Chapter 1 COMING BACK

Somewhere in I city at 24:00, half past midnight, a couple was having an argument in an apartment.

"Don't insist, Athena." The man hissed. "You know that your doctor forbids you from getting wet. It's freezing cold." He couldn't help scowling, displaying a look of disbelief in his face.

The woman shook her head, groaning in disgust, raising her underarm and smelling her armpits, she huffed. "I feel so sticky and I can't sleep like this!"

The man glared at her and uttered in annoyance yet his voice laced with tolerance. "You're so stubborn like a child."

"I'm not a child." She snapped, taking her things out from her wardrobe. "And don't you dare try to deprive me. You wouldn't win against me." Her voice held a hint of warning.

The man looked at her helplessly, pleading. "Baby, please…  Just this once. Listen to me. What if you catch a cold once again? You're not fully recovered yet!"

The woman shook her head adamantly once again, displaying a determined look in her face. "I'm sorry, Mike. I really have to wash this drying sweat that makes me feel so uncomfortable."

With that being said, she left him alone sitting on her bed and went directly to her bathroom. She was about to slam the door yet Mike called her out suddenly. She paused and peered at him, getting impatient.

"Athena, you got a phone call from an unregistered number..." Mike waves her ringing phone in the air repeatedly informing his girlfriend. 

"Take it, please." She pleaded.  "Tell whoever that caller that I'm currently taking a shower… I'll be quick!" Athena shouted, poking her head in her bathroom door. 

"What if it's about your work or perhaps one of your family members?" Mike berated.

Athena rolled her greenish eyes. There's no way that one of her family members would try reaching out to her after all these years. Not when she left everything behind. They wouldn't dare try to drag her back and force her to attend her duties, aren't they? She wouldn't allow it to happen!

"The same statement, babe..." She instructed indifferently and finally slammed the door shut leaving no room for further argument. 

She made her way towards her half-human-sized mirror and stared at her reddish cheeks. They looked awful in her eyes. She also found that she developed black circles under her eyes and her nose was red, puffy in just two days of catching a cold. She looked completely worn out. She just forgot to wear a few sets of clothes underneath while she went out to meet her client yet here she was, getting attacked by the weather. How unlucky she was!

Now that she finally felt better from her high fever, she swore to herself that she wouldn't  get sick again. Mike — her boyfriend's constant nagging annoys the hell out of her. She can't blame him because she knows that he was just genuinely concerned about her well-being, however, she couldn't just agree with him. Not when she already endured 2 days without a bath. Furthermore, she wasn't used to it and she would never get used to it.

She has been living in this country for years now like a mere citizen striving for a living and this was the second time that she fell sick. Perhaps her body was still adjusting to the weather until now or maybe her immune system was slowly deteriorating. Whatever the cause behind it, she didn't want to know hence she shrugged it off. Glaring at her reflection in the mirror, she muttered to herself.

"I'm still young, aren't I? Getting sick is normal right?" Then she went to the shower and stood in the middle while closing her eyes. She recollected the main reason as to why she ended up in a foreign land alone.

Athena wasn't supposed to endure some hardships in life, especially overseas because she was born and valued as the most precious jewel of the Stanford family. One of the most famous bloodlines in NY City who owns the multi-billion dollar company named, THE STANFORD Company similar to an EMPIRE.

She was the apple of her family's eyes especially when it comes to her grandfather's. The Stanford patriarch doted on her too much compared to her older brother because she held more resemblance in appearance to her late grandma instead of him. She grows up pampered by their love and luxury but she sets herself as a private and low key person. She prefers to live simply rather than aiming for constant exposure in the public eye.

In order to prevent herself from getting criticized at school for being filthy rich, she requested to hide her real status and blended herself with simple people. She finished her studies in a public high school then she entered the famous college university taking one of the scholarships that their own company had offered. She maintained high grades and never used her family influence to get higher opportunities. 

Many of her classmates questioned her about having a multi-billion dollar surname but she played it cool telling them that she was just adopted by one of their family members. She was just bluffing but they actually believed in her statement. Her performance as a hard working student may be enough to prove that she was indeed true to her words but there were also people around her that knew her real identity and chose to follow her whims.

Everything was planned to perfection to her own accord, however, she was so pissed because of a certain arrangement that completely turned her life upside down. It was completely out of her expectation. She was shocked when her parents set a family dinner between the two parties and right there and then, they dropped the bomb together that truly escalated her life until now.

*** Flashback  4 years ago ***

It was around 6 in the evening when she arrived home.

The surroundings were different and the ambiance was unusual.

There were loud voices that rangs in her ears as she entered the main door after she was courteously welcomed by their family butler. 

She halted and darted her gaze to the middle aged man. "What's going on, Uncle Jim?" She asked curiously.

"Your Grandpa invited the Adams family for dinner, Young Miss."

Athena's greenish orbs suddenly dilated together with her rising anger. "Seriously?" She spat.

Uncle Jim nodded, evoking a slight smile. "Yes, Athena. Terrence is here too." He informed her briefly before he turned around and went back to the kitchen.

She turned at a loss for words, cursing within. 'What a hell of a night!'

Everyone in their family knows that they were at odds but the reason behind it was carefully hidden between the two of them. Therefore no one knows how deeply they hated each other than themselves and she didn't want to see him this time so she turned around and started walking towards the door. She intended to go out and spend the hours outside rather than facing the guy that she loathed so much but then…

"Athena..?" Her mom caught her just in time.

Her breath hitched. She tilted back and smiled helplessly. "Hi, Mom."

"Were you supposed to go out again?" Her mother glared at her suspiciously. "We've been waiting for you."

She shook her head. "Uhm, I just arrived. I'm not, of course." She defended.

"Good. Because we have an important discussion that involves you and you can't refuse it." 

Her mom then dragged her gently towards the dining area leaving her speechless. As reluctant as she was, she failed to open her mouth and lay her protests because the table was already occupied. Everyone was now looking at her except for the only person the moment she appeared at the door.

"Athena, my dear. You're finally here." Terrence's mother giggled happily.

"Hi, Aunt, Uncle." She responded curtly. She then darted her gaze to the Adams patriarch and greeted. "Hi, grandpa Adams."

Grandpa Adams smiled. "Hello, princess. Please take a seat and let's start."

The dinner went smoothly and harmoniously despite Athena and Terrence's silence. After half an hour, they resumed their discussions at the living room and began dropping their shocking bombs one at a time causing the atmosphere to get tensed.

"Terrence, Athena, we are planning for your upcoming marriage. Do you have any suggestions?"

Her eyes grow wide hearing her grandfather's words. She was momentarily at a loss for words. The word 'marriage' obviously caught her off guard.

"Marriage?" Terrence repeated, askance.

"Yes." Grandpa Adams nodded and went. "This has been agreed by both families since you two were born."

"I object! You can't just control my life like this, grandpa. I'm an adult and I'm capable of dealing with my own affairs!" 

Terrence refused without hesitation. He then gazed at the silent woman, shooting daggers at her. Accusation and mockery was apparently dolled on his chiseled face.

She meets his gaze with equal intensity telling him that she also wanted to object against the arrangement but their parents began laying their unfair conditions one by one if they go against their will. Those were enough to shut their mouths in the end.

They were both defeated.

The next day, they got married. When and how the preparations take place, it didn't matter to her but the storm brewing inside her was taking her patience dissipating. She left everything behind the next day and hasn't returned ever since.

*** End of flashback***

After bathing for 15 minutes, she stormed out from the bathroom, wrapped in her pajamas whilst wiping her long hair. She felt internal satisfaction. She went to her bed and found her boyfriend staring at her in a daze.

She frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She snapped. Recalling the call earlier, she suddenly asked. "Who was the caller?"

"Who is Terrence Adams to you?" Mike asked, somehow his voice sounded suspicious. 

Athena's heart skipped a beat. She stared at him and asked directly, "Why was he calling me?"

"He didn't say anything. He just said that he would call you again after 15 minutes."

She was about to open her mouth but her mobile phone suddenly vibrated. He handed it to her, saying.

"He seemed efficient." He babbled sarcastically. "Perhaps it was really important or else he wouldn't spend a dime just to call you twice. I'll get you something to drink in the kitchen." He then left her alone.

Athena ignored her boyfriend's words and focused on answering the call, aligning her phone on her ear silently.

"It's me." A deep and cold voice resonated.

"I'm listening." She urged impatiently.

"I'll see you at the airport 12 hours from now. It's urgent." He informed her straight away.

"I'm not going back!" She spat.

"You have two choices." He growled menacingly. "I'm going to pick you up by plane or you will come back voluntarily!" His voice was laced with obvious hostility towards her.

Athena felt her blood temperature rising. She was furious! Gritting her teeth, she retorted. "Fine! I'm coming back!"