"Jianna," Oliver snapped suddenly, his voice rough. For the first time, he raised his voice at her, no respect in his tone.
The air grew heavier.
Athena stood there, staring at her mother with burning eyes, her hands trembling slightly though she refused to show weakness.
Athena's lips curved into a cold smirk. Her eyes narrowed, and her voice came sharp, like glass cutting through skin.
"You're right, Mother. I am still a child. A child who had to watch her father bleed out while you were too busy chasing business deals to even notice or maybe you did notice. A child who learned silence because the only person who was supposed to listen was never there. Don't stand here and act like you kept me alive, you couldn't even keep your own husband breathing."
Oliver's heart jumped into his throat. "Athena!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the kitchen. He looked from one to the other, panic in his eyes. He didn't even know whose side to stand on anymore. He was in a great dilemma.
But Jianna only stood taller, her smirk returning, cold and sharp. "You think you're hurting me with those words? You're not. You're proving me right. Look at you, spitting venom like a child throwing stones at a mountain. You can't break me, Athena. You never will."
Athena tilted her head, her smirk growing darker. "Then maybe next time you want to have a conversation with me, you should come prepared. Because standing here with your fake superiority and empty words? It's pathetic. Jianna."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Athena brushed past her mother deliberately, her shoulder slamming hard into Jianna's. The impact made Jianna stumble a step back, her heels clicking against the floor.
Oliver's eyes widened. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, his chest rising and falling heavily. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he muttered quickly, looking at Jianna, but Jianna lifted her chin and forced a small, controlled smile.
"It's okay," she said calmly, her voice smooth as silk, though her eyes glinted with fire. She turned, about to walk into her room, but Oliver reached out and stopped her with a firm hand.
"No," he said quietly but firmly. "I need to talk to you."
Jianna froze, her back still facing him, the air in the house heavy with everything unspoken.
The large sitting room fell silent as Oliver shifted on the sofa. His hand rested against his knee, stiff, as though the weight of what had just happened still hung over him. He had never seen Athena speak to anyone in that manner, it was a great surprise seeing her speak to her mother with cruelty.
"I'm sorry," he said again, his voice softer this time. "For how Athena spoke to you. She went too far."
Jianna leaned back, crossing her arms, her expression unreadable. "It's fine," she said smoothly. "She's still immature. One day, she'll learn."
Something about the way she said it, calm, clipped, dismissive, made Oliver uneasy. He didn't like it. He didn't like the way she reduced Athena to a foolish child with just a few words.
He cleared his throat. "Anyway, that's not the main reason I wanted to talk to you." He leaned forward slightly, his tone more serious now. "It's about Athena."
Jianna rolled her eyes instantly. "Of course it is. Make it quick, Oliver. I don't have all night to listen to your little concerns."
His jaw clenched. He swallowed down his irritation. "She's being bullied. I saw it with my own eyes today. A group of girls had her surrounded, beating her down like animals. If I hadn't stepped in when I did…" His voice wavered, anger threading through it. "She might not even be alive right now."
Jianna's head snapped toward him, her expression sharp. "What?"
Oliver continued, his tone fierce, his hands curling into fists. "She was bleeding, shaking… She could barely stand. If I hadn't gotten there…" He stopped, his throat tight. "We need to move her. Change her school. There's one near Greenville. Safer. More private."
For a moment, Jianna stared at him. Then she laughed. A low, mocking chuckle.
Oliver stiffened, confusion flashing in his eyes. "What's so funny?"
Jianna shifted her legs, crossing one over the other, leaning back on the sofa like a queen entertaining a fool. "You really are something else, Oliver." Her lips curled into a smirk. "If this isn't some pathetic trick to keep Athena under your wing, then it's the best performance you've ever given." She tilted her head. "All just an excuse, isn't it? To keep her close. To get between her legs."
Oliver's eyes narrowed. His voice sharp. "Jianna!"
"Don't bother denying it." She leaned forward now, her voice lowering with cruelty. "You want her. I see it every damn time you look at her. You don't look at Athena like a father figure, Oliver. You don't even look at her like a guardian. You look at her like a man starving for a meal he can't touch. You strip her bare with your eyes. You eye-fuck her every single time she steps into the room."
"Jianna!" Oliver's voice cracked like a whip, sharp with anger but also laced with panic. His face flushed hot, red creeping up his neck.
But Jianna only smirked wider, sensing she had him cornered. "Oh, don't act offended. Don't pretend to be righteous in front of me. I know men like you. You think you're subtle? You think she doesn't notice the way your gaze lingers too long? She's blind to it, maybe. But me?" She tapped her chest. "I see everything."
Oliver's breathing quickened. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable under the weight of her words. He looked like a man stripped naked in the middle of a crowd, his shame laid bare for all to see.
Jianna's voice grew sharper, hotter. "Pathetic. You hover around her, pretending to protect her, when deep down you just want to ruin her. You want to be the one who teaches her what a man can do to her body. That's the truth, Oliver. And it makes you sick, doesn't it? Sick because you know you want her, and sicker because you can't admit it."
His fists tightened on his knees, his face burning. "I… I don't…"
"You don't?" Jianna arched her brow, amused. "Look at you right now. Sweating. Fidgeting. Your ears are red as fire. You're choking on your own lies. You want her, Oliver. You want her so badly it eats you alive. And the worst part?" Her lips twisted into a cruel smile. "You don't even hate it."
Oliver's breath came heavy, his chest rising and falling. He looked caught, trapped, guilty yet unable to push back against her accusations.
"I…" He swallowed hard, his voice weak. "I'm sorry."
Jianna chuckled darkly, standing up. "Don't apologize. Take her, if that's what you want. Keep her away from me. At least then I won't have to deal with her childish tantrums anymore."
Oliver lifted his head, relief and shame warring in his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "I'll take care of her."
Jianna turned to leave, her heels clicking against the floor. But at the doorway, she paused, glancing back at him with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"One last thing, Oliver."
He froze, his body tense up. What now again?
"Don't forget to fuck her properly. She's still a brat, if she acts too childish, pin her down and make her learn. And if her mouth runs too much? Just spread those pretty legs of hers and suck on that pussy until she learns to beg instead of talk."
Oliver's entire body went rigid, his face turned blood red. He quickly looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, shame burning through him like fire.
Jianna smirked, watching him squirm. "What's the matter? Did I say it out loud, what you've been secretly dreaming of?" Her laugh was low and shameless. " You're so pathetic and predictable."
Her heels echoed as she finally left, leaving Oliver sitting alone, his chest tight, his face hot, and her words echoing in his skull like poison he couldn't spit out.
~~~
Oliver stood outside Athena's door for a long time, his tall frame leaning against the wall. He had knocked twice, but she gave no reply. The silence inside pressed on his chest, heavy and suffocating. Finally, with a sigh, he turned the handle and stepped in.
The room smelled faintly of lavender, her scent. The small lamp on the nightstand cast a soft glow, wrapping everything in a warm, quiet light. His eyes immediately found her, lying flat on the bed, the blanket pulled up over her head as if she wanted to hide from the whole world.
Something inside Oliver twisted at the sight. She looked so small, so fragile, yet he knew how much pain she carried. He walked deeper into the room, his footsteps quiet, and sat gently on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, making her body shift slightly beneath the blanket.
"You're finally going to be free," he said softly, almost like a promise. His voice was calm, soothing. "You won't have to go back to that school again." A faint smile tugged at his lips, though his chest felt heavy.
For a moment, she didn't move. Then, slowly, the blanket lowered, sliding down to her waist. She kept lying down, her small frame curled slightly, but now her face was visible.
Oliver froze.
Athena had already changed for the night. She wore only a white spaghetti-strap top, nothing underneath. The thin fabric clung lightly to her form, the straps resting delicately on her shoulders. And because she was lying flat, her breast pressed up, full and round, the neckline barely covering her.