Chapter Six
Athena
My eyes widened in horror. "Absolutely not!" I hissed. "Are you kidding me? She’s going to kill me!"
"Better my mother than Scarlett," Serena replied. "Remember what happened to poor Heather Vaughn two years ago? At least Heather’s dad wasn’t a murderer. Your punishment will be way worse."
My palm grew sweaty, and my heart raced as I weighed the pros and cons. Nothing sounded good because, either way, I might end up dead.
"Why..." My voice cracked as a sob caught in my throat. "Why?!" I yelled at her, catching her off guard.
"That was a good deal," she said, glancing down at her phone. "But since you’re saying no, I’ll just send the photo to Scarlett and let her deal with you tomorrow." She showed me Scarlett’s name on the messaging app alongside the photo she was about to send. "Five… Four… Three… Two…"
"Okay! I’ll do it!" I hissed through gritted teeth. "I’ll do it."
"Up you go." She gestured toward the spiral staircase.
I took a deep, shaky breath, released it slowly, and made my way up the carpeted stairs to the master bedroom. I knew the password to Beatrix’s laptop, so accessing it wasn’t difficult. However, typing one-handed made it slow going. I sent the email, shut the laptop, and slipped out of the room.
"Done?" Serena asked when I returned.
"Done," I muttered.
"Deleted." She smiled, showing me the screen before turning and walking away.
"Bitch," I muttered under my breath.
I wouldn’t put it past her to double-cross me and send that photo to Scarlett anyway, even after I helped her. I knew that what I had just done would definitely come back to bite me, but I hoped that when that day eventually arrived, it would come after I graduated from Emerald Crest.
The next day
I had a free period at eleven, so I went to ask for permission from the vice principal, Mrs. Mitchell. After she read the note from Beatrix—something I had painstakingly worked on the night before—she granted me permission to leave.
However, she must have suddenly remembered something, as she called me back and surprisingly inquired about Serena's absence.
“How’s Serena doing? I received an email from Mrs. Sanderson stating that Serena would be absent today. It’s nothing serious, I hope?” Mrs. Mitchell asked.
“Just a stomach bug that’s been going around,” I lied. “She’ll be fine. Thanks for asking, Ma’am.”
“Make sure you return before lunch break is over,” Mrs. Mitchell advised.
“Yes, Ma’am.” I nodded with a forced smile and hurried out of the office. I raced down the hallway to the front doors, pushed the door open, and stepped into the sunlight.
The distance from the school building to the gate was a bit far, but I ran all the way, found Alfred waiting for me at the curb, and climbed into the backseat of the car. Alfred was Beatrix’s driver and didn’t particularly like me, so I was surprised when he didn’t comment on my lateness and simply drove off.
I walked into Luxe Gems, an upscale jewelry store on Magnolia Street, which was just a ten-minute walk from The Belmonte Group. Even from a distance, I could see the magnificent high-rise glass building, and I briefly imagined Eros becoming the CEO of the company one day.
Upon entering, I met the store manager, who asked me to wait for a moment. I seized the opportunity to admire the extravagant rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces sparkling in the glass display case. I wished I had money to buy myself a belated birthday gift, but I didn’t have a penny to my name.
Serena and I shared the same birthday, but her parents had only celebrated hers, not mine. I had told myself it didn’t hurt because I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday with anyone other than my family. I convinced myself I wasn’t jealous of the expensive gifts she'd received or the money her father had spent on her party.
I reassured myself that none of that mattered, but deep down, I knew it was all a lie to mask the pain. Just as I was about to spiral into painful memories, the manager returned with Beatrix’s order in a bag and handed it to me. I thanked him and left the store.
As I approached the back door of the car, someone suddenly grabbed the bag from my hand and sprinted away with it. I stared in shock at the thief as he ran away, frozen and unable to do anything but watch him go.
I couldn’t even call for help while Alfred hurried out of the car and chased after the man. I slumped down onto the sidewalk, numb and consumed by the thought that Beatrix would surely bury me alive in her rose garden.
Alfred returned, panting heavily, but I couldn’t muster the strength to lift my head and look at him. Everything felt surreal, like a bad dream.
“Are you just going to sit there?” he demanded. “I’m calling her.”
“No!” I exclaimed, scrambling to my feet. “Please don’t call her.”
“Do you even know what was stolen? Do you have any idea how much was in that bag?” he asked. “Probably thousands of euros.”
“I know.” I took a deep breath and slowly released it, forcing my mind to think of a solution. “If I can find someone to lend me the money, I can come back and buy the same jewelry for her.”
“Right.” Alfred scoffed. “And who’s rich enough to lend you a thousand euros?”
“Just take me back to school,” I urged.
“I’m not going to take the fall for you, Athena. I hope you know what you’re doing,” Alfred grumbled as he rounded the hood to get into the driver’s seat.
“You’ve made it clear you don’t like me, Alfred. No one does,” I said defiantly. “I’ll handle this.”
I fought back tears, even as they welled in my eyes, my mind racing back to the encounter with the thief. It felt as if he knew exactly what I was holding and who it belonged to.
Everything had happened so fast, so suspiciously, and all I could do now was hope that the only person I knew who could help me would actually come through.
The car pulled to a stop in front of the school gate, and I rushed out, sprinting back into the building without stopping until I reached the cafeteria, where it was lunch hour. There was no sign of him inside, so I turned to search for him elsewhere again, only to collide with a hard chest.
“What am I supposed to do with you, Athena Sanderson?” Eros asked, releasing a masculine sigh. “Are you directionally challenged or something?”
“I’m sorry,” I replied, my voice earnest. “I really need your help.”
Eros raised an eyebrow in surprise. “My help? Now that’s a first,” he remarked.
“Can we… um… go somewhere private?” I suggested hesitantly.
“Are you planning to take advantage of me?” He feigned fear, turning slightly away from me.
Despite my heart racing like a bass drum, I couldn’t help but smile. Ice Prince Eros Belmonte was actually joking. I could hardly believe it.
“Um… I would never,” I reassured him. “I promise.”
“Very well,” he said, his curiosity piqued. “What do you need?”
I glanced around the cafeteria, ensuring no one was watching us. Everyone was preoccupied, eating and chatting loudly. I looked left and right, hoping no one was taking pictures of us, then I took his hand and pulled him along.
“This is a first for me,” he muttered, amusement lacing his voice. “I’ve never let a girl touch me before.”
Immediately, I released his wrist as if it were on fire, mumbling an apology. Time was slipping away, and I couldn’t afford to waste it.
“I need to borrow some money,” I said, urgency creeping into my tone. “Please, it’s a matter of life and death.”
“How much do you need?” he asked, his expression turning serious.
“Um… a lot,” I winced, feeling the weight of my request. “About… one thousand euros.”
“Why do you need that much?” he inquired, skepticism in his voice.
“I… I’ll pay you back… somehow. Even if I have to work after I’m dead,” I mumbled, staring at my feet.
“I don’t have that kind of money,” Eros replied. “Am I your first choice?”
"Well... you're my only choice," I replied. "I mean... you're..." My voice trailed off.
"I'm the president's grandson, and my dad is a trillionaire. Is that it?" he said, his tone challenging.
"It's fine," I said, turning my back to him to hide my tears. "I'll think of something." I walked toward the door, just about to open it when his hand shot out, slamming it shut and causing me to jump back against him.
"Why do you need the money?" he pressed.
"My... um... Serena's mother's jewelry was stolen by a thief on my way home. It all happened so fast... as if he knew I would be there at that exact moment," I explained, struggling against the panic rising in my chest. "If I don't return the exact piece to her... she'll bury me alive."
"Did you see the guy's face?" Eros asked.
"Um... no. He was wearing a black cap, black jeans, and a black sweater," I recalled, trying to piece together the memory. Then something clicked. "Oh! He had a tattoo of a cobra on the back of his hand."
Eros pulled out his phone, fiddling with it for a few minutes before putting it away. He opened the door and gestured for me to step out of the utility room.
"Will you... help me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"How do you plan to pay me back? Do you even have a penny to your name?" he questioned.
"I... I'll try to get a part-time job," I replied.
"Never mind," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't bother paying me back."
I stared at him in shock. "Really?"
"Yeah. It’s not my money," he shrugged, his demeanor nonchalant. "Let's go." Without waiting for a response, he walked away.