Chapter 8: Chapter Seven

Athena 

As we walked down the hallway, the sound of laughter and chatter from the cafeteria still echoed behind us, but my mind was preoccupied with the stolen jewelry. Eros walked beside me, his silent presence oddly reassuring. 

I never thought the person I feared less than my own father would be the one I'd turn to in a time of need.

"I should let Mrs. Mitchell know that..." I began, but Eros raised a hand, stopping me as he typed on his phone.

"No need," he said, his voice clipped.

"Oh. Okay," I muttered.

He opened the door, and we both stepped into the sunlight as the door clicked shut behind us. We walked in silence toward the school gate, and outside, I noticed three sleek black cars parked behind Beatrix’s, flanked by six men in black suits with crisp white shirts, black ties, and comm units in their ears. Alfred was chatting with one of them.

"Um... who..." My voice faltered as I glanced up at Eros.

"We’ll take my car. Is that your driver?" Eros asked, nodding toward Alfred.

"Beatrix’s driver," I corrected, blushing slightly.

Alfred approached us, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Eros. He shot me a disapproving glare.

"Seriously? I went to all that trouble, and you end up bothering him?" Alfred demanded. "What did you do?"

"She’s coming with me," Eros said calmly. "You can do whatever you like."

He guided me to the middle car, and I slipped into the plush leather seat. Eros slid in next to me, and a bodyguard closed the door behind us.

“This is... is this working?” I asked, pointing at the screen on the headrest of the driver’s seat after fastening my seatbelt, following his lead.

“You’ve never been in a car like this?” Eros raised an eyebrow.

“I have,” I replied, maybe a bit too quickly. Embarrassed, I turned my face away, hoping he wouldn’t notice the flush creeping up my cheeks.

“Right,” he muttered. “Well, they’re working just fine. They’re called in-car entertainment systems. They’re for keeping passengers entertained in the back seats.”

“I know that,” I muttered under my breath.

“Of course you do,” he said, his voice neutral. “Feel free to entertain yourself with whatever suits you.”

“I’m fine, thank you,” I said quickly.

He casually opened the compartment between our seats, revealing an assortment of chocolates. I blinked, surprised. I didn’t peg Eros as someone with a sweet tooth, but who was I to judge?

“Want one?” he asked, pulling out a wrapped candy.

“Um... no, thanks,” I shook my head.

“You don’t like chocolate?” His tone held a trace of surprise.

“No,” I answered simply.

“Why not?” he asked, curious.

“No reason,” I shrugged.

“Your loss,” he said, shutting the compartment before unwrapping the candy and tossing a small piece into his mouth.

“You’re... not that scary,” I blurted out.

“Why do you say that?” He glanced at me, frowning slightly.

“Well, you made a joke earlier. You’ve spoken more to me today than anyone else has in the past three years,” I admitted. “Honestly, I was scared to talk to you, but I had no choice. You were the lesser of two evils.”

“I see,” he said thoughtfully. “But I am that scary. I’m only helping you because I want you to owe me. One day, I’ll ask you for something, and you won’t have a choice but to do it.”

“Like I said,” I replied, meeting his gaze, “you were the lesser of two evils.”

We remained silent for the rest of the ride to the bank. When we arrived, the car door was opened for us, and we stepped out, gazing up at the tall, white building. Silverstone Bank had been acquired by the Belmonte Group two years ago and was now run by Eros’ aunt.

So, it didn’t surprise me that we were here. It was also the bank Serena and her parents used. I had an account here too, though it had been years since I’d had any money in it. I was surprised the account wasn’t dormant.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Eros asked, glancing sideways at me as we approached the glass doors.

“I have to,” I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “It’s the only way I can make this right.”

Eros nodded, but his face gave nothing away. He held the door open for me, and we entered the bank, the cool air inside a stark contrast to the warmth outside. After filling out a withdrawal slip, I walked up to the teller, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I need to withdraw some money,” I said, forcing confidence into my voice. Eros stood a few steps behind me, his eyes sweeping the room as though assessing for any threats, while two bodyguards waited just outside the door.

The teller looked up from the withdrawal slip and stared at me in disbelief. “You want to withdraw one thousand euros?” Her tone carried a hint of condescension, despite the fact that she likely knew who I was.

“Yes, one thousand euros,” I replied, my voice barely audible.

Her eyebrows arched slightly. “Are you sure you have that amount in your account?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes, I do,” I said, nodding. Eros had transferred the money to my account while we were in the car. Now that I was about to withdraw it, the balance would return to zero.

The teller glanced at the slip again before she began typing on her computer. I inhaled deeply, silently praying I’d be able to buy the jewelry back.

As she processed the transaction, Eros stepped closer. “You okay?” he asked softly, his concern evident.

“Yeah, just... nervous,” I admitted, glancing at him.

The teller finally slid the cash across the counter, and I could hardly believe it. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what came next.

“Thank you for banking with us,” she said, though it seemed like the last thing she wanted to say.

“Thank you,” I murmured, quickly stuffing the money into my bag.

“So, where to next?” Eros asked, his tone light but his eyes were serious.

“To the jewelry store,” I replied, trying to project more confidence than I actually felt.