Chapter 139 You Don’t Love Me
Athena felt a rush of irritation bubble up inside her, but she held it in. She had already been through enough emotional turmoil in the past hour to last a week, and the last thing she wanted was to get caught up in another of Byron’s commanding moments. She didn’t answer immediately, but she didn’t walk away either.
Byron’s gaze sharpened as he stood near the door, his body language not giving an inch. He wanted her there, and she knew that if she resisted, it would only cause more tension between them.
“Fine,” she said finally, her voice tight but controlled. “I’ll go with you. But don’t expect me to do more than sit there.”
Byron nodded, clearly not in the mood for a disagreement, and without another word, he turned to leave. Athena followed him out of the office, her thoughts a whirlwind as she moved mechanically behind him. She was still reeling from the conversation they had just had, from his unexpected declarations, and from the bitter realization that she was once again caught in the emotional tug-of-war that was Byron Crawford.
The building’s sleek, polished floors gleamed under their footsteps as they made their way toward the meeting room. The sound of heels clicking against the floor felt like an ominous metronome to Athena, each step reminding her of the tension she had been trying to escape.
When they arrived at the meeting room, Athena took a seat at the back, as far from the table as possible, trying to keep a low profile. She could see Byron’s silhouette at the head of the table, commanding the room with the same intensity he had used on her moments ago. It was hard for her to ignore the conflicting emotions swirling inside her. On one hand, she still felt a pull toward him—despite everything, despite his coldness, and despite her own better judgment. But on the other hand, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was trapped in a situation that wasn’t of her choosing.
As the meeting went on, Athena’s mind drifted. She found herself observing the room, the people, the environment, but her thoughts kept returning to the conversation she’d had with Byron. Could it really be that he was serious? That he wasn’t just speaking out of anger or frustration?
She glanced at him across the room. His attention was fixed on the documents in front of him, but there was something in his posture that suggested he wasn’t as focused on the meeting as he appeared. It was subtle, but Athena could feel it: Byron was unsettled, too. Maybe, just maybe, his words earlier weren’t as calculated as he thought they were.
The meeting eventually wrapped up, and as the other executives filed out, Byron came over to Athena. He didn’t say anything at first—just stood in front of her, his gaze soft but still searching her face.
“I don’t want to argue with you, Athena,” he said quietly, his voice devoid of its usual hardness. “But I do need you to understand something.”
Athena didn’t respond right away. She wasn’t sure she could trust herself not to say something she would regret. Instead, she just nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral.
Byron sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know things aren’t perfect between us, and I know I haven’t been the easiest person to be with. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m here. And I want you to know that I’m not going to walk away from this… from you.”
Athena swallowed the lump in her throat. His words were genuine, and part of her wanted to believe him, but another part was scared to let herself fall into the trap she had set for herself so many times before.
“I’m not asking you to change your entire life for me,” Byron continued, his voice growing more intense. “But I need you to trust me. I don’t want to lose you.”
Athena stood up slowly, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on her. She looked at him for a long moment, searching his face, trying to find the answers she so desperately needed.
“I can’t make promises,” she finally said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “But I’ll try. I’ll try to understand what you’re saying, but you have to understand, Byron, that it’s not just about you and me. There’s more to consider now.”
Byron’s eyes softened as he took a step closer. He reached out, as if to touch her, but stopped just short of making contact. “I know,” he said, his voice quiet. “I know.”