"I'm sorry. I messed up this time. It won't happen again. Please forgive me, and don't leave me." When Athena heard Zaden's sincere words, her heart filled with mixed emotions. He had dropped his pride and opened up completely, showing her his true thoughts. No matter how cold she tried to be, she couldn't stay angry anymore. Athena let out a long sigh. "Honestly, you're not totally at fault. We were already married, but our feelings weren't that deep yet. And what happened with Maya was in the past. I guess I was being a little petty to hold on to that." Zaden could tell from her tone that she wasn't mad at him anymore. He smiled slightly. Zaden felt that this whole trip abroad had turned out perfectly; it had helped melt the ice between them. Zaden looked at her and asked softly, "So … does that mean you've forgiven me?" Athena grunted. "I'm not angry anymore. But I'm not ready to completely forgive you. If I did, you might think you can get away with it next time." Zaden smiled helplessly. "Alright, then at least give me a time limit. What if you never forgive me? I'd never get to be near you again." After what happened, he realized just how much he needed her. He wanted to be close to Athena again, whether that meant her moving back home or him moving in with her, but Athena probably wouldn't agree with this. Athena thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait until this project is over. If you behave and nothing goes wrong by then, I'll forgive you completely." Zaden's eyes brightened. "Does that mean you'll move back home?" Athena frowned. She had only moved out two days ago. Was he serious about asking her to move back already?When he saw her knitted brows, the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. "Fine," she said at last. The tension in his face eased. When he looked at Athena again, his gaze had softened into pure affection. Athena had already given him a deadline. All Zaden had to do was wait. They talked for a while longer before Athena glanced at the clock and said softly, "It's getting late. I need to sleep. I'm visiting a professor tomorrow." She picked up her clothes and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came out, her hair still damp and cheeks glowing from the steam. Her fair skin carried a warm blush, like a ripe red apple. A few loose strands of hair curled playfully by her face. Zaden couldn't look away. His gaze darkened for a second. He wanted to pull her close, but he was worried she'd be upset. So, he swallowed the urge and forced himself to stay still. When she forgives me, he thought quietly, I'll wait until then. ... The hotel suite had several rooms, so Athena didn't feel awkward at all. She simply picked one, shut the door, and went to bed early, not giving Zaden another thought. The next morning, after washing up, Athena got ready to visit a private hospital nearby. When she stepped out, she saw Zaden already sitting on the couch, waiting for her. She asked in surprise, "Don't you have things to take care of?" He smiled lightly. "No. For the next few days, I'm completely yours." Athena couldn't help it. Her lips curved into a small smile. It sounded like a line straight out of a romance movie, but it still made her happy to hear it.She cleared her throat and said, "Fine then." Zaden stood up and added, "It's not easy to get around here, and the hospital's a bit far. I have an international driver's license. I can drive you wherever you want to go." He said it so earnestly that Athena couldn't find a reason to argue. She simply nodded and let him take the lead. Athena curved her lips into a teasing smile and said, "Then let's go, driver!" She and Zaden were heading to one of the top private medical research institutes in the country. The place was equipped with the most advanced operating rooms in the world, where doctors could train through live simulations. The facility was equipped with cutting-edge neural feedback systems for surgery. Half an hour later, they arrived at the hospital. At the entrance, a blonde receptionist checked them in. When she saw Zaden's name on the form, her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Mr. Storm," she said, "are you here to see Dr. Windal? I'll notify him right away." "Yes, thank you," Zaden replied with a polite nod. The receptionist gave him a bright smile before turning and walking toward the interior hall. Athena's gaze followed the woman as she walked away—tall, curvy, and clearly making no effort to hide the way she'd been looking at Zaden. That look wasn't subtle at all—it was pure, open admiration. She sighed inwardly. Athena already knew Zaden had that effect on women, but she hadn't realized his charm was this universal.