Thank you for reading
ALEXNot many things move me. I've had countless women attempt the tactic of trying to make me jealous, and not one had succeeded. So, tell me why I feel like ripping this brunette's head off for placing his lips where they shouldn't be.Athena is my ex-wife.Hell I don't even know when this feeling started but fuck, my blood is boiling right now. I was happy and content with watching her dance and have fun with Rayen. The light in her eyes which has been shinning when she's looking at him made me want to watch more when the idiot came from nowhere and ruined the moment. Rayen’s eyes meet mine from over her shoulder, his little scowl matching the one I'm wearing. At least someone in this damn room gets it.I watch her whisper something to him. I can’t hear the words, but I don’t need to. She lifts Rayen in her arms with that gentleness only she has, and starts toward my table. And for a split second, the rage turns into something else. Something dangerous. Something I shouldn’t wa
ALEX“There is something I need to tell you.” Iann grabs a cigarette and throws himself on my couch. “I don't think doctors are supposed to be smoking.” I sarcastically comment. “Yeah, well, I don’t think engaged men are supposed to fall in love with their ex-wives either, yet here we are” he counters, his voice low and bitter as he sticks the cigarette between his lips.My hand stills mid-pour.The glass clinks against the bottle.I glance back at him slowly. “What the hell are you talking about?”Iann doesn’t look at me. He strikes a match and lights the cigarette with a stupid smirk.“I'm here for serious business, and I know you care about Athena, so I thought I could ask you before I proceed.”“I don't care about her.” I snarl as I sit across from him.I think I need a break from work. I'm so exhausted. “Hmmm yeah. Anyway, so I heard you stopped by during the little get-together we had.” “To pick up my son.” I emphasize. His brows shoot to his hairline as he eyes me while his
ALEX“Alex, I'm scared” Leah grabs my hand as she looks from me to Rayen. I sigh, gently pulling my hand away, “isn't it you who wanted to have dinner with my family?”“I did, but I'm afraid they'll still be hostile towards me.”I glance down at Rayen who’s holding my other hand, clutching it like he senses something is off. His eyes are silently watching, but he doesn't say anything. “They probably will be,” I say honestly, walking up the steps to the estate's entrance. “But you wanted this, Leah. You said you could handle it. We can turn around if you feel like it's too much.”She shakes her head as she lifts Rayen into her arms, “We are getting married soon. They will eventually accept me.”I press my lips into a thin line. Not responding to that statement. My mother is the first to turn toward us as Secretary Joane holds the door open for us. Her posture stiffens, and her lips press tight like she just bit into something sour. Nana lifts her chin but doesn’t bother to mask th
ATHENAThe Loud sound of an ambulance reaches my ears as I step out of the hospital. My shift just ended and I'm beat. It's only been a few days and I still can't get Alex's gaze out of my mind. The way he looked at Zayan when he kissed my cheek made my heart stop and I hate that even after what he's done to me he's still able to get a rise out of me. I'm pulling out my phone when the ambulance parks and Alex steps out and my heart drops to my stomach.Is it….No.. God no!I watch in slow motion as the paramedics rush out, the first thought that hits me is Nana and I can barely breathe. Slowly, I drag my legs forward as I tune every sound out the only thing I can now hear is the blood rushing to my ears. But I halt when Leah jumps out and then I see the small oxygen mask. The tiny limbs. The panic painted all over Alex’s face.Rayen.What happened?My God please let him be okay, Alex won't survive this pain a second time. Ian comes flying through the ER doors, already pulling glo
ATHENASwitched at birth?That's one thing I've never considered or even thought about until tonight.My mind kept replaying the moment, and my heart beat even faster at the possibility of Rayen being mine. Tears swell my eyes as I pull the covers tighter. I could barely get myself together when Leah came fuming about me invading their privacy when I killed my own child. Her words stinged, but I had no strength to answer her because of my shock. I kissed Rayen goodnight and came home. Now I've been staring at the ceiling, unable to hold back the itching feeling of asking Alex when Rayen was born. If he's mine….Oh God!Just the thought of someone having switched my child makes me see red, and knowing how ruthless Alex is makes me even more anxious with anticipation knowing he will rain hell on that culprits parade. I sit up, unable to stay still. My fingers tremble as I reach for the glass of water on the nightstand, but I don’t drink it. I just hold it, needing something to groun
Hi huns.I want to take this opportunity to appreciate you all for having reached this far with me. I know so much had been said on how cliché the book would turn out but you trusting I could whip up something good warms my heart. Thank you for each and every comment, gem and review you have left for me. It has helped the book so much we are ranking at number one somewhere and at number four on the main collection stories.On how many chapters the full story will be, I'm yet to see once the first part unfolds but of course it won't be a forrever ongoing novel.Secondly, on updates I know one chapter has been upsetting and I'm sorry for that. I'll make it up to you with a massive update one of these days.I just got married so I'm still trying to get used to balancing my new life and my writing but I promise I'm getting there.Thirdly, if you have any questions or anything you'd like to air out, post it in the comments below. I'll respond to it. That's it for now. Thank you once more
ALEX “What?” Her beautiful whiskey brown eyes widen. I lean back with a sigh.“He was born on the 22nd of October. Which is a month from now.” I add with an emphasis on Rayen's upcoming third birthday that he won't stop talking about.Her eyes fall to her laps, and a look of disappointment crosses her features. I was shocked when I saw her here and even more shocked when she asked to speak to me. Athena hates me as much as I hate her, and the only time we see each other is when Rayen won't stop asking for her. Although, I'm starting to think that's just my excuse.Something inside me moved when I saw the pain in her eyes as I brought Rayen with an ambulance, but it also confused me. Doesn't she hate kids?Isn't she happy now that I'm out of her life with nothing tying her to me?“Oh.” Her voice pulls me back to the present, and I frown. I thought she was curious about his birthday so she could get him a gift seeing how close they are now. But it seems I was wrong looking at the d
ATHENA “22nd October.” The words echo in my mind like a depressing song on a loop.My baby was born on the 22nd of September.Which means… Rayen isn’t mine." Not biologically. Not by blood.God, I feel like such a fool.I shouldn’t have come. I should’ve stayed away like I promised myself I would. But I saw the ambulance that day, saw the way Alex held him, panic written all over his face. Something broke in me. Something deep and aching.Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was that stupid glimmer of hope I’ve been secretly nursing like a wound that never healed.And that damn birthmark.“We even have the same hair color!” Rayen's happy voice rings at the back of my head, making my eyes sting.I wrap my arms tightly around myself.I was so hopeful. I'm so sure there was a reason I felt that pull to Rayen every time I saw him. The way he’d cling to me. The way I knew how to soothe his cries like I’d done it a hundred times before.But it was just in my head. It's just a cruel coincidence.Wi
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
LEAHSix days later…“I hope you secure a good fortune after paying ten million for a ridiculous wedding dress!” Mum snaps as she adjusts the hem of my robe.“Can we see it?” she asks, her voice softer this time, almost curious.“No," I say, flipping my hair over my shoulder. "It’s not with me. I had to do makeup first.”Dad grumbles something under his breath, still pale from the heart attack he nearly had when the bank called him.Apparently, when someone drops ten million on a dress, the financial world panics.They thought I’d lost my card. That some thief was out there playing dress-up with my future.But no. I signed the authorization myself and left a copy with the boutique, just in case I change my mind and want a refund later.Not that it matters.Ten million is nothing compared to how much I’ll be entitled to once the vows are said, and my last name is King.“In a few minutes," I remind them with a sparkling smile, "Alexander King will be your son-in-law. Do you have any ide