I gritted my teeth upon remembering about the past. I've never seen him since then and after a year, he suddenly came back, telling me that he's my new PRB. But the one thing that was making me mad was the way he talks as if he didn't do anything.

"How come you became my PRB when you didn't even attend the Royal Army Academy?" I asked coldly even though I was fuming inside. That confident smile on his face just added to the anger that I was feeling.

"Well, I did, Your Royal Highness." I gaped at him, beginning to really get mad. I couldn't believe what's happening. I shook my head.

"No! I don't approve of this! I'll talk to nonna about this!"

"Oh, no need, passerotta. Just like Mr. Vázquez have said; I already approved." I turned my head to looked at the one who spoke. My grandma. Maximus bowed his head to her in respect.

"But, nonn—"

"—I don't want to hear any objection, Athena Emilia." She looked at Maximus. "I'll leave my stubborn and hard-headed grand-daughter to you, Mr. Vázquez."

"It's my pleasure, Your Majesty." He even bowed his head as he placed his fist on the part of his chest where his heart was located.

"I entrust her to you. I'm warning you though, Mr. Vázquez. Even though my granddaughter is wheelchair-bound, don't take your eyes of her. She's smart and could manipulate you anytime she wants." Maximus smirked.

"Oh, don't worry, Your Majesty. She has to give all she got in order to successfully manipulate me." He answered full of confidence and threw me a glance. I could see that familiar glint in those hazel green eyes of his. My hands formed into fists.

"That's good to hear, Mr. Vázquez." She faced me. "Passerotta, don't forget about your therapy. I will be gone for a week because I have very important engagements that I need to attend to in France, Spain and in Switzerland so be a good girl. Your siblings will be busy with their own works as well so if you need anything, just call one of us." I suddenly felt sad but didn't show it to her.

"Vabbè." I uttered under my breath and I heard her sigh.

"Passerotta—"

"—Don't worry about me, nonna. I'll be fine." She didn't answer for a couple of seconds before I heard her sigh again.

"Let's talk again when I come back, okay? Be a good girl." She then kissed me on the forehead and then left together with her Royal guards.

"Your Royal Highness, wait!" I heard Maximus call for me while following me from behind, but I ignored him. I maneuvered my wheelchair as fast as I could, determined to get away from there before I would burst in anger.

"I said, wait." I gritted my teeth when he blocked my way. He was now wearing a serious face.

"Get out of my way."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, mi hermosa, but this is my job." He answered. My eyes turned into slits.

"Don't you dare call me that." I uttered icily through gritted teeth. He remained silent but he didn't seem to be intimidated. I was about to speak again when Sita approached us.

"Your Royal Highness, your new therapist is here. She's at your personal living room." She informed me. I sighed and then slowly nodded my head.

"Okay. Bring me there." Sita nodded her head and then began pushing my wheelchair out of there. I noticed that Maximus was tailing us, and my jaw flexed. What does he want to prove? Why would he come here out of all places in the world? He's even acting as if he didn't do anything. My jaw flexed even more.

That familiar feeling livened up again. He approached me, made a fool out of me and then stole my necklace. Even though I don't have an evidence that's he's the one who took it, I know that he's the one.

"We're here, Your Royal Highness." Sita announced when we arrived in my personal living room and the woman who was sitting on the couch stood up and curtsied.

"Good morning, Your Royal Highness. I am Paulina, your new personal physical therapist." She said then greeted with a smile. I didn't smile back. I wanted to just make her leave, but I remembered about my nonna. I groaned inwardly.

"Good morning to you too." I answered formally but to my annoyance, I noticed that her eyes weren't staring at me anymore. She was openly gawking at Maximus who was just standing near the doorway, observing. I cleared my throat and she finally stopped what she was doing.

"Are you really here to be my therapist or not?" I asked with an stoic face.

"O-Of course, Your Royal Highness. It's my pleasure to serve you." Because of that, I told Maximus to just stay outside for the time being. Surprisingly, he agreed right away.

Later on, we finally started our first session. Paulina told me that she already reviewed my medical history but asked me some questions anyway. After that, she did a physical assessment to test my strength, balance, mobility and other things to see what my limitation was and for her to find out the proper solution to help me with my condition.

"That's it for today, Your Royal Highness. I'll see you again tomorrow." I nodded my head as a response. Thankfully, it's done. Then, Sita accompanied her out of there. But after a couple of seconds, I suddenly remembered something. I have to ask her something.

I maneuvered my wheelchair towards the door and opened it. I saw Paulina and Sita, talking. I was about to call for them when I heard what Paulina said.

"So, the rumor was right after all. Princess Athena is really a handful."

"Be careful of what you're saying, Ms. Paulina. You just met Princess Athena for the first time today. You don't know anything about her." Sita answered formally. Paulina scoffed.

"C'mon. I already know her because she's always on the news before. She's the wildest and the most uncontrollable among the five siblings. She just disappeared from the public eye these past six months. Now, I finally understood why. Well, what happened six months ago was really an unfortunate one. If I were her, I would've left the country right away. Well, she can't do that now because of her current condition though." She even chuckled while saying the last sentence.

I gritted my teeth and if felt like my blood rush to my head. I was about to approached him when Maximus arrived out of nowhere.

"Just like Sita have said, be careful of what your spewing out, Miss. I might make you eat every word that you just said." Paulina looked taken aback upon seeing the dangerous look on Maximus' face.

"I-I didn't do anything! I was just telling the truth!" Maximus was about to answer when I decided to approach them.

"You! Don't you ever show your face here again or else, you'll regret it!" She gasped upon seeing me.

"Y-Your Royal Highness, l-let me explain."

"I've heard enough. Get out!" I said with a stoic face and pointed at the door. This woman has the nerve to talk about me like that when she's in my territory.

"But—"

"—Stop. Don't try to piss me off even more. If I were you, I would get out now before I'd do something that you wouldn't like."

"I-I'm sorry, Your Royal Highness. I—"

"—Out!" Her body jerked in fear before she ran out of there. My hands turned into fists as my breathing became hard because of anger.

"Your Royal Highness..." Sita tried to comfort me.

"I want to be alone. Don't disturb me." I said and then maneuvered my wheelchair back to my room. Just when I was about to close the door, Maximus caught up to me.

"Mi hermosa..." I glared at him.

"Not now. Get out of my sight." I interrupted him and then closed the door on his face. The moment I was alone, tears ran down my cheeks. It wasn't because of those words that Paulina said. It was because what she said reminded me of what happened six months ago.

The familiar pain livened up within me and my heart tightened. It was too much for me to handle. I was weeping like that for about 30 minutes before my door opened.

I clenched my teeth and was about to yell at the person who came in when I realized that it was my nonna. I thought, she already left but she looked like she hasn't yet.

"What happened, Ath?! Why did your new personal PT quit?!" I took a deep breath and then faced her. Thankfully, I was already finished crying.

"I didn't like her."

"Again?! When are you going to realize that having a therapy will help you recover fully? Don't tell me, you will just stay like this for the rest of your life? How can you do your part as a member of the Royal Family when you're like this?" I chuckled bitterly.

"So, you're convincing me to undergo a therapy just for that?" I couldn't hide the sarcasm in my voice. She shook her head.

"Of course, not! I am doing whatever I can for your own sake. I don't want you to be like this for the rest of your life!"

"Why? Aren't you all happy that I'm suffering right now?" Her forehead creased.

"What are you talking about?" I scoffed.

"C'mon, nonna. In the last six months ago, I could feel that all of you, except Amelia, have been blaming me of what happened to mamma. Do you really think that I can't feel it?" She shook her head again, but her eyes evaded my gaze.

"N-No. You're wrong." I smiled bitterly.

"Enough of this, nonna. I'm tired of pretending that everything's fine in this family. I'm sick and tired of it!" She became silent for a couple of seconds. I thought, she would leave after that, but she spoke again.

"I think it's better for you to get out of this place for now while recovering. You need to breath some fresh air and see another place to live in. I think, living here in the palace is not doing you any good. Much as I want you to be here and be with us, I want you to recover from all of this too because I don't want you to get trapped in the shadow of the past." My forehead knitted together.

"What are you talking about, nonna? Are you going to send me away because you're already tired of me?"

"No. I am doing this because I know that this is what you need for now. If you really don't want to undergo a therapy, I won't force you for now. I think, you need new surroundings to help you think properly. I will send you to De Falco farm."

"De Falco...You mean—"

"—Yes. To your late mother's place." I didn't know why but I felt a sudden of relief. I thought, she would throw me to another country but thankfully, she wouldn't.

"Mr. Vázquez, get ready because you're going to accompany my granddaughter there." My eyes widened upon hearing that.

"Of course, Your Majesty. As you wish." Maximus answered like a sheep and I almost rolled my eyes.

"Nonna, please. I want my former PRB to come back. Why don't you assign Maximus somewhere else? Just not here with me."

"Passerotta, I already told you my decision. Besides, what's wrong with Mr. Vázquez anyway? You've never complained about whoever I assigned as your PRB before. This is the first time and I can't help but to wonder why." I opened my eyes, intending to tell her my suspicion that Maximus was the one who stole my necklace, but I remembered that I haven't informed her that my necklace has been missing for a year now. Thankfully, she hasn't noticed yet.

"N-Nothing, nonna."

"Then, everything's fine. Don't worry because I know Mr. Vázquez personally."

"You know him? How?" She was about to respond when her phone rang. She checked who it was but didn't answer it.

"I really need to go now. Enjoy your stay at De Falco farm, okay?"

I sighed. "Okay. Whatever." I muttered in defeat. My grandmother touched my cheek.

"I hope that when you come back here to the palace, the old Athena is back." I wanted to answer but I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying something that would anger her again.

"Wow. I'm excited to see the De Falco farm." Maximus uttered when my grandmother left. I stared at him coldly.

"And who told you that you would come with me?"

"Hmmm, do you really want me to answer that, Your Royal Highness? We were both listening when Her Majesty told you that, right?" He answered seriously but I could tell from that gleam in his eyes that he was amused.

"Get out." I commanded through gritted teeth. That was when he really turned serious.

"Is driving people away really your way of escaping annoying conversation like this?" I met his gaze.

"I don't need to explain anything to you. I want you to get out of my sight and if it's possible, don't ever come back again." I noticed his jaw flex. No one between us broke our eye contact. I could tell that he was beginning to get pissed but I didn't care. I would never let him intimidate me nor fall under his charm again. I've let that happen last year and the end result wasn't good.

I've had enough of men. My father, Maximus and Warren. All of them are the same. Well, what Maximus did was a little bit different though.