Shadow of deceit

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Instantly she alighted from the bus, her succulent yet reddish heart – shaped lips parted into a wide joyful smile. In her right hand was a bouquet of orchids, while her left arm housed her raggy purse.

Those dark eyes of hers gaped at the gigantic hospital but unlike the previous months she visited, the air seemed pleasant.

Athena's persistent gaze on the large building would have continued, then again the rumbling of the dark night sky interrupted it. She glanced at the sky, then curved her plump lips at the thunderclouds – it was bound to rain anytime soon.

She knew better than anyone to stand and get drenched by the rain; her petite body couldn't endure the cold unless she'd caught the flu.

Again Athena returned her gaze to the hospital then walked steadily in with a large smile still on her lips. During her walk to a particular ward, she couldn't help but notice how intently people were gawking at her.

Did she have something on her face? She wondered yet when her fingers brushed against her cheeks and found nothing, she merely shrugged. People always stared for no specific reason anyway.

Done going through all due processes, Athena advanced closer to a ward and her delightfulness simply accelerated while her grip tightened on the bouquet of orchids – she was going to have an actual conversation with someone special for the past few months.

Yet, their meeting had to wait due to the presence of a doctor at the doorway. Apparently, she had been waiting for Athena for the past few minutes.

"Doctor Sandra, it's a pleasant evening, don't you think so?" Athena's smooth voice held so much thrill in it, and perhaps the cheerfulness got the young female doctor smiling.

"Of course it is! I mean, how can't it when Caleb is finally awake? I bet you're eager to see your beloved, right?" Sandra, the physiologist of Caleb, Athena's long-time sweetheart, responded with an equal amount of joy.

Athena didn't fail to display how flustered she felt by that statement. Shyly, she tucked a loose strand of her crimson red hair behind her ear. Her freckles covered cheeks were red instantly, and she simply nodded her head to Sandra's word.

Sandra chuckled at her shyness, then proceeded to place a hand on Athena's shoulder. The sudden contact made Athena lift her lowered head to gape confusingly at her.

"Sandra, is something the matter?" Fear was laced in her words while her lips slowly began to quiver frighteningly.

"Absolutely not. All I wanted to inform you about is that Caleb will be discharged soon. Sincerely, I'm quite shocked at how you raised such a large amount of money for his treatment, but I'm glad you did. You truly must love him, don't you?"

While she spoke, Athena's eyes were steadily turning teary – she had no one to love aside from Caleb. During her early and lonely days in the cold nights on the street in New York, he was the only one who reached out to her.

He accommodated her in his apartment and despite her reluctance to trust him, she ended falling crazily in love with him. Athena couldn't count the number of minimal jobs she had to indulge in just to raise enough money for his marrow transplant.

Athena Stanford, a university dropout from the faculty of economics and an orphan. Being an extraordinarily beautiful lady placed her in numerous unpleasant situations with perverted men, yet Caleb never seemed interested in her beauty – he loved her genuinely.

Of course, she'd go to hell and beyond that just to save him. After some minutes of speaking with Sandra, Athena attempted to go into Caleb's ward.

Her anxiety made her heart thud violently in her chest, yet she had to calm herself down. Slowly, she reached for the doorknob then pulled it backwards and Caleb, her heartthrob, came into view.

Seated upright in the hospital bed with a tube connected to his wrist and cladded in a patient's dress was Caleb Marley. His oceanic deep blue eyes gaped wistfully at the motionless figure of his tiny girlfriend.

"Bunny!" His singular utterance thrived in getting balls of tears rolling down Athena's eyes – oh, how she missed being called that.

"Cal… Caleb!" she gushed as she ran madly towards his opened arm. She ignored the fact he just regained consciousness some hours ago and hurled herself into his embrace.

Caleb didn't mind the slight pains while he embraced her warmly.

"How…how could you leave me for 2 whole months? You promised to never leave me for a second!" She cried raucously yet tearfully with her face buried into his chest.

Her happiness really knew no bounds, so it was understandable how her tears couldn't be controlled.

"You're a liar, Mr. Marley! A big liar!" she hushed yet never tried to lift her head from his chest. She missed him tremendously – his scent, smile, and warmth; Athena missed them all.

"I'm sorry, bunny. Forgive Mr. Marley" he smiled happily while placing a gentle kiss on her hair.

★

★

"Bunny, the money, Sandra told me it was quite a sum, how did you get it?" Caleb questioned, once he gulped down the meal, he chewed. Currently, Athena could be seen feeding him, since she felt he wasn't that strong to do so by himself.

Caleb found it unneeded yet wouldn't want to dissent with her, so allowed it. Athena paused in lifting the cheeseburger, then placed it on the takeout.

Truthfully, she wanted to avoid this question then again Caleb appeared curious and when he was, he got serious. Asides, what was she thinking? That she'd show up with such a mind-blowing amount of money and go unquestioned?

"Bunny?" Caleb gave her right hand a light squeeze – why the sudden silence? She was the unhesitant type of person during a dialogue, and her silence got him worried.

What did she exactly do to get the money? "Promise me that you won't scold me" Athena's voice came out as tiny and overly cute.

Caleb rolled his eyes – he remembered this strategy. Instead of responding, he reached for her face and cupped her cheeks in his palms; Now, she couldn't avoid his strict gaze.

Caleb leaned in then kissed her deeply on the lips – definitely, she didn't waste a second kissing him back passionately while her arms encircled around his neck.

Slowly, he pulled her closer, and soon she mounted directly on him, yet they didn't break the kiss.

"Caleb?" Athena pouted her lips, clearly unsatisfied, when he withdrew from the kiss. He brushed his fingers tenderly across her cheeks, then kissed her forehead lightly.

Done, Caleb faced her completely and his eyes stared into hers. "You won't ever lie to me, right? Then tell me" he whispered only for her to sigh.

"You won't be mad, just promise me that!" she insisted, and he eventually gave in. Athena didn't attempt to get off but sat more comfortably on his groin.

"I began working as a waitress in a popular restroom, The Elite, and during the night one of the customers was… Luke Steele".

Caleb's eyes doubled in size at that statement – did she just say Luke Steele? Like Luke Steele? One of the lethal triplets of the Graveyard?

"Athena, do you have any idea of whom you're referring to?" Caleb inquired disbelievingly. If she encountered Luke, what transpired between them?

The Graveyard's a dangerous crime syndicate – the number of crimes they've committed was unbelievable and totally heart shattering.

Ranging from drug and human trafficking, slavery, organ shipments and even mass murders – the Graveyard was something feared by the people of New York.

It's being controlled by three individuals, although one has never been seen. Luke Steele – the dashing womanizer, Liam Steele – the temperamental demigod and Logan Steele – no one has ever set their eyes on him before.

Slightly offended, Athena flickered his forehead and he winced painfully.

"Don't speak of me like a kid, Cal. A coworker of mine said he was Luke and trust me he was annoying!" she huffed crisply.

"Did… something happened between you two?" Caleb asked eagerly, and she shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, I guess. He was like the greatest pervert of all time, Cal. No matter how many times I rebuked his advances, he kept pestering me".

Caleb couldn't help but frown – he knew how pulchritudinous Athena was. Which man wouldn't be attracted to her? Yet, he hated it. But if a mafia was interested in his girl and a mafia as callous as Luke, what was he going to do?

"So? What did you do to him?" again his voice held eagerness, and she chuckled, mistaking his worries for jealousy.

Athena kissed his lips gently, but then smiled.

"I fucked him up, big time! And guess what? On the night it happened, on my way to the apartment, I came across a ruby pendant. Once I sold it, the money for the operation was ready. Fortunately, right?" she beamed joyously, but Caleb – he looked as pale as a ghost.

Did Athena do something crazy to the mafia?

"Oh Athena..."

~~~~

Throughout her entire ride to the apartment she shared with Caleb, Athena found it difficult to get rid of the countenance he displayed before she left the hospital. Her Caleb was one to always maintain a calm composure, then again he totally freaked out after she narrated her story.

Now Athena felt idiotic for sharing it with him. A sigh elicited from her lips as her head rested on the window of the taxi which she rode home.

"I'm such a fool for being truthful with him. Tch! He lied again; he said he wouldn't get proved" Athena pouted childishly while absent-mindedly thinking out loud.

Caleb sure was insistent when he ordered her to bring all their properties and come back to the hospital – was he planning to flee the country with her?

Though Athena couldn't figure out why – did she say anything to get him agitated? She couldn't decipher his reason for going to do so without dissenting – Athena was just gleeful that he was back.

Caleb was conscious again, what more could she ask? During the ride, she failed to acknowledge the occasional glances the taxi driver sent her way.

Athena also failed to notice his odd mode of dressing – what ordinary cab driver was clad in black entirely?

"Oh, that's a lot of smoke!"

At that utterance, Athena diverted her gaze to the driver. "What smoke?" her eyebrows were curved inquisitively, and he merely pointed his finger to…the direction of her apartment.

Athena's eyes dilated excessively yet shockingly as they drew nearer to her burning apartment – why was it ablaze? Instantly the cab halted, she rushed out then went on her knees with her jaw dropped in disbelief.

"No!!" Her screams attracted the attention of the firefighters who simply told her the cause of the fire – it was unknown.

Tears unhesitatingly streamed voluntarily down her eyes as she cried raucously – the memories with Caleb, their sweet memories…it was all gone!

Her limbs felt too weak to move, yet she needed to inform Caleb about this.

"To…to the hospital!" Athena dragged her legs as she went back into the cab. "Where miss?" the driver smirked secretly, only for her eyes to burn with rage.

"Are you a moron? The hospital, you deaf?" she yelled outrageously angrily at him. He didn't speak, instead began driving off.

Athena reached for her phone yet felt a sudden wave of dizziness and her eyes steadily got shut. In a matter of seconds, her phone fell freely and she lost consciousness.

★

Her eyes blinked continuously while she tried to get a glimpse of the environment. The room was totally dark, and she could barely tell what the hell this place was. Yet due to the sun rays which sneaked in from the small window just below the ceiling, she could tell it was morning.

The unusual smell of dried blood from the room twisted the insides of her stomach, causing Athena to nauseous. Her brain couldn't interpret what and where she was. The last thing she could remember was…her burning apartment and the cab driver.

Athena glanced at the only wooden chair in the room. There were leather belts on both hands and legs of the chair. She gasped fearfully once she recalled when Caleb once told her about such chairs – he said they were used to torturing offenders of the law.

But why was it in the same room as she? She didn't commit a crime, did she? Athena didn't consider the pendant as stolen since she found it, so it wasn't stolen, right?

All those thoughts flooded her head and not even a single answer could be found. Athena heard the sound of approaching footsteps and felt thankful – maybe her questions might get answers.

Then a jingling sound of keys as they unlock the door from the outside. The door opened, and a man came walking gingerly in.

Athena was yet to get a glimpse of his face when he violently groped her cheeks, causing her immense pains.

She cried out in pain, yet his insane hold didn't lessen one might, instead it tightened.

"Liam, don't hurt my new toy, okay?" Athena would be damned to forget that cocky tone. Then again, how could she steal a glimpse when this man held her cheeks so brutally?

Her eyes fell on him and despite the pains she was going through, she noticed how gorgeous his eyes were.

"My pendant"

Athena assumed she didn't hear him, so winced more agonizingly.

"My pendant, bitch! Where is my fucking pendant? Luke tells her to provide it now unless she's going to die!"