The Bigshot's Superstar Wife-Chapter 183: Wear a Mask

The jeep rolled to a stop at the entrance of the base. Guards rushed to meet them, their weapons raised in precaution until they recognized Xavier.

With a quick nod from their leader, the soldiers stepped aside, allowing them entry. Athena exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. They had finally returned.

As they drove through the base, Athena observed the changes since they had left.

The barricades had been reinforced, more soldiers patrolled the perimeter, and the people inside moved with a newfound urgency.

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The atmosphere was tense, as if everyone knew the world outside was shifting into something far worse.

When they finally parked, Athena was the first to step out, her body aching from the relentless journey.

Xavier followed closely behind, his face unreadable as he surveyed the base. He barked a few orders at his men before turning to her.

"Go get some rest," he told her, his voice softer than she expected.

Athena nodded, not bothering to argue. Her entire body screamed for sleep. She had barely stepped inside the house when exhaustion overwhelmed her.

Peeling off her gear, she collapsed onto the bed, her eyes shutting the moment her head hit the pillow.

Xavier, however, was different. Once Athena was out of sight, the calm, pained expression he had worn throughout their journey vanished.

His lips curled into a slow, twisted smile as he entered his makeshift office. He settled into his chair, fingers tapping lightly against the wooden surface.

"Interesting," he murmured to himself, his voice laced with amusement.

The wound on his arm, one that should have taken days to heal, was already gone. The skin was unbroken as if he had never been injured at all.

He lifted his arm, examining it under the dim light before letting out a quiet chuckle. "You've changed a lot, Athena."

His laughter started soft but quickly escalated into something maniacal, something unhinged. It echoed off the walls, the sound almost unnatural.

There was no trace of the man who had once looked at Athena with concern and tenderness. This was someone else entirely.

Xavier leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming in the dim light.

He had spent so long searching for her, tracking her every movement, making sure no one else got to her first. And now, after everything, she didn't even remember him.

"Amnesia," he whispered, tasting the word on his tongue. How convenient.

For a long time, he had suspected something was different about her. She wasn't the same woman he had known. And yet, somehow, she was still his Athena.

The pieces of her were there, buried deep beneath layers of something new, something… foreign.

His fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair, knuckles turning white. He had waited too long for this. Too long to let her slip through his fingers again.

"Don't worry," he muttered to himself. "I'll make you remember."

Outside, the base was alive with movement. Soldiers carried weapons, engineers worked on fortifications, and scouts reported their findings.

None of them knew that within the walls of the commander's office, their leader was sitting in the dark, smiling like a man possessed. Xavier pressed his fingertips together, deep in thought.

The world was falling apart. The apocalypse had turned men into monsters and had twisted the laws of nature itself.

And yet, the most dangerous thing he had encountered so far wasn't a zombie or a mutated beast. It was her. Athena.

He had seen her fight, seen the way she moved, the way she adapted without hesitation. She was unlike anyone else in this wasteland. And now that he had her within reach, he wouldn't let her go so easily.

He picked up a small knife from his desk, twirling it between his fingers absentmindedly. How long would it take for her to remember?

Would she resist? Would she fight him the way she had fought those monsters outside? His smile widened. That would make it all the more entertaining.

Xavier exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting to the closed door where Athena slept beyond. She had no idea what she had walked into.

No idea who she was to him, who she had been before losing her memories. But that was fine. He had all the time in the world to remind her. For now, he would let her rest.

But soon, very soon, she would come to understand.

The sun had long set by the time Athena woke up, her body stiff from exhaustion.

She blinked at the dim light filtering through the curtains, her senses slowly adjusting. It took her a moment to remember where she was, the base, the long journey, Xavier.

A knock at the door pulled her fully into wakefulness. "Athena," a deep voice called from the other side. "Dinner's ready."

She ran a hand through her hair, still feeling groggy, but she pushed herself up and changed into fresh clothes before heading out.

The dining room was dimly lit, a long wooden table set with dishes that looked far better than the rations she had been surviving on.

Steamed vegetables, roasted meat, soup, none of it extravagant, but far more than she had expected in a world like this.

Xavier sat at the head of the table, his expression unreadable as he poured himself a glass of water. "Sit," he said, nodding to the chair across from him.

Athena hesitated for only a second before taking the seat. The old nannies who had tended to her earlier moved gracefully around the table, placing more food down before retreating into the background.

"I didn't expect this," she admitted, picking up her spoon.

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Expect what?"

She gestured to the meal. "A proper dinner. This… normalcy."

His lips curled slightly, a ghost of a smirk. "Even in a world like this, people need something to hold on to."

He sliced into his meat with precision. "Survival isn't just about fighting. It's also about remembering how to live."

Athena stared at him for a long moment, trying to make sense of him. This man who had captured her and claimed to know her past, yet still treated her like someone important.

She took a bite, chewing slowly. "You don't seem like someone who cares much for tradition."

Xavier chuckled. "Maybe not. But I do care about what's mine." His gaze locked onto hers, unwavering. "Eat. You need your strength."

Something in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. Athena picked up her fork again, feeling like this dinner was more than just a meal, it was a game, and she wasn't sure who was winning.