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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Michael's heart sank as Athena's words hung heavy in the air, a painful reminder of the growing distance between them. He felt a surge of desperation, his mind racing for a way to convince her to stay, to give their love a chance, to trust in it and in him.
"Athena, please," he pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion, "I understand that you need space, but let me come with you tonight. Let's talk about this, work through it together. I can't bear the thought of being apart from you, not knowing when I'll see you again."
Athena hesitated, her resolve wavering as she looked into Michael's tear-filled eyes. She could see the sincerity in his gaze, the raw vulnerability he was laying bare before her.
Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke, her own eyes brimming with unshed tears, "Michael, there's probably paparazzi in front of the house right now," Athena said with a sigh, "You can't go out there."
"Then neither can you," Michael whined as he looked up at her, his chin resting against her stomach, "You're just as popular as I am."
"Excuse our reach," Bill said as he and Jerome slowly walked closer, "But if Miss Tyler is seen leaving by herself, it could potentially fuel these rumors."
"And if they leave together, it would be...well, better," Jerome added, "I can't explain it, but it would be a way of saying that you two are united in the face of these allegations and nobody is cheating on anybody."
"Honestly, it's probably best if neither of you leave at all," Bill said, "There's a lot of big guys with big cameras out there and news reporters—it's best to ride this storm out. This will blow over."
Athena hesitated, looking between Michael and the two security guards. She knew they were right; leaving separately would only add fuel to the fire. Michael tightened his grip on Athena, his mind racing with possibilities. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her, not after everything they had been through together.
Athena took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart as she considered their options. Finally, she nodded in agreement, "Okay."
Michael looked up at her with a mix of gratitude and relief in his eyes. He knew that Athena was still unsure about their relationship, but the fact that she was willing to stay by his side for the moment gave him a glimmer of hope.
"Thank you, both of you," Michael said, his voice filled with genuine appreciation, "We'll stay here for now."
Bill and Jerome nodded in understanding before retreating to give them some privacy.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Michael tightened his hold on his wife, holding her as if she were the most fragile thing in the world. Tears continued to stream down his face, "Baby girl, don't ever leave me. I can't imagine my life without you," he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of love and fear, "Stop looking at me like you're ready to set something on fire. I know this is tearing you apart too. I know you want to tear up. I know you want to cry, baby, so let it out," he added as his own tears freely fell, "I'll hold you, I promise. Baby, please let it out. Don't hold it in. I'm not holding it in, I'm letting it out."
