I jumped a little and stopped the treadmill. My heart skipped a beat.I turned around quickly.Athena was standing right in front of me with a wide smile on her face.My eyes widened in shock.“Athena?” I said, breathless.She gave me a soft laugh. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”I stepped back a little, still catching my breath. “You... you scared me.”“I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said, still smiling as she dropped her gym bag on the floor next to mine.“Neither did I,” I replied, trying to hide how weird it felt seeing her here. “You work out here too?”She nodded casually. “Sometimes. It’s a new spot for me, but I like it. It’s quiet. Peaceful.”I stared at her for a moment. Something felt off. The timing. The way she touched me. The way she smiled too much.But I pushed the thoughts aside.“Yeah,” I said, wiping sweat from my forehead. “I like the peace too.”Athena leaned closer and gave me a quick once-over. “You look great, by the way. All sporty and strong.”I gav
After a long, exhausting night, my body begged for just a few more minutes of sleep. But the sunlight slipping through the curtains pulled me out of my dream. I blinked my eyes open and let out a deep sigh. My arms felt heavy, and my back ached a little from all the running around yesterday. The event was finally over, but it had drained every bit of my energy.I pushed off the covers slowly and sat up on the bed. My limbs felt stiff. I stretched both arms above my head and yawned loudly, rolling my neck side to side to ease the tension. My muscles needed some serious stretching, but at least I felt a little more refreshed than I did last night.Then, I heard a soft knock at the door.I blinked and glanced toward the sound. Who could that be this early?I reached for my night robe hanging by the side of the bed and threw it over my nightdress. My feet dragged across the cold floor as I walked to the door. I unlocked it and pulled it open, not expecting much.Donald stood there with a
Jayden stood still, watching from a distance as Monalisa, and Donald surrounded little Joshua. Their faces were lit up with smiles. Laughter filled the air. Donald tickled him, and Joshua giggled, his tiny hands reaching out for Monalisa, who pulled him into her arms and kissed his chubby cheek.Jayden’s chest tightened. He watched as Monalisa, the woman he once thought meant nothing to him, was now loved in a way he never gave. Monalisa looked happy. Too happy without him. His hands slowly dropped to his sides.He blinked, looked away, and clenched his jaw.He couldn’t stand there any longer.“Athena,” he called without emotion.“Yes sir?” she asked gently from beside him.“Let’s go,” he said flatly, without meeting her gaze.Athena looked at him, concerned. She had seen the tension in his eyes, the way his chest rose and fell too fast, the way his face hardened like he was trying not to break.She opened her mouth, hesitated, then spoke anyway. “Sir… are you okay?”Jayden stopped w
Jayden’s knuckles slammed into the cold wall with a loud thud, the pain shooting up his arm like a knife. He let out a low scream, not loud enough to cause a scene, but loud enough to let the fury boil over.He stood there for a second, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling like a man who was barely hanging on.Athena stood just a few feet away, frozen in place. She didn’t say a word. She just watched him fight with something deep inside. He wasn’t just angry. He was bleeding on the inside. And she could feel it.Jayden dragged in a deep breath and pulled out his handkerchief. He wiped his bleeding knuckles slowly, like he was trying to wipe the whole moment away.But then he froze.His eyes lifted.And there she was.Monalisa.Walking toward him, hand-in-hand with Donald, like nothing ever happened between them. Like she didn’t leave him with a wound that never healed. Like she wasn’t the reason he still couldn’t sleep at night.Jayden’s entire body stiffened.His fingers clen
"Where is that kid? Where did he run off to?" Melissa's voice trembled as she paced around the crowded hall, her eyes darting left and right.Her heart thudded against her chest."Oh God. Monalisa is going to murder me. What do I even tell her? That I lost her son at her own fashion launch?"She stood still, one hand on her hip, the other brushing her hair back from her face as panic took over. Around her, the place buzzed with excitement. Glamorous guests walked around, flashes popped from cameras, music played softly in the background, and models prepared backstage. But none of it mattered to Melissa right now.She was losing her mind."No. Standing here won’t help me. I have to find him."Her voice cracked as she shouted, “Joshua! Joshua, where are you?”She spun around and started running down a hallway. Then, without warning, she collided into someone. The impact nearly knocked her over."Are you blind?" she snapped without thinking."Blind?" the guy scoffed. "You bumped into me.
Jayden couldn't stop glancing at his wristwatch. His heart beat a little faster as the seconds ticked away. He was almost late. He hated being late. Not for events like this. Not when the entire industry would be watching.His phone buzzed."Sir, we’re already at the lobby. Miss Athena is with me," his chauffeur said over the line.Jayden ran a hand through his hair and reached for his jacket. He snatched it off the hanger and shoved his arms into the sleeves, letting the tailored fabric hug his frame. His reflection in the mirror barely caught his attention. Tonight wasn't about vanity. It was about power. Presence.He adjusted his cufflinks with swift movements and took one last deep breath before stepping out of his hotel suite. The elevator ride was silent except for the soft ding of each floor he passed.When he reached the lobby, he found Athena already waiting. Her long gown shimmered under the chandelier lights. She looked… stunning.His three black luxury cars were parked rig