Athena's Pov

"Do you know where the dining room is?" I ask the butler.

"Go straight and take the second left. Then go to the third room in the hallway to the right."

I tried to understand the instructions but had to ask another guy halfway through the short journey. This place is built like a maze and I'm absolutely enchanted by it.

The moment I enter the huge dining hall fit for atleast 30 people, I'm welcomed by the scowling face of Ares.

He's looking at me like I stole his baby tarantula -that's the only pet I could ever imagine him with. I don't know what's his problem but I return his glare with equal intensity.

Grandpa sees me come in and smiles at me which makes me drop the glare and smile back. Hades is busy with his phone and doesn't spare me a glance while Zyphre gives my new clothes a once-over.

Since my clothes won't be here till evening, I was generously given a huge sweatpant and an extra large t-shirt which I changed into after taking a quick shower.

"Can we eat now?" Ares asks grandpa as I take my seat down on the only seat with food and without an occupant.

Grandpa's sitting at the head of the table and despite my seat being the one on his right, it's occupied by Ares as he's the oldest. One on the right is taken by Zyphre and my seat is next to his and across from Hades.

"Aww, you guys were waiting for me?" I ask with fake adoration.

I know grandpa must've held them back from starting without me as it was always his rule to eat when everyone at home was on the table. But I wanted to annoy them for no reason.

None of them took the bait. They didn't reply to me and instead went to slice through the pancakes on their plates. I was already quite bothered with my call to Tristan so I didn't want any more drama and planned to stay quiet but grandpa striked a conversation.

"Did you talk to Tristan? I gave him my jacket to exchange for a bigger size."

"He said they didn't have the bigger size but it's gonna come in another week." I answered. "That reminds me," I drizzled some extra vanilla sauce on my pancakes. "He was asking if he could come over."

"He doesn't need to ask." Grandpa waved his hand dismissively.

Tristan had always been a part of our family and so have I been a part of his. We are best of friends since we didn't even know how to make full sentences and the dinosaur played a huge part in making our friendship last.

We've always been allowed to visit one another no matter the time as we literally live next door. Both of our families trusted us with each other because they know that nothing fishy is going on between us.

"We don't like guests." Hades directs his words to me.

"I can see that." I give him the nastiest look possible.

"We aren't throwing parties at your shabby mansion, Hades. It's just one person, deal with it." Grandpa ended the argument I was preparing myself for.

"That's the guy you called last night, right?" Ares asked and I nodded, stuffing my mouth with three whole strawberries. "And he's the same guy as that 'T-rex' you were talking to." I nodded again, scooping a spoonful of chocolate chips. "How old is he and who is he exactly?" He was weirdly interested in the subject.

"My future husband." I said with my mouthful of food.

Tristan and I once made a pact that if neither of us are married till thirty-five then we'll marry each other so it's a running joke between us that he's my future husband. But I'm pretty confident I'll find a rich guy by then but seeing how disinterested Tristan is in anyone, I'm not sure about his love life.

I didn't realize that my joke wouldn't go well with the audience I have. It wasn't until a pin drop silence fell in the room that I looked up from my plate.

All the brothers were looking pissed off while Zyphre had a particular clench in his jaw. I don't know why they would care if I was actually going to marry my best friend but for some reason they do.

"Now what is that supposed to mean?" Hades asks, exhaling a breath like he's controlling himself.

"It means Tristan is my future son-in-law." Grandpa shrugged.

Even if he doesn't approve of most of the things I do, he's always so cool with me. He knows that the more comfortable he makes me, the more likely I'm going to keep telling him my whereabouts.

He tried the strict approach but it only led me to rebel more. So he's stuck to a gentle one now. He's gotten relaxed in things which he knows is not a big deal, like me joking about getting married to Tristan or wanting to be a trophy wife.

He would occasionally get mad and scold me but usually he's always slipping in words of advice which I always go against. He thinks I would somehow become 'wiser with time' -in his words- and stop doing what I am but he doesn't know that I have no intention of changing.

"What the hell?" Zyphre bangs his fist on the table. "She's sixteen. Do I need to remind you every damn minute?"

He's glaring at my grandpa which I absolutely hate so I decided to piss him off further. I narrowed my eyes on him. "So what? Sixteen is the ideal age for a highschool romance." I adopted a contemplating look on my face and spoke again.

"You know minors can get married with parental consent? Grandpa would agree," He would never. "I should ask Tristan's parents if they have a problem with it." I internally smirked when each one of my sworn enemies looked incredibly pissed.

"She's fucking kidding, right?" Hades asks grandpa.

"Nah, I'm serious. I'm gonna get married at sixteen then have a kid by seventeen. Like sperm donor, like bastard." I made up my own quote.

At some point in the argument we've all stood up and abandoned our breakfast as the three brothers glare at me. Because I know help is just a few feet away -even if unwell with a bullet wound- I'm much more confident in the glaring competition.

"Listen to me, Athena." Ares came towards my side of the table. "You are not doing any of those things so get this filth out of your mind."

"Why are you getting mad? It's not even your fucking problem." I say scowling at him.

"It is our problem when our father has taken a responsibility and she's going around already choosing her groom at such a young age." Zyphre snaps back.

"Even if I'm throwing myself in a pit of snakes, you have no right to comment." I cross my arms at my chest. "And don't act like you care for grandpa's responsibilities. Where were you when he couldn't pay his mortgage and had to take a loan on a thirty percent interest? Where were you when he couldn't send me on a roadtrip with my friends because he didn't have the money to? Where were you when he spent two years with his good-for-nothing phone cause he couldn't afford to get a new one. Where were you when that retard pickup truck broke down and nobody would even buy it."

I wanted to make them feel guilty. I wanted to hurt them but I didn't get the desired results. Zyphre didn't answer my question, he didn't even get mad. Instead, a slow smirk creeped up to his face as he turned to grandpa.

"She doesn't know, does she?" He asked.

"Zyphre," Grandpa said in a warning tone.

"What do I not know?" I looked between the two of them.

"That everything you have or ever had, my love," Hades came behind me and leaned down towards my ear. "...was paid for by us."

My eyes widened in shock and I immediately turned to look at grandpa so he could confirm that it's false. He didn't look at me. He was looking at Hades with raged expressions but he had a glint of guilt in his eyes. It was all I needed to understand what had happened.

"But you promised..." I whispered.

I couldn't believe what I just heard. Grandpa always taught me dignity. He always said that whatever we had, have or will have would be our own -earned fairly.

He never liked how I wanted a rich husband. He wanted me to become independent and never rely on anyone. But indirectly, he did the exact thing he preached against.

He made me a debtor to the trio.

And they didn't care rubbing it in my face.

"Sweetheart it's not what it looks like-"

"It's exactly what it looks like!" I shout at him. "You lied to me!"

"I-" I cut him off again.

"You were in contact with them all these years? Did you meet them behind my back?" It was more of a statement than a question and I hoped my suspicions prove wrong.

He stays quiet. His eyes avert to the ground and he takes a deep breath preparing himself for a difficult conversation.

"Yes or no, grandpa?" I plead for an answer.

"I had to, but it was only bec-"

"I don't care!" I yelled. "You promised you wouldn't ever talk to them. You said we don't need them!"

"Don't you dare talk to my father like that!" I flinched when Ares yelled at me.

I gulped but my fear didn't overpower the anger and hurt I was feeling. "You don't get to speak between us!"

"We do when you disrespect our father." Hades gritted through his teeth.

"He's my grandpa!" I shouted like it would prove a point. "He's only mine! He's- he's nothing to you! He's my grandpa. None of you have any right on him. He disowned you. He chose me! Even if he took some money from you, doesn't mean he still loves you."

"Is that why he kept checking up on us every year?" Zyphre smirked at me. I thought he was the most repulsive. But since he's enjoying my outburst, he's calm.

My head snapped to grandpa and he looked more guilty than I've ever seen him. "How can you..." I couldn't even complete the sentence.

Why did I think the relationship would've been strictly limited to money? My grandpa is a good man, why would I expect him to abandon his own children for me?

"I'm sorry, Athena." He comes closer to me. "I hate them for what they did to you. I hate them for what they've become but..." He looked so apologetic. "I couldn't help it. I had to know if they're okay..."

I wiped the traitorous tear that slid off my face. They're already enjoying my mental breakdown, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

"But why would you take their money?" I gave him one last chance for redemption. "And even if you did, why the fuck would you spend that on me!"

We decided to never get any help from them. They're not our family. They're no one to us. Grandpa promised he doesn't need them as long as he had me.

"Because I couldn't take care of you on my own. Athena," He tried to grab my hand but I moved back again. The hurt was clear on his face but he straightened back up and spoke again. "I couldn't leave you alone with babysitters, I didn't trust them. When you got old enough I started saving for your college, I did it for you. For your present and future. When they offered to pay, I agreed because you are their responsi-"

"I'm not their responsibility!" I fisted my hands in frustration and pressed them on my eyelids. "They mean nothing to me. They're as good as dead. I don't need them."

I took inhaled a breath and removed my hands to look straight at grandpa. "I thought I didn't need anyone but you. Even if I'm a sucker for money, I never would've asked you to take from them. They're selfish, they'd think I owe them my life in exchange for some cash." I let out a mocking laugh. "That must be the reason why they think they can dictate me. Is that why they want me to be a good fucking girl?"

"We never said you owe us anything." Hades said with a clenched jaw.

I looked at him and shook my head. I know he's only saying this to look good in front of grandpa. But he can't fool me. I know how people like them are.

Rich people want something in return for their money. They don't do charity. No one's selfless enough in this fucked up world. That's always been the case.

I turned to grandpa again. "If you took from them, why couldn't you just tell me? You're the only family I ever had, I expected you to tell me the truth. But you kept lying to me for them. You chose to betray me for them." I whispered the last part.

"I didn't betray you, Athena. I couldn't tell you because you hate them and because I wanted to give you a good life. It was never about choosing a side when I decided to meet them. And if I have to I will always choose you. I love you, sweetheart." My heart squeezed painfully at the desperation in his voice.

"You love me enough to lie to me to keep me happy." I gulped the lump forming in my throat. "But when did I ask you to feed me sweet lies?"

As my vision became blurry with tears pricking my eyes, I knew it was time for me to leave. So I ran back to my assigned room and locked the door before letting them flow down my cheeks.

I refused to make a single noise so anyone wouldn't know how weak I was feeling right now. I struggled to breathe when air refused to reach my lungs but I would rather die in this room than go out and ask my grandpa to let me put my head in his lap and calm down as he massaged my scalp -like he always did when I was overwhelmed.

I picked up my phone and dialed the first number on my speed dial. Tristan picked up soon after. "Hey-"

"Can you come over?" I hiccuped saying the words.

"Athena- What happened? Why are you crying? Where's Morpheus?" He's panicking just like I am.

"I had a fight with him. Come over. I need you." I whispered.

"Okay, I'm leaving right now but please stop crying." I could hear noises on the other side and I knew he's rushing to get here.

"I will, just come soon." I was about to cut the call but added, "Don't get hit by a car."