Athena froze for a second, then smiled softly. "Teri, it's been a while. How have you been?" "I'm good, Mom. You don't have to worry about me," Teri said sweetly. Hearing that, Athena finally relaxed. Her heart had grown closer and closer to Teri over time. Maybe after her separation from Dion, all her love had shifted toward this little girl. Maybe Teri had filled the space left by her missing daughter. Teri's eyes darted around with curiosity. "Mom, where's Dad? I want to talk to him." That question caught Athena off guard. For a moment, she didn't know how to answer. Some things were too complicated to explain to a child—things she was far too young to understand. Athena didn't explain anything. She simply said, "Hold on, sweetheart. I'll go get your dad." Athena stepped out of the room, phone in hand, and pressed the doorbell next door. After two rings, the door opened. Zaden stood there, fresh out of the shower. His damp hair fell loosely over his forehead, drops of water still sliding down the strands. The robe on his body hung carelessly, the belt tied without much effort. Athena couldn't tell if he was wearing anything underneath. The open collar revealed part of his chest—broad, firm, and dripping with heat. The sight carried a quiet, masculine charm that was both distracting and dangerously attractive. Athena's eyes swept over Zaden.Since her phone was still on the call, she said nothing but handed it to him. She planned to give him the phone and then head back to her room to rest, maybe coming back later to get it. But before she could even turn around, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Zaden pulled her into the room and shut the door behind them. Athena froze. Zaden lifted the phone so the camera pointed at himself. Athena stood close beside him, but not in view. When she realized she wasn't showing on the screen, she quietly let out a sigh of relief. She shot Zaden an annoyed look, her eyes clearly warning him to behave. But the smirk at the corner of his lips only grew wider. "Dad!" Teri's sweet voice came from the phone, cheerful and innocent. "Hi, Daddy!" Zaden's voice softened instantly. "Hey, sweetheart. I'm here." Athena noticed he still hadn't let her go. She frowned and tried to push him away, but he didn't budge. He moved the phone slightly to the side, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered, "Do you really want Teri to find out we're arguing? She'll worry about you." The moment she heard that, Athena froze. Zaden knew exactly how to corner her, and he wasn't afraid to do it. Athena was furious, but she didn't dare make a scene. Instead, she reached out and pinched Zaden hard on the side of his waist. Zaden frowned and let out a low grunt of pain. Teri, who had been happily chatting with her dad, froze at the sound. "Daddy, what happened?" she asked curiously.Athena's head was about to explode. Did he do this on purpose? What a pain he is! She shot him a sharp glare, silently warning him not to say anything stupid or he'd regret it later. Zaden kept a straight face and said, "A mouse just ran past." "A mouse?" Teri gasped. "There are mice in other countries? Daddy, can I see it?" "That mouse looked pretty scary," Zaden replied, keeping a straight face. "You'd better not. I don't want you having nightmares tonight." Athena was so mad hearing Zaden and Teri's conversation that she could hardly breathe. Athena nearly lost it. A mouse? Did he just call me that? She wanted nothing more than to shut him up right there, but all she could do was fume in silence, glaring at him while he pretended nothing happened. Athena wanted him to shut up! Zaden noticed the look in Athena's eyes. He raised one hand and tapped his cheek, hinting that if she gave him a kiss, he'd keep quiet. Athena glanced at the phone in his other hand. Zaden smiled and said to Teri, "Hey, sweetheart, want to see Dad's hotel room?" "Yes!" Teri answered excitedly, completely unaware of what he was up to. Athena couldn't believe it. Zaden was actually tricking their daughter with a straight face. Still, Teri couldn't see her from that angle. Zaden mouthed a silent "hurry" at her. Athena sighed. Her eyes showed both frustration and surrender. Finally, she gave in, leaned forward, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. It was the first time she had ever taken the initiative to get that close to him. For a moment, her heart stopped, then began pounding wildly in her chest. After the peck, she started to pull away. Zaden suddenly ended the video call and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest.