“Sean, At…Athena…” TB couldn’t finish his words as he looked at Sean with tear filled eyes. Sean was glaring at him and he expected him to punch him, if he did, he wouldn’t blame him, Athena was his responsibility yet he left her alone and now she was stuck somewhere in the fire. Just how did things turn out like this?
Sean ignored him and walked past him to the firefighters, “are some of your men still in there?”The firefighters looked at him and shook their heads, “no, Mr. Brand,” one of them answered, “the fire has grown too big and the best thing now is to work on quenching it.”“Someone is still in there, are you going to let an innocent person die?” he had to work on himself not to shout at them.“I’m sorry, Mr. Brand, but no one can go into that fire now, it has grown too big and is eating everything in its part. There is no guarantee that the victim or the rHolding his breath, Sean carried Athena bridal style and ran out of the dressing room, the fire has gotten worse than when he came in and he just prays to God that they would be a little way to get her to the people outside, he doesn’t care if he doesn’t make it but he has to make sure she was safe. Approaching towards the exit, there was no way to pass, the fire has eaten up everything and the heat was scalding him, he only has his singlet to protect his upper body. He could feel the burns all around him but there was no time to worry about that. The fire cackles around him and a loud snap told him something was falling, he looked up and saw the wood, there was no way to dodge it as he was surrounded by fire and it would have been easier to maneuver it if he wasn’t carrying Athena. Then taking the first idea that came to his mind, he wrapped his arms around her and shielded her with his body. He felt the weight of the wood on him, part of it hitting his head and h
Athena opened her eyes and had to close them immediately because of the blinding light, she reached up her hand to touch her temple but had to stop when she felt someone hold onto her, saying, “don’t, you are going to disconnect the IV,” she tried opening her eyes again after recognizing the voice as TB’s, seeing his red hair first before his face, she closed her eyes again just after she saw him smile. Her head hurts and she want so badly to knead her temple, but with TB holding her hand, she had no choice but to use the other. “Should I call the doctor?” he asked and she shook her head, “I’m so glad you are back, you gave me quite a scare.”She chuckled softly then and opened her eyes again, “I’m sorry,” she said but couldn’t hear her voice and had to clear her throat and repeat, “I’m sorry.” Her voice was hoarse and her throat dry. “Can I have water?”“Yes,&
Two days after, Athena couldn’t take it anymore, neither Fred’s gentle voice nor TB’s or any of the nurses could keep her in the hospital again. Also, Leo was always coming to the hospital and no one knew what he was coming to do but she has a feeling that he must be coming for medical supply. The question is, for whom? Athena could feel it in her bones that Leo knows where Sean is but he doesn’t want to say it and she made up her mind to get it out of him. He can burn her in hell for all she cares but it’s not going to stop her.She left her room in the early afternoon and went straight to the elevator, praying that no one would see her and that neither TB nor Fred would come to check on her. When in the reception and seeing the nurse there, she could feel her heart beat rising, she needs to get out of there, even if Sean doesn’t want to see her, she has to at least try, so sucking in a deep breath, she picked a race to the front door.
Athena was surprised when Leo offered to drive himself, not letting any of his bodyguards to come with them. She climbed into the car and watched him insert the key in the ignition and the car started. The gates opened and out they went. She wanted to ask him so many questions, how Sean was feeling, if he is getting better and also why he fired Frank but looking at the man who behaved like he was alone in the car, she couldn’t say anything and just let him drive them.Soon, they turned into a familiar road and she frowned and glanced at Leo but he didn’t even look at her, she looked at their surrounding, she has known the place all her life, she has been born there and grew up there and didn’t leave until three months ago when Sean had come to pick her himself. Why were they in the slum? What could Sean possibly be doing there? She looked at Leo again but he hasn’t even glanced at her and if he noticed her confused state, he didn’t let it show. S
“It’s a good thing I waited, you would have been stranded,” Leo said to Athena.“He didn’t even let me say what I want to say,” she said, turning back to look at the door.Leo shrugged, “let’s go, we will come back tomorrow,” he opened the door to get into the car.Athena shook her head, “I’m not leaving, I need to talk to him.”“Are you going to do that from outside here?” he asked with a raised eyebrow, “there is a storm coming, I would like to be home before it starts.”“You can go, Leo, I am not leaving here until I talked to Sean, we really need to let go of our fears. I need to speak to him.”“I am not against that, Athena, but the problem is, you are outside and he is inside.”“I will find a way,” she said and started going around the house, she had seen the bedroom window was open when she was ins
“You still need to go back to the hospital,” Sean said, releasing her from his hold. Athena was surprised, they had just confessed their feelings to each other, shouldn’t the thing they would want to do the most be to stay together and enjoy each other’s presence? Why does he want to push her away? She looked up at him but before she could say anything, he placed a finger on her lips, “I know what you want to say and no, I am not pushing you away, Athena,” he let his fingers move to her cheek and traced her face with his fingertips, “that is the last thing I would ever do again, but, in as much as I want to keep you here with me, your health is important.”“I’m fine, Sean, thanks to you. TB said with how you protected me, you kept me from sustaining any wound apart from this little cut on my forehead,” she touched the plaster, “you need help more than I do, Sean, and since you have refused to go to the ho
Sean couldn’t take it anymore and immediately turned to face her, putting his wounded back out of her view. He pulled her into his arms and placed his forehead on hers, “it’s just body wounds, it would heal.”“If…if you hadn’t run in after me, if you hadn’t…” she was hyperventilating in no time, “I’m so sorry,” she paused, trying to steady herself but it was so hard to do when she was crying so hard and breathing so quickly.Sean quickly cupped her cheeks in his hands, “Athena, look at me,” he ordered, “look at me,” she finally did, “If I am to repeat that action a thousand times, I would do it without blinking an eye. I don’t care about the pain of the damages; the most important thing is that you are right here, standing in front of me, breathing and fine. You think I would rather save myself but let you die in that fire? If that had been the case, I wi
Sean couldn’t take it anymore and immediately turned to face her, putting his wounded back out of her view. He pulled her into his arms and placed his forehead on hers, “it’s just body wounds, it would heal.”“If…if you hadn’t run in after me, if you hadn’t…” she was hyperventilating in no time, “I’m so sorry,” she paused, trying to steady herself but it was so hard to do when she was crying so hard and breathing so quickly.Sean quickly cupped her cheeks in his hands, “Athena, look at me,” he ordered, “look at me,” she finally did, “If I am to repeat that action a thousand times, I would do it without blinking an eye. I don’t care about the pain of the damages; the most important thing is that you are right here, standing in front of me, breathing and fine. You think I would rather save myself but let you die in that fire? If that had been the case, I wi
“Have you ever heard from your father?” Athena asked in the car on their way home.Sean kissed her knuckles with his ring on it, “do you remember the man I excused myself to talk to at the hotel?”Athena nodded; her head was resting on his shoulder, “yes.”“He is my father’s assistant. Turns out Amber’s illness was hereditary, he has been sick for the past ten years, nursing his health back with money but I guess the money can’t save him anymore, he is dying and his only wish is to see me.”“What for?” she raised her head to look at him.He kissed her forehead and made her rest her head on him again, “maybe to apologize? He has been trying to do that for two years now. His wife didn’t give him a child, they had adopted a boy and girl, I wonder why. Anyways, I guess he wants to make amend on what he did, but he made a mistake, my mother might have easily forgiv
Sean sighed but continued, “I took her back home to stay with Amber and I left in search of Leo, we went to my father and I told him about Amber’s case and he threw us out, saying he has no business with his past. Leo had told me we don’t have any other thing to do but the obvious, we had to steal. We attacked different stores that night and were lucky to escape without getting caught. On our way home, we saw a wounded man, we didn’t think twice and ransacked him, taking every cent with him but we couldn’t leave him there so we took him to the hospital and left him in front of it. The money we got wasn’t enough; I couldn’t go in and see mom’s disappointed face so we left. We stayed on the road, robbing anybody we could. We did it for days, five days I think, until I believed we have gotten enough that could take us to the city.When Leo and I got to the hospital, mom saw us and started crying, Amber passed on the previous night,
Athena smiled, “Sean, most of us have done things we are not proud of, but that doesn’t make us evil, I believe whatever it is you did, you did it for a reason.”He nodded with a smile, not looking up at her, “yes, for a reason.”“Well, you have my promise that I won’t judge.”He chuckled, looking up at her then, his hazel eyes shining brightly with the lights surrounding them, “I can feel that you won’t.”“See, even your heart believes in me.”He laughed softly then and closed his eyes, he sighed, “I wasn’t burn rich.”“I know that already.”He nodded, “I have a traumatic past. You see, my family was the perfect one when I was growing up. But then, my dad lost his job when I turned six and everything changed, he began drinking, wasting all his savings in gambling and alcohol. My mom would often try to understand him and w
“Athena, please….” Frank called back her attention and she stared at him, seconds passed as everyone waited to know what would happen. Sean could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces by the second. Leo and Gloria walked out to witness what was happening and Gloria gasped.“What the heck, is this guy stupid?” She muttered to Leo who said nothing and glanced at Sean, he knew about Sean’s proposal tonight but what he couldn’t understand was why he would just stand there and do nothing. He glanced at Athena, silently reminding her in his heart about their deal and that he would not hesitate to carry it out and he would make sure that she and Frank lived in wretchedness.What happened next shocked everyone, Athena took a step forward to Frank and Sean closed his eyes, he knew that would happen, guess he wasn’t more important than her mother’s wish. He was contemplating on how to walk out of there in his shame w
Reporters clustered the hotel that would be used for Fashionista’s fall, all of them speaking in front of their cameras to explain what was going on as they waited for the celebrities to arrive. With each car that stopped in front of the red carpet, fans would go wild with screams if it was their idol that arrived.It was explained that nothing brings the celebrities together like Fashionista’s fall, because even those that were on vacation always come back for it and some celebrities comes from other countries to attend the show.Different types of cars stops to discharge different people, all arising shouts and screams from the onlookers that were being held by barricade not to jump out and cause a mess, although securities would hold back those who tries to escape. A white car stopped and Esperanza emerged with her escort, her fans went wild for her and cheered her on. Sean had been merciful to her, in as much as she had thought that he would put her off
Three months has passed since the fire incident and everything has gone back to normal, the photo shoot took place two months ago and Athena was brought to the limelight. It didn’t help that Sean introduced her as his girlfriend at the dinner party that Brand Entertainment always host after the release of their new face. It wasn’t long and news about her started coming up but there was nothing against her except the fact that she was Frank Jones ex girlfriend, but rather than mock her, a lot envied her because she was the one that finally caught the heart of the famous Sean Brand.Happy with herself for making the right decision and following her heart, Athena had pleaded with Sean to talk to Leo about giving Frank his job back, which she had explained her reason as it was better to settle him and have him out of her life for good for she won’t rest well knowing that he was out of work because of her and that fact was bound to tie her to him because whenever
Sean stood tall and handsome in the white shirt he was putting on, his hands tucked in the pockets of his sky blue slacks, his hair neatly combed and slicked back and his hazel eyes shining brightly with intelligence. He could see them fidgeting and he sighed, then he took slow but calculated steps towards the table. When he dragged out a chair, he saw they flinched and rolled his eyes, he found himself praying they should not wet themselves with him still in the room. He knows why they were like that, they might not be afraid of the cops and could say whatever they want to say, but in an option to be questioned by him, they would choose being locked up in a jail than to face him.He sat crossed legged on the chair, his eyes never leaving them and they hadn’t looked up at him for once since he stepped into the room. He cleared his throat and began, “who still want to be a model?”The two ladies looked at each other and then at him but they looked down
It’s been a month and two weeks since the day of the fire and Sean’s wounds was healing, thanks to the honey and his medications. Enclosed in a room for one month sure has brought him and Athena closer than they were before. At least, they now do what they want without wondering how the other would react to it, since knowing about their feelings for each other.Sean had agreed to Leo’s and TB’s pleading that it was time they return to the city. He has been putting them off for over a week now and Athena had been secretly happy about that, back in the city she won’t have him to herself every single day; he would have to go to work, sometimes work over time at home, and would have divided attention. But even though she was secretly enjoying their unplanned vacation where she was his nurse, nursing him back to health, she knew they really do have to go back to the city. There are some things they need to take care off. Especially since Leo had found
Sean couldn’t take it anymore and immediately turned to face her, putting his wounded back out of her view. He pulled her into his arms and placed his forehead on hers, “it’s just body wounds, it would heal.”“If…if you hadn’t run in after me, if you hadn’t…” she was hyperventilating in no time, “I’m so sorry,” she paused, trying to steady herself but it was so hard to do when she was crying so hard and breathing so quickly.Sean quickly cupped her cheeks in his hands, “Athena, look at me,” he ordered, “look at me,” she finally did, “If I am to repeat that action a thousand times, I would do it without blinking an eye. I don’t care about the pain of the damages; the most important thing is that you are right here, standing in front of me, breathing and fine. You think I would rather save myself but let you die in that fire? If that had been the case, I wi