Chapter 111

Chapter 111
I jumped a little and stopped the treadmill. My heart skipped a beat.
I turned around quickly.
Athena was standing right in front of me with a wide smile on her face.
My eyes widened in shock.
"Athena?" I said, breathless.
She gave me a soft laugh. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."
I stepped back a little, still catching my breath. "You... you scared me."
"I didn't know you'd be here," she said, still smiling as she dropped her gym bag on the floor next to mine.
"Neither did I," I replied, trying to hide how weird it felt seeing her here. "You work out here too?"
She nodded casually. "Sometimes. It's a new spot for me, but I like it. It's quiet. Peaceful."
I stared at her for a moment. Something felt off. The timing. The way she touched me. The way she smiled too much.
But I pushed the thoughts aside.
"Yeah," I said, wiping sweat from my forehead. "I like the peace too."
Athena leaned closer and gave me a quick once-over. "You look great, by the way. All sporty and strong."
I gave her a half smile. "Thanks."
She stood there like she had something else to say. Her eyes kept watching me, like she was reading my face.
I turned back to my treadmill. "I should continue..."
"Mind if I join you?" she asked.
I hesitated.
"Sure," I said quietly.
She climbed on the treadmill next to mine and started walking, acting all friendly and chatty. But deep down, something felt weird.
I didn't know what it was yet.
But I was about to find out.
A FEW MOMENTS AGO...
Athena parked her car in front of the quiet gym house. She sighed and turned off the engine, resting her head briefly on the steering wheel.
"This better be worth it," she mumbled.
She sat there for a moment, then pulled the sun visor down and checked her face in the small mirror. Satisfied, she pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail, slid on her face cap, and grabbed her bag from the back seat.
Once outside, she looked around. The parking lot was empty.
She walked into the gym house, and the moment she stepped in, the stillness hit her. The entire place was quiet, too quiet. Only the distant hum of the treadmill machines could be heard, and even that wasn't coming from anyone. It was just there... running on standby.
She scanned the room from left to right. Not a single soul.
Athena let out a long, disappointed breath. "Seriously?"
She dragged her feet to one of the chairs near the window and dropped her bag beside her. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her messages, hoping to kill time.
Every few minutes, her eyes lifted to the glass doors at the entrance. She watched every passing shadow, every tiny movement.
Each time, she whispered to herself, "Is that her?"
But it never was.
She rested her cheek in her hand, pouting slightly. "What's keeping her from coming? How sure is Sir Jayden that she'd be here today?"
Athena leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.
"She had a long night yesterday. I saw her on the news, at that event. She should be in bed right now, snoring and cuddled up in a blanket. Who in their right mind wakes up early to work out after that kind of night?"
She rolled her eyes and dropped her phone on her lap. Her stomach growled loudly, and she held it with one hand.
"Ugh... and now I'm starving. This is torture."
She picked up her phone again and stared at the time.
"Maybe she went to a different gym," she muttered. "Or maybe Jayden just assumed she'd come here. What if he's wrong?"
She sighed again and stood up, brushing invisible dust from her leggings. "I need food. I can't sit here and die of hunger."
Athena picked up her bag and walked out of the gym. The sunlight outside hit her face and made her squint. She unlocked her car and got in, tossing her bag to the passenger seat.
She drove down the street to a nearby fast-food place. She didn't even waste time checking the menu. She ordered a quick combo; fries, chicken wrap, and a cold soda.
She sat at a corner booth, biting into her snack, scrolling through her phone, and still keeping an eye on the gym house location on her GPS.
Halfway through her drink, her phone buzzed with a notification.
She saw the live camera feed from the gym's parking lot and immediately noticed something that made her eyes light up.
Monalisa's car had just pulled in.
Athena jumped to her feet, almost spilling her drink. She grabbed her food, stuffed the rest of the chicken wrap in her mouth, and dashed out of the restaurant, drink in hand.
By the time she reached the gym house again, her heart was pounding, not from nerves, but from the rush of excitement.
She parked just a little farther away so Monalisa wouldn't notice her arrival. She sat in the car for a second, wiped her lips with a tissue, and smiled wide.
"There she is," she said softly, eyes focused on Monalisa's car. "She actually came. I knew it."
She reached into her bag, pulled out a small notepad and pen, and tucked it into her back pocket.
"Alright. Let's get this rolling."
Athena looked into the mirror, fixed her cap, reapplied a bit of lip balm, and stepped out of the car with a determined look.
She took one deep breath.
Then another.
And then, she walked inside-her heels clicking gently on the tiles.
"Game on," she whispered under her breath, her eyes already searching for Monalisa inside.
She was ready to play her part.
But what she didn't know... was that Monalisa was already beginning to suspect her.