Novel-novel oleh Allura.Shaletta

"Reyna—""You think you can take him from me? After everything I’ve done? I won’t let you, bitch!"Reyna kept getting closer, forcing Arthur—who had only just realized her presence—to instinctively shield Athena behind him. His eyes widened, just as shocked as Athena. He never imagined that someone he had always treated like a sister would do something so dangerous to the woman he loved."You’re not a killer, Reyna. Put the gun down!" he said, trying to bring her back to her senses, even though he was still torn between belief and disbelief."I won’t let her take you away from me again!" Reyna just gave a faint smile before her gaze turned sharp again. "I can’t lose you! Not after everything I’ve done for you!""Reyna—""Stay out of this!" she screamed. Her face was twisted in hatred and desperation. "You kept ignoring me while I kept falling more in love with you, Arthur! And now she’s pregnant, you’re just going to go back to her like nothing ever happened?!""Reyna, please..." Arth

"Wh–what?"Athena froze. Reyna’s words rang through the hallway like a bullet to the chest. Her breath caught. Her legs trembled. Her heart? Of course, shattered.Athena stared at Arthur, hoping—no, praying—that he’d deny it. That he’d scream it was a lie. But all she saw was confusion. Horror and silence."You... you really did this?" she whispered, barely able to form the words. "How could you—""I didn’t know what happened, dear. I swear! I don’t remember anything. She just..." Arthur stepped forward, reaching for her, but she pulled away.Athena’s tears, the ones she had tried so desperately to hold back, finally poured down her cheeks in torrents. Her body trembled with grief. Reyna, witnessing her pain, sneered with cruelty. Folding her arms across her chest, she stepped closer, her gaze sharp and arrogant."Believe it or not, but your perfect Arthur and I are closer than you think!""Reyna, stop it!""What? I’m just telling her the truth," she replied without a hint of guilt. "

"Hey!"Feeling the gentle caress on his strong jawline, Arthur tried to open his eyes. Still overwhelmed by sleepiness, he reached for the slender waist of the woman who seemed to be resting against his chest—only for his eyes to suddenly narrow sharply as he realized who was actually with him."What the hell is this?!"His heart stopped in an instant. Arthur woke with a pounding head and a mouth dry as ash. He blinked blearily, only to see Reyna lying beside him beneath the sheets, smiling like a cat that had just devoured the canary."You were amazing last night," she said casually, brushing her fingers through her hair. "I didn’t think you had it in you. I like it!"Shaking his head, Arthur then changed his position. With no clothes clinging to his body and the body of the woman beside him, he had expected it. But he quickly tried to deny it. "I don't understand. What are you talking about? How did you get here? And where are we now?!""You don’t remember?" Reyna asked with a tilt

Hearing those words, Arthur shook his head as if denying a truth too painful to accept. He took a step forward, reaching out to grab the wrist of the woman standing before him, but Athena had already stepped back, her eyes silently pleading with him—don’t."We’re over, Arthur. I’m sorry I never got to say goodbye back then. I just… I couldn’t bear to see you hurting and—""And falling apart!" Arthur cut her off sharply, running a hand over his face, overwhelmed. "Goodbye or not, I still felt it! Every inch of it! Don’t you see that?""I’m sorry. I just…""Why?" His voice cracked, raw with pain, as she struggled to find her words. "Why him? Why choose him over me? Hasn’t he done enough? Hasn’t he already broken you, made your life hell, and—""Enough! Please!"Arthur shook his head again, this time more desperately. His eyes locked onto the woman in front of him, her body trembling as she sobbed—just like him, if not even more heartbreakingly.How did it come to this? What made her giv

Throughout the ride, Arthur couldn’t shake his assistant’s words from his mind. Every part of them rang true. No matter how much time passed, Leon, Crystal, and Caroline would never let him or Athena live their lives in peace. They would never be satisfied, not even now when he and the woman he loved were already suffering under the weight of their cruelty.If they truly had joined forces to weave this trap around him, especially with Reyna relentlessly working to tear him away from Athena, he genuinely didn’t know what else he could do. If Athena were still by his side, none of this would feel so overwhelming. He wouldn’t be lost like this, drifting without direction, weak and broken, like a man abandoned for days in a barren, merciless desert."Sir... it seems your persistence has finally paid off."His assistant’s voice pulled him back from the chaos in his mind. Arthur snapped his gaze forward, eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of a woman stepping out of a taxi. Her face was h

"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

"General Hopkins has fallen into the hands of the Evil Tickling Monster!""The... what?"William sat cross-legged on the floor, facing Caelric, a mischievous spark lighting up his usually serious face. He picked up one of Caelric’s toy soldiers and held it upside down dramatically."The Tickling Monster!"Caelric blinked, caught off guard. William leaned closer with a grin. He lunged playfully, wiggling his fingers at Caelric’s sides."He comes to you!""Hahaha! Oh, no! Uncle Will!"Caelric squealed, dissolving into uncontrollable laughter as he tried to wriggle away. His tiny hands grabbed at William’s wrists, but William was careful, never too rough, always making sure Caelric’s laughter was out of joy not discomfort."Say mercy!" William teased, raising one eyebrow."Never!" Caelric laughed even harder, tears of laughter gathering at the corners of his eyes. "You’ll never win, Tickling Monster!"Hearing that, William feigned shock and toppled backward dramatically. He is clutching

Together?Serena’s breathing grew tighter as that single word kept echoing in her mind. Her body froze, her head bowing slightly. She’d only meant to avert her gaze from William’s face, but instead, her eyes landed on his hand firmly holding hers.No... That couldn’t be a genuine touch, could it?She gave a small shake of her head, as if arguing with the voices inside her heart. For a moment, nothing but the ticking of the clock filled the room. Memories she had tried to bury suddenly resurfaced, mingling with the sting of their heated argument earlier that morning, making it even harder to breathe."Caelric..." Serena finally spoke, but her words faltered when her gaze met her son’s eyes so much like the man standing in front of her."I promised Caelia I’d introduce her to Uncle Will, Mommy," Caelric said softly. "I think she’ll be really happy once she meets him.""You hear that?" William’s voice was quiet, but his gaze made Serena exhale shakily. "It’s your son who wants me here. A

"What?! Caelen’s sick too?"Serena drew in a sharp breath at the nanny’s report over the phone. Holding Caelia, who had finally fallen asleep beside her, she stared up at the ceiling. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she held them back with all her strength."And Caelric?" she finally asked, her voice soft and trembling. "He’s all right, isn’t he?"["As for Mr. Caelric, I can’t say for sure, Madam. He woke up a little while ago and asked to be taken to Miss Caelia’s room. So I told one of the other nannies to bring him to the garden first, because Miss Caelia was still being examined by the doctor."]"Tell the nanny with Caelric to call me immediately. I need to know how he’s doing."["Yes, Madam."]Serena inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a moment. A tear slipped down her cheek. Even though this wasn’t the first time her children had fallen ill together, the worry never grew easier. A mother’s heart could never harden to her children’s pain."God, please. Let all three of my childr

"I’m sorry, sir. We can’t release that information. The hospital takes every patient’s privacy very seriously."William dragged a hand down his face at the answer. He raked his fingers back through his hair, trying to shake off the fatigue pressing on him."Damn it! What should I do?" His gaze swept the hallway again, searching for another option, his mind working fast.If only he hadn’t lost Serena at the end of the corridor earlier, he wouldn’t be wandering aimlessly like this. He couldn’t just barge into every patient room on this floor. That would only draw more suspicion, especially with security already watching him closely.How was he supposed to find out who Serena had come to visit here? The unease gnawing at him didn’t make sense, and yet it refused to let go."Sir, should I check the nearby rooms again?" his driver asked loyally at his side."No. Wait out front." William shook his head, flicking his eyes down at his watch. "Call me the moment you see her!""Yes, sir."The d

Serena’s eyes went wide at the name glowing on her phone screen. A dozen thoughts burst through her head at once. She reached for the device in a rush, not even realizing her hand was trembling slightly."Who is it?" William finally asked with his probing tone cutting in. His anger had shifted, though not enough to make Serena breathe easier because he still tried to sneak a glance at her phone."Please don’t remember that name." Serena prayed he wouldn’t recall Caelric. She couldn’t risk everything she’d worked so hard to bury being dragged out now. Yet at the same time, she couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at her about her children.What’s happening? Why would Caelric call her directly like this? That never happened. Normally, the kids went through their caretakers if they needed to reach her."No, no! They must be fine!" she muttered under her breath again."Huh?"Realizing William had caught that slip, Serena snapped her face back into its usual calm mask. Her expression hardened.

"Any questions so far? Ask anything, I don’t want even the smallest problem on this new project!"Serena took off her glasses and scanned her team one by one. After clearing the stack of documents on her desk that afternoon, she called this impromptu meeting. Her father had ordered a few last-minute changes, so she had to handle everything fast, even though she kept losing focus as that threat on her phone looped through her head.Your mask will fall soon.Those words wormed under her skin and made her restless. Her hand curled into a fist as she imagined who might have sent them, especially after what had happened last night."Sorry, Miss.""Yes?"Serena frowned when her secretary hesitated. She glanced at the others in the room, then leaned forward when the secretary seemed about to whisper something important."I’ve received a report that Mr. Velmond is insisting on meeting with you right away. Some of the staff tried to stop him, but—""He kept forcing the issue and even caused a