered, “it isn’t me.”

But deep in his heart, that instinct did not fall completely silent.

He opened his eyes and shook his head slowly.

“I won’t think about it.”

Footsteps sounded from a distance. Ares immediately adjusted his expression, making sure his face returned to neutral.

When Elara came down the stairs a few minutes later, Ares was already sitting calmly, as if nothing had happened.

But inside him, the confusion only grew stronger.

“What is actually happening to me? Why is it like this if I can’t control my emotions?” Ares muttered.