Her Five Protectors

THIRTY-FIVE

Flashback few minutes ago**************

Ariana gasps when suddenly she is slammed against the wall in the bathroom. Angelo's maniac face appears in front of her eyes and she hardly manage to swallow her fearful gasp in.

"You thought that you could get away from me?" He asks her, mocks her with his words. 

"A-a-angelo...." Ariana stutters in fear.

Ariana tries to shout for help but Angelo forcefully covers her mouth with his hand.

"Shh. Don't say anything.....Why are you crying? I am not going to hurt you." He kisses her forehead.

"But I will hurt Athena!" He whispers in her ear. Her eyes widens in pure horror.

Ariana shakes her head vigorously with a scared look planted on her face.

"I will hurt her even more bad than I hurt you. Do you want that?" Ariana continues to shake her head. Her body is shivering in fear.

"P-p-please l-leave her, Angelo."

"So be a good girl and keep your lips zipped and do what I say..." She clenches her eyes shut feeling his lips touching her skin as he speaks in her ears.

Moments later she opens her eyes. She collapses down on her knees and looks around but he is nowhere to be seen. Finally, he is gone but not for long.

_________!!!!!!!__________

Ariana refuses to glance towards Athena who takes a seat away from her in the car. Romeo noticed this tension immediately and asks.

"Is everything alright?" 

"Yeah..." Athena mutters slowly. Romeo doesn't seemed like he believed her but he didn't put pressure on her. He started the car and soon they reached home.

The guilt of treating Athena like this was so heavy that Ariana is feeling suffocated sitting beside her. She quickly exits the car and slams the door shut. 

Athena follows her lead but as soon she takes a step out, her head spins and her balance stumbles a little.

"Athena!" Vittorio who is standing few feet away from her on his bike calls her name.

"I am fine." She gives him a small smile and slowly walk inside the mansion passing the guards with a same smile.

Vittorio looks at Romeo who is staring at Athena's back with concern.

"So what happened?" Vittorio asks casually but Romeo could tell that he is worried. 

"Nothing! I think Ariana is having her usual mood swings and this time she has hurt Athena a bit too much with her words." Romeo assumes.

*************

Athena descends down the stairs but on the end of the steps, she bumps into someone. Her eyes widens when she finds Stephan Riccardo standing in front of her. What is he doing here?

"Stephan!" Alexander is also standing behind her.

"Vincenzo is in his study." Athena watches as Stephan passes her and follows Alexander upstairs.

She shrugs to herself and moves towards the kitchen. She finds Luciano sitting on the stool and drinking beer. Athena doesn't understand what happened in the next second but she wraps her arms around him. Luciano looks back at her and smiles. He moves to face her and envelops her in this much needed hug.

They stayed in this position for a while.

"I am scared..." She whispers.

"Ariana hates me..." She shares her problem with him that is keep bugging her. 

"No she doesn't!" He tells her.

"But she said she hate me.." 

"It must be due to anger or something else. You know Ariana and her little tantrums....And you are too cute for anyone to hate you...." He kisses her forehead.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asks her.

"Your that special chocolate milkshake." She says. Luciano laughs and nods his head. Athena feeling her mood getting better giggles along with him.

"Luciano! Can we please bake cake?" She asks out of nowhere.

"Well sure! Anything the princess wishes. But it's for Ariana, right?" 

"Yes...."

*************

Within the next hour, Athena was all set to face Ariana. 

"I think it's time that you take it to her...." Luciano says. Athena smiles and grabs the tray in her hands. With hints of nervousness in her moves, she makes her way towards Ariana's room. She knocks on the door and patiently waits for her to open the door. When she finally does, Athena is met by her emotionless face.

"Umm I baked cake for you... I hope you can forgive me. I am sor---" Athena is cut off when Ariana grabs the tray in her hands. She looks at it and then back at Athena's face that holds the hope. But she watches as that hope crushes when she throws the tray in the hallway.

Tears rolls down Athena's cheeks as without a word, Ariana slams the door shut. After closing the door, Ariana breaks down in tears and collapses down on her knees. She covers her mouth to stifle her sobs in.

"Athena!" Ariana listens to Luciano's voice on the other side. 

"ATHENA!" Ariana clenches her fists to stop herself from getting up and opening the door when she hears Luciano's shout and a thump of someone falling.

"Athena! Athena! Open your eyes...." She listens to Luciano's voice calling her name to wake up over and over again.

"Lucia- Athena! What happe---?" Vittorio's voice fades in a distance. 

"P-p-please hate me b-back, Athena....It w-would be atleast b-better..." 

Whom do you ship Ariana or Athena with? Max or Stephan?

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