20 20#20
20
Emmett remained motionless in the vehicle, feeling as if his heart had been torn out. The surrounding world seemed distant, as if his very essence had been depleted.
In the sky above, a plane streaked across, leaving behind shimmering trails. Yet no matter how intently he scanned the horizon, Athena had vanished, leaving him with nothing but a deafening quiet.
Miles away, in the small town of Brunnstad, Finland, Athena gently guided two–year–old Eira towards the ceramics workshop. The toddler, now steady on her feet, gleefully played with a heap of clay, offering Athena a small piece with an innocent grin.
“Mommy… clay…”
Athena gently smiled, planting a kiss on Eira’s cheek. “Eira, I’m not your mommy”
The child frowned briefly but disregarded the statement, persisting in calling her mommy. Athena’s heart warmed as she chuckled softly, tenderly caressing the girl’s head.
Eira had entered Athena’s life shortly after her arrival in Finland. The child’s parents had tragically perished in a lake following a heated dispute, leaving her alone. Athena, touched by Eira’s helplessness and reminded of her own lost child, had decided to adopt her the following day.
After their pottery session, Athena and Eira walked home together, fingers intertwined.
As they strolled, Athena glanced at her phone. A message from an American acquaintance caught her attention.
“Emmett, the eldest Davidson grandson, found intoxicated and unconscious on the street again! Chairman Davidson publicly reprimands him!”
Even after half a year, secing Emmett’s name caused Athena to pause momentarily, her heart constricting briefly.
The message continued with an audio clip: “Listen, Emmett was calling out your name while drunk, wasn’t he?”
“No, you must have misheard, Athena replied coolly, not bothering to play the recording. Her tone was detached and indifferent.
Sensing Athena’s unwillingness to discuss the matter further, her friend fell silent, sending no additional messages.
Athena frowned, her thoughts wandering briefly before making a quiet decision. With a swift motion, she removed the contact from her list.
20-20#20
Two months earlier, Athena had been compelled to reactivate her WhatsApp account to resolve pending matters in the United States. During this period, her friend occasionally shared updates about Emmett, providing Athena with glimpses of his deteriorating life from afar.
Six months prior, when the wedding was called off, Emmett had refused to accept defeat. While dispatching people to search for Athena, he had also confined hundreds of guests at the venue, obstinately insisting that the wedding would proceed, come what may.
Despite his frantic efforts and bodyguards scouring every corner of the coastal city, they came up empty–handed.
It was as if Athena had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
Clenching his jaw, Emmett had embarked on a personal search.
The villa they once shared stood in haunting silence, its bare walls echoing a past long gone. There was no sign of Athena, no hint that anyone had ever resided there.
A wave of chilling realization washed over Emmett, nearly causing him to collapse.
Suddenly, the doorbell chimed.
“Athena, is that you? Have you returned to me?” Emmett’s voice cracked with desperate hope. “I knew you wouldn’t abandon me… I knew it.”
Comment
