Mio Re (#3)

Chapter 34: No More Hiding

"Ana, go play with Zeus. Lucian, you too," I ushered the kids away and braced myself for Athena to chew and spit me out in pieces. "How long have you known?"

          "Render a guess," she said, keeping her gaze intact on the kids with her arms firmly crossed below her breasts.

          "A week?"

          She chuckled, waving to Lucian who blushed once again. "Try two months."

          I shook my head with surprise. "And you haven't told anyone about it?"

          "As per Verona's wishes, I was planning on drawing you to us one way or another while keeping Leo's strict orders in my mind, but I tend to break rules, so I tried to get as much information as I could from your brother and boyfriend, but they were useless and didn't give me much." She shrugged and kept facing the kids. "Trying for so long to get things done that way, I had enough and dug into your life myself, and boy, was I in for a surprise."

          Helplessly, I plopped down onto the bench next to Soph who had been watching the entire ordeal unfold in silence. "And what are you going to do now?"

          "Oh, sweetheart, it's what you are going to do." She sat down beside me and propped her one smooth leg over the other with her back tactfully straight. "I should've told Leo about what I found right away, but it wasn't my place to pass on that piece of information. I was angry for the nerve you had to keep this hidden for years. My first thought was to break you completely, but I refrained and pushed you to your limits in Italy instead. It was truly exhilarating for me."

          "Of course, it was." My shaky hands shielded my distressed features from the kids who were getting chased around by Zeus. "What do you want from me now, Athena?"

"I want you to tell Leo everything yourself before he finds out about it from anyone else." Her naturally seductive eyes turned to me and rested for a bit. "He's flying in from Italy right now and will be landing in New York early tomorrow morning. I'll give you the number he'll be using and you must call him then. Do not hide anything from him this time like you did back in the elevator."

"You knew I lied in there. Why didn't you tell him then?"

Humming in thought, she turned her eyes away and resumed watching the kids play. "It wasn't completely a lie, was it? And besides, I understand why you kept your mouth shut. You need great courage and will to move to an entirely different state and start a new life as a pregnant young girl. Then dealing with everything under the stress of medical school, running a hospital, and having three kids." Despite her dislike for me, she couldn't help but let a little smile surface on her face as she glanced at me. "I can respect your diligence, Arie. You have kept the children safe and under great care, providing them with everything they need. In all honesty, I'm very impressed with your tenacity and vigor to shuffle kids and school at the same time."

          It was the first time I had seen her fairly content with me and it was a hard fact to swallow. "Really?"

          She rolled her eyes. "Don't make me say it again. I have a slight heart attack every time I'm nice," she scowled then chuckled when I did. "But yes, I mean it. I admire that about you and even your ability to shut anyone's bullshit down. It's what I liked about you when Leo introduced you to me for the very first time."

          Clasping my hands in my lap, I lowered my gaze and scoffed at the distant memory. "That was forever ago."

"Anyway, you must call Leo tomorrow morning or else I'll take the kids to him myself and you won't be able to stop me." There she was, the Athena I was accustomed to. "He wouldn't be as enraged if he hears it from you. You better hope he doesn't ruin your life for this."