Chapter 47: Chapter Forty Six

Athena

Monday arrived faster than I had anticipated. When my alarm blared at five a.m., the last thing I wanted to do was crawl out of bed. I wished I could ignore school entirely, convince myself that failing didn’t matter, that I’d be fine either way. But deep down, I knew the truth—school was my only way out.

With a reluctant sigh, I silenced the alarm, tossed back the covers, and sat up. Stretching my arms over my head, I released a deep exhale before swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. As my feet slipped into my slippers, a fleeting thought crossed my mind—was Eros awake at this hour too?

He had been honest about his position as Director of Finance at the hotel. I had seen him work, observed him in meetings with men old enough to be his grandfathers. I had watched the way they regarded him, the subtle shift in their expressions from doubt to begrudging respect as they exited the room.

After one particular meeting, Eros had turned to me with a smug smile and a raised brow. I had merely shrugged, feigning indifference, but inside, my heart had been cheering wildly for him. He was brilliant. He was effortlessly handsome. And at that moment, I came to a realization—I had developed a massive crush on Emerald Crest’s Ice Prince.

Yesterday, we spent the entire day together. We watched a movie, read some books, and he even tutored me in calculus. Later, he took me shopping for a laptop and a phone. I had been taken aback—I had never owned anything like that before. 

But he insisted they were only a loan, that I could return them anytime I wanted. That was the only reason I accepted. I thanked him profusely, and for a split second, I had almost hugged him again. But I caught myself just in time.

The night I had hugged him remained an unspoken moment between us, something we silently agreed to pretend never happened. A second time would be asking too much.

Shaking off my thoughts, I headed to the bathroom. I flossed, brushed my teeth, washed my hair, and took a quick shower. As much as I wanted to soak in the bathtub, I knew it would make me late. Wrapping a towel around my head, I dried my body with another before slipping into a plush robe and heading back to my room.

My new phone chimed with a message. A small smile tugged at my lips as I picked it up and read it—it was from Eros. He asked if I was awake and let me know he had sent a chauffeur to pick me up. 

A small wave of disappointment washed over me; I wouldn’t be seeing him this morning. Still, I replied, letting him know I was awake and thanking him again for his help. As usual, his response was simple: Don’t mention it.

I set my phone down on the nightstand, unable to shake the warmth his message left behind, not really anticipating the day ahead.

I had been completely taken aback when I returned to my suite yesterday and found a collection of skincare products waiting for me. My skin had always been clear, untouched by acne or the other skin troubles Serena constantly battled. 

Beatrix had never bothered to buy me hair or skincare products, but I had never truly needed them. Maybe that was one of the reasons Serena resented me.

Seeing the neatly arranged products had brought unexpected tears to my eyes. The gesture was so thoughtful that I had been tempted to hug Eros—but I had held myself back. Now, seated on a stool in front of the mirror, I decided to try the moisturizing cream. I liked how it felt on my skin—softer, smoother, more luxurious than before.

"You're the best, Eros Belmonte." I grinned at my reflection in the mirror.

Wasting no time, I got dressed for school, brushed my hair, and applied a layer of lip balm to my chapped lips. A quick glance in the full-length mirror confirmed I was ready. I winked at my reflection before stepping out of the closet.

Eros had also bought me new school supplies, so I quickly packed everything I needed into my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, and grabbed my phone from the nightstand before heading out. At the bottom of the stairs, Graham was already waiting for me. I greeted him with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Graham."

"Good morning, Miss Sanderson. How was your night?" he asked politely.

"Great, thanks for asking. And yours?"

"It was great as well. Thank you, Miss." He gestured toward the dining area. "Your breakfast is served."

"Oh, I don’t usually have breakfast before school," I admitted with a small smile.

"Mr. Belmonte ordered this for you—scrambled eggs, toast, and juice," he informed me.

My eyes widened slightly. "Oh. When did he order it?"

"At fifteen minutes past five," Graham replied.

I blinked in surprise before nodding. "Oh. Okay then. Thank you." I said.

It was as if Eros had anticipated that I would leave the hotel without eating, so he had arranged breakfast for me in advance. He also knew that if Graham mentioned he was the one behind the gesture, I wouldn’t be able to resist eating.

The thought of Eros being aware of my crush on him made my chest tighten. Those intense eyes of his always felt like they could see right through me. I just hoped I wasn’t coming across as a lovesick teenager—because that would be very bad.

With that, I headed to the dining area. As I sat down, I sent Eros a quick text, thanking him for the meal, but there was no immediate reply. That wasn’t unusual.

After finishing breakfast, the phone rang, and Graham answered it. He returned moments later with a message. "Your chauffeur is waiting in the underground parking lot, Miss."

I thanked him again, waved goodbye, and hurried to the elevator. Pressing the button, I waited for the doors to open. As I stepped inside, I waved at Graham once more before selecting the underground parking level. The doors swished shut, and I watched the numbers change as the elevator descended.

I tried not to think about what awaited me at school. The rumors Serena had spread would no doubt make today difficult. Would Eros still be friendly to me, as he had been since Saturday? Or would he ignore me like everyone else? That was a question only time could answer.

The elevator chimed as it reached the underground parking lot, and the doors slid open. Stepping out, I immediately noticed a sleek white Tesla parked in front of the elevator. A man in a black suit with a crisp white shirt stood beside the car, an earpiece in his ear.

I hesitated for a brief moment before cautiously approaching.

"Miss Sanderson, I will be your chauffeur for the time being. My name is Dylan," he introduced himself smoothly.

"Um… Nice to meet you, Dylan," I greeted with a polite smile.

He opened the back door for me, and I slid inside with a quiet thank you. As Dylan shut the door and moved around to the driver’s seat, I settled into the plush interior. Soon, the car was pulling out of the parking lot, merging effortlessly into the flow of morning traffic.

My anxiety climbed a notch. In just a short while, I would be facing the judgmental stares of Emerald Crest’s students. Some of them would undoubtedly make their opinions known. And most of all—I wasn’t sure how I’d react if Scarlett dared to come within five feet of me.

As if sensing my thoughts from wherever he was, my phone suddenly pinged with a message. I pulled it out of my jacket pocket, tapping the screen to read Eros’s text.

"Everything will be fine."

I took a deep breath, inhaling all the nervousness and anxiety that threatened to consume me, then exhaled, letting it all go. If Eros said everything would be fine, I had to believe him. He was the only one on my side.