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.