Chapter 15 – Fleeting warmth
Athena
“Mr. King, what-” Mr. Dalton starts, but Alexander’s cold voice cuts through.
“I suggest you think carefully before uttering another word, Dalton.”
A heavy silence falls.
Melanie’s father pales “Mr. King? Do you know this cri- young lady?”
Alexander doesn’t even spare him a glance. His focus is solely on me, his eyes locking onto mine like he can read everything I’m thinking.
I try to figure out what he’s thinking but I come up empty. He gives nothing away.
“Get up.” His voice is commanding. Making all the hairs on my body rise.
I remain frozen, my body is unwilling to obey.
Mr. Dalton clears his throat.
“Mr. King, this is a serious matter-‘
>>
Alexander’s gaze finally shifts to him, sharp as a blade. “Serious? You mean this pathetic attempt at framing my-”
My heart pounds even harder. Hope is starting to grow like a balloon.
“Framing an innocent lady?”
And it pops.
Painfully so.
Melanie’s sobs long ended. Her face is horrified. I bet she didn’t see this coming. Neither did I.. Her father turns red, but before he can explode, Alexander pulls out his phone and tosses it onto the desk. The screen lights up with a paused video.
“Play it,” he commands.
Mr. Dalton hesitates before pressing play.
On the screen, grainy footage from a security camera shows Melanie in the parking lot. She’s alone–until a guy in a hoodie steps up to her. They exchange a few words, then suddenly, she throws herself onto the ground.
She punches her own face.
Gasps fill the room. My own stomach twists in disbelief.
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+20 BONUS
This little bitch! I even felt guilty..and sorry. What kind of insanity is this that she’s willing to put herself through such kind of pain just to ruin me?
“No,” Melanie breathes, her face paling.
The video continues, showing the hooded guy sprinting off while Melanie lies there, whimpering.
Alexander’s voice is pure ice. “Tell me again,” His eyes turn to her and we are all sure his gaze alone is enough to burn-“Who attacked you?”
Melanie’s father turns to her, his fury now redirected. “Melanie,” he hisses. “Tell me this isn’t true.‘
Melanie’s lips tremble, her eyes darting everywhere but at her father.
“I–I-”
“You’ve humiliated me!” he roars. “You lied-”
“I just wanted her gone!” Melanie wails. “She doesn’t belong here! She’s just some orphan playing doctor-”
Alexander takes a step forward, his towering presence swallowing the room.
“And yet, it’s you who won’t be belonging here anymore. You’ll be a little stay–at–home daughter playing house. You almost ruined her life and now I’ll return the favor.” He cocks his head to the side and I swallow.
I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever he has planned.
“I’ll be so kind and pass on the gesture to your father too.” He says with a smile and the old man pales.
It’s like he’s seeing his worst nightmare come to life.
“Please… I didn’t mean to…‘ ))
“I’ll make sure I discipline her! Please…” Her father joins in and I watch with no words forming in my mouth.
How did he get the footage so fast?
Something warms in my chest. Something that shouldn’t even be done because when he swallows these three, it’s me he’s
coming for next.
Mr. Dalton exhales shakily, rubbing his temples again. “I will be reporting this to the board. Expect a disciplinary hearing.”
“I expect more than that. I’ll ensure I check on this case myself.” Alex speaks and Mr. Dalton is up in his seat.
“Yes sir. Of course. We can even record it for you since you’re so busy.”
Melanie breaks down into loud sobs as her father turns his wrath on her. Alexander, however, is done giving them attention. He turns to me, his expression unreadable.
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go.”
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My feet finally obey, and I rise shakily, following him out of the office, my pulse still erratic. I still can’t believe what just
happened.
The hallway is deathly silent as we walk. My footsteps feel too loud, my breaths too uneven.
Alexander’s presence beside me is a force of nature–unrelenting, suffocating. His expression remains cold, his gaze fixed
straight ahead.
He doesn’t acknowledge me, doesn’t say a word. But I can feel the weight of his fury pressing against my skin, making it hard to
breathe.
I keep my eyes on the floor, my heart pounding as we step outside. The afternoon air is cool, but I feel no relief. The Mercedes SUV
parked in front of us seems ominous, like a trap waiting to spring shut.
He moves first, pulling open the passenger door. The sound of it unlocking makes me flinch.
“Get in.” His voice is pure steel.
I hesitate. My pulse thrums wildly as I look up at him. His eyes are unreadable, cold enough to freeze me where I stand.
“I–I can walk,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
His jaw ticks. His fingers flex against the car door. “I won’t say it again, Athena.”
The way he says my name sends a chill down my spine. I swallow hard, then slowly lower myself into the seat. He slams the door
shut behind me, the sound making me jump.
The drive is silent. Tension coils thick in the air, wrapping around me like a noose.
I don’t dare move, don’t dare speak. I only steal a glance at him from the corner of my eye. His grip on the wheel is tight, his
knuckles white as he drives with one hand. His expression is carved from stone, his lips pressed into a thin line.
I want to say something–to thank him, to explain, to apologize, to ask why he helped me at all. But the words die in
The atmosphere is too heavy, too dangerous.
my
throat.
Minutes stretch into an eternity before the car rolls to a stop outside the penthouse building. My heart hammers as I turn toward
him, gathering the courage to speak.
I part my lips, but before I can get a single word out, his voice cuts through the silence like a blade.
“Don’t say a fucking word to me, Athena.”
I freeze. His eyes meet mine, dark and merciless.
“Get the hell out of my car.”
The finality in his tone is like a slap. My fingers fumble for the door handle, and I barely manage to push it open with my
trembling hands. The moment my feet hit the pavement, the door slams shut behind me.
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I stand there, stunned, as he speeds away without another glance back.
And just like that, the warmth I felt for a fleeting moment is gone, replaced by the bitter sting of reality.
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