90 Proof?
Fiona flinched at Ewan’s words, pulling away slightly. She couldn’t believe he had just accepted
his want for Athena.
She watched him revert to his signature cool facade, and knew that if she did nothing at this time, she would lose him forever.
Fiona shook her head subtly. Yes, Athena’s clutches were knee deep into her man, but she would never give up! She has come too far for Athena to have him all to herself!
So, she suddenly leaned forward, almost as if she wanted to grasp Ewan, to pull him back into her orbit. “I can show you that I can change! Just stay with me, Ewan! I’m also in your past!”
Fiona was ready to be termed frantic and desperate by Ewan, so long as he bought into her
words!
“No!” Ewan raised his voice, frustration spilling over. How had Fiona become this desperate? “I can’t, not like this. Your way of showing love feels more like a shackle than a bond. I need space. Space to think. Now, I think breaking the engagement was a good choice.”
Fiona bowed her head, gritting her teeth, feeling the sting of his words. She had known their relationship had been strained, but now it felt like a chasm, gaping and insurmountable.
What can she do now to salvage the situation? How can she turn Ewan against Athena again? Especially now that he thought her to be psychotic?
The moment stretched, each second laden with palpable tension.
Then an idea happened.
Fiona raised her gaze, tears glimmering in her eyes. She made sure she had Ewan’s steely gaze, before she finally unleashed her weapon.
“I truly saw your moments with her, Ewan. You were so intimate with her. Can you blame me? Can you blame my actions?! I was so afraid you would choose Athena over me. It’s not fair. I’ve been with you all these years. I didn’t know what else to do, especially when she sent me those pictures!”
The implication of her words lingered in the air, a heavy weight that felt like it might suffocate Ewan. He shook his head, struggling to process the information. “What pictures?”
He unfisted his clenched hands. “Who sent you pictures? What are you talking about?” He had thought that Fiona had stalked him earlier, but it seemed that was not the case.
Fiona’s expression changed, feigning a mix of sadness and anger. “Who else, if not Athena?! She sent me a picture of you two, looking all cozy and happy!”
Fiona turned her gaze towards a nearby table, rifling through papers with a trembling hand. “Look, here.” She dug out her phone and swiped through several photos, her hands shaking slightly from a mix of anxiety and adrenaline.
in the room felt thick as she
The finally presented the images to him, holding it out almost
90 Pract?
like trophy.
Ewar squinted at the screen, heart pounding as he took in the sight of Athena and he, captured in a moment of laughter. The image portrayed them leaning toward one another, radiant smiles etched across their faces.
He wracked his brain, trying to remember the context, but all he could think about was how deeply engrossed they had been in conversation–not just laughing together.
“Ewan?” Fiona’s voice broke through his thoughts like glass shattering. He searched her any sign of the truth, feeling a mix of indignation and concern rising within him.
eyes for
“I don’t remember that picture being taken.” He said, his voice steadier than he felt. “We were talking about… Well, you know. Therapy. Life. It was deep.”
Fiona smirked, the edge of triumph creeping into her voice. “Oh, please! It looks like you two are about ready to elope. I mean, the chemistry between you is off the charts!”
“I don’t care about how it looks. Ewan said calmly, throwing the phone on the bed. “But this isn’t a game. Fiona. Stop looking for clues. And I’m sure this is not from Athena.”
“Ewan” Fiona said softly, her brow furrowing. “You probably wouldn’t understand the lengths I would go to keep you. Athena thinks she can have you back, but you know who you really belong with.”
Fiona’s tone was imploring yet possessive, a mix that unsettled Ewan. She held up her phone triumphantly, revealing the sender’s name. “This is from her. Look at the address!”
Ewan hesitated, but an unsettling sense of trust began to seep into his thoughts, despite the nagging doubt in the back of his mind that urged him to stand firm.
He took the phone from her and looked closely at the sender details. It was Athena’s number! “Are you serious?” Ewan muttered, his pulse quickening again. “Why would she send your
those?”
The idea of Athena scheming collided with the softer moments he’d shared with her, making him feel dizzy.
Fiona watched him carefully, a small, satisfied smile creeping onto her lips. “You know what she’s after. This just proves it–she’s here to disrupt our lives. I’m here for you, Ewan. Always
have been
“Fiona…” he started, but an avalanche of doubts washed over him. “This is insane. I can’t believe
this.
“You can choose to believe it or not, but she’s manipulating you. I wish I had done something earlier! I wish I could have just warned you!” Fiona’s words wrapped around him like chains. Ewan’s thoughts spiraled. Could Athena truly be that deceitful? He tried to hold onto the memory of their laughter without attaching it to feelings of betrayal. But the more he thought about it, the more muddled everything became.
“I’ve got to think, he muttered, when his head started to ache terribly.
90 Proott
But Fiona leaned in closer, her voice softening. “Ewan, I know I’ve made mistakes, but I can change. I can become better. We can work this out. We can work our marriage out. Just don’t allow her back in your life. Please, promise me you won’t let her win. She’s been plotting this from the start.”
The tension in Ewan’s shoulders relaxed, but only slightly.
“Okay, okay,” he replied, trying to sound reassuring. Yet, doubt ate at him.
What could Athena possibly gain from sending Fiona those pictures, when she claimed to have a husband already?
Was Fiona playing another game? Or was Athena truly scheming?
Ewan finally pulled away, unable to hold onto that anxiety–laced embrace. He returned to his room, after saying ‘Goodnight‘ to Fiona, the weight of the conversation lingering as shadows stretched along the walls.
Once inside, he closed the door and pushed the chaotic image from his mind, only to be met with a startling sight on his phone.
A barrage of notifications flooded the screen, drawing his attention like a moth to a flame. The news flashed prominently:
“Local Heroine Involved In Street Brawl”
Ewan stared, entranced as the video began to play.
Images of Athena surged across the screen in a flurry of movement and emotion, her determination shining through even amidst chaos.
She stood firmly against a group that heckled her, her voice ringing clear, empowering. She was winning, commanding, and Ewan felt a rush of conflicting emotions: admiration, confusion, and guilt intertwined within him.
Was she really manipulative? But to what end? Did she want to break his relationship with Fiona as she thought the latter had done to her six years ago? Then what next after that? Leave him hanging dry?
What about the twins? What was her game plan concerning them? He was sure she suspected his awareness concerning them. So, why was she holding out?
Athena, what are you planning? A revenge?
Although he felt bad again for leaving her there, after seeing the video, he quelled that instinct that urged him to reach out.
“She’s okay,” He muttered silently. And maybe it was better that he stayed away. But could he really?
His thumb hovered over her contact for a moment, the screen brightening as if illuminated by an unseen force. But he hesitated, unable to unravel the twisted thoughts slipping through his mind like sand through an hourglass.
90 Proof?
Inst ad. he dialed Sandro, knowing his friend would provide him some clarity–something he desperately sought but couldn’t find within himself.
“Sandro…”
“Ewan! You sound off. What’s going on?” Sandro’s voice crackled through the receiver, the familiar tone grounding him.
“I just… I’m trying to figure something out,” Ewan began, the knot in his stomach twisting tighter. “What do you know about Athena?”
A pause on the other side.
“I think she is a good person. Not perfect. But good. Better than Fiona, at least. And she’s definitely not the villain in your story, Ewan.”
Ewan sighed. How had he forgotten that his friend was biased when it came to Athena and
Fiona?
“Have you seen the news lately? I just saw a video of her fighting… It’s making me wonder about everything we’ve talked about, everything we’ve found out about her. We didn’t see that she’s skilled in combat. What else are we ignorant of? Isn’t it obvious she’s keeping a lot of secrets?” Sandro sighed, the sound heavy with concern. “We all have secrets, Ewan. I don’t think that’s enough to crucify her. Have you been listening to Fiona again? I suggest you get proof this time.
around.”
Proof? Wasn’t her phone number enough proof? Ewan thought, remembering the message that Fiona had shown him; the message that had come with the pictures.
‘Ewan is mine, and you can do nothing about it! He’s already dancing to my tune! He will be doing my bidding soon enough!”
As much as he was flattered that Athena still had eyes for him, he was not okay with being seen as a property owned by a puppet master. He hated that feeling. It reminded him of Zack.
He will be doing her bidding soon enough? What bidding was that? What did she want? Why did
she return?
“Hey Sandro, by all means get the DNA samples before this week runs out.”
“But…”
Ewan ended the call. He was done with the games. It was time he took the bull by the horn.
