Chapter 7
Athena transferred the money to the agent without hesitation, forcing her emotions into submission as she braced herself for what was coming next. She would pack everything with precision, cleanly, and quietly while Emmett was away
What she didn’t expect though, was the person who awaited her as soon as she opened the door,
in that single, breathless moment when their eyes locked, Athena felt the intense urge to flee. But her gaze, almost against her will, dropped lower, landing on the woman standing in her home
Aliana wore nothing but a green camisole, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders, droplets of water falling to the floor
Aliana was the first to break the silence, casually running a hand through her damp hair as she flashed a smile. “Hello, I’m Aliana
There wasn’t a hint of guilt for invading Athena’s space. If anything, the smug look on her face only deepened. “Your eyes… they look so
much like mine.”
In the past before Athena had discovered the truth about Emmett, she would have snapped back, her pride too sharp to ignore such a provocation. But now she simply smiled and nodded, her response calm and almost detached:2
They do look quite similar, Athena agreed, her voice steady.
Alena raised an eyebrow, her expression one of mild disbelief as she studied Athena. She had sent message after message, each one filled with intimate photos of her and Emmett, taunting Athena with their closeness. Yet, not once had Athena replied.
What Aliana didn’t know was the countless nights Athena had spent drowning in heartache over those photos.
Through Aliana’s eyes, Emmett appeared so effortlessly charming that even candid shots seemed to belong in a high–fashion magazine. But Athene couldn’t shake the memory of how much Emmett had despised being photographed. In all their five years together, they had never once taken a photo together.
Lost in her thoughts, Athena was snapped back to reality when she saw Emmett stepping out of the room.
The moment his eyes landed on Athena, his face tightened as if he’d been caught.
“Athena, why are you back so suddenly?” Emmett hurried over, his grip on her hand firm as he stammered, “Don’t misunderstand. Aliana is the fiancée of one of my close friends. She’s filming nearby, and when their hot water system broke, she came here to freshen up.” Aliana’s expression soured
