Chapter 46: Chapter Forty Five

Athena

My mouth dropped open in disbelief. I knew he was a genius, but I didn’t think he was capable of shouldering such a massive responsibility. A chuckle of disbelief escaped me as I shook my head, refusing to accept it.

"No way," I muttered.

"It’s up to you whether you believe me or not," he said, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Really? You’re... How is that possible? You’re only seventeen," I said, still stunned.

A smirk curved his lips as he lifted a hand to tap my nose. "Age is just a number, o mikrós trelós," he said before turning and walking out of the bathroom.

I sucked in a sharp breath at his words. What had he just called me? I couldn’t believe he’d just called me that. Fuming, I marched out of the bathroom and found him talking to someone else. 

The shopping bags had been delivered, and I could tell I was going to be staying in the master bedroom. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but this was all too much to process.

He’d bought me expensive clothes and shoes, and now, he was letting me stay in one of the most luxurious suites in the hotel—a suite that cost well over a thousand euros for a single night. I waited until he was done talking before attempting to bring up the possibility of staying in a less expensive suite.

As if he could read my mind, he narrowed his eyes, shook his head, and tutted. He crossed the room to me, gently guiding me backwards until I hit the bed and sat down on the edge.

"You’re about to argue with me, and you wonder why I think you’re crazy," he said. "Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Athena."

"I’m sorry," I apologized. "I’m really grateful for everything you’re doing for me, but... I’m just thinking about the cost, you know?"

"I know. I’ll take care of it," he assured me.

"How?" I asked.

"Leave it all to me," he replied, his tone reassuring. "Don’t worry your tired head about it. You look like you need to get some rest."

"Yeah, I’m..." I started to say.

"Great," he interrupted with a grin. "I’ll head out before Leonardo calls in the Calvary."

"You call your dad by his first name?" I stared at him in surprise.

"Goodnight, Athena," he said, ignoring my question as he turned to leave.

"Eros, wait," I called after him.

"Yes?" He turned back to me, eyebrows raised.

"Um... About school... All of my stuff is at home," I said. "Do you think I could borrow your notes to study?"

"I’ll take care of that too," he replied. "New uniforms will be delivered here tomorrow. I’ll also send you printed copies of all your subjects and homework."

"Really? Thank you!"

"One of these days, I’m going to ask you to pay me back," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Of course. I’ll do anything you want," I promised.

"Great," he nodded with a smirk. "If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let your butler know."

"Butler?" I rasped, confused.

"Graham," he called out.

A middle-aged man in a black suit, white shirt, and bow tie appeared from nowhere, bowing slightly.

"Yes, sir?"

"Graham, this is Athena. Athena, meet Graham," Eros introduced us.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sanderson," Graham said, his voice polite and formal. "I look forward to being at your service for anything you may need."

"It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Graham," I said.

"Just Graham, Miss," he corrected with a soft smile.

"Okay," I muttered.

"Now that everything’s settled, I’ll bid you goodnight, Athena," Eros said, throwing me a mock salute as his phone began to ring. He groaned in frustration. "I’m coming, Leonardo. God!" he exclaimed.

I stifled the laughter threatening to escape because I didn’t think Eros would appreciate being laughed at. But, as if reading my mind, he turned and shot me a dirty look.

"Laugh all you want," he grumbled. "It’s cool. He’s acting like an overprotective mother hen."

"That’s a good thing, right?" I asked, unsure.

"Um... No," he grimaced, as if the question was absurd.

"You’d better go before he really calls in the Calvary," I suggested, noticing his phone ringing again.

"I should let him worry all night," Eros muttered. "That’ll teach him not to be so nosy."

"Goodnight, Eros." I said.

"Night." He waved over his shoulder as he walked out of the room with Graham.

From their conversation in the car earlier, I had gathered that Eros's relationship with his father was strained, but I never realized it was this bad. Honestly, if James had been even half as decent as Eros's father, I would have loved him regardless.

I grabbed a blue pajama shirt and shorts, then made my way to the bathroom to take a shower. Tomorrow would be a new day—a new day I couldn’t help but dread.

The moment my head hit the soft pillow, exhaustion swallowed me whole. Sleep came instantly.

But when I opened my eyes again, my breath hitched. I was back. Back in that place. As if I had never left. The stench of decay clawed at my throat, the oppressive fear crashed over me like a tidal wave. My body went rigid. No, no, no. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to wake up, to escape this nightmare.

It’s just a dream.

"No, you're not dreaming."

A voice. Cold. Familiar. It sent a chill through me.

"You thought you could run from me, didn’t you?"

Terror locked my limbs. My throat closed, but I forced out a desperate plea. "Please… Please don’t hurt me."

A loud tsk. "Athena, my doll, what am I going to do with you?"

My eyes flew open. That name. That voice. No one else called me that. No one except him. And never with love. My stomach lurched as I locked eyes with James Carter. The same cold amber gaze that haunted my past stared back at me. The same eyes I had inherited.

My heart slammed against my ribs. "D… Daddy?" My voice trembled. "What… What are you doing here?"

"What do you think, doll?" His lips curled into a cruel smile. "I’ve come to finish what I started. I told you before—you don’t deserve to live. Remember?"

I shook my head violently. "No. No, you’re not real. This isn’t real. I’m dreaming—"

James threw his head back and laughed. A hollow, bone-chilling sound that slithered down my spine. But the laughter didn’t stop. It multiplied, echoing around me.

I turned, and my blood ran cold.

Figures emerged from the darkness, their faces twisting with cruel delight—Alfred, Serena, Beatrix, Mr. Colton, even Scarlett. They surrounded me, pointing at me, laughing. Their laughter sounded piercing and cruel.

"Athena!" Another voice called. A different voice. Urgent. Familiar.

I clamped my hands over my ears, a scream tearing from my throat—then suddenly, the laughter stopped. A force stronger than me yanked me from the abyss.

"Athena! Wake up."

Warm hands cupped my face, grounding me. "It’s just a dream. You’re safe."

My eyes fluttered open, locking onto Eros’s worried gaze. His hands dropped as he sat back, watching me with that silent intensity of his. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I scanned the room.

Reality settled in. It was over. I wasn’t there. I was safe. James was still in prison.

Releasing a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, I collapsed onto my pillow, pressing a hand to my chest. My heart pounded as if trying to escape my ribs.

I didn’t want to think about the nightmare. Instead, I turned to Eros, meeting his unreadable gaze.

"Thank you," I said softly.

Eros arched his brow. "For what?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I don’t know. For pulling me out of that nightmare, I guess."

"You would’ve done that yourself," he said.

I shook my head. "I don’t think so. It felt too real." I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering fear. "I was terrified."

He held my gaze, his voice steady. "You're safe now. You don’t have to worry about that anymore."

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

He gestured toward the table, where a stack of spiral-bound books rested. "I brought the printed copies as promised. The uniforms are inside the bag."

Excitement replaced my unease. Throwing back the covers, I jumped out of bed without a second thought, completely forgetting how short my shorts were. I skipped over to the coffee table, picked up one of the books, and flipped through it. A satisfied sigh escaped me when I saw that it was even dated.

"Thank you so much—" I looked up with a grateful smile, but the expression on Eros’s face made mine falter.

"Um… is something wrong?" I asked.

His gaze flickered down before meeting mine again. "How did I never notice how long your legs are?"

Heat rushed to my face. Instinctively, I curled my toes against the floor and glanced down at my legs, suddenly self-conscious. I wasn't short—at five foot eight, I had inherited my height from James, who was six foot three. 

My mother, at five foot five, had passed down all her genes to Aurelia, while I got mine from him. It was something I had always hated about myself.

"Um… sorry. I’ll—" I dropped the book back on the table and made a beeline for the bathroom, cutting myself off.

Closing the door behind me, I exhaled shakily. Quickly, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and pulled a plush robe from the cabinet. Slipping it on, I tied the belt securely before running a brush through my hair to look more presentable.

When I stepped back into the room, Eros was gone. My brows furrowed, my stomach twisting. Had I upset him?

Before I could dwell on it, the door swung open, making me jump. Eros walked in, carrying a tray of food.

"I ordered everything on the menu," he announced with a mischievous smile.

I blinked at the sheer variety of dishes. "I won’t be able to finish all this."

"That’s too bad," he said, setting the tray down. "You need to gain weight, not lose it." He smirked. "And after breakfast, I’m taking you on a tour of the hotel. My office will be the last stop."

I gave him a skeptical look. "Until I see your name on a plaque or something, I won’t believe you." I scoffed as I sat at the table.

He merely shrugged. "Okay. Bon appétit."

I sat down, eyeing him curiously. "Aren’t you joining me?"

"Nope. I’ve already eaten," he replied simply.

I sighed, suddenly realizing something as I picked up my fork, then hesitated. "What day is it? I’ve lost track."

"Saturday." He replied.

I let out a relieved sigh. At least I had the rest of the weekend to pull myself together before Monday.