Chapter 27: Chapter Twenty Six

Eros

She gasped softly, her body going rigid as I reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Who knows what might happen to you if I let your little secret slip, Serena Beatrix Sanderson," I said, my voice dark and ominous. "But how about I let you find out?" Straightening up, I looked down at her with a sinister smile curling on my lips.

"You... you don’t know anything about me," she stammered, her voice trembling.

"Don’t I?" I countered with a dry chuckle. "Let me jog your memory. Two years ago, at Charlie Lafferty's birthday party—remember Cheryl Myers?"

She froze as my words sank in, her face turning ghostly pale at the mention of Cheryl, the daughter of the former ambassador to China.

"There’s evidence," I added, my tone unwavering. "If you think I’m bluffing."

Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper as she shot me a death glare. "What do you want from me?"

"Simple. Stop spreading rumors about Athena. And if I hear even a whisper about my involvement in this, you’d better start packing your bags. You’ll need a new place to live." My words were sharp, each one laced with warning.

"I promise I won’t say another word," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

"Good. I’m glad we understand each other." Smirking, I turned on my heel and strode away without another glance.

As I slipped through the library doors, I paused to gauge her reaction. Serena leaned back in her chair, her hand pressed against her chest, as though trying to steady her racing heart. She had never seen me that angry before, and the force of my words probably lingered in her mind like a storm cloud. 

Somewhere deep down, she knew I was right—Athena didn’t deserve the harsh rumors, and she was probably thinking she should have given her the benefit of the doubt.

But the mystery of Athena’s sudden disappearance gnawed at me, leaving me with more questions than answers. Worse still, Serena had managed to land herself on my bad side because of it. Now, she’d have to tread carefully—Eros Belmonte was not someone to cross, and she knew it.

She was likely thinking of me as the annoying, gorgeous jerk. Despite the fury bubbling inside me, I couldn't help but smile.

I strode into the security office, my sharp gaze sweeping the room. The tension in my steps immediately drew the attention of the two guards seated behind a desk cluttered with papers and coffee cups. One of them, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair, nervously cleared his throat as I approached.

Eight CCTV monitors were mounted on the wall, displaying live feeds from cameras around the school premises. The first monitor showed the main entrance, the second displayed the parking lot, and the third revealed the hallway, where I spotted Serena talking to Scarlett and the rest of her clique.

I silently prayed Serena wasn’t reneging on our deal, because if she was, I wouldn’t hesitate to release the incriminating video I had of her before she could even react. My attention shifted to the fourth monitor, which showed the cafeteria, though I dismissed it quickly. None of these mattered. What I needed was the footage from last Tuesday—the day I stepped in to help Athena.

I had told her to take the rest of the day off from school, but she had insisted on returning. Whether she actually came back or not was a question I needed an answer to.

“I need to see the footage from last Tuesday,” I ordered, my tone firm and unyielding.

The two guards exchanged uneasy glances before the younger one, whose name tag read Latham, spoke up hesitantly. “Sir, we… we don’t know. The footage from that entire day is gone. It wasn’t a technical issue. The system was working perfectly before and after.”

My eyes narrowed dangerously. “What do you mean the footage is gone?” I demanded, my voice icy. “Show me.”

Latham hesitated for a moment before accessing the DVR system. Logging in, he asked for the date and time of the footage I needed. I provided the details, but after a thorough search, he came up empty-handed.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Latham said, his tone apologetic.

“Just gone? Convenient, don’t you think? What are the odds that only the footage from that specific day mysteriously vanished?” I asked sharply, my gaze fixed on him.

“We’re as baffled as you are,” the second guard, Ambrose, chimed in hesitantly. “When we checked the servers, everything from that day was wiped. It looks like someone deliberately erased it.”

“Who has access to the footage besides you two?” I demanded.

“Um… the principal and Mr. Colton. He’s the head of security,” Latham replied.

My jaw clenched at the mention of Mr. Colton, suspicion coursed through me. I knew he dabbled in shady dealings, but I had always assumed he kept his illicit activities outside school grounds. Leaning forward, I lowered my voice without losing its edge.

“Have either of you seen or heard anything unusual? Think carefully. Athena didn’t just vanish into thin air,” I said firmly.

The guards exchanged confused glances. “Athena Sanderson?” Latham asked.

“Do you know of another Athena in this school?” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“We don’t know anything about that, sir,” Latham said.

Ambrose, however, began to fidget, avoiding my gaze. His behavior was telling. I didn’t miss the movement and immediately zeroed in on him.

“You’re hiding something. Speak,” I ordered, my tone sharp and unyielding.

Ambrose hesitated before speaking cautiously. “There were rumors… that she ran away. But that doesn’t add up. People have noticed Mr. Colton hanging around with some shady characters lately.”

I straightened, my expression darkening as the puzzle pieces started falling into place. Could Mr. Colton be behind Athena’s disappearance? And if so, why? What motive could he have? Was he acting on someone else’s orders?

“Athena Sanderson’s disappearance is suspicious. That’s Serena’s story, isn’t it? Or was it Mr. Colton who spread this rumor?” I asked, my voice cold.

“It’s not our job to question him, sir. We just do what we’re told,” Latham replied flatly.

“Of course. Perfect little puppets,” I muttered, sarcasm lacing my tone as I took a step back, rubbing my temples in frustration.

The thought that Athena might have been kidnapped, with Serena or Mr. Colton covering it up, gnawed at me. If Serena was lying, then Athena was in real danger.

“But why? What is she hiding?” I murmured to myself, the questions swirling in my mind like a storm, the pieces not yet fitting together.

I turned back to the guards, my voice sharp and slicing through the silence. "Do me a favor and stop being useless. Look through everything you can find—logs, backups, anything. And if you even think about covering for Serena or Mr. Colton, I’ll make sure you regret it." I paused, locking eyes with them. "You do know who I am, don't you?"

"Y-yes, sir. We’ll do what we can," Latham stammered, nodding, his voice shaky.

Without another word, I stormed out of the office, my mind racing. The thought that someone at the school might be targeting Athena unsettled me, but the idea of Serena or Mr. Colton fabricating the ‘runaway’ story enraged me even more. What could they possibly gain from ruining an innocent girl’s life like that?

As I walked down the empty hallway, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was my father calling. My steps faltered as I stared at the screen in surprise. I wanted to ignore it, but I also wanted to know what his decision was. 

My hand tightened around the phone as cold determination settled in my chest. With a deep breath, I answered the call, my voice icy as I braced myself for the letdown I knew was coming.

"Yes?"

"I've made my decision," Dad said.

I held my breath, despite every pep talk I'd given myself, waiting for him to speak again.

"I'm sorry, Eros," he muttered. "For everything."

I exhaled, the wave of disappointment crashing over me. Of course, he was sorry. It didn’t change anything.

"That's cool. I don’t need you too, anyway," I said, keeping my voice calm and indifferent.

"Let me..." He started.

"No need," I cut him off sharply. "You've made your choice. Goodbye, Leonardo."

"I choose you!" he shouted, just as I pulled the phone from my ear.

"What?" I rasped, my eyes wide with shock.

Dad let out a heavy sigh. "You were right, son. She wants my wealth more."

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat threatening to choke me. "I did tell you that," I said hoarsely.

"Thank you for... looking out for me," he said quietly.

"Yeah... Whatever," I muttered, the words tasting bitter.

"So, how about dinner when I get back?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

"Don’t count on it," I replied and ended the call.