Denial

Athena kept a perfunctory smile on her lips as Zane led her to greet many people. Her arm enclosed in his, she was aware they were passing an image that they were together. 

At first, she had wanted to create a chasm, an awareness that it wasn't so, but now she decided to let the impression continue, not in the least ready to make an explanation to her father, who was approaching her now. 

Walking arm in arm with him was a middle-aged lady she hadn't seen in her entire life. Did the old man get married again? 

Nevertheless, she maintained an aloof countenance when Zane did an introduction; an aloofness, which didn't disappear when her father chuckled drily, before speaking.

"There is no need for an introduction, Mr. Zane. Doctor Athena is my daughter." 

It was Zane's turn to chuckle. "Mr Zack, your last name is Moore. I may not be good with remembering names, but I remember yours…"

Mr Zack blushed in happiness, pleased that the almighty Zane remembered his name. This caused him to raise his shoulders in pride; an act which caused Athena to pique an eyebrow. Her father was still the same, after six years.

"You are right, Mr. Zane. Moore is my last name. But Caddels is my late wife's last name. There had been a slight altercation in the family a few years ago, after my wife's death, and my daughter had left. It's no surprise that she had changed her name; however, it would explain why I had been unable to find her."

Unable to find her? Athena held back a bitter chuckle. She hadn't changed her name for the longest time after her exile from the city. 

She found the lie amusing, but she said nothing. There was no need for that. She wasn't planning to accept the man back as her father. He wasn't even that, in the truest sense.

So she stayed quiet, waiting for the lifting of the stillness, which transcended past their orbit and infiltrated the spheres of the other party attendees. 

 "Is this true, Athena?'' Zane broke the ice finally; his voice a template for coldness. 

Athena had told him that her parents were dead. Had she lied to him? 

"Not at all, Zane. I don't know the old geezer. I'm flattered, however, that he thought me beautiful and valuable enough to claim as his daughter…"

A snide chuckle followed Athena's answer, unsettling her father.

He didn't like the cold aura she was emitting; a material that only got worse, when she shifted her attention from Zane to him, and spoke;

"But it's too bad Mr. Zack. I'm not looking for a father." 

Zack furrowed his eyebrows, hearing Athena's rejection. But he refused to give up on his quest for her association and the profit he would garner if she married the trillionaire, Zane. 

"Athena, my dear… I know you are still upset about the little problem that had happened six years ago, but let bygones be bygones. Forget the past! Don't you miss your home?"

When Athena's face remained apathetic to his words, Zack panicked, and decided to tow the rare route.

"I am sorry for my anger, Athena. I'm really sorry, my beloved. You know how it always is, but…"

He stopped short when Athena raised her hand casually, as if tired of hearing a belligerent kid speak.

 "I'm flattered by your attention, old man. But I don't desire it. I am not your daughter." 

Athena ignored her father's sudden white face, a sheet of anger and frustration, and turned to Zane, sporting an icy smile on her lips.

"Can we get out of this space? The man is beginning to suffocate me…" 

Zane nodded, and glared at Zack, who stepped back in fear, especially as two guards materialized out of nowhere to escort him out of the venue.

 "Mr. Zack, your time here is up. Leave now. I won't tolerate anyone disturbing my esteemed guest." 

There was a bristling quality in Zane's voice, one that Athena has heard a few times; dangerous and terrible. Despite his jolly nature, this bristle voice quality, which came up once in a while, was why she thought him a predator.

And from her father's reaction of terror, it seemed she was right.

Athena watched, satisfied, as her father was escorted out of the hall with his date. Before he left from the first exit, however, he turned and glared at her. 

When Zane breathed deeply beside her, she knew he had seen it; she knew her father would pay for that particular glare. 

Zane was quite possessive of her.  And although it scared her sometimes, times like this made it alright. 

Yet, she wondered about how he would make her father pay. Two seconds later, she shrugged her shoulders.  She didn't care. 

She didn't care or shiver either when her eyes met Ewan's at the far end of the hall, not even when he started walking toward her, with Fiona. 

"Tell me the truth, Athena…" 

Athena shifted her focus to Zane, who was looking down at her with intense concentration. 

"Is he your father? Do you both have a history?" 

Athena sighed. There was no way she was escaping this. Lying would only cause more harm than good. And Zane was a good friend.

"He was my father, until he disowned me six years ago, until he revealed I was dropped at his barn by someone. A someone, who he cursed repeatedly before throwing me out of his town." 

There was silence where Zane ruminated on this. "Why would he do that?" 

"Because I was no longer profitable to him." Athena stated casually when Ewan came to stand before them with Fiona. 

"Ewan! How have you been, old cow?!" 

Athena furrowed her eyebrows when she heard Zane's mode of greeting her ex-husband, when he stepped forward and engulfed Ewan in a hug, which the latter returned enthusiastically, although his eyes never left her. 

They were friends? Wow, what a small world!

When they disengaged, Zane took up the reins of conversation. But Athena wasn't fooled. She knew he would continue his drilling about her history when the party was over.

 "Who is the beauty beside you, Ewan? Your wife? You didn't invite me to your wedding ceremony,  friend. That should be a new low for you!"

Ewan chuckled, and Athena held her breath in mild shock, not believing her heart. She secretly pinched herself, after the hearty chuckle sent tendrils of sexual excitement around her body.

She blamed this reaction on the fact that she rarely saw Ewan smile. But she would rather be dead than pine for Ewan, than making this discovery obvious.

"No, we are not married. We are just…"

Athena literally had to clamp her teeth at this point, to stop her tongue from spouting 'best friends??' She couldn't believe they were still keeping up the ruse. 

"…engaged for the now…"  Ewan finished, without even glancing at Fiona, as loving couples usually did.

Fiona, whose entire focus was on Athena and her possible relationship with Zane, wasn't in the least deterred. She was too distracted by her evil thoughts, to notice that Ewan has been glancing at Athena since they came before Zane.

But Zane noticed.

He also noticed the unusual coldness to Athena as she looked at Ewan and his fiancée, but he said nothing. There would be ample time for investigations later.

"I see, congratulations are in order then." Zane finally said, his smile not as vibrant as before. However, he still shook Ewan's hand.

Ewan, who nodded robotically to his friend's pleasantries, when all he wanted was to grab Athena, and ask her what she was doing here, what she was doing with his old friend. 

Was she with him for the money? How was she even a famous doctor? When had she gotten educated?

"Thank you, Mr. Zane. What about you and your lady? Is she your fiancée?" 

Athena held back a scoff. So like Fiona to ask stupid questions, just to compare ranks.

 "And how would that be your business, young lady?" Zane inquired, causing Fiona to blush in embarrassment, and Athena to chuckle heartily; a chuckle that only served to taint her graces in Ewan's eyes. 

Had he been a fool to believe Sandro six years ago? His ex-wife no longer looked innocent or docile.  Ewan thought, watching as Athena excused herself by tapping Zane's arm, her eyes communicating her reason to his friend.

He watched as Zane released her arm.

He watched as his friend watched Athena go to the restroom.

Suddenly, he became aware of the restlessness that rose in his chest. 

Suddenly, he became angry at his friend for watching Athena walk to the restroom.

Suddenly he became angry with himself for being angry in the first place.

This restless feeling made the decision for Ewan. It was time to get answers.

 And so, he excused himself from the party of three, and walked away, not minding how the duo behind him would perceive his erratic action.