"Turn around and face the mirror. What style name would suit our current appearance?"Giggling, Athena followed the instructions of the man still holding her close. She turned to face the mirror and observed the mess on both herself and Arthur. But that didn't last long, as a smile reflexively spread across her face when she realized just how sweet the scene before her was.Sweet? Yes, that’s how Athena saw it, even though she and Arthur still looked a mess, with traces of dust and paint smudging their bodies. She momentarily pushed aside that thought, as her focus suddenly shifted to the way Arthur was holding her, looking at her, and even kissing her shoulder.Ah… Athena just realized how close she had allowed herself to be with this man. Sure, they had kissed several times before, but somehow, this moment felt different—sweeter. To her, it was almost like they were husband and wife, standing in fron
Arthur murmured, reaching for the hem of her shirt. His fingertips brushed against her skin, sending another wave of warmth through her."Arthur…" Athena hesitated, her cheeks burning."What is it, baby?" He smiled, tilting his head. "Shy all of a sudden?" His fingers trailed along her waist, teasing. "After all this time, and after everything we’ve done, you still blush like this? Adorable!"Athena bit her lip, trying to find the words to respond, but all she could focus on was the heat pooling in her chest, the way her body was betraying her."Relax," he whispered and let out a soft chuckle before pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I won’t push you." He pulled back slightly, reaching for a towel on the rack before gently wrapping it around her shoulders. "Tonight isn’t the right time for this.""W–what?"Arthur
"Huh!"Arthur stepped out of the shower, running a towel through his damp hair as he walked toward the bedroom. His lips curled into a smirk, thinking about Athena’s flustered expression earlier.He was about to call out to her when he noticed something odd. The room was eerily silent. Athena was nowhere to be seen. His smirk faded."Athena?" he called out in confusion as he looked in several directions. His chest tightened. Something was wrong.Arthur grabbed his phone and quickly dialed Athena’s number. The call connected, but there was no answer. His heart pounded harder as he tried again. This time, he heard it—her ringtone. It was faint, distant… coming from outside the room.That was when he noticed the open window.His blood ran cold.He strode toward it, his sharp gaze scanning the area below. Footpr
Leon’s smirk vanished. Athena let out a breath, watching his expression darken with irritation."So tell me, Leon," she whispered back with a sardonic smile. "Who's the real fool here?"Leon’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. He hated being made to look like an idiot, and Athena could see the way his temper flared.But then, he suddenly laughed.A low, cold laugh."Three days, Athena," he said, his voice sharper now. He pulled the contract from his coat pocket and tossed it onto her lap. "You have three days to decide. Sign it, or you won’t be leaving here at all!"Athena glared at him, her breathing ragged. She refused to look away, refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break."Go to hell!" she hissed.Leon let out an amused chuckle. Then, with a shove, he pushed h
"You don’t get it, sir?" Edward hissed, pacing furiously. "Mr. James is already closing in! If we don’t move now, we’re done!""Running will only confirm his suspicions, Ed. If we stay put and act like nothing’s wrong, we might have a chance to slip away unnoticed!" Leon remained still, his expression unreadable."That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, sir. Do you think Mr. James is stupid? He’s a damn predator! The second he senses blood, he won’t stop until we’re ripped apart!" Edward let out a frustrated growl, making Leon’s jaw tighten."You think I don’t know that?" He took a slow breath, his fingers twitching in irritation. "But moving her now is too dangerous. The moment we step out of here, we expose ourselves!""Then what’s your brilliant plan, sir?" Edward ran a hand through his hair, his patience weari
Athena’s heart pounded as she crouched behind the crates, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Every muscle in her body screamed in pain, but she refused to let it stop her. The warehouse door was only a few feet away. If she could just reach it.Slowly, she inched forward, her bound hands fumbling to grip a metal pipe lying on the ground. She barely had time to steel herself before a chilling voice cut through the silence."Going somewhere, darling?"A sharp gasp escaped her lips as the shadows shifted, revealing Leon standing just a few steps away. His dark eyes gleamed with amusement, but there was something far more sinister lurking beneath his smirk.Athena forced herself to stand tall, even as fear clawed at her throat. "Stay away from me, Leon!"He let out a low chuckle, stepping closer. "You still think you have control here? That’s adorable, really!" His gaze
Arthur barely had time to react before the air filled with chaos. Heavy wooden beams and metal rods clattered against metal crates as Leon’s mercenaries stormed the warehouse. Arthur and his men fought back, hurling whatever they could find—iron pipes, wooden planks—turning the space into a brutal melee."Hold your positions!" he barked at his men, gripping a thick wooden baton.A mercenary charged at him from the side. Arthur pivoted, slamming the baton into the man’s jaw, sending him sprawling. He didn’t hesitate before bringing it down hard on the man’s chest."Mr. James! Or should I call you Arthur the thug?" A mocking voice rang out above the chaos.Arthur turned just in time to see one of Leon’s top men smirking at him. The bastard held a crowbar, swinging it lazily in his grip."You should’ve just walked away," the man sneere
Athena clenched her teeth as she forced herself to sit up, ignoring the sharp pain radiating through her body. Leon stood a few feet away, watching her with that maddening smirk—the same one that made her want to claw his face off."You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she spat, her voice laced with venom."Oh, darling, don’t be so dramatic." Leon chuckled, slow and deliberate. "I’m simply ensuring you remember where you belong!""I don’t belong to you!" Athena hissed, her glare burning into him. "No matter how many times you drag me to these disgusting places, no matter how many times you try to break me, I will never be yours!"Leon tilted his head as if considering her words, then let out an exaggerated sigh. "And yet, here you are. Locked away, under my control, with nowhere to run. You’re in no position to be making demands, darling!""You think t
"Mr. James! Did you just meet with Mrs. Athena inside? Has she returned? What’s your response to the rumors claiming that Mrs. Athena intentionally dropped her charges against Mr. Leon to reunite with her ex-husband?""Yes, Mr. James! As the person closest to her these past few months, surely you have something to say. Is the news true? Please, Mr. James, we've been struggling to reach her!""Yes, is your visit today connected to all this? Are you planning to cut ties and cancel your company's collaborations with hers out of disappointment? Rumor has it you only pursued the partnership to get close to her. Do you now feel betrayed, Mr. James? Played for a fool?"The flood of questions rained down without pause, each word sharpened by the blinding flash of camera lights. Stepping out of the Athena family’s corporate building, Arthur James hadn't anticipated the swarm of reporters that awaited him, hungry for a headline.Who had tipped them off? And how had the rumors spiraled so viciou
"Sorry..."Not far from the city's chaos, in a modest apartment tucked inside a quiet complex, Athena sat curled in a chair by the window.She had rented the place under a false name, using forged documents—anything to disappear. She knew Arthur would look for her, and that was exactly why she had to vanish. It was the only way to protect both him and Reyna from more pain."I'm sorry, prince. I'm so sorry," she whispered again, though the words barely reached her ears anymore.Tears welled as she hugged her knees to her chest, forehead pressed to the cool glass. The world outside carried on—cars passing, voices rising—but none of it touched her.The ache wasn’t just emotional anymore. It lived in her body now—tight in her chest, heavy in her limbs. Across the street, a couple walked hand in hand. The man leaned in to adjust the woman’s scarf, s
The rain didn’t fall that night, but the sky remained gray as if it understood that someone was lost in the deafening silence.In the room that once echoed with laughter, Arthur sat alone. The chandelier's dim light reflected dully in his lifeless brown eyes. His fingers gripped his phone tightly, as though he were holding on to the last pieces of hope, now almost completely shattered.Athena’s name was still displayed on the screen. And just like so many times before, there was no answer. He took a deep breath, trying to push down the tightness in his chest while replaying every memory he had of her."Ah, that tickles! Let me go!"That voice still sounded so soft in his ears—the way she giggled as he kept kissing her neck. The echo of her laughter was something he could never forget. Her gaze and her smile always warmed his heart, as if he could still feel them now."Where are you now?" he murmured, barely audible. "Why did you have to leave without a word? Didn’t you say you loved s
"Baby...."When Arthur opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he reached for was her—soft skin, steady breath, that familiar warmth he’d grown addicted to. But his hand touched only the cool, empty sheet beside him. Frowning, he sat up, blinking through the haze of sleep."Baby?" he called out softly, expecting her to answer from the bathroom.Silence.He waited a few seconds, listening. Still nothing. Throwing back the covers, Arthur climbed out of bed and padded to the bathroom door knocking lightly."Baby? You in there?"No answer.A chill crawled up his spine as he slowly pushed the door open. Empty. Pristine. The room smelled faintly of her perfume, but there was no trace of her presence. No running water. No voice calling back.He turned around, eyes scanning the bedroom again. Her clothes
Athena closed her eyes for a moment as she said her wish. She begged deeply from the bottom of her heart. She hoped that her prayers would be answered soon so that her days could continue to run normally like today."You're incredible!"Arthur's voice suddenly broke the momentary silence that almost brought tears to her eyes. She quickly smiled, before finally looking closely at the handsome face beside her with her fingers still finishing the melody."Don’t say that, prince.""I mean it. Watching you like this... I feel like I’m seeing magic!"Athena laughed for a moment, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. She let her fingers linger on a final note. Her voice softened. "I wouldn’t be here like this if it weren’t for you. I don’t think I’d have found the strength, the will... the music again. You never gave up on me, even when I gav
Tears began to fall again as Athena nodded. She clutched both of his strong arms that were still wrapped tightly around her body, taking a deep breath before fully turning to face the man before her."I’ve fallen so deeply in love with you too, prince," she said, her voice shaky as she tried to hold back the ache in her chest. "So deeply that I can’t stop thinking about you every single second of my life!"With their foreheads pressed gently together, Athena and Arthur finally shared a kiss. It was soft and calming, surrounded by the beauty of the setting sun. Their silhouettes lingered at the edge of the ship, bathed in the golden glow of warm, fading light."I… I need to use the restroom!"As the kiss turned hotter, Athena gently pulled away with her voice breathless. Arthur frowned slightly before finally letting out a small laugh."Again?"&nbs
Athena flinched at the sharp tone on the other end of the line. Her throat tightened, but she still tried to respond with a measured voice."I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to delay anything. I just... I got caught up in—"["Spare me the drama!"] The voice cut her off again—cold, commanding, unforgiving. ["You think an apology will fix everything? I don't need your sorry. I need results. You promised to prove yourself, and so far? You're falling behind!"]"I just needed a little more time," Athena whispered, swallowing the knot in her throat. "Please… I—"["You don’t have more time! You only have a few hours left. I made it clear. Get it done and don’t forget to take the pills I gave you. You can’t afford mistakes now, not when things are this close. You know what’ll happen if you mess this up!"]There was a beat of silence as
"Damn it! She really is a control freak!"Crystal could no longer hold back her frustration after the woman beside her had truly left. She shot an annoyed glance at her biological mother, who hadn’t defended her earlier, then narrowed her eyes even more sharply when she turned to Leon—who was sitting silently as if lost in deep thought."Why does it feel like she’s known you for a long time? Were you two close before? Or… was she your ex or something?"Leon returned her gaze, expressionless, before slowly pushing his chair back. "I think this meeting is over, isn’t it? I’d like to head home now. If you all want to stay, that’s up to you.""You... you’re seriously ignoring my question?" Crystal gasped in disbelief, her eyes narrowing even more as her breathing grew heavier. "You’re going to see her, aren’t you? Don’t forget, Leon. My r
Athena breathed, as tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, caught between joy and release.They moved together, slowly at first, learning each other’s rhythms like a love song only they could hear. The world faded around them, replaced only by the shared warmth of skin and the silent thunder of feeling too great to be spoken aloud.In that moment, there was no past pain, no burden of secrets or fears. There were only the two of them—raw, real, and whole.Their whispers became promises. Their sighs became prayers."You are everything!" When they reached the height of their union—when time itself seemed to stand still—Arthur cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes.Tears slid down Athena’s cheeks as she kissed him again and again, whispering against his lips, "I love you, prince! I love you, Arthur! I love you, Mr. James! And I love al