Zaden drove them to the airport. Tommy had already booked their plane tickets the night before. All Athena needed to do was bring her ID. He parked the car in the airport lot, unbuckled his seat belt, and got out. Then he helped Athena unload her luggage before grabbing his own. This was a personal trip, not a business one, so he didn't bother arranging a private jet. It was a simple, low-key trip that wouldn't attract attention. ... An hour later, they arrived in Mofpolis. Athena had never been there before, but she wasn't worried about this. Zaden led her to a fancy five-star hotel with a modern, elegant design. When they checked in, she noticed he only booked one room. Athena muttered inwardly. Of course, Zaden's up to something again. She was certain he had other intentions for coming along. Athena told herself she wouldn't give in, not until she was ready to forgive him. She let out a quiet huff, pretending not to care, but her thoughts were racing. After checking in, the hotel staff carried their luggage upstairs. Once the bags were placed neatly inside, the staff left. The room fell silent. Now it was just the two of them. The sudden quiet made Athena uneasy. She wasn't sure what to say or even what to do. A small regret began creeping in. Maybe agreeing to this trip had been too impulsive. If she really wanted to gain experience, she could've gone with a professor on her own. There was no reason she needed Zaden by her side. That thought didn't cross her mind back then, not when he had kissed her so suddenly that her brain completely shut down.Athena lightly smacked her forehead. Figures. Beautiful men are dangerous. No wonder he kissed me the second I got in the car. Athena mentally added another mark to Zaden's "bad record". "Are you hungry?" Zaden asked, noticing she was standing there, and her expression changed rapidly. "Want me to order something for you?" His question pulled her back to reality. "Fine," she said with a sigh. "Order whatever you want." Honestly, if they didn't eat, she had no idea what they were supposed to do together anyway. Zaden called room service and ordered several local dishes. Before long, the food arrived, filling the room with a rich aroma. "Come eat," he said, motioning her over. They sat down at the table. Zaden barely touched his food, focusing instead on piling food onto Athena's plate. She hadn't been that hungry, but since he kept serving her, she felt she had no choice but to eat. By the end of the meal, Athena was slumped on the couch, exhausted. She rubbed her stomach, which felt uncomfortably full. Athena almost felt like she was pregnant again. Zaden was tidying up when he noticed Athena rubbing her stomach. He raised an eyebrow and asked with a teasing smile, "What's this? Missing the days when you were pregnant?" Athena rolled her eyes at him. Seriously! Is this man a mind reader or something? How did he always know exactly what I'm thinking?Once the leftovers were cleared, Zaden sat down beside her. His expression turned serious. "Let's talk," he said. The words made Athena tense immediately. All those times before, it had always been her asking to talk to Zaden. But this was the first time he had mentioned it. She had no idea what he wanted to say. Athena straightened up on the couch, her expression serious. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked. Zaden stayed silent for a moment, as if trying to figure out how to start. Athena didn't push him. She just waited quietly, watching him, giving him space to speak. Still, her mind couldn't help wandering. Was he going to talk about Maya? That was the only unresolved issue left between them. "Athena," Zaden said in a deep voice. "This whole thing made me realize something important—I'm afraid of losing you." "What?" Athena turned to him in surprise. She hadn't expected those words to come out of his mouth. He's afraid of losing me? Zaden kept his eyes on the road and went on. "You were angry because of Maya. When you moved out, I panicked. I was scared—really scared—that I'd lose you for good. And in that moment, I finally understood. Maya doesn't matter to me at all." He let out a long breath. Maybe it was because he'd never been good with emotions. Maybe it was because Maya's betrayal had left a wound that never fully healed. Over the years, he'd told himself he was over her.Deep down, part of him still held on to that ghost of regret. He hadn't realized it until now. It was Athena's anger, her distance, that finally made him see the truth. Between Maya and Athena, the scale in his heart had shifted. And for the first time, he knew where his heart truly belonged.