"Wait! Why did she stop here?"Seeing Athena walk toward a different hospital, Arthur's brow furrowed slightly. His eyes narrowed as he observed the woman, who appeared to be in a hurry."Perhaps she wants to get herself checked?""If that’s the case, why not at the previous hospital?""I'm sorry, Sir. I don’t know. Or would you like me to go down and check what’s going on with her directly?"Shaking his head briefly, Arthur glanced down at his phone. "Just wait here. She should be coming out soon, and then we’ll pick her up!"Inside the hospital, Athena appeared increasingly anxious as a receptionist began searching for records of her mother’s whereabouts. Her breath grew heavier when she heard a soft sigh that made her even more tense."I'm sorry, Ma'am. There’s no record of a patient named Evelyn G. Waverly being admitted today. May I see the transfer documents?"Handed them over, Athena's hands slightly trembling. The receptionist scrutinized them before shaking her head. "These l
"Ah, come on. Don't joke around, Arthur. I don't have time for that."Smiling slightly, Arthur then returned his gaze to the woman beside him. "I'm not joking at all, Athena. I like that nickname!"Athena’s cheeks flushed even deeper as she clenched her fists in her lap. She tries to avoid his gaze. She couldn’t let Arthur see how flustered she truly was. Forcing herself to maintain composure, she straightened her posture and cleared her throat."Arthur, focus! We’re not here to discuss… pet names. We need to figure out how to turn this situation against Leon. That’s the priority!""Pet names?" Another crisp laugh came from the man's mouth. "You're much more than that, Athena. But... Yes, you have a point too. We should refocus on Leon because by utilizing his ridiculous ways, we will be able to pressure him even more!"Taking a shallow breath, Athena felt slightly relieved as Arthur's attention was no longer focused on her. At least she didn’t have to deal with the captivating gaze o
Athena’s breath hitched as she heard the serious threat from the man beside her. She immediately slapped his hand away as he reached for her face again and moved back while scanning her surroundings warily."How? Are you willing?" he asked, settling back into his throne."What guarantee do I have that you won’t break your promise?""That weak woman will be left here. Anyone can find her and help her escape, but after that, you’ll have to come with us to another place!""To where?"Shaking his head briefly, the man, who still hadn’t revealed his full face, shot her a sharp glance. "You’re asking too many questions, Athena. You’ll find out where it is once you’re with us!"Feeling hands grip her shoulders, Athena immediately struggled. It seemed she was already too late to escape. The masked people around her were closing in, leaving her cornered."Let go of me! I haven’t agreed to anything!" Athena shouted, prompting a few of those around her to chuckle."Unfortunately, you’re out of t
"Ssshh!"Athena's words were cut short as a hand clamped over her mouth from behind. Her heart pounded wildly, fear coursing through her veins. Struggling instinctively, she attempted to elbow her attacker, only to hear a familiar voice chuckle softly."Easy, Athena. It's me!"Her movements halted instantly. She twisted her head, and her wide, terrified eyes met the familiar, calming gaze of Arthur. "You scared me half to death!" she hissed, smacking his chest lightly, though her voice carried no anger. "Sorry about that. I didn’t want to startle you." Arthur offered her a small, apologetic smile. "But I had to make sure no one was following you. Are you alright?""Yeah, I’m fine." Her fear melted into a strange warmth that she couldn’t quite name. "But what happened back there? Why didn’t you come out when I was talking to the police?""I couldn’t risk Leon knowing I was there, Athena. If he suspects me, it’ll complicate everything. I almost caught him tonight, but....""But what?"
Athena's hands instinctively reached out, her arms wrapping around Arthur's neck before he could pull away. Her sudden action caught him off guard, his eyes widening slightly as he gazed down at her."How do you expect your wounds to heal if you keep ignoring them like this?" she began, her voice soft but firm.Gently brushing against the damp skin before her, Athena began at Arthur's broad chest, still marked with several small scratches. Every so often, she glanced back at his face as if waiting for a reaction, her delicate fingers continuing their exploration until they reached the sculpted muscles adorning the surface of his abdomen."Swimming isn’t exactly the best way to recover," she whispered making the man in front of her laugh slightly and restrain her hand movements."So you are my doctor now? Heum?""I’m serious, Arthur!" Athena's brows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. "You can’t keep acting like you’re invincible. What if something worse happens?" "Oh, ar
"These are some of the pieces of evidence I mentioned to you last night, sir."The police officer across from her nodded, his expression unreadable as he accepted the stack of documents from Athena's lawyer. He flipped through the pages, and a flicker of something curiosity crossed his face before he glanced toward the growing crowd of reporters gathering outside the station."So," the officer began, leaning back slightly in his chair, "behind the perfection you always present in front of the cameras, it seems there’s a different story—a messy one. Why are you only reporting this now?"Athena’s lips curved into a faint, practiced smile, but her eyes remained cold. "I was waiting for the right time, sir. But unfortunately, he crossed the line. My patience for him has completely run out.""And where are you staying now?" The officer raised a brow, clearly intrigued. "Are you no longer living under the same roof as your husband?""Not since I was trapped in the elevator, sir. But I inten
"Come in!"Crystal’s face twisted with fury, but before she could respond, Athena turned to the door and let in some employees and cleaners as well."Pack up everything that belongs to Mr. Leon," Athena instructed them with a faint smile adorning her beautiful face. "Move it to one of the smaller offices on the lower floors because this is my space now!""Wait, you can't—""Ssshh! Just like what I said earlier, my dear husband. I've already gotten the green signal from some of the board of directors. So before you're forcibly evicted by them, I'd better get you out of here first!""You’ll regret this, Athena!" Leon stepped forward, grabbing his wife's arm roughly."Do your worst, Leon. I’ve already survived your betrayal, your lies, and your schemes. There’s nothing left you can take from me!""You’re playing a dangerous game!""And I’m winning!" Athena’s lips curled into a sneer as she stepped forward. Seeing this, Crystal then pulled Leon away. She certainly didn't want to let Leon
"You have to tell me..."The soft glow of the chandelier above cast a golden hue over the elegantly set table. The room was soundproofed, offering Athena and Arthur complete privacy as they waited. No longer in the office, they were now chatting in one of the famous restaurants nearby. "How did you manage to secure a deal with Leon without making him suspicious?" Athena leaned back against the velvet chair, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the man before her."Leon is arrogant," Arthur smirked, resting his chin on his knuckles. "That’s his weakness. All I had to do was feed into that. Stroke his ego, make him believe he had the upper hand. He was too busy feeling superior to realize he was walking into a trap.""So you played him?""Like a piano. But that’s not enough. We need to make sure he doesn’t recover from this!"Taking a sip of his drink, Arthur's gaze darkened slightly as he leaned forward. Athena let out a soft chuckle, her lips curling in amusement."We? But you
Time passed by without her realizing it. One day after another went by. The series of divorce trials between Athena and Leon had begun running smoothly without obstacles. Slowly, the negative gossip about her life started to fade away. The project to build a free music school with the Mayor was nearing its final stages, and her company’s collaboration with Caroline’s business was also progressing well.Everything was starting to fall into place for Athena, yet there was still an emptiness in her heart. To her, all these achievements still felt incomplete because the person who had been her source of strength—the one who kept her going—was not by her side.Arthur. Yes, his departure had left a void in Athena’s heart. Even though Arthur had told her beforehand that he would be too busy to return to his sister anytime soon, she couldn’t help but feel restless. That feeling only deepened with time, pulling her
Tingg!A sudden notification sound rang just as the initial meeting for her collaboration with Caroline's company concluded. Realizing that it was Arthur who had messaged her, Athena quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching her at that moment.[I'm sorry, but I have to go abroad for a while due to an urgent matter. I didn't have the chance to inform you in person because everything happened so quickly.]Letting out a quiet sigh, Athena leaned back in her chair. Once again, a tightness gripped her chest. She felt that sense of loss creeping in again, so she quickly shifted her focus to her employees, who were preparing to leave the meeting room, and to Caroline, who seemed busy with her phone—to push away that feeling.[I'm sorry once again, dear. I never wanted to leave you, but I have no choice.]Staring blankly at her phone screen, Athena straightened her p
"E–enemy?"Athena stammered as both of her ears caught Caroline’s last word. Her eyes widened in tension, especially when the woman nodded in response, meeting her gaze without hesitation."Caroline... I think we've gone too far with this conversation. We should—""Don't be so tense, Athena. I haven't explained what I meant yet," Caroline said calmly once again, though her ever-changing gaze made her intentions difficult to read."Ah, I just...""What I mean is, we could become enemies if you were to take the man who has been a savior in my life. I absolutely despise it when something that should belong to me is taken or even disturbed by someone else. But surely, you wouldn’t do that to me, right?" Caroline chuckled again as if trying to lighten the mood, leaving Athena oblivious to the true meaning behind her words.Athena forced a s
Once he left, Athena sat still for a moment, staring at the empty space beside her. A strange feeling crept into her chest, was it disappointment? Worry? Or something else entirely?Shaking it off, she decided she couldn’t dwell on it. She needed to get back to her own life.Arriving at her office, she immediately instructed the security team to be cautious about accepting packages with no clear sender information. The last thing she needed was an unexpected threat slipping through the cracks like yesterday."Athena!""Caroline?"Athena waved her hand toward a woman who had just stepped out of a luxury car. Without hesitation, she gave her a warm hug as the woman in dark sunglasses approached, then slightly furrowed her brows when the woman handed her a rather large handbag with the label of a well-known brand."What is this?" she asked, still unsure.
Athena let out a soft sigh, staring at the ceiling.As she lay there, wrapped in the thick blanket Arthur had secured around her, she let out a small sigh. The lingering heat of their moment still clung to her skin, making her body tingle with anticipation. Yet, Arthur was gone now—at least for the moment.She waited. And waited. But Arthur never returned. Her fingers absently traced the fabric of Arthur’s bedsheets. She had expected him to return quickly, but the minutes stretched on, turning into an hour… and then another."Geez, why am I being like this?" she muttered worriedly to herself.She turned onto her side, curling up slightly as a strange sense of unease settled in her chest. He wouldn’t have just left without a word—not after what had happened between them tonight.At first, she thought he might have gotten caught up in something minor,
"Holding back?"Arthur couldn’t help but smile when he heard that. Deep down, he had to admit it was true. He had been holding back all this time—restraining himself from touching every inch of Athena’s smooth skin, even as his heart and body yearned for her more with each passing day.Tonight, after such a long wait, it was finally happening. This wasn’t just a fleeting desire; it was a dream he had held onto for so long, a hope for the future. He hoped to remain in this moment, in this intimacy, until the day he married her and spent the rest of his life by her side—until death did them part."Hmm... Why did you stop?" Athena’s soft voice broke the silence, laced with a hint of hesitation. "Isn’t this the best distraction from all the troubles drowning us?"Arthur nodded, then pressed a lingering kiss to the delicate skin beside him, his signature smirk ret
"Thank you! I'll confirm the arrival of both of us with the Mayor!"Before getting up from the lap of the man who always managed to capture her heart, Athena gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his lips. She smiled upon noticing his surprised expression. To her, Arthur always looked incredibly cute when he was like that, making it impossible for her to hold back a chuckle as she pulled away."The maid said you've already had dinner, right? In that case, get some rest. I’ve eaten too, so I just need to go back to my room to freshen up before resting."Smiling again, Athena adjusted Arthur’s blanket and bed before finally preparing to leave. She made sure he was completely comfortable before her eyes suddenly widened in shock—she was abruptly pulled back onto the bed.Who else could it be but Arthur? As if unwilling to let her go just yet, he pulled her back toward him before captu
Crystal’s growing curiosity as the mysterious woman walked away. A chill ran down her spine, her mind still spinning. She tapped her fingers against the cold, hard surface of her cell’s metal bed.The first letter of their names was the same? That meant her name started with C. But who? Charlotte? Cassandra?No. None of them matched the woman she had just seen. That poised smile, that air of confidence, it didn’t fit anyone she knew."Damn it!" she muttered under her breath. Her fingers curled into fists. "Who the hell was she?!"The woman’s words echoed in her mind, especially when she talks about Athena’s downfall. Something about this was different. This wasn’t just idle gossip or petty revenge. The woman had a plan, and she could feel it."Great!" she muttered bitterly. "Yet another person obsessed with that woman!"Cry
Athena’s fingers hovered over her phone screen, her mind racing. She needed—no, she wanted—to tell Arthur about this. Her heart was still pounding from the shock of what she had just seen.A blood-stained knife. A chilling note. A clear warning. Arthur needed to know. He always knew what to do. He would protect her. He would...."No, don’t do it!" Athena inhaled sharply and shook her head.Arthur was already drowning in problems. Reyna was still missing. He was barely sleeping, barely eating, spending every waking moment trying to track her down. If she called him now, she would only add to his burden."He doesn’t need another problem!" she muttered to herself, biting her lower lip. "I can handle this on my own!"With a sigh, she locked her phone and set it aside. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the intercom."Come