Athena sipped on her champagne as she sat on the grand piano of the foyer of the cottage that they rented. She put her glass on top of the piano table and she opened it. She placed her hands on the piano keys and then, she carefully pressed her fingers on the keys as she made music. She continued playing as her father approached.

"We'll be sleeping. Are you sure that you are fine on your own?" Gabriel asked. She continued playing.

​​

"Dad, I am not a minor anymore." She told. Gabriel smiled and pressed his lips on top of her head.

"You have fun a while ago?"

"I did. I hate that guy, but still, I have to break his nose and eggs."

Gabriel laughed which makes him more youthful.

"Alright, I need to check your siblings." He winked and she nodded.

Being the only girl in the family and have triplet brothers would be a little suffocating. But her father is lovable, and she has the greatest family in the world. Her father is a great person. He dotes her mother more than anyone and that makes her also being a spoiled brat. But she wasn't like those girls who are pampered with expensive things and would just throw money on people. Her mother didn't raise her to be that way. She was raised to be kind and a warrior at the same time.

"Hmm." She hummed together with the melody of the song that she's playing.

****

Xavier went to the beach where he first saw the girl named Athena. If he wasn't mistaken, they might be at the same age or he's older by a year or months. He cursed his friend that harassed the girl. Maybe he's on drugs or something that makes him so high that he needed to smack Athena's butt.

He went to the luxury cottages and he stopped for a while when he heard someone playing the piano. He stopped peeking from the sliding door foyer and saw her playing the piano and she smiled and talked to her father and her father left and that left her alone in the foyer. He hid on the palm tree and listened to her.

"Hmm," She hummed, and then she kept playing.

"We were in the backseat

Drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar

"I rent a place on Cornelia street"

I say casually in the car

We were a fresh page on the desk

Filling in the blanks as we go

As if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead leading us home

And I hope I never lose you

Hope it never ends

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

That's the kind of heartbreak

Time could never mind

I'd never walk Cornelia Street again…"

"I'd never walk to Cornelia street again?"

A man interrupts and he peeked as the boy approached her.

"That song was from 2019 by a famous singer who became a top.��� He leaned on the piano table, yet she continues playing. "I'd never walk Cornelia Street again means I don't want to fall in love."

"I know."

"Why are you singing that?"

She snorted and showed him the piece in front of her.

"This is here, and someone must've liked singing this and I like the piece."

"Okay, I will keep listening." The guy winked.

"Just go away, Kiel."

The boy named Kiel laughed and patted her head.

"You need to sleep so you'll grow taller."

"Damn it. Hey, my height is fine, and I couldn't sleep because some guy just touches my ass. I am still in a rage and I wanted to break the guy's neck."

Somehow, Xavier liked listening to her. She had a serene voice. An hour ago, she said words that completely makes him faze. Seductive, calm yet dangerous. It did something to him and no one ever does that.

"Do you want to go drinking at the bar?" He grinned at her.

"Sure." She finished her champagne.

"We are sneaking out and don't tell dad that I did."

Xavier left immediately before anyone could see him.

****

They went to the bar. Just nearby and entered. There are lots of college girls and boys and they bought their drinks. She only asked for a beer and she sat on the barstool letting her cousin Kiel who is twenty-one years old. He hooked up on a girl already and he mouthed her to knock out someone if someone harassed her.

They dance in the middle of the dancefloor as they rubbed crotches and they will probably do it somewhere on the beach since their parents limit any girl or any stranger in their cottages.

She checked the website and the photo has been deleted including the Instagram post and probably the Mondragon did well on hacking it. She sipped on her beer and someone just sat on the stool beside her. With her peripheral vision, she could determine the man and it's familiar to her.

"Hi," He speaks, and she turned to him.

"Oh, it's you. Are you stalking me or something?" and she goes back on browsing.

"No. I just happened to see you here." He grumbled. "One beer please." He asked the barman and they served him one mug of beer. He extends his hand to her. "I'm Xavier Martin."

She faced him again and accept his hand.

"Athena Lawson." She said casually and pulled her hand back and sipped on her beer. "So, you live here?"

"No. I live in Los Angeles and one of my friends lives here and they own the resort so, they brought us to relax from the stress of college life."

"Hmm." She nodded.

"So, Lawson?" He asked.

"Yeah. You probably know something about us."

"Hmm, if I wasn't mistaken Gabriel Lawson is your father."

"Yes," She answered casually.

"Isn't it dangerous for you to be here?"

"No. My cousin is just messing around and I can take care of myself."

She finished her beer and she turned to find her cousin making out with a girl while dancing in the middle of the dance floor. She shook her head.

"That's your cousin?"

"Yeah." She mumbled. He finished his beer and watched her further. She turned to him and smirked. "Why do you keep watching me?"

"You are just, so beautiful."

She scoffed.

"I get that a lot."

"I am serious. I'm sorry. I just can't stop looking at you."

She turned to him and stared into his eyes like she was seducing him. She can see that Xavier is drowning into her, slowly. That's good. The guy is good looking, he had that handsome face that is extraordinary. Well, from all of the boys she knows, he has the greatest feature.

"You look more like an Asian." She told.

"Really?" He smiled flashing his complete white teeth.

"Yes."

Ezekiel came up to them.

"What's up?" Kiel asked and then he looked at the man with her. "Who are you?" He sounds very, very displeased.

"I'm Xavier." He extends his hand and Kiel stared at it for a while and shook it.

"I'm going back to my room," Athena told him.

"Okay, do you want me to walk you back there?"

"No. You have fun but don't be late." She told. Kiel nodded.

"I can walk you back." Xavier offered.

"I am a big girl. You boys have fun." She told them and then she left the bar.

Xavier followed her though. Very stubborn. She walked on the beach and let the water runs to her feet.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to walk you back?" Xavier asked following her.

"I just need a walk."

Xavier walked beside her, and Athena looked at the big moon and him too.

"You can't sleep?" Xavier asked again. She glanced at her wristwatch. It's probably three in the morning in the Bahamas and they might be sleeping.

"Yeah."

"What school are you in?" Xavier asked out of nowhere.

"Why?" She asked. "Do you want to enter our school?"

"No." He chuckled.

"Empire Academy. From your age, you are freshmen?"

"Yup." He nodded. "Freshmen yet with loads of stressful of works." He told with a grin. "Empire Academy?"

"Yeah, it's the school that my cousin's Empire built."

"Empire?" Xavier asked.

"Don't ask." She told. "It's complicated, besides, I don't want to talk about it with a stranger."

"We aren't a stranger anymore." He said with a smile. She scoffed and tilt her head. "Okay, I'll give you my address and number."

"Or do you want to get my number?"

"We can exchange address and number."

"Why address?" She asked.

"If ever that I'll visit you," he winked.

Athena creased her brows.

"I live far away from the USA."

"Where?"

"Philippines, Asia."

"Oh," He scratched his head. "My mother is from the Philippines. However, we never go there because of work."

"Yeah, it's where I live, and the expense of travel is pricey."

"Maybe I could go there, just to see you."

She shook her head.

"Don't say bluff things. Besides, it will take ages for you." Athena said and continue walking.

"Why? Because I am poor, and I don't have money?"

"I didn't say that."

"But it's true. I work part-time."

"Good for you."

"I could also work to go there." He said.

Athena laughed and at that moment, Xavier thought that it was the most beautiful laugh he ever heard.