He Thought He Could Let Her Go, Until She Left

“So what are you doing now? Every time there’s a brothers' gathering, you bring her along. Have you forgotten what you promised, Aliana? You swore there wouldn’t be any other woman by your side!”

“Can you stop bringing that up?” Emmett complained, annoyance thick in his voice. “Athena is nothing more than a little distraction to me. My heart still belongs to Aliana. But Grandpa insists I marry Athena and have an heir, or I’ll lose the Davidson family inheritance and forget about being with Aliana!”

“I have to pretend every day like I’m head over heels for her. It’s exhausting!”

His friend sounded doubtful. “Is that really all there is to it? You’ve been awfully kind to Athena. Be careful; pretending like that might make you fall for her.”

Emmett went quiet for a moment. After a long pause, he shrugged casually.

“What choice do I have? She’s an orphan, desperate for affection. Athena is completely smitten with me. If I show her a little kindness now, it’ll be easier to keep her in check when everything falls apart later.”

Athena froze, her face tightening, her body shaking as though a cold wind had pierced her.

She didn’t hear much more of their conversation, but soon, Emmett’s laughter echoed through the air.

“In front of me, Athena is like a dog. With one wave of my hand, she comes running. Don’t worry, I won’t screw this up.”

With a sharp "thud," the drink in Athena’s hand nearly slipped away, but she caught it just in time. Hearing footsteps approaching from downstairs, she quickly grabbed her drink and fled, praying they hadn’t noticed her.

She had been wrong. Emmett hadn’t torn his heart in two. It had always belonged to Aliana, and Athena had been nothing more than a tool in his hands.

Throwing her drink into the trash, Athena leaned against the wall, gasping for air, her chest tightening as though it were being squeezed by invisible hands.

Emmett had been right. She had been nothing more than a loyal dog, responding to his every command, leaving whenever he dismissed her.

Her chest ached as she pressed her palm against it, trying to steady her breath, but her vision blurred with the tears she refused to let fall. At least now, she could finally see through the lies. No longer would she debase herself in front of Emmett.

Wiping her eyes, Athena walked back as if nothing had changed. She had no memory of how she had left the scene, but her heart felt as if it had been shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.

All she knew was that she couldn’t go back to him. There was nothing left between them. She could never forgive him.

Whenever she thought back to that day, it felt like reopening old wounds, each memory a fresh cut that stung anew. But as the days slipped by, she had grown numb to the pain. At least now, she no longer cried herself to sleep as she had done in the beginning.

Eventually, Athena took matters into her own hands and dug into Aliana’s past. What she uncovered was both shocking and heartbreaking. Aliana was Emmett’s first love, an unforgotten piece of his heart, a connection that had never truly faded.

Every year, just before Valentine’s Day, Emmett would leave on a “business trip.” But Athena soon realized the truth: he wasn’t flying across the world for work. He was flying for love, keeping the flame alive between him and Aliana.

Aliana’s sudden return to the country, Athena learned, was no coincidence. She was pregnant.

The first time Athena came face to face with the reality of their bond was through an anonymous text. The message was simple but devastating: a sentence and an ultrasound report.

The report was for Aliana and was dated just a week prior.

“Athena, you’ve lost.”

The words hit Athena like a punch to the gut. Her blood ran cold as her world crumbled around her.

From that point onward, the anonymous number became a constant presence in Athena’s life, sending daily updates about Aliana’s every move. And every time, the man standing by her side was Emmett.

Two days ago, the number sent something new: a video. The footage showed Emmett, lips locked in a passionate kiss with Aliana, their chemistry undeniable.

Aliana’s voice echoed in the next message, laced with mocking venom. “Emmett says you’re like a corpse in bed, not even worth one of my toes. Do you really think you’ve secured your place as the young mistress of the Davidson family? In my presence, you’re nothing.”