15 15#15
150
“Why do you always bring her to our gatherings? Have you forgotten your promise to Aliana? You said there’d be no other woman in your life!”
“Can we drop this?” Emmett said irritably. “Athena’s just a passing fancy. Aliana still owns my heart. But my grandfather is forcing me to wed Athena and produce an heir, or I’ll lose my family’s fortune and any chance with Aliana!”
“I have to act like I’m crazy about her every day. It’s draining!”
His companion sounded skeptical. “Is that really all? You’ve been unusually nice to Athena.. Watch out; pretending like that might lead to real feelings.
Emmett paused briefly. After a while, he shrugged nonchalantly.
“What other option do I have? She’s an orphan, starved for love. Athena’s completely infatuated with me. If I show her some kindness now, it’ll be simpler to control her when everything unravels later.”
Athena stood motionless, her expression hardening, her body trembling as if struck by an icy breeze.
She barely caught the rest of their talk, but soon, Emmett’s chuckles filled the air.
“Athena’s like a puppy around me. One gesture and she comes running. Don’t fret, I won’t mess this up.”
With a sudden “clunk,” Athena almost dropped her glass but managed to catch it. Hearing footsteps from below, she quickly grabbed her drink and fled, hoping they hadn’t noticed her. She had been mistaken. Emmett’s heart wasn’t torn; it had always belonged to Aliana. Athena had merely been a pawn in his game.
Discarding her drink, Athena leaned against the wall, struggling to breathe, her chest constricting as if gripped by unseen hands.
Emmett was right. She had been nothing more than an obedient dog, responding to his every command, leaving at his dismissal.
Her chest ached as she pressed her hand against it, trying to steady her breathing, but her vision blurred with unshed tears. At least now, she could see through the deception. She would no longer degrade herself for Emmett.
Wiping her eyes, Athena returned as if nothing had changed. She couldn’t recall how she left, but her heart felt splintered into countless sharp fragments.
C
15 15015
She knew she couldn’t go back to him. There was nothing left between them. She could never forgive him.
Reflecting on that day always felt like reopening old wounds, each memory a fresh sting. But as time passed, she grew numb to the pain. At least now, she no longer cried herself to sleep as she had initially.
Eventually, Athena took initiative and investigated Aliana’s background. Her findings were both startling and devastating. Aliana was Emmett’s first love, an unforgotten piece of his heart, a connection that had never truly faded.
Each year, just before Valentine’s Day, Emmett would leave for a “business trip. But Athena soon discovered the truth: he wasn’t traveling for work. He was flying for love, keeping his relationship with Aliana alive.
Aliana’s unexpected return to the country, Athena learned, was no coincidence. She was expecting a child.
Athena’s first encounter with the reality of their bond came through an anonymous text. The message was brief but crushing: a sentence and an ultrasound report..
The report was for Aliana and dated just a week earlier.
“Athena, you’ve been defeated.”
The words struck Athena like a blow. Her blood chilled as her world crumbled.
From then on, the anonymous number became a constant in Athena’s life, sending daily updates about Aliana’s every move. And each time, the man by her side was Emmett.
Two days ago, the number sent something new: a video. The footage showed Emmett in a passionate embrace with Aliana, their coction undeniable.
Aliana’s voice echoed in the next message, dripping with scorn. “Emmett says you’re like a lifeless doll in bed, not even worth one of my toes. Do you really think you’ve secured your place as the Davidson family’s young mistress? Next to me, you’re nothing.”
