Aria's Point of View

—Ding! —the doorbell rang.

For a moment, I remained motionless, without blinking.

Quinn, on the other hand, was already standing.

"I'll open it," he said quickly, with a childlike enthusiasm in his voice.

I wasn't prepared to witness another dramatic reunion, but I guess I had no choice.

—Of course —I replied.

Two days.

This moment had arrived just as quickly. Two days since Quinn had informed me—quite casually—that Zachary and Athena would be coming to visit. Two days of restless sleep, pretending my heart didn't clench every time I thought about it.

I remained still, trying hard to appear serene.

The door burst open.

"Quinn!" exclaimed Athena's voice.

She hugged him tightly, clinging to his shoulders as if she hadn't seen him in a very long time.

 "My son," he murmured. "You've lost weight."

Quinn giggled. "Mom, I saw you just two months ago."

"So that means I can't worry?" she snapped, leaning back to examine him from head to toe. "Are you eating well?"

—Nothing has changed —I thought—. Heavy makeup, always with heels and fake nails. Trying to recapture a youth she can never return to.

I swallowed.

Zachary was right behind her, his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed. When he looked up and met my gaze, time seemed to stand still.

He smiled. It wasn't a polite smile. It wasn't a casual smile.

A flirty smile, the same one that had made me want to be a mother.

I looked away immediately, clenching my jaw.

—No.

"Don't look at him, don't react," I warned myself.

 I hadn't realized how much I had missed his presence until I had him right in front of me, breathing the same air.

"Snap out of it, Aria," I told myself.

The man I had chosen instead of my husband.

I glanced at him again before I could restrain myself.

He seemed… simple. Effortless. Unpretentious. Just Zachary. And somehow, that made him more dangerous. More captivating.

"Good genes," I thought bitterly. "My son will undoubtedly inherit his face."

But not its bestial nature.

"Mom," Quinn said affectionately. "It's so nice to have you here."

Athena smiled even more, clearly pleased.

That was my signal to say hello.

I took a step forward. "Hi, Mom..." She interrupted me instantly.

"I'm not your mother," Athena said sharply, her smile vanishing. "I'm just Athena. Let that be clear."

She walked past me as if I wasn't there, her heels clicking against the floor as she entered the house.

I froze, humiliation overwhelmed me.

Quinn didn't say a word.

Not a single one.

I clenched my fists.

Three years.

Three years of marriage, and I'd grown accustomed to this treatment. Athena never liked me, and she never hid it. And Quinn—sweet, loyal Quinn—never stood up for me.

A typical mama's boy.

"Bring your suitcases," I said to Ian, our main driver, breaking the silence.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, moving quickly to obey.

"Take them upstairs," Quinn added.

Shortly after, we all gathered around the dining room table. The maids served the food. Chateau

Athena looked around, impassive. "Many things have changed in this house."

"This house," he began, clicking his tongue, "has no charm, Quinn."

Quinn frowned slightly. "What's wrong with that?"

"The paintings?" he continued. "Aria put a lot of effort into the color combinations."

For once, his eyes did not rest on me.

Athena waved her hand dismissively. "That's not what I meant."

"So what did you mean?" Quinn asked.

"The house has no life," she replied, scanning the room as if searching for flaws. "It feels... empty."

I held back from laughing.

"How curious," I thought. "Because that's exactly how this marriage feels." A marriage where the mother decides what happens in her son's life.

Zachary cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"I think the house is beautiful," he said calmly. "Flawless. Few maids. Clean." Calm.

Quinn shot him a warning look.

Something that amazes me about Zachary is how he uses a single word to describe things when he's with other people, but it's funny how he becomes a chatterbox when I'm around.

"Nobody asked for your opinion," Quinn snapped. "This is a family conversation, and you're not part of it. Eat in peace."

Zachary leaned back slightly, unperturbed, although I noticed he was clenching his jaw, but he remained calm.

Athena smiled mockingly.

"And the children?" she continued, speaking with disdain. "No one to say, 'Grandma, we miss you.'"

He turned sharply towards Quinn.

"It's time you got a divorce and married another woman instead of staying with this barren one."

Her words didn't affect me deeply; they would have if she'd come weeks ago, but not anymore. I wasn't the way she saw me; I was more like a mother-to-be, and because of people like her, I was prepared to keep the baby and disappoint her.

"Here we go again," I muttered under my breath.

Athena snorted. "You have a lot of nerve to answer me."

"Mom," Quinn said firmly, but in a warm tone, with no intention of correcting or reprimanding her mother. "A new wife won't change anything."

Athena shrugged. "It's the truth. If no one else tells you, I will."

"That's enough, Athena," Zachary said suddenly, slamming his fist on the table. "Silence isn't weakness. It's a reaction to stop making a fool of yourself," he added. I saw Athena's face change; she gripped her silverware tighter.

Fury was the word that described him.

That simple act filled me with love; tears welled up in my eyes, happy that someone I love was defending me.

"Break it... looks like you learned carpentry," I muttered under my breath. Zachary chuckled.

"Whose house, huh?" Quinn stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at Zachary.

"Sit down, Quinn," I pleaded, trying to ease the tension.

"Like who exactly?" he continued harshly. "My best friend, who slept with my mother behind my back, or my new stepfather?"

The room fell silent; you could even hear slow breathing.

No one spoke. Not Athena. Not Zachary. Not even the maids dared to say a word.