Chapter 12: Chapter Eleven

Athena

I almost snorted but quickly stopped myself, not wanting to provoke him, even though anger simmered inside me. "I'm the only way you can hurt James Carter? Seriously?" I asked, disbelief lacing my tone. "Is that it? You’re just going to let your hatred consume you? Let it turn you into the very monster you claim my father is?"

"Don’t you dare compare me to him," he growled through clenched teeth. "I am not a monster. But I’m not going to be the one to actually end your miserable life, Athena Carter. No, I’m going to starve you. I’ll make you go without food or water until you can’t take it anymore. Then, you’ll beg for your life to end."

My voice was sharp, bitter. "And what does that make you, if not a monster? You’re a man who kidnaps an innocent woman, threatens her life, and denies her the basic needs to survive. Tell me—what does that make you?"

"It makes me a man with nothing left to lose!" he spat, his voice trembling with uncharacteristic emotion. "Do you have any idea what it’s like to bury your own brother? To know he died fighting for justice while the man who killed him walked free for years?"

I sighed softly, already weary from trying to reason with him. "No, I don’t know what that’s like. But I do know what it’s like to lose my family. My mother died when I was young, and my sister passed away a few months before her. I know loss too."

He scoffed. "You expect me to pity you?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"No," I replied firmly. "I expect you to see that continuing this cycle of pain won’t heal you. It’ll only make it worse."

"Healing?" he sneered. "There’s no healing from this. Only justice. Once you’re gone, I’ll finally have peace. I’ll finally get justice for my brother. Your father cut his life short, leaving Damian’s fiancée shattered with grief. Now, I’m going to get justice for him."

"And what then?" I demanded. "What happens after you’ve exacted your so-called justice? Will you really feel better? Or will you find another excuse to keep hating?"

He faltered for a moment, his voice quieter but still resolute. "Actually, there will be healing. I’ll move on after this. You’re the last thing holding me back." He said.

"If you really want to honor Damian’s memory, stop this," I said softly but firmly. "Damian wouldn’t want you to become like the man who killed him. Don’t you think so?"

"Don’t presume to know what my brother would want," he snapped, his tone sharp. "You know what..."

"Maybe I don’t," I interrupted gently before he could continue, "but I know he wouldn’t want his death to turn you into someone unrecognizable. Someone consumed by vengeance."

He went silent, the weight of my words seemingly pressing on him. I heard the shuffle of his feet, followed by the sound of his pacing. I took it as a sign—maybe, just maybe, my words were finally reaching him. I pressed on, hoping to break through.

"It’s not too late to stop this," I urged gently. "You don’t have to carry this burden alone. Let me help you find another way."

He startled me by laughing—a cold, hollow sound that sent a chill down my spine. "Nice try, Athena. But your words won’t save you. Not now, not ever. I’ll give you points for effort, though. You almost changed my mind," he said, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion. "If you weren’t about to die, you might’ve had a future as a motivational speaker. What a shame."

My heart sank. Crap, I thought. I’d been so sure I was finally getting through to him, but he was proving to be an impossible wall to break down.

"Then what will it take?" I pleaded, desperation seeping into my voice. "What do I have to do to make you see reason?"

"Nothing," he said simply. "You’ll understand soon enough. When desperation sets in, the truth will be clear to you."

I heard the sound of his retreating footsteps, and a wave of fear crashed over me. Panic tightened my chest as I shouted after him, my voice cracking. "Please! Don’t do this! I’m begging you!"

The only response was the creak of the door opening, followed by the sharp click of it shutting and that sent chills down my spine, made my blood run cold. A second later, the unmistakable sound of the latch sliding into place sealed my fate.

Slumping in my chair, tears streamed down my face, soaking the blindfold that blocked my sight. I struggled to cling to hope, but it was slipping away, leaving me with the gnawing realization that hope might already be lost.

\~~~~~~

Serena

Still riding high from the concert, the electrifying screams of the crowd, the thunderous beats of the drums, and the mesmerizing voices of A.X.I.O.N—my favorite boy band—played on repeat in my mind. A satisfied smirk tugged at my lips as I scrolled through my phone. 

The late afternoon sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room, casting long, golden shadows on the walls as I lounged on the plush, cream-colored couch.

I laughed at something Jasmine had posted in the group chat and was about to reply when the door to the sitting room creaked open. Alfred, Mom's perpetually stoic and utterly annoying chauffeur, stepped inside. He shut the door quietly, then stationed himself near the doorway, arms folded and his expression was as unreadable as ever.

I raised a questioning eyebrow at him, wondering what he wanted. Just as I opened my mouth to ask why he was standing inside the house like a statue, the distinct sound of a door opening down the hall drew my attention, followed by the sharp, rhythmic clack of Mom's heels echoing against the marble floor. 

She strode briskly into the sitting room seconds later through the archway, her piercing gaze locking onto me immediately. The intensity in her eyes made me stiffen slightly, a reflex born from years of her unnerving presence.

Without a word, Mom crossed the room with practiced elegance and perched on the wingback chair. She crossed her legs, leaned back, and folded her arms, her gaze never wavering, as if she were trying to unravel a secret I wasn’t even aware I held.

I cleared my throat, the sound loud in the tense silence, and forced my eyes back to my phone. But no matter how much I tried to focus, my efforts to appear indifferent were in vain; my heart pounded so violently in my chest, I was half-convinced it might burst free.

"Serena, where is Athena?" Mom asked, her voice sharp and clipped.

Barely glancing up from my phone, I forced my tone to sound dismissive. "How should I know? I just got home from school a few hours ago," I replied with a casual shrug, feigning indifference.

I didn’t need to look at her to know that one of her perfectly arched brows had lifted at my answer. "You were at school, weren’t you? Didn't you see her at all today?" she pressed.

I paused, carefully considering my words. I couldn’t afford to slip up. "Not really," I said, shrugging again for emphasis. "It’s not like we hang out or anything. She keeps to herself most of the time."

"Not really?" Mom repeated, her tone laced with impatience. "That’s not an answer, Serena. Either you saw her, or you didn’t. Which is it?"

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I set my phone aside and looked her in the eye, meeting her icy gaze. "Fine. No, I didn’t see her, okay? Maybe she skipped or something. It wouldn’t be the first time," I replied with a hint of defiance. I tried to sound annoyed rather than nervous.

Her suspicion deepened as she raised a brow. "Skipped?" she echoed, disbelief evident in her tone. "I distinctly remember instructing Alfred to take Athena back to school this morning." She turned to him. "Didn’t you?"

"I did, ma’am," Alfred confirmed, his tone as stoic as ever.

Panic swirled in my chest. I hadn’t expected Alfred to chime in, and now I was cornered. My mind raced as I scrambled for a way out. Where on earth was Athena? This mess she’d created was quickly becoming impossible to fix.

Mom’s gaze sharpened, pinning me in place. "Explain to me, Serena, how Alfred dropped Athena off at school this morning, yet you claim you didn’t see her all day?" She demanded, her tone brooking no argument.

"I-I don’t know, Mother," I stammered, scrambling for an explanation. "Maybe she wasn’t in class. She could’ve been in the library or something. I’m not her babysitter," I added defensively, frowning. "I have better things to do with my time than track down Athena."

"The library?" Mom repeated, her voice dripping with skepticism. "Do you take me for a fool? You were at school, weren’t you? How is it possible that you didn’t see your sister, not even during lunch or between classes?"

Shrinking under her piercing gaze, I tried to maintain my nonchalant facade. "It’s a big school, Mother. People don’t run into each other all the time," I explained quickly. "And... we don’t have any classes together this semester."

Mom crossed her arms, her glare intensifying as suspicion etched itself deeper into her features. In the background, Alfred shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting toward me as I fought to keep my composure under the weight of her interrogation. The frustration bubbling inside me was almost unbearable.

"You’re lying, Serena. I can smell it from a mile away. Were you even at school today?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

My eyes widened in mock indignation. "Of course I was! If you don’t believe me, ask the teachers," I retorted, my tone laced with feigned outrage.

Mom tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a skeptical smile that sent a chill down my spine. "Oh, I will," she said smoothly. "But before I do, let me ask you something else. Since you’re so adamant that you were at school, care to explain this?"

She paused, letting the silence stretch as her gaze bore into mine. "I found an unusual email sent to the vice principal from my laptop. Where did you go today, Serena?" Her voice was calm, but the underlying edge was unmistakable.