Forgotten

-Chapter 31-

VOTE & COMMENT ❤️

I woke up the next morning in a foggy haze. Last night came back into my brain like a tidal wave and goosebumps rose on my skin as I shuttered. The ghosts of Leo's hands on my body tickled my sensitive skin and suddenly the familiar stir in the pit of my stomach returned.

I had to shake it off. I mean, I was pretty offended that Leo just up and left after what happened. But I'm also not surprised. We are enemies, not lovers. Last night was both a blessing and a curse. It may have made him become weaker for me, which gives me an advantage. But it also opened me up to a world of pleasure, and I was hungry for more.

Frustrated by my fiancé's mixed actions, I decided to track him down. As I got changed, I noticed that my face was still flushed and glowing and my hair was a tangled mess. I quickly brushed it as neat as I could before changing into a plain black t-shirt and skinny jeans.

My flats slapped against the quartz floors as I made my way to Leo's office where he usually resides on weekdays. I turned the corner to get to his quarters and ran into a familiar auburn-haired woman. Elena?! What the fuck? Since when was she allowed back here?

She stood there, in just a silk robe, smirking at me. "Oops. Guess I didn't sneak out quick enough." She snickered before sashaying down the hall towards the exit. My mouth hung open, my eyes wide, and my mind running wild. Was he kidding? I wasn't jealous, of course, but what kind of douche does that? And what if someone saw? Rumors would spread like wildfire and the wedding would have to be put on hold to shut the media down.

My fists clenched at my sides and my body roared with anger. I went up to his office doors and bursted through without even knocking. Leo's head shot up and when he saw me, standing there all red and angry, he cursed under his breath and rolled his eyes. He was sitting at his desk, his suit as disheveled as his wildly curly and unkempt hair. "Seriously?", I hissed at the man-child before me, "What if Sofia or Angelo or anyone saw her leave your office looking like that?!" I yelled angrily.

"Listen, tesoro," I cut him off right there, "Stop calling me that ridiculous nickname, whatever the hell it means! I'm tired of your stupid antics. The whole point is we keep our true intentions hidden. If you want to sleep with random women, whatever. But at least be smart about it!" At this point I was fuming. My face was probably bright red, and my nails had left harsh indents in the palms of my hands.

Leo's eyebrow just quirked at my sudden outburst. He stood up slowly, looking too handsome for his own good, and walked over to me. "Athena darling," he whispered, grabbing a lock of my hair and twisting it between his fingers, "is there something else upsetting you?"

For a weak second I was in a trance, lost in the icy blueness of his eyes, before I pulled away and shook my head. "Don't act like you have any sort of power over me," I said lowly, jamming a finger to his chest, "I just happen to be the only one with a brain around here." He only seemed further amused by my comment and smiled at me before returning to his office chair.

"I'll be better about the 'random women' I bring in here, amor. I sincerely apologize for getting you so riled up. Although, I think I prefer the way you were riled up last night." His sarcasm and dirty comment sent a sudden shiver down my spine, but I ignored it. "Thank you." I said calmly before turning and exiting the room.

On the way to visit Aries, I ran into Sofia. She beamed at me, and it made me so happy to see her back to her usual self. "Hey, A." She stopped, inspecting my face curiosuly, then she smirked. "What were you and the king up to last night?" She joked and I could feel my face heat up. "How could you tell?" I mumbled and she laughed. "I've been around long enough, princess. I can tell a 'just fucked' face when I see one."

I gasped, "Oh no, we didn't-" Sofia cut me off and scrunched her nose, "I don't need the details, he's basically my brother." I let out a weird mix of a nervous giggle and a snort. Sofia just laughed again and nudged my ribcage.

"You off to see Aries?" She questioned as we walked down the hall together. "Yeah. I feel obligated to. It's my fault she even had to go through that." My voice cracked and I could feel the tears swelling again. Sofia wrapped a supporting arm around my shoulders, "If it wasn't for you she wouldn't have the freedom she has today. You saved her, Athena. You gave her a better life. And with what happened, her security has been improved. She'll be okay." I nodded and gave her a small smile.

Once we reached the hospice quarters Sofia left to go back on duty. I walked into Aries room quietly, just in case she was sleeping. But when I looked at her, she was staring at me. "Hi Athena." She said softly and my heart stopped. "Aries?!" I ran to her side and clasped her small hand in mine. She smiled tiredly at me, "I've been seeing a therapist." She whispered slowly, some of her words slurring together. Tears of happiness cascaded down my face and I wrapped my arms around her. "I'm so proud of you." I whispered into her hair. She responded by hugging me tighter.

"How are you?" I asked once I pulled away. "Good." She mumbled, "In pain still." I nodded knowing she meant mental and physical. My heart ached. "Are you ready to get back to the computer?"

Her eyes widened in excitement and she nodded violently. "So ready." She breathed out and I laughed. We talked for a bit more until she fell asleep and I tiptoed out of the room. As I closed her door behind me, a hand landed on my shoulder. "Princess Athena?" I turned to face a petite woman who was clearly a doctor. Her golden hair was cropped just below her chin and her brown eyes bore into my soul. Her lips were set in a thin line and worry lines were etched into her forehead. "Is something wrong?" I asked nervously.

The doctor nodded slowly and then leaned in towards my ear, "I've heard some things from the other staff members. Things that are not good for you and his majesty." My heart started beating quickly, "What is it?" I said impatiently. Her face turned beet red and her hands shook as she stared at the floor. "Just follow me." She muttered.

I quickly followed her down the hall into the palace's morgue. The doctor walked me up to one of the chambers and opened the small door. She huffed as she pulled the tray out. My heart fell to my feet. Reddish-brown hair was spilling off the sheet and soulless eyes stared up at the ceiling. Elena was dead. In front of me.

A deep gash ran directly across her throat. Her skin so pale. So lifeless. My hand flew up to my mouth. "How?" I whispered, my voice shaky. I took a few steps backwards, hitting the wall behind me. The doctor peered up at me. "We don't know. Some other doctors said the maids saw her leave Prince Leo's room. Then they found her. Like this. In one of the storage closets."

Holy shit. Someone killed Elena. Today. And it was someone who worked here, it had to be. The question was, who the fuck did this?