19#19

19

Emmett hesitated mid-stride, a brief flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Ultimately, he decided to deceive.

"There's an urgent situation at the office that needs my attention," he stated.

Athena's eyes locked onto him, her voice quivering with a soft request. "Will you return?"

Emmett's heart raced at the gravity of her inquiry. He forced a grin, the falsehood flowing easily. "Of course I'll be back. Just wait for me, alright?"

Without further comment, he hastily exited the room, his quick footsteps resonating in the quiet.

Athena perched on the bed's edge, time crawling by agonizingly. She remained there from midnight until 3 a.m., a growing void in her heart.

But Emmett never returned.

As the night progressed, Athena's phone vibrated with more images from Aliana, each one a painful reminder of her triumph.