The Heiress' Revenge

Chapter 205: A Janitor

Ariana’s POV

I sat in my office quietly, attending to work. It had been a week since everything fell apart. It’s been a week since I signed the divorce papers.

A week since I pushed Dante out of my life and since I started over.

I was trying to focus, trying to work and be productive, when my mind kept wandering back to Dante and my children.

The door opened, and Ares walked in.

He looked tired with his shoulders slumped.

He let out a long sigh and sank into the chair across from my desk, not saying anything. He just sat there.

Staring at the ceiling.

I put down my pen I looked at him. "What’s wrong with you? You look like someone died."

Ares didn’t look at me. "No one died. I’m just... I’m just tired. Tired of being someone I’m not."

I leaned back in my chair. "What are you talking about? You’re the CEO of a multi-million dollar company, you have money, power, respect, you have everything anyone could ever want."

Ares finally looked at me. His eyes were sad. "I don’t have love. I don’t have someone who looks at me and sees me, not the CEO or the money, but the power. Just me, Ares."

I felt my heart soften. "You want to find love? You want to find someone who loves you for who you are?"

He nodded. "I’ve been thinking about it for months. Years, maybe. I have everything: money, success, status, but not love, and I’m tired of it."

I didn’t know what to say.

I had never seen him like this.

So vulnerable.

So honest.

So raw.

"What are you going to do about it?" I asked.

Ares sat up. He leaned forward with his hands clasped together. "I’ve been watching someone for a while now. She’s a heiress at one of the companies we work with, and I think I want to go for her...She doesn’t know who I am, she doesn’t know I’m a CEO, she just knows me as the man who comes into her office to fix the printers."

I raised an eyebrow. "Fix the printers? What are you talking about?"

Ares took a deep breath. "I’ve been going to her office for months. Pretending to be a repairman. Just so I can see her, just so I can talk to her."

I stared at him with my mouth open. "You’ve been pretending to be a repairman? Ares, that’s insane. That’s crazy. That’s—"

"I know." He held up his hand. "I know it’s crazy. I know it’s insane, but I didn’t know how else to get close to her. If I walked in as the CEO, she would treat me differently and would be intimidated. She would be impressed and maybe would see the money and the power and the status."

I shook my head. "So what’s your plan? Pretend to be a repairman for the rest of your life?"

Ares smiled. A small smile. "No, my plan is to step down as CEO and become a janitor at her company."

I stood up.

My chair scraped against the floor. "A janitor? Are you insane? Have you lost your mind? You’re the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world. You can’t just become a janitor."

Ares stood up too. "Why not? Money doesn’t make me happy. Power doesn’t make me happy, nor does status. I’ve tried all of it, and I’m still lonely searching for something real."

I walked around my desk, standing in front of him. "Are you listening to yourself. You’re talking about throwing away everything you’ve worked for a woman you barely know."

Ares grabbed my shoulders. "I know her. I’ve been watching her for months. I’ve seen how she treats people; she’s different, she’s not like the women I’ve met. The ones who only care about my money are different, she’s real."

I shook my head. "But a janitor? Are you not serious?"

He let go of my shoulders and stepped back. "I’ve already looked into it. The company is hiring. I’ve submitted an application under a fake name. I have an interview next week."

I stared at him with my heart pounding. "You’ve already applied? You’ve already made up your mind?"

He nodded. "I have, and I need your support. I need you to back me up. To run the company while I’m gone."

"And what if she doesn’t love you back? What if she rejects you? What if you give up everything for nothing?"

Ares walked to stand beside me. "Then at least I’ll know I tried."

I turned to face him. "You’re really going to do this. You’re really going to become a janitor."

He smiled. "I’m really going to do it. I’m going to sweep floors and empty trash cans and clean toilets, and I’m going to be happy because I’ll be near her and have a chance."

I laughed. "You’re insane. You know that, right?"

Ares put his arm around me. "Maybe. But you love me anyway."

I leaned into him. "I do love you anyway, and I’ll support you. Even if I think you’re crazy. Even if I think you’re making a mistake and would probably regret it."

Ares kissed the top of my head. "Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear."

"So," I said. "When do you start your new job as a janitor?"

Ares laughed. "Next week. I have to pass the interview first, but I’m not worried. I’ve been practicing my mopping technique."

I shook my head. "You’re impossible."

He grinned. "I prefer persistent."

I walked back to my desk and settled down while picking up my pen. "Fine, go be a janitor... go sweep floors and empty trash cans. I’ll hold down the fort, but if this blows up in your face, don’t come crying to me."

Ares walked to the door, then paused. "It won’t blow up. I have a good feeling about this. A really good feeling."