The Bigshot's Superstar Wife

Athena's breath hitched at the sound of her name being called, her fingers instinctively tightening around her weapon. The voice was unfamiliar, but the way it carried through the ruined landscape sent a chill down her spine. It wasn't the desperate call of a lost survivor, nor was it the barking order of a soldier. It was measured, confident—like a predator who had finally cornered its prey.

Xavier's grip on her wrist loosened, but his body remained tense, his eyes sharp as he scanned the area. He didn't move to attack, not yet. He was waiting. Calculating.

Athena swallowed hard, her heart pounding against her ribs. "Who are they?" she whispered.

Xavier's lips curled into a smirk, but there was no humor in it. "The kind of people you don't want finding you."

The voice called out again, closer this time. "Athena. You've been missing for far too long. It's time to come home."

A flicker of something—fear? Recognition?—passed through Athena's mind, but no clear memory surfaced. Still, the certainty in the stranger's tone rattled her. They knew her. Not just her name, but her.

She felt Xavier shift beside her, his hand brushing against his gun. "If you want answers," he murmured, "this might be your best chance. But if we engage, there's no going back."

Athena exhaled, steadying herself. "Then we find out what they want."

She stepped forward, her movements slow but deliberate. The broken walls around them provided little cover, and she had no doubt the enemy had already marked their location.

Then she saw them.

A group of figures stood at a distance, just beyond the crumbling remains of what was once a city street. They were armed, but they weren't moving aggressively. Their leader, a tall man clad in dark tactical gear, watched her with unsettling familiarity. His face was partially obscured by a visor, but even from here, Athena could feel his piercing gaze locked onto her.

She kept her gun lowered but ready. "Who are you?" she asked.

The man tilted his head slightly, as if studying her. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Athena's jaw clenched. "Should I?"

A pause. Then a quiet chuckle. "Interesting. The rumors were true, then."

Xavier stepped beside her, arms crossed. "Enough games. Either you say what you want, or we walk away."

The man ignored him, his focus solely on Athena. "You were one of us," he said. "One of our best. And now, you don't even know who you are."

Athena's fingers twitched. "You're from the guild."

The man nodded slowly. "Your memories were wiped. We suspected as much. But don't worry—" his lips curled into a smirk, "—I can help you remember."

Something inside Athena recoiled at his words. She wasn't sure if it was fear or anticipation.

Xavier, however, laughed. It was a low, mocking sound. "Oh? And what makes you think she wants to remember?"

The man's smirk didn't waver. "Because she needs to."

Athena's mind was a whirlwind. Pieces of information clashed, fragments of memories too blurred to grasp. She had always known there was more to her past than the empty files and dead ends. But now, the proof stood before her.

She glanced at Xavier, searching for any sign of his usual arrogance, but for once, he was unreadable.

Athena turned back to the man. "If I was one of you, why did I leave?"

His smile faltered. "That… is the real question, isn't it?"

The way he said it sent a ripple of unease through her. He didn't know why she left. That meant whatever had happened, it wasn't planned.

Something had gone wrong.

The man stepped forward, but Xavier's hand shot out, gripping Athena's wrist before she could take a step. "Not so fast," he said. "You think we'll just trust you?"

The man regarded Xavier with mild amusement. "I don't expect trust. But I do expect her to want the truth."

Athena hesitated. A part of her did want answers. But another part, the part that had survived on instinct for so long, screamed that remembering might be a mistake.

Xavier seemed to sense her hesitation. His grip on her wrist tightened slightly, grounding her. "Think carefully," he said, voice quiet. "Once you take a step in that direction, there's no turning back."

Athena exhaled slowly. She met the stranger's gaze. "If I go with you, I want proof of who I was."

The man's smirk returned. "Then come with me."

Xavier's fingers twitched against her wrist, but he said nothing.

Athena took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Athena followed the stranger cautiously, every muscle in her body tensed in preparation for an ambush. She wasn't naive—just because this man claimed to know her past didn't mean he could be trusted. Xavier walked beside her, his usual arrogance replaced by a rare stillness. He didn't like this, that much was clear, but for now, he let her make the choice.

The man led them through the broken streets, moving with a familiarity that suggested he had been here before. The silence between them was thick, filled only by the distant sounds of the ruined city. Athena kept her gun in her hand, ready for anything.

Finally, they reached a building that had partially collapsed. The stranger stopped in front of a rusted metal door, pressing a sequence of numbers on a keypad. With a faint hiss, the door unlocked, revealing a dark passageway leading underground.

Athena hesitated. Something about this place felt wrong. A chill crawled up her spine.

"You said you wanted proof," the man said, stepping inside. "It's waiting for you in here."

Xavier glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "You don't have to do this."

But Athena had come too far to turn back now. Steeling herself, she stepped into the darkness.

The air inside was thick with dust and something else—something metallic, like dried blood. Athena's heartbeat quickened as dim, flickering lights revealed a corridor lined with old security cameras. The stranger moved ahead without hesitation, leading them deeper.

As they walked, Athena's fingers grazed the cold walls, feeling grooves and indentations. Then, suddenly, she stopped. There—etched into the surface—was a name.

Her name.

Her breath caught. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut.

She had been here before.

But why? And what had she done in this place?