Once they were married, Aliana’s baby arrived, and he could bring the child home and pass it off as his and Athena’s. After securing the Davidson family’s legacy, everything would fall into place. He could do whatever he wanted, no longer tethered to this charade.
Yet, in that moment, a strange pang of heartache tugged at him.
The silence stretched between them as they lay side by side, closer than ever yet worlds apart in their thoughts. Neither spoke, both wrapped in their own worlds, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on them.
Just as sleep threatened to take over, Emmett’s phone rang, the sound sharp in the stillness of the night. He hurriedly left, his footsteps echoing in the quiet.
In the dark, Athena’s eyes flickered open, her gaze following his retreating figure.
“Emmett, where are you going?” she asked.
Emmett paused mid-step, his expression momentarily betraying a flicker of hesitation. But in the end, he chose to lie.
“There’s an urgent matter at work, and I need to handle it.”
Athena’s gaze fixed on him, and her voice trembled with a quiet plea. “Will you come back?”