39#39

39

"Athena... Athena, I beg you, don't go!"

Emmett's voice broke, filled with anguish. His feelings overwhelmed him so suddenly that he unexpectedly threw up.

But Athena remained unresponsive, her determination unwavering as she ended the call. She had no desire to speak to him again. The last decade? It might as well have been thrown to the wolves. She was determined never to be caught in Emmett's snare again.

Their initial encounter was when they were both merely five years old. It was a pleasant evening when a shy, delicate little girl entered his world, her guileless eyes meeting his as she addressed him as "young master."

Emmett had grown up devoid of parental love. His early years had been empty of affection. However, the new couple and their darling daughter introduced him to something unfamiliar, a sense of warmth and gentleness that felt like home.