Chapter 113 Not Reconciled
Karen’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the man who had just entered. Her expression soured immediately.
“Who are you?” she asked with an air of disdain. Her gaze traveled up and down, assessing him. “He looks good, but I don’t see a single designer brand on him. A poor guy.”
Karen quickly made her own conclusions, dismissing him with a flick of her wrist.
“He helped save Mrs. Alivia Crawford today,” Athena said as she walked toward the silver-haired lady. She turned to Jaxson and asked, “Why are you here?”
The lady, with a gentle smile, looked at Athena. “I was visiting friends, and as I was leaving, I saw your people looking for the children involved in the incident. I overheard that someone might be after you and the nurse, so I came to offer my help.”
Alivia had been fine all day. But Lola’s expression soured as soon as she noticed the presence of these two, who seemed poised to ruin her plans.
“You’re here for money, aren’t you?” Lola shot a cold look at Liam. “Take them out and check them. Now.”
Athena was about to protest, but the silver-haired lady stopped her. A hand gently patted Athena’s back, and Athena turned to look at her, puzzled. The lady addressed Lola with calm authority. “Your Crawford family seems to have lost its sense of decorum. It’s quite disappointing.”
Lola’s face twisted with anger. “What did you just say?” she snapped, her voice rising in outrage.
Jaxson, who had been standing quietly, straightened his posture and stepped forward. His gaze was sharp, his presence intimidating as he locked eyes with Lola.
He hadn’t been following the conversation. In fact, he had no idea what was going on with these people. He was only vaguely aware that Athena was at the center of it. But one thing he knew for sure—no one had shown her any kindness, except for the woman beside him.
“What do you want?” Karen demanded, her voice sharp. The noble lady behind Lola also seemed taken aback, eyeing Jaxson and the silver-haired lady with growing suspicion.
“This is my Crawford family’s place!” Lola hissed, trying to regain control.
The silver-haired lady smiled coolly, unphased. “I know it’s your Crawford family’s place, but I can’t stand by and watch Miss Newton be bullied. So, I came here to ensure she wasn’t. By the way,” she said, turning her gaze toward Karen, “who was the one yelling about the lack of surveillance?”
Lola froze, and the lady behind her trembled.
Athena looked at the silver-haired lady with a mixture of gratitude and surprise. It had been nothing more than a chance meeting, but the lady had stepped in to help, sensing that Athena might be in trouble. She didn’t hesitate to rush over when she knew Athena needed support.
“Don’t be afraid,” the lady murmured to Athena, patting her gently on the back. Then, she reached for a small black box hanging from Jaxson’s neck. “Though the surveillance in the nursing home was turned off during the incident, I’ve recently learned how to shoot videos,” she explained, holding the box up. “I recorded everything when it happened, and I’ve just checked the footage. Look, here are the faces of the two children.”
She turned to Byron, holding out the small square box. “Mr. Crawford, take it.”
Byron reached for the box, his expression unreadable.
Karen, however, sneered. “Byron, I don’t know where this old woman came from. Who knows if that’s real?” she scoffed, her tone dripping with suspicion. She had no other thoughts, except to discredit Athena.
For Karen, Athena was a thorn in her side. Two years ago, she had hoped to introduce her goddaughter to Byron, even if they didn’t end up married. Karen had her eyes set on the benefits—money, power. She knew about the villa Byron had bought for Athena, worth tens of millions, and the lucrative project in Salin City that had gone to Athena instead of her son.
Her jealousy festered. “Athena must have something going for her behind closed doors,” Karen thought bitterly. “She couldn’t possibly have the ability to handle a big project like that on her own. She must have seduced Byron.”
It was infuriating. It should have been her son with that project. She clenched her teeth, unwilling to let go of the anger that simmered inside her.
She had come today to watch Athena fail, to watch her suffer. But things weren’t going as planned. Karen wasn’t about to give up. No, this wasn’t over.