ATHENA

[A rose for every day I wronged you. I love you baby, please take me back.]

I stare at the small card with my mouth open.

What time did he arrange this?

I look around, and the floor is covered in red roses. Petals trail from the door tofn2231 Fresh chapters posted on FindN0vel/fn2231

the bed, some scattered in messy little bunches, others lying so perfectly they almost look unreal. The room smells like fresh flowers and heartbreak.

My heart thuds against my chest like it''s trying to w its way out.

"I think we are in the wrong room." I ce the card back down.

"No we''re not. The flowers are for you." A deep voice speaks behind me.

"You''re insane," I whisper, not sure if I''m talking to him or myself.

Alex leans against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, watching me like I''m the only thing in the room that matters.

"I am insane." He says, pushing away from the door frame, "But I''m in love with you."

I shake my head slowly, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.

"You can''t just buy flowers and expect everything to go away."

"I don''t expect it to fix anything." He steps closer,"I just wanted you to know I remember. Every single day, I hurt you. Every time I made you feel like you didn''t matter."

"And what? You thought a few dozen roses would make it better?" I try to sound annoyed, angry, anything but soft.

"It''s not the roses," he says gently. "It''s what they stand for. Regret. Memory. Hope."

I hate how those words make my throat tighten.

I look away, pretending to fix the strap of my bag, pretending I don''t feel tears pressing at the back of my eyes.

"Why now, Alex? Why do all this now?"

"Because I''m done pretending I''m okay without you." His voice lowers, more raw

now. "Because I''ve watched you take care of everyone, even when you''re breaking. And I realized I''ve never really taken care of you. Not the way you deserve."

I bite the inside of my cheek, hard.

He walks over to the nightstand and picks up another card I hadn''t noticed.

Quietly, he hands it to me.

This one just says:

[Please be mine again.]

I read it twice before setting it down because my fingers are trembling now.

"I should go," I whisper.

"You''re running away?" He whispers.

I turn, my heart pounding so hard I hear my ears ring.

"No. I''m going far away from you! This isn''t you, Alex. I bet you''re doing this for some hidden agenda. What? Is it the form you want? I was told billionaires are after it!" I say the only defense I can summon right now.

Alex takes another step closer until he''s in my space. I''ve been to stunned to move, glued to the fucking spot like a damn statue.

He raises his thumb and wipes an angry tear falling down my cheek,

"Don''t cry, it breaks my heart." He whispers, before his eyes lift to hold my gaze.

"I would never do anything to hurt you. Ever again. As for the form, no I don''t want it. That''s why I''m shutting the whole program down. Includingn''s." He says and move back with augh.  s

"That''s so far fetched even for you. You may be wealthy but you''re not the only wealthy man, Alex."

"No. But I''m the wealthiest. Besides,

I will be able to end it all through a friend of Dad''s. I''m sponsoring his campaigns and once he wins, we can get all this behind us Unless you want to revamp it, no one will pressure you."  s

"So you want me to believe you''re not interested in the one thing that can cure your weakness?" I raise a brow.

He shakes his head with a smile,

"My heart is fine. I don''t need the form, as for the weakness, there has been a

change. You and Rayen are. But I have no regrets."

His words hang in the air like fog, thick and impossible to breathe through.

I hate how warm it makes my chest feel.

"I don''t believe you," I whisper, even though a small, dangerous part of me does.

"You''re saying all the right things, Alex. That''s the scary part."

He looks at me like I''m the air he''s been begging to breathe.

"I''m not here to convince you with words," he says, his voice low. "I''ll prove it.

Every single day, if you let me."

I take a shaky step back, trying to keep control.

I feel it slipping, logic, distance, the walls I''ve spent years rebuilding with iron and

fury.

"I don''t know how to be around you anymore," I admit. "I don''t know how to look at

you without remembering how it felt when you left. When you didn''t believe me."

His face twists, pain flickering through those beautiful green eyes.

"I know."

I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to throw something at him and copse into

his arms all at once

But I can''t. I won''t.

"You should''ve fought for me," I say, my voice breaking. "You should''ve

chosen me without needing

evidence or time or space. You shouldn''t have shoved divorce papers down my throat!"  s

"I know," he says. "And it''s the biggest regret of my life."

Silence falls between us.

My fists are clenched at my sides as my nails dig into my palms. His eyes don''t leave mine.

It''s suffocating and Intimate all at once.

He takes onest step toward me and gently ces a single rose in my hand. It''s

warm from his touch.

I stare at the rose.

It''s ridiculous and It''s dramatic.

But It''s one thing Alex has never done. Hell he has been doing things he has

never done before.

But somehow... it doesn''t feel like a trap.

It feels like a new side of him only I get to see but I''d rather chew ss than admit

that to him,

"Move the stupid flowers, I want to sleep!"