Chapter 229 Take Her Back!
The tension escalated with every passing moment as Byron’s mind raced, piecing together everything he had just learned. The words from his mother, the unsettling news about Athena, and his sudden realization that something far more complicated was happening than he initially thought, all hit him like a storm.
He could feel the cold wind cutting through him as he stood in front of Harrison Hospital. The flickering streetlights cast long shadows, mirroring the turmoil inside him. He hadn’t expected the news of Athena’s pregnancy—much less the implication of betrayal—but his gut told him it might be true. The thought gnawed at him.
Byron thought about everything that had happened that day. Seraphina’s violent push on Athena, Athena’s cautiousness around him, her apparent discomfort. All those signs seemed to point to one thing: she might truly be pregnant with George’s child. And now, with the added weight of Lola’s words, the guilt and confusion hit him harder than he expected.
As he sat in the car, the tension mounting with each thought, several black cars pulled up to the hospital entrance, their engines turning off one by one. The men in black suits walked toward his vehicle, and Byron’s gaze sharpened with a dangerous edge.
“Mr. Crawford!” one of them greeted him.
“Go in. Take Athena and the person with her away separately,” Byron ordered coldly, his voice laced with a chilling resolve.
“Yes, sir!”
The men immediately entered the hospital. Byron’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. He wasn’t just dealing with family drama anymore. This was bigger, more dangerous. His thoughts drifted back to Athena, to how he had misunderstood her so thoroughly, and the lengths he would go to now to resolve this situation.
It wasn’t long before Athena was found. She was alone, sitting in a waiting area when the men approached her. She frowned as she looked up at them, a mixture of confusion and reluctance on her face.
“Mrs. Crawford, Mr. Crawford asked us to take you back,” one of the men said, his voice polite but firm.
Athena, taken aback, hesitated. “Tell him I have something to do…”
The man’s tone remained unwavering. “Mrs. Crawford, please cooperate with us.”
She fell silent, the weight of her situation sinking in. George was just steps away, fetching water for her. The last thing she needed was for Byron to see her with George, especially not with the tension building between them.
“Where is he?” Athena asked quietly, standing up.
“Mr. Crawford is waiting for you outside,” came the reply.
Athena nodded silently and walked out of the waiting room, her mind racing. She wasn’t sure how Byron would react, but she knew it wasn’t going to be easy. As she moved toward the elevator, she heard the familiar sound of George’s footsteps behind her, only to realize too late that he had been separated from her.
At that moment, George returned with the water, only to be startled when he saw several tall men in suits escorting Athena out of the hospital. His heart skipped a beat as he rushed to catch up with her.
The urgency in his steps increased as he saw her being led toward the elevator. He tried to follow, but in his haste, he collided with a cleaning lady in the corridor. The impact was minor, but it caused a momentary distraction, giving the men a chance to get a head start.
By the time George had made sure the cleaning lady was unharmed and sprinted toward the exit, it was too late. He saw Athena being pushed into a car, her face already obscured by the tinted windows. He was too far away, too late to do anything.
George stood there, frozen for a moment, before his panic set in. He had no idea what Byron was planning or what had just unfolded, but the desperation in his chest told him he had to act.
He couldn’t let her go, not without a fight.