Chapter 88 I’ll Protect You
Athena froze, her steps halting abruptly as she caught sight of Heather in the crowd. The girl’s beauty was undeniable—her delicate features, flawless skin, and bright, wide eyes all screamed innocence and grace. She was waving at Byron with an exuberance that Athena couldn’t quite place. A smile stretched across her face, pure and charming, as she bounded towards them, completely unaware of the tension that had suddenly clouded the air.
Byron, who had been smiling down at Athena moments ago, turned at the sound of his name. His eyes lit up when he saw Heather approaching, his lips curving into a smile that Athena had seen him wear countless times before—warm and familiar, reserved only for those he truly cared about. It wasn’t a smile for a business associate or an acquaintance; it was a smile for someone special.
Heather reached them in seconds, her presence almost as bright as the sunlight filtering through the airport windows. “Byron! I’ve been waiting for you,” she said with a voice that rang with sweetness, stepping forward to greet him. Her eyes, wide with admiration, didn’t stray from him for a second.
Athena’s heart sank, her chest tightening. She fought the urge to step back, to shrink into the background. She had long since known that Byron and Heather shared a history, but seeing them together now, after everything that had passed between her and Byron, felt like a punch to the gut. The weight of the smile Byron gave Heather, the way his gaze softened when he saw her, made Athena feel small in the face of their connection.
Heather was almost too perfect, too poised. She was the picture of what a woman like Byron deserved—beautiful, refined, and effortlessly charming. Athena, on the other hand, had always been the outsider, the one who didn’t quite fit into Byron’s world, and moments like this only served to remind her of that stark reality.
Byron turned to Athena, noticing her stillness, and something flickered in his eyes—was it guilt, or perhaps confusion? He hadn’t expected her to be this silent, this distant. But before he could say anything, Heather’s voice cut through the air, bright and unbothered.
“Byron, it’s been so long! I’ve missed you!” she said, reaching out to give him a hug, her tone filled with affection.
Athena swallowed hard, forcing herself not to show any sign of discomfort, though it was evident in her rigid posture and clenched jaw. She stepped aside, letting Heather have her moment, though every part of her wanted to call out and ask why Byron was still so drawn to this girl when he had made it clear that their relationship had ended. Or perhaps it was simply easier for him to pretend that it had.
Byron, sensing the tension that was building between the two women, gently pulled away from Heather and turned back to Athena. His smile faded just slightly, replaced by a more guarded expression as he shifted his attention to her.
“Athena, this is Heather,” Byron introduced, his tone softer now, as though trying to bridge the gap. “Heather, this is Athena, a colleague of mine.”
Heather smiled at Athena with that same sweet, unaffected expression, as though nothing could possibly be wrong. “It’s nice to meet you, Athena,” she said, her voice like the soft tinkling of a bell. But there was an undercurrent to it, something that felt a little too knowing, a little too eager to make an impression.
Athena forced a smile, though it felt stiff and insincere. “Nice to meet you too,” she replied, her voice calm, betraying none of the storm inside her.
Byron, sensing the subtle wariness between the two women, finally spoke. “Heather, let’s get going. We have a lot to catch up on.”
Heather nodded eagerly. “Of course! I can’t wait to hear all about your trip!” she said, turning her gaze to Athena for just a moment before shifting it back to Byron. “Shall we?”
Athena wanted to say something, anything, to break the suffocating silence between them, but she held herself back. She couldn’t allow herself to be that vulnerable, not now. She had already been hurt once, and if there was one thing she had learned from the past, it was that she couldn’t afford to get swept up in Byron’s world—especially when people like Heather were part of it.
Byron, sensing that the situation was growing awkward, placed a hand on Athena’s arm, his touch warm and gentle, though Athena couldn’t help but feel a pang of resentment at how easily he could switch his attention between the two women.
“We’ll take our own car,” Athena said abruptly, pulling away from his touch, her voice colder than before. She didn’t want to stay in this uncomfortable space, caught between Byron’s past and the present she was trying to carve out for herself.
Byron looked at her, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion, but he didn’t press the issue. “Alright, I’ll see you back at the hotel,” he said quietly, before turning to Heather with a softer smile.
As the two of them walked away, Athena stood still for a moment, the weight of everything pressing down on her chest. She had been foolish to think that things between her and Byron could ever be simple. It wasn’t just about the two of them anymore—it was about the history and connections that would always follow him, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape the shadow they cast.
With a deep breath, she turned away, heading toward the car that awaited her, ready to face whatever came next. But as she walked, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get even more complicated.