Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 152 - 150: Nude on phone...

Adrianna’s brows furrowed, her lips parting in disbelief. The crowd collectively inhaled, the tension in the air palpable.

Mr. Meadow scoffed and slapped Athena again, even harder this time, anger etched deep into his features.

He raised his hand, ready to strike a third time, when Theodore stepped forward, and held the hand.

His presence alone made the room freeze. His eyes burned with fury the likes of which no one had ever seen before.

All pairs of eyes snapped to him. Goosebumps rose on each and everyone’s skin. The air temperature in the room dropped, and suddenly everywhere feels cold.

The tears Athena had been holding in fell, and Theodore’s jaw tightened. He would make every single one of them pay for making her cry.

"Hit him," he said dangerously.

All eyes widened. What the fuck?

Mr. Meadow’s lips curled into a sneer, unaware of the storm about to hit him. "Have you gone mad, Frost?" he spat.

But Theodore’s gaze never left Athena. His entire being focused on her.

"Athena. I. Said. Hit. Him." he repeated, a razor-edged command that carried weight no one could ignore.

Athena’s eyes gleamed, the fury of everything she had endured boiling over. Without a second thought, she lashed out.

Her hand connected with Mr. Meadow’s face in a brutal slap. But she didn’t stop there.

She continued to slap and slap him, like her life depended on it.

The crowd gasped with every strike. Some leaned forward, unable to look away. Some shrank back, muttering in shock.

But Athena wasn’t done. Her slaps continued, rapid and unrelenting, until sweat beaded her brow and her arm ached with the power she poured into every hit.

Mr. Meadow’s face twisted in pain and disbelief, a mix of fury and humiliation hit him.

Then Theodore’s fist landed a precised punch on Mr meadow’s face, knocking him off balance.

Silence swallowed every living creature in the corridor.

Adrianna moved back, disappearing into the classroom.

Theodore extended his hand and grasped Athena’s hand. He pulled her past the chaos.

Theodore didn’t say a word as he led Athena straight to the phantom’s den.

Inside, the atmosphere was thick.

Eryx was pacing the length of the room, his movements sharp, restless, like a caged animal.

Azrael leaned against the wall, a glass of whiskey dangling loosely in his fingers. His face was calm, but imthose that know him too well knew, he was far from calm.

Rhydric sat across the room, posture relaxed but his eyes were cold, fixed on nothing and everything all at once.

The moment the door opened, every head snapped up. Their gazes locked onto Athena first.

Before she could even process it, Eryx crossed the distance between them in three long strides and pulled her into his arms.

Athena froze. Her breath caught painfully in her chest. This, this wasn’t what she had prepared herself for.

She had braced herself for anger. Disgust. Not his arms tightening around her like she was something precious, something that needed shielding.

She didn’t know what to do, so she did nothing, and let herself be held.

Eryx pulled back just enough to look at her, his hands sliding to her shoulders, his eyes scanning her face like he was checking for injuries that weren’t visible.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Athena nodded a little.

Athena swallowed. Her voice came out thin. "Aren’t you... angry?"

His brows pulled together slightly. "Why would I be?"

She stared at him, stunned. "That post," she whispered. "Everyone thinks I..."

"I know it’s fake," Eryx interrupted without hesitation. "We all do."

Her breath hitched. Tears welled up instantly, blurring her vision as she shook her head. "No," she said, voice breaking. "Nobody knows. They look at me like I’m disgusting. Like I sold myself. Like I’m..." Her voice cracked. "Like I’m a whore."

Eryx’s expression hardened, not at her, but at the world.

He cupped her face with both hands, forcing her to look at him. His touch was firm, grounding.

"Shh... baby" he murmured. "You’re not disgusting. And you’re not any of those things."

His forehead rested against hers. "People don’t want the truth, Athena. They want blood. And when someone shines too bright, they look for the smallest excuse to tear them down."

Athena’s hands trembled as she reached up, gripping his wrists like they were the only thing keeping her upright.

"You don’t understand," she whispered. "That picture... it was real. I took it myself last night. I swear I didn’t post it, but..."

"I believe you," Eryx said immediately. "You don’t have to convince me."

That was what broke her. The tears spilled freely. Her body shook as Eryx pulled her back into his arms, holding her while she cried, like she was afraid of taking up space even in her grief.

When her breathing finally steadied, he pulled back, gently wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, and pressed a soft kiss to the bridge of her nose.

"Come," he said quietly. "Sit."

He guided her to the couch opposite Rhydric.

Athena sat, folding into herself slightly, suddenly very aware of the weight of their stares again.

Rhydric’s gaze was intense, like he was dissecting every word she hadn’t said yet.

After a moment, he spoke. "Who did you take the pictures for?"

Athena blinked. "What?"

His tone remained calm. "The pictures. Who were they meant for?"

Her throat tightened. She dropped her gaze to her hands. "I..." Her voice wavered. "I took them for... Oliver."

The shift in the room was immediate. Eryx’s jaw clenched, something dark twisting in his stomach. The thought of another man seeing her like that made his blood burn.

Azrael drained the rest of his whiskey in one swallow and poured himself another without comment. Everybody’s attention was on Athena that they didn’t notice the shift in his body, since Athena walked in.

Theodore looked away briefly, then back at her, his expression carefully neutral.

Rhydric nodded once. "Do you think he posted it?"

Athena shook her head quickly. "No. Never. Oliver would never hurt me like that. He doesn’t even know about Mr. Meadow. He doesn’t know you guys either."

Rhydric leaned back slightly. "Then that means your phone was accessed."

He cleared his throat, suddenly awkward. "Uh... you don’t have nude on you phone, do you?"

Athena’s eyes widened. Her face flushed deep red as she shook her head furiously. "N-no." Her voice came out small and embarrassed.

Theodore’s lips twitched despite himself.

Rhydric exhaled. "Good," he said dryly. "Then this won’t be as messy as it could’ve been."

Athena nodded slowly, her hands tightening together in her lap.