Chapter 41: Chapter Forty

Eros

My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I ignored it. I already knew who was calling.

Ever since the shooting, Leonardo had been acting like a helicopter parent—constantly checking in, invading my privacy, making sure I was under surveillance every hour. It was suffocating.

Where was this concern when Mom was alive? He should have been more present back then. When she needed him, when we needed him, he didn't care. Not about me, not about Mom, not even about Isabella. But now, when I was old enough to take care of myself, he suddenly wanted to play the doting father. Bullshit.

"Your phone," Athena pointed out.

"It'll stop," I replied flatly.

Sure enough, it did. But the silence didn’t last—Julien’s phone rang, and as soon as he answered, my father's voice filled the car, grating on my nerves.

“Eros, why aren’t you answering my calls?” Leonardo demanded.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” I said curtly. “You should’ve gotten the memo by now.”

Leonardo sighed. “Are you on your way home? Why is Julien the only one guarding you? What about the others? You fought to keep them, remember?” he reminded me.

I ignored his question. “Do you have more enemies I should be worried about? If not, I don’t see the problem. I don’t know why you’re so concerned. Julien can protect me, and I can handle myself. Uncle Sebastian made sure of that, remember?"

“Yeah, sure,” Leonardo scoffed. “Like your martial arts skills are any match for a gun.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

I smirked. “I’m touched by your fatherly concern, Leonardo,” I said mockingly. “But do me a favor—stop worrying about me. It’s annoying.”

“Just get your stubborn ass home before eleven,” he grumbled.

“I’ll come home whenever I want,” I snapped. “You’re not the boss of me. Julien, hang up.”

“Don’t you dare—”

Before he could finish, I unfastened my seatbelt, leaned forward between the driver’s and passenger’s seats, and pressed the end call button on the infotainment screen. My glare landed on Julien’s side profile, even though this wasn’t his fault.

“If he calls again and you answer, you’re out of a job. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Julien replied without hesitation.

I sat back, fastened my seatbelt, and turned to the window, shutting everyone out. But I could feel Athena’s gaze burning into the side of my face. I ignored her too.

After a few moments, Julien cleared his throat. “Uh, sir… where should we drop off the young lady?”

“Ah, right.” I turned to Athena. “You must be starving. We’ll stop by Lumière and Lace first.”

"Isn’t that a high-end boutique?" Athena arched a skeptical brow. "Only the rich and famous shop there."

A smirk tugged at my lips. "I am rich and famous," I said. "My cousin—distant cousin—owns Lumière & Lace."

"Right. Of course." Athena muttered. "How could I forget? The Belmontes practically own Eldoria."

"Not really," I replied.

She gave me a pointed look. "You think I don’t know that at least ninety-five percent of Eldoria’s businesses are run by your family? Your family’s empire is the reason this country is what it is today. Oil, agriculture, mining, engineering… you name it."

"Huh." I let out a dry chuckle.

"And let’s not forget," she continued, "your father was named the richest man in the world just last year. A trillionaire. You said it yourself."

"Okay, okay, you’ve made your point." I lifted a hand to stop her. "Thank you."

I was well aware of my family’s wealth, but hearing her say it with such awe made it feel different—more significant.

Athena laughed. "Wait… is the Ice Prince blushing?" she teased, narrowing her eyes in mock suspicion.

"What? Are you crazy?" I shot her a glare. "Don’t talk nonsense."

"You are!" She chuckled, pointing at my face. "Oh my gosh! I wish I had a phone to capture this moment."

"Do you want me to leave you stranded? Is that it?" I asked dryly.

She pressed a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter. "I’m sorry," she mumbled, clearly not sorry at all.

"We’re here, sir," Julien announced as he pulled into the empty parking lot.

"Great." I let out a breath, unfastening my seatbelt—only for Athena to burst into laughter again.

"Seriously?" I rolled my eyes.

"I’m sorry," she choked out between giggles. "I just… I can’t…" She tried to stifle her laughter but failed, taking a few moments before finally composing herself. "Okay, I’ll be good."

"You’d better be," I muttered, sending her a warning look. Unfortunately, it only made her grin wider. "Let’s go, laughing jackal."

She snorted, unfastened her seatbelt, and stepped out of the car. Julien shut the door behind me as I walked over, pulling up the hood of her jacket to cover her damp hair. She raised a questioning brow.

"You look like a cat that almost drowned," I said. "Let’s get you dry clothes first. Then, we’ll grab something to eat."

"You don’t need to—" she started, frowning slightly.

"I want to." My tone was firm, but not unkind.

The storefront gleamed under the warm glow of chandeliers inside. Athena hesitated, eyeing the smartly dressed mannequins on display before throwing me a nervous glance.

"This looks… expensive," she murmured.

"It is," I said simply. "Come on." 

We stepped inside, and a saleswoman—impeccably dressed—greeted us with a polite smile. Her eyes flickered with recognition when she saw me, but she quickly masked it. Her name tag read Stella.

"Welcome to Lumière & Lace. How may I assist you?" Stella asked.

"I want a full set for her—casual, formal, and everything in between," I said, gesturing toward Athena.

Her eyes widened slightly. "That’s too much," she whispered.

I leaned in, lowering my voice. "Just let me do this, Athena."

She studied me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. The saleswoman guided her toward the racks, and soon, Athena was trying on various outfits. I waited, checking my watch occasionally. When she finally stepped out in a simple yet elegant dress, I gave a small nod of approval.

"That one," I said with a smile.

She arched her brow. "You didn’t even look at the others." She pointed out.

"I don’t need to. It suits you." I paused, then added, meeting her gaze, "I’m sure the rest are beautiful, but this one feels right."

Athena pressed her lips together, seemingly unsure of how to respond. Once the purchases were finalized, we returned to the car. The boutique’s sleek bags were placed in the trunk, and Julien drove us a short distance to a quaint café—Maison Amélie. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries filled the air as we stepped inside.

Athena’s stomach let out a loud growl. The sound triggered a memory from a few weeks ago—the day she had practically bathed in her lentil soup after a clumsy mishap in the cafeteria. I had left class in a hurry that day, as if being chased.

"Sorry," she muttered, looking embarrassed.

A waiter led us to a quiet corner table and handed us menus. We ordered water first.

Athena sighed, glancing around. "This feels unreal." She murmured.

I sat across from her, watching her carefully. "What does?"

She looked down at the menu, then back at me. "This. You. Helping me." Her voice was hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure she should say it aloud.

Leaning back in my chair, I kept my expression unreadable. "Maybe I’m not as heartless as people think," I said, shrugging.

"I never thought you were," she said softly.

A brief silence settled between us before the waiter returned to take our order. Athena chose a warm meal, while I stuck with an espresso. When the food arrived, she hesitated before taking a bite. She probably hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now. The moment the flavors hit her tongue, her eyes fluttered shut. I bit back a smile.

"Thank you," she said quietly after a few bites.

I swirled my espresso cup, watching her. "For what?"

"For this. For today. For…" she hesitated, briefly meeting my gaze before looking down. "For believing that I didn’t run away."

I looked away, shrugging slightly. "Don’t mention it.”