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CHAPTER 13
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Mine to Lose CHAPTER 14
Athena's POVI don’t sleep well, tossing and turning all night as I replay my conversation with Cassian over and over again. By the time morning comes, I’m already up and ready before my father even has a chance to wake me for our tennis match with his friend and his son.My father is surprised to see me so prepared. “Is something wrong?” he asks, noting my earliness and my mood.“I’m alright,” I assure him, and we head to the country club.Wesley Summers, my dad’s best friend, is a regular fixture in our lives. He’s a typical white, guy in finance and, I believe, owns a couple of banks. He has always been respectful toward me, treating me like his own daughter, so I have no issues with him. His son, however, is another story.Josh Summers, a few years older than me, has always been a jerk. He acts as though he’s superior to everyone and expects everyone to fawn over him. And the annoying part is he hasn’t grown up since high school always acting like a frat guy.We meet them on the
Mine to Lose CHAPTER 15
Athena's POVThe party is shaping up to be a typical affair—elegant but predictably tedious. My mother’s meticulous preparations are evident in every detail.My mother has spent years navigating the treacherous waters of high society, a world where her entry was never guaranteed. My father, despite being from one of the most prestigious families in the States, chose to marry outside of their well-heeled circle. My mother, a Brazilian from São Paulo, was raised in poverty, and at just sixteen, she stepped into the world of modelling to support her family. Her beauty, as my maternal grandmother used to joke, was their ticket out of poverty. She worked incredibly hard to build a life for herself before meeting my father, and I’m immensely proud of her for that.When my father proposed to her, his family was outraged. Not only was she from a poor background, but her career as a model, with her face plastered on billboards and magazine covers—including some with scantily clad poses—was con
Mine to Lose CHAPTER 16
Athena's POVI wake up feeling even heavier than I did when I went to sleep. The weight of last night’s farewell lingers, making my heart feel like it's been dragged through a storm. As we prepare to head back to the city, I try to mask the signs of my distress. My eyes are red and puffy, so I slip on a pair of dark sunglasses, hoping they’ll shield my pain from view.In the foyer, my father is waiting with a cup of coffee. He hands it to me with a concerned look. “Rough night?” he asks, his voice gentle but probing.I nod, not trusting myself to speak without breaking down.“Well, let’s get you back home. You can rest before tomorrow,” he says, pulling me into a brief, reassuring hug. His hand rests comfortingly around my shoulders, a gesture that provides a small measure of solace.“You’ll need to be sharp this week,” he continues, his tone shifting to a more business-like edge. “There’s a meeting with the New York FDA that I need you to attend.”I nod again, more out of obligation
Mine to Lose CHAPTER 17
Athena's POVMy father is in the office today, so I stop by to have coffee with him while he fills me in on some work projects. As expected, he asks about Josh. I’m puzzled as to why he’s so interested.“He mentioned to Wesley that you two have been hanging out,” Dad says, referring to Josh’s father.“Hanging out?” I ask, then laugh because the idea is absurd.“Isn’t that what you young people say now?” Dad inquires.“Yeah, Dad. Never say ‘hanging out’ again,” I reply, and he smiles.“Noted, my love. But my point is, it’s good if you and Josh are hanging out,” Dad continues.My mouth drops open in shock. Was he suggesting that Josh and I should date? The thought makes me shudder.“I’m going back to my office,” I say quickly.“Okay,” he responds. “We leave for Belize on Friday.”“Yeah, I’m ready,” I say with a genuine smile, I’m really excited for the trip.When I return to my office, I find a bouquet of flowers sitting on my desk.Is this from Cassian? I think to myself.I call my P.A
Mine to Lose CHAPTER 18
They spend a week away, and not once do they call to check up on me. On a random Thursday, I receive a call from my P.A. She hadn’t contacted me while I was away because she knew I was traveling, and when I didn’t show up, she wasn’t sure what to do.“Mr Castellanos is back and wants to know if you’ll be joining him for a meeting today,” she says. That’s how I find out he’s returned.“I won’t be at work this week,” I reply, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. “And tell him I won’t be joining him. Also, you should take some time off, too.”When she started working with me, I didn’t like her much, mainly because she reported every move to my father. But once I made it clear that she worked for me, not him, she began to behave differently.Later, packages start arriving at my door—bags and bags of clothes and jewellery from my mother. It’s her way of showing love after abandoning me, though it only feels like another form of neglect. I don’t call to thank her.My dad also calls, but
Mine to Lose CHAPTER 19
Athena's POVOnce I get my emotions in check and stop crying, I text Hailee.Hey Hailee, I need a boyfriend ASAP.Her reply comes back instantly.You’re back from Belize? Let’s get you a boyfriend! she responds with a dancing emoji.I haven’t told her I didn’t go to Belize, so I simply ask if she can come over and give her my home address. I also let the security know she’s on her way.About twenty minutes later, she arrives.“Athena!” she exclaims as I come down the stairs to greet her. “You live here? Oh my god! My whole apartment building would fit in here,” she marvels, and I laugh.“Do you want something? Tea? Coffee? Vodka?” I offer, and she laughs, shaking her head.I ask Kelly, the chef, to make us some Bellinis anyway. We head upstairs to my bedroom, where I fill Hailee in on what happened with my dad and why I need a boyfriend—real or fake—to show him.“I’m so tired of this,” I confess. “I just want to prove to him that I have a life of my own, not just be his pawn.”Hailee
Mine to Lose CHAPTER 20
Athena's POVI practically jump out of my skin when Cassian walks in. Getting up quickly.“Startle you?” The throaty rumble of Cassian’s voice makes my pulse double.He makes his way to me approaching so quietly.“Are you okay?” Cassian asks his voice laced with concern.“Yes of course.” I lie, forcing a smile.“Athena I know you. I know when you’re not okay.” He says and I frown looking away.And then his fingers were sliding into my hair. He rubbed my straightened-out locks between the pads of his thumb and index finger, as if fascinated. His warm breath accelerated so close to my mouth, and it was a heady thing, our inhales and exhales matching, quickening, our gaze linking. Holding. His was glazed. Heavy. He looked at my mouth as though it was the only thing he needed, and he went for it desperately.He was so close my back flattened against the wall, and he quickly moved with me, rubbing his thumb against my cheek, as if apologizing for being here. But he didn’t seem capable of s
Mine to Lose CHAPTER 21
Athena's POVHarold is already waiting for us at the curb. Cassian and I slip into the back seat of the car, and I instruct Harold to take us home.Cassian greets Harold with a polite nod and a “Hello,” before settling next to me. As the car pulls away from the event, a heavy silence fills the space between us. We exchange fleeting, intimate glances, our eyes speaking volumes in the silence.The drive feels like the perfect nature of tranquility amid the chaos of the evening. We sit side by side, our hands brushing occasionally, each touch a silent reassurance. Though we don’t say much, the connection between us is palpable, filling the silence with its own kind of intensity.By the time reached the front of my building I felt so anxious it was hard to breathe, I did my best to climb out of the car without falling on my ass. It was simple enough, though with the compounding factors of the uneven gravel and the starlit darkness—plus the painful clench of my inner muscles—I held on to t
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