The Bigshot's Superstar Wife

Athena stepped forward, determination surging through her veins like fire. The USB drive in her hand felt heavier than before, not because of its weight but because of the truth it held. She had spent too long running, too long surviving without knowing why. It was time to uncover what had been stolen from her.

Xavier led the way out of the dimly lit room, his boots clicking against the concrete floor. The research facility had long been abandoned, its walls stained with time and past horrors. Machines sat in silence, rusted wires hanging from the ceilings like the remnants of a forgotten era. Every step echoed in the stillness, each one a reminder that they were walking deeper into a past she had yet to fully remember.

"Where are we going?" Athena asked, her voice steady despite the unease in her chest.

Xavier glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Somewhere I think you'll find interesting."

She didn't trust him completely—not yet. But she knew he held more answers than she did.

They passed through an open corridor, the air growing colder as they neared a locked metal door. Xavier produced a keycard from his pocket, swiping it through the old access panel. The door groaned as it unlocked, revealing a darkened chamber beyond.

The moment Athena stepped inside, something clicked in her mind.

She knew this place.

Rows of containment units lined the walls, each one filled with a murky liquid that had long since stagnated. Some held humanoid figures, their grotesque shapes suspended in eerie silence. Others had shattered, their contents long gone. But it wasn't the sight of these things that sent chills down her spine—it was the chair in the center of the room.

A chair she had been strapped to.

The flash of memory hit her like a strike of lightning.

She saw herself—her past self—restrained in that chair, her wrists bound by cold metal. Wires connected to her skin, her heartbeat echoing in her ears. Scientists circled her, murmuring in voices she couldn't understand. A man stood over her, his silhouette blurred by the harsh overhead lights.

She remembered pain. A burning sensation crawling beneath her skin, her body trembling as something foreign was injected into her bloodstream. She had screamed.

And then—darkness.

Athena stumbled back, her breath hitching. The memory faded, but the lingering agony of it remained in her bones.

Xavier watched her closely, his usual smirk absent. "You remember, don't you?"

She gritted her teeth, refusing to let the overwhelming emotions consume her. "I was here," she murmured. "They did something to me."

Xavier nodded. "And that's just the beginning."

Athena swallowed hard, forcing herself to step closer to the chair. The rusted restraints still bore scratches—marks left behind by someone struggling to break free.

Her fingers traced the metal, a shiver running down her spine. Had she left these marks?

She turned to Xavier. "Tell me everything."

He exhaled, crossing his arms. "You were part of a classified project—one that doesn't officially exist. You weren't just an assassin, Athena. You were designed to be the perfect weapon."

Her blood ran cold.

"What?"

"The people who created you didn't just train you. They enhanced you, altered your body in ways that made you stronger, faster, and deadlier than any human. But you weren't alone. There were others like you—prototypes, failed experiments, and… one other success."

Athena's mind reeled. "Another success?"

Xavier's gaze darkened. "Yes. The only one who could ever match you. The one person you were supposed to kill."

The air between them grew heavy with unspoken truths. Athena's fingers curled into fists.

She didn't need him to say it.

She already knew who he meant.

"The Mafia leader," she whispered.

Xavier nodded. "And I'm guessing you now understand why you were never meant to return from your mission."

Her breath caught in her throat. It all made sense now—the gaps in her memory, the feeling that something had always been missing. She hadn't just been on a mission to kill someone.

She had been set up to die.

Athena closed her eyes, forcing herself to stay calm. She had been nothing but a pawn, manipulated into carrying out orders she didn't even remember agreeing to.

And yet, she had survived.

Somehow, against all odds, she had lived.

She opened her eyes, locking onto Xavier's gaze. "What happened to the other one? The other success?"

Xavier hesitated for only a second before answering.

"He disappeared. No one ever found his body. Some believe he died. Others… think he's still out there, waiting."

Athena's heart pounded.

Was he the man in her dreams? The one with the long black hair, the one who felt so painfully familiar?

"I need to find him," she said, her voice unwavering. "If he's alive, then he has answers I don't."

Xavier tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "And if he's your enemy?"

Athena didn't hesitate. "Then I'll do what I was made to do."

Silence filled the room before Xavier let out a quiet laugh. "That's the Athena I remember."

She turned back to the chair one last time, the weight of her past pressing down on her shoulders. She had been forged into something inhuman, shaped by people who had never seen her as more than a tool.

But they had failed to break her.

Now, she would find the truth—on her terms.

Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving behind the ghosts of a past she refused to let define her.

Xavier followed, his steps light but measured. "So, what's the plan?"

Athena exhaled, tightening her grip on the USB drive.

"We find the last success."

And with that, she stepped forward into the unknown, ready to face whatever came next.

As Athena and Xavier stepped out of the abandoned laboratory, the weight of her past still clung to her, but her resolve had never been stronger. The cold night air hit her skin, grounding her in the present. No matter what the truth revealed, she would face it head-on. If the last success was still alive, she would track him down—whether as an ally or an enemy.

Xavier smirked beside her. "This is going to be interesting."

Athena glanced at him, her eyes sharp with determination. "Then let's get started."

With that, they disappeared into the darkness, chasing the unknown.