101

101
  Maximus POV

Selene’s eyes are wild with panic, her breath coming in sharp and quick gasps. I can feel the tension in the air as she stands before me.

Her fists are clenched at her sides. I’ve never seen her like this.

“Where are they? Where did you take them?” Her voice trembles with rage, and I see a flicker of desperation in her eyes. “I thought I made it clear, Maximus, that you should stay the hell away from my children. Where have you taken them? Answer me!” 

I’m stunned, completely caught off guard by her sudden outburst. My mind races, trying to piece together what could have happened, but nothing comes to mind. 

I glance at my secretary, who is clearly unsettled by the situation.

She’s watching us with an unreadable expression. Quickly, I give a nod and she takes the cue, hurrying out of the room without another word.

Now, I’m left alone with Selene.

Her eyes are still burning into me, demanding answers. I stand up slowly, unsure of how to approach her, but I know I need to calm her down before we get anywhere.

"Take a deep breath, Selene,” I say softly, my voice attempting to ground her. She’s so worked up, and I need to get through to her somehow. “Calm down and tell me what’s going on. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say. I’m confused. Just explain it to me so that I can understand, please.”

My hands are raised slightly, a gesture of peace, but all I see is a storm swirling in her eyes.

I try to touch her, but Selene slaps my hands away. Her anger is palpable, and I can feel the intensity of her emotions. I’m stunned. What could’ve happened to make her this furious? I haven’t seen her in a while, not since the mall, and I don’t recall anything that would’ve made her this upset. 

I stand there, speechless, trying to piece it together.

She doesn’t give me a chance to speak. “Oh, save your innocent voice, Maximus,” she spits, her brow furrowed with frustration. “You’re not fooling me with that. Why do I have such bad luck with men? First, you divorce me when I’m pregnant with our children, and now someone I’m close to tries to poison me, all because of some stupid jealousy. What the hell is wrong with all of you? What did I ever do wrong?!?” 

She rubs her temples in an attempt to calm herself before lifting her head.

“Where are my children, Maximus? That’s what I’m asking. Nelly went to pick them up from school, and they magically disappeared.” Her gaze is now like a dagger aimed straight at me. “You’re the only one who knows about them besides my mom and Nelly. I swear, if you don’t hand them over right now, I’m going to drag your ass to jail. I don’t care how wealthy you are, you crossed the line by taking them away from me.”

My heart stops, and my mind races. Why would she think that I took our kids? 

Why would I even do that? The accusation hits me harder than any insult. I never wanted to hurt her, never. But here she is, accusing me of kidnapping our own children. 

I stare at her, my mouth dry, unable to comprehend what’s going on.

“S..Selene,” I manage to say with a shaky voice.“I swear to you, I haven’t taken the kids. I haven’t seen them. I would never—” 

“I don’t believe you, Maximus!” She cuts me off. “You’ve lied to me so many times already. I don’t trust fcking you anymore!”

I’m lost for words. She’s right to feel this way. Everything is a mess, and I’m the one who created this. I never meant for it to go this far. 

But how do I prove to her that I’m telling the truth when everything I say just seems to make it worse?

Selene’s eyes are bloodshot, and she’s struggling so hard to keep her tears in. But it’s no use. I can see her breaking apart right in front of me, and it hurts. 

She loves our children, and I can see that clearly. It makes me feel a strange sense of relief, knowing she’s not like Jess. 

But at the same time, I want to know what’s happening. What the hell is going on? Poisoned? Why didn’t I know? Who would try to kill her?

She doesn’t deserve this. She couldn’t hurt a fly. I don’t understand why all of this is happening to her. And deep down, I know it's because of me. If I hadn’t been so damn selfish and divorced her five years ago, maybe I would’ve been there for her—protecting her from whatever the hell is going on now. 

I should have been the one to help her, but instead, I let her go, and now she’s dealing with things no one should ever have to go through. 

I never told my family about our children because I knew exactly how they would react. 

They would harass her, try to take the kids, and make her life even more of a nightmare. My mother, especially, would have never let it go. 

And even though she’s begged for forgiveness, she’s still obsessed with having grandchildren. If I could go back to when we were still married, I would’ve fought harder to fix things between us.

I swallow hard and try to get my words out, desperate for her to understand, to believe me. “I’m not with our kids, Selene. Why would I take them from you?” My voice cracks, and I see her eyes soften for just a moment before hardening again, that familiar wall going up between us. 

“I’m not that cruel,” I add. “I never took them away from school. I don’t even know which school they attend. I only found out about the kids recently. Please… please believe me. Just tell me what happened. I need to know.” 

I step closer to her, my heart pounding in my chest, hoping that something in my words will break through. She’s hurting, and I want to fix it. But all I can do right now is hope she’ll trust me enough to share what’s really going on.

I lean in close to her, my chest tightening with concern, but surprisingly, she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t even pull away when I cup her face with my palms, my fingers trembling slightly as I touch her skin. “I know people in the police department, private investigators too. I’ll have them looking for our kids right now, but you need to calm down, and we need to think this through together. But first, are you okay? You said you were poisoned…” I trail my hands down to her shoulders, trying to ground her, feeling an overwhelming sense of worry.

Selene scoffs, but before I can react, she slams her palms against my chest, pushing me away. I stumble slightly but don’t fight back. She starts hitting me, and I just stand there, letting her. If this is what she needs to release the years of pain, then I’ll take it. 

I deserve it. Every hit, every tear, every bit of anger..it's all on me. 

Then, she breaks down. She cries for so long, her sobs tearing at something deep inside me. And then, just as I’m starting to feel like I don’t know how to help her, she gets hysterical, her cries turning into desperate pleas.

“I’m begging you, Maximus.” Her voice cracks, trembling with emotion. “I’ll do anything you want, just… just let them go, please.”

Her words hit me like a physical blow. My heart drops, and I stand frozen, unsure of how to respond. 

“I know I’ve hidden them well all these years,” she says, voice cracking. “You’re the only one who could have done this. Just tell me where they are, Maximus. Where the hell have you hidden them?”

I can see the panic starting to spiral inside her.

Her breathing is getting faster and more erratic. It's clear she's about to lose control, and I know exactly what’s happening. 

I’ve seen this before..when we were married, these attacks were something I always had to help her through. 

“Selene!” I say, my voice gentle but firm, trying to calm her. “Relax. Take deep breaths—"

“Don’t fucking tell me to!” she snaps, her anger and fear pouring through.

Before I can respond, she pushes me away, and in the next instant, her hand connects with my cheek. The slap stings, and for a moment, I stand there, stunned.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. I can’t snap back at her. Not now. I need to stay calm for her sake. I need to be patient.

“I hate you," she spits at me, her voice trembling with rage. "I hate you so much, Maximus. I curse the day I ever met you. If I knew that you would cause me so much heartbreak, I wouldn’t have anything to do with you! I don’t care how powerful you are. I would use any resources that I have to make you pay for all you’ve done to me, and that is a promise."

I watch helplessly as she shoves past me, wiping away the tears that she’s tried so hard to hold back. She storms out of my office, and I hear the sound of the door slamming behind her.