Goddess Of The Forbidden Three

4

Athena -

The taxi pulled up in front of the dazzling Crownlight dominion, and I stepped out, pausing for a few seconds with my eyes fixed on the skyscraper before me.

Then, with the most determined heart, I walked forward, carrying myself with the same elegance I once had before tragedy struck and heartbreak drained me.

I had demanded a face-to-face meeting with Adrian Crown, and after leaving my messages unanswered for days, he finally sent one earlier today.

Come meet me at Crownlight Dominion. I will spare only a few hours.

A few hours, he said but I don’t need that long. Not when I’ve already made up my mind.

The receptionist in the lobby stopped and stared at me for a moment, then bowed slowly and pointed me toward the stairs. I took them, letting them carry me up to the terrace.

There he was. Adrian Crown. Leaning against the corridor in his princely attire. A man of grace in a place of power.

I halted a few steps away, and as though he sensed me, he turned. His eyes locked onto mine, dragging back memories that ached in my chest.

I had vowed to spend the rest of my life with him, for better or worse, yet he had never meant the same for me.

Now, standing before him, I realized the truth I should have long accepted. That I had been a fool and Adrian Crown never loved me.

His heart had always belonged to Belle, and I was too blind to see it until betrayal forced my eyes open.

I was more foolish still, crying over him, until the words of Luna Queen, Kastra whispered sense into me.

If a woman like her could survive her husband, her mate, bringing home another woman and declaring her as his true love, then who was I to weep endlessly over Adrian’s betrayal?

“I came to…”

“You look beautiful.” His interruption was soft, tender, and it caught me off guard. His gaze roamed over me before settling back on my eyes. “Why did you want us to meet?”

At his question, my heart went cold. Bitterness crawled back in. He didn’t even look guilty. Not for choosing Belle. Not for proposing to her publicly with the ring that should have been mine.

I looked at him quietly, and before I could stop myself, it slipped out.

“Why?”

The silence thickened. My throat tightened. Tears burned.

“Why did you do it, Adrian?”

He stood there, silent for a moment, then finally said,

“I heard you went bankrupt, sold your shares, to pay for my treatment. Even your father banished you for setting foot in his corporation. I will settle you. I will…”

“You’re more despicable than I ever imagined.” My voice shook, low, but sharp enough to slice through him. His eyes widened. “And I hate you.”

Stunned at my defiance, he took a step forward, but I stepped back, brushing my tears away.

“I came to inform you that we’re over, Adrian. I know we were never official, but I want you to hear it from me. I’ll be married soon, and you and I are done.”

His eyebrows rose in disbelief, his face hardening with confusion.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“Heard what?” He shook his head sharply. “What nonsense are you talking about? Married? That’s not going to happen.”

“And who will stop me? You? The great fiancé of Belle Thane?” I asked coldly.

He stared at me in silence before murmuring,

“You know I hate it when you get jealous for no reason.” He shrugged, shameless, as if he hadn’t just shattered me. “Don’t you think it’s the best farewell your sister could get? She only has three months to live. Can’t you sacrifice that much for her? You heard what the doctor said the other night.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know.” His tone was calm, almost casual. “Belle is dying. She has three months left. Her last wish was for me to stay with her during her last moment. For old times’ sake… I couldn’t say no.”

I blinked, struggling to process.

If Belle wanted something, Adrian would always satisfy her.

He had gone ahead, proposed to Belle without ever telling me. Even before the revelation of the sickness, he had walk into the pack with her hand in his, declared he chose her and now he wanted me to wait patiently for three months while he played groom to her?

I exhaled slowly. The words of Luna Queen, Kastra echoed again in my mind. From now on, I would put myself first. Adrian had never loved me, and I finally knew it.

“I’ll be married soon, Adrian,” I said again, staring into his eyes, letting the truth drop like the heaviest rock. “To Caspian Crown.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. His face tightened, tension cutting the air between us. He took a sharp, dangerous step forward.

“What?”

“My father owes your father a debt,” I said calmly, though my pulse raced. “To settle it, they needed a bride for Prince Caspian. It’s arranged. Already in motion.”

I lied about the last part. It was never in motion. The Queen has told me herself I am not fit for Prince Caspian.

I hadn’t finished when his hand shot forward, gripping my arm. But instinct surged in me. The same hidden strength I still didn’t understand how I have acquired. I jerked away, matching his glare with one of my own.

“A man half-dead?” he mocked.

“The last I heard, Prince Caspian still breathes.” My voice was steady.

Adrian scoffed.

“And you think he’ll survive? Or that you’ll survive the castle?”

I jutted my chin stubbornly.

“Judging by how things are out here, I don’t think I’d survive here either.” My voice lowered into steel. “Enjoy your time with your fiancée, Adrian. If ever we cross paths in the Crown castle, it will be as your half-brother’s wife, not as the woman you once toyed with.”