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One month later….. “You look beautiful.” Zayan says, and I laugh as I stuff another piece of apple pie in my mouth. “I'll take that as a compliment.” I was bored out of my mind, and I'd have done anything to pass time so I wouldn't think about labor just for one more second. Sadly, I had missed my white coat ceremony. It broke my heart, but Ariana said we would fix It once I gave birth. Anyway, so I tried reaching out to Sloane, but she had left the country, Mira was busy, and Noah was doing the meeting things the Kings do. My husband, however, was nowhere to be seen. At this point, I don't even know if he still lives In our home. So, left with only one choice, I called Zayan, who was more than happy to hang out with a pregnant woman. We've been hanging out for some time, and it's been fun. I also learned that he's actually a doctor but rides horses to lay off some steam. Which is pretty cool. I was unable to share much about me, and I just told him the basics. You kno
ATHENAMy fingers tighten around the doorknob as I stare at Alex. His green eyes burn into me with an intensity that makes my chest feel tight. There’s no mistaking the anger simmering that look, but his voice remains dangerously calm when he speaks.“There she is. The mother of my unborn child.”The way he says it sends a chill down my spine. My heart hammers, but I refuse to let him see the effect he has on me. I push the door shut behind me and drop my bag onto the small table by the entrance. I grab my takeaway pack and sit on the couch, trying to seem unbothered even though my heart is in my throat.“I didn’t realize you still lived here,” I say, my tone laced with mockery.His lips twitch in something that is far from a smile, and he slowly rises to his feet. The air in the room shifts. Alex never raises his voice, but his presence alone is suffocating.When he speaks, you hear him, no matter how low his tone is.“I’ve been busy,” he replies, rolling up his sleeves even further
ATHENA I don't know how we get to the hospital or how I find myself in the VIP room. But all I know is I'm suddenly on the bed with an IV on my hand. Those G****e searches I did about how labor occurs didn't prepare me enough for this. I groan as the world spins while the contractions come in waves, slow at first, like an approaching storm. I grip the bedsheets, my breathing uneven as the dull ache in my lower back sharpens. The nurse moves around the room, checking the monitors, speaking in a calm voice, but her words blur into the background. "You're only three centimeters dilated," she says, offering me an encouraging smile. "We still have a long way to go." How encouraging. I grimace. Three. I exhale sharply, frustration mixing with the discomfort. Every second feels like an eternity. Alex stands by the bed, watching me, his arms crossed. The usual arrogance in his expression is gone, replaced by something unreadable. Concern? Guilt? I don't care. I don't want him her
ALEXI don't know how long I've been pacing outside the hospital room. Minutes? Hours? Time doesn’t feel real when you’re forced to wait. My hands clench into fists, then relax, only to clench again. Every few seconds, I hear her. Athena. Her voice, raw with pain, broke through the walls that separate us. Each sound she makes feels like a blade against my skin, cutting deeper and deeper. And I can't do anything about it. I run a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. The sterile hospital air does nothing to settle the weight in my chest. I’ve faced a lot of things in my life, fights, failures, and loss, but nothing prepared me for this kind of helplessness. When I first stepped into that room, she told me to leave. And for the first time, I actually listened. Because I saw it in her eyes. The anger. The frustration. The pain. She didn't want me there. And maybe... maybe she was right. Maybe I don’t deserve to be in that room with her. But I can’t leave, either.
ALEX The room is too quiet. The kind of silence that feels like it’s pressing down on me, suffocating, heavy with things unsaid. The machines beep in slow, steady intervals, a cruel reminder that life moves forward even when it feels like it shouldn’t.Athena hasn’t woken up yet.I haven’t moved since mum had them take Rayen. I couldn't find the strength to bury my son with his mother still unconscious So I decided to wait until she wakes up so we can figure this out together. I should say something. Do something. But all I can do is stare at her, at the way her eyelashes rest against her cheeks, at how fragile she looks against the hospital bed. I don't want her here. I want her resting in my bed back at home while I rub her feet even though I know it will be a drop in the ocean. My grip tightens around her hand as if holding on will somehow keep her from slipping further away from me. As if it will undo what’s already been done.I never knew that childbirth was this risky. I ha
ALEX “What did you say?” My eyes lift up to meet the nurse. “Do you know the patient, Sir?” She asks, her eyes filled with fear. Was this supposed to be a fucking secret?“I asked you a question.” I grind out. “The owner of that file drank something… something meant to terminate the pregnancy. We were told to find out what could have gone wrong and that was what the results showed.” The words hit me like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs. The paper crumples slightly in my hand, my vision narrowing in on the damning words printed before me.Athena tried to abort our child.A sharp, cold rage unfurls in my chest, warring with the grief that had already been drowning me.“What was it?” My words are clipped, controlled only by a thread of restraint.“I-I don’t know exactly, but whatever she took, it wasn’t enough to end the pregnancy immediately. It caused complications. The baby…” She pauses, eyes darting around as if afraid to say it out loud.“Say it.” My voice is
ATHENA No one can understand the pain of losing a child, and you can't even explain the pain. You can only feel it with no words to make those around you understand. As I cried in Alex's arms earlier, I didn't know what else to do. My heart is shattered, and my heart is broken. I carried my son to full term. Went through pain with hope that I will be able to hold him in my arms. Tears keep falling, and I can't stop them. Im watching the sun shine so fiercely when the door burts open, making me look up with a frown.I'm shocked to see it's Alex standing before me. He's angry.At me.But why?The air in the room shifts, thick with tension, suffocating me before he even speaks a word. My body tenses instinctively, a mixture of fear and exhaustion weighing me down as I brace myself for the storm about to hit.Rage incarnate.His green eyes, usually so calculated and cold, are burning with something more. The warmth he had when he told me he is going to call the doctor is nowhere in s
ATHENAThe weight of his words presses down on me like a crushing avalanche, suffocating me with each syllable. His words… his accusations… they pierce through my already fragile heart like daggers.The pain from labor suddenly feels numb as compared to how much he has injured me. “Not his face, and certainly not his grave.” The pain that erupts in me is unimaginable. I can’t breathe. It feels like the air is stolen from my lungs, the very oxygen I need to survive now out of reach.I look down at the divorce papers he’s just thrown at me, the words on the page blurring as my tears pool in my eyes. My vision goes foggy. Everything around me seems distant, unreal, like I’m watching this whole scene unfold from far away.Did he really just say that? Did he truly believe that I could kill our son? That I could willingly harm the child I carried for so long?I don't know how much time passes. It feels like a lifetime in this silence, this unbearable stillness.The tension between us, th
ATHENA“Dr. Athena!” A sweet, small voice calls as the door swings open.Rayen rushes in, a whirlwind of tiny footsteps and excitement, and jumps into my arms before I can even react.I catch him with a soft oof, my arms instinctively wrapping around his tiny frame.His warmth, his smell, his messy curls pressed against my cheek, and it all hits me like a punch to the chest.God, I missed him.It’s only been a week since our last play date, but it felt like eternity. Like some sort of cruel punishment. I had to stay in the shadows to set the trap for Leah, but every second away from him, knowing he was my son, tortured me.I can’t believe this little angel who giggles in his sleep and asks me if clouds cry when it rains is actually mine.The one who slowly took my heart for himself with no plans of returning it back to me.My little prince.“I made you a card,” he announces proudly, leaning back to pull out a folded sheet of paper from his jacket pocket. The crayon strokes are bold a
ALEX“What the hell happened to you?” Luca asks as I walk through the hospital car park. I'm really not in the mood to talk. So I glare at him and grab my car keys. Athena looked stressed so I'm hoping bringing Rayen will calm her mind as we wait for Sloane to wake up. He will be heartbroken once he finds out his favorite aunt is in hospital. I don't even know how to break the news to him. Hell, I don't know how to tell him Athena is his mother. I'm still trying to find a way to explain that.“I just saw Zayan and the whole clan walk into Athena’s room. Aren't you missing out on the party?” Luca asks, and I halt my steps, turning to face him.“What?” He laughs, “She must have told you shit that bled your heart for you not to notice.” I lock my jaw. “Pick up Rayen from his daycare and bring him here. Also-” I pause, stepping closer. “I want you to keep an eye on Athena. I don’t trust anyone else to protect her.”Luca raises a brow, the playfulness fading, “Do you have someone y
ATHENA “I am safe,” I say, forcing a weak smile, trying to play it off. I don't like worrying people. Zayan has become someone special to me over the years. He is one of the few people who actually cares about me, and it hurts me seeing him like this. His mother is not my biggest fan but Rose, his sister inlaw always tells me it's not just me she's like that with everyone. So I guess I no longer felt bad whenever we hang out. But truly, I am grateful to Zayan, without him, I don’t know if I would have found the strength to meet Anna and uncover the truth about my son. “I mean, technically I’m breathing, so that counts, right?” I try to lighten the mood, but fail miserably because his glare only increases.His jaw is clenched, his brows drawn so tightly they almost touch. He stares at me like he can’t decide if he wants to hug me tighter or scream until the walls shake.“You almost died,” he says. “Again.”Speaking of which, I need to investigate who was powerful enough to back Le
ATHENAI wrap my arms around myself, trying to take a proper breath and decide what comes next. Isabelle came to check on me, and I was about to rush out when she relieved me with an update.Sloane is stable now.Still unconscious, but stable.And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she walks again, even if I have to give her my own damn legs.The door creaks open.I glance up.Alex steps in and pauses mid-step when he sees me awake. I guess he wasn’t expecting that.“Why do you look shocked? Where were you hoping I’d die?” I mock, not bothering to hide my annoyance. “You’re awake?” he says softly, ignoring the insult I just hit him with.Alexander King? Having a soft voice?It’s strange. All my life, Alex’s voice has been clipped and cold. Not this.I nod once, my throat dry, feeling like I’ve swallowed sandpaper.He walks toward the side of the bed, carefully lowering himself into the chair like he's afraid he'll break me just by existing. In his hands is a paper bag and a tak
ALEXShit! I curse under my breath.I catch her before she hits the floor, her weight folding into my arms like a puppet with its strings cut.“Athena!” I shout, lowering her gently, cradling her head as panic claws up my throat. “I need a doctor right now!”Isabelle is instantly beside me, checking Athena’s pulse, her expression calm, but I can see her resolve cracking.It's her best friend, after all. “We need a stretcher!”A nurse rushes in with one, and I lift Athena onto it carefully, my hand refusing to let go of hers even as Isabelle moves to wheel her away.“Let us take it from here, Alex,” Isabelle says gently.But I hesitate.For a second, I think if I just hold on tighter, maybe I can keep her from slipping further away and from shutting me out completely. But I nod and step back.She disappears down the hall, and I’m left standing in the silence that follows.Noah drops into a chair, his hands buried in his hair while his shoulders shake with quiet despair. Ian stands
ALEXThe walls of the hospital feel like they’re closing in.The lights overhead are buzzing too damn loud, the sterile air stings my nose, and the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall claws at what’s left of my sanity.I don’t speak.I haven’t said a word since we got here.I sit, with my elbows on my knees, my fingers locked tight, and my jaw clenched so hard it aches. Every part of me is burning, vibrating with a fury I’m barely keeping caged.Not at the universe. Not at fate.At me.I let this happen.I let Leah get that close.I fell for her lies.Over and over again.I believed her sob story. Let her manipulate me. And in doing so, I said the unthinkable to Athena. For the past five years, I've felt indebted to her. Not knowing I was a jackpot in her game. Pictures of me plastered on the wall in her secret room are drilled in my fucking mind. What a fool I've been.Me!Alexander King. Fooled from the word go and played like fucking ping-pong. I thought she saved me. Ima
ATHENA The shot rings out.I brace for the pain, for the heat of the bullet tearing through my flesh.But it never comes.I’m still standing.I'm still breathing.Frozen.My heart slams against my ribs as the world slows around me.And then-“No!”A body crashes into mine, shoving me hard to the side.I stumble, catching myself against the edge of a table.That’s when I hear it, a guttural gasp, the sound of someone choking on breath. The thud of a body hitting marble.Blood splatters.I look down my body and realize it's not mine.My eyes widen as I turn.Someone took the bullet.For me.From the corner of my eye, I can see Leah screaming, thrashing, wild-eyed like a mad woman.. But the officers are on her now, four of them tackling her to the ground, ripping the gun from her hands.My ears ring.The voices fade.Someone’s shouting my name, but it sounds like it’s coming from underwater.Everything begins to blur, hitting me all at once.A gun.Shoot.Not me.I look to the side and
ATHENALeah stares at the dress like it's made of poison.I could poison it, but that would have been too merciful.Her hands tremble as she clutches the dresser behind her for balance. “You’re bluffing,” she whispers, her voice cracking beneath the weight of panic. “You can’t- none of this-this isn’t legal!”I take another step closer and smile. It’s not kind. It’s not warm. It’s the smile of a woman who’s been pushed too far, who’s crawled her way through hell and came back with fire in her veins.“Oh, sweetheart,” I say, leaning in until our noses almost touch, “do I look like I care about what’s legal? I think you and I already crossed that line. ”She flinches.“ You know the first thing that hit me when I found out what you had done? I wanted to drown you the way you did to me. But then I realized there was a better way. Whatever you love, I’ll take it. Every fucking thing attached to your name, I will rip it from you and burn it to ashes. Everything you've been craving, will
ATHENAFLASHBACK7 days ago….“It’s only been two hours. Don’t be so anxious,” Zayan says to me, but it does nothing to calm the storm raging inside me.Alex is unpredictable.He may think I fabricated the evidence, and that’s not even the worst that could happen. Leah could get her hands on the documents, twist the story like she always does, and paint me as a manipulator.I’m pacing the length of Zayan’s office, chewing on my nail, with nerves clawing up my throat when the door suddenly slams open, and I nearly jump out of my skin.Alex stands there like a force of nature. His shoulders are rigid, his chest is heaving, and those wild green eyes are locked onto me with pure fury.“Get the fuck out,” he growls, low and dangerous. Zayan straightens from where he’s leaning against the desk, glaring at Alex. “It’s my office,” he snaps.I flick my desperate gaze toward Zayan, silently begging him to give us a moment. Zayan hesitates for just a moment before he sighs and grabs his jacke