Arthur stood still for a moment before finally stopping Athena from stepping back by wrapping his arms around her slender waist. He stared at her even more intently as she tried to move away, then leaned in and gently returned her kiss.
As if understanding his intention, Athena finally allowed herself to relax in his embrace again. Truthfully, she wasn’t ready to be apart from him yet. She kissed him back lovingly before one of her hands moved to gently stroke his strong jawline.
"I’m going to meet Reyna first. It’s her first time at this office, so she might be feeling a little lost right now."
Nodding, Arthur gave her red lips another kiss, short but sweet. "Please don’t take her words and rejections too personally. Like you said before, she might still be adjusting."
Gazing once more at the face of the woman who had become his strength, Athena smiled softly. This time, her
The dinner table was set with elegance, but the atmosphere simmered with tension. Crystal poked at her food while eyeing her mother and Leon, waiting for someone to say something that would finally make sense of this unexpected reunion."Alright, Mom," she began casually, stirring her drink but watching her mother intently. "Why don’t you tell us what this is really about?"But Caroline simply smiled and began pouring Leon a glass of wine first. "Relax, sweetie. Let the guest eat first.""Of course, the ‘guest’ gets special treatment." Crystal huffed under her breath, clearly annoyed.Hearing her daughter's grumbling, Caroline laughed. But it was only for a moment because she finally told Crystal and Leon to finish their food first before she started talking."Well," she said, dabbing her lips with a napkin. "I freed Leon because someone asked me to. Someone who
Leon’s muscles ached, his shirt clung to his skin from sweat, and yet, Crystal was nowhere near done tormenting him."Move the dresser to the left wall!" she said nonchalantly, lounging on her bed as if she weren’t running him ragged."Again?" Leon grunted while wiping some of the sweat from his forehead. "I just moved it ten minutes ago!""Then move it back to the right." Crystal didn’t even glance up from her phone. "I’ve changed my mind.""You’ve changed your mind five times already, Crystal!""And you’ve been whining five times too many, Leon!" she snapped back while looking back sharply. "Now, get moving! Faster!"Grumbling under his breath, Leon dragged the heavy piece of furniture back to its original spot, sweat dripping from his brow. The clock ticked past midnight, but Crystal showed no signs of giving him a break
"Imagining someone?"The soft hum of the airport lounge faded into the background the moment Athena looked up and saw him. Her breath hitched. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Not today. Not yet."You’re early," she said, trying to keep her voice steady as she stood from her seat. Her hands clutched the handle of her suitcase just a little too tightly. "You told me you’d fly out tomorrow."Arthur gave her that familiar half-smile, the one that always left her slightly disarmed. "Change of plans," he said casually. "Consider it a surprise.""A surprise?" Athena narrowed her eyes. She echoed, unconvinced. "Or… did something happen with Reyna?"He sighed, and the silence between them told her everything before his words did."You always read me too well, dear," Arthur said at last, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah... We argue
The ocean whispered just beyond the sand, and a soft breeze tangled through Athena’s hair as she leaned gently against Arthur’s side. The two of them sat on a blanket near the shore, not far from their villa—barefoot, warm, and wrapped in the glow of a fire pit flickering beside them. The night had draped its velvet cloak over the island, and above, a sea of stars shimmered like scattered diamonds."It feels like the sky is blessing us tonight." Athena looked up, her voice a quiet melody. Arthur followed her gaze, then turned to her with a soft smile."It’s because you’re under it!"She laughed lightly, nudging him with her shoulder. "Stop that, prince. You’re getting too good at the poetic stuff!""You mean the truth?"Athena rested her head on his shoulder then, letting her eyes close for a moment. "I used to pray for peace. For moments
Athena breathed, as tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, caught between joy and release.They moved together, slowly at first, learning each other’s rhythms like a love song only they could hear. The world faded around them, replaced only by the shared warmth of skin and the silent thunder of feeling too great to be spoken aloud.In that moment, there was no past pain, no burden of secrets or fears. There were only the two of them—raw, real, and whole.Their whispers became promises. Their sighs became prayers."You are everything!" When they reached the height of their union—when time itself seemed to stand still—Arthur cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes.Tears slid down Athena’s cheeks as she kissed him again and again, whispering against his lips, "I love you, prince! I love you, Arthur! I love you, Mr. James! And I love al
"Damn it! She really is a control freak!"Crystal could no longer hold back her frustration after the woman beside her had truly left. She shot an annoyed glance at her biological mother, who hadn’t defended her earlier, then narrowed her eyes even more sharply when she turned to Leon—who was sitting silently as if lost in deep thought."Why does it feel like she’s known you for a long time? Were you two close before? Or… was she your ex or something?"Leon returned her gaze, expressionless, before slowly pushing his chair back. "I think this meeting is over, isn’t it? I’d like to head home now. If you all want to stay, that’s up to you.""You... you’re seriously ignoring my question?" Crystal gasped in disbelief, her eyes narrowing even more as her breathing grew heavier. "You’re going to see her, aren’t you? Don’t forget, Leon. My r
Athena flinched at the sharp tone on the other end of the line. Her throat tightened, but she still tried to respond with a measured voice."I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to delay anything. I just... I got caught up in—"["Spare me the drama!"] The voice cut her off again—cold, commanding, unforgiving. ["You think an apology will fix everything? I don't need your sorry. I need results. You promised to prove yourself, and so far? You're falling behind!"]"I just needed a little more time," Athena whispered, swallowing the knot in her throat. "Please… I—"["You don’t have more time! You only have a few hours left. I made it clear. Get it done and don’t forget to take the pills I gave you. You can’t afford mistakes now, not when things are this close. You know what’ll happen if you mess this up!"]There was a beat of silence as
Tears began to fall again as Athena nodded. She clutched both of his strong arms that were still wrapped tightly around her body, taking a deep breath before fully turning to face the man before her."I’ve fallen so deeply in love with you too, prince," she said, her voice shaky as she tried to hold back the ache in her chest. "So deeply that I can’t stop thinking about you every single second of my life!"With their foreheads pressed gently together, Athena and Arthur finally shared a kiss. It was soft and calming, surrounded by the beauty of the setting sun. Their silhouettes lingered at the edge of the ship, bathed in the golden glow of warm, fading light."I… I need to use the restroom!"As the kiss turned hotter, Athena gently pulled away with her voice breathless. Arthur frowned slightly before finally letting out a small laugh."Again?"&nbs
"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
"Sorry..."Not far from the city's chaos, in a modest apartment tucked inside a quiet complex, Athena sat curled in a chair by the window.She had rented the place under a false name, using forged documents—anything to disappear. She knew Arthur would look for her, and that was exactly why she had to vanish. It was the only way to protect both him and Reyna from more pain."I'm sorry, prince. I'm so sorry," she whispered again, though the words barely reached her ears anymore.Tears welled as she hugged her knees to her chest, forehead pressed to the cool glass. The world outside carried on—cars passing, voices rising—but none of it touched her.The ache wasn’t just emotional anymore. It lived in her body now—tight in her chest, heavy in her limbs. Across the street, a couple walked hand in hand. The man leaned in to adjust the woman’s scarf, s
The rain didn’t fall that night, but the sky remained gray as if it understood that someone was lost in the deafening silence.In the room that once echoed with laughter, Arthur sat alone. The chandelier's dim light reflected dully in his lifeless brown eyes. His fingers gripped his phone tightly, as though he were holding on to the last pieces of hope, now almost completely shattered.Athena’s name was still displayed on the screen. And just like so many times before, there was no answer. He took a deep breath, trying to push down the tightness in his chest while replaying every memory he had of her."Ah, that tickles! Let me go!"That voice still sounded so soft in his ears—the way she giggled as he kept kissing her neck. The echo of her laughter was something he could never forget. Her gaze and her smile always warmed his heart, as if he could still feel them now."Where are you now?" he murmured, barely audible. "Why did you have to leave without a word? Didn’t you say you loved s
"Baby...."When Arthur opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he reached for was her—soft skin, steady breath, that familiar warmth he’d grown addicted to. But his hand touched only the cool, empty sheet beside him. Frowning, he sat up, blinking through the haze of sleep."Baby?" he called out softly, expecting her to answer from the bathroom.Silence.He waited a few seconds, listening. Still nothing. Throwing back the covers, Arthur climbed out of bed and padded to the bathroom door knocking lightly."Baby? You in there?"No answer.A chill crawled up his spine as he slowly pushed the door open. Empty. Pristine. The room smelled faintly of her perfume, but there was no trace of her presence. No running water. No voice calling back.He turned around, eyes scanning the bedroom again. Her clothes