Chapter 146 A Crazy Idea
Byron was an important guest at the dinner party that night.
After being harassed by Erik, Athena had no intention of returning. She messaged Byron, then hailed a taxi and left.
As soon as she got into the car, her phone rang. It was Byron.
Athena hesitated for a second before answering.
So… Erik really did go to Byron?
She picked up. “Mr. Crawford.”
“Where are you?” Byron’s voice was low and steady.
“In the car,” she replied simply.
“Are you feeling unwell?” he asked again.
Athena felt tempted to vent her frustration, but in the end, she held back. She didn’t want to provoke him.
“I have a headache,” she answered perfunctorily. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“Do you have any medicine at home?”
“Yes.”
For some reason, the image of Byron gently wiping wine off her face kept resurfacing in her mind. His cold expression hadn’t changed that night, but his actions had betrayed a flash of protectiveness.
“I’ll be back soon,” Byron said, his tone suddenly soft.
Athena considered telling him not to come over, to just go home and leave her alone. But in the end, she didn’t say anything.
After hanging up, the taxi’s radio came on. The announcer was reporting breaking news: a wealthy tycoon in North America had died in a private jet crash two hours ago. The explosion had been so violent that no remains were recovered.
Athena sat up straight.
A plane explosion?
An idea flashed through her mind. Could she fake something like that?
But how? It had to be convincing. It had to fool Byron.
She fell deep into thought.
Once back at the apartment, she took a shower to clear her head.
Knowing the company would hold a meeting about the energy project the next day, she went into the study to prepare documents. She sorted through information and organized the original candidate list for the company president.
Having been on leave for half a month and still dealing with pregnancy fatigue, Athena grew tired quickly. Once the paperwork was done, she stretched and lay down on the sofa in the study to rest for a moment.
She didn’t expect to fall into a deep sleep.
When Byron arrived, the apartment was pitch black.
A wave of unease surged in his chest.
Without bothering to remove his shoes, he rushed straight to the bedroom.
It was empty.
He turned on the light. No sign of her.
An anxious knot formed in his stomach.
Did she run away?
He immediately dialed her number, but the call didn’t go through—her phone was turned off.
Panic consumed him.
Just as he was about to call someone to search for her, a faint light caught his eye.
It was coming from the study.
Byron quickly made his way over and gently pushed open the door.
There she was.
Athena was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.
Her phone had slipped to the carpet beside her.
The sight of her made Byron feel like a drowning man who had finally found air.
He returned to the entrance to take off his shoes and coat, then walked quietly back into the study and leaned down to embrace her.
Athena stirred slightly.
When she opened her eyes and saw it was him, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured, “You’re back.”
Her voice was soft and warm with sleep.
Byron’s arms tightened around her without thinking.
“Yes. I’m back,” he replied, unusually gentle.
Too sleepy to process much, Athena gave a small nod, nuzzled into his chest, and quickly fell back asleep.
Byron held her quietly, still crouched by the sofa.
He hadn’t realized until now just how wildly his emotions had swung tonight—from worry and anger to relief and something almost like… fear.
Fear of losing her.
His grip on her unconsciously tightened, as though he could anchor himself with the steady rise and fall of her breath.
This woman… was becoming his only weakness.