Chapter Nineteen

"You can't be serious? She actually proposed that absurd idea?"

Julian couldn't contain his shock either when Gabriel returned to the office that night instead of going straight home and called for Julian. It is an absurd idea, one that just might work.

"There has to be another way we can do it, without using her. The idea is sound, the method is not." Julian's jaw drops to the floor.

"Have you all gone insane? You really want to use someone as bait for these criminals? We have no idea what they are capable of, and last time they had the confidence to attack Athena in broad daylight. If I hadn't been there, neither of us knows what could've happened to her. Do you want that on your conscious again?"

Gabriel slams his fist down on the table, his nerves getting the better of him. Julian bowed his head in silence and refrained from saying anymore.

But how can Gabriel sit back and watch Miss Rose put herself in danger like that? It isn't a secret to someone like Julian who has worked closely with the young master for years, that Gabriel is more than invested in Athena Rose than just a mere tool or employee for him to use.

That's how Gabriel Monroe has viewed everyone in his life, even his family, as people that can be of use to him. If you aren't of use, there is no point of interaction or connection between one another. He doesn't understand basic human relations or the need of a friend.

The relationship between he and Athena is odd. He treats her like someone dear to him but always has to hold her at a distance for fear of putting her at risk.

Now, he is willingly putting her at risk!

"This isn't going to end well, you know that" Julian says, going against his better judgement.

"I'm not about to just hand her over to them, I want you to be always near her, like that day at the park, so you can see the moment they take her and where they go. I'll have the authorities on stand-by, once we have them cornered the police can take over from there, they won't have anywhere left to run and even if the leader of the whole group isn't there, they won't make it out alive without giving up their name."

It does sound like they two of them have thought it over and planned it out, but one small thing can still go wrong and unravel the whole thing.

Julian still doesn't understand how Gabriel can remain calm and cool headed when facing the idea of putting the girl he likes in danger, all for the sake of his own goals. What is Miss Rose getting out of this? She has quit her modelling career and no longer craves the fame and wealth like she did, she already has it all.

What are her motives for involving herself with Gabriel and the Monroe group?

"Whatever you're thinking, stop. I've already made up my mind on this, we'll be going out this weekend, so I need you to prepare the area and make sure everything is ready, so we have full control if they take the bait."

The bait? Is that all she is?

"Gabriel, don't you think you're being a little insensitive about this?"

"How so? It was Miss Rose's idea; I'm simply following along with her instructions."

Something isn't right here. Why would Miss Rose have suggested this? Is she that confident in her abilities to escape, or does she place that much trust in Gabriel to get her out safe?

"As you wish, Mr. Monroe," Julian bows and takes his leave, though his head is in turmoil.

Once Julian is out of the room, Gabriel slams his head on the table, his own head filled with just as much turbulence and confusion as Julian's. He can't figure out why Athena would suggest this either, with such confidence that she won't be the one to get hurt.

He has no other choice but to accept her plan and do as she said, hoping that she actually cares enough about herself. Since dinner the other night, Gabriel can't stop thinking about the fact that someone like Athena despises herself and her life so much, she wanted to just disappear.

She doesn't appear to be like that anymore, but people have a way of disguising what's really going on in their head, and no one is better at hiding their thoughts and feelings than Athena is. Gabriel can never get a read on her, can never tell when she is happy or sad, when she likes or dislikes something.

He has never had a hard time reading a person, especially after spending even just a little bit of quality time with the person, they tend to reveal their true personality silently and slowly. But Athena is a blank book, one you open and keep flipping pages even though they're all blank, hoping that there will be something to read at the end, and you haven't wasted your time for nothing.

Is he wasting his time? What is he even doing? Does he like her, or is he just interested in her? He can't recall when these thoughts became such an issue and started to invade in mind one by one, but now he can't stop the constant questioning of their relationship. What is she to him? A friend, a worker, or someone dear?

He wants to give her everything, hear her story and take away her pain. After discovering that she has been fighting with amnesia this entire time, along with an unfaithful father and deceptive stepsister, she has been on her own the entire time.

Alone. Not a single hand offered to help, to lift her out of the dark and remind her that there is light in her life.

"If someone had done that, would she still tried to leave?" he mutters.

He slaps a hand over his mouth, not meaning to speak out loud and forgetting he is alone in his office. He has grown used to always having Julian or Athena around him, they have been glued to each other's hip for such a short time, but it feels like a lifetime.

"I have to do something about these feelings..."

***

One Week Later...

Everything is set. Gabriel has informed Julian of the plan and what his role is, which isn't much different from the last time, but this time Athena will know he is there and where. She will have full control over the situation.

All she needs is a witness.

"Hello Stella, are you busy today? I know the last time we talked there was a lot of bad blood, so I was hoping we could grab a coffee or something today, so I can apologize for that day."

Once Stella agrees to meet-up, she becomes the last but most important piece of the puzzle. Athena gets herself ready in an outfit similar to that of Stella's style and appearance to appeal to the girl when she gets there. In the past, Stella always accused Athena of trying to copy her and be more like her, when it was always the opposite.

This time, she is willing to appeal to Stella to make sure everything goes perfectly. This is for the sake of Gabriel and his goals. She wants to pay him back anyway that he can, Gabriel has secretly been helping her since they met, and she owes him. Even if it's something small, she wants to do what she can.

As agreed, Stella is waiting for her inside the coffee shop when she arrives, looking lost and suspicious.

"As she should be, the tables are turning today."

"Athena, there you are! I must say I was really surprised when you asked to see me, I was worried we had damaged our relationship too much with our last argument, but I didn't know a good way to reach out and apologize. You understand," Stella says, the smile on her face as fake as her sweet tone of voice.

She is reveling in the thought that Athena has come to apologize to her first, she is going to admit she was wrong to Stella. The high and almighty Athena Rose will get on her hands and knees to beg Stella Madden for forgiveness, this should be good.

Stella stops and looks up at the café Athena had chosen to meet, shocked at the high-end jazz café that most people have to wait in line to get into, unless you have special access. Athena walks past the line of people and right up to the security guard at the front, flashing a card at him, he beckons her through.

"Are you coming? I hear the desserts here are really tasty," Athena calls back to Stella, who is still staring at her exchange like a gaping fish.

How in the world can someone like Athena get into a place like this so easily? Even with her fame and connections, she would still have to be placed on a wait list to even have a cup of coffee here, they host all live music, and all the artists are famed musicians from around the world who perform small shows for tons of money because so many people pay ridiculous amounts for the food and beverages there, just to see these famous faces.

"How are we able to get in here so easily, who have you met?" Stella asks, finding it hard not to look around in awe.

"What, you don't have any confidence in your stepsister to have a few tricks up her sleeve?" Athena smiles and slips the access card Gabriel gave her to get in today into her purse, hoping Stella didn't see the front of it when she showed the security guard, with Gabriel Monroe's name flashed across the front.

"Oh, well I guess I should have more trust that you know the best places to go to in Luxe City, we should go out like this more often, we haven't had the chance to get to know each other and we're practically family now."

Athena grits her teeth at the word 'family'. These despicable people will never be considered her family, or anything close to it.

"As you know, it's only ever been my parents and I for such a long time, I've grown accustomed to being alone, I never experienced what having a sibling is like, especially another girl very close in age to me. It's natural for someone who has grown up without anyone else in their life to be wary when someone suddenly does, am I right?" Athena flashes and innocent smile while sipping her iced coffee.

Stella gives her a stiff smile back. The art of conversation, something that Athena has always been very well skilled in. She can tear a person down silently while smiling.

"I just wanted to apologize and clear the air if you have ever felt any hostility from me, it was never my intention," Athena says.

"Of course not, I can understand. It has only been my mother and I for so long, and although we were always there for each other it's not the same as having a sibling or someone else who you can relate to so closely. I'm glad we're able to get together like this."

"Me too, and actually I wanted to give you a gift, to really say I'm sorry for the way we treated each other before. I know you have an eye for fashion and are always wearing the latest trends, so I got you the newest jacket from Versace's latest collection."

Athena pulls out the black sheer jacket and hands it over to Stella, whose eyes are the size of beach balls.

"Are you serious? Where did you get the money for this?" Stella blurts out. As far as she and her mother are concerned, their father has control of the family funds at the moment, meaning Athena should only have access to the allowance he gives her, which isn't supposed to be anywhere near what Stella secretly gets.

What they don't know is that Athena has gone ahead and sold off some of the smaller properties left in her name that she was able to get a hold of from Mr. Collins. She has stored that money away for a moment like this, even though the jacket hardly made a dent. They forget that she was also making money as a model and even though Athena was known to splurge that money, the new Athena has learned not too.

Since Chloe grew up chasing money, she knows to hold onto it once she has it. They say poor people stay poor because once they get money, they're so desperate for it and aren't used to having it, they spend it too quickly.

But that isn't necessarily true, especially for those who aren't only desperate but ambitious for wealth.

Stella proudly dons the jacket, probably feeling one step closer to the fake rich girl life she is living. Little does she know; Athena is well aware that she lacks proper fashion knowledge and has no idea that this jacket actually came out last year, but she could never afford anything other than possibly a pair of sunglasses from Versace to even look at their clothing.

Athena has worn this jacket before and it's the jacket she wore the day before she was kidnapped, and many times before, but she doubts Stella would ever remember that. For someone so eager to become her, Stella is really oblivious to her life in general.

"I was thinking after coffee, we could visit that new boutique that just opened up down the street," Athena says, needing to get them out and in the open for the next step of their plan to take place. She has her witness and her key item, now it's time to wait.

The agreement was that Athena would walk out into the open with Stella and be visible long enough for one of the criminals to spot her, if they're watching them. Once she does that, she has to find a way to break off from Stella.

"I just have to make a quick phone call, I'll meet you inside," Athena says and takes out her phone, giving Stella a tight smile before ducking out the door. Once she is clear from the front she dips around the back of the building and waits. Once she feels it has been long enough, she texts Stella to meet her across the street in front of the bookstore if she is done shopping, her phone call is taking longer than expected.

Once she sees Stella waiting outside the bookstore, still wearing the jacket despite the heat, wanting to show off her 'new' flex, Athena texts Gabriel that everything is ready.

After about 15 minutes of Stella standing alone, a dark figure from the alley next to the bookstore steps out, hood drawn over his face and mask covering his mouth so all you can see is a smidge of their eyes, but from this distance Athena can't make out any distinct features.

Another one slowly emerges from behind an empty street vendor, something glinting in the sun in their hand catches Athena's attention.

Shit, is that a weapon?

Panic starts to set in as she watches them communicate to each other silently with their hands, before approaching Stella.

They didn't have any weapons last time, they just tried to drug and take me! Did they bring a weapon this time because they're expecting trouble, or are they really trying to kill me?

Athena doesn't have time to think, she just reacts, rushing out from behind the building towards Stella, she is just a fraction of a second too late. The man from the alley manages to grab the sleeve of her jacket and yank her to the ground without a person noticing and drags her towards the darkened alley.

"No, Stella!" Athena cries out and breaks into a run, but a foot comes out and trips her, causing her to land straight on her head and instantly lose consciousness. The last thing she hears is the earth rattling scream from Stella.