Bound by Honor

Chapter 12: Sabotage

Leandro had always known that trouble had a way of finding him. It wasn’t something he actively courted—it just seemed to follow him, like an unwelcome shadow. But nothing had prepared him for the vicious storm that was about to descend upon him.

The morning had started like any other, with him working on his latest piece, lost in the flow of paint and color. But when his phone rang, the sound cut through his concentration like a blade. His fingers froze mid-stroke as he glanced at the screen. It was Athena.

"Hey," he answered, his voice distracted. "What’s up?"

“Leandro, we need to talk. Now.”

Her voice was sharp—strained—and it immediately wiped away any remnants of calm he had left. His stomach tightened.

“What's wrong?” he asked, his mind running through a thousand possibilities.

“They’re spreading rumors about you,” she said, her words like a punch to the gut. “The Devereuxs… they’ve been telling people about your past. About the time you spent in that rehab facility—what they’re calling your ‘rebellious years.’” Her tone was tight, but there was an undercurrent of something else—something that felt like a warning. “They’re trying to ruin your reputation.”

Leandro’s breath caught in his throat. The memories of those years were far behind him—years of rebellion, of getting lost in a haze of substances, of making mistakes he could never take back. It was a part of his past that he had worked tirelessly to bury, to lock away in a box that only he had the key to.

“They’re digging up shit from the past,” he muttered, feeling a flicker of anger rise in his chest. “I thought I was done with all of that.”

“Athena, don’t do anything,” Leandro said, his voice frantic now. “You don’t need to get involved. This is my mess.”

But Athena was already one step ahead of him.

“I’m not just going to stand by and let them tear you apart,” she said firmly, cutting him off. “I’ll handle it. I’ll protect you. This is about more than just you and me—it’s about all the things we’ve been trying to build, together. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure everyone knows the truth.”

He felt his heart beat faster, not in fear but in something far more complicated. Her words felt like a promise. He had never known Athena to back down from a fight, but to put her own reputation at risk—was she really ready to do that for him? A mixture of gratitude and doubt surged inside him.

“Athena, you don’t have to,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm despite the turmoil inside. “I can handle this. I’ll deal with it myself.”

But she was already gone, and before Leandro could protest further, she had ended the call.

---

Athena’s heart pounded as she hung up the phone. This is it, she thought. The moment I prove that I can stand by him.

She had heard the whispers before, of course. The Devereuxs had always been the more polished family, their wealth flaunted, their reputation immaculate. But they had always been willing to do whatever it took to maintain their standing—whether it meant undermining the Farnsworths, or in this case, destroying Leandro’s hard-earned reputation.

She had never been one to stand idly by when her family’s name was at risk, but now, for the first time, she wasn’t just fighting for the Farnsworth name. She was fighting for Leandro-her husband.

As she stood before the mirror, adjusting her blazer, she stared at her reflection. The woman looking back at her was no longer just a lawyer. She wasn’t just someone who had followed the rules her whole life. She was a woman who cared about something deeper, someone deeper. And she wasn’t going to let anyone tarnish that.