"What are you trying to say, Athena? You don’t—""This is one of the pieces of evidence I accidentally found while hiding with you. To me, it’s enough to prove that I’m the one truly at fault here."Shaking his head, Arthur then guided the woman beside him toward his room. He didn’t take the paper Athena was holding out to him. One of his hands moved quickly to open the door before stepping inside and standing there."Take off your clothes!" Athena’s eyes widened before the man continued, "Change into dry, warmer clothes. Night rain can make you more susceptible to illness.""But—""I’ll turn around and won’t leave until I’ve treated your wounds. You’re overthinking things, Athena, to the point where you haven’t noticed the cut on your neck from the glass shards."Athena froze, only now noticing the red stain on her neck. She winced slightly as she accidentally touched the wound. But before she could speak again, Arthur had already turned to face the wall, as if proving his words."I’
"Ouch!"Athena clutched her head, which had suddenly begun to ache severely. Her brow furrowed slightly as she took in her surroundings. It seemed she was no longer in the bathroom. Everything had changed without her noticing, including the time, which now appeared to be midday."What happened?" Athena murmured as she tried to recall the events that had led her there.As far as she remembered, she had been about to change her clothes last night after battling with her thoughts. She vaguely recalled feeling dizzy. Everything had spun for her, and then suddenly..."Oh my gosh, I fainted?" Her eyes widened as she realized another surprising fact.Her clothes—her clothes had completely changed. Not only that, but she felt cleaner all over, even though she couldn’t remember cleaning herself."Arthur... Was it him who did all this?" she said breathlessly, realizing a man was sleeping beside her.Not exactly beside her—Arthur was sleeping in a small chair next to the bed with one hand restin
Athena's breath hitched as the man before she moved even closer. His sharp, mysterious gaze was no longer focused on her eyes but had shifted downward. She shook her head briefly, trying to dispel the fleeting thoughts invading her mind. But instead of stepping back, the man smiled faintly."What's wrong, Athena? I won't understand anything if you just shake your head," he whispered which made Athena turn her gaze in another direction to catch her breath."You're too close, Arthur. You... We... We shouldn't—""We shouldn't what, hmm? I still don't understand unless you say it clearly."Athena's breath grew uneven as she tried to speak. No words came out. She felt trapped—not by Arthur, but by the conflicting emotions warring within her.Her body jolted as if electrified when she felt him gently stroke her face. The masculine scent he exuded sent strange shivers through her body, especially as his touch moved from her cheek downward toward her lips."Tell me to stop, Athena. At least p
"I still don’t like this idea. You’re taking too big a risk going alone!" Arthur's lips thinned into a tight line. His displeasure is apparent. He certainly did not want to take any further risks, especially since he would not be able to watch Athena closely."I will come with various evidence that can secure me, Arthur. I won’t be alone. I'm sure he won't be able to fight me directly anymore, even if he keeps trying to get rid of me.""And what if Leon retaliates? He's ruthless, Athena.""I’ll make him pay for everything he’s done to me and your sister first. That way, he won't be able to do anything to me more," she assured, which made Arthur rub his face for a moment."You're too confident.""At least that's one of the things I learned from you. I can't just stay here waiting for your help because I don't want him to take over everything I have."Silent, Arthur finally cast his gaze in another direction. Athena immediately grabbed his hand again. She grasped it expectantly until s
"No, no! Tell me this annoying woman is just dreaming, Leon! Those letters… they’re all fake, right?""Unfortunately, everything I’ve said is true, Crystal. Now that you know all this, what are you going to do? Stick with a man who only has good looks, or run off to find another rich man? Hmm?"With confident strides, Athena approached her former best friend. The sound of her high heels echoed like a war drum to Leon. He exhaled sharply, loosening his collar as his wife turned to him with a thin smile and tilted her chin slightly toward Crystal."It seems I’m starting to like this new version of myself! It feels… What does it feel like? Look at all your expressions—they’re so entertaining I can’t help but laugh!""Damn it! You think we’re all clowns, huh?!" Crystal moved to swat Athena’s hand away from her face, but before she could retaliate, Athena stopped her."Shh! I’m not finished speaking, Crystal. Do you know how most villains in fairy tales begin? Most of them were good people
"Apologies, Mrs. Athena. If I may ask, where is Arthur right now? Wasn’t he last seen with you when you were trapped in the elevator?"Hearing the whisper, Athena chuckled softly. She quickly made a gesture of apology as Leon’s business associate’s gaze returned to her, then stepped out of the room once Crystal exited ahead of her."It's a pity you’re asking about Arthur first, Ed. Aren’t you even the slightest bit worried about me after working for me all these years?" she quipped gently, aware of the footsteps behind her."Apologies, ma’am. Seeing how healthy you look, I assumed—""Have you not noticed these scars of mine? Ah, I guess no one in this world truly pays attention to me."Spotting the small scratches along his mistress’s elegant neck, Edward's eyes widened slightly. He seemed momentarily lost for words until Athena hastily covered the marks with the edge of her clothing."Forget it. Deep down, you all want to get rid of me anyway, right? So what’s the point of hoping for
"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
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