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.

“The exact date of the wedding hasn’t been set yet. He still has to deal with the woman his family insists on, but he promised that once that’s out of the way, he’ll marry me and make me the happiest bride.”

Athena couldn’t even muster the strength for a fake smile. She stood there, frozen, until Emmett finally noticed the change in her demeanor. His attention shifted, and he hurriedly cut off Aliana’s words.

“Don’t you have work soon? Shouldn’t you be leaving?”

Aliana’s expression shifted, a cold snort escaping her lips before she walked into the bathroom. As she passed by Athena, she didn’t miss the chance to mock.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Athena. Not everyone expresses love the same way. My fiancé, for instance, loves me so deeply that he’s willing to pour all his time and money into me.”

With that, Aliana stormed out, leaving the two of them in an uncomfortable silence.

Emmett, clearly flustered, reached for Athena’s hand and kissed it gently, his voice filled with urgency.

“Athena, let me explain…”

“There’s no need,” Athena interrupted, her voice calm yet distant.

“Everyone expresses love differently, I understand,” she continued, her eyes never leaving his. “I know you’re busy, so you don’t have time for me. But I also know…”

Athena’s words faltered as the weight of her emotions hit her. She paused, swallowing the pain, before finishing quietly, “I know you love me.”

‘Unfortunately, you just love her more.’

She didn’t voice the thought, though it gnawed at her insides. As her gaze lingered on Emmett’s face, tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

Seeing the tears, Emmett pulled her into his arms, the familiar gesture of comfort as he whispered soothingly.

“Once we’re married…”

A fleeting shadow crossed Emmett’s eyes. “Once we’re married, everything will get better.”

Will it really, Emmett?

The question echoed in Athena’s heart, though she kept it to herself. She’d given him so many chances, lived in the illusion he’d crafted for years.

But this time, she would no longer believe in his love.

The night before the wedding, the agent had sent all the documents electronically to Athena.

At that moment, Emmett held her from behind, his voice persistent as he teased about having a child together. He was insistent it had to be a boy.

When Athena saw the notification of foreign text flashing on the screen, Emmett furrowed his brow. “What’s this?”

Athena, with practiced calm, turned off the screen and casually replied, “A few foreign poems. I’m preparing my wedding vows for tomorrow.”

Emmett, hearing her words, relaxed at once, his grip tightening as he pulled her into his arms with a soft smile. “Wife, you really love me, don’t you?”

He lifted her gently, laying her on the bed, his eyes gleaming as he leaned over her. “From now on, you have to keep loving me like this, okay?”

Athena’s gaze lingered on him, and with a teasing smile, she asked, “What if I fall out of love?”

“You won’t,” he murmured, kissing her eyelids tenderly.

“Neither will I,” he added, his voice lowering. “Remember what we said before: whoever falls out of love first will be struck by lightning.”

Athena let out a soft laugh, the sound like music in the quiet room.

For the first time, she reached up and gently ruffled his hair, her touch tender. “Yes, struck by lightning.”

For some reason, Emmett felt a stirring unease, an instinctive sense that Athena had uncovered something, something he had hoped she wouldn’t.

But it didn’t matter, not anymore. He only had to endure a little longer.

Once they were married, Aliana’s baby arrived, and he could bring the child home and pass it off as his and Athena’s. After securing the Davidson family’s legacy, everything would fall into place. He could do whatever he wanted, no longer tethered to this charade.

Yet, in that moment, a strange pang of heartache tugged at him.

The silence stretched between them as they lay side by side, closer than ever yet worlds apart in their thoughts. Neither spoke, both wrapped in their own worlds, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on them.

Just as sleep threatened to take over, Emmett’s phone rang, the sound sharp in the stillness of the night. He hurriedly left, his footsteps echoing in the quiet.

In the dark, Athena’s eyes flickered open, her gaze following his retreating figure.

“Emmett, where are you going?” she asked.