five chances at 21

Posted by Adminh, ? Views, Released on March 6, 2025

Chapter 21

“Agatha is in the hospital. Someone beat her on her way home from university.”

The first thought that crossed my mind when Ares shared Agatha’s condition was, “How did he know?” But that thought swiftly disappeared as I arrived at the hospital with Elena. Even she was curious about how Ares found out so quickly and where he had come from.

But even as the girlfriend, I didn’t have the answer. Furthermore, why would someone beat Agatha? From what I knew, she was one of the most feared and high–ranking students at her university. This was the first time such an incident had happened to her. Was she being bullied?

“Are you okay? You’ve been quite silent. What room is it?” Elena asked, but I was lost in my thoughts.

I was certain Mama and my brother were here now. I touched my cheek, feeling the searing pain there, both physically and in my heart. The bruise was still fresh. When I saw it earlier, I could hardly believe that Matthew could do this to me. I never expected him to hurt me like this. I never thought he could.

“Where are your things? We should go back to the condo first so you can change. You’re still wearing Apollo’s clothes, Ana.”

Elena’s words hit me like a bucket of cold water. I stopped walking and looked at myself. I was wearing his boxer shorts and an oversized white t–shirt. I could still smell his scent on the shirt. I looked at Elena.

“Apollo?” I asked her in surprise. I saw her grin and gestured for us to sit in the lobby.

“Don’t tell me you still don’t know his name. His name’s Apollo, that’s what he told me earlier. And also, he ordered me to take care of you. Is there something going on between you two aside from your accidental marriage and what happened to both of you?” She asked me, so I immediately shook my head.

Suddenly, the kiss he had planted on my cheek before we left crossed my mind. I couldn’t fathom why I had a sense that something was amiss. It felt like someone was playing with me.

“You should address that first before anything else, Anastacia. What if Ares finds out about that? And what about your family…”

Before she could finish what she was saying, I stood up. “Let’s just go home first. I can’t wear this-”

“Here, wear this.”

I nearly shrieked when Apollo suddenly appeared at my side, handing me a jacket that was so big it could probably fit him too. Elena stood up, and I glared at him. He was already wearing a simple outfit, but he exuded a strong presence that made even this simple attire look expensive. It was just jeans and a white t–shirt, with a jacket on top.

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“What are you doing here? Are you following us?” I threatened him. His forehead furrowed. Suddenly, he put the jacket on me and then turned to me, his expression blank.

“I have business here. You should see a doctor for your bruise,” he said coldly and left.

I just stared, and my gaze followed him. It was still perplexing to watch him walk away and enter the elevator. Elena and I exchanged a glance, bursting into laughter as I was genuinely baffled by that man.

“It’s quite strange for a stranger to care,” Elena remarked, I smiled at her, and we headed to Agatha’s room. Fortunately, the jacket he put on me had a hood, allowing me to conceal the significant bruise on my cheek.

When we entered Agatha’s room, we found Mama sitting by her side, the latter asleep. I noticed Mama glancing at me but quickly averting her gaze. As I turned my attention to my sister, my mouth dropped open at the sight of the numerous bruises and wounds on her face, along with bruises on her arms.

“What happened? How is she?” I asked, not looking at Mama.

Before Mama could respond, Ares suddenly arrived and approached me. My forehead furrowed when I saw that something was off. He was dressed casually in just pants and a t–shirt, not his usual attire. Where did this change come from? I also noticed he avoided looking at me.

“Where have you been? Why are you dressed like that?” I asked, surprised, making sure he could hear

me.

I thought he would finally look at me, but he continued to focus on Agatha, so I lightly patted his arm.

“What happened?” I inquired once more.

When our eyes met, I saw his blank expression. He looked at me for a moment and greeted Elena, who was standing quietly beside me.

“I… saw her outside their campus. She was with her former fraternity group. They wanted to harm her after she attempted to leave the organization,” he explained to me. I was even more surprised, as that wasn’t the answer I expected from him.

Raising an eyebrow, I looked at him more intently. He kept avoiding my gaze. What was wrong, Ares?

“What? How did you know?” I pressed further, as he seemed to have knowledge about everything, yet he

remained silent.

I sighed tiredly and tried to calm myself. Something was definitely wrong; I could feel it.

I turned to Mama, who was also silent, holding Agatha’s hand, her expression worn and tired. This wasn’t something I typically saw in her whenever I fell ill or faced any trouble.

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“Care to explain what’s happening here, Ma? Why does Agatha have a fraternity group?” I asked her, seeking answers.

She looked at me with a pained expression for a moment before turning back to Agatha, who suddenly woke up. But my confusion only escalated when I heard her murmur a name as if searching for it.

“Constantine…”

It was Ares‘ second name. What in the world?

I quickly turned to Ares with a frown. There was a hint of concern in his expression. I recognized that concern well because he wore it whenever something bad happened to me.

“Ma… Constantine… where… is he?” Agatha said, struggling to speak.

Once again, I shifted my gaze between everyone in the room. Ares‘ breathing grew heavier, and Agatha was desperately searching for my boyfriend. My confusion deepened as Mama turned to Ares.

“Ares, my son, can you-”

“Okay, what the hell is happening here? What does that mean?” I interjected, unable to comprehend the situation. Mama looked at me sharply, and if her gaze could kill, I’d be gone.

“Stop it, Ana! Do you have to attach meaning to everything? You know how close your sister and Ares are!” Mama yelled at me, adding to my confusion.

“What? I’m just trying to understand what’s going on because I don’t get any of this.”

“Love, please…” Ares said wearily, and I looked at him. His eyes were tired, gazing at me. “Let’s talk later.”

“Don’t be so selfish, Anastacia! Can’t you see your sister’s condition?” Mama scolded, and I turned to her, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness.

I noticed Agatha looking at us and immediately turned my attention to Ares. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening, and I felt like I didn’t belong in that moment.

I bit my lower lip and fought back tears.

“I’m not selfish,” I surrendered and quickly turned my back on them, leaving the room. Elena followed

me.

As we left, we saw Matthew with a big black eye and a swollen lip. He didn’t notice us, so Elena and I exchanged glances before heading out.

I remained silent throughout the journey to Elena’s condo, lost in thought. Once we arrived, I sat on the sofa and covered my face with my arm, trying to process what had happened earlier. I questioned if I had

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Chapter 21

unintentionally done something wrong, leading to their treatment of me, even Ares.

Numerous questions swirled in my mind, seeking answers, but I felt rejected by Ares earlier. He didn’t look at me for long or inquire about what had happened to me. It felt like something was deeply amiss

around me.

I knew what it might be, but my mind struggled to accept it because it seemed so wrong, especially knowing it involved Ares and my sister Agatha. Perhaps I was just overthinking. I hoped that was the case.

“Did you have a fight? Why was Sir like that with you?” Elena asked as she sat near my feet. I felt her

giving me a gentle foot massage, which brought a slight smile to my face.

She was trying to comfort me.

“No, I don’t know. Maybe I did something I’m not aware of…” I almost whispered to myself, watching what she was doing.

“Why is your older brother in that state? He looks like he was beaten too,” she said, laughing. I just shrugged because I had no idea either.

That man had many enemies, so it was likely that he was in some fight, and that’s what he won.

“Something seems off with Ares and your sister, Ana. I think you should focus more on yourself now,” she said seriously, studying me carefully before shaking her head.

When she got serious like this, it made me anxious.

The next day, Elena and I went to work together. She helped me cover my significant bruise on my cheek, but it still wasn’t enough, so I wore a jacket with a hood. I vaguely remembered returning the man’s jacket and clothes, but the details escaped me.

I no longer knew what was happening. Everything seemed to suddenly become chaotic. It felt like something had changed, especially with Ares. I didn’t know if it was just me, but it felt like the whole world was conspiring against me. Is this my punishment for a sin I never intended to commit?

Ares hadn’t arrived at his office yet when I got there. I tried to call him using Elena’s phone, but he didn’t answer. It was still early, so I began working, assuming he was just running late.

It didn’t take long for my thoughts to return to Ares as he arrived shortly after, though he seemed to not notice me, walking past and heading straight into his office. I noticed Elena’s startled expression, so I stood up and went after him.

I found him in the pantry brewing coffee, so I walked over and took the cup from him. He glanced at me briefly and then went to his swivel chair, leaving me even more confused by his behavior.

After brewing the coffee, I placed it on his table, attempting to catch his attention, but I felt like I was

Chapter 21

invisible to him. I chuckled. He was so distant.

“Are you okay? How’s my sister?” I calmly asked him, approaching him, but he continued to focus on the

folder he held.

“She’s fine. She’s in a stable condition,” he replied coldly.

“Do we have a problem, Ares?” My voice was low, making him look at me immediately. I could see the shock in his eyes when he saw the bruise on my cheek.

“What happened-”

“We met yesterday, but you ignored me, so you also didn’t notice what’s wrong with me. Do we have a problem?” My voice trembled.

I moved slightly away from him when he looked away again. I no longer knew what was happening.

“Please tell me. I understand you’re very worried about Agatha. I should ask you why… Why were you with her?” I could no longer restrain myself, feeling like I was on the verge of losing my mind due to that

question.

He stood up and faced me. His face tightened, seeming irritated, which surprised me even more. His jaw clenched, and he whispered a few curses.

“I just happened to see her yesterday. What are you saying? What happened to your face? Who did that to you?” he asked, but I couldn’t sense genuine concern in his words.

I shook my head and gently removed his hand from mine. I didn’t understand why my brain couldn’t accept what he was saying.

“Let’s talk later. I still have work to do,” I lazily told him, and I was about to turn away, but he quickly

grabbed my hand again.

“Ana, please… let’s not fight today. I can’t handle this,” he said, looking utterly fatigued. I looked at him quickly, unable to believe what he was saying.

“I’m not fighting with you, Ares. I don’t understand what’s going on, but I expected you to ask if I’m okay because that’s the first thing you always ask me whenever we talk. I don’t know why I can see that you’re here, but I can’t feel you,” I told him bitterly and quickly left his office.

I repeatedly bit my lower lip to stave off tears, letting out a deep sigh before returning to my desk. Just as I sat down, Elena’s cellphone was there. There was a message from him.