Athena lowered her eyes, a faint, humorless smile tugging at her lips. To them, everything she'd done was nothing more than her "torturing" them. Her pain? Her burns? Her broken leg? Just a tantrum in their eyes. She rolled over in bed, turning her back on father and son. She didn't want to see their faces anymore. She wanted them gone—shut out completely. Lewis's brow tightened, irritation flashing across his sharp features. “Athena! Who are you putting on this show for? Dion's right—you've taken this way too far." Dion crossed his arms, chin raised. "Mom, you're gonna regret treating Dad like this!" Before Athena could even open her mouth, Lewis's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, expression shifting. Then he answered. The room was pin-drop silent, so Athena heard it clearly: Nina's soft sobbing pouring through the speaker, begging him to come. Lewis stiffened. "Dion, let's go." He shot Athena a hard, cutting look before walking out with their son. The silence they left behind hollowed out the room. Athena let out a bitter, breathless laugh. Her life really had become a joke. A husband who wasn't hers. A son who wasn't hers. A family that never belonged to her. She swallowed the ache rising in her chest, pulled out her phone, and dialed. "Riley, I need your help. I'm filing for divorce." The voice on the other end practically exploded. “Boss? Boss! You finally snapped out of it? We all thought you had lost it! Vanishing for eight years, pretending to be a stay-at-home wife, hiding your identity—seriously, we thought you were gone for good!" Athena went still.Maybe she really had lost her mind. So many years ago, she had met Lewis when he was being hunted. She had stepped in to save him—taken a blade that severed her hand tendons. Surgery helped, but she would never touch a scalpel again. She would never race a car again. Her piano was the only thing left. But her hands never healed well enough. Her fingers had grown stiff. Her music became uneven, clumsy. Eventually, even that slipped through her fingers. Eight years. Eight years of silence. Eight years of living as someone she wasn't. "Boss, relax," Riley said. "If you want a divorce, we'll make it happen." Athena blinked back into focus. "How long?" "For normal people? A week. For the Belmonts… maybe a month." “Fine.” She hung up and lay back, staring at the ceiling.If something wasn't hers, she didn't want to hold onto it anymore. One month. After that, she and Lewis would be done—forever. Outside the hospital, Dion clutched Lewis's hand. "Dad… is Mommy really mad? Are you guys gonna get divorced?" "No," Lewis scoffed under his breath. Then he added firmly, "She will never divorce me." Athena had been a stay-at-home wife from the moment she married him. Eight years of isolation from the world. No family to rely on. No friends left. Lewis was her only support—at least, that's what he believed. Without him, she'd crumble. She had no choice but to stay. Dion whispered, "But Dad… if you guys did get divorced, that wouldn't be so bad. Then Nina could be my mom. And maybe… maybe I wouldn't have to get shots anymore."Lewis's expression darkened. "Stop talking nonsense. Let's go." ... Later, Athena saw the news footage. Her condo was burned beyond recognition—nothing but blackened ruins. It felt like fate itself was cutting the final thread between her and Lewis, burning their past to ash. She wouldn't even need to pack. There was nothing left to salvage. Her leg was shattered from the explosion, wrapped in a heavy cast, but she didn't need to stay hospitalized. She checked herself out that same afternoon. She called her assistant, Kit Rice, to pick her up, then waited in the lobby. Suddenly, a little girl collapsed not far from her, clutching her chest, face pale and contorted in agony. Athena's instincts surged forward. This wasn't ordinary pain—this was respiratory distress.Grabbing her crutch, she hobbled over, lowered herself beside the child, and checked her condition swiftly, methodically. Despite the girl's eyes being squeezed shut, Athena could see her features—delicate, striking. She would grow into a stunning young woman one day. The symptoms were painfully familiar. Just like Dion's rare allergy. Unpredictable attacks. No permanent cure. But they could be eased. Without hesitation, Athena reached into her coat and pulled out the silver needles she always carried. Her movements were fast, precise. She placed them at the right pressure points one by one. Color slowly returned to the child's face. Her breathing steadied. Athena let out a long breath of relief. Just then, a pair of pale, strong hands reached down as a man moved in to lift the girl. Athena looked up—and blinked.Zaden Storm. Tall, sharp and coldly handsome, with a commanding presence that made people instinctively obey him. She knew him. He and Lewis belonged to the same wealthy circle. They'd crossed paths at events, though never spoken much. Rumor said he had a daughter. Rumor never said who the mother was. And now Athena knew who the girl was. "Wait," Athena said. She carefully removed each silver needle before giving him a nod. “Alright. You can pick her up." Zaden's dark eyes lingered on her, something unreadable there. Clearly, he hadn't expected her to have skills like this. The little girl finally opened her eyes. When she saw him, she lifted her hand weakly. “Daddy…” Zaden gathered her into his arms at once. His voice softened, low and warm. "Don't be scared, Teri. Daddy's here." He turned to Athena. "Thank you, Mrs. Belmont."Athena forced a smile at the title. Soon, she wouldn't be Mrs. Belmont anymore. Doctors rushed in then, pushing a wheelchair for little Teri Storm. By the time Zaden looked back to check on Athena, she had vanished. Outside, Athena pulled open the SUV door and climbed in. Kit turned, eyes wide. “Ms. Athena, what happened? You look like you've been through a war." Athena let out a small, ironic laugh. Why had she ever let herself fall this low? She should've never let it happen. "How's your task going?" she asked. Kit brightened. "Already working on it. The law isn't exactly on the side of housewives, but we'll get him another way. I'm gathering evidence on Lewis as we speak." Athena nodded faintly. She didn't care about the money. She was just tired—tired of playing the dutiful wife her father had wanted her to be. She had done her duty for eight years. In one month, the divorce would finalize. Then she could finally be herself again. "Let's go." The SUV pulled away, disappearing into traffic. Not long after, Lewis's car rolled out of the hospital. Nina sat beside him, Dion nestled comfortably against her. They looked like the picture of a perfect, happy family. "Lewis… our house burned down. What should we do?" Nina asked nervously. "We'll move into one of my villas," Lewis said. Excitement lit Nina's face—followed quickly by worry. "But… what if your mother finds out?" "No one will know—unless someone talks." His eyes slid to the driver. Lewis's assistant, Ned Hum, stiffened and quickly said, "Mr. Belmont, I won't say a word." "What about Athena?" Nina whispered.Lewis let out a dismissive scoff. "She wouldn't dare." Unless Athena wanted a divorce, she would never tell his mother. And divorce? Athena would never leave him. She could sulk, cry, or pout for a few days… but in the end, she'd crawl back. Lewis was sure of it. He knew Athena too well.