Chapter 40: Chapter Thirty Nine

Athena

“Eros…” My voice trembled, barely above a whisper.

“Get in.” His tone was firm but not unkind, laced with an unspoken urgency.

The moment I met his gaze, the weight of everything became unbearable. The worry etched in his features, the quiet intensity in his eyes—it was too much.

“Eros…” My voice cracked, and before I could stop myself, the dam inside me shattered.

A sob tore through me as my legs wobbled beneath me. I took a shaky step forward, closing the distance between us in an instant, and threw my arms around him. My fingers clutched his coat desperately, as if holding on for dear life. 

The force of my embrace seemed to catch him off guard; I felt his body stiffen for a fraction of a second before, slowly, he exhaled and relaxed.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t pull away. He simply let me cry.

We stood there on the rain-drenched sidewalk, the city’s cold indifference pressing in around us. The damp scent of rain mixed with the faint trace of his cologne—clean, crisp, reassuring, grounded me in a way I couldn’t explain. His arms remained loose at his sides, not pushing me away, yet not fully pulling me in either.

Minutes passed before my sobs began to quiet. My breath came in uneven hiccups as I pulled back slightly, my fingers still curled into his coat as if afraid to let go. My face was streaked with tears, and embarrassment flickered in my eyes when I realized how soaked he was, the rain plastering his dark hair to his forehead. But Eros didn’t move, his expression unreadable.

“I—I’m sorry,” I mumbled, hurriedly wiping my face with the sleeve of my drenched cardigan.

“Don’t be.” His response was immediate, simple. “What happened?”

I hesitated, my throat raw. “I didn’t know where else to go.” My voice wavered. “I just—I couldn’t stay there anymore.”

His brows furrowed. “Where?”

I swallowed hard, my body trembling. “Home,” I whispered.

A muscle in his jaw tightened. He understood. He didn’t ask for more, didn’t press me for details. 

Without another word, he reached for my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine in a steady grip, and led me toward the waiting car.

“Come inside,” he said. “You’re freezing.”

For a brief second, I hesitated, but exhaustion overpowered my pride. With a small nod, I let him guide me into the car’s warmth. The instant I sank into the plush seat, I felt the tension in my body start to uncoil, leaving only exhaustion in its wake.

As the driver pulled away, Eros studied me carefully, his expression no longer unreadable but… softer.

“You’re safe now,” he murmured, his voice steady, grounding.

And for the first time that night, I believed him.

He was someone I had once been wary of, someone whose presence had intimidated me. But after he had helped me buy back Beatrix’s jewelry, refusing repayment without a second thought, I knew.

The Ice Prince had a heart after all.

A quiet, guarded heart. But a heart nonetheless.

*****

Eros

From the corner of my eye, I watched as Athena pulled her soaked cardigan tighter around her body. Her teeth were chattering, but she seemed unwilling to say anything, as if she didn’t want to bother me.

Without a word, I collapsed the leather console between our seats and reached into the trunk with one hand, pulling out a bag. After pushing the console back into place, I retrieved a set of clothes.

"Julien, stop the car," I ordered my driver in French.

The vehicle came to a sudden halt, causing Athena to lurch forward in her seat. She turned to me, surprise and confusion flickering across her face.

"Um... why are we stopping?" she asked.

"You’ll freeze to death if you don’t get out of those wet clothes," I replied, handing her my sweatshirt and shorts. "Change into these. Julien and I will step out."

"It's still raining. I couldn't possibly—" she began to protest.

"Athena, wear these," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. "You should have said something."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice small.

"It's fine." I assured her.

Gripping the door handle, I stepped out just as Julien did the same. Fortunately, he handed me an umbrella, sparing me from getting any wetter than I already was.

Five minutes later, I heard two taps on the rearview window. Turning, I saw Athena waving, signaling that she was done. Julien opened the back door, and I climbed in before he shut it and returned to the driver's seat.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I just didn’t want to bother you."

"It’s no bother," I assured her. Pressing a button on my side, I waited a few seconds before hearing her quiet gasp.

"Getting warm?"

"Yes," she admitted, a faint smile brightening her gaunt face. "It’s like a butt warmer or something."

"It is," I said, my lips twitching at her obvious excitement. "You must be hungry."

I opened the compartment and retrieved a chocolate bar, extending it toward her before pausing as a thought crossed my mind. If my memory was correct, she had once mentioned not liking chocolate. 

I recalled the way she had looked at a chocolate bar with longing back then, but at the time, I hadn’t bothered to press her for details.

"Ah, didn’t you say you’re not a fan of chocolate?"

"Um... that was..." She trailed off, her expression turning sheepish.

"What, don’t tell me you actually like chocolate but you were too shy to admit it?" I teased.

"Well... yes." She muttered.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Silly girl. Were you really that scared of me?"

"Well, yes. You make it impossible for anyone to even breathe near you," she replied. "I thought I was going to have a panic attack that day Harry Compton shoved me and I bumped into you."

"Huh." I murmured, unsure how to respond. I knew she wasn’t wrong—I had seen the fear flash in her eyes that day, and it had left me wondering why she was so afraid.

"And now?" I turned to look at her. "I'm not so scary anymore, right?"

"You still are. Just not as much as the first time."

"Peace offering, then." I handed her the chocolate.

She took it, eyes widening slightly. "Does this mean we're friends?" she asked, tearing open the wrapper.

"Nope. I don’t do friends." I answered.

"Too bad." She murmured before taking a bite. "Oh, this is amazing!"

"Want another one?" I fished out a second bar.

"You're heaven-sent," she said, snatching it with gratitude.

I smirked. "Oh, I don’t know about that," my tone turned ominous. "I might have ulterior motives for doing this."

She shrugged absentmindedly. "Well, I owe you my life anyway. You can do whatever you want with me." She said.

A slow, mischievous smile curled my lips. "I heard that loud and clear," I said, turning to gaze out the window.

She had no idea what she had just signed herself up for, and I had no intention of cluing her in. But for now, after everything, I was just relieved she was safe—and I intended to keep her that way until I uncovered the truth behind the conspiracy surrounding her.

There were too many suspects for me to simply let this go. My primary suspects were Alfred and his brother, along with Beatrix and Serena, while Mr. Colton remained a secondary suspect. If his junior colleagues had no knowledge of the wiped footage, then he had to be the one behind it.