Chapter 117 Dramatic Bitch
Heather’s steps were deliberate, slow, as she closed the distance between herself and Athena, her eyes narrowing with growing irritation. “Not sharing?” Heather repeated, her voice low and dripping with malice. She inched closer to Athena, her smile tight and calculating. “Do you want to monopolize him?”
Athena’s stomach churned as Heather’s words hung in the air like a trap. The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife. Despite her inner disgust, Athena was doing her best to hold herself together. She had only eaten seafood earlier, skipped dinner, and the events of the day had left her feeling worse by the minute. Her body seemed to be rejecting everything—especially Heather’s presence.
Athena turned sharply, the wave of nausea rising in her throat, and began to retch. She didn’t want to give Heather the satisfaction, but her body betrayed her.
Heather’s expression turned ugly, her patience wearing thin. She couldn’t stand the idea that Athena might be using her discomfort to turn the tables. “What are you doing?” Heather sneered, her tone venomous.
Athena’s thoughts raced as she tried to maintain control, feeling her stomach flip again. Of course, Heather had to make everything more difficult. What a dramatic, attention-seeking woman.
Byron’s voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the tension. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his concern genuine as he rushed toward Athena. His eyes scanned her face, a flicker of unease crossing his features.
Athena stood there, feeling slightly dizzy, her attempt at a composed response slipping through her. She was trying to keep the situation in check, but everything felt overwhelming. “I got too hungry,” she quickly explained, searching for an excuse that would sound plausible. She didn’t want Byron to think anything else was wrong. Not here, not in front of Heather.
She waved her hand dismissively at Byron. “I’m fine now, Mr. Crawford. Please go on with your business. I’m leaving.” She turned to walk toward the door, eager to escape the tension in the air.
But before she could make her way to the car, Byron’s voice stopped her. “I’ll drive.”
Athena’s eyes widened slightly as Byron swiftly took the car keys from her and motioned for her to get into the passenger seat. She was too taken aback to protest, allowing him to push her gently but firmly into the seat. Byron fastened her seatbelt without a word, his hands moving quickly, decisively.
Heather stood there, staring at them both, her eyes burning with a mix of resentment and confusion. “Byron, are you going with her now? What about me?” Her voice trembled with indignation, unable to conceal the frustration bubbling inside her. “Your family is here. If you leave me behind and go with her, what will others think of me?”
Byron turned around, his gaze locking onto Heather’s with a chilling calm. “Why did you suddenly want to visit Madam Crawford today?” he asked, his voice low and deliberate.
Heather blinked, caught off guard by the question. “It was Lola…” she started, but Byron didn’t let her finish.
“You should call her Mrs. Lola Crawford,” Byron interrupted, his tone colder now. “I also hope that you didn’t participate in today’s farce.”
Heather’s face twisted, caught between feigned innocence and a growing sense of dread. “You really don’t trust me?” she asked, her voice strained, as though the notion was an impossible betrayal.
“Miss Ross,” Byron’s voice became firm, his authority unmistakable, “we’ve known each other for a very short time, and I don’t really understand you.” His eyes locked with hers. “If you want the marriage to go smoothly, it’s best not to do things you shouldn’t, especially to Athena. Otherwise, I will cancel the engagement.”
The words hit Heather like a slap to the face. Cancel the engagement? She had never anticipated hearing that from Byron, not in a million years. A knot tightened in her stomach, her mind spinning. She had always believed she could manipulate the situation, gradually molding Byron into someone who would bend to her will. But this… this was different.
Byron wasn’t just threatening her. He was willing to bear the cost and loss for Athena, someone he had never shown much care for—at least not in Heather’s eyes.
“Do you know the cost of canceling an engagement?” Heather asked, her voice now shaky, though she tried to keep it composed.
Byron didn’t flinch. “Of course, I know.” He gave her a pointed look. “But please believe that I’m willing to bear the cost and loss for Athena.”
Heather’s world felt like it was crashing down. She had believed, in the depths of her arrogance, that she had him under control. But now, she saw the truth in Byron’s words, and it made her feel small, vulnerable. Athena had become the one person he seemed willing to defend at all costs.
Byron’s next words were colder still. “It’s cold outside. Go back.”
His dismissal was sharp, and Heather couldn’t argue. Byron walked around to the front of the car and got into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind him. The engine roared to life, and without another word, Byron drove away, leaving Heather standing in the cold.
“Miss Ross!” Jones, who had been watching from a distance, hurried over, his concern obvious. “What did Mr. Crawford say? Why do you look so upset?”
Heather’s frustration bubbled over. “Byron said that if I mess with Athena, he will cancel the engagement!” she snapped, her voice tinged with desperation. The reality of the situation was setting in, and Heather could feel the ground slipping from beneath her.
The car disappeared into the distance, and Heather was left standing there, humiliated, her hopes for control slipping further away.