It was a late night. Athena and Ethan just finished preparing for bed. They had fun, enjoying their festive dinner with their families inside their compound and talking about the wedding that was about to happen. It was the wedding they’d all been waiting for. After their dinner, they invited everyone to stay over. Albert, Austin, and his family were happy to stay for the night just to be with Athena, whom they missed the most.“Hey, aren’t you getting sleepy? Wear this, or you might get cold.” Ethan placed a shawl on her shoulders, which Athena gladly received. He hugged her from behind while staring at the stars in the sky. They were both standing on the balcony of their room, appreciating the beauty of the night. They had the full moon giving light to their surroundings and the sound of the icy wind that touched the leaves of the trees, making the trees dance to the rhythm of their natural music.Athena shook her head. “I can’t sleep,” she said, which made Ethan frown.“Why? Is th
Athena’s Point of ViewI thought that… I would never feel the love and freedom that I longed for. I never thought this day would come. When I was young, all I had were the books my mom brought me to learn how to read and write. I remembered the moment I asked her… why I couldn’t live like a normal child… couldn’t do normal things like going to school, making friends with other kids, playing with them on the playground, and going to the mall? She just answered that Dad wanted to protect us from the people outside who wanted nothing to do but hurt us. And I believed in what she said.Even though I felt like I was in a cage, and I even saw Andrew hurt my mom… I felt horrified. And when mom died, he became more terrifying. He locked me inside our house. He didn’t even allow me to go to the garden… much less roam around the house. Instead, he locked me in my room. I could only sneak out when he was not there. But my luck vanished when he found out about my escapades and killed my closest
Everyone is busy preparing for the big event. It’s just a simple gathering, where they invited only the closest family members.They set the beach for the most awaited day. The wedding is finally happening. There were Chiavari chairs on both sides of the aisle, lined with pink roses placed on tall vases, requested specifically by the bride. In the center, curtains framed the altar pulled over to both sides to give the illusion that one was looking out a window into the pristine beach beyond.The guests wore pastel colors as the theme for the event. Albert and Austin wore a champagne-colored suit with white long-sleeves, while Maxime wore a halter turquoise-colored infinity dress and her son, Lucas, was wearing a suit that matched his father’s outfit.Maxime and Austin would stand as the best man and maid of honor, while their son Lucas would be the ring bearer. For their preparation, Ethan occupied the house they bought from the Scotts, while Athena checked in the hotel nearby. They
Bang!Alexa’s attention got jolted from the book she was reading. She had been locked in her bedroom the past few days, and by now she knew that sound meant her father was home. Every time he pushed the doors too hard, it jangled her nerves. Why did he have to announce he was home, anyway? It’s not like she welcomed his sight or vice versa. These actions were a forewarning that something bad was going to happen and Alexa should brace herself because she was going to be his target.“D-dad,” stuttering, she tried to step back from her father’s ominous presence. He had rope and duct tape and this was cause for alarm.“What… What are you doing here?” She asked nervously as her eyes darted to his hands“You’re coming with me. Sit down, I need to tie you up.” He answered before she tried to get away.“No!” Alexa tried to run on top of the bed to get her closer to the door. But
Out of the shadows, another man appeared, holding a much stronger flashlight, rendering her blind. She could not see his face. “Ahh… Alexa… There you are…” he said excitedly.Max’s eyes ignited with lust as he slowly walked in Alexa’s direction. She was wearing a very well-worn white, lace, flowy nightgown with long sleeves that reached to her knees, making her look wraithlike and her milky skin glow in the dark. In her struggle, the neckline of her gown slipped, exposing her right shoulder, showing the lace of her bra. Her skirt hitched up higher on her waist when she struggled to sit up, giving him a glimpse of her creamy white thighs.Alexa felt mortified the second he got closer, the large scar running across his right eye had always scared her, but the rest of him looked like any normal guy, he was not that fit, the bulge of his tummy showed underneath the black suit and pants he was wearing. With his tie loose around t
A man wearing a three-piece black suit got out of the private plane, followed by his right-hand man. “Clear my schedule for today. I’m visiting the hideout for a surprise inspection.” The right-hand man nodded at his instruction, contacting the people who had appointments with the CEO while he guided them to the car waiting beside the plane.Ethan Reed, CEO of the top Luxury Car Company in the world, Elite Motors. Aside from selling top-of-the-line, unique cars, he also established a foundation for the victims of physical and sexual abuse, which he called Savior’s Foundation. Because of this institution, he received multiple awards, such as the Novel Awardee of this generation, the Most Successful CEO in the country and around the world, the Most Influential Young Bachelor, and the Most Powerful Young Man in the country. Even the President of the country bows to him.Aside from all that, Ethan is a gorgeous man and has an angelic face. He
Alexa woke up with a heavy feeling, her whole body was in pain. And when she opened her eyes… She saw an unfamiliar environment.‘Where am I? What’s this place?’She turned her head to the source of light. The room had big picturesque windows that covered the portion of the room from floor to ceiling, showing her a panoramic view of the gardens outside. The room was decorated with a warm brown theme where the sheets covering her were cream-colored, and the duvet was chocolate brown, like a vanilla sundae. It made her hungry. When her eyes veered to the left, she got frightened and pulled the blankets closer to shield her. A man was sleeping in a chair alongside her, holding her left hand. She immediately pulled the hand he was holding, and this awakened him.‘Stop! Don’t be frightened.’ He called in a soothing voice.Trembling, Alexa hugged her knees and crawled towards the corner of the bed, ignorin
It has been two weeks since Alexa woke up. All her wounds and scrapes were healing gradually under the care of doctor Ethan assigned to her. From the minute she stepped into the door, Ethan had never left her side. He didn’t leave for the office just to make sure she was alright, and he could give her what she needed. And whenever she went to the hospital, he was there to accompany her. On the days he couldn’t be there, Ina and Maxime waited on her hand and foot.Alexa got used to their routine, so when Ethan failed to come home for 3 consecutive days, she wondered what he was up to. Every time the door of her room opened, she got excited in anticipation, expecting it to be Ethan, but each time, it was someone else.Her shoulders hunched in disappointment when it was Ina and Maxime who entered.“Good evening, Young Lady,” Maxime greeted her with a smile plastered on her face. She placed Alexa’s food on the bedside table.Ina
Everyone is busy preparing for the big event. It’s just a simple gathering, where they invited only the closest family members.They set the beach for the most awaited day. The wedding is finally happening. There were Chiavari chairs on both sides of the aisle, lined with pink roses placed on tall vases, requested specifically by the bride. In the center, curtains framed the altar pulled over to both sides to give the illusion that one was looking out a window into the pristine beach beyond.The guests wore pastel colors as the theme for the event. Albert and Austin wore a champagne-colored suit with white long-sleeves, while Maxime wore a halter turquoise-colored infinity dress and her son, Lucas, was wearing a suit that matched his father’s outfit.Maxime and Austin would stand as the best man and maid of honor, while their son Lucas would be the ring bearer. For their preparation, Ethan occupied the house they bought from the Scotts, while Athena checked in the hotel nearby. They
Athena’s Point of ViewI thought that… I would never feel the love and freedom that I longed for. I never thought this day would come. When I was young, all I had were the books my mom brought me to learn how to read and write. I remembered the moment I asked her… why I couldn’t live like a normal child… couldn’t do normal things like going to school, making friends with other kids, playing with them on the playground, and going to the mall? She just answered that Dad wanted to protect us from the people outside who wanted nothing to do but hurt us. And I believed in what she said.Even though I felt like I was in a cage, and I even saw Andrew hurt my mom… I felt horrified. And when mom died, he became more terrifying. He locked me inside our house. He didn’t even allow me to go to the garden… much less roam around the house. Instead, he locked me in my room. I could only sneak out when he was not there. But my luck vanished when he found out about my escapades and killed my closest
It was a late night. Athena and Ethan just finished preparing for bed. They had fun, enjoying their festive dinner with their families inside their compound and talking about the wedding that was about to happen. It was the wedding they’d all been waiting for. After their dinner, they invited everyone to stay over. Albert, Austin, and his family were happy to stay for the night just to be with Athena, whom they missed the most.“Hey, aren’t you getting sleepy? Wear this, or you might get cold.” Ethan placed a shawl on her shoulders, which Athena gladly received. He hugged her from behind while staring at the stars in the sky. They were both standing on the balcony of their room, appreciating the beauty of the night. They had the full moon giving light to their surroundings and the sound of the icy wind that touched the leaves of the trees, making the trees dance to the rhythm of their natural music.Athena shook her head. “I can’t sleep,” she said, which made Ethan frown.“Why? Is th
“What if I leave the underground world? Will you be happy and choose to stay with me?” Athena turned her head and looked at Ethan while slowly walking towards her, reaching for her hand.“I love you so much, Athena. And if you want me to quit the Mafia, I’ll do it for you. I will never hesitate to leave my organization if that will make you feel safe and happy. I will do it because I can’t live without you. So, please… please be with me.” His eyes pleaded as he looked Athena directly in the eye. He was full of hope that Athena would come back to him. “But the Mafia is like a family to you. Are you really abandoning them? How can you say that? Besides, you are popular in the underground world. Everyone knows you are their king.” Athena stated.Ethan walked closer, making her step backward until he cornered her on the wall. “I have my second in command. He will stay and guide the Mafia. I know he won’t leave the troops.” Ethan reached for her hand and pinned it to the wall.“Now, I wil
Ethan and Austin landed safely at the hotel they were checking in. Luckily, they had a helipad where he could land his chopper. Only both of them came without any troops as they knew the place was safe. Before Ethan and Austin came to the island, where Athena was hiding, Ethan called the couple, Marcia and Theodore, who saved her to inform them that they were coming to bring Athena back to the city. When they met, the couple was hesitant, because Athena asked them not to tell anyone she was hiding. But they also understood that her family was worried about her, so thecouple welcomed them and led the way to the resort.It was a private resort that only the people who owned properties were allowed to enter. From the highway, there was a narrow road that permitted one car to enter at a time. This area was hidden and surrounded by coconut trees. The entrance to their property had a bright red gate that was so huge you could not see what was inside. Plants and flowers dotted the path lea
EthanEthan was drinking whiskey while sitting in the kitchen. He was about to drink his next glass when Austin appeared and took the drink from him.“It’s not the time to drink, Ethan.” He said sternly.“What do you want me to do, then? Athena is still missing, and I don’t have any idea where the fuck they brought my pregnant wife--” Ethan couldn't finish what he was about to say when Austin stopped him from talking.“She called,” Austin said.“What?”“Athena called. She said that she’s fine and safe.”“Where is she?” Ethan grabbed Austin’s collar and pulled him closer. “When did she call? Why didn’t you call me? What did she say?” Austin shook his head as he looked at Ethan in his drunken state.Austin knew how hard it was for Ethan to lose her, and even when he was badly injured, he never stopped worrying and looking for Athena. Every single day that she was missing, Austin witnessed how Ethan used his connections to find her. But now that Athena called them and said she didn’t wan
AthenaAthena woke up hearing unfamiliar voices quarreling near her. When she opened her eyes, she immediately covered her body with the quilt, protecting her belly from the strangers in front of her. She looked at them and figured they were a couple whose ages ranged in their late 50s. Then she looked around and noticed that she was in an unfamiliar place. The house was made of wood, bamboo, and nipa leaves. It was a small and quaint house, but it was cozy. She was sitting in a bed that was very comfortable. It felt like her own bed at home. She looked at herself and noticed she was wearing different clothes.“Who are you? Where am I?” she asked.The lady’s eyes softened while looking at her pitifully. She shook her hand. “Don’t worry, we won’t hurt you. You are in our house because we found your unconscious body on the shore. At first, we thought you were dead, but thankfully, you were alive. So, we decided to bring you here to treat the wound on your head,” she explained.“How long
Ina bit her lower lip as she looked at Ethan seductively. “Sure… Anything for you, my love.”“Master!” One of his men called out. He just came out of Max’s cell. “The subject is dead,” He added in a whisper. His voice was so low that only Ethan could hear him. Ina frowned in confusion. He nodded and said he should go ahead and would follow behind him. “I’ll be back,” Ethan said to Ina before leaving and going back to Max’s cell.Ina glared at the person who called at Ethan. ‘Tss... Damn this guy! What did he have to call Ethan for?! He just wasted my opportunity to escape from this stinky cell… I hope Ethan will come back,’ she thought.Ina waited patiently until she heard her cell door open again. It was Ethan and a bunch of his troops who entered. Ethan ordered them to remove the chain from Ina’s cell, making her smile victoriously.Then they laid down a case that was filled with various tools. Ina frowned. There were pliers, needles, small knives, scissors, a container with a whit
“Give me good news. Have you found Athena?” Ethan asked the private investigator and his men about the progress of finding Athena.“Sir, we traced her using the tracking device you put on her engagement ring and found the location.” One of his men answered.“And where is it?” Ethan asked. The private investigator gave him the engagement ring.“We found it on the same island where they kept Athena, she must have dropped it. We’ve also searched the area and only saw these torn clothing.” The investigator gave him pieces of torn fragments they thought came from Athena’s gown.“We found this in the trash bin. According to the pattern, I think they chopped it on purpose.” One of his men said.“Maybe she was thrown to the sea–” The investigator was about to deliver his conclusion when a wine glass flew above his head. It was supposed to hit him, but luckily he had fast reflexes and bowed down just in time to evade the flying glass.“GET OUT OF MY OFFICE NOW!” Ethan’s voice roared, which mad