The Bigshot's Superstar Wife

Chapter 102: Take You

Athena pressed herself against the stone wall, her heart pounding. The dim torchlight flickered across the hallway, casting long, eerie shadows.

The boy in her arms clung to her cloak, his tiny fingers trembling against the fabric.

The guard remained in the cell across from them, and Athena could hear muffled cries of pain. Her stomach twisted. Who else was imprisoned here?

She turned her attention back to the boy. His golden eyes were glazed with exhaustion, and his breathing was shallow. He was weak, barely holding on. There was no time to hesitate.

Taking a deep breath, she shifted the boy’s weight in her arms and crept toward the hallway’s end.

Every step was calculated, each movement as silent as a whisper. She needed to get out before the guard noticed the unlocked door.

Just as she reached the corner, a deep voice echoed through the passage.

"Where is the boy?"

Athena froze. How did he come... here?

The guard straightened, saluting as another man entered the hallway. This one wore a dark uniform, his presence more commanding.

His sharp, angular features were illuminated by the dim light, and his eyes glowed with a faint red hue.

"The prince ordered him to remain here," the guard responded. "We’ve been monitoring his condition, but he’s getting weaker."

Prince?

Athena’s grip on the boy tightened. A prince had ordered this child’s imprisonment? Who in the empire would be cruel enough to do such a thing?

The higher-ranking man stepped closer to the occupied cell, ignoring the pained sounds from within.

"Weak or not, we must proceed with the plan. If he survives, he will be a weapon. If he dies, he was never worth keeping."

Athena’s blood ran cold. They are inhumane!

This child was not just a prisoner. He was a pawn in something far greater. Do they want to create biological weapons?

A sharp cry erupted from the occupied cell, followed by the unmistakable sound of a whip striking flesh. Athena flinched.

The boy in her arms whimpered, his small body shuddering. He was trying to be silent, but the trauma he had endured made it impossible for him to hold back.

Athena knew she had only seconds before the men noticed them. We need to escape!

Mors was silent for a long moment. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, "My brother. The king has more children than you think."

Athena’s breath caught.

Her mind raced, trying to process the revelation. The child in her arms, fragile and broken, was Mors’s brother?

"Why is he down there?" she demanded.

Mors’s jaw tightened. "Because he was never meant to exist."

Athena’s chest tightened. "What does that mean?"

Mors looked away, his golden hair catching the moonlight. "He was born from a union that should have never happened. A child of two bloodlines that should have never mixed."

Athena stared at him, her thoughts spinning. A forbidden child. A hidden prince. Due to their royal blood, is that why they were forced to become weapons?

The boy whimpered again, his fingers clutching her cloak tighter. Athena looked down at him, then back at Mors. "He’s your family."

Mors’s expression darkened. "That’s exactly why they want him dead."

Athena swallowed hard. The weight of the situation settled heavily on her shoulders. She had stumbled upon a secret that could change everything.

Mors stepped closer, his gaze never leaving the child. "Let me take him."

Athena hesitated, her protective instincts flaring. "Are you going to send him back?"

"No," Mors said firmly. "I’ll protect him."

Something in his voice made Athena believe him. Carefully, she handed the boy over. He barely stirred as Mors cradled him against his chest, his expression unreadable.

"We need to leave," Mors said, his voice lower now. "If they realize he’s gone, they’ll search the entire estate."

Athena nodded. "Where will we take him?"

Mors looked toward the distant lights of the city. "Somewhere safe."

Athena met his gaze, knowing that whatever happened next, their lives had just become even more complicated.

She had uncovered a prince in chains.

And now, they were all in greater danger.