Chapter 32 ATHENA
ATHENA
The silence is deafening.
I hear it even when I try to drown out the world.
It lingers in every corner of this house.
Since Ace told me about Uncle Angelo, the silence has become the loudest scream.
My uncle fights for his life, trapped somewhere between waking and death, while my father is slowly unraveling as if he were the one on that hospital bed.
They shared more than blood. They shared a bond deeper than brotherhood. My father used to tell me stories about those days—how they climbed their way to the top of the world, side by side, and now, everything is crumbling all because of me.
I am the reason Uncle Angelo fights for his life, and why my family is breaking apart. That truth has haunted me every sleepless night since the shooting. Dad flew out minutes after the news, and he’s been gone for days. And the silence? It’s even louder now.
Maybe it’s the guilt gnawing at my insides. Maybe it’s the knowledge that if I hadn’t been so stupid and reckless, Uncle Angelo would be safe. Dominic Stone would be dead, buried deep where no one could find him.
Would my father ever forgive me? Would I forgive myself? Uncle Angelo has been in a coma for a week with no improvement. My father stays at his bedside day and night. Ace has stepped up, helping, and Mom has vanished into the shadows, barely seen, always busy.
My family is falling apart, and I’m the one holding the match.
Standing in front of the mirror, dressed in a vintage long red gown that matches the fire in my hair, I feel broken.
I want to shatter this mirror, scatter the pieces across the floor so I never have to look at myself again.
I don’t deserve to breathe, not while my uncle fights for his life.
And I have to go to Mom’s birthday party as if everything isn’t falling apart.
Dad’s power and money have bought us silence. The shooting is a secret no one outside these walls is supposed to know, so we smile and pretend. We play the part while Dad is miles away, missing another birthday celebration.
Do you see what you’ve done, Athena?
Dominic Stone proved every accusation true. He never denied who he was; he was brutally honest, and I was a fool who chose to ignore the warning signs.
The door creaked open, breaking my thoughts. Mom walked in, radiant in a golden gown. The color made her glow against the darkness, but I saw through the mask. She was falling apart, too, yet she smiled when she saw me.
“You’re beautiful, Tini. As always.”
I forced a smile, though my cheeks burned with tears.
“I don’t think it’s right to have this party, Mom.”
“It’s not.” She agreed. “But it’s your father’s wish. We can’t draw attention, not now.”
“But it’s not safe.”
Nowhere is safe. Not with Dominic Stone out there.
“You have nothing to worry about, Tini,” she said, squeezing my hands. “Our guests will be screened thoroughly. No outsiders allowed.”
“But if—”
She shook her head, interrupting me.
“Nothing will happen. I promise.”
The pressure built inside me until I crumbled, collapsing into her arms, ruining my carefully done makeup with tears.
“Forgive me, Mother,” I sobbed, clutching her like a lifeline. “It’s all my fault.”
Over and over, until I was out of breath. She held me, whispering that it wasn’t my fault. But it was, and now it’s time to be strong and put family first, the way I should have from the start.
“Remember when I told you I didn’t know who kidnapped me?”
Mom nodded, wary, waiting.
“I lied.”
She pulled back, searching my face with silent questions. Her eyes begged me to continue.
“I’ve been lying this whole time. About everything.”
I couldn’t meet her gaze—ashamed beyond words.
How could I admit I’d fallen so hard for a monster?
But the truth was out now. The initials of Dominic Stone and his poison were branded on my soul, invisible but permanent. Mom’s eyes widened, like the storm inside me had crashed over her in seconds.
She saw it all, felt it all. The raw, desperate months I lived through.
“Oh, dear…” she whispered, voice breaking.
I wiped my tears, wishing it were that easy to wipe him away.
“His name is Dominic Stone. Garrett Stone’s illegitimate son.”
The words ripped through me as I spoke them aloud.
“Do whatever you have to with this information, but do it before it’s too late.”
—
“Smile for the cameras, Athena.”
Ace said through gritted teeth as we descended the grand staircase of our crowded mansion.
All eyes were on us. Well, on me. The Kings’ long-lost daughter.
They stared like I was a prey to be torn apart under their polished smiles, but Ace squeezed my hand; his quiet strength was my only shield against their venomous gazes.
“They’ll get bored soon enough,” he whispered, “and move on to the next scandal.”
I needed this now more than ever. After the conversation with my mother, my mind was a mess.
I expected rage or yelling. Maybe even a slap, something to punish me for being a traitor, but instead, she broke in front of me.
Tears slipped silently as she pulled me into her arms. I don’t deserve this, I thought, choking on the weight of it.
The crowd shifts when my mother enters, flawless and untouchable. The queen of the night. For a second, their stares abandon me, and I slip toward the Rivera table.
Their genuine smiles felt like a warm light in the cold room. Mrs. Rivera embraces me warmly, her husband offering a silent nod. We exchanged a few quiet words, and after they slipped away, just the five of us remained.
Isadora and Seraphina hadn’t changed much, except for the way they looked at me now.
Like I was a ghost who’d suddenly walked back from the dead.
Mason greeted me with a kiss on the cheek, then fell into a dull conversation with Ace.
The Rivera sisters and I just stared at each other until their faces broke into wide, heartfelt smiles.
They pulled me into a hug so tight it nearly stole my breath.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Isadora whispers, crying.
“You’ve changed,” Seraphina says softly. “But you’re still beautiful. Maybe even more.”
I looked down, unsure. Ace had said the same.
“I missed you both so much,” I breathe.
“We missed you, too,” Isadora said, shooting a glare at Mason. “We tried to visit, but no one would let us inside. Only that idiot had the keys.”
Mason smirked, wrapping an arm possessively around my waist.
“That’s because I’m her boyfriend.”
“Is that true?” Seraphina’s eyes sparkled with hope and surprise.
Before I could answer, Mason jumped in.
“We’re taking it slow. Trying to see where this goes, but I won’t screw this up again,” he promised. The sisters cheered like we’d announced an engagement, and even Ace smiled proudly, leaning against a table.
“About time,” Isadora said. “But Mason, if you hurt her, I swear I’ll beat your ass.”
“I’ll do it before you get the chance,” Ace said with a playful smirk and serious eyes. For a moment, it was like old times — just the five of us.
But they were right. I have changed. And I’m terrified it’s not for the better.
The celebration roared on around me. My mother held a speech, her smile a mask that hid everything.
For a moment, I let myself forget and just breathe.
Mason and Ace slipped away, leaving the girls and me alone.
The bartender poured each of us a glass of wine and left the bottle on the table.
The laughter died, replaced by a thick silence.
Their eyes held questions, but no one dared ask.
“You want to know what happened,” I sigh.
We want to know if you’re okay. That’s all.” Seraphina said.
“I’ll be fine,” I lie. “I wasn’t… hurt. I just need time.”
Time to forget him. I want to forget how alive he made me feel. I have to forget.
“To new beginnings.” Isadora raised her glass. I clinked my glass to hers, swallowing down the bitter hope. A new beginning without Dominic Stone. A fresh start where I’m not a traitor to my blood. Today is my mother’s birthday, but it’s me who makes the wish.