Athena Raven Lark had always lived a life of abundance. Her childhood was a picture of perfect peace till a storm came and shattered her blissful ease. Her family loved and adored her. Different fathers raise their children on their shoulders, but Damien raised Athena on the crown of his head, like a precious gem. She was the center of Damien's world, and he spared no expense in showing her how much he loved her. She was his everything, his reason for living, and he would do anything to protect her and see her thrive. When she wanted an elephant, he didn't just bring her one; he brought her an entire farm of them. The girl never knew a dark day in her life. But that all changed when she turned nine. It was as if fate had already written her story, and she was hurtling towards a tragic end with no way to change her course. Little did she know her fears were not unfounded and that the storm brewing on the horizon would soon shatter her idyllic life and plunge her into darkness. Traged
Of all the beauty, hers was the most divine. Her purple eyes gleamed with her grey armor as she rose from the ashes, did her purple gaze shine with her tears or her enemy’s blood? They were afraid to call her by her name……. Athena. I am Athena Raven Lark, and this is my Story. I am Azazel Black, and this is my story of falling in love with my mother’s murderer. I am the only one who could keep you safe; they all fear me. If they dare bare their teeth at you, darling, I will pull them out one by one and hang them as my necklace. …………… As the golden sun peeked over the horizon, it ignited the sky with a fiery passion that could only be compared to the flames of a passionate lover's heart. Its rays cascaded over the cerulean waters as if painting a masterpiece of light upon the serene surface. The ocean, in turn, danced in response, shimmering with a brilliance that could rival the stars. The small beach town, nestled along the shore, basked in the warmth of the sun's affectionate emb
“Thena, my little free spirit, slow down before you fly away,” Iris called out to her daughter, who was dashing ahead of them. The young girl seemed to be one with the wind, completely carefree in her movements.“It’s all right, Iris. She knows every inch of this place like the back of her hand,” Damien reassured his wife, watching their daughter with a smile.“I know, but what if she falls or gets hurt?” Iris fretted her maternal instincts in overdrive.“We can’t protect her from everything, my love,” Damien said, his voice soft but firm. “Life is unpredictable, and we can’t control everything. We can only teach her to be strong and resilient in the face of adversity.” Iris nodded, her eyes locked on their daughter, who had stopped to examine a butterfly.Damien put his arm around her, “I promise to always be there for her, to protect her and guide her through life’s hardships,” he said, planting a tender kiss on her lips. Iris leaned into him, taking comfort in his embrace. As long
Iris and Damien Lark were having the best day of their lives. Surrounded by their precious children, a warm summer breeze gently caressing their faces, they knew that they were the luckiest couple in the world. Iris couldn't help but let a few tears escape her eyes. Damien noticed and asked, "You okay, love?" pulling her closer to him. "I am. I just feel so grateful to have everything I need right here with me. You, our children, our life together. I couldn't ask for more," she replied, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Damien wrapped his strong arms around her, his love for her overflowing. He was a doctor, a gentle giant with a heart of gold. His imposing figure and serious demeanor often scared people, but those who knew him understood how kind and compassionate he truly was. He went out of his way to help those in need, often paying for the education of underprivileged locals. Iris, on the other hand, was an accomplished architect and a gifted violinist. She had given up her car
Blanche’s cars stopped before a vast mansion. The place’s magnificence struck Athena, and the place is a vast mansion; the entrance had a nameplate with bold italic letters, “The Dubois mansion.” She stepped into the house to see that the place was filled with all the amenities that would be considered luxurious. Athena’s eyes widened at the chandeliers, lavish chairs, classic arcs, and beautiful rugs. Her parents had money too, but they preferred a cozy home to a lavish one. So, this is all new to Athena. Athena was still looking around when Blanche dropped her bags and snapped her fingers. Soon, a lady in her 30s came forward and started putting her luggage away. Before the lady could turn around, Blanche began to speak, “Claudia, this is Athena, and…….” Blanche stopped, “What is the name of that pest you are holding?” Blanche asked. “Cleon,” Athena didn’t like Blanche addressing Cleon as a pest, but she let it be because there was nothing she could do. “They will be living here
The Black mansion was full of people like every day. The estate never saw a dull day with servants running everywhere and people coming to Charles for help. People would line up before him for favors since Charles put on a good show for the public. Nobody knew what was happening under the wraps. Azazel woke up in his thoughts; ever since he returned from the trip, his thoughts were full of her. Little Athena occupied his mind like a plague, and he needed to find her if he wanted to be sane. He walked to his father’s study. “Dad,” he called him. A sharp noise caught Azazel’s attention; Charles dropped the cup of coffee he held in his hand; he was shocked to hear his son call him. His son hadn’t spoken to anyone in 6 years, not even a word or a bit of anything. He closed himself off and shut his family off like they were carrying a disease. He would communicate through writing. He would only come out of his room for training sessions and fights. They took him to several counseling sess
The party was in full swing, and Sophie was treated as the princess, but her eyes would only get stuck on Azazel. She would irritate him to play with her, and stand next to her, sing and dance with her, but he did not give two fucks about Sophie, for his attention was solely on the girl who was showing her brother to her friends. “Why are his cheeks so squishy?” Narcissa squished Cleon’s cheeks, and she was obsessed with Cleon. The little boy looked like a doll to her, “are his cheeks always this squishy?” Narcissa took little Cleon from Athena’s arms. Athena was worried that Narcissa might drop him. On the other hand, the little boy was thrilled with the attention he was getting. Cleon licked Narcissa’s cheeks, “Eww, slobber,” Narcissa handed little Cleon over to Athena, making everyone laugh. Narcissa hugged Athena, “Don’t feel bad, Thena; I will always be your best friend. My brother is mean, Tristan and I good, Azazel recently learned to talk,” Narcissa blurted out in one go, kis
Athena’s life remained the same; she would come home and care for her brother, and all the days stress dissipated when she saw him. Her life had only two things, school and her brother. She wanted to give him everything her parents would’ve given them if they were alive. She took him to birthdays and parties as much as she could. She had given him everything in her power, as the girl did not want her brother to miss anything. She had given him all his love and more if she had. And just like that, 12 years of her life went by. In all these years, she had grown used to Blanche’s taunts, no matter how harsh they were, sometimes Blanche did step out of the line and humiliated her, but Athena had no choice other than to bear it. She questioned many times why a person would hate another person so much. Sophie’s attitude and nasty remarks were salt in the wound. Sophie became a successful singer who turned exceptionally beautiful with age, and with the support of her family, she was nearly
“Capo,” a strong man strode into the hospital room, his eyes glinting with concern.“Sir is in critical condition. We don’t know what to do,” Elijah, the head of security for the German mafia, informed him, his voice heavy with worry. “He was beaten black and blue, and the hole in his voice made it difficult for him to talk. The doctor says it might take him forever to speak again. Rustom is dead, and most of our men are gone. The responsibility lies with you.”The 13-year-old boy, Alex Knight, sat weeping in the room's corner, his shoulders shaking with grief. He may have been young, but he had a commanding presence and a ruthless stature that belied his age.“Who did this?” he gritted his teeth, his voice trembling with anger.“The French, we know that much,” Elijah replied, folding his hands solemnly.Alex’s bloodshot eyes widened with fury, and his fists clenched tightly. “I swear I will get my vengeance, and when I do, they will beg for mercy.” Elijah nodded in agreement. “We’ll
Everyone was invited to their wedding except the Black parents, Sophie and Blanche. Athena was pacing nervously in her room when someone knocked on the door, and she answered, “Come in,” when Narcissa walked in.“Cissy,” she hugged the girl.“How are you, Theia?” Cissy couldn’t help but admire how beautiful Athena looked in her wedding dress.“I am good. Where were you? We were so worried about you,” she sat on the ottoman before her vanity.“I found myself and love, too,” she winked. Athena looked bewildered.“Love?” disbelief coated her tone.“Yes, I will introduce her to you once you are done with your wedding,” she kissed Athena’s cheek. She was about to leave when Athena stopped her.“I am sorry for causing you pain, Cissy. If only I had known……” but Cissy stopped her.“Don’t worry about it, Athena. I am happy for you and my brother, and my adorable nieces and nephews, I love you all equally, and honestly, I should apologize for not trusting you,” she pinned her veil on her head.
Athena and Azazel hadn’t talked about their relationship much. Their relationship was evolving, but into what she didn’t know. She was sure that Athena had feelings for him, but to what extent? She couldn’t figure it out. “Athena,” Azazel yelled, coming home. “In here,” she replied, washing the milk bottles and setting them on the warmer. “Get ready. We are going out,” he turned her to his side. “No, Zae. We need to…” he silenced her by placing his fingers on her lips and closing them. “Not another word. You haven’t gone out since we had our little ones. Let’s go out, besides we have a village to watch, and you already pumped your milk,” he noticed the bottles on the counter. Knowing that there was no excuse, Athena gave in. She entered her bedroom and noticed a dress on the bed. She put on the outfit and put on some light makeup. Hearing the sound of heels, he turned around, and his heart skipped its beat. She looked ethereal in that georgette dress, “I look fat,” she adjusted t
After many months of speculations about what happened to Azazel Black, the world finally realized that he was alive. Since he was alive and well, his company was soaring, the stocks reaching the skies. The company celebrated, and so did the underworld. But there was no news of Hans anywhere, not in the business world or the underworld. He permanently cut ties with Olivia and Charles. After Tristan explained what they did to Cissy, he didn’t have it in his heart to call him his parents, they reached out to him, but he cut them off. As much as it hurt him to do it, he did not want his father to do the same things he did to him and his brother to his children. He wanted his children to become compassionate like her. He officially canceled his wedding with Sophie. The girl was furious and tried to blackmail him into doing what she wanted, but Azazel was ahead of her. He threatened to kill her career if she tried to disturb Athena or her family. He was still in touch with Arthur as he was
“Do you think I should come back?” Azazel asked, sipping his whiskey. “You should,” Tristan knew Azazel and Athena loved each other, but there was something holding them up from being together, he had seen both suffer being away from each other, and God knows they were stubborn. “Although if you come back, I hope she kills you. I am tired of your ass,” Tristan was eager to see Azazel getting ass whopped by Athena. “Do you think she will be angry with me?” Azazel had a worried look on his face. “Oh, I am sure she would end you, and I am so rooting for it,” his brother needs that for following this stupid plan. “Love makes people do things, Azazel. I have never seen you pine for anyone like this. If this isn’t screaming that you love her, I don’t know what does. And as for Athena, I have seen her try and eat flowers instead of apples. She is completely off focus,” Tristan remembered the times Athena forgot to focus and did things the wrong way. The girl put cabbage in the washing ma
Days were OK for her, but she felt the most sadness at night. It was her childhood all over again. But she wasn’t alone this time. She had her family, but his absence affected her the most. God took her parents and gave him to her, and now he took him away and gave her parents. She sat there and let the tears flow. Athena didn’t move out of her room. She still used the old space Azazel and her shared. This comforted her, as his scent was everywhere, particularly in his clothes. She stepped into the closet and took one of his jackets, hugging it close. She stood there, inhaling his scent. Another tear dropped when she heard a knock on the door. Wiping her tears, “Come in,” she announced to the person. Her mother walked inside. Looking at Athena standing there with a shirt, Iris sighed. “Penny for your thoughts?” Iris turned her daughter to her side. She formed her lips into a thin line and shook her head. “I am your mother, Theia, come here,” she opened her arms, and Athena ran into
A few months later..... Orange and terracotta hues of canopy lit the maple trees, announcing that autumn had hit her stride. The evening glow cast an orange hue on the beautiful path. The trees are blooming, despite knowing that their days are numbered, knowing that they will fall and turn to dust. The gold and scarlet of the autumn days remind you that there is beauty if you look for it. A lonely woman was walking down the path to the cemetery, honey boots covering her feet, a knit scarf wound around her neck, pretty and matching the autumn vibe. She crunched on the fallen leaves, walking down the street feeling rough cracks through thin soles, the wind moving as if she weren’t there at all, as if it were a ghost whisper, nothing more, nothing less. The woman’s pregnant belly showed through her knit sweater dress. The houses are decorated with pumpkins and apples. A fresh smell of baked apple pies and cider whipped her nostrils. Despite the children and the adults enjoying the bea
They made him kneel with his hands behind his back. Hans grabbed his gun and pointed it at Azazel while eyeing Athena. He grabbed her and made her stand before him. Athena’s heart shattered. He got into this situation because of her. He doesn’t deserve to be here. “Don’t do this, please,” she begged the monsters. “Aww, I love to see my granddaughter cry. That is what I wanted all these years,” Hans winked. “Besides, once I kill this bastard, my Rustom will keep you company, that is after we take care of the thing in your stomach,” Hans tapped the gun on Athena’s stomach, and Azazel growled. A sinister smile twisted across Azazel's face as he addressed Hans with a bone-chilling intensity. His voice dripped with menace and a promise of impending doom. His eyes were red due to the blood he lost, clouding his vision, but he didn’t have to see everything. All he had to see was her. “Hans,” he spat blood onto the floor, “pray, you better pray with every ounce of your fucked up soul that
“I could squash you all like bugs right now, but I am offering you all choices. Let Athena go, and I will let you all go,” but Hans gave no reaction other than to signal with his eyes to bring forth the girl. As one of the men forcefully placed Athena in a wheelchair, her mouth was cruelly duct-taped shut. Azazel's heart clenched painfully at the sight. His beloved wife had endured a lifetime of suffering, and now she was subjected to even more torment at the hands of this despicable man. Despite her dire situation, Athena's gaze remained locked on Azazel. He bore a visible bump on his head and a bruise on his cheek, evidence of the recent altercation. Yet, he exuded a strength that perplexed Athena, leaving her unsure of what he would do next. Surrounded by enemies who had sought their demise throughout their lives, she found herself experiencing an unexpected sense of protection, as she always did in his presence. “I will get you out of here, Athena. I will not let anything happen