Author's Pov

Morpheus grabbed a tray and threw it on Hades.

Hades dodged it at the right moment. Being in the Mafia for nearly a decade and half now, has its perks. The brothers know when and how to defend themselves.

“Why would you fucking tell her?” Morpheus was livid and shouted with all his might.

Hades was about to speak when Morpheus launched a bowl each on the remaining two brothers. They dodged it with eaze and looked at their father wide eyed. He never reacted this way unless he's absolutely pissed.

Morpheus was always against disciplining children with physical or emotional abuse but his sons were way older to be considered kids anymore so he wanted to take some of his pent-up frustration out on them and ideally teach them a lesson.

Ares raised his hands up in surrender. “I didn't even do anything. Zyphre and Hades told her that you meet us and take money from us.”

His brothers glared at him and he shrugged. The trio would always snitch on each other in front of their father to escape his anger but when it came to anything outside of family, they were ready to take a bullet or any blame for their brothers.

“You idiots! Don't you have any decency left? It hasn't even been 24 hours and you've already upset her.” Morpheus yelled at his sons.

“She needed to hear that. It's not our fault she can't take the truth.” Hades said displeased by his father's outburst.

“She's a child. She doesn't understand that I had to take money from you jerks. But you're an adult! You could’ve avoided telling her that!”

“If she gets hurt so easily then she shouldn't be a smart mouth.” Ares commented.

“And you shouldn't be an adult because you clearly didn't go through maturity.”

“It was her fault dad, she started it.”

Among the trio, Ares was the best at getting information out of people when they least expect it and he used the same strategy on Athena.

He waited till she was focused on her food. He saw her eyes moving from pancakes to strawberries and after two seconds of contemplation she picked three of them and popped them in her mouth.

He gradually began the investigation with questions she could answer with a nod or shake of her head so she wouldn't have to think too much before she gave him an answer. And just as planned, she spoke without hesitation. But what wasn't planned was that she spoke without any thought.

She loves to joke and her humor didn't sit well with the trio.

They didn't want to laugh about her hypothetical marriage, they only wanted to know what her relationship was with Tristan. Their concern was limited to her being too young to hangout with men in clubs.

They felt like she was a naive girl and so they wanted to make sure she wasn't letting someone take advantage of her. If that was the case, it wouldn't have been difficult for the brothers to get rid of him.

“She started it? How old are you?” Morpheus mocked.

“Dad,” Zyphre brought his attention to himself. “We told you this arrangement isn't gonna work, that's why we offered to get her a safehouse and… it's still an option.”

Morpheus shook his head in disappointment. “You still don't realize what you did today?” He eyed each one of his sons with disgust. “Or what you did to her seventeen years ago?”

“It was a mistake. And we offered to make it right but you didn't let us-” Ares lowered his voice. “Abort.”

Morpheus laughed. “Atleast you have the decency to not tell her that. But don't worry she already knows. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out.”

Ares eyebrows knit together. “How is that okay to her, but you taking money from us is a sin?”

“Because I promised to never keep any contact with the three of you so she feels betrayed now. And because she really really hates you.”

“Just because we left her, she wants you to cut off contact with us, that's selfish.” Zyphre put down his point.

“You're the one talking about selfishness?” Morpheus said sarcastically.

“Look dad,” Hades decided he could present better evidence to support their case. “She purposely provoked us. She knew we wouldn't like that she wants to marry someone and she kept going on and on about it.”

“And why does it even matter to you? If I remember correctly, I'm her only family. And if she ever wants to get parental consent then she'd come to me, anyone else shouldn't have an opinion about her life decisions.”

“C'mon dad you're not signing that bullshit.” Ares said with distaste clear in his voice.

“It's none of your concern. If that's what she wants, then that's what I give her.”

Morpheus didn't mean his words. He would never let Athena get married at such a young age even if it was with Tristan —the only guy he likes around Athena— but he wanted to provoke his sons.

He didn't like that his sons only took interest in Athena’s life when she was ruining it with her own hands. He wanted them to truly care but this concern —for whatever reason— felt like the first step to what he wanted.

“Seriously?” Zyphre was losing his calm. “How have you become so lenient? What happened to being the strict father?”

“I'm not her father. And grandparents always spoil the kids.” He shrugged.

“What are you even talking about? This is not what we agreed on. You said you'll take care of her and that includes making sure she's not…” Hades thought of his next words because he didn't want to use the word ‘fuck’ in context to the girl. “...she's not doing anything she shouldn’t.”

“Well I don't remember any of this being a part of the agreement and since we didn't sign any paperwork and it was a simple adoption from her mother —where she left the father’s name blank— I don't see how you're eligible to question me. I have full right to her and I give her every right to take her own decisions.”

“What has happened, dad?” Zyphre asked exhaling a breath to keep his calm. “Why are you doing this? Why aren't you taking this seriously? We know you wouldn't just give up on her so easily when you fought us for her. Then why are you just letting everything happen? And why are you so… okay with it?”

Morpheus looked at Zyphre. He could see the confusion and a hint of desperation in his voice —that he accounted for impatience. Ares and Hades were equally as curious to know the answers and so Morpheus pulled a chair and placed it in front of his sons.

“You know what I consider my biggest failure?” He asked sitting down.

Hades gulped and asked quietly. “Us?”

Morpheus shook his head. “Athena.” The trio looked at him confused because they never thought he would say that. “When she was born… I promised myself that I wouldn't let her be like you three. I promised I would do the exact opposite of what I did with you. I promised I will never let her get misguided…”

He inhaled a deep breath before speaking again. “But I failed again.” He smiles to himself. “This one hurts more because… it feels like I didn't learn anything from the past. She turned out to be a xerox of you. She's nothing like how I wanted her to. I planned her future —which I didn't with you— but it made no difference. I decided to be present for her —like I wasn't for you everyday— but it didn't matter. I only took that bloody money so I would be around whenever she needs me but… I guess she doesn't.”

The brothers stayed silent. “A child needs parents. And no matter how much I tried I could never be that for her. She said I'm her only father, she said she loves me but there was always a part of her that was empty, that longed for who were meant to be hers.”

“Don't blame this on us, dad.” Ares said, not meeting his father's eyes. “She had the best guardian but she still chose to be a spoiled brat. It's not on us. And sixteen is an old enough age to know the difference between right and wrong. If she's sneaking out and finding guys to marry then how is it our fault? We weren't even in her life to be a bad influence on her.”

“That’s the problem. You weren't in her life.”

Morpheus leaned against the chair. His head hurts from the argument and worst of all, he’s worried if his granddaughter would forgive what he's done.

“But you were. She should be grateful for what she has and the love she's getting. Why cry over something you never had?” Hades interjected.

“Your mother died giving birth to you. You never met her. But I still remember you crying over her. Why was that?”

Hades took a second to find an answer. “Because I knew she wanted me. If she had survived we would’ve lived together happily but in Athena's case, neither of her parents wanted her in the first place. So it doesn't make sense for her to cry over someone who would rather abort you.”

That made Morpheus laugh. “I wish she understood that. But you know…” Then his amusement dropped. “Humans have feelings unlike you three.”

They didn't disagree. They knew how heartless and inhumane they’ve become —or always were as they like to believe. The only compassion they have left in them is for each other and their father. They don't have anymore to give to anyone.

“But rest assured, she doesn't cry over you guys. In fact she always says it doesn't matter to her. She doesn't care if a prostitute and three assholes left her, she doesn't need them anyway. She's happy with me.” Morpheus said with a mocking laugh.

“And she doesn't mean that.” It wasn't a question but a statement that Hades wanted a denial of.

“Yes, she doesn't. She refuse to admit that you have any effect on her. But she's a child and a child needs a father and a mother. I couldn't be either for her.”

“It's not your fault, dad. You did your bes-”

“It is my fault. If I could just raise you right then you wouldn't have gone out impregnating whores seven years older than you when you were just seventeen yourself.” He took a pause. “But well… I wouldn't have gotten Athena then so I guess all’s good if it works out in the end.”

Like his brothers, Ares wanted to end this topic. He didn't want to hear him voicing out how much of a disappointment they've been to him or how much they ruined his life by giving him another child to raise.

“Don't you wanna go check on her? She must be crying or something right now.”

“She doesn't talk to me when she’s mad at me. Must be on call with Tristan.” Morpheus shrugged.

“Who's this Tristan, dad?”

Morpheus raised an eyebrow at Hades' question. “Why does it matter to you?”

“Is she really dating him? How old is he?” Hades asked, ignoring his father's question.

Morpheus decided to ignore his question in return. “I want you all to behave well with her. If you hurt her more than you’ve already then we'll leave even if that means I die with another attack.”

He knew the best way to convince his sons for anything is to use himself as a blackmail. They loved their father and they could do anything for him —other than accepting the girl.

“You’re not going anywhere. We’ll try to be civil.” Zyphre muttered looking away.

“If only you were civil this morning.”

“I said we’ll be civil now so it's sorted.”

“That's so easy for you to say. You're not the one whose life has been ruined. You're still living the life you always wanted.”

“She's also living the life she wants. Why are we being held accountable for everything? We didn't tell her to sneak out and come back home with hickeys.” Hades gritted through his teeth.

“But none of it would've happened if you didn't fucking abandon her.” Morpheus shouted rising up from his seat.

“Dad-”

“No! Shut up! Shut up all of you! You can't come back after seventeen years and judge her for who she is.” He stood up raising his voice.

He hated when people only saw the outer layer of Athena and made assumptions about her. He hated it when everyone thought she’s nothing more than a spoiled kid.

Morpheus inhaled a breath and decided it was time that he dawn it on his sons. They needed to hear it. And he wanted to tell them the truth no one sees of her. The other side that she never lets on.

“Whatever I say now…” He looked at his sons with deadly expressions. “Will stay between us.”

The brothers knew it must be something serious and for some reason they weren't ready to hear what he had to say. But they nodded nonetheless.

“She was ten when I told her that her parents aren't dead.”