Athena Tyler is an Italian-American musician who rose to fame as the lead singer of a girl band with her sisters, called 'Sorelle'. She has amassed millions of dollars and now lives alone in a luxurious mansion. Although she no longer sings, she has...
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WEEKS LATER
Athena was sitting in the basement of her house, trying to comprehend all that had gone wrong the last few weeks. The basement was insulated and structurally finished and furnished—couches, chairs, a TV, a pool table, and there was even a bathroom down there. As she sat on the couch, she stared at the old family photos hanging on the walls, her mind in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The weight of Kayden's situation pressed down on her shoulders, the uncertainty of the future looming before her like a dark cloud.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted her reverie. Athena looked up to see Michael standing at the bottom, his eyes filled with concern as he took in her troubled expression.
"Athena, are you okay?" Michael asked softly, moving closer to her.
Athena forced a smile, trying to push back the tide of worry threatening to overwhelm her. "I'm fine, Mikey. Just...thinking," she replied, though her voice held a hint of exhaustion as she gazed down at the book in her lap. The lyrics stared back at her, screaming at her.
Michael knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his and gazing into her eyes with a mixture of love and determination. "Baby, you're not fine. You need to talk to me," he said firmly, his voice tinged with worry. "I can see that something's been eating away at you, and I want to help. Please, just tell me what's going on."
Athena held Michael's gaze, her eyes welling up with unshed tears as she struggled to find the right words. Finally, she took a deep breath and began to speak, her voice wavering with emotion.
"Kayden... he's innocent, Mikey. I know it in my heart," she whispered, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper. "But the police... they keep hounding him, accusing him of things he would never do. It's tearing him apart, tearing us all apart."
Michael's expression softened as he listened, his heart aching for Athena and Kayden. He pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her close as her body trembled. They stayed like that for a few minutes in silence before Michel pulled back slightly, "Hey, look at me," he murmured in her ear.
"Athena, I believe you," Michael said softly, wiping away a stray tear from her cheek. "We'll get through this together. We'll find a way to prove Kayden's innocence and put an end to this nightmare."
"Maybe he should just pay these people off," Athena randomly said, "It was something that was brought up in the meeting with the lawyer the other day."
Michael's eyes widened in surprise at Athena's suggestion, his brow furrowing with uncertainty. "Athena, I know things are tough right now, but paying them off? That could make things even more complicated than they already are," he said, his voice tinged with concern. "We need to approach this carefully and make sure we're not making any hasty decisions."
"I know, I just want this to end," Athena sighed, "And the lawyers thought it might be a good idea."
"And who would be paying for this?" Michael asked, "Because we all know Kayden doesn't have that much money."
