I stared blankly at the TV, watching whatever was playing. I don’t know how long I have been like this.
I blinked away, taking my phone, clenching the device tightly because I dialed a number. I pressed the phone to my ear. It rang and rang until the call was answered.
"My sweet Cat!" Athena’s loud voice pitched from the speakers. "To what do I owe this honor? Seeing your call at such a fine noon makes wonder. Do you miss already? Or is my little dumpling in need of her auntie so soon?"
I smiled faintly, but it slowly faded away as Ares’ words echoed in my head. It’s hard to imagine that they had gone through such an ordeal. It felt like my insides were twisted, but I shoved the feeling away, however I could.
"What’s the matter? You took so long to pick," I replied.
"Ugh! This shoot is killing . If this day doesn’t end with kicking soone in the balls, it might very well be my worst day yet."
"You consider kicking soone in the balls a good day?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes! Who doesn’t?"
"I think that’s only you."
"Oh co on, what’s life without so drama? The best parts are when soone is screaming bloody murder."
"Right..." I nodded.
That’s so like her. I can’t even imagine how those shoots go daily. It was clearly one filled with drama and chaos.
"So! Tell , how’s settling in. I guess you’re in for a bit of nostalgia?"
Bit? It was anything but.
I cleared my throat. "When will you be done with your shoot in Paris?"
"Oh my! Do you miss ? Or are you waiting to throw off a building? I know that’s half of your thoughts."
"You know well."
I could already tell she was rolling her eyes right now.
"Actually..." I leveled my gaze. "There’s um... I need your help with sothing."
"Color intrigued. Anything for my sweet Cat."
"I’ll tell you about it when you get back."
"Why not now?"
"It’s not sothing I would like to talk about on the phone."
"Why?"
I had a feeling she was gonna keep questioning to no end.
"Agatha..." I voiced.
There was a long silence from her end of the call, followed by heavy breathing.
"Pray tell... what did she do this ti? It hasn’t been a day since you stepped foot in Midnight."
I swallowed a lump in my throat. As if she could get the ssage, she switched.
"Alright! Seems like I’m gonna wrap up here sooner than expected."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and in the anti, you’re gonna get busy."
I narrowed my eyes. "What do you an?"
"What do you an?"
I sighed. "Are you throwing my question back at ?"
"Hello? Because I thought you knew."
"About what?"
Suddenly, another call ca in.
"I’m gonna have to call you back. End on your side."
I switched and picked up Tori’s call.
"Hey... sorry I was gonna call you sooner or later but—"
"Have you seen the news? Please tell you have!"
"What news?"
"It’s been hot ever since dawn. Hotter than Ares King’s mystery woman."
I grabbed the remote at my side and changed the channel, flipping through it until I found what I was looking for.
A woman and a man were talking, with a picture behind them.
You’ve got to be kidding .
That clearly looks like the front of this building, captured just when Ares led us inside.
I quickly increased the volu.
"Midnightians are questioning this image that was released this morning. After five years of silence, the billionaire Ares King has suddenly made a statent. Who could this woman and child be? A mistress no one knew about?"
I reduced the volu before she could utter more of her theories. A mistress, really? That’s the best she can co up with? Are we in the Middle Ages or sothing? Seriously!
They were milking this story to gain more traction; they could have easily figured out it was . I narrowed my eyes when the image was zood in. Or not. I could barely make out the faces.
There must have been paparazzi waiting for Ares’ return last night. The security team probably made this picture difficult to capture because it had an unclear view.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead, a migraine forming already. This was fucking deja vu.
"Cat?"
I flinched, realizing I was still on call with Tori.
"You good?"
"Y-Yeah, I’m good."
"Clearly, being called a mistress was the last thing on your mind, right?"
I forced a smile. "Yeah... but this is Midnight, I expected sothing like this along the way, but I underestimated their quickness. These paparazzi are a nace to society."
"Tell about it."
"I’ll call you back, okay? I need to figure out how to deal with this."
"Easy... Just co out in the spotlight."
"As easy as that sounds, it’s not. This is not like before, when I was just a random woman who gained fa overnight. The entire city once knew as Mrs. King. My coback is surely gonna be louder than this."
God knows what the trolls were gonna say. Though this was part of the things I was prepared for.
"You’re right. But that was what I ant by it’s gonna be easy. Your marriage is rekindled, and real... it shouldn’t be that hard. Well, they would talk about many things, but that’s it. People always talk, and at the end of the day, they just shut the fuck up."
Tori was right. Maybe I was overthinking it too much, but there was sothing that bothered more.
"I’m sure you’re gonna handle it okay."
I smiled. "I thought you were unhappy about my sudden entrance to Midnight. What’s with the change of heart?"
Tori chuckled. "Look, I admit I wasn’t jumpy about the idea, but I’m happy. You’re my girl, Cat, and all I have ever wanted for you is to find happiness. It doesn’t matter if it’s with the devil or anyone else. Besides, this is different. A lot of things are different. Just as you told , you and Ares are better, or gonna be better, whatever."
I nodded even though she couldn’t see .
"Thank you, Tori, truly."
"No need to thank , now you have a lot to deal with. Just hit up if you need any help. I’ll be right there."
"I will."
I ended the call, taking a minute before I got off the sofa, walking out of the room, heading straight for Ares office, where I knew he would be.
I ran a hand through my hair as I made a turn, before leaning against the doorway.
Ares’ muscular back was in view, his hand resting on the table while he used the other to go through his laptop.
I pushed off the doorway and slowly walked to him, my finger brushing the line of muscles; they felt so hard beneath my fingertips.
What made satisfied was that he didn’t flinch; he was getting used to my touch, and even as I traced as much as I wanted, goosebumps covered his skin, showing how affected he was. In a good way.
"Have you seen the news, honey?"
"Yes..."
I stepped into his line of vision, but his attention remained glued to the screen.
"I’m worried."
"The picture will be taken down in 24 hours."
"Even if you do that, they will talk."
"It’ll die off."
"Sounds like you don’t want in the spotlight. Playing the part of your mistress should be fun."
His eyes veered to .
"There are gonna be a lot of hiding places, sneaking in and out too..."
He frowned. "What gave you that idea?"
I shrugged.
"Getting into the spotlight isn’t good for you and Es; it’s too soon."
"But it’s gonna happen either way. Let’s say when we go out, there will be another paparazzi just waiting to get our faces. Now, they would be eager to reveal the identity of Ares King’s new woman and child. We try to erase them, and they will only co back harder. Best we give them what they are looking for."
"You have that figured out. What are you really worried about?" he asked, discerning that the photo or publicity wasn’t the problem.
"Your Grandmother."
Ares released a sharp breath.
"What do you plan on doing with her? You know she’s not just gonna let us be..."
"I know..." Ares went back to his laptop. "I’ll work on it."
"Tell , what’s the plan... anything I can do to help?"
He spared a look.
"What?" I asked.
"It’s underworld business..."
"All the more reason to know."
Ares shut his laptop and straightened his spine. He doesn’t need to say anything else; I got his ssage perfectly.
"You can’t be serious..."
He tucked so strands of my hair behind my ear. "You don’t have to worry about anything, baby."
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