“So what are you doing now? Every time there’s a brothers' gathering, you bring her along. Have you forgotten what you promised, Aliana? You swore there wouldn’t be any other woman by your side!”

“Can you stop bringing that up?” Emmett complained, annoyance thick in his voice. “Athena is nothing more than a little distraction to me. My heart still belongs to Aliana. But Grandpa insists I marry Athena and have an heir, or I’ll lose the Davidson family inheritance and forget about being with Aliana!”

“I have to pretend every day like I’m head over heels for her. It’s exhausting!”

His friend sounded doubtful. “Is that really all there is to it? You’ve been awfully kind to Athena. Be careful; pretending like that might make you fall for her.”

Emmett went quiet for a moment. After a long pause, he shrugged casually.

“What choice do I have? She’s an orphan, desperate for affection. Athena is completely smitten with me. If I show her a little kindness now, it’ll be easier to keep her in check when everything falls apart later.”

Athena froze, her face tightening, her body shaking as though a cold wind had pierced her.

She didn’t hear much more of their conversation, but soon, Emmett’s laughter echoed through the air.

“In front of me, Athena is like a dog. With one wave of my hand, she comes running. Don’t worry, I won’t screw this up.”

With a sharp "thud," the drink in Athena’s hand nearly slipped away, but she caught it just in time. Hearing footsteps approaching from downstairs, she quickly grabbed her drink and fled, praying they hadn’t noticed her.

She had been wrong. Emmett hadn’t torn his heart in two. It had always belonged to Aliana, and Athena had been nothing more than a tool in his hands.

Throwing her drink into the trash, Athena leaned against the wall, gasping for air, her chest tightening as though it were being squeezed by invisible hands.

Emmett had been right. She had been nothing more than a loyal dog, responding to his every command, leaving whenever he dismissed her.

Her chest ached as she pressed her palm against it, trying to steady her breath, but her vision blurred with the tears she refused to let fall. At least now, she could finally see through the lies. No longer would she debase herself in front of Emmett.

Wiping her eyes, Athena walked back as if nothing had changed. She had no memory of how she had left the scene, but her heart felt as if it had been shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.

All she knew was that she couldn’t go back to him. There was nothing left between them. She could never forgive him.

Whenever she thought back to that day, it felt like reopening old wounds, each memory a fresh cut that stung anew. But as the days slipped by, she had grown numb to the pain. At least now, she no longer cried herself to sleep as she had done in the beginning.

Eventually, Athena took matters into her own hands and dug into Aliana’s past. What she uncovered was both shocking and heartbreaking. Aliana was Emmett’s first love, an unforgotten piece of his heart, a connection that had never truly faded.

Every year, just before Valentine’s Day, Emmett would leave on a “business trip.” But Athena soon realized the truth: he wasn’t flying across the world for work. He was flying for love, keeping the flame alive between him and Aliana.

Aliana’s sudden return to the country, Athena learned, was no coincidence. She was pregnant.

The first time Athena came face to face with the reality of their bond was through an anonymous text. The message was simple but devastating: a sentence and an ultrasound report.

The report was for Aliana and was dated just a week prior.

“Athena, you’ve lost.”

The words hit Athena like a punch to the gut. Her blood ran cold as her world crumbled around her.

From that point onward, the anonymous number became a constant presence in Athena’s life, sending daily updates about Aliana’s every move. And every time, the man standing by her side was Emmett.

Two days ago, the number sent something new: a video. The footage showed Emmett, lips locked in a passionate kiss with Aliana, their chemistry undeniable.

Aliana’s voice echoed in the next message, laced with mocking venom. “Emmett says you’re like a corpse in bed, not even worth one of my toes. Do you really think you’ve secured your place as the young mistress of the Davidson family? In my presence, you’re nothing.”

Athena stared at the text message, her emotions swirling so violently that she missed her step on the stairs and tumbled down. The child she had carried for over a month was lost, turning into a pool of blood that slipped away from her body.

The agony of the miscarriage was compounded by its incompleteness. Alone in the sterile hospital room, Athena lay still as cold instruments scraped away the remnants of her baby. The clotted blood and tissue were flushed away, vanishing as if they had never existed.

When she finally awoke, her heart was shattered into pieces, and with it, the wedding she had once dreamed of.

Ever since Aliana had returned, every act, every whisper, had been a fresh wound, each one carving deeper into her heart. The love she had so freely given to Emmett had been drained dry, leaving her a hollow shell.

Standing before the grave, time seemed to stretch on forever, her legs growing numb from the stillness. Finally, Athena wiped away the last of her tears and made the call to arrange for her parents’ graves to be relocated.

“Dad, Mom, I’ll bring you home. From now on, we’ll be free from the Davidson family.”

She joined the team handling the relocation and spent five long days isolated from everything in her quiet, rural hometown.

During that time, Emmett called her repeatedly, his voice dripping with sweetness, asking where she was and why she hadn’t come back.

At first, Athena answered with a few dismissive words and ended the call, but this time, Emmett didn’t give her the chance to hang up. Instead, he video-called her directly.

“Athena, should we make our wedding even more extravagant?” Emmett’s smile was warm, his voice tender as always. “Just the thought of marrying you soon keeps me awake with excitement.”

Athena forced a smile, a bitter taste rising in her throat. She wanted to tell him to stop pretending.

After everything, wasn’t he tired of the endless games?

But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. After all these years, she had truly loved Emmett.

“Athena, why are you spacing out again?” Emmett’s frown deepened, clearly irritated. “Is something more interesting than me?”

Athena snapped back to reality, quickly redirecting her gaze to the screen, focusing on Emmett’s face.

The background behind him seemed unfamiliar, an unfamiliar space she didn’t recognize. It wasn’t home. Athena hesitated for a moment before replying, “I’m in Skyridge, preparing a wedding gift for you.”

Emmett’s eyes lit up, his smile widening in delight.

A long time ago, they had cuddled up in bed, watching videos together.

Emmett had pulled Athena close, watching as couples visited Skyridge to create matching household items, something they had promised to do one day.

“Why did you go by yourself?” Emmett’s playful annoyance was evident as the camera shook. He grabbed his coat, ready to move.

“Wait for me. I’m coming to Skyridge to find you!”

But Athena stopped him. “No need. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

At Emmett’s words, Athena’s gaze sharpened. He frowned deeply as though a great injustice had been done to him.

“You don’t want to see me?”

“No,” Athena replied coolly, her lips barely moving. “I just don’t want you to see the gift I’m preparing in advance. It would spoil the surprise.”

Emmett’s brows relaxed slightly, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “Fine,” he said, his voice laced with arrogance. “I’ll let it slide… this time.”

Blowing a kiss toward the screen, he added, “I’ll be waiting for your surprise.”

Athena gave him a faint, unreadable smile. Without any change in her expression, she signed her name on the immigration application form. She hoped, for Emmett’s sake, that this surprise would be enough to shatter whatever illusions he had about their future.

Afterward, she returned to Ravenloch.

She had already submitted the necessary materials to the agency and paid for expedited processing.

The agency’s response came swiftly, confirming that she could cancel her household registration in the U.S. They would arrange a new identity for her abroad, complete with permanent residency rights.

If she wished, the entire process could be completed within three days.

Three days; that would have been the date of their wedding.

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.

"They do look quite similar," Athena agreed, her voice steady.

Aliana 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 Athena 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 immediately. The flicker of resentment in her gaze was unmistakable as she glared at Athena.

Her gaze flickered between Emmett and Aliana before she finally spoke, her tone icy but polite. “I hear you’re about to marry soon. Congratulations, Miss Forbes.”

Athena, holding Emmett’s hand firmly, gave a smile that could have melted ice. “Since you two are old friends, I won’t question your relationship,” she said, her voice sugar-sweet. “But let’s do this: when Miss Forbes’s wedding arrives, I’ll gladly attend. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure to bring a very generous red envelope.”

As Athena spoke, she noticed the uncomfortable shift in Emmett’s expression; his face flushed with awkwardness, but she pretended not to notice. With a steady smile, she met both their gazes as if the tension was merely a breeze.

Aliana, of course, recognized the sarcasm immediately, but her smile only widened as though she didn’t mind a bit. “You’re more than welcome to attend,” she said with an almost gloating air. “My fiancé has gone all out. The wedding dress is being custom-designed, we’ve hired makeup artists from world-renowned brands, and because I love lily-of-the-valley, he’s even rented an entire farm to provide fresh blooms for the ceremony.”

Athena listened to Aliana’s sweet words, but all she felt was an emptiness deep inside her.

She had been the one who meticulously planned every detail of her own wedding. Emmett was always “busy,” a convenient excuse. And whenever Athena expressed frustration, he would soothe her with words that seemed perfect at the time.

“You’re the bride, Athena; everything should be about what you love. If you love it, I’ll love it too.”

But now, as the reality of the situation settled in, it became painfully clear. He wasn’t busy; he simply didn’t care.