Ferdinand stood and approached Marga. He smiled at her.

"Glad that you made it today."

​​

"No," Marga chuckled sarcastically. "I am here to pick up my son." Marga's eyes turned to Athena who looked puzzled. Xavier put away the photos. His body, together with his heart, felt heavy as he stood. He approached Athena.

"What's going on?" Athena asked him. He pulled her hand and took her away. He scooped her face and stared at her for a while. He wanted to remember her. He wanted to remember that face for long. He kissed her forehead as he swallowed the lump on his throat. Athena pushed him. "Xavier, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, we can't do it anymore."

"Do what?" She sounded annoyed.

"Your family killed my grandmother. My grandmother did lots of bad things to your family. My mother is Marga Alvarez. Although we aren't blood-related, I have to distance myself. I don't want any blood bath that is going to happen."

Athena felt hurt by his words.

"You think that my family would kill you and your mother?"

"No. My family did bad things to yours. We can't be together. Ever again."

Athena stared at him without blinking. He put his hand down and turned back from her. Athena's heart felt like it's been stabbed over and over again. What happened to the promises? What happened to the proposal? Athena followed Xavier upstairs to her room. She watched her take his bag and he left the phone that she gave.

"This is it?" Athena asked. "Would you rather break us apart because of the past?"

Xavier turned to her. He didn't want to look at those eyes. She looked so broken. He knew that she's trying hard to conceal it but his chest felt like it's been squeezed hard for him not to be able to breathe and it's painful.

"No. I don't want your family to get hurt because of my mother. My mother held a deep grudge against your family. I don't want her to kill herself again because of it. I don't want her to kill herself when I marry you. She would think that I am choosing the people that killed her family." Xavier said. He didn't want to mention the 'kill' word but he just did.

Athena's tears rolled down her cheek. He turned back from her. He didn't want to see it. He left the room and went downstairs.

<><><><>

Sabrina exhaled as Marga spoke highly. Gabriel rubbed her arms to comfort her.

"Well, I think it's best that your family should stay away from my son," Marga said. "I don't want my son to become a slave to your daughter."

"We never treated him that way," Alexander said.

"Xander," Gabriel stopped him. The triplets are pissed because they just bad-mouth Athena. They turned to Xavier who apologized and he grabbed his mother with his bag.

Sabrina went to Athena's room. She knocked softly but Athena didn't answer. When she entered, her heart broke. She's in the window seat, watching Xavier's car drive away. She approached her. Athena turned to her mother and she burst into tears. At that moment, Sabrina felt like her heart had been smashed into pieces. She never felt pain like this for a very long time. She couldn't hold the tears that she's been keeping as Athena hugged her. She felt pain for her daughter.

"Cry all you want, my dear. Until your heart is comforted." Sabrina murmured.

"I love him so much, mom…" Athena said. She sniffled and faced her. "He said that we can't be together because our family killed his family. I know what you've been through, but why? Why should it be him? I just wish that he's from a different family! I just wished that he wouldn't leave me because of the past."

"It's not your fault. It's not his fault. He will come back. If he loves you, more than you do~~he will come back."

She hiccupped and cried more.

"He said that he'll never love again but for me…" She covered her face as she cried more and more.

In the door, Gabriel listened to her daughter's cry. His heart aches whenever she cries. Athena isn't the type of person who is a cry baby. But at this moment with the first heartbreak, Gabriel wanted to kill the people who hurt her. He wanted to kill Xavier for hurting Athena like this. But he can't blame the boy. The boy was puzzled too until he learned it all. The two don't deserve such a setup. He saw how Xavier loved Athena. Suddenly it was shattered because of the past which shouldn't be.

<><><><><>

Xavier was silent as he drove his car away from the mansion. Marga looked at the house once again. She remembered the bad things she did to Sabrina. She remembered the bad things that she and her mother did. She still felt hurt seeing Sabrina and Gabriel happy together. While she was cheated on multiple times and only has a few boyfriends that would please her.

"Are you crying?" Marga asked Xavier as he gripped the steering wheel. "You'll get over it."

"You don't understand." Xavier scoffed and wiped the tears on his cheek. "Do you know how painful she looks when I leave her?"

"You did right." She said. "You hurt the most precious girl in their family. I want Sabrina and Gabriel to feel that."

"Now, I realize how cruel you sounded," Xavier said. "I don't know why you became like this. Or you are only showing me part of your face."

"How could you say that your mother?"

"I know everything." He said and he drove slowly so he won't crush them. "They are good to me. So, good that I almost think that it's a lie."

"Let's not talk about this," Marga said.

"I love her, mom," Xavier said. "I just left Athena for you."

"Thank you. Is that what you want me to say?" She asked sarcastically.

"No. I want you to ask for their forgiveness."

"I can't believe you. My own son believed in the enemy more than his mother." Marga mumbled.

"They are not enemies," Xavier said. "I leave Athena so I won't hurt her and her family. I leave them because I don't want you to die."

"What are you talking about?"

"Suicide," Xavier scoffed. "I remember that day well. I know that you've been attempting. I gave you the business. I gave you money so you'll be happy, then I just thought. It's not the life you always wanted." 

"Xavier, you are my son."

"Yes, I know. That's why I left the family that you detest."

When they reached his house, he showed her to the room that he prepared for her. He went directly to his room and locked it. He threw his duffel bag on the corner, walked toward the bed, sat there, and looked at the picture frame where he set up. Athena is smiling beautifully while she's cuddled on the pillows. His heart aches a lot. He tried to restrain himself from crying but he just did. He tried hard not to go back there and tell her that he loved her and he won't leave her.

"Xavier," Marga knocked on the door. "I already set up plane tickets. We'll have our Christmas back in California. Pack up your things. We'll leave by tomorrow."

He reached for his phone to call Athena but he froze. He just broke up with her. He put his phone down. His bag caught him. He quickly stood and picked it up. He opened it and took out the black velvet box. He sighed with relief. He opened it. It's safe.

He stared at the black diamond that cost 2.5 million dollars. He saved for it and even cut off a little amount to his mother's allowance just for the ring. He needed to keep it safe. The ring costs too much and he won't give it to anyone else but her. 

His phone rang. He didn't expect that it would be Zendaya. He thought that she might already know. He cleared his throat and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I was hoping that you could go here to our party. But since Lawson's have their party, it's just a shame. But you can go here with Athena…"

"I~~I am no longer with her."

Zendaya paused from the other line.

"What do you mean?"

"I break up with her."

"Oh~~fuck! Didn't I tell you not to break her heart?"

"It's complicated…"

"I know! But you don't have to break up with her."

"Zendaya, I said it's complicated."

"It wasn't that complicated if you aren't a coward!" Zendaya exhaled. "The ring is with you?"

"Yes,"

"What's your plan?"

"I'm keeping it. It only meant for her."

"You are going to keep it like forever?" Zendaya looked exasperated. "Or are you going to make it up to her? You know that it's not too late."

"Zen, I file for a long leave. I will come back next year."

Zendaya sighed.

"You are making it hard for both of you."

"I'm sorry. I think I wasn't the man for her. My mother~~my grandfather did a lot of bad things to their family. I can't clean it."

"You mean, you have no strength to do so."

"Maybe," Xavier sniffled. "I~~I love," his voice breaks. "I just love Athena, so much." He said almost like a whisper.